Chapter Text
Crimson Bay.
Crimson Bay, the name of the place where I'm moving to.
Crimson Bay, where my new life is going to set roots, which is quite remote from home and family. An old boat is the only way to reach the town, and it takes around four hours from the mainland, with the wind and all that.
I stare out at the body of water around us, at the trees on each horizons, I feel the breeze sliding through my hair and against my skin, a cold bite to it that makes me glad I wore this jacket like someone recommended I do before boarding.
My short, pointy horns thrum slightly whenever some water splashes onto me, or is it because I'm getting closer to that new land? My dragon genes have been responding rather intensely to whatever is there, which I've found weird.
Could it be that I have a mate there? That would be surprising, but if fate really did have a say in my being here, then this kind of outcome would make sense. How else could I explain this?
When I was young, my mother, a vampire, went to see a seer for me. I was the only one in the family born a pure half-breed, meaning that I have equal amounts of dragon and vampire genes from my father and her, and she was worried about my future.
My older brother has our father's dragon genes while my older sister has mother's, but I have both, something that's rarely seen, if ever.
The known cases were all told to have a weak health, poor blood circulation, and some of them even died at a young age due to how fragile they were. I remember hearing my sister cry one day, fearing that the same would happen to me.
Mom and dad didn't know what that would mean for me, seeing as this could affect my entire life, but the seer had assured us that there would be nothing to worry about, as long as I moved to the Red Land, she'd called it. When I'd turn thirty, a boat would take me there, to my destiny.
It took us a long time to figure out what she'd meant by that, or where, but when we eventually stumbled upon pictures of Crimson Bay last month, when we saw the red dirt that made up more than half of the town's forest grounds, I immediately felt called to it, like my place had to be there.
The deep emerald green of the trees and plants and the colourful hues of flowers, the town's romantic streets and shops with the rustic ambiance, the people's relaxed lifestyle, it felt like I'd seen a glimpse of my future, and for a moment, I'd wondered why I wasn't there already.
My parents lost no time in packing my belongings on the eve of my birthday, and after spending one last day with my dear family, on the following morning, my brother drove me to the airport with my sister.
Eric and Solar did their best as they held in their tears while they hugged me tightly, but every strangers could see that they found it hard to say goodbye.
They were worried that I wouldn't have anyone there to look over me, that I wouldn't be able to get the regular amounts of mana and blood that my peculiar constitution requires, but dad apparently already called a clinic there, so I know that someone will be waiting for me for when I need anything.
One of the doctors working there is his old friends' son, who assured him that he would take good care of me. When I told them that piece of information, they were reassured, but still concerned. I've never been so far away on my own after all, and it feels weird to all of us.
Mana is easy to acquire, as it requires simple physical touch from a dragon, like a hand on my shoulder for example, which is how dad would do it.
It has to be a conscious decision from the other party, so it's not like I risk absorbing everyone's mana wherever I go, but since I cannot produce new mana myself, I need to receive it from someone who can produce it - like any full-fledged dragons - to remain healthy.
As for blood, the reason is similar, but I need it a lot more often, which is why I always have blood snacks and samples nearby. It keeps me from going on a blood crave, which could prove dangerous not only for me, but for those around me.
I know that mom packed some in one of my bags, but she didn't tell me which one so I haven't taken anything for... probably too long, but it should be fine. Once I make it to my new home, I can unpack and drink blood before taking it easy.
Anyway, once Eric and Solar went back home after saying goodbye, I took the plane all the way to the mainland's port where I boarded the small, rusty boat that has certainly seen better days, which is where I am now.
I sure didn't expect to be the only person going to Crimson Bay today.
"We'll be there soon, young lass. You have a lot of bags, I hope you have someone waiting for you with a car, otherwise it's going to be hard to go anywhere like that" the human captain speaks from where he's steering the vehicle, his trusty hat on his bald head and a candy stick in his mouth.
He's had it between his teeth for hours now and I can't help but wonder if it's only decoration or if it once was a candy. Still, I honestly hadn't thought about how I'd move around once we'd dock. Calling a taxi had been my first thought, but do they even have taxis there?
It's not that small of a town, so I should be fine. Right?
"I don't have anyone picking me up, if that's what you want to know" I reply as the boat begins to near the docks nearby, where a couple of men appear ready to help with docking and unloading the trade materials, "I thought I could just call a taxi?".
"You chose the only day when they're not working, lass. Taxi drivers don't take any customers on Sundays. Except me, of course, that boat won't drive itself. Do you have no other options, kiddo? Wouldn't want to leave you stranded in Crimson Bay on the first day".
Oh... well that changes things.
What do I do? I have five bags with me since my parents made me leave with all of my clothes and belongings. Moving everything onto the boat was a hassle, so I can't possibly carry all of that while walking to the house.
They bought one for me on some hills that overlooks the bay, so that would be the death of me.
Have they planned something and they just didn't tell me? That wouldn't be anything new. I should trust them for now, but I'll make sure to call them if it ends up that they didn't know about the no taxis on Sunday. What a strange rule.
"I'll have to see my options once we reach land, sir, but thank you for your concern".
The next half hour happens without a hitch, with the boat docking smoothly. It shows that the men working at the docks know what they're doing, and I can only be grateful when they help me to carry all of my bags to a clean area with seats and a warm campfire in the middle of the stone.
I thank everyone, then start warming up my hands by the fire when I sense that my body is already starting to feel weaker. Maybe I should've worn something warmer, but the temperature was hotter before I boarded the plane. I didn't know that it would be this cold around here.
The air is humid, as one would expect from a town situated right by the bay. I can't deny that I wouldn't mind being inside four walls right about now, with a blanket around my shoulders and a cup of tea in my hands. It looks like it might rain by the end of the day too.
My family would've fussed about my comfort and made sure I was somewhere dry and warm by now, but it's just me this time. Little old me, and this old little town. I'm going to have to take care of myself from now on, no matter how foreign of a concept that sounds to me.
Looking around, I take in the few shops on the other side of the street facing the docks. There's a coffee shop, a bakery and a restaurant side by side, with a souvenir shop a little further away. A few people can be seen walking around, but otherwise, it's a lot more silent than I thought.
The pictures showed Crimson Bay bustling with life, but either Sundays here are always like this, or it's the temperature that's making everyone want to stay at home for the day. I'll probably find out after a couple weeks of living here.
Man, I would've loved if my siblings were here with me. They always make things fun and less scary.
Waiting reveals itself to be useless when I soon realize that no one's going to come pick me up, and I search in my handbag looking for my phone while I see the boat leaving the docks again, with new materials that will see the other shore.
There's no going back now, so I'll just call dad to see what I could do and-
A sudden thrum echoes in my horns, and I pause my search to instead look around me again.
It feels like a wave of mana that's pushing out of me into the world, seeking something. There, it meets another wave of unknown mana that comes to greet my body and soul like an old friend, and I tense and freeze on the spot.
Like a heartbeat, it echoes all over my body, and my vampire senses open up to my surroundings on instinct, every smells around here filling my lungs in search of that special one, while my mana tickles over my skin, in search of that special pull.
I shouldn't know what it is that I'm looking for at this moment, and yet I feel like I do know.
Confused, because this is unlike anything I feel when I'm with my family - it's much stronger and intense - I look towards the black car that stops right in front of where I'm seated, breath held in as I wait to see who's inside, for every one of my senses push me in that direction.
The driver's door opens, and the smell of a forest hits me almost right away. Earthy, but there's a hidden sweetness underneath it all, and a spice to it. It has my body losing of its rigidness and tension in mere seconds, making me feel like cotton as a tall body then exits the vehicle.
Two sets of horns rest above pale temples and peeking out of black hair, white with strings of gold circling the length of the bony appendages. A dragon, there's no doubt about it, and when his coffee brown eyes fall on me, when I finally get to see his ethereal face, when our mana joins between us, I immediately turn into putty.
His scent is intoxicating, and my blood pulses in my veins with every beats of my heart, with every steps that he takes in my direction.
The pull that links me to him gains in solidity the closer he gets, and there's no looking away from the feline arch of his eyes as he looks me straight in the eyes, an intensity in his gaze that locks me where I am.
"You are... Y/N, right?".
I want to reply to him, to say that I am, to ask how he could possibly know my name, who he is, but the veins in his neck ultimately earn my attention and my brain turns silent.
I find them pumping blood so attractively underneath his skin, as if their unique goal is to captivate me, and his scent nearly has me salivating at the thought of the taste his blood would have on my tongue. My teeth would feel so cozy sinking into-
With a gasp, I quickly shake my head, hands patting my cheeks to pull the focus elsewhere, anywhere else but on that soft skin.
I can't possibly scare my mate right as we meet for the first time because my vampire side is trying to get a taste of his blood! That was part of the worst case scenarios my imagination could create, but to be so suddenly confronted to it like this was not something I was ready for.
Feeling my canines grow the slightest bit has me covering my mouth with a hand in shock, and I look down right as the impressive dragon reaches my seat, his feet and slender legs all I can see as I try to avoid making eye contact with him again.
This hadn't happened in months, what do I do? Usually, my family always knows how to help me when I reach that point, but they're not here this time. What will my mate say if he learns that I am both dragon and vampire? That I not only crave his mana, but also his blood?
His scent becomes more overwhelming the more I try to fight against my impulses, and I shut my eyes tightly as I revert to breathing between my teeth, if only to lower the impacts he's currently having on me.
My voice locks in my throat, my body starts to tremble slightly, and I inwardly curse that I can't warn him to stay away from me at such a crucial time.
Biting my own wrist would earn me maybe a few minutes, but as I am right now, I do not only want blood, I need it. To think that being near my mate could make me reach my limit so quickly, how terrifying is that? I thought I'd have time to make it home first!
"Hey, hey. You're okay, everything's okay. Look at me, sweetheart" his soothing, raspy voice speaks softly as he kneels in front of me, hands on my arms to share mana - how did he know? - but I shake my head, unable to do as he asked.
Have my eyes turned red? I can't let him see me like this when we just met, I just can't.
I feel the burn of tears in my eyes, but also the burn of my own blood as it races through my veins, seeking the new taste that lingers in front of me, within reach and yet so far away. Why is this happening now of all times?
"I'm Min Yoongi, the doctor of the local clinic, your father told you about me" the stranger says as he keeps his warm hands on my arms, to ground and to comfort me. "He told me everything I needed to know about your condition, so you don't need to hide from me, alright? I'm not scared of you".
The local... clinic? He's the doctor that dad mentioned?
My eyes open slowly, and with a hand still covering my pointy canines, I look up to find kindness in his gaze. Understanding, and empathy, but no judgement. The redness of my eyes doesn't even seem to faze him.
He hums at the sight, now knowing why I reacted the way I did.
"You didn't consume blood on the way, did you?" he asks, then sighs at my guilty shake of the head.
"That triggered your blood crave, and your dragon blood is making your impulses stronger, but you already know that, don't you?" he continues. "Can you please remove your hand from over your mouth for me?".
Spoken with so much authority, I can only listen to him at the moment, and he smiles gently when I hesitantly remove my hand to show him my two canines that poke into my bottom lip, eager to draw blood.
My identity is so uncommon that it can be stated as rare, to have one's instincts affected by two different races like this. Whether one's parents are of the same race, or of two different ones, the children will always inherit only one leading gene.
That's the norms, and what everyone expects, like my siblings. Eric inherited dad's dragon genes, and Solar mom's vampire genes. They still have both, but just like Eric isn't considered a vampire, Solar cannot be considered a dragon.
Having two leading genes means that the line that normally separates them has been dissolved, so not only do I have vampire teeth and a need for blood, I also have dragon horns and a need for mana.
Not only am I hot-blooded, I am also cold-blooded, which makes me more prone to sickness and fevers.
A lack of blood awakens my blood crave, and my dragon's side strengthens them, making it impossible for me to do anything until the need is taken care of.
My parents and siblings are usually by my side when that happens, so they can help by allowing me to feed off their wrists when it becomes too much and if we do not have blood snacks, but right now, I am all alone.
Everything's always less scary with family, but they're not by my side anymore.
My tears fall down my cheeks at that thought, and Yoongi's heart cracks open, seeing so clearly the fear in my eyes and in the wilt of my scent, roses drooping in a dying garden. He can only imagine what I must be going through right now.
Rolling up his sleeve has me tensing up all over again, and I look away when he brings his wrist closer to my lips.
"You need to drink blood, otherwise your crave will get worse. No one's watching, trust me, so please don't make things any more complicated for yourself" he implores when he sees that I'm not even considering what he's offering me, and instead opts to reveal an information that might help to convince me.
"We have a vampire mate at home, so I know what it's like to be bitten and I don't mind it one bit. His name is Jimin, and he's a very sweet mate. Sometimes twisted and cunning, but more often kind and sweet. I promise, biting won't hurt me, so drink before it gets too much for you".
I stare at him at those words, then at his wrist, now seeing there two punctures over his milky skin.
It looks recent, from a few days ago at most, so the tender wound would be easy for me to break again. The space between both canines looks similar to my own, so that wouldn't be a problem either, and it would make things less painful.
The skin pulses along his heartbeat, and my eyes zone in on the blue veins underneath, filled with that delicious blood that, I'm sure, tastes just as good as it smells. How bad is it that I want it that much? How can he be okay with that so easily?
My body begins to burn even more at the knowledge that feeding is nearly there, and I know that if I don't drink now, I will soon begin to hurt.
My family isn't overprotective of me for nothing, my constitution makes me weaker than if I'd been only a dragon or a vampire. Solar would've pushed her wrist under my teeth by force by now before cussing me out if she'd been here.
Damn it, why does this have to be the only way?
Softly, with a feeling of humiliation settled deep inside my guts, I take Yoongi's arm so his wrist nears my lips, and after one last glance at him to make sure that he's truly fine with this, I push my guilt aside to sink my teeth into his flesh.
The old wound breaks easily, and when his blood begins to pour out from around my canines, I make sure to not waste a single drop, eyes shut tight when a strong feeling of euphoria washes over me at the taste, soul relishing in every gulps that I take as if he is the best meal I was ever given until now.
It tastes like... green, if a colour had a taste. Soothing, peaceful, calming. But it's also spicy, but not the uncomfortable kind. It's a strong taste, like that of a tree with moss growing over the roots. Bitter? Not quite... it's a tinge of sweetness that makes my senses tingle pleasantly.
I count up to ten before forcing myself to pull out my teeth, and after awkwardly licking over the wound to seal it for a better healing, I slowly lets his arm fall to his side as I sink in on myself, ashamed of what I just did.
He's someone I just met, someone I barely know and who barely knows me. We might be mates, but it's still a shameful experience for me, for this isn't how I thought meeting one would go, not at all what I imagined.
Swallowing what remains of his blood in my mouth, my chin begins to wobble, and the next thing he knows, I'm bursting into tears, both of my hands back over my face to hide from everyone and everything.
Chapter Text
A cup of tea is pushed in front of me as Yoongi takes a seat on the other side of the coffee shop’s round table, and he wraps his hands around his own drink while taking in my avoiding gaze and pale complexion.
“How are you feeling? The boat ride must have been exhausting for you, did you not have any blood samples on you? Your father mentioned that you need to have one every six to eight hours to maintain your good health”.
I purse my lips, then look at the tea to find that they added fresh blood, most likely his request since I didn’t ask for that extra.
“I’m… alright, I think. I’m sure they put some in the bags, but I didn’t know which one and… I thought I’d have time to make it to the house before it was too late” I mumble the pitiful excuse, ashamed even if it’s the truth.
Many have called me a spoiled child throughout the years, and really, who can blame them for thinking that way? I was indeed raised with my every needs taken care of, and I was never forced to work since they were afraid that doing so would make me weaker.
It was very stupid of me to think that it would be safe to wait past the eight hours limit, and we were incredibly lucky that the blood crave hit only when Yoongi was there, and not when I was with the other humans. They wouldn’t have been able to defend themselves, and I could’ve killed them.
Had the crave gotten any worse, I could’ve done some serious damage back there.
Yoongi stares at me a little longer before drinking his coffee, and I do the same with my tea. The mellow taste fills my mouth, and I swallow with a sinking sensation of relief, my body eagerly accepting of the blood to process it into my system like always.
I take my time drinking, unsure of what to say otherwise, and I watch from the corner of my eye as he sits back in his chair before staring outside towards the water beyond the docks.
After putting all of my bags in his car, he took me to the coffee shop with a steady hand around my wrist, then sat me down at one of the cute little tables before going to the counter to order for the both of us.
It all happened in silence, which served to increase my discomfort, though none of it is his fault. He had to deal with my sudden tears after drinking his blood within the five minutes that we’d met, as if any of that was normal. I’m sure he has a lot of questions.
His eyes flit back towards me and I quickly look away, still not willing to meet his gaze.
“Y/N, look at me, would you?” he requests softly, his voice letting me hear of his despair, as well as a growing annoyance that I understand all too well. This must all be confusing to him, dragons are hot-blooded creatures and most often deal with things rationally, so my reaction is not something he can easily understand.
Even if it’s hard for me, I comply to his demand and raise my gaze to look at him, if only because I don’t want him to feel like I have something against him, or like I don’t want to be with him. I am not rejecting my mate, no matter how our story began.
I just… I just need to process it, that’s all, but staring him in the eyes reminds me from earlier, and I’m entirely helpless as I live the guilt all over again, with the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach telling me that I did something terrible.
I really don’t understand how he can pretend like nothing happened. I drank his blood. Something that requires so much trust… he gave to me without even thinking twice about the consequences.
Our mana bounces back and forth between one another, the only thing that comforts me at the moment, the only thing that makes my body relax on that chair. I don’t know what to do with myself right now, I’m sure it shows all over my face.
Yoongi’s lips purse at what he sees in my expression, and it both bothers him, and saddens him. It’s not like I committed a crime, I didn’t force him into anything he didn’t want, so why am I acting like I deserve punishment?
“As a doctor… there were other ways to give you blood” he starts as he brings his gaze back to the window, to the grey sky and the darker clouds. “I could’ve brought you to the car, drive to the clinic and give you blood from the reserves. That was always an option”.
My hold tightens around the mug of tea, and I frown at the table.
“Why didn’t you, then?”.
“Because you’re my mate, and I wasn’t going to let you suffer when I was the closest and most compatible blood for you. I can’t go and pretend like I know what it’s like to live as a hybrid, but I know enough to see when it’s getting dangerous for you, and when there’s time to plan”.
“There are vampires who drink so much of their mate’s blood that they end up killing them” I utter softly as I stare at the liquid that sways as I turn the mug. “They lose their mind over the taste, and they can’t stop until the body has nothing left to give”.
“You didn’t have that problem” he counters quickly, clearly he doesn’t see the problem here, and I huff with a shake of the head. Why can’t he understand what I’m trying to say?
He trusted me so easily to control myself despite barely knowing me. He might be a dragon, and sure, he could’ve pushed me away no problem, but who’s to say that I wouldn’t have attacked him? That I wouldn’t have blacked out and become a monster? Even I don’t trust myself that much.
“My mother taught me to count to ten when I feed on someone. Enjoy the taste, because it’s a gift of life, but never forget to count so you don’t end up taking more than you need. Ten seconds, because any longer is when the brain starts to turn cloudy”.
Silence resumes at that, but he’s tapping a finger on the table now, more annoyed than earlier.
“Tell me, Y/N, what’s bothering you? Is it that I fed you my blood? Would you have preferred that I leave you to deal with the crave on your own? That I ignore my mate when she was clearly unwell?” he asks with a sharper tone of voice that hits me hard, though I don’t show it.
I take another sip of the tea as I try to find how to explain how it made me feel. I understand rationally that what he says makes sense, I probably would’ve done the same thing in his shoes, but as the one who received, I can only react emotionally.
“I promised myself” I eventually murmur.
“I promised that meeting my mate wouldn’t be chaotic. That I would be the best version of myself, and that I would never push them into uncomfortable situations, nor would I hurt them. But I ended up needing your blood as soon as you appeared in front of me, and if you hadn’t given it willingly, there’s the possibility that I might have taken it by force. I was careless and you paid the price. That’s what bothers me, Yoongi”.
“You speak as if you did it on purpose, but mistakes happen, Y/N. Plus, you didn’t take my blood by force, because I offered my wrist. It didn’t hurt either, because you were very careful. You didn’t make me uncomfortable. None of what you said happened, you do see that, don’t you?”.
I nod slowly, and he exhales deeply, his boiling blood will need time to settle back to its regular temperature. He stares at the outside another time to see that the clouds are getting a lot closer, the sky now darker than a minute ago.
“We should go, I’ll drive you home before it starts to rain”.
Not willing to contradict him, I quickly finish the tea before following after him out of the shop and to his car, then sit in the passenger’s seat when he opens the door for me. His hand safeguards my head when it nears the frame, and he closes the door before going around to the driver’s side.
I wear my seatbelt while he sits inside, then link my fingers together as the tension comes back between us. I wish things wouldn’t have happened the way they did today, and I regret that I didn’t search in my bags to find the blood snacks after all.
All of this could’ve been avoided, but what’s done is done. There’s no going back in time to change things, otherwise I would have done so in a heartbeat.
All I can do from now on is to be careful and make sure this never happens again. It’s not Yoongi’s fault if I feel this way, I just wish that things had been different. It feels as if I’ve failed my family and all that they taught me.
“Where do we go from here? Do you know where the house is?” he asks after starting up the car, to which I nod before pointing towards the hill we can see from here. Dad said that it could be seen from the docks, and he was right.
“It’s over there. Dad wrote the directions on a paper” I answer while reaching into my pocket to find it, and then I give it to him since he’s the one driving. He takes a quick look, then hums in what sounds like amusement.
“I see. Lucky for you, I know the way pretty well. Let’s go”.
With that said, he starts driving us away from the shops, then over to the hill, and I keep to my side of the car as to take as little space as possible, head against the window as I watch tiny droplets of water fall on the glass.
My first day in Crimson Bay isn’t quite what I had in mind but… this is the part that I prefer so far.
The rain’s music as it falls from the sky like pearly tears, the sound of the car driving onto the wet road, Yoongi’s even breathing, his mana’s soft caress against mine and his scent hugging me closely… those are all things that I consider soothing.
I close my eyes, senses focusing only on the things that calm me, on the noises that sound like peace, and I remain this way for the entire drive while Yoongi finds his contentment in having me by his side as he brings us both closer to home.
---
“I’ll bring those bags inside, can you open the front door in the meantime?”.
With the key already in hand, I head to the nicely sized house before unlocking the heavy red door, and I push it open before stepping aside when I find Yoongi standing behind me with two of my most loaded bags in hands.
He smiles at me, then walks inside to settle them in the entryway. There’s something very… domestic about this, for some reason, and I come to wonder if this could be a side of the future that awaits me from now on.
Not wanting to be useless, I head back outside to grab one of the remaining bags, but feeling the rain on my skin has me stopping in front of the car, face tilted upwards as I let it soak me from head to toe. It’s gotten a lot stronger in the short amount of time it took us to get here, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to try.
My family never once allowed me to stand in the rain when I was a kid, by fear that it would make me too sick and feverish, but there’s no one to keep me from it this time. It feels nice and freeing. Scary, but exciting.
The rain muffles any sounds, but it can’t keep me from sensing Yoongi’s mana as he reaches my side again.
I look at him curiously when he doesn’t move anymore, only to find him mimicking my posture, his black hair already sticking over his face with how wet it is. His clothes are taking the shape of his toned body, which doesn’t leave much to the imagination. He looks very… sexy like this.
Wouldn’t this kind of meeting have been better? I feel like this could have been romantic in any other scenarios. As if reading my mind, Yoongi lowers his gaze on me, uncaring that water is getting in his eyes, as they do in mine.
Like this… he looks ethereal, like a creature sent from another universe, far, far away from here.
His looks are unlike anything that I’m used to from the city, and that helps me to better understand why I never developed crushes on others in the past. How could I, when my type is that godly glow of his?
As I observe him, I somehow notice in his body language that he looks tempted to do something. He looks like he wants to get closer, to touch me, to take me in properly, all of me, without anything getting in our way, but in the end, he doesn’t do any of those things, and it disappoints me a little.
He exhales deeply, then pushes his hair back with one hand, as if it costs him to hold back on those urges.
“Come, we shouldn’t stay in the rain for too long, a cold is quickly caught” he states before going to grab the last three bags, and I close the car’s door before rushing after him, the both of us now soaking wet.
A puddle of water forms at our feet once we make it back inside, and I grimace when the inside of my shoes turn squishy. He sets the bags with the others, then closes the door before the inside gets any colder.
“There should be towels somewhere… stay here, I’ll get one for you” he mumbles before taking off his boots and heading in one direction while I take that time to observe the surroundings, my sneakers left to dry on the side with his.
It’s my first time here so I didn’t know what the house would look like inside, but it’s pretty nice. The furniture fits well with the brick wall that stretches from the living room to the kitchen, where the kitchen island has three stools underneath it and ready to be used.
I can see a large opening leading into another bright room from there, but I can’t see it from where I’m standing. I imagine it’s either a dining room, or a solarium. Maybe it’s a door leading to the backyard, who knows.
Yoongi comes back quickly, and I drop my inspection to instead watch as he patters his way over to me.
“Here, keep this one over your shoulders while I dry your hair, then you should take a bath and get changed into something warmer. The fireplace is a good way to rise the temperature on cold days like this, so you should make use of it when you can” he says as he drops one towel over me before using the other to pat and rub my hair dry, careful even as he keeps dripping with cold water himself.
Why didn’t he take a towel too? This is making me feel bad.
“Aren’t you cold? You should take this one for yourself” I mumble with an attempt to give him the one over my shoulders, but he smiles with a shake of the head as he gently grabs my hand to keep me from removing the towel.
His hand is so warm that it feels burning against my shivering skin, and he very softly strokes his thumb over it before regretfully letting go to continue with drying my hair.
“My dragon blood keeps me warm at all time so I barely feel the cold. I’m fine, is what I’m trying to say. I’ll take a shower once I’m home, so don’t worry about me. You’re freezing cold though, taking care of your temperature is more important right now”.
I pout a little, but otherwise keep quiet as I let him continue. I wish I’d kept only the warm blood of dragons, or only the coldness of vampires, because having both really sucks sometimes. I’m always either too hot, or too cold. When I’m both, it usually means that I’m sick.
“You spoke about the fireplace earlier, but I don’t know how to use one” I admit when he considers himself done with my hair, only now using the same towel to dry what he can of his hair, neck and shoulders.
At my admission, his eyes crease with a teasing grin, and I almost frown until I feel him pet my head softly, which has my defenses falling like dominoes.
“I’ll show you how it works next time, it sounds harder than it is, but for now, you really should focus on taking a bath to get the chill out of your bones. I’ll take care of the fire, then go home to shower and dry up. After that… I could come back with Jimin, so you two can meet too. He’ll complain all night if I don’t introduce him today”.
Jimin… the vampire. Of course, it would be unfair if he was the only one left behind. A mate of Yoongi’s is also a mate of mine after all, and this time, I wouldn’t get a blood crave all of a sudden since I’m full, so there’s no risk of danger.
“That sounds good to me. Erm… the bathroom? Where is it?”.
Smooth laughter slips out of his lips at being asked that question about my own house, but he still points in the direction he went to earlier. “Second door to your right, the first one is the boiler room. There’s a pile of clean towels on the shelf next to the sink, they should do for now”.
Embarrassed, I nod while using the towel over my shoulders to hide my blushing, then look at one of the windows to see the rain falling so hard that mist has begun to rise from the ground. “Will you be okay? Driving in that weather doesn’t sound too good”.
Another pat to the head and I relax unknowingly. He seems to like doing that a lot, patting heads, or maybe it’s just because he doesn’t know how to show his affection any other way. Either way, I don’t mind it.
“You worry too much, Y/N” he coos. “I’ll be fine, I’ll walk so there won’t be any accidents” he adds before winking at my bewilderment. “Jimin and I live next door. It’s the house before yours, you could even see our driveway from here if it wasn’t for the fog”.
Oh. That explains his weird reaction from earlier, then. He knew that we were neighbours from the moment I gave him the paper and he didn’t even say anything.
“Okay… that’s good then. Well… I’ll see you later? With Jimin” I mumble, suddenly feeling shy. Why? I have no idea, but I feel as if I asked a dumb question for some reason, even though there’s no way I could’ve known unless he told me.
Leaving him behind in favour of running to the bathroom, Yoongi chuckles to himself as he makes his way to the living room to have a look at the fireplace, careful to not leave more footprints of water on the way.
This first meeting certainly could’ve gone better, but he’s just happy to see that I’m finally easing up around him. He was scared that this day would end with us being on bad terms, he doesn’t think he would’ve been able to leave if that were the case.
“Well, let’s get you bright and warm for my mate, shall we?” he muses as he throws some wood on the fireplace grate before using his magic to start the fire. Like a dragon breath, it lights up with a silent roar, painting a golden glow onto his face and a warm halo in his eyes.
Warm, cozy, and possessively filled with his mana, just as it should always be.
Chapter Text
Jimin's POV
"We WHAT?! We have a new mate?! Yoongi, you could've told me sooner! I would've worn something more appropriate to meet her, I look like shit!".
My shout echoes in the house as I watch Yoongi exit the bathroom in dry clothes, a loose grey hoodie and some blue jeans that suit him marvelously well. I would be clinging onto him and seeking his lips over and over again if he hadn't said what he just did.
I had noticed that something felt weird about him since he came back earlier, but there was no time to ask him when he went straight for the shower, his body dripping with rain and wetting the entire floor on the way.
I had noticed that the car wasn't in the driveway either, which meant that he'd walked from some other place. He didn't look like he'd been in an accident, so that couldn't be it. Did the car break down on the way home?
I sure didn't expect to hear from him that we have another mate, and that he's taking me to her in ten minutes! Why did he wait so long to let me know?! I would have gotten ready! Hair, makeup, clothes! I would've found the perfect perfume to match with my scent!
"There's no time for those things, and besides, you look handsome as you are, baby" Yoongi says as he walks to the kitchen to pack some food into a bag, some of the meals we made yesterday and also some noodles and sauces, an unopened box of cereal with our extra milk, along with some other snacks.
I join him, wondering what the hell it is that he's doing. Seeing the look on my face, he shrugs a little as he grabs some meat from the freezer. "She arrived in Crimson Bay today, there's probably nothing to eat at her place right now and the weather doesn't really allow a safe run to the grocery store".
Ah, that explains why we never met until now, then. "Makes sense, we have more than enough to share with her. What is she, by the way? A human? Or maybe a werewolf? We haven't seen any around here in ages".
"Half vampire, half dragon" he answers simply, and I'm about to nod distractedly when the words finally register.
"Wait. What? She's a hybrid? Our mate?" I exclaim, eyes round with shock, for I know very well what that means for her health, and I take in as he sighs tiredly, hands falling on the counter besides the bags, defeated.
"Her father called yesterday at the clinic and told me about her. She's moving here alone and he was worried that no one would be looking out for her. She needs daily amounts of blood and some mana every few days, so he asked if our clinic could take care of her. I was driving by the docks earlier to give her a ride home since she couldn't have gotten anywhere otherwise, that's when I felt her mana call out to me".
"What happened then?" I urge him for more information, this isn't the face of someone who had a meeting go well, so what the heck happened out there?
"Y/N didn't drink any blood on the way. She thought she could make it home first, but her blood crave got triggered when I stood before her. It was a weak one, nothing scary" he promises when he sees me tensing.
"I fed her with my wrist and she was very careful as to not hurt me. She cried a lot afterwards, though. She did explain a little but... I was hoping you could give me another perspective on this because I'm not sure if I really understood her vision".
Running a hand through my hair and down my face, I take a moment to process everything while he looks at me sheepishly. As a vampire, it's something I can relate to more than he can, so of course he wouldn't be able to understand why she felt so bad.
He provided and protected, so to him, what happened was fine, but to her, this must have felt terrifying. Feeding off someone usually happens when there's undying trust between the two sides, but most especially from the person giving their blood, and it has to be willingly.
But she was thrown in the middle of it without that unwavering trust. She drank his blood because it was the safest option, but to her, I'm sure it felt like a violation of some sort, that she went against the vampire code. There was no way he could've trusted her blindly, in her mind, and yet he did.
"That's... you did the best you could, hyung, I know that, but damn. Drinking from a stranger is the first thing we learn to never do as a vampire. Mates or not, there's an order to things and that was broken against her will, and in her eyes, against yours too" I explain, and immediately does he straighten up, ready to defend what happened.
"I offered my blood out of my own-"
I stop him there, knowing already what he's about to say.
"I know, that's why I'm saying that you did the best you could. I'm just letting you know why she cried - she felt ashamed. Even I would have hated to feed on your blood on the first meeting, especially during a blood crave. Morally... it doesn't feel right, and it can be very dangerous for both sides. She must have had an incredible self-control".
He shuts his mouth, jaw clenching as he lets my words settle in his mind. "I... I didn't mean to make her feel that way. I just wanted to help, she looked really pale and I didn't want her to be in pain" he finally murmurs, sad eyes downcast.
I walk to his side before hugging him tightly, and he hugs me back with his face hiding in the nook of my neck. His fast heartbeat speaks on its own, and I know that he's feeling bad now that he understands more of how she must have felt.
As a doctor, Yoongi is someone who will always do what he can to help others. If there is a solution to a problem, he will make sure that the steps are done to assure healing to the sick, to the wounded.
Our mate's condition of being a half-breed... he must have panicked in her stead. After all, he has studied the subject more than anyone else in Crimson Bay, so he knows just how far their sickness can go, and losing one of ours is not an option.
That being said, she is still a living being with morals and feelings. We'll have to think of ways to prevent this from occurring a second time - though I would hope it doesn't - otherwise it'll create a rift between them. We'll have to carry extra blood snacks around from now on.
"She understands that, I'm sure she does. Give her some time to come to terms with what she's done, that's all. Why don't we get going for now, hyung? Does she live far from here?" I ask, hoping to change the mood to something lighter, and it works wonders when he nods softly, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips.
"We're neighbours. I left the car in her driveway because she's right next door".
Well I'll be damned.
"What are we still doing here, then? Let's go! Oh, and let's bring an extra umbrella for her too, you never know when she might need it".
Your POV
"I promise I feel fine, mom. It was just a little bit of rain when I got home".
'A little bit of rain is all you need to get sick, honey. Did you take a bath to warm up? You get feverish easily, is the fireplace lighted? Your father made sure to choose a house with one in the living room and in your bedroom so you could stay warm whenever it's cold out there'.
Mom's concern is all I've heard ever since she called a few minutes ago, and I simply cannot dare to tell her about my blood crave, else I'm pretty sure she would run to the airport to join me here as soon as possible.
I'm surprisingly liking this freedom now that I'm feeling better, so her coming here would innately take that from me and I do think I would be a little disappointed. I do believe that it's time I start being independent. I need to learn to take care of myself, I can't always let others do it for me.
"Yoongi lighted the fireplace for me, but he said he'd show me how to do it myself another time. I also have a blanket around me and a cup of hot tea, so I'm not cold anymore, I swear" I answer before taking another sip, it tastes a bit bland but... oh well.
'Yoongi? Honey, who is that? Did you bring a stranger home already?' I hear her ask next with a wary tone, and I throw my head back in exasperation.
"He's the doctor dad talked to, he picked me up from the docks earlier. He's also- erm. He's very kind and helped me to bring the bags inside before going back to his place. He's my neighbour, so he'll be nearby if anything happens to me".
I hate that I just lied to her, but if I tell her about having met my mates on the first day of being here... she'll want to meet them in person right away - which brings me back to the point of losing my freedom - and I just think I'd rather get to know them on my own before she gets in the picture.
Dad probably wouldn't go so far as to come for that reason alone, but Eric and Solar would definitely be on board with her and then I would have no time to spend with my mates. I'd like to invite them over eventually, but only after I've made myself feel at home here.
'Oh! That's great, honey! How lucky, if he's the doctor your father mentioned, then I suppose we can trust him to take good care of you. Did you thank him for his help? Don't forget to do so the next time you meet him'.
Oh, right. I didn't thank Yoongi for anything yet, did I? I'll have to make sure I show him my gratitude properly, both for bringing me home and for helping with the blood crave. No matter how I feel about it, he still helped me out and that's what I need to focus on.
"I will, mom. Well, I'm getting a little tired now, I was thinking about taking it easy for the rest of the day, does the television work?" I ask next as I glance at the screen installed on the wall next to the fireplace, it's gigantic, which means that dad's the one who chose it.
How did they even furnish this place, anyway? I can see everyone's tastes blended into the decor, from art pieces that Solar would have loved to all sorts of little figurines that Eric always gets me when he travels the world.
The living areas are definitely a work of mom, but the bedroom has a bit of everyone in it. It's chaotic, but it looks like love.
'It should, we had someone test it when they cleaned the house yesterday. Oh, they should've left the spare key under the rug outside of the front door, so make sure to get it before someone finds it. If you need anything, let us know, honey, alright? We might be far, but you know we'll run to you anytime. Especially your siblings, they've been crying all day since they dropped you off at the airport. Make sure to call them sometimes, I think that would make them feel better. Not today, but soon, okay?'.
My heart softens at hearing about my older brother and sister, and I hum softly. "I will, thanks mom. Can you tell them that I miss them? And that I'm loving the decorations they chose?".
She chuckles, then sniffles a little, which has me sitting up straight in shock. Is she crying too?
'I will tell them. We're so proud of you, honey, I hope you know that. We'll try to come visit you soon, so take care of yourself until then, and make sure you never forget your blood every six hours. Don't wait until it's too late to get the mana either, once a week at least, otherwise you get weak. Also-'
With that begins a list of all the things she wants me to pay close attention to, and I listen to her with a small smile on my lips, the occasional hum letting her know that I'm still listening, even if I have nothing to say.
This is her way of soothing herself, after all, and I don't want to take it from her.
It's her first time being apart from me too, and it must be so hard. Mom has always said that for as long as we need, the family house will always have space for us, that she doesn't mind making us food everyday until the end of times.
She loves her family deeply, and yet she still sent me far away to Crimson Bay because she wants to believe that it'll keep me alive and well. The seer's words from when I was still a young child have left a deep impression on her, and this is the result.
After a few more tears and I love you's from the both of us, we end the call, and I put the mug and my phone besides me before lying down on the floor in front of the fire that breathes with Yoongi's mana, still wrapped up in the fluffy blanket.
I honestly hadn't considered that they'd have to adjust to living without me, but that call certainly opened my eyes to that reality. How is dad handling it? He's never been the most expressive father, but he's always been good to me, so how is he doing now that I'm gone?
I hope he won't be too sad, just the thought of it makes me feel bad.
Remembering about the key, I decide to stand to get that taken care of before I forget, blanket dropped to the floor as I walk towards the entrance that I cleaned up earlier, not wanting the water to leave muddy traces behind once it dried.
I had to leave the dirty towel over the floor, though, because my parents forgot to get an inside rug for when it rains like this, something that never happened that often back at home. I get the feeling that it'll be a regular thing over here, so I'll have to see where I could buy one this week.
I open the door, then kneel down to have a look under the rug, thankful that the roof offers some shelter from the intense rain. A few droplets reach my skin as I raise it up to have a look underneath, and just as I grab the key, a twin copy of mine, I get to feel Yoongi's mana from the left.
Looking up, I don't see anyone at first due to the thick fog, that is until two umbrellas make it within sight, followed by two figures that appear to be holding some grocery bags between them. The wind pushes against them, but they don't waver like I know I would were I out there.
Now standing up by the doorway, key dropped in a random drawer, I await them with slight nervousness and impatience, aware that one of them is Jimin, my other mate. I can't say that Yoongi doesn't make me nervous as well, but since we already met, it's not as bad.
I've never been that good with meeting new people, so I don't know how I should behave once it's time to introduce ourselves. What if Jimin ends up not liking me? Is it possible to not like one of your mates? I hope not.
I take a quick look at the closet's mirror before adjusting my new outfit and hair, and then they're at the door, and the sight of the two handsome men side by side causes my heart to stutter and flutter uncontrollably until I allow them inside with an awkward motion of the hand.
While Yoongi's scent of redwood remains - I googled scents earlier until I found the one that seemed closest to his, and redwood seemed like a good guess - the vampire, Jimin, smells like vanilla and cinnamon.
It is sweet, with a warm tone to it that reminds me of toasted marshmallows, strangely, as if it took on the flavor of a campfire. It's comforting, calming, familiar, and one thing I can say for certain, is that my soul immediately claims his scent as mine.
It confirms our bond even if I had no reason to fear the opposite, and that's a huge relief to me. It wouldn't have made much sense for Yoongi's mate to not be mine, but a part of me was still worried that the impossible might happen either way.
Jimin's hair appears to be an ashy blue that falls in loose curls around his face, and when those grey-ish eyes finally lock onto me... it's like he's found a new prey to play with when they crinkle at the sides.
His plump lips curl upwards, like a cat who's found its meal of the day, and I find myself gulping all while fighting the urge to flee.
"Hyung" he coos as he walks inside to get closer, bag and umbrella set aside along with his rain coat before he stops right on the edge of the towel beneath his boots. "You didn't tell me that our mate looked this adorable".
Blinking at him as if hypnotized, I can't do anything but stare when he removes his boots with ease to get even closer, his scent when he stands a few inches before me all I can smell as he curls a finger under my chin to make me look up at him.
His skin is cold to the touch, but my body welcomes it readily.
"I thought you smelled only of roses, but there's also hints of chocolate beneath those flowers. You smell like Valentine, and it's my favourite day of the year. How precious is that?" he muses as he smiles prettily, enjoying the sounds that my heart does as it tries to survive him.
"Jimin" Yoongi says as he closes the door before removing his coat and boots as well as what he held, after which he comes to stand besides us, his feline eyes looking between us before ultimately settling on me.
"This is Y/N, our new neighbour and mate. Y/N, Jimin, our vampire and often times flirty mate. Don't be scared to tell him when he gets too much, otherwise he'll never stop teasing you. Our reactions are pure fuel for this man".
Jimin looks somewhat offended at that, and he pouts at Yoongi while pulling me closer in a swift movement, my chest now pushed against his, a glint of mischief in his eyes as his hand circles my back until it finds a place over the curve of my waist, as if it always belonged there.
"Hyung, that's not fair, telling her that when we just met" he complains before staring back at me with an innocent stare that only looks the part, but isn't.
"I'm not that bad, I promise. But he's right on one thing - you can always tell me when you're getting uncomfortable and I'll stop" he repeats Yoongi's words just so I know that he takes my comfort seriously, then tilts his head. "Is this too much?".
Is it?
Other than my volatile heartbeat and constant blushing, I can't say that I hate this, though it feels a little weird to have someone I just met so close. But then again, I did drink Yoongi's blood, so this is nothing in comparison.
I shake my head slowly, and Jimin's smile widens, though his eyes haven't lost their teasing glint yet. "You can use your words, can't you? Or have you lost your voice all of a sudden? Have I perhaps made you so shy that you can't speak anymore? Yoongi didn't mention anything about that earlier".
I feel a heat of embarrassment course through my body at his words, and I'm almost tempted to use Yoongi to hide from this man, except that he also has a say in why I feel like this, so I can't exactly use him that way. Oh dear.
Jimin looks amused as he keeps staring at me, as does Yoongi, and I eventually look down to at least flee their gazes. Our bodies are pressed against each other as he keeps his arm around me, his free hand now drawing gentle lines on my arm as he awaits an answer.
I didn't know that I would be thrown into my mates' arms so quickly upon moving here, but there's no running away from them, even I can see that. In a way, it's reassuring, because doesn't that mean I won't be alone after all?
Having them in my life is much better than being all on my own, but it's still going to require that I get used to... everything. Especially them.
"I-it's alright. I don't mind the closeness" I finally murmur, and Jimin's heart skips a beat at the sound of my voice, a happy smile spreading on his beautiful face. His eyes crease softly, and his scent melts around me.
"There, I'm finally hearing your sweet voice" he muses, pleased, and it hits me that I hadn't talked at all yet. "We didn't know if you had food in the kitchen so we brought you a few things, mind if we put that away first? Then we can sit and talk?".
I turn my gaze to the bags on the floor, they brought food for me? It occurs to me now that I didn't have a look into the fridge and freezer, and I don't think my parents would've had someone else do it for me since what I need is pretty specific and somewhat unusual.
I don't even know if half of what I need will be available in the grocery store here. I might have to spend an entire day reading the products' ingredients just to find the ones closest to what I can eat without getting sick, and I'm not looking forward to that.
"You didn't have to do something like that" I mumble hesitantly, for there is a high chance that I can't eat what they brought over and I don't want to look ungrateful.
Having a restricted diet due to intolerance of popular ingredients isn't really fun. Some common drinks I'm fine with, but food is entirely different and taking that too lightly could end with me being sent to the hospital in urgency.
"Oh, you already have everything you need" Yoongi speaks plainly, an awkwardness taking over his face as he tries to understand my reaction. His hands hide in his pockets, probably to hide his nerves, and I immediately feel terrible.
I'm quick to shake my head at his comment, but it still doesn't fix the fact that I might not be able to accept their kindness. I'm not looking forward to that moment, but things were going to get awkward sooner or later so it's better to get that behind us today.
"It's not that. I just... I have dietary restrictions because of my... condition" I answer, a little insecure as Jimin might not know of what I am yet. "I get sick a lot if I'm not careful over what I eat" I try to explain, and their eyes light up with understanding immediately.
Yoongi heaves a sigh of relief, then pats his hands over his pants to dry his palms. "Of course, I should've known. Well, let's have a look at what we brought first, and you can tell us more about that so we can be careful too. How's that?".
Nervous, I nod my head, and Jimin caresses my side gently as he begins to walk me towards the kitchen while Yoongi gathers the bags. He doesn't seem to be out of the loop, so I'll assume for now that he's aware of my particularity.
"What are the main things that you can't have, Y/N?" he asks on the way, and I hum as I try to remember everything important. We used to have a list on the fridge, but it disappeared once my family got familiar with it. The gist of it is rather simple, though. You think it, you name it.
"The doctor I had back at home explained my allergies as my mixed genes considering most things as harmful to my body, it's... very tricky" I start off with a sigh, and Yoongi can already guess that the list won't be a fun one.
"How bad on a scale of one to ten?".
"I'd say around... six? Seven?".
"Alright... I'll note down what you can remember, and I'll call your father tomorrow, just in case. Let's have a look at what we brought".
As I name everything I can think of, Yoongi begins to categorize everything that I can, or can't have. Things with eggs, peanuts, gluten, and even fish and some fruits are kept in the bags. Coffee is a no as well, as it gives me heart palpitations.
Things that I can keep are piled together on one side of the counter, and as expected, not a lot of what they brought is something I can eat, but they handle everything so well that my embarrassment slowly melts away.
I don't have the easiest diet, and there are so many good food that I want to eat like everyone else, but can't, so there are times when I decide to follow the irresponsible path and have them anyway, fully aware that I'll regret it later on.
How many times have I blamed my poor health because I couldn't admit that I had a pizza? Or that I went to a bakery and had a pastry on my own?
I purse my lips when I find discouragement on their faces as we take in the final result of their kindness.
"That's not nearly enough to fill the kitchen" Jimin utters as he opens the empty fridge and freezer to organize what he can inside, while Yoongi puts the rest in the pantry. I would've helped, but as he said, there's so little that I'd only get in their way.
"And there's barely anything that could serve for breakfast and lunch. You have a few snacks and the blood samples, but they're not meal substitutes" Yoongi continues with a frown. "Guess we'll have to go shopping today after all".
The both of them turn to look at me, and a pout begins to form on my lips.
"Today..?" I repeat weakly, a finger pointing at the window from where we can see the heavy rain.
"Today" Yoongi confirms simply, finger pointing at the empty pantry in front of him.
Chapter Text
I never thought that I would be grocery shopping with my mates within our first day of learning of each other's existence, but here we are, with Yoongi pushing the cart behind us while Jimin leads the way.
I honestly dreaded the idea of coming here alone, so to have them by my side does make me feel better, and it helps to have more eyes on the lookout for the forbidden ingredients. The last thing I want is to overlook something and then crawl in pain to the bathroom the next day.
"What about this one? It looks alright, have you ever tried it?" Yoongi asks as he shows me a bag of bread, the kind that even someone with thousands of allergies could eat, but I find myself grimacing at the sight and he immediately puts it back where it was. "That answers my question".
"I'm sorry, it just tastes very bad" I mumble, to which he shakes his head with a light smile. "It's not your fault, sweetheart. It didn't look that good to begin with".
"Why is there so few choices around here? It doesn't make any sense" Jimin utters as he looks over the other brands, baffled by the lack of options I have.
"Companies don't make profit if it doesn't sell to the bigger crowd, so they don't waste their time on people like me, I guess. The city had more to offer, but... it often tastes like crap, or maybe it's just because I'm used to mom's cooking" I mutter the end with a sigh, that's something I will certainly come to miss.
"If it tastes like crap, then it's a waste of our time" Jimin continues, unhappy as he puts back another bread that doesn't fit the requirements. "I'll have a talk with the store manager another day, there has to be more out there that would be as good to the taste as it's safe for you".
"We should look online to see what brands are worth our attention. If we give them a list, maybe they could make a deal with the local distributor to get us some" Yoongi adds, not happy with how this shopping is turning out to be when the cart only has fruits and a few vegetables so far.
I smile at their obvious indignation, finding comfort in that I'm not alone exasperated right now. Solar used to get mad for my sake as well, while Eric would search online to see if we could import food from oversea so that I could give them a try.
It's funny how similar Jimin and Yoongi are in that regard.
"What about cereals? I'm sure there are some she can eat without getting sick" Jimin wonders aloud as he heads to the next aisle without waiting for us, and I follow behind while Yoongi sighs in discontentment.
"Cereals are easier to find than bread" I let them know as we start gazing at the different kinds. "Like these, they're alright. Not my favourite, but they don't have the ones I'm used to so they'll do for this time".
"We'll add the ones you like on the list, I'm sure they'll keep a couple of things in stock for you if it's for your health. Perks of living in a small town" Yoongi comments as he rearranges the boxes neatly on the side of the cart. "What's next?".
"Yogourt and oatmeal" I reply as I think back to what I used to eat at home. "As for the rest, we'll just have to see what's available, I'm not too familiar with what they have here yet".
"That's fair, let's take our time" the dragon hums, feeling better now that he can see I won't have to starve while I'm in Crimson Bay. Maybe a bit of an overreaction when all I really need to do is to be careful about the ingredients, but he couldn't help it.
He's a worrywart, what else can he do?
With that said, they talk me through each aisles of the store, and we work together to pinpoint everything that I can eat no problem. Yoongi goes as far as to make a folder in his phone gallery with pictures of everything I know I enjoy, and Jimin has fun posing as he holds said items for the pictures.
I don't have the heart to tell him that Yoongi keeps zooming in so only the food shows on the screen.
Some things are better left unsaid, as they say, right?
Yoongi's POV
"What are you doing, hyung?".
I look up from where I'm working to glance at Jimin as he circles the kitchen island to have a look at the dough I'm making, curious eyes switching from the stretchy texture to the ingredients on the side before ending on me again.
"Are you baking for her, hyung?" he asks again with a growing grin that has my ears turning hot a little bit. "She was disappointed that there wasn't any bread of her taste yesterday, so you're trying to make your own for our sweet girl?".
"Well- she said she's not good in the kitchen, and it's the only way she can have food that tastes good while also respecting her restrictions, so I'm giving it a try. I've never baked before but it can't be that hard, I'm getting the hang of it" I mumble as I focus back on my task at hand.
There wasn't a need for my presence at the clinic today so I decided to spend the morning looking up recipes, then went to the store to get everything I'd need to try different things.
I have in mind to bake bread, muffins and cookies, all because I saw her stare longingly at those exact things last night. I don't know if they'll be good, but if I can allow her to eat those things without the risk of getting sick, then I'll be satisfied for now.
Baking might not be my strong point, but if I can get better with experience, then why not give it a go?
"Did you ask her if she wanted to spend the afternoon together like you wanted?" I ask him after a while of comfortable silence between us.
Jimin works at a flower shop in the market square and leaves very early every morning to prepare for the day. He normally has every afternoons off, so he's usually bored since I always work entire days, but Y/N isn't too busy as of yet.
She doesn't have a job and might get bored being on her own as well, so he wanted to ask her if she wanted to do something with him. He ran out to her house to ask her in person a few minutes ago, but seeing as she's not here, it didn't work out as he wanted.
A very Jimin thing to do. Couldn't just send her a text message on the phone when she's next door.
He droops over the counter at my question. "She wasn't there. I knocked on the door and then called her on the phone, but she didn't reply. I saw some footsteps in the mud leading to the street, so I think she left for a walk a while ago".
I hum softly at his disappointment.
"Maybe she went to the park" I offer simply, and he perks up slightly. "The one we drove past yesterday. It seemed to really catch her attention because she looked eager to go, but couldn't because of the rain".
"Right! She might have gone there, I'll have a look" he suddenly muses before opening a cupboard to grab some blood snacks. "I'm sure she won't forget after what happened yesterday, but one is never too safe. You should carry some in your bag too, hyung, just in case".
I make a sound to let him know I got it, then wave him goodbye when he hurriedly wears his boots again before running out. I huff softly before kneading the dough one last time.
"Now, let the dough rise for an hour... just like this?" I wonder to myself as I read the instructions for the tenth time in five minutes. I never knew baking would be so stressful, but I'm so nervous about messing something up that I haven't been able to trust the process just yet.
I fit the dough into the glass bowl before covering it with a towel, then stare at it with a frown. That looks wrong but... I guess I'll have to trust whoever made that recipe for now, because I have no idea what I'm doing.
"Now, on to the cookies. Let's see..."
Your POV
Watching all the kids playing in the park with laughter and playful screams makes me nostalgic, for some reason.
I remain seated at the picnic table I found in a calm corner earlier, eyes on the group of mothers talking together on one side while their children play together. What is it about that sight that's making me feel this way?
I used to go to the park too, when I was a kid. Mom would watch while I'd sit on the swing, lost in my own head.
Sometimes, Solar would come with us. She'd push me until I'd be swinging too high and mom would freak out before ending the outing. Solar would get scolded, but she'd wink at me and we would giggle together, further offending mom who always worried about my safety.
I watch as the kids run over the grass. Some of them trip and fall, but no one comes running to help them. They just... rise to their feet and keep playing as if nothing happened.
Maybe that's why I'm feeling so nostalgic.
I never had anyone to play with. Too dangerous, mom would say. They have germs that will make you sick, you need to stay away from other kids until you're bigger and stronger. I never experienced something like this, never made friends in a time where making friends was as easy as breathing.
I sigh as I rest my head over my arms, eyes glued on the sight that they make. The mothers talk together while their child play, and when it'll be time to go home, they'll hug each other before going each their way.
I can't help but wonder, sometimes, how different my life would have been if only I wasn't born a half-breed. If I had ended up a vampire, or a dragon instead of both, would I have had a normal childhood?
What about my parents? My brother and sister? Would they have had a normal life instead of having to worry about me all the time?
I smell Jimin's scent before I hear his steps, and I look up just in time to find him smiling as he raises a hand that drops over my head in a gentle caress, careful to not touch my horns. "This isn't how I was expecting to find you upon coming here. Why do you look all sad, hun?".
I purse my lips before glancing back towards where the kids are now sat on the swings and pushing each other. Some try to get as high as possible before jumping, and one mother screams in fear when her child tries to do the same.
The little boy lands and falls face first before bursting into tears, and she hurries to his side where she consoles him with a big hug and soft hushes.
Must have been a human. I always found it risky to have supernatural beings and humans play together before they can learn of their differences, but I guess... there's also learning in making those mistakes by themselves.
"I'm not sad" I utter as he comes to sit besides me. "I'm just... looking. Have you lived here all your life, Jimin?".
He hums softly. "I have, and Yoongi too. We actually went to the same high school, that's where we met for the first time. He graduated first, though. This park... I used to come here as a child with my dad. Yoongi lived on the other side of Crimson Bay so he went to another one".
I turn my head over on my arm so I can stare at him, and he tilts his head slightly as he observes me.
"What's wrong, Y/N? If you're not sad, then why do your eyes look so glassy? What's on your pretty little mind?".
I keep staring at him for a beat longer before closing my eyes and adjusting my posture so I face the other half of the park again. What's the point of even feeling this way today? Sulking won't change the past, so why am I that affected?
"It's nothing, seriously" I insist, not wanting to look pitiful in front of him, I have enough of yesterday to deal with. I'm slowly coming to terms with what I've done to Yoongi, but those emotions are still fragile and I don't want to stir anything up uselessly.
Jimin makes a long sound before dropping the subject, his eyes roaming over the sight before us.
"I called you on the phone earlier, but you didn't pick up" he comments instead, and only after patting my pockets do I realize that I indeed forgot it at home. I only thought to grab a snack and a bottle of water before leaving.
"Yeah... I must have forgotten it on my bed. I'm sorry, Jimin, I hope you weren't too worried".
He hums lightly. "I won't lie, it did cross my mind that something could've happened to you, but then I thought... you're not a child anymore, so I calmed down. I don't want to treat you like a helpless kitten, so I'm going to trust that you'll come to us if you need us, and that you're fine if you don't".
Surprised, I glance back at him to find that he's already gazing at me with warmth in his grey eyes.
"If you want to change anything in that decision of mine, now's the time to say it. Otherwise, I'm going to do my best to not freak out on you just because of the what if's my mind comes up with. I don't want you to think that I don't believe you can take care of yourself".
I break eye contact, another sigh past my lips as I process his kind words. I appreciate that he trusts in my judgement like this, but I don't know myself if it's such a good idea, considering what happened at the docks.
But then again, a mistake doesn't mean everything I do is wrong. That was a lesson, and I've learnt it. It won't happen again, that I will make sure of. But what else is there that I have yet to learn? What will happen then?
"My family is very protective of me" I begin after a minute of thinking.
"It's always... 'don't go there on your own or you'll get lost, don't do that or you'll hurt yourself, stay inside where it's warm', or... 'take some medicine and go to bed, you look pale this morning. Take a bath, have some tea and don't do anything unnecessary. Let us do it for you".
I shrug a little before straightening up my back so I can stretch. "Don't get me wrong, I love them very much, but no one's ever thought... you know what? She knows how to take care of herself, so let's trust her. I don't even know if I trust myself with that".
Jimin's brows furrow the slightest bit, understanding flashing on his face, and I smile at him.
"Coming here alone is a first for me. It's scary to not have my family by my side anymore, because they're not there anymore to tell me what I can and shouldn't do. I have to think for myself now, and I'm finding out that I don't trust myself that much after all".
Jimin scoots over until he can wrap an arm around my back, then gently pulls so I can lean against him with my head on his shoulder. I don't fight it, instead finding comfort in his touch. His coldness soothes the heat of my skin, it feels good.
"If I'm honest... I don't know how much I can handle before getting sick. The rain, and now being outside in the park, what will that do to me? I don't think my family knew either, that's why they tried so hard to keep me away from what they considered dangerous, because they were scared".
The vampire seems to ponder a moment as he tries to gather his thoughts, and I wait with pursed lips and my gaze trained on the side of his face. He eventually nods to himself, then stares at me with a softness that keeps me from expecting the worst.
"I'd like to know how you see things, Y/N. How you see Yoongi and I caring for you. On one side, I can tell that your family kept you from a lot of things by fear alone, and that frustrated and limited you, but on the other hand, I can hear in your voice that you felt safe in that routine. Do you want a middle ground of what you had? Or do you want us to simply accompany you as you learn your limits on your own?".
Very good questions, and it's acting almost as a shock to me that someone would finally ask me that only after I turned thirty years old. I think a part of me expected that my life would remain the same forever, but now I can think for myself and it's harder to do than I thought it would be.
"I did feel safe in that routine... but it was also frustrating, as you said" I mumble with a frown.
"It's tiring to always hear someone say 'don't do that, don't do this' as if I'm a child. But at the same time, I've mostly shown them that I needed someone to say those things, because if they didn't, I would do dumb shit that got me really sick".
Jimin snorts at my statement against all odds, then breaks out into giggles. "I'm sorry, it's just the way you worded that. What kind of dumb shit should we be on the lookout for?" he asks with a grin on his lips, a brow lifted up in curiosity.
"Oh. Uh". I look away from him, face flushed. "I eat food I'm not supposed to. When I'm denied something tasty too many times... I just lose it, you know? So I go outside and get a huge size of whatever I crave before finding a quiet place to devour it on my own until there's nothing left".
Jimin bursts into laughter at that, and he almost falls off the bench, taking me with him. I cling onto the table with both hands, eyes round as he throws his head back in belly laughter. "Oh my god, Y/N, I'm so sorry for laughing but- of all things to say, I was not expecting that!".
I try to resist laughing with him, but hearing him ultimately pulls me in, and we end up holding against one another as tears cling to our lashes, stomachs turning painful in a good way.
Of all the possible reactions he could have, this was not the one I'm used to.
"We shouldn't be laughing, I seriously get sick the next day" I utter between two giggles that the vampire echoes, though I can see that he's trying really hard to calm down.
"Right, right, that part's not funny" he says with one last chuckle. "Have you tried finding places that can make common food without the ingredients that are bad for you? I would think there'd be many in the city" he asks, to which I nod slowly while looking down with a pout.
"I have, but they don't taste as good" I complain, which earns me an endeared sigh and a rub over my back.
"Oh, hun" he coos lovingly. "How about we try to come up with ways so that you don't end up going on a food crave again? Yoongi is trying to bake for the first time in his life right now because he wants you to enjoy the things that you can't otherwise".
Such a revelation has my eyes widening in surprise and my stomach filling with butterflies. Yoongi is what? He's learning to bake... for me?
"He was kneading dough earlier, so I guess he made bread first. You'll have to be honest when you comment on the taste because if you lie, he'll be making it every week for the rest of eternity. Our dragon is big on acts of services to show that he cares, so make good use of that information and try not to feel too bad if you don't like something. He's not the kind to give up easily".
Feeling warm all over, I shyly link my hands over my lap, not knowing what to say to that, and Jimin smiles softly, seeing through me so easily. My scent has fluffed up nicely, a blooming garden of roses that has spread as far as the horizon goes, and they're all covered in chocolate. Chocolate roses.
"Please think about my question from earlier, Y/N. About what you want from us. Yoongi and I talked about it last night and we both came to the conclusion that we need to know, otherwise we'll always be up in your face trying to make sure you're alright" he says again and I nod, knowing that this requires a serious answer.
"I'll think about it, Jimin, I promise".
When his phone begins to ring, I look down at the table while he searches his bag to find the device. I sure don't expect him to show me the screen with a grin when Yoongi's name appears on it, or the way that my heart skips a beat at the thought of him.
"Hyung. I'm with Y/N right now, she was in the park, like you said" he says upon answering the call, and I can't help but to overhear the conversation because of my good hearing. I couldn't not hear it, even if I tried.
'That's good, I figured you were with her when I didn't get any news from you in a while. Mind asking her if dark chocolate is something she can handle? I'm making muffins right now, I found a recipe named choco-banana. That sounds like something she'd like?'.
"Oh! A little is fine, and the darker the better" I answer excitedly before wilting out of embarrassment when Jimin side glances at me, as he was not even given time to blink before I spoke. I purse my lips, then look away from him. That's my bad.
"You heard her, hyung. Anything else you wanted?".
'Heard her loud and clear. And now that you ask - yes, actually. I miss my mates, any chance that I might get them back soon? Or am I doomed to spend the day alone? I don't work for once, and I'm spending it in the kitchen while you're outside. Not a big fan of that'.
A sly smirk spreads across Jimin's face, and I watch as he leans his cheek on his palm, his elbow propped onto the table, something playful coming out of his scent as he hums deeply.
"Is our big dragon lonely? He wants a kiss and some cuddles, is that it? From the both of us, hyung? I was kind of liking the idea of having her all to myself" he asks teasingly, a wink sent my way when I gulp audibly.
'You'll be the death of me, Jimin-ah. I want a kiss and cuddles, and I want both of my mates. Is that asking for too much? Can I not have my two dearest people by my side on my day off? Or do you need me to drive over and catch you myself? Because I can certainly do that'.
I blink quickly as Jimin's eyes light up with the promise of a fun game. He stares at me, then makes a small sound. "As much as that sounds great... I'll go easy on Y/N for today, she looks like a scared little lamb right now. We'll be on our way soon, can you handle waiting some more?".
'I could wait an eternity, as long as it means you'll find your way back to me. But don't make me wait that long, please'.
My heart softens at that last plea, and Jimin smiles tenderly.
"I could never, hyung, you know that. Eternity is meant to be lived together. We'll see you soon".
'Yeah, okay. I love you, baby'.
"I love you too, hyung".
I try not to look too out of place as I get to hear their easy display of love while knowing that I'm not a part of it. I feel stupid that it hurts to not be included in that little moment of theirs. We met yesterday while they've known each other for ages, it's granted that I cannot expect to be given something that has grown over the years in a single day.
I admit that it's making me feel a little awkward, now. I've arrived years into their relationship, what is that going to be like for me?
A hand gently settles over my hip, and I let my eyes fall back on Jimin just as he presses his phone over my ear. Confused, I don't dare to breathe as I await whatever is going on right now, because the warmth and understanding on his face makes me want to cry. Why?
'Can you hear me, sweetheart?'.
I hum, gaze locked on Jimin's, and Yoongi makes a small sound in response.
'When Jimin and I first met, there was something that we used to tell each other. We didn't want to say I love you too quickly, so we came up with something just as loving, without all the pressure that came with those three words' he says with that soothing voice of his and I keep silent, not wanting to speak when I can listen to his rasp instead.
'Our concept was that whenever we'd spend time together, a lovely flower would bloom into the garden of our bond. So when that love would grow between us, when our chests would start to ache from not sharing that affection aloud, we would say - I flower you. To others, it might have sounded silly, but to us, it meant so much more than mere words'.
Now beginning to understand where he's trying to go with that, I pinch my lips together as my eyes begin to fill with tears, a heavy lump forming in my throat that would be painful if it wasn't born from the relief I'm currently feeling.
'So let me tell you in all honesty, with the love that I can feel in my chest for you right this instant. I flower you, Y/N, for one flower between us is all we need to start the new and long journey that is ours'.
My chin begins to wobble as I process the words spoken to me, for my soul currently overflows with all the love he just sent my way, and lips press onto my head, gentle and comforting.
"I flower you, princess. Always more than yesterday, and infinitely less than tomorrow. Please don't cry, you're going to make me cry too" Jimin adds in a soft whisper, fingers delicate as he catches my tears while his own threaten to flow anytime.
I need to steady my voice before I can speak again, because they somehow managed to give me this incredibly precious gift by giving a magical meaning to a word that is so close to my identity, and I wasn't ready.
My scent of roses can be strong at times, and mom used to say that it was my soul's silent way of sharing my love to the people around me. But now, I can express that love with words too, and the meaning will forever be etched into my heart.
"I flower you too... from sunrise to sunset, and for every stars that light up the sky. Those flowers will forever bloom for this precious bond that is ours, that's my eternal promise to you".
Chapter Text
“I flower you too… from sunrise to sunset, and for every stars that light up the sky. Those flowers will forever bloom for this precious bond that is ours, that’s my eternal promise to you” Yoongi repeats dreamily as I hide my red face under my arms.
“That sounded so poetic… do you perhaps write poems, Y/N?” he asks while nudging my side as we sit side by side on the couch, and he can’t help but to coo when I shyly nod my head while hiding further into the cushion with my arms around my head.
I shouldn’t have said that earlier. I didn’t know they would tease me so much for it, but my heart felt so full that the words came out of their own free will. Such an embarrassing thing to do!
“You should have seen her as we were walking back from the park. Crimson was paler than her” Jimin continues to tease as he walks over before sitting on the rug in front of us, a contented sigh past his lips as he leans back on his hands to gaze at us.
“Go ahead, keep mocking me like this. I won’t ever speak such words ever again” I complain while looking up at them with a pout, which earns me a head pat and an arm around my shoulders to pull me into a warm waist.
“We’ll stop teasing you, sweetheart, we just find your reactions cute. We won’t do it again, right, Jimin-ah?” Yoongi asks the later with a quirked eyebrow that means ‘say no and I will not give you cuddles for an entire week’.
Not one to take Yoongi’s threats lightly, the vampire quickly nods his head at me. “No more teasing” he says, only to add cautiously, “for today. I can only promise for today. Please”.
Fair enough. Jimin seems like the type who would die if he can’t tease his mates for too long.
I make a sound, appreciative of his effort to appease me right now, then inhale the wonderful smell that’s filling their house from the oven. Bread is cooling off on the counter, and there are a few different pastries currently baking with their delicious aromas perfuming the house.
“Are you hungry?” Yoongi asks, somehow always noticing everything about me with his attentive eyes. I stare at the loaf of bread, then swallow when saliva pools heavily on my tongue. I would be a very bad liar if I were to say no right now, so I nod my head and they both chuckle.
“Let’s try the bread first while I have a look at what we could have for lunch. We have leftover rice from yesterday, so I could make fried rice with some meat and our homemade kimchi, what do you think?” the dragon offers as he stands from the couch, a hand offered to me so I can keep him company in the kitchen.
He said he wanted us close and he wasn’t lying. Yoongi has not left my side ever since we arrived a dozen minutes ago, and Jimin happily kissed his cheeks - then mine - before heading to their bedroom to wear something more cozy and soft.
He’s got a look that currently screams cuddles to me, and if I get to leave this place without melting in their arms at least once, I’ll honestly be very confused. Is it a weird thing to say? Maybe I’m getting too ahead of myself.
I accept Yoongi’s hand, heart swooning when he pulls me up easily, and he doesn’t let go until we reach the kitchen where he leaves me at a safe distance from the oven so he can have a look inside to inspect the pastries.
“I’ll cut the bread in thin slices, should we have it with butter?” Jimin asks in a chirp as he jumps past me to reach the sharp knives on the counter space besides the fridge, and Yoongi shrugs at the same time as I do.
“Anything to suit your taste, Jimin-ah. Cut me some veggies when you’re done, I’ll get started with the meat. Mind looking at the sauces we have in the fridge, sweetheart? You’d be an angel if you could find me one that you can have”.
Blushing happens so quickly whenever they speak to me like this, it should be embarrassing and yet I find myself liking it. I do as he asked, eyes searching around until I find all of the different bottles, after which I begin reading through the ingredients one at a time.
“These are fine, Yoongi. There’s really just this one that I can’t have because it has peanuts it it” I let out after a couple of minutes, lips unconsciously parting when Jimin brings something up to my mouth with a “aaahhh”.
I chew on the soft texture while Yoongi acknowledges my conclusion with a hum, and when I swallow, another piece of food is brought up to my lips, which is when I finally realize that this is the bread that made me so hungry since earlier.
My eyes light up, and Jimin grins as he eats the last piece of the slice. “So? What do you think? Isn’t our dragon such a good baker?”.
That has Yoongi eyeing us both from over his shoulder, face looking nervous when I’ve yet to say anything about it. It’s not because I have nothing to say, but rather because I don’t know how to verbalize how good this bread recipe is.
“You made this, Yoongi?” is all my mind can make up at the moment. “It’s- wow. Can I have more?”.
Jimin giggles before handing me an entire slice so I can eat it all on my own, and as I heartily bite into the soft fluffy bread, Yoongi releases a sigh of relief. He was really worried that I wouldn’t like it for a minute.
“Is it good?” he asks with a small smile that grows at my happy hum. This is all he wanted for me, something pleasing to eat, so he’s very satisfied with his first baking experiment. That recipe will be printed out and kept on the fridge.
“Don’t eat too much if you want it to last you a few mornings” he eventually chides when he hears me beg for another slice, and though regretfully, Jimin also agrees that it would be for the best before putting the loaf aside and into a tupperware so I can easily bring it home later.
“You need to be hungry for lunch, hun” the vampire coos at my pout. “Besides, there’s more in the oven that we have yet to try, we can have them for dessert, hm? Can you be a good girl and wait for lunch with us?”.
I nod twice, puppy eyes on them, and endearment fills their chest.
“The veggies, Jimin-ah, please”.
“Right, I’m on it. Have a seat, princess, it won’t take too long”.
I do as told without much fighting, dining table chair pulled over so I can watch them cook together with an ease that I’ve not seen often in others. Mom and dad don’t do so well being in the kitchen at the same time. Dad’s a terrible cook so she always gets angry at him when he does something wrong.
I guess I took from him on that aspect.
“Yeah, that size is fine, but do them a little thinner if you can. Put everything in the pan once you’re done, I’ll get the rice”.
Hoseok’s POV
“Joonie, quick, our taxi is waiting for us!” I say as I usher him to his feet so we can gather everything we own and make sure we do not forget anything. It’s our first day in Crimson Bay and I want everything to fit into the schedule as much as possible.
He grumbles a little but listens either way, a kiss pressed onto my lips before he grabs the luggage from my hands to reach the vehicle on the side of the street facing the docks.
I stare at his back for a long second, a loving sigh past my lips before I hurry behind him so I can be of help as he and the driver try to fit what’s left of our bags on the back seats of the car. It’ll be cramped for me, but we don’t have any other choice if we want to make it to our new house.
Moving here wasn’t particularly the plan, honestly. Seeing pictures of this town had made me comment something jokingly along the lines of “Joonie, wouldn’t it be great if we could live by the water? Look at that house, it’s for sale. I bet we could get it if we wanted”.
It wasn’t meant to be more than a casual comment, as I usually make them, but then Namjoon had taken a look at the screen, only to search up the house on his computer afterwards. The next thing I knew, we were looking at the rooms and wondering what use they could have.
“We could have an office each, a workout room, and one of them could be a little library for all our books. You could have a little reading nook over there, with a lamp and a comfortable couch” Namjoon had said with a spark in his eyes.
I knew then and there that he was already sold to the idea of moving there. We started looking at our expenses, at the house’s price, and all of a sudden, we were making an offer that would be accepted no longer than three hours later.
That was last week, and now we’re here, in Crimson Bay, ready to move in.
Were we impulsive? Certainly, I’ve never done something quite as hasty as this before, but nothing has ever felt as right either, so it’s got to count for something. This spontaneous life change ought to be good for us, since we were getting tired of our previous home and city.
“Have a seat at the front, Hobi, I’ll sit in the back” my dear dragon demands while pushing some bags aside so he can fit inside the car, and before I can counter and say that I’ll have an easier time fitting in there, he closes the door with a happy grin, leaving me with the passenger’s seat as my only option.
This man… he needs to learn to choose his own comfort before mine, he won’t lose any lover points just because I get the uncomfortable seat for once.
Well, there’s no changing his mind, I know that much. Sitting inside at the same time as the driver does, I wear my seatbelt while Namjoon hands him the address to our house, and the drive begins in a silence that cannot cover the stress that floats over my head like a rain shower.
I try to focus on the scenery, mind using some visual points as landmarks for future references, but it’ll be easier to do when we can visit at our own pace some other day. Today will be busy enough as it is since we need to be there for when our furniture will be shipped over.
It was a bit of a wild guess to have everything happen in the same day when we had ten hours of traveling to do, but I’m confident we can make it happen. We’ve arrived in Crimson Bay before the given hour, and that’s good enough for me.
As the car goes up the hill where our new house is - we’ve never seen it in person even once, how crazy is that? - I notice that Namjoon is starting to fidget a little in the back seat.
His black horns are shining under the bright sunlight as he moves his face closer to the window, the tip of his nose nearly pressed against the glass and his eyes staring out at every houses like he’s trying to find something.
Or someone, I realize. Could it be?
“Joonie?” I speak up softly when he frowns at one house in particular, and his glance at me says everything I needed to know. We have a mate nearby, don’t we?
The car takes that time to slow down and turn into the next driveway, and I stare at the building that we’re now to call home. It looks really pretty and in good state, and the lawn is clean too, freshly cut with the garden and trees in good health. It’s a relief to know we weren’t lied to after all.
I pay for the drive while Namjoon starts pulling everything out of the car at high speed, his attention always pulled towards the house next to ours. I can see that he wants nothing more than to head over there and knock on the door, but we need to get our stuff first.
The driver helps us to bring everything to the front porch, he’s not much of a talker but he’s very helpful, there’s no denying that. He wishes us a good day before leaving, and Namjoon doesn’t waste anymore time when he grabs my hand before pulling us over to the neighbour’s house.
“Dragon mana, it’s soft and fragile, but it’s there, calling out to me” he blurts out on the way, hence confirming my thoughts. We have a mate in Crimson Bay, and we managed to buy the house right next to them.
Before we can make it to the door, it opens in one quick swing, and a young woman with messy hair steps out, eyelids still a bit heavy from a previous nap.
Her gaze surveys the horizon before finally settling on us, and my heart catches in my throat with a rapid pulse at her stunning beauty. The sunlight on her skin looks as if it painted her itself, with strokes of gold and a whole lot of love.
Her pointy little horns have a red and blue hue swirling around the light purple appendages, so different and delicate compared to Namjoon’s thicker and curved horns, and her pointy canines softly poke into her bottom lip due to a recent feed that the red-ish glow in her eyes validates.
That should strike me as abnormal, but my brain has no time for thoughts when her scent wafts over to me, causing me to inhale deeply with a sense of belonging that feels like home.
Roses, their fragrance spreads all over the place with an embrace that envelopes not only my body, but also my soul. There’s… chocolate in it too, heart-shaped chocolates pushed into the center of each flowers, and they bloom magnificently for us. Such a delicious scent she has.
We remain there, staring at one another in silence for goodness knows how long, until Namjoon finally closes the distance until he stands right in front of her, towering from all his height over this little beauty that already owns half of my heart.
I join them, not willing to be left out for even one second, soul relishing in the shyness that paints her face in the prettiest of colours.
“Seeing you has so easily explained why we’re here today” Namjoon murmurs as he raises a hand to softly caress her cheek, and her fluffed up scent makes my chest feel so full that it could burst at any time now.
Her big eyes flutter at him before falling on me, and I need to resist the urge to touch her too. We can’t crowd her space so quickly, that would be impolite. Namjoon lets go of her face, seemingly coming to the same conclusion as me, and she releases a soft breath.
“I’m sorry if we surprised you, we’re moving in next door today” I explain with a sweet voice that shows I’m already in love, I can hear it dripping from every words I speak myself, and I would be embarrassed if I wasn’t so taken by her already.
Her eyes shine brightly as she glances between the two of us shyly, she’s giving such prey energy that it makes me want to cradle her close this instant so that nothing ever happens to her.
“This big dragon here is Namjoon, and I’m Hoseok, a vampire. You are a dragon, that we can see, but…” I gently press a finger against the tip of one of her canines, and she sucks in a breath, as if just now aware that it’s visible to the both of us.
“Are you a hybrid?” I ask her softly, worry already beginning to gnaw in the pit of my stomach, because if it’s true, then we have ourselves a very fragile mate indeed.
She hides her fangs behind a pout, it being the only way she can cover them without piercing her skin, and she sheepishly nods her head, which has Namjoon’s and my own heart falling at our feet. A bouncing ball that has lost its bounce, that’s how I feel.
“That’s right… but I promise there’s no need for concern, I’m doing well” she quickly blurts out a reassurance first, knowing very well how concerning that must be for us. It’s our first time meeting a half-breed, but we’re old enough to have heard a few heartbreaking stories about them.
“And, erm. My name is Y/N. I’ve been living here for a week now, so I’m still new around here. We have two other mates and… they’re also our neighbours. It’s the house before mine, but they’re not home right now”.
We all glance towards the building she points at, though we can barely see it from here because of the curved angle of our street. So we have three new mates, then? That’s not what I thought our first day here would be like, but I’m certainly not complaining.
“Jimin is a vampire and Yoongi’s a dragon, they’re very kind. I guess we’re not meant to have wolves in the bond” she wonders the end aloud before staring back at us with a smile, now that the initial shock has melted away.
“Can I help with bringing your stuff inside? I have nothing to do anyway, Jimin’s not coming back before an hour or two and Yoongi will be done with work at around five”.
“Of course” I speak faster than Namjoon can, knowing that he would deny her request otherwise. He shoots me a stare while I smile at her, an arm offered to guide her to our new home. She said that she’s doing well and to not worry, so let’s not treat her like a liar.
“Having some company while we unpack would be wonderful. We’re still awaiting our furniture, though, so the house is still empty. I hope you won’t mind”.
She sweetly links her arm with mine, and we begin our walk with Namjoon behind us, his grumpy frown on the mountain of heavy bags and luggage we left on the porch. I understand his unease about having her help us, but I also know that we should know better than to hold her back.
Her condition is one that we don’t know much about other than that too many hybrids have died young, but she doesn’t look that frail, and besides, she has a healthy complexion right now, that’s more than enough for me at the moment.
I agree that the heavy bags are too much, though. As a man… I cannot let this pretty lady carry them for us.
“So, you said you moved here about a week ago” I ask her once we reach the front door. I enter the code on the tactile lock before turning the knob when it makes a sound, and I push it open for the very first time.
“Yeah… it’s a long story but made short… a seer told my mother when I was young that coming here once I turned thirty would keep me healthy. Maybe she said so because she knew I’d meet my mates in Crimson Bay” she says that as if she only now made the links, and I hum as I inspect the house’s interior.
We’ll need to open some windows because of the stale air and the floor will need a good wash, but otherwise, it’s really not that bad. A little dirty, but nothing some cleaning can’t take care of in a day or two.
“Why did you and Namjoon move here, Hoseok?” she asks next as our burly mate pushes past us with the heaviest luggage first - he exhales roughly while putting it down and it echoes against the empty walls. Seeing that, Y/N also reaches the pile, eager to be of help.
I see Namjoon sharply turn around to stare at her with his breath held, only to release it when she grabs something light. I almost chuckle at the sight, but decide against it, knowing that his brain is on high alert right now.
He’d do everything himself if it was up to him, which it isn’t. Is our other dragon mate the same? Yoongi, was it?
“It was actually on a whim” I answer her question smoothly as I walk besides her with my arms full of differently sized bags. She helps me to put everything down on the floor while Namjoon goes back outside to continue with his task, content to just listen as we talk.
“I saw pictures of Crimson Bay last week, and they came with a link attached to this house, for some reason. So we looked at it, and we couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was there for us, that maybe starting anew here could be our next step in life. It all happened so fast, such big decisions made in the span of a few days”.
She lets out a small laugh, and I smile at her with a growing sensation of adoration in the pit of my stomach.
“It’s similar to my story. My family and I found the pictures last month, but we waited until after my birthday to have me move here. It was… very hard for them to let me go” she reveals softly, before grunting a little at the heavier bag she decided to carry in her arms.
That is, until Namjoon gently takes it from her once he notices.
“Leave the heavy ones to me, please” he murmurs with a pat to her head, and her face flushes slightly before she grabs the last smaller one. I grab the rest, happy to see that it didn’t take us long thanks to her, or maybe it’s because our dragon was intent on getting it done before she could get hurt.
“Why didn’t they come with you?” I ask her upon closing the front door, a quick survey of the living room showing me a few windows that will need a good scrub later. I walk around and open all of them, thankful for the nice weather outside.
Having nowhere to sit right now, she leans against the wall next to the kitchen, hands in her pockets.
“Because my fate isn’t theirs. I have to be here, but not them. This is my journey, my path to… I don’t know where it’ll lead me, actually. My family focused solely on the part that led us to believe I would be healthier here, but I rather like the independence that comes with it. I thought it would be scary, but it’s actually not. And the air, the sights… I really like Crimson Bay, much more than the city”.
I glance at her as she speaks, finding on her face a real relief at her new situation.
She likes the independence… did she have none back at home? That’s all I can think about as I open the last window while Namjoon does the same in every other rooms. It’s very dusty, we can see it in the air now, every little particles floating around us gathering like clouds.
The sight alone is suffocating, those windows will be open all night for sure.
“Crimson Bay is very beautiful, that’s true. Maybe the seer said your health would improve here because there’s not as much air pollution, the way the people live life feels different, too. Less stressful, there’s no one rushing anywhere, it’s peaceful”.
She makes a sound, then nods her head, her purple horns almost shining thanks to the reflection of the outside light. She’s beautiful, more so than any sights available in the world.
“You’re right, that makes sense. Stress isn’t good for my heart, so my family tried very hard to keep me from having to worry about anything. Here… Jimin and Yoongi are always by my side, but it’s different. Not controlling, just… safe”.
Hearing that makes me like them already. I normally would invite them to eat over for dinner, but the house isn’t in a state for receiving guests just yet. Maybe we could eat out somewhere, so we can get to know each other.
Y/N suddenly begins to cough, too much dust getting in her lungs, and Namjoon nearly trips on his feet as he comes running to open the front door again.
“The air inside isn’t good right now, stay close to the door” he says while guiding her to the porch with a secure arm over her shoulders, his nostrils flaring in nerves. He treats her as if she’s so fragile, a little paper doll, but the blush on her cheeks reassures me.
If it made her uncomfortable for even just one second, I would be stepping in.
“Why don’t you two go on a walk or something? The day is bright and warm and it would be a waste to spend it inside, just carry some water with you in case of dehydration. I’ll stay for when the moving truck gets here” I offer, wanting nothing more than for them to get acquainted with each other.
I feel like I’ll be doing all the talking otherwise, and that’s not what I want for them.
Y/N and Namjoon look at each other, and small smiles are shared before they nod at me. “I have water bottles in the fridge at home, I’ll get two” she chirps before running off to her place, which is to our left. I’ll have to get used to the fact that we’re neighbours. What a twist of fate that is.
“She’s adorable” Namjoon blurts out from the entrance, already feeling in his entire soul that he would do anything and everything for her. Enamored would be a better word, he is utterly enamored with her already.
“She truly is” I muse softly. “And we have two more mates, she said. I hope we can meet them soon”.
“Right, that’s true”.
I watch with a pleased sigh as he comes back inside to reach my side, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me close so he can press another kiss onto my nose, then lips. I melt in his warmth, his scent of firewood always so calming to my senses.
It’s the aromatic smell of burning wood that spreads in the breeze at the end of a long day, but so much more loving and full of life. He pulls back so our noses bump onto one another, eyes shut, and we let ourselves enjoy this moment, one that feeds the soul and tends the heart.
“Thank you, Hobah, for finding this place. You led us straight to them” he murmurs against my lips, and I hum, eyes creasing as I press a kiss to his soft lips myself.
“Fate led us here, not me, but you’re welcome, Joonie. Now go spend some time with our sweet girl and don’t treat her like she could break with one wrong breath. She’s an adult, so clearly she’s overcome the worst of her hybrid condition, otherwise she wouldn’t be running about right now”.
His brows furrow slightly, lips pursed, but he nods nonetheless, a little sheepish as he glances at me with a pout. “Yeah, I’ll be careful. It’s just… you know how hard it is for me to not overdo it when it comes to my mates”.
“Oh, trust me, I know” I tease my man before pushing him gently towards the door. “Get going, now, she’s waiting for you outside. I’ll call you when the truck gets here, but I think I’ll be able to manage it on my own. You’ll come back to a messy, but otherwise furnished house”.
“As long as there’s a bed to cuddle you into the night, that’s all I need” he says with a grin before waving at Y/N from where she is outside, and I watch as he runs the last distance between them while I close the door behind him.
I put my hands on my waist once left alone, a determined huff pushed out before I get started with the cleaning. “It’s just you and I, house, so prepare yourself for a deep cleaning. Today is assuredly the last day you’ll be making my young mate cough”.
Chapter Text
Well, here I am in the same park again, but this time with Namjoon, a very quiet man.
We walked side by side along the street until we made it down the hill to where the green park was, and he put himself between the cars and I like a bulldozer. Honestly, if a car came to crash into us, I think the car would be more broken than him. He’s that big and strong looking.
It must be because his mana itself feels very… mighty and protective. An invisible shield that would remain unscathed in the face of the worst storm known to man and leave those it protected without a single scratch. That’s how it makes me feel anyway.
Either way, not much was said on the way, and even now as we sit and look around the emptiness that surrounds us, we are not saying more.
From between the trees, I can see a little bit of the bay and the boat that connects both shores, slowly getting away with people on board. Hoseok and Namjoon must have come on this one, seeing as they haven’t been here for long.
I grab my water to drink a little, fully aware that Namjoon is staring at me, the bottle I gave him earlier next to his thighs on the bench and left untouched. The nerves I feel from his gaze makes me take a nervous gulp, and I end up coughing and spluttering as the water goes down the wrong pipe.
Less than a second and I feel his large hand rub my back soothingly as he leans over with something close to urgency, his mana thickening as it flows through me with the need to protect. His brown eyes are focused on my face and the tears that flow down my cheeks, and he feels terrible for not being able to help more.
“I’m- I’m fine” I manage between two sets of coughing, his face scrunched in worry while I try to not look like an absolute idiot. This isn’t the first impression I want him to have of me, and especially not the last one should I die.
I’m eventually able to clear my throat, and breathing becomes easier again. I’m not dying today, thank goodness.
“I’m sorry, I’m not good at knowing what to say and I’m making things awkward” the dragon mumbles softly, looking displeased with himself. “Hoseok has more ease speaking with new people, but I don’t have that”.
I shake my head before wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “Don’t be sorry, Namjoon, it’s not your fault. I’m the same so I understand. Yoongi and Jimin did most of the talking at first. I’m not good at knowing what to say, and when to say it”.
Silence resumes again, and I press my lips into a tight smile.
His scent is very calm so I can guess that he’s not exactly uncomfortable right now, but he must have sensed my unease, which must be why he apologized. I hope he doesn’t think that I choked on my water because of him.
“Erm… you- uh. You can ask questions, if you want” I blurt out after a minute or two. “About my health as a hybrid, or anything you want, really. I’ll think about what to ask you too, although I’m not very good at it”.
He hums softly, his eyes still on me and searching into my own, into my soul. His body heat seeps into me with such intensity that the distance between us feels like it’s none, and the warmth in the brown of his eyes also looks like it’s holding a fire, always burning in the depth of his being.
“I have only heard stories that ended badly for hybrids, but you’re looking… great. Not… sick, you don’t look sick. Ugh, this is not sounding the way I want” he utters with a disappointed sigh, and I clear my throat in an attempt to hide an amused smile.
“You said that you came here so your health would get better” he tries again. “Were you unwell, in the city?”.
I lean back to stare at the sky in thoughts.
“Well… my siblings and parents have always kept me from doing too much, so that might be why I’m doing so well today. Honestly, I got sick because of food more often than I would from anything else”. I exhale silently, will I have to talk about that whenever I meet someone new?
“I have a few allergies, going from gluten, to eggs and peanuts. There is more, but that is for another time. I also really love pizza, and not the kind I can eat without regretting it the next day, so… I wasn’t always my best ally, honestly”.
Finding his increasingly concerned face has me pursing my lips sheepishly.
“All of that to say… I don’t think there’s any reason to worry about my health here. If I’m careful with what I eat instead of being stupid, and if I don’t overdo it with activities and exercise, I should be fine. Just… keep an eye on what I have in hand if you ever see me sneaking about outside on my own”.
I show him a silly grin when he’s yet unconvinced, and he finally snorts a small chuckle before nodding his head. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Thank you for telling me those things, and for trying to reassure me. It mustn’t be fun to have everyone worry all the time around you”.
I blink softly, to hear him acknowledge my experience like this surprising to me. It’s just like with Jimin during the last time we were here.
“It’s not” I answer sincerely. “But I understand why, since my health can get worse anytime if I don’t follow a tight routine. The amount of blood I consume in a day keeps me sane, and the weekly amount of mana keeps me strong. If I skip both?” I wince a little at the thought.
If I ever reached a point where I could not think rationally anymore, would I become dangerous to my mates?
“We won’t let that happen” Namjoon says firmly, somehow reading my mind with the expression on my face alone. I let my eyes fall on him, on the magnificence of his face, body and soul, and the determination I can see in his gaze fuels my own fire, even if it’s but a spark in an ocean.
“I know the vampire code, so I know that offering you my blood when we just met isn’t quite right, but I want you to know that anytime, anywhere, my blood and mana are at your disposal. You can come to me when you need something, the door will always be left open for you”.
Feeling so very thankful, I nod softly before staring back at the sight before us, heart full and alive with their care and attention. My family would cry out of joy if they could hear everything that my mates have told me so far, if they could see everything that they’ve done for me.
I hope I can become someone who can be the same for them, one day. I don’t know what it is that someone like me can offer them, it’s possible that there’s nothing I can offer that they don’t already have, but I want to be as much of a good mate to them as they are to me.
“Well… since we’re here, and since there’s no one else…” Namjoon begins with a lull to his voice that soothes me deeply without even trying, “do you want to use the park swing? I could push you. You’ve been staring at it from the moment we got here”.
My face flushes immediately, I had no idea he’d noticed me staring at it!
“T-that’s for children, Namjoon” I mutter bashfully, be he’s having none of this when he stands with a stretch that makes his muscles bulge. I quickly look away so I don’t make a fool out of myself, but my heart is beating way too fast right now.
“If you won’t use it, then I will” he simply states before walking over to where the swings are, and I quickly run after him when I see that he’s very serious. Can he even fit in one? He’s so bulky, I bet the swing would break!
“Aren’t we too heavy for those, Namjoon? They look cheaply made”.
“You’ll be alright, I on the other hand… maybe not. There, sit down. If I can’t use it, you’ll have to do it for me. I used to love sitting on the swings when I was younger, being here brings back so many memories”.
“Okay… just don’t push with too much strength, please. I fear that I would grow wings if I go too high, and I’ve never been good at landing on my feet”.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful”.
With his hands on each sides to hold the swing while I sit down, there’s a warmth that cannot be found anywhere else when my back hits his stomach, and as I raise my legs to not graze the ground, he begins to pull me backwards before pushing gently.
My hair begins to flow behind me as the wind caresses my skin, and I smile widely at the sky before my swing goes back to the patient dragon who pushes me once more, his mana flowing along with me, a protector in my harmless amusement.
His hand presses against my lower back whenever I reach back, and I get to stare at him when he moves to the side with a pleased look on his face.
“I’ve told you a little about myself, Namjoon, so I want to hear about you too” I start after a comfortable silence in which I get to fly through the air. “I don’t know what to ask for, but I want to learn things about you”.
He smiles at my question, and he hums while gently maintaining my speed with ease. “Let’s see…”.
“Hoseok and I are both accountants for the same company, and we work from home. Moving here didn’t really have much of an impact on what we do for a living, so we get to keep the same schedule. Hmm… I like pretty much every colours, but I always wear the same ones. Hoseok says that they’d all look good on me, but I don’t agree with him. I am not a great cook, though I can cook simple meals -”
---
Coming back home from the park happens in an ambiance that is much better than earlier, without all the nerves and tension this time.
I loved getting to know more about Namjoon, and surprisingly, talking with him is actually very simple once the ice melted down. I feel like we’ve grown closer in that short amount of time, and it makes me very happy.
When we walk past Yoongi and Jimin’s house, I stare at it with curious eyes, wondering if the latter came back home in the end, but seeing as none of their two cars are there yet, the answer is pretty obvious.
Namjoon follows my gaze and eyes the house too. “You said we have two mates living there. Jimin and Yoongi, right?”.
I hum softly. “Yes, I was hoping someone would be home by now, but Jimin’s not back yet. I really want you to meet them, I know you’d get along well. You remind me of Yoongi in many ways, while Hoseok reminds me of Jimin, it’s funny actually”.
His eyes crease the slightest bit, and we keep walking to his house where Hoseok has remained, a long and tall moving truck now in the driveway. I imagine that all of it was filled to the brim since the house was empty.
I doubt something so big could’ve crossed the bay, but seeing as I don’t even know myself how my family furnished the house I live in since they never came here in person, I feel like I’m allowed a dumb question without being judged for it.
“Did you buy new furniture here in Crimson Bay, Namjoon? Or were those already yours?” I ask as we get closer, eyes on his face while his are on the crowded porch.
Too busy looking at the back and forth happening between the porch and the truck to answer me right away, I follow closely as we reach the driveway. His scent of firewood is dry, like the wood is struggling to spark to life and all we can smell is the ash underneath, what is troubling him?
That gets answered as we reach the first steps leading to the front door, when he suddenly pulls me against his side just as a duo walks past us holding a large bed frame, our presence going unseen due to their focus being solely on their feet and the furniture.
I see the heavy wood from way too close for comfort, almost feeling it graze my shoulder in the process, and I blink up at the tall dragon who stares at their backs with a fuming anger. “Those humans never see anything past their nose, they’ll get someone hurt at this pace” he mutters before leading me inside with my body safely tucked under his arm.
As soon as we reach the entrance where we should be safe, we’re stopped once again by another group of workers on their way out, and I feel as his mana flares around us with annoyance, his woodsy scent suddenly crackling intensively under the force of the flames currently feeding on the logs.
Such a stark contrast from a minute ago!
Two humans stop walking at their vampire friend’s quiet warning upon smelling the raging scent, and I get to see as their eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets because of the size difference between them, not to forget that Namjoon is very intimidating right now, all glary eyed and popping muscles.
Being on the smaller side myself, I do feel slightly bad for them. They can’t compare with a dragon, even Yoongi has more muscular mass than the lot of them.
They step aside without a single sound, and Namjoon moves me forward with a rumble of warning seeping out of his chest, as if those men would even dare do anything at this point. Dragons are possessive and territorial though, so I’m not going to say anything.
I may not be as bad as him, but I do understand what instincts are at work here.
As we reach further inside and away from the entrance, Namjoon finally begins to calm down while I let my eyes take in the new decoration that’s yet to find their rightful place, boxes half opened here and there while the furniture are placed in obvious spots that I suspect will change when I find his eyebrows twitching a little.
Layout set aside, the new look is astounding, first off, with the living room that now looks like one. The couch beneath the window is a warm orange, thick and almost fluffy looking, like it was bought with the sole prospect of cuddles in mind. I bet naps would be amazing on it.
There’s another bright blue couch pressed against the other wall, and the still rolled colourful rug on the floor will connect the two with a perfection that I could not have done on my own. Hoseok and Namjoon have amazing taste, this living room looks lively, yet not headache inducing.
The tall dragon takes a deep breath, only now remembering my question from earlier. His brain had fallen in safety mode and hence completely forgot to answer me. He rubs the back of his neck, lips pursed as he answers with a soft guilt below the deepness of his voice.
“Sorry for taking so long to answer your question, Y/N, keeping you safe took over my mind. We actually bought everything online in a shop called… oh I forget the name, but it’s not in Crimson Bay. It’s in a city from our side of the bay, an hour or two from here. Hoseok did most of the shopping”.
“I see. So you’re seeing all of that for the first time then” I say, to which he hums with a nod.
“That’s right”.
“Oh good, you’re back” Hoseok suddenly chirps as he joins us in the space between the living room and the hallway. He looks the exact same as earlier, not a trace of sweat on his glowing skin as he eyes us with satisfaction.
“I was wondering when I’d see you again. You two look like you got closer already, that’s wonderful” he adds upon seeing Namjoon’s arm still around me, and I gasp when he unexpectedly picks me up by the waist to make us twirl softly. “What a pleasure it is to have you back, sunshine”.
His face is alive with so much warmth and love, his scent of floral tea so gentle on the nose, that I wish this would never end. It’s like being sat in a homemade garden, every plants and flowers placed with purpose and cared for with soul. I can almost feel the sun shine on us as I bask in their world.
“Hoseok, you surprised me” I let out with a laugh as his hands firmly hold me in their grasp. The feeling of our swirling is similar to earlier when I was on the swing, and a giddy lightness fills my chest as I giggle in his arms, which only serves to widen his smile.
He’s tempted to pull me down into a kiss, but thankfully, he resists at the last second. Feeling it in his mate’s familiar scent, Namjoon sighs.
“Calm down on the twirling before you make her sick” he chides the vampire softly, hiding in his tone a warning that goes right over my head, and Hoseok slows down to a stop regretfully, only cheering up when he feels my smaller hands close around his arms to stay in his embrace.
He offers his cheek to the dragon, humming lightly when the latter kisses it.
“They’re almost done bringing everything inside. The desks for our offices are left, to name a few, and then it’ll be a game of finding out the best arrangement until satisfaction. Did you have a great time outside?” Hoseok speaks joyfully as he eyes us both, liking the happy blush that settles on our cheeks at his question.
I nod quickly, only too eager to share how it went. “We did! Namjoon made me sit on the park swing and pushed me. We asked and answered all sorts of questions until you called, it was fun. I hope we can do it again someday, with you and the others”.
Namjoon would physically pluck every flowers growing from his loving heart to give to me if he could, hearing from me that I liked our time together meaning the world to him. He was afraid that I wouldn’t have enjoyed myself that much.
“Anytime you want, lovebug” he replies, the use of the nickname making my cheeks flush while Hoseok’s lips stretch into a beautiful smile.
“I’m glad to hear that. We have two couches you can sit on this time - I tried them and the orange one is the most comfortable. Can I make you something to drink? I installed the coffee machine if you want a cup” he asks as he gazes down at me, fingers pushing the hair out of my face to better see my eyes.
“Oh. That’s nice of you to offer, Hoseok, but I can’t have coffee” I answer softly, to which he tilts his head in confusion. “It gives me heart palpitations. I told Namjoon earlier, but I have a restricted diet, I’ll tell you about it another time”.
He frowns at the new knowledge but doesn’t push for more, instead making a soft hum of acknowledgement. “I fear we don’t have much to offer at the moment besides coffee and water. We’ll have to go grocery shopping either tonight or tomorrow, our rented car should get here soon”.
“That’s alright, Hoseok. I drank all my water earlier so I’m not thirsty” I say with a smile, and he purses his lips before humming with a smile of his own, a caress to my hair that makes my heart soften into goo.
“Alright, pretty girl, if you say so. Oh, the desk goes over there- I’m sorry, dear, I’ll have to take care of that”.
Namjoon and I watch as he rushes after the employees currently carrying one of the two massive desks into the hall where a few rooms are, his directives firm and precise, his tone much more severe and serious than when he talks to us.
The tall dragon joins my side, not quite touching, but close enough that our mana and body heat are merging together again, a comforting sensation. I already feel as comfortable with them as I do with my family, and I thought that was impossible to achieve so fast.
Maybe it’s because I got used to being with mates thanks to Yoongi and Jimin? It’s more familiar to me now, the feelings that come with being by their side.
“Do you want to sit down? We walked a lot today, I think that would be good” he inquires with an apprehensive glow in his eyes that shows he’s concerned about my current state. I don’t feel weak since I had blood before meeting them, but all the walking outside did tire me out a little.
Nodding my head, he settles a warm hand over the small of my back to guide me to the bigger couch, and I feel as my body absorbs some of his mana when he pushes a tiny dose into me. Just enough to give me a small boost of energy.
It’s a different feeling from Yoongi’s, or my dad’s for that matter, but it’s always warm. When I was young, I used to call it a dragon’s breath, because I liked to imagine that a dragon breath would have felt the exact same had we been able to shift like in old times.
It’s funny that I would remember that little thought now of all time, but there’s something about Namjoon’s mana that reminds me of the past.
I sit on one end of the large couch, himself not too far when he takes my side, an arm stretched out behind my head over the cushions to keep close. He doesn’t say anything, but I can sense in his scent that he’s in a good mood, which is plenty enough for me.
My phone begins to vibrate then, and when I lean forward to get it out of my back pocket, my face lights up upon seeing Jimin’s name on the screen. I quickly smile at Namjoon before answering the call, not wanting to miss him.
“Jimin, you’ll never believe what happened while you were gone!” I exclaim right away, unknowingly cutting him off before he could even speak what he wanted to say, but that also serves to calm him down, the joy in my tone letting him know that I’m doing well.
‘What happened, princess? I just got home and went to your place, but you weren’t there’ he asks in a soft murmur, and only then do I remember how I was supposed to wait for him at home until he’d be back. I’d promised him.
“Oh- I’m sorry, Jimin, that completely fled my mind. I’m actually with the new neighbours, you can- wait just a minute” I pull the phone from my ear to whisper the question to Namjoon. “He can come, right?”.
The dragon releases a deep chuckle before nodding his head, and I bring my phone back to my ear. “Yeah, you can come over, it’s the house after mine, the one with the moving truck. You have to come, okay? We’ll be waiting for you!”.
I end the call there, not giving him the opportunity to ask any more questions, then lock my eyes on the entryway as I await his arrival. He should be there in three… two… one…
“Princess? You there, baby?”.
Upon seeing him at the threshold, I wave my hands to gain his attention. “I’m here!”. His body relaxes briefly when he finds me, only to tense again when his eyes meet Namjoon’s, nostrils flaring slightly when he catches the scents of our new mates.
I jump to my feet, then grab Namjoon’s hand to pull him up too, which reveals itself to be a lot harder than I first thought when he doesn’t budge at all. I blink down at him, feeling very confused about the morphology of it all because… he’s muscled, yes, but he can’t be that heavy, right?
I pull again, but- no, it’s not doing anything. What the heck?
I hear a rumble build up in his chest at seeing me try so hard, and I pout at him. “Come on, you have to help me a little, Namjoon” I complain when he’s yet to make a move, he’s enjoying this moment too much to put an end to it. It’s not everyday that he gets to see something so cute.
I hurriedly remove my shoes before putting a foot on the base of the couch to try again, body bent backwards as I pull with all of my might, eyes closed in the effort, and his face breaks out into a playful grin when I stop, out of breath.
“Damn it, you’re too heavy. I give up, you can stay here”.
Namjoon laughs then, a rich sound that makes my soul rise and melt at the same time, and he finally stands up, his hand clenching around mine as he now towers over me. I swear I see a glint rise from the bottom of his horns to the tips as his eyes dare me to go anywhere without him.
“I was just teasing you, lovebug, don’t be mad” he croons before staring back at where Jimin is standing, his jaw on the floor as he observes the sight in front of him. His first reflex was to growl upon seeing a stranger so close to me, but the scents shocked him into silence.
Mates, his brain whispered, and he immediately understood why I’d left despite promising that I would wait for him.
“There, that wasn’t so hard” I mumble before pulling him to where Jimin is frozen in place, feet stepping aside in a dazed manner when the men who took the first desk inside walk back out to get the other one, it must be very heavy to require all of them on the task.
Hoseok joins us mid-way, hands brushing against one another to get rid of the dust as his curious eyes fall on the other vampire, his mind waking up with glee when he smells the sweet and spicy mix of the vanilla and cinnamon scent.
“Let me guess, this is Jimin, honey?” Hoseok asks as he joins Namjoon and I - is he going to use every pet names he knows of before settling with one? It feels like I’ve heard a few ones already and it hasn’t even been an hour.
I make an affirmative sound, then let go of Namjoon to run up to my Jimin for a hug that takes him out of his daze. His arms naturally close around me, and he hums deeply as he burrows his nose into the familiar smell of my hair. He feels like he couldn’t breathe properly until now.
Still cuddled against his chest, I look up at him with a puppy smile that cuts off the need to scold me before it can grow any bigger. He’ll approach the subject of broken promises another time seeing as it wasn’t on purpose, but he really felt his heart drop down his ass earlier.
“Neighbours, baby?” he says with a quirked eyebrow, knowing clearly by now that those two gentlemen’s titles don’t stop there. The scent of firewood and floral tea, so delicious and tempting to his soul are the proof.
I smile sheepishly at the look on his face, sensing the disapproval hiding beneath his gaze even if he’s not saying anything.
“I swear I didn’t leave home on purpose, Jimin. I was napping while waiting for you when I sensed Namjoon’s mana getting closer. I had a look outside, and then things happened and I ended up at their place, I didn’t mean to break my promise. Don’t be mad, please?”.
At the pleading look on my face, Jimin narrows his eyes, then sighs deeply before relaxing around me. He can forgive me for this one time… right? It’s not like he could stay mad at me anyway, he doesn’t have the heart to stay angry.
“Fine. I will forgive this first offence, but do it again and I’m not going to be as nice” he warns with a kiss to my nose, his countenance losing of its sharpness when a pretty pink begins to coat my cheeks, my gaze still glued to his own and my captivating scent flooding his senses.
He raises his head to observe our new mates, and always with me pressed against his chest, offers a handshake to whoever wants to shake it first. Namjoon is faster, surprisingly, and Hoseok waits for his turn with an eternal smile on his face.
“I’m Park Jimin. I’m sure she’s already told you, but I live in the house before hers with Yoongi, another mate of ours”.
“Yes, she told us. I’m Kim Namjoon, and this is Jung Hoseok”.
“Nice to meet you, Jimin. We just moved in so I’m sorry for the current mess inside the house, we’ve yet to properly clean things up. Feel free to keep your shoes on since there’s still more in the truck. Speaking of which, here they come with your desk, Joonie. You should tell them where you want it”.
“Yep, on it. I’ll be back soon”.
We watch as Namjoon guides them to another room, and Hoseok takes that opportunity to guide us back to the living room. “Let’s wait for him there, it’ll be more comfortable. The employees should be done soon, then it’ll be much calmer”.
As we enter the bright area, Jimin makes a bee line for the blue couch with my hand held in his, then proceeds to plop down on it before pulling me over his lap with a contented sigh.
With the pressure of his fingers squeezing into my waist, there will be no getting off him until he feels better, so I decide to make myself comfortable on his lap before resting my face in the nook between his neck and shoulder. His arms tighten around me, satisfied, and I stop moving with a smile.
Hoseok takes the other couch with a soft chuckle at the sight that we make, then leans back with a leg crossed over the other, happy to finally sit down for a moment. He must have worked hard after we left outside to the park, both with cleaning the house and then guiding the moving company around.
I feel a little bad now, Namjoon and I should’ve came back sooner to help him.
“Did you do everything you wanted to do in town, Jimin?” I ask to fill the silence, all I know is that he had places to go, but he didn’t say where exactly. I almost couldn’t fall asleep during my nap because I was too curious.
“Not all of them, some didn’t have what I was looking for. Otherwise… yes, I found what was most important. You’ll find out when Yoongi gets home, I promised to wait for him before giving it to you” he answers calmly, uncaring that his answer gave me even more questions.
“Is Yoongi getting home soon?” I mumble into his shoulder with unrestrained anticipation at the new reveal, do I have to wait long before finding out what he went out to buy? He rubs my back softly, eyes filled with love that only Hoseok can see right now. “Soon, baby”.
Namjoon comes back at that moment and sits besides Hoseok, eyes jealously taking in the way I’m being cradled by the vampire whom he also wants to hold. He’s so greedy, he wants everyone and everything, all the time. His mate pats his thigh as he knows him too well.
“The chairs for the dining room and the desks, as well as a few other boxes are all that’s left, then we’ll be leaving shortly” one of the workers says on his way outside, and Hoseok nods at him before bringing his gaze back to Jimin and I.
“Today has been a long day, but I’m thankful that we’ve been granted such a rewarding surprise upon coming here” he begins talking with a sweet voice, and Jimin makes a sound as he leans back against a cushion to be more comfortable.
More of my weight falls over his chest, but he doesn’t seem to mind the slightest bit as he hums pleasantly, fingers caressing my back in soothing motions.
“I’m sure it has, moving always brings its share of complications. Yoongi will not believe his eyes once he finds out that we’ve been given new mates once more. It seems we were right to stay in Crimson Bay after all. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would’ve been to leave right before Y/N - and now you - got here”.
“You thought about leaving Crimson Bay?” I ask, twisting my neck a little to glance at him, I’m hearing about that for the first time.
“A long time ago, yes” he answers softly. “We thought life could have more to offer elsewhere, but for some reason, we felt compelled to stay here. The fresh air, the sights, the peace that is found in our town, we knew we’d miss all of that if we left”.
“Makes sense” Namjoon says. “We left the city because it sapped all of our energy. There was a lot to see and a lot to do, but overabundance can sometimes do more harm than good. Feeling at peace is much more precious than the ten convenience stores that surrounded our house”.
Boots resound from the entrance, followed by bodies bringing the last boxes in, and we fall silent as we observe them do their last bout of work. The nerves I can smell from the them makes me feel nervous for them, and I clear my throat loudly.
“Dinner is quickly approaching” I blurt out to give the workers a break, and when attention falls on me, I don’t miss the quiet sighs of relief as they head back outside. “Should we eat together? Hoseok and Namjoon don’t have food yet, we could invite them over” I say as I sit up slightly to look Jimin in the eyes.
“Well… I suppose we could look into making dinner for everyone tonight” the vampire mumbles, lost in his thoughts as he tries to mentally see what’s left in his kitchen at home. Do they have enough to make a big meal?
The last chairs are brought in, and the employees don’t even bother letting us know that they’re done that the door is closing behind them, after which we soon hear the moving truck driving away. Hoseok claps his hands lightly then, looking happy now that everything is over.
“They’re finally gone, I thought that moment would never come. Joonie dear, remind me later to give positive feedback on their job here, they worked hard. As for dinner, I figured earlier that we could all eat out somewhere tonight. I thought it could be nice to get to know each other at a nice and cozy restaurant”.
Namjoon nods easily while taking a mental note for the reminder, and at my hopeful smile, Jimin also complies with a relieved sigh. The prospect of eating outside isn’t a bad one, it hasn’t happened even once since I moved in town.
“I don’t see why not. There’s a nice place near where I work in the market square, a restaurant ran by an old couple. They don’t really have much of a menu, honestly. You go there, you tell them what you’d like to eat and they’ll probably make it for you. We could bring a list of your allergies, princess”.
My eyes widen as he finishes speaking, there’s a place like that around here? Is that going to be my new favourite place in the world? I think it might be! “Let’s go there, Jimin” I plead while clinging onto him, in doing so swinging us back and forth in my excitement, which makes them all chuckle.
“Okay, okay, I’ll let Yoongi know, baby. Stop shaking me like this, I’ll get dizzy” he muses with a sweet giggle that sounds like home, it sure does. I sit back comfortably in his lap, a happy grin at Namjoon and Hoseok who wink at me.
“Let me call him so I can tell him about the plan, then we can get going soon”.
Chapter Text
"Have a seat wherever you want, darlings, I'll be there shortly," a sweet old woman says as soon as we enter the small, homey restaurant that Jimin had talked about, then walks into the kitchen at the back, her flowery apron moving around her long legs.
The interior is cozy, and there are no more than six sets of double tables spread about the area.
The walls are covered with an old wallpaper that has clearly seen better days. Posters that seem to date from way back are lined up here and there, and a stack of newspapers rests on the table by the entrance, all of them crumpled and well-used.
This isn't at all what I was expecting upon coming here, but I also kind of like the fact that it's not modern like all the places I'm used to visiting from the city. A simple look at the place and you can somehow already tell that the food will be to die for.
My gaze quickly meets Yoongi's as we step further into the narrow entrance, the dragon already seated at a table for six in a quiet corner with small windows. He looks so handsome, as always, and I smile widely when his mana pulls on mine needily.
He stands from his chair, opens his arms invitingly, and I run over to give him a hug that we both crave. His mana curls around me, warm and safe, and I sigh happily.
"Hey, sweetheart," he muses into my hair, nose sitting between my horns while he presses a soft kiss there as the others approach softly. "Heard from Jimin that you had a fun day with our new mates? I missed you."
"I missed you too," I reply with a pleased hum, not yet wanting to leave his warmth. He left too early this morning for me to see him, so I'm really seeing him for the first time since last night. "Hoseok and Namjoon made the day fun, but I broke the promise I'd made to Jimin."
Eyes flit to the vampire who rubs a hand over my shoulder while sharing a soft kiss with Yoongi.
"It's all forgiven and forgotten. I just didn't want you to wander off to town and find out what I was doing out there. You not being home when I came back scared me but... you had a valid reason," he says with a small smile.
"Namjoon took her to the park while I did a much needed cleaning session on the new house, the dust made it hard to breathe," Hoseok explains with a warm smile directed at Yoongi. "I promise Y/N was in good hands. I'm Hoseok, and this is Namjoon. I take it you're Yoongi?"
"The one and only," Yoongi replies, eyes falling on both new mates with interest. He almost forgot about them once he saw me and Jimin. "I'm not worried about that, any mates of ours would know how to take care of her well, I have no doubt. Have a seat."
Yoongi motions for the chairs on the other side of the table while he makes me sit on the middle one of his side. He takes the outside extremity while Jimin takes the other against the wall, and Namjoon mimics Yoongi on the other side, while Hoseok ends up in front of me.
It looks to me as if the two dragons are trying to create a barrier of protection against any source of danger. As if anyone would come in here to cause trouble. Geez.
Yoongi turns back to me. "I already told the owners about your allergies, baby, they said it would be no problem to make you something safe to eat since they regularly have to deal with odd requests. Did you think about what you'd like to have for dinner?"
I shake my head slowly. "I don't know what to ask for," I let out with a light pout. "I was so excited earlier, but now my mind is empty. At this point, I think I need a list of the things they can't make to decide."
He chuckles. "I understand, it's a bit of an overwhelming concept at first when you don't know the place. Let's see... This restaurant is mostly known for their homemade noodles and soups, as well as their kimbap and bibimbap, but I've seen people eating those small pizzas many times. They could adapt the dough for you, the chef told me it was possible."
The bells of fate can be heard ringing in the distance as my eyes widen for all to see, buds of hope blooming into pure joy. "I can have pizza? A pizza that even I can eat? It won't make me sick?"
"As long as we're careful with the ingredients, it's more than possible," the same old woman who greeted us earlier promises as she comes to our table. "I had someone else come here with similar allergies recently, another hybrid like you, and he said it was the best he ever had in his entire life. Said he lived a long time, so I took the compliment."
I tilt my head at her words. Another hybrid like me, in Crimson Bay?
"I haven't heard anything about that, he must not have been here for long," Yoongi says, surprised. The woman - Maeda - nods her head.
"A few days at most. He moved here for work, he said. They're opening a new shop here and he was sent as the main representative. A clothing store that focuses on fabric made of recycled materials, I heard. He was wearing that hoodie - looked so very soft, I might buy one for myself once it opens."
"Oh! The new shop in the market square!" Jimin gasps as he finally connects the dots. "I saw that they're renovating the old arcade, but I didn't know what for. That's an interesting project, I hope it does well here."
"Seeing as Crimson Bay has a smaller population, they might need to rely on online sales," Namjoon adds with a pensive look on his face, "but if it's unheard of around here, the neighbouring cities on our side of the bay might find interest in their clothes and have a look in person. That would be good for the local business."
"We'll find out soon enough," Hoseok muses before smiling at the madam. "Would it be possible to have a soup? And I would like to go with your recommendation, please. We've heard only good things about the food here, so I can only imagine that tonight will offer me the best experience of my life."
"Oh young man, are you trying to seduce this old woman with your kind words?" Maeda chuckles with a wave of the hand. "Soup it is, I'll let my husband know to make you his best recipe. What will these three gentlemen have?"
"You know what? I'll be a copycat and have a pizza too," Jimin muses with a grin at my happy clap of the hands. "And if you could make me one that she could eat too, that would be lovely. That way I can give you my leftovers, baby," he whispers the end for me, shoulders bumping with a proud glint in his eyes.
"You're spoiling her too much," Yoongi says with a shake of the head, as if he's any better. We all know he's just as bad, if not worse. "I'll have beef bibimbap, please. I dreamed that I was having it last night and now I'm craving it, so I might as well eat it in real life too."
"What a tasty dream," Maeda chuckles under one hand. "Of course, that will be done. What about you, hun?" she proceeds to ask Namjoon, who purses his lips, undecided.
"I think I'll go with a soup, too. I can't decide on anything, so I will go with your recommendation as well."
"Yes, that's no problem," she says before turning her attention back to Jimin and I. "Anything you'd like to see on your pizza, dearie? I'm afraid we don't keep blood in stock here, as we don't have a permit to use samples in our food. Anything else, we should have available."
"Pepperoni," I find myself whispering. "And a whole lot of cheese."
---
"Look at her smiling from ear to ear," Jimin says with a laugh as I carry the leftovers from our pizzas in my arms. We ended up picking slices from both plates as we ate, and they were the best I've ever had. I don't even have a tummy ache right now! I don't feel nauseous!
"It's my first time having pizza that doesn't make me sick," I chirp excitedly as we reach the cars in the parking lot.
"Didn't your mother make you any pizza at home?" Yoongi asks curiously, knowing that it was mostly her who kept me well fed when I was still living with my family. "It didn't seem too complicated. I bet I could make that at home too."
I shake my head at his question. "Mom only made me very healthy food, she said it was the only way for me to stay in good health so I never dared ask. I'm sure she wouldn't have refused, but it wouldn't have been much of the pizza I like to eat. It would have been an abomination pizza."
Namjoon and Hoseok snort at the same time, almost in disbelief of my claim, but a look at my face and they can somehow tell that I speak the truth. An abomination pizza sounds very plausible, all of a sudden.
I raise the leftovers in front of my face. "But those were perfect. Cheesy, tomaty, and pepperony. The topping wasn't taking away from the base flavor, it added to it. I give them a rating of ten out of ten, would eat again."
"I'm glad you liked your dinner, sweetheart," Yoongi says with his arm circling around my waist to lead me to his car. "How about you get in with me? We're all headed to the same place anyway. I want to spend some time alone with my baby, even if it's only for ten minutes."
I quickly nod at his words. I've missed him too, so being alone with him would be great. We can hold hands, and he can tell me all about his day, and I can pretend like I know what he's talking about whenever he uses medical terms that I've never heard of before.
"Already trying to steal her from me?" Jimin teases as he grabs the leftovers from my arms, a treacherous act that has me grabbing at empty air with wide eyes. "This is to make sure you remember about me, the man who stole your pizza. I'll see you two at home."
He winks and sings to himself as he reaches the other car with Hoseok and Namjoon, the two of them waving goodbye as if they didn't just witness a most terrible crime with their own eyes.
I look at them as they all sit inside, my food taken by Namjoon as he sits at the back while Hoseok sits at the front. Jimin lowers his window and peeks his head out, a teasing glint shining on his face when he sees my pout, before letting his gaze fall on Yoongi.
"Take your time before coming home, will you? I want to prepare everything for the surprise first, so if you could give me an extra... let's say ten minutes, I wouldn't complain. Be at home in twenty, okay? No sooner than that!"
With that said, he's driving off with my pizza and our mates, leaving me behind with Yoongi in the quiet parking lot. I bite on my tongue, fangs poking into it without breaking skin as I ponder over my options. In the end, it's harder to resist than it is to try asking.
"Will you tell me about the surprise, Yoongi? I swear I can keep a secret. I'll still look happy when Jimin reveals it to me. It'll be like you never said anything at all, I promise."
"Ah! Yeah, right. Nice try, sweetheart. Hop in, we'll go on a little ride around town while we wait."
I sigh, disappointed, but obey all the same.
We sit inside his car, side by side, and something about this right now reminds me of our first meeting. Thankfully, we're nowhere as awkward as we were that day, and I haven't had another crave episode, so everything has been smoother than silk.
He offers me his hand, palm tilted upward, and I slip my hand onto his with a delighted shiver, welcoming the gentle squeeze of his fingers as he makes his car rumble to life.
"All things considered, dinner went really well. Hoseok and Namjoon are both very nice and gentle, though the vampire has a lot more energy than the other. In a way, they kind of remind me of Jimin and me, when we're together. It was a bit funny."
I giggle at his observation.
"Right? That's what I told Namjoon earlier," I muse. "Hoseok is full of energy while Namjoon is a silent force of nature. I can't wait to get to know them better, as a group too. And I still can't believe that we all live in the same street! Three houses side by side. What were the odds?"
"Fate is having its fun with us, that's for sure," Yoongi chuckles as he drives us through some residential streets that I'm seeing for the first time at a slow pace, not in a hurry in order to give Jimin as much time as possible. "There are no more houses for sale around the area, that's a great shame. Maybe we could've gotten another pair of mates."
I think of the houses facing ours. "Mmm... We can arrange that. I'll be a terrible neighbour to those in front of us, I'll make loud noises in the middle of the night until they're so annoyed by me that they'll leave. Then... boom! New mates."
"Really? You would do that?" Yoongi asks with a quirked eyebrow as he glances my way, the sound of the car's blinkers audibly judging me as we reach a stop at an intersection.
"... No, I wouldn't," I mutter after further reflection. "I hate the thought of people uprooting their peaceful life just because of me. If we have more mates out there, we'll meet them eventually, like we met each other. I'll leave it to fate, I don't want to be a bad neighbour."
He grins, but doesn't say a word as he keeps driving around the district, slowly edging closer to home as the minutes tick by.
"You really won't tell me about the surprise?" I blurt out again as he makes another turn in a direction closer to home. He's taking his mission very seriously because at this pace, it's going to take us an hour before we can get there.
"Hmm... let's see. It's something you mentioned a few days ago," Yoongi begins, his eyes focused on the road but his thumb always moving softly over my hand, a caress that soothes me despite the unfed curiousity that rages within me.
"But I said a lot of things, Yoongi," I complain while throwing my head back against the seat. "We were getting to know each other and you asked me hundreds of questions, that's not fair. Give me another hint."
"Sorry, sweetheart. Can't say more or I'll spoil everything. Jimin was so excited when he managed to contact someone. He was frantic this morning as he made a list of requirements, and I will not ruin that for him. He worked too hard to make you happy for me to sabotage everything."
I purse my lips shut at this piece of information. Hearing that Jimin cares about this surprise so badly... I can't insist anymore or it wouldn't be fair for our mate.
"Okay, I get it. I'll wait."
"Good girl," Yoongi purrs with his husky voice, a tone that makes goosebumps spread all over my skin. My mana fluffs up within the safety of his own, and his grin widens. "You like that, don't you? Little praises like this."
My cheeks blush bright at his question.
"I- you can't ask questions like that without warning me, Yoongi," I stutter out in embarrassment, eyes avoiding his when he glances briefly in my direction. "You-" I huff and puff, much to his amusement. "So what if I do? Can't I like praises?"
"Oh you can," he muses sweetly, "I was just wondering because your mana turns all soft on me when I praise you. It's cute, really. I didn't mean to embarrass you by asking so bluntly. Would you forgive this old dragon? Pretty please?"
"Now you speak like Jimin," I mutter with a pout that fails to hide the smile that sprouts on my lips. "As if I could ever not forgive you. Just don't do it again, and we won't be having any problems."
"Yes, ma'am."
---
"They're here- Thank goodness, we got that done just in time. Quick, let's stand in front of the door," Jimin whisper-shouts as Yoongi parks into the driveway in front of their house.
The three men turn and bump into one another as they try to take their place in front of the frosted glass door, which is now hidden mostly thanks to Namjoon's larger stature, with Hoseok and Jimin hiding the sides. They stare at me with excited anticipation, and I begin to jump on my toes once out of the car.
I tilt my head left and right, up and down, trying to get a sight of the door as we get closer, but alas, they have well prepared for that possibility and are not leaving a single peek hole for my vampire sight.
"You haven't told her anything, right, hyung?" Jimin asks Yoongi, his eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion as we stop before the trio. The dragon shakes his head, and my pout confirms the unsaid.
He has not told me anything useful.
"Good," the vampire hums, satisfied. He gazes at me, excitement now gaining in intensity as his nerves are pushed aside. Even Namjoon and Hoseok look eager to reveal what is inside the house, their eyes bright and impatient.
"First of all, I want you to know that you would not have to take care of everything on your own," Jimin begins with an earnestness that makes me take him more seriously, the sincerity I can see in his eyes showing that it is very important to him that I know beforehand.
"While it is yours, I will contribute so that you always have what you need, as I am the one who made the final decision without your knowledge. Yoongi and I already had this conversation, and we are prepared and willing to take care of getting the food and paying for the occasional grooming appointments for you."
Wait.
No, they can't be serious.
I stare at Jimin, then at Yoongi, eyes sharp and intent to find out the truth behind his words.
They didn't, did they? For me? Really?
Jimin silently motions to Hoseok and Namjoon to stand aside, and he opens the door with a large smile, his eyes immediately on me as a huge dog appears in the doorway. Its fur is a mix of pale and darker tones of toffee brown, and while not overly young, it shows in its baby face that it's not that old either, so how is it already so big?
"Jimin!" I gasp as I fall to my knees, mouth gaping wide open as the pup's tail wags quickly at the attention it's currently receiving. "You got me a dog?!"
"I did!" he exclaims happily, before encouraging the pup to join me down the stairs.
He doesn't need to insist much before the dog's adorable eyes fall on me, followed by its fluffy paws padding over the ground to jump into my lap. I squeal under the massive floof that throws me back into the grass, laughter echoing past my lips when it begins to lick my neck and cheeks.
"Stop!" I cry out while laughing, hands grabbing its face and cupping the chubby cheeks with a loud coo. "Just look at you, you big floof! You're so soft and cute, yes you are." I hug the dog tightly, kicking my feet in joy as it resumes licking and tickling my neck.
"I think she likes it," Jimin chirps once Yoongi has joined his side, stars in his eyes, which never stray from my face even when the dragon cuddles him with pride.
"She sure does. I don't think I've ever seen her look so happy, and I don't think any of us could have achieved that. Thank you, Jimin. You're the one who put that smile on her face," Yoongi praises him, the feel of my mana meeting his unlike anything he's ever felt as he got to know me.
Namjoon and Hoseok watch with endeared eyes as Jimin's fill with tears, which he wipes away quickly because he doesn't want me to worry.
"Jimin!" I shout as I finally manage to sit up with the pup sprawled out all over me, its tail wagging madly. "Is it a he or a she?"
"It's a she," he answers with a quiet sniffle and a smile, "and she doesn't have a name yet."
Perfect... that means I can name her whatever I want, right?
The Leonberger stares up at me with those pretty eyes, her long lashes moving up and down as her gaze fills with trust. I scratch her ears, then rub my cheek against the top of her head as emotions suddenly begin to well up in my eyes.
All my life, I'd always wanted an animal to keep me company when I was lonely. My sister and brother couldn't spend a lot of time with me once they moved out of the house, even if they did visit as often as they could, and I couldn't have any friends.
That means I used to spend a lot of time on my own, because my parents were too worried about bacteria for me to find companionship in anyone outside of family. They thought a dog would only make me more sick, and I never brought up the subject again since then.
I never would have thought that Jimin would be the one to fulfill this dream, not because I asked, but because he could see how deep that wish ran in my soul. He didn't need to do it, but he did because he wanted to make me happy.
The tears begin to flow, soaking up the fur against my face as they fall. The pup snuggles closer, as if sensing my emotional state, and it breaks down the last of my walls. I start to cry, sobbing loudly because of this miracle that now rests on my lap.
"Oh, honey," Jimin murmurs as he comes over to join us on the grass, his own eyes betraying his emotions as tears wet his cheeks. He hugs me tightly, a hand cradling the back of my head as he caresses the dog's head with the other. "Are you happy? Is this a good surprise?"
I nod my head, face hiding in the crook of his neck as I hug him back, unable to stop crying now that the gates have opened.
The others move closer, wanting to offer support as they see us cry in each other's arms. While these tears are happy ones, they can also hear the suffering of old days lingering beneath, and it makes them all tear up slightly, though two dragons would never admit it.
Hopefully, from now on, the days can be filled with healing and laughter. That would make for a very rewarding surprise.
Catsarecool on Chapter 1 Fri 08 Mar 2024 04:21PM UTC
Comment Actions
Catsarecool on Chapter 2 Fri 08 Mar 2024 04:47PM UTC
Comment Actions
kykyxstandler on Chapter 2 Sun 10 Mar 2024 11:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
Sokawaiibebe on Chapter 3 Sun 24 Mar 2024 03:57AM UTC
Comment Actions
Catsarecool on Chapter 3 Sun 24 Mar 2024 01:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
kykyxstandler on Chapter 4 Sat 06 Apr 2024 12:02AM UTC
Comment Actions
Catsarecool on Chapter 4 Sun 07 Apr 2024 02:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
kykyxstandler on Chapter 5 Sat 20 Apr 2024 04:54PM UTC
Comment Actions
NotaRose on Chapter 6 Mon 13 May 2024 06:54PM UTC
Comment Actions
BeforexImxDead on Chapter 6 Mon 13 May 2024 11:41PM UTC
Comment Actions
kykyxstandler on Chapter 6 Thu 16 May 2024 12:22PM UTC
Comment Actions
QueenofHalloween94 on Chapter 6 Wed 05 Jun 2024 09:12PM UTC
Comment Actions
NotaRose on Chapter 7 Wed 23 Apr 2025 10:37PM UTC
Comment Actions
ghibligirl21 on Chapter 7 Thu 24 Apr 2025 10:10AM UTC
Comment Actions
kykyxstandler on Chapter 7 Sun 06 Jul 2025 07:39AM UTC
Comment Actions