Archive of Our Own ^beta

1.

Yoongi bit his lip as he stepped outside, holding tightly to Holly’s leash. He had no idea why his boyfriend thought it was a good idea to move out to this cabin in the woods, make him watch true crime youtube videos, and then fuck off into town because he was craving cookies, leaving him to walk the dog in the dark by himself. “Damn it Namjoon,” he muttered as he followed him off the porch, free hand clutching his phone with the flashlight on full brightness even though his battery was dangerously low. “Let's make this quick,” he begged, watching Holly sniff around, completely unafraid. He sighed when he trotted toward the woods. He’d been hoping he wouldn’t stray far from the cabin, but of course, he wanted to go exploring. He contemplated the neighbors, or lack thereof, as he followed him, staring into the darkness. He’d noticed what he assumed was light from another cabin somewhere behind theirs, and that was the only one he was aware of. He was screwed if someone did attack him. Nobody would hear him scream. Well except for Holly. But he was doubtful of his abilities as an attack dog.

He was shocked out of his rumination by the sight of a pair of eyes a few yards away, his cell phone flashlight making them glow in the dark. Holly was at attention, not barking, just staring intently. “We’re uh…we’re not gonna hurt you. We’re just going to go back inside where we came from,” he said to them, mind running a mile a minute wondering what they could be attached to. Werewolf, vampire, panther. Certainly nothing he wanted anything to do with. He was tugging the dog, trying to get him to go back to the cabin when whatever the eyes belonged to spoke. “Hello?” It said shyly.

“Hello. Are you okay?” he hesitantly called out, wondering if he really was about to be killed. He hoped not. He couldn’t imagine Namjoon finding his lifeless body out here. It would devastate him. Luckily he was distracted from his rather morbid line of thinking by the voice, just barely loud enough to be heard, replying.

“N..no…” it said softly. Yoongi rocked on his feet for a moment, debating, before sighing again. Adjusting his black cloak (with pink-lined cat ears on the hood because Namjoon thought he was funny), he walked towards the eyes, hoping desperately that his phone battery didn’t run out.

“I’m not gonna hurt you okay? I promise,” he said quietly as he inched closer, Holly right on his heels.

“O..okay…” the voice stuttered again. As he crept up to them he could see that the eyes were in a round face framed by long, messy black hair. His light glinted off of several piercings and he was wet and muddy from the rain that had abated just a few minutes ago, water dripping off his bangs. His eyes were big, round, and red-tinged golden, a dead giveaway that he was a vampire. He didn’t appear to have fangs yet though, so he was definitely a newborn.

“Goodness. Where’s your sire little one?” Yoongi asked, doing his best to look harmless. He didn’t think he was particularly intimidating, but it was hard to see each other and the poor thing was clearly scared so it seemed like a good idea.

“Don’t have one,” he softly, fiddling with his fingers. He smiled when Holly sniffed him and gently petted him.

“Well, I’m Min Yoongi. My husband and I just moved here. If you want you can walk with me back to our cabin,” he offered, holding out a hand to help him up. The baby stared at it for a moment, tongue toying with his lip rings as he debated.

“I’m Jungkook,” he said finally as he took it and stood up with him, though he didn’t let go once they were on their feet. Yoongi was surprised, but he didn’t mind, just gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before setting off. He didn’t say anything else, which was fine by Yoongi. He decided to do some talking himself though, in hopes of making him comfortable.

“It’s not much to look at. Our cabin that is. But I’m going to fix it up,” he told him as they walked.

“Is your husband gonna help?” Jungkook asked quietly, curious.

“He’s gonna hand me tools and look pretty. He’s too accident-prone to do much else,” Yoongi replied with a grin. It made him laugh, an adorable sound Yoongi immediately wanted to hear again. “There’s an outbuilding too. It’s going to be mine to make potions in. I’m a witch,” he explained, motioning towards it as they walked by. Jungkook nodded. He was listening intently to everything Yoongi said and his last sentence caused him to look at him in fascination. He blushed and smiled at him. “I mostly do healing potions. It’s nothing fancy,” he said, waving a hand and making Jungkook giggle again. “I’m excited though. We’ve got enough land here to grow our own herbs and stuff, both to cook with and for my work. And some vegetables and pot and things, just for us. We’ve even discussed buying a chicken or two,” he added as they walked up the stairs to the porch. He unlocked the door and let them in, glad to find that Namjoon wasn’t back yet. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to explain bringing a baby vampire home to him. He watched Jungkook look around as they took off their shoes and he hung his cloak on one of the pegs by the door. The main room was the living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one. “Want to clean up? Or eat?” He asked, only realizing after he said it what feeding the baby would entail. Not that he was particularly freaked out by the idea of letting him suck his blood. He was just concerned because he wasn’t sure how much a vampire could drink, much less a baby one. He had no desire to be drunk dry.

“Both,” Jungkook said shyly. Yoongi bent and unclipped Holly’s leash before straightening up and smiling at him.

“Okay. Let's get you clean first, then we’ll handle the food part. I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” he suggested. Jungkook nodded, smiling bashfully back. He took his hand again and led him up the stairs to the loft, which was his and Namjoon’s bedroom. It was half the size of the downstairs, leaving a view of the living room below. Jungkook gently tugged him over to look down over the railing, smiling at Holly curled up on a chair below them. Once he was done checking out the view, Yoongi showed him the bathroom. “This one has a tub. Is that okay? The one downstairs has a shower if you prefer.” He said.

“Definitely bath,” Jungkook replied, eyes sparkling at the sight of the claw foot tub.

“Okay. Have at it. You're welcome to borrow one of my bath bombs if you want. They’re under the cabinet. I’ll get you a towel and if you leave your clothes outside the door I'll trade you for some new ones and wash yours,” he replied, smiling fondly as he stepped out and closed the door behind him. He quickly did as he said he would before going back downstairs. He popped Jungkook’s clothes, which he noted were all black save for a pair of purple boxer briefs, into the washer and was contemplating their supply of tea when Namjoon walked in.

“Getting ready to take a bath?” He asked, able to hear the running water above their heads, even with the soft piano music Yoongi had playing.

“Not exactly. Not me,” Yoongi answered, taking the plastic grocery bag Namjoon offered him and chuckling at the contents. Pre-made cookie dough squares instead of just cookies.

“They’re better warm,” He defended himself, flashing Yoongi a dimpled smile while he sat down at the table and watched him turn on the oven.

“True. What kind of tea do you want with them?” He asked while reaching into a cabinet for a baking sheet.

“Yulmu-cha, please. Who’s taking a bath upstairs?” He replied before asking, remembering their original line of conversation.

“A baby vampire. His name’s Jungkook,” Yoongi said casually as he laid out the cookie dough on a pan. He could feel Namjoon raising an eyebrow behind him.

“A baby vampire? Isn’t that dangerous?” Namjoon questioned, concerned. Yoongi finished with the cookie dough and popped the tray into the oven before turning around and replying.

“He never made any move to attack me. Honestly, he was terrified Joon-ah,” he explained, leaning against the counter and looking at his husband. “Also he’s goddamn adorable,” he added, cheeks pink and eyes on the floor when Namjoon continued to simply stare at him.

“I look forward to meeting him,” he conceded with a chuckle. Relieved, Yoongi turned back around and started making the tea Namjoon had asked for. “How are we going to feed him though? I mean I know how vampires eat but can we do it safely?” he wondered. Yoongi bit his lip.

“I thought about that myself…” he admitted. “I guess the only thing we can do is let him feed off one of us and hope it goes okay,” he added after a moment. He knew it was a risky proposition, one that Namjoon wouldn’t be thrilled with, but he didn’t see any other way around it.

“...I suppose so,” he agreed. Yoongi could tell he wasn’t entirely on board with the situation, not that he could blame him. He hoped seeing Jungkook would help sway him though. He handed him a mug and sat down at the table with him while he waited for the cookies to be done. They were both quiet but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Silence never was between them.

Yoongi had just pulled the cookies out when Jungkook padded down the stairs. He was dressed in Namjoon’s black sweatpants and Toy Story alien t-shirt. He had an arm covered in tattoos, Yoongi noticed for the first time. “It smells good,” he said shyly. His eyes alighted on Namjoon and somehow managed to get even wider than they already were. “Um. Hi,” he added, staring at him seemingly without realizing it.

“Hi. I’m Namjoon,” he replied, smiling a dimpled smile at him. Yoongi knew he was right. One look and his husband was smitten with the younger man.

“I'm Jungkook,” he introduced himself in return, smiling in a way they could only think to call bunny-like, as he joined them at the table.

“Can vampires eat food?” Yoongi wondered aloud, pondering Jungkook’s earlier statement about the smell.

“They can,” Namjoon responded, Jungkook listening with rapt attention. “It won’t do anything for them, but it won’t hurt them either. A net neutral basically. Well, I say that. There are some vampires that eat human foods that are high in iron to help supplement their blood intake. But other than that it doesn’t do anything,” he explained.

“Joon-ah’s a horror writer. He’s done all kinds of research on vampires and werewolves-,” Yoongi answered the question written on Jungkook’s face.

“And witches,” Namjoon cut in with a wink and a grin. Yoongi rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t quite keep the fond smile off his face.

“And witches,” he agreed, making Jungkook laugh. He got up when the timer went off and pulled the cookies out. “Anyways,” he said as he carefully transferred them from the tray to a plate, “how did you end up in the woods Kook-ah?” He sat back down once he was done, placing the plate in the middle of the table, along with a cup of tea for Jungkook. “We’ll feed you properly after this,” he added, wanting to reassure him that he would get the blood he needed.

“Okay,” he agrees. He hesitated, taking a sip of tea before answering the question. “I live in town, in an apartment over a bar. I’m a bartender there. I went for a walk one night after work. I like doing that when I’m too wired to sleep. Only this time I got attacked. Some guy kidnapped me and took me to an old hunting cabin. He chained me up so he could use me as a steady source of blood. Only he accidentally drank too much tonight, so he turned me and then threw me out and I’ve been wandering the woods trying to get home,” he explained. Namjoon and Yoongi stared at him in shock for a moment, making him look down and fiddle with his fingers.

“Did he hurt you?” Namjoon asked after a moment, reaching over and gently taking one of Jungkook’s hands in one of his.

“In any way?” Yoongi added. Jungkook understood what he was implying and quickly shook his head.

“He didn’t hurt me or use me for anything except for drinking. And that didn’t hurt much at all. He fed me really well actually. Said he had to keep me healthy so I’d keep up a good blood supply,” he replied with a shudder. “What day is it anyway?” He asked, wondering how long he’d been gone.

“May 4th,” Yoongi said and watched Jungkook’s eyes go wide.

“I was gone for a whole year,” he breathed. His eyes filled with tears as he was hit with realization. “I don’t have a job or my apartment anymore. There’s no way they’ve kept them open for me all this time,” he said softly. Yoongi stood up and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close while he broke down, everything finally hitting him all at once, on top of being exhausted and hungry. Namjoon kept holding his hand, not quite sure what else to do.

“It’s okay sweetheart,” Yoongi said, gently rubbing his back, “You can stay with us.” He let Jungkook finish crying, figuring it was best to let him get all out, before continuing. “Let’s get you fed and into bed hmm?” It wasn’t that late, only about 10. So he had hours until daylight, but he clearly needed it anyway.

“O..okay…” Jungkook agreed with a snuffle. He let Yoongi help him up and over to the couch, where he immediately snuggled against him. He held him close, ready to let him drink, but as Jungkook sleepily gnawed on his neck he was reminded of his lack of fangs. The thought of cutting himself made him wince internally but he didn’t see any other solution.

“Joon-ah, grab the paring knife from the kitchen please,” he requested. Namjoon looked hesitant but did as Yoongi requested. He fought the urge to turn away as his husband carefully nicked himself, a drop of blood sliding down the pale column of his neck. Jungkook quickly lapped it up and attached his mouth to the small cut, sucking for more. Yoongi wondered if he would leave a hickey. He let him drink for a while, gently rubbing his back. He was cool under his palm, which felt odd but not unpleasant. “Alright Bun,” he said softly once he started to feel faintly dizzy, “time to stop.” Jungkook listened immediately, instinctively licking at the cut to seal it and stop the bleeding before he gently nuzzled against his neck. Yoongi was concerned for a second before he realized that he was just being snuggly, not looking for more. It made him smile, which caught Namjoon’s attention as he padded back into the room.

“You okay?” He asked, worried he might be lightheaded or something.

“Yeah. He’s so sweet Joon-ah,” he explained, making Namjoon chuckle.

“Cute. I made him a place to sleep in the walk-in closet upstairs. Figured that was the least sunny place in the cabin,” he explained as he sat down on the couch next to them, gently lifting Jungkook’s bare feet and setting them in his lap. His toes wiggled and he made a soft noise of contentment.

“Sounds good. Can you carry him? I don’t think there’s any way I’m getting him up there,” Yoongi asked as he gently ran his fingers through Jungkook’s soft hair.

“You just want to ogle my muscles,” Namjoon joked, making Yoongi blush and grin.

“Well it is a nice side benefit,” he admitted, making Namjoon laugh quietly. He leaned over and kissed Yoongi before carefully scooping Jungkook into his arms.

“Let's tuck him in,” he said softly. They went upstairs and Yoongi was filled with fondness when he saw the cozy nest of blankets and pillows that Namjoon had constructed on the closet floor. He gently laid him in the middle and Jungkook immediately burrowed in with a yawn and a mumbled thank you.

“Sleep well Kook-ah,” he replied, smiling. He straightened up and looked at Yoongi, who smiled back at him, eyes shining with love. Unable to resist, he scooped his boyfriend up and carried him off to get ready for bed.

————

2.

Jungkook fit in perfectly with them, a puzzle piece they didn’t know they were missing. He turned the closet into his bedroom and picked up video game streaming to make money. Namjoon and Yoongi were both night owls so he got plenty of time with them. He helped Yoongi work on the cabin, watched him make potions, and kept Namjoon company while he wrote. He even adopted a puppy he named Bam. However, there were a few speed bumps along the way and Namjoon suggested finding Jungkook a surrogate sire in hopes that he or she would know about all of this. Which is how the three of them found themselves going to visit one Kim Seokjin.

“He probably looks like Nosferatu” Jungkook grumbled as they walked through the woods. He’d been adamant that he didn’t need a sire, just the two of them. Even arguing that Namjoon already had plenty of knowledge about vampires, though that had been thwarted when he’d pointed out that all of his knowledge was about full-grown vampires, not baby ones.

“I doubt it. Seokjin sounded perfectly lovely on the phone,” Yoongi disagreed with a chuckle and a fond kiss on Jungkook’s pouting lips. He made sure the cloak he’d given Jungkook from his collection after he’d fallen love with it was tucked snuggly around him.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Namjoon nodded, although he was a bit anxious too. He hoped the other vampire didn’t take issue with them letting him sleep in a closet and smoke weed. Jungkook humphed but didn't say anything else about Seokjin, opting to talk about Yoongi’s next trip to the local farmer’s market. He’d had the idea for a new product for Yoongi to sell (an anti-monster spray for children that was a lavender-scented, very mild sleep potion) and, having helped Yoongi figure out how to make it, was incredibly excited to see how it sold. A few minutes later they arrived at the cabin behind theirs, which was not much bigger than their own. Yoongi padded over and knocked on the front door while Jungkook slid behind Namjoon, peering hesitantly around him. It was answered by a gorgeous man in a Hello Kitty sweater, jeans, and pink and white Nikes. He grinned at the look of surprise he could see on the half of Jungkook’s face visible to him.

“Were you expecting Dracula?” he teased him.

“…Nosferatu actually,” Jungkook admitted after a moment, causing Jin to let out a squeaky laugh.

“Sorry to disappoint,” he replied as he let them in. “What does a vampire use to power his flashlight?” He added as they took off their shoes and traded them for the slippers he offered them.

“I dunno. What?” Jungkook asked, looking at him with wide, curious eyes. He seemed to think it was a genuine question.

“Bat-teries!” Jin exclaimed with another squeaky laugh. Jungkook laughed too, grinning a bunny grin. Namjoon chuckled and Yoongi rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t completely keep a smile off his face. “Nice to meet you all. I have dinner cooking for your humans and blood warming for you,” he told Jungkook, who looked away as he was forced to wipe his mouth, Jin’s statement having immediately made him drool a little bit. He chuckled and led them into the kitchen where gochujang jjigae was cooking on the stove.

“I thought vampires were supposed to avoid garlic?” Yoongi asked even as he happily sniffed the air. Namjoon opened his mouth to respond but before he could, Jin grabbed a leftover piece of garlic in response. He popped it into his mouth and ate it while looking Yoongi dead in the eyes. His eyebrows raised in surprise. “Guess not,” he said, amusement coloring his voice.

“The irony is I was allergic to it as a human,” Jin replied with a chuckle.

“So being turned negates your allergies? Fascinating,” Namjoon chimed in, staring at Jin in interest.

“Yup, I can eat garlic and potatoes again,” Jin said happily, pulling a sparkly black thermal cup out of a cabinet. “I picked correctly then,” he added, pleased, motioning towards Jungkook’s outfit. It was all black as usual, including a bat-shaped chewy necklace. He filled it with blood from a tea kettle warming on another stove burner and passed it to him. “try not to chug it. You’ll make yourself sick,” he said gently but firmly before handing it over. Jungkook nodded before happily taking a drink, looking better almost immediately much to Yoongi and Namjoon’s relief. Satisfied, Jin served up the gochujang jjigae, along with rice, kimchi, and tteokbokki. “You know your cabin and the land you bought used to be part of my property,” he said as all four of them settled at the kitchen table. He had a cup of blood too, although his was in a large wine glass with a curly straw.

“Why’d you sell it?” Namjoon asked curiously. He had sauce on his mouth which Yoongi reached over and wiped off for him.

“I didn’t use it and I thought it might be nice to have neighbors,” he explained, voice casual with an undercurrent of shyness.

“Well I hope we’re good ones,” Namjoon replied, smiling a dimpled smile at him.

“10/10, would let you buy again,” Jin said playfully, shooting him a thumbs up. Namjoon looked proud and Yoongi blushed slightly, smiling. “Is the food okay?” He added. “I haven’t cooked in forever.”

“It’s delicious,” Yoongi reassured him between bites.

“It is. He’s gonna eat himself into wanting belly rubs later,” Namjoon teased, making Yoongi’s cheeks turn even redder.

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying belly rubs,” he defended him with all the dignity he could infuse his words with.

“Belly rubs are nice,” Jungkook agreed with a nod between sips. Yoongi fondly ruffled his hair in response and Jungkook leaned into his hand and hummed contentedly. They finished eating and Jin refilled Jungkook’s cup before they decamped to the living room. His attention was immediately caught by all the game systems stored neatly in the same wooden cabinet that held the TV, but before he could get a closer look Jin gently grabbed his hand. “Let’s talk first sweetheart. Then you’re welcome to check them all out. What questions do you have for me?” he said.

“How come we don’t sparkle?” Jungkook immediately asked with a pout as he sat down on the plush carpet, tugging Jin down with him by their connected hands. The question made him laugh fondly.

“Because this isn’t Twilight. You would look gorgeous if you sparkled though,” he said with a wink that made Jungkook blush and grin. “What about you two?” He asked, smiling at Namjoon and Yoongi on the couch together.

“Well, the biggest is how else to feed him?” Yoongi said.

“The two of us aren’t enough to keep him full,” Namjoon agreed. “He’s great about restraining himself and not drinking more than he should from us, but he needs more than he’s able to get. We can only replenish so fast.”

“I’m fine” Jungkook argued, grumbling as he took another drink from his cup. Jin chuckled.

“I’m sure your hyungs will still let you drink from them,” Jin reassured him, guessing at the source of his worries. “Also it sounds like you have very impressive self-control for a youngling,” he said. Jungkook preened at the compliment. “There’s a vampire blood bank you can get blood from, that’s where I get mine. If one of you is willing to hunt, he can drink animal blood. That’ll be trial and error though, seeing which animals he prefers and whatnot. And then there’s Mud aka Mock Blood. Think of it like breast milk vs. baby formula. It’s mostly used with baby vampires, to supplement their feedings as needed. But there’s plenty of adults that use it too.” He explained. Yoongi studiously took notes with a little book and pen he’d pulled out of the front pocket of his overalls, and it was so cute it was bad for Jin’s heart. “How did you get turned by the way little one?” He added. He knew it was a non-sequitur, but none of them had said and he was curious.

“Some guy kidnapped me and held me to use as a human Capri-Sun. Only he accidentally turned me a year in and threw me out. Yoongi found me,” Jungkook said succinctly, a pout on his lips as he scooted over and leaned against Yoongi’s legs. He reached down to run his fingers through Jungkook’s hair again.

“I see. Could you describe him to me, sweetheart?” He asked, and even though he did his best to keep his voice calm, their expressions were visible proof that he didn’t entirely succeed in hiding his anger.

“I could draw him for you?” Jungkook suggested instead. Jin nodded, surprised but amenable.

“That works too,” he agreed, hopping up and grabbing him a notebook and pencil. He watched him start sketching for a moment before turning to look at Namjoon and Yoongi again. “What else do you want to know?”

“He chews a lot and we’re not sure why,” Yoongi said. “We’ve been keeping him supplied with chewies of all kinds. Wooden, rubbery, even the kind you freeze, along with Orejel, Tylenol, and pain potions. And it’s all worked well enough. But we’re still concerned.”

“He’s teething. Baby vampire y’know? His canines will fall out eventually and then his first set of fangs will come in,” he explained, smiling.

“Excuse me, first set?” Jungkook piped up, distracted from his drawing. He looked unenthused, to say the least.

“Yup. baby set, then adult set,” Jin said, smiling sympathetically at him. “The adult set comes in easier though, with much less pain.”

“Ugh,” Jungkook declared simply before going back to work, making him chuckle. He turned back to Namjoon and Yoongi, motioning for them to continue.

“He isn’t fully nocturnal. Is that normal?” Namjoon asked. Jin nodded, smiling.

“It is. He’ll adjust eventually. He’ll get somewhat less sensitive to the sun over time as well. Though that’ll be a matter of years, not months,” he reassured them.

“Oh good,” Yoongi replied, relieved. He finished taking notes and tucked his pad and pen back into his pocket.

“How’s the cabin by the way? I know it needed some TLC but I’m not the handyman type I'm afraid, so I just cleaned it up as well as I could,” Jin admitted, smiling ruefully.

“It’s lovely. I’ve been working on it and Jungkook’s been helping me. It’s coming along nicely. We’re even considering adding more bedrooms,” Yoongi said with a smile. “We could give Kook-ah some more space that way.” He blushed at the impressed look on Jin’s face.

“I like my closet,” Jungkook dismissed the idea.

“It was the easiest place to put him that wouldn’t have sunlight,” Yoongi explained when he looked at them curiously.

“Points for ingenuity,” he replied with a chuckle. “If and when Jungkook-ah decides he wants to, we can make things official in terms of me being his sire by the way. It’s a simple exchange of blood.”

“What’s the point of it?” Namjoon asked curiously. Yoongi gave him a nudge, concerned he’d sounded rude, but Jin just smiled.

“A layer of protection. If he drinks some bad blood, drinking from me will negate it for example—also comfort. Younglings tend to feel more settled with a sire. It’s not required though, so he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to,” he explained. He accepted the notebook when Jungkook offered it back to him and studied the drawing on the page. “You’re a good artist Kook-ah,” he said, impressed.

“Thank you. Can we play video games now please?” Jungkook asked, smiling sweetly.

“Sure,” he said fondly. He turned to Namjoon and Yoongi. “If you want you can leave him here. I’ll get him back to you tomorrow night,” he offered.

“Do you want to stay Kook-ah?” Namjoon asked him, smiling.

“Yes,” Jungkook replied immediately, making Jin chuckle.

“Okay then. We’ll see you tomorrow night.” He and Yoongi both got up and kissed him before heading for the door, Jin seeing them out before rejoining Jungkook. “He definitely didn’t look like Nosferotu did he?” he said as they walked home, an arm looped around Yoongi, holding him close.

“Nope,” he agreed, popping the p. “Do you think all vampires are as attractive as him and Kook-ah?” he wondered. Namjoon laughed and he could feel the rumble of it.

“Based on that drawing Kookie did I’m gonna say no,” he replied. Yoongi snorted.

“Damn,” he replied in a monotone, making Namjoon laugh again.

—-----

3.

Jin quickly and easily becomes a regular part of their lives. He insisted that all three call him hyung and was happy to have Jungkook come and go as he pleased, splitting his time between their houses. He also insisted Yoongi and Namjoon visit regularly too, having forgotten how much he enjoyed cooking. He enjoyed their company as well, though he was shyer to admit to that. Slowly the three of them became the four of them, culminating in Namjoon suggesting that Jin move in with them. They agreed and Jin offered his cabin to Namjoon as a place to work on his writing.

Yoongi regularly got visits from patients, in need of some potion or other outside of his usual farmer's market visits, so he didn’t bat an eye when a man came down their road one afternoon. He was puttering in the garden, picking the tomatoes that had ripened and making sure the last dose of the (poison-free) weed-be-gone potion he had sprayed was still holding up when the man rolled up on a red and silver bicycle. “Hello!” he called out. He was wearing a green bucket hat, sunglasses, and a mask, which should maybe have been concerning. The oversized purple Snoopy T-shirt seemed like a good indication that he wasn’t up to any sort of criminal mischief, however.

“Hello,” he replied, straightening up and dusting his hands off on his denim shorts. “Do you need help?”

“Please,” the man replied. “My name is Hoseok,” he added as he held out one of his own hands to shake. Yoongi noticed patches of scales on the back of it as he did so. They were red around the edges and looked irritated.

“I’m Yoongi. what can I do for you?” he asked, though he had his suspicions already. They were confirmed when Hoseok took off the mask and sunglasses. The patches of scales on his face were even worse off than the ones on his hands. Red and raw, and even completely missing in spots. He winced in sympathy. “Ouch.” Hoseok nodded. Yoongi noticed that his mouth looked like a triangle when he pouted sadly. It made him wonder what it looked like when he was happy.

“I tried all of the over-the-counter stuff and nothing helped,” he said, letting Yoongi very gently examine it more closely.

“I’m not surprised. The retail scale rot medicines are pretty useless except in the mildest cases,” he agreed. He led Hoseok over to what Jungkook lovingly referred to as his witch nook, holding the door for him. He looked around with interest as he walked in. It was small but carefully arranged to not feel crowded, with shelves full of bottles (full and empty), dried herbs and plants hanging from the ceiling, a sturdy-looking table covered in odds and ends, a small fridge, a stove with a cauldron on top, and an overstuffed couch with a homemade tie-dye blanket spread across the back. A dragon incense burner sat on a side table next to it along with a rolling tray and a Bluetooth speaker.

“Cozy” Hoseok said with a smile and Yoongi noticed that his mouth looked like a heart.

“Thank you,” he replied as he waddled over to examine the bottles, cheeks dusted pink. He scrunched his nose when he didn’t find what he was looking for. “I’m gonna have to make a new batch. You can leave and come back later if you want.” He hesitated a second before adding, “Or, you can stick around and have lunch while it cooks,” he offered as he started gathering ingredients.

“I’d like that,” Hoseok agreed. He watched Yoongi work with interest, perched on one of the stools at the wooden table.

“I’d stay in your human form until we get this cleared up by the way. It’ll keep it from spreading further,” he told him as he got started measuring and mixing.

“I won’t. Hurts to do it. Trust me, I tried,” Hoseok said miserably. Yoongi paused to look at him with sympathy.

“Ow. I’m sorry. That sucks,” he replied. “If you smoke, you’re welcome to roll up,” he added, motioning towards the tray on the side table. Hoseok eyes sparkled as he hopped up and grabbed it, moving it to the table and nimbly setting to work.

“I noticed your vegetable garden. Do you grow this too?” he asked curiously as he rolled a joint up.

“We do. Just a small patch. We wanted to try our hand at it,” Yoongi explained. He paused to watch Hoseok take his first hit. He was obviously an old pro at it, inhaling deeply and letting the smoke back out in a steady stream, not coughing once.

“Damn. Good shit,” Hoseok replied with a grin. He giggled and passed it to Yoongi when he wiggled his fingers at him, taking his own hit before passing it back and continuing to make Hoseok’s treatment.

“Thanks,” He replied proudly. “Potion or ointment?” he added. When he could, he liked to give his patients as much choice over the form of their treatment as possible.

“Potion,” Hoseok replied, smiling. “Seems easier.”

“Can do. It’ll be two tablespoons in the morning and two at night. Do you want to add a flavor?” he asked, motioning towards a shelf with various small, colorful bottles. They were mainly for kids but he liked to let adults use them too. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Hoseok very seriously studied his options while he took another drag before passing it back to Yoongi. He made a little noise of delight when he noticed a particular bottle and happily brought it over.

“Berry berry strawberry,” he said happily as he passed the green stoppered red bottle to him.

“Good choice,” Yoongi replied with a fond smile. He traded him the bottle for the joint and added a few drops of the flavor. Once it was stirred in, he popped a lid on the cauldron and looked at Hoseok again. “I’m gonna go make lunch if you’ll keep an eye on your potion. Just make sure it doesn’t boil over.” Hoseok nodded, smiling.

“Can do,” he replied, giving Yoongi a thumbs up. Yoongi picked up his vegetable basket and headed to the cabin. He was making gilgeori toast sandwiches when Namjoon padded into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around Yoongi’s middle and looked over his shoulder.

“Mmm. Looks good. Don’t suppose you have enough to feed a poor starving writer too do you?” He asked playfully. Yoongi snorted but turned and kissed him before replying.

“Of course yeobo. Can’t let my baby go hungry can I?” He replied, gently poking one of Namjoon’s dimples when he grinned happily at him.

“Thank you hyung,” he said happily. “Who’s the third sandwich for?” He asked curiously, finally noticing that there was one too many.

“I’ve got a patient. Hoseok. He’s a dragon with scale rot,” Yoongi explained as he turned in Namjoon’s arms and went back to work. He felt him wince against him.

“Poor dragon,” Namjoon said sympathetically. “You don’t usually have the person hang around while you work though," he noted with interest. “Or make them lunch.” He grinned in amusement when Yoongi mumbled something. “I didn’t quite catch that Hyung,” he teased.

“He’s cute, okay?” Yoongi admitted, cheeks blooming pink. “He’s wearing a Snoopy shirt and his smile looks like a heart and he makes these sound effects when he does things. He made rolling a joint adorable Joon-ah.”

“Well now I have to meet him,” Namjoon immediately replied, intrigued.

“Only if you help me take drinks out,” Yoongi negotiated, cheeks flushed redder at Namjoon’s interest.

“Deal,” he quickly agreed and gathered three sodas out of the fridge. He followed Yoongi out, walking carefully so he didn’t drop any of the bottles. When they entered the witch nook they found that Hoseok had used his phone to play some music with the speaker, a late 90s Backstreet Boys song pouring forth. He noticed Namjoon first and smiled excitedly

“Do you have dragon ancestry?” He asked as he helped him set the drinks on the table. Namjoon looked at him curiously.

“Not that I know of. Why?” He replied, puzzled. Yoongi sat the sandwiches down and checked the potion before digging into his own, watching them talk while he ate.

“Your eyes. If you researched it I’d bet you do somewhere down the line,” Hoseok explained. Namjoon looked intrigued.

“I think I will look into it,” he replied. He took the joint when Hoseok offered the last of it to him and happily finished it off.

“I can help you if you want,” he said, smiling his heart-shaped smile and Yoongi could tell Namjoon was already endeared.

“I’d like that, thank you. I’m Namjoon by the way, Yoongi’s husband. We have two boyfriends as well,” he said, offering a hand to shake. Hoseok took it and the size difference was immediately apparent. He was slender and fine-boned, particularly for a dragon.

“Hoseok. Or Hobi if you prefer. More than one huh? Where’s the rest?” he asked, intrigued and still smiling. Upon noticing the sandwiches, he made an excited noise and happily dug into his own.

“Asleep. They’re vampires,” Yoongi explained casually between bites. Hoseok looked at him with wide, interested eyes.

“What are they like? I’ve never met a vampire,” he asked. His reaction being interest and not fear or disgust immediately made both men even fonder of the dragon.

“Jungkook is our baby and Jin is his surrogate sire,” Namjoon explained as he ate too. “You might know Kook-ah if you watch video game streaming actually. He’s pretty popular online. He’s fairly introverted on top of being a vampire though, so he doesn’t do any in-person stuff. Jin likes to cook for Yoongi-hyung and me, even though he doesn’t eat. And he plays video games with Kook-ah, though not on his streams. And goes fishing in the pond on his property. He owns another cabin, a short walk from here, where I write, and a bunch of land. Our cabin and the land around it used to be his too. We pretty much just consider all of it to belong to all of us really though. We just haven’t been bothered to do the legal stuff to put all of our names on it.”

“Wow,” Hoseok said. He had a realization and added, “So you’re the only human of the four of you?” Namjoon nodded, swallowing a bite and smiling.

“Yup. Although Jin has offered to turn me one day. Yoongi too. ‘Course he’s got a much longer lifespan than a human so he can wait a lot longer,” he said. Hoseok nodded, smiling.

“If I had him as a boyfriend I’d wanna live a long time too,” he said, making Yoongi blush and Namjoon grin.

“I am a lucky man,” he agreed, causing Yoongi to swat at him. He pulled out his phone and showed Hoseok a picture of Jin and Jungkook. “This is Jin-hyung and Kookie, our boyfriends,” he said.

“They’re gorgeous,” Hoseok replied appreciatively, smiling at the picture. He had a sudden realization and looked back up at Namjoon, puzzled. “You can take photos of vampires?” He asked, causing him to chuckle.

“You can. It’s not entirely a myth, not being able to see vampires in a mirror, but it only applies to old ones, with silver in them. And by extension, old cameras with the right kind of mirrors in them wouldn’t work either. But you can take pictures of them with any form of camera that has modern mirrors or doesn’t use mirrors at all,” he explained while Hoseok listened in fascination.

“Ohhh. That makes sense,” he said with a nod.

“Yeah. Would you like to come back for dinner tonight?” he suggested as Yoongi checked the potion again and took it off the heat. He thought Hoseok would enjoy it but he also wanted to see what the other two thought of him. He’d never expected their relationship to expand further, but he felt like there was a spark between the three of them and he wanted to see if they felt it too.

“I’d like that. If you’re sure your other boyfriends won’t mind,” Hoseok replied with a pleased smile.

“I’m sure they won’t,” Namjoon reassured him, smiling back. “Jungkookie will be thrilled to meet you and Jin will probably take one look at your scales and start doting on you.” Hoseok blushes.

“That sounds nice. What time should I arrive?” he asked. He smiled gratefully at Yoongi when he handed him a glass bottle with the potion inside. It was pink and sparkled because Yoongi added a little glitter, sensing that Hoseok would like it. He was relieved when he was proved right, Hoseok making a noise of delight as he turned the bottle back and forth to watch it shimmer.

“Seven is good,” Namjoon replied, watching Hoseok fondly. He nodded, lowering the bottle to smile at him again.

“Seven it is then,” he agreed. He blew them both a kiss as he walked out of the witch nook.

—-----

4.

Hoseok charmed Jin and Jungkook just as easily as he did Yoongi and Namjoon. Jungkook was about ready to have him move in that night, he was so delighted by the dragon, but his Hyungs were firm about not rushing things. Namjoon and Yoongi could tell that Jin was beguiled too though he tried to deny it later that night after Hoseok had indeed gone home. He’d almost immediately dubbed him Little Seok and made sure he’d had a dose of Yoongi’s potion already at the sight of his scales, so he wasn’t fooling them a bit though.

They let Jungkook be the one to ask him to move in, after a year of dates, in twos and threes and even occasionally fours and fives. He immediately agreed and brought with him his hoard of figures that they helped him find space for, while he told him where they all came from.

They were all outside making smores with the fire pit that Jungkook suggested they add to their yard after Hoseok joined them (he vehemently denied that it was because he wanted to see him light it but they all knew that it was) when the wolf showed up. Hoseok noticed first and yelped, staring wide-eyed at it. The others followed his line of sight, freezing in place too when they realized what he was looking at. It was probably a little under six feet long and its fur was black on its top and sides, a contrast with the golden fur on its face, chest, legs, and belly. There was a stare-off between them for a long few moments before Jungkook broke it by tossing the wolf a marshmallow. “I don’t know if it’ll eat that,” Namjoon said, sounding more curious to find out than afraid. Yoongi looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “What? It’s like a science experiment,” he tried to defend himself. Yoongi just snorted. The wolf seemed to watch them before giving the marshmallow a curious sniff and then promptly eating it. It seemed to break the spell and they went back to what they’d been doing, though occasionally tossing the wolf another one here and there.

Over the next few weeks, it kept returning, daring to get a little closer each time. Yoongi had picked up a bag of giant marshmallows the next time he and Jin had gone grocery shopping and they became a regular treat for the wolf while it lay a few feet from them. Then finally one night Jungkook coaxed it, holding one out and smiling. “Come and get it big boy,” he offered. The wolf tentatively walked over, very delicately taking the marshmallow from Jungkook’s fingers. “You need a bath Wolfie,” he said cheerfully with a crinkle of his nose before petting him anyway. The others watched, fully prepared to jump in and protect their baby if need be. The wolf didn’t do anything dangerous however, just finished the marshmallow and laid down next to Jungkook’s chair, content to enjoy the warmth of the fire. Holly and Bam padded over and sniffed it a bit, causing it to open one golden eye for a moment, before laying down next to it.

“I think we’ve officially adopted it?” said Hobi in amusement.

“Guess so,” Yoongi agreed. Wolfie, as it was known from then on, was still somewhat timid, however. It seemed to enjoy spending time with them. It went fishing with Jin (and Yoongi when he opted to join him). It escorted Namjoon to and from the second cabin, delighting the others who had long since enacted a rule that their sole human wasn’t allowed to go into the woods at night by himself. It watched Yoongi tend to the garden or the chickens. It played with Hoseok when he let out his full dragon form. It even happily chased after Jungkook when he rode one of the two motorized kids' vehicles he’d bought second-hand and restored, a Barbie Lamborghini and a Mickey Mouse tricycle. He absolutely wouldn’t set foot in either cabin or Yoongi’s witch nook, however. They didn’t try to force it, though they did set up a bed for it on the porch of the main cabin, which it seemed to appreciate. They began to get concerned when fall started to turn into winter though. They took to covering Wolfie with a blanket at night when he settled in, but even then it wasn’t uncommon for one or more of them to check on him in the middle of the night and in the morning. Which is why Jungkook stepped out on the porch one night, a couple of hours or so before sunrise, and found not the wolf that they had all come to love, but a man lying on the bed. It was snowing and even with the blanket he looked absolutely frozen. Jungkook rushed over without much thought as to why he was there and scooped him up.

He rushed him inside, barely remembering to shut the door, and carefully carried him up the stairs. Once he was in the loft, he hesitated for a few seconds, trying to decide the best course of action before gently laying the man on the edge of the king-size bed that Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok shared and stripping his wet clothes off. He redressed him once he was done, putting him in one of Namjoon’s sweaters, a pair of his own sweatpants, and a pair of Yoongi’s fuzzy socks. Then he shook Hoseok awake. “Wha’s wrong Koo?” He asked sleepily when he saw Jungkook’s expression.

“I went to check on Wolfie and there was a guy in his bed. It’s snowing and he’s really cold. Would you mind warming him up?” He asked. Hoseok, for obvious reasons, ran the warmest of them, with Namjoon in second place. Yoongi, who ran cool, loved snuggling between them.

“Not at all, tuck him in,” Hoseok agreed, immediately more awake. Yoongi, awake now too, climbed out of bed and nudged Namjoon, who scooted over towards the middle without question and went back to sleep. Jungkook scooped the man up again and settled him in Hoseok’s arms.

“He’s slept through everything. That can’t be good can it?” He asked, fidgeting with his lip rings. Hoseok gently stroked the man’s mop of dark curls while Yoongi examined him.

“He still has a pulse. It’s maybe not quite as strong as it should be, but it’s there,” he declared. He turned and looked at Jungkook. “Would you mind running out to the nook and grabbing a potion for me? You’ll know it when you see it, it looks like fire,” he asked. Jungkook nodded and took off, not even bothering to put on shoes. Yoongi simply shook his head, not bothering to fuss because knew the cold didn’t affect him, and turned back to Hoseok. “Put him between you and Joon-ah. We need to get his temperature up,” he said. Hoseok gently snuggled him between them before looking at Yoongi.

“Think he’ll be okay?” He asked anxiously as he held him close, tucking the man’s head under his chin.

“I think so but I can’t say for sure. Honestly, the test will be what happens when we get his temperature up. As the saying goes, you’re not dead unless you’re warm and dead,” he explained. He hadn’t wanted to say any of that to Jungkook, couldn’t even stand the idea of the expression it would put on his face.

“Makes sense,” Hoseok replied, still holding him close protectively. “This is Wolfie isn’t it?” He added after a moment of silence. Yoongi nodded, leaning against the mattress and taking his own turn stroking the man’s curls.

“I’d bet money on it. I don’t think Kook-ah’s realized it yet though,” he said with a soft, fond chuckle. Hoseok laughed quietly too, filled with affection for their baby. Jungkook rushed back up the stairs a moment later, clutching the potion in question. He passed it to Yoongi and watched to see what he’d do. “Sit him back up,” he instructed Hoseok, and carefully poured a small amount into the man’s mouth, rubbing his throat to encourage him to swallow. “That’ll warm him from the inside. He should be toasty in no time,” he explained as he recapped the bottle and set it to the side. Hoseok gently laid him back down and wrapped himself around him again. Yoongi kissed him and ruffled the man’s hair one more time before turning to Jungkook again. “Go to bed Kook-ah. He’s safe now, I promise,” he said, gently cupping his cheek and stroking it. Jungkook leaned into it, making a soft noise of contentment.

“Okay hyung,” he agreed. Yoongi could tell he was still worried, but he trusted him. He leaned in for a kiss, which Yoongi happily obliged before shooing him off to the vampire cubby, where Seokjin had slept through everything. Once everyone was settled, he climbed back into bed on Namjoon’s other side, snuggling against him and going back to sleep.

A few hours later found him bringing breakfast in bed to Hoseok, who was still cuddling the sleeping man. “His heart rate feels normal,” Hoseok said happily as he accepted the tray of hotteok and coffee.

“That’s a good sign,” Yoongi agreed. He sat down on the side Namjoon had been on and watched him sleep. He was surprised when he noticed his nose twitch. One golden eye opened next, looking around.

“Smells good,” he mumbled, opening the other after a moment and attempting to figure out the source of the scent. Yoongi quickly helped him sit up and Hoseok held a bite of hotteok to his lips, cooing at him when he ate it.

“You can have all you want, I can make more,” Yoongi promised him, smiling. Hoseok nodded as he continued to feed him.

“Thank you,” he replied gratefully. He seemed perfectly content to be hand-fed, pressing a grateful kiss to Hoseok’s palm in between bites.

“You were stuck in your wolf form for a while weren’t you?” Hoseok guessed. He nodded, blushing a bit, though he really had nothing to be embarrassed about as far as they were concerned.

“Got kicked out of my pack. Felt safer as a wolf,” he explained. “My name's Taehyung,” he added, almost as a non sequitur, when he realized he’d yet to properly introduce himself.

“It’s nice to meet you Taehyung,” Yoongi said, smiling. “I’m Yoongi and that’s Hoseok. We have a baby vampire that’ll be very excited to find out you’re okay in a few hours.”

“I’ll have to thank him,” he replied, correctly guessing that the vampire in question had been the one to bring him inside. “Could I have a drink?” He added, smiling a boxy smile at Yoongi.

“Of course. I’ll go fix you a cup of tea and let Namjoon know you’re awake while I’m down there,” he declared. Noticing the question on Hoseok’s face he added, “It’s snowing pretty hard so he decided it was best to stay here.”

“Makes sense,” he agreed, relieved by that decision. He didn’t have any desire to have to warm up a second person from hypothermia. He looked back at Tae once Yoongi headed downstairs. “Have you had enough to eat Tae-ah?” He asked. Tae opened his mouth in answer and Hoseok chuckled and fed him another bite. “Don’t make yourself sick,” he said gently but firmly.

“I won’t, i promise,” Tae replied. Hoseok could already tell he was going to be just as spoiled as Jungkook.

———

5.

Tae never left after that night, which was the reason he hadn’t wanted to come inside in the first place. He knew he wouldn’t want to and he was scared they would make him. They did everything they could to reassure him that the exact opposite was true, doting upon him in both forms. Hoseok and Jungkook were particularly delighted to clean and brush his wolf. He appreciated them keeping him clean and fluffy, giving them lots of licks in return.

In his human form, he made money painting. He sold his bigger works through a local gallery and smaller ones at the markets and festivals they set up shop at. He and Jungkook also helped Yoongi with the tie-dyes he made. Jungkookie helped with the actual dying process, and he looked for things for them to use on his regular thrift store shopping trips. The others were used to him returning with bags of white cotton things and whatever other odds and ends he declared worthy of being brought home. Yoongi was grateful for the help and all was peaceful. Until the day that Namjoon got sick.

It started out like a normal stomach bug, yucky but not out of the ordinary. His fever lingered though, burning hot and leaving his skin glistening with sweat. Yoongi kept him supplied with cooling potion, which helped but only temporarily, a few hours at a time. The change in temperature when it wore off was hard on him as well. Yoongi took to doing research, trying to figure out what was causing it but it was Hoseok that ultimately found the answer one evening. “Fire burn!” He burst into the witch nook where Yoongi was looking through a pile of books.

“What’s that?” He asked, curiously looking up from the one in his hands.

“It’s a dragon illness,” he explained, sitting down on the stool across from Yoogi. “Dragons get warmer when they get sick, like humans, but at much higher temperatures. I don’t know the physiology behind it but basically our dragon fire gets hotter to help fight whatever the sickness is. Thing is, sometimes the bug goes away but our fire stays extra hot. Sort of like your immune system being overactive. It tends to happen more to children than adults, but any dragon can have it. It’s harmless enough in adults, the treatment is basically just to wait it out. Breathing out your fire every few hours can help too. Kids are usually given small doses of cooling medicine since they’re more delicate. Not enough to cause drastic changes in temperature, just enough to make things easier on them.” Yoongi listened intently, taking it all in for a moment before responding.

“Joon-ah’s a human though,” he pointed out. Hoseok nodded.

“I know. He has dragon ancestry though, apparently enough to trigger a case of fire burn. It’s incredibly rare for a human but it is possible. The problem is…” he hesitated and Yoongi stared at him, trying not to let the fear suddenly seeping through his mind show.

“Is?” He asked. Hoseok stared at his painted nails, hands resting on the table in front of him, as he spoke.

“Humans aren’t built to withstand temperatures like that. In the rare cases of humans developing fire burn, it’s almost always fatal. And in the even rarer cases of humans surviving, they’re left brain damaged…” he said softly. He struggled to bring himself to look up. When he did, he found Yoongi looking glassy-eyed but determined.

“I think I have a solution. We need to have a family meeting, right now,” he declared. Hoseok nodded and hopped up.

“Lead the way hyung,” he said, offering him a hand to hold. Yoongi gratefully took it and squeezed it before heading back to the cabin. Luckily it was evening and Jin and Jungkook were already awake. They all gathered in the living room, faces serious.

“Explain to them what you told me Hobah,” Yoongi directed. Hoseok nodded and repeated himself, watching their faces go from hopeful when they realized there was a diagnosis to horrified at the possible end results.

“I have a way to possibly cure him,” Yoongi stepped back in once he was done. “But I’m not sure you’re going to like it,” he admitted. Yeah

“What is it Yoongichi?” Jin asked. He looked as worried about his oldest dongsaeng as he did Namjoon.

“There’s a fairy that lives within walking distance of us. I’m going to go ask him to cure Namjoon-ah,” he said.

“I don’t know”

“Yes,” Seokjin and Jungkook spoke at the same time. “Hyung, it's our only chance!” Jungkook argued, on the edge of hysterical.

“Fairies are dangerous” Seokjin argued back. “We don’t know what he might do!”

“We don’t have any other options though,” Tae pointed out as he tried to soothe Jungkook, letting him gently gnaw on his wrist.

“Tae’s right,” Hoseok added softly. “This fairy is our only chance to save Joonie.” Seokjin sighed, sitting silently for a moment.

“Okay, okay. Just please, be careful,” he finally conceded.

“We’ll need something to offer in trade for his help,” Yoongi said.

“Each of us should pick something to offer,” suggested Tae. “The more offerings the better our chances.” Jungkook immediately hopped up without a word, heading for the vampire cubby. The rest sat for a moment, contemplating what to give. Yoongi got up next, returning with an incredibly cheap silver ring with a fake black gemstone on it.

“Joon-ah got it out of a quarter machine at a laundromat. He put it on my finger and told me he was gonna marry me one day. He was right,” he was smiling but he turned his head to hide the tears in his eyes. Jungkook was right behind him, setting a bat-shaped chewie necklace next to it.

“Joonie-hyung’s first gift to me. A bat for his baby bat,” he explained softly, struggling with the last few words. Yoongi pulled him into a hug, holding him close and tight while he snuffled. Hoseok and Tae hopped up at the same time, Tae making it back first because he didn’t have as far to go. He laid a record from the family’s collection, tucked in a bookshelf in the living room, on the table. Yoongi knew without reading the text that it was Etta James’s At Last! album. He waited to say why until Hoseok had returned.

“I put this on and told Joonie hyung that A Sunday Kind Of Love made me think of him. He pulled me up and we slow danced to it and had our first kiss at the end,” he said softly when they were all together again, arms wrapped around himself. He smiled slightly though when he noticed that he and Hoseok had both picked something music-related, a plastic cassette tape added to the pile.

“I told him that I thought it would be romantic to have a mix tape made for you. A legit one, on tape and everything, not just a playlist. And he actually did it,” he pulled Tae into his arms once he was done speaking. Jin had been deep in thought but he finally got up, returning with a piece of paper.

“A poem he wrote for me,” he said simply, before being tucked under Hoseok’s other arm, hyung be damned. None of them asked to read it, it felt too private. Yoongi gathered it all up, tucking it into a bag and putting it on his shoulder.

“Anyone want to go with me?” He asked. Tae gave Hoseok a kiss before stepping forward.

“I’ll go,” he declared. Yoongi suspected he was as curious about the fairy as he was determined to help. Jin shook his head and Hoseok gave him a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll stay here with Jin-hyung,” he said. Jungkook slipped out of his hoodie and joined Tae.

“I’ll come with you,” he said. Yoongi suspected, given that he was now showing off his muscular arms in just a tank top, that he was coming to protect him and Tae (even though Tae could more than protect himself) and it made him feel incredibly fond of his youngest boyfriend. He gave him a quick kiss before nodding at Jin and Hoseok.

“We’ll be back as quick as we possibly can,” he told them.

“We’ll take care of Joonie,” Hoseok replied.

“Be careful,” Jin repeated himself, his voice a mixture of anxious and hopeful.

“Of course,” Yoongi said. Tae and Jungkook nodded in agreement. They set off, Yoongi and Jungkook on the family’s secondhand four-wheeler while Tae ran alongside them in his wolf form. They easily could have walked it, but they were determined to get help as quickly as possible.

The fairy’s house, it turned out, was a tiny cabin, even smaller than theirs, with plants overgrown all around and over it. Yoongi heard Tae’s stomach rumble as they walked up and realized he wasn’t sure when they’d last eaten, all of them having been so focused on Namjoon. He stored that thought away again, to worry about after they spoke to the fairy and knocked on the door. The young man that answered left all of them silent for a moment. He had pink hair, dark brown eyes, and full lips the same shade as his hair. Delicate-looking iridescent wings sprouted from his back. He stared at them in confusion.

“Hello?” He said hesitantly, hoping they weren’t there to cause him harm.

“You’re beautiful,” Tae blurted out and he flushed and grinned.

“Thank you. You’re good-looking yourself,” he replied. The conversation was enough to snap the other two out of it and Yoongi quickly spoke up.

“We need your help. Please,” he said, voice filled with desperation. Jimin looked at him, concerned.

“What with?” He asked.

“My husband, their boyfriend, is sick and it’s incurable,” Yoongi started to explain. He told Jimin everything, and watched him take it all in.

“Do you have something to offer in return?” He asked once he was done. Yoongi nodded and held up the bag. Jimin motioned him over to the kitchen table, paying rapt attention as Yoongi pulled out each object and explained the story behind him. He gently touched them, examining each offering.

“I imagine you could produce objects like this, no matter which of you was sick?” He asked.

“Yeah”

“Uh-huh”

“Definitely” he received a chorus of replies in return. He was silent a moment longer, starting at the pile with an inscrutable expression. Finally, he turned to Yoongi.

“I propose a counteroffer,” he said. Jungkook fiddled with his lip rings in concern. Tae merely looked curious, leaning towards the fairy. Yoongi was worried but nodded, willing to hear him out.

“What is it?” He asked. Jimin held out the ring to him, watching as Yoongi took it back, slipping it onto one slender, knobby finger for safekeeping.

“I’ll cure your husband if you’ll allow me to join the six of you,” was his answer. The others stared at him in surprise. “I don’t have much in the way of friends or family or…well anyone. I admire your relationship,” he added by way of explanation.

“Are you afraid of vampires or dragons?” Yoongi asked at the same time Tae scooted over and held his arms out, offering him a hug. Jungkook bared his fangs, doing his best to look scary. Jimin smiled and shook his head, allowing Tae to wrap him up in his arms while he replied.

“Not at all,” he said confidently to Yoongi. “Cutie” he added to Jungkook, making him blush.

“I can’t promise romance right away, but we’ll certainly be happy to have you then,” Yoongi replied. He offered Jimin a hand to shake. He took it, smiling.

“Thank you. Let’s go cure your husband,” he said, shaking. Yoongi smiled gratefully back and nodded.

“If you can get smaller I’ll give you a ride,” Tae offered Jimin with an excited grin.

“I can actually,” he replied and a moment later he was about the size of a Barbie doll. “Small enough?” He asked an amazed Tae.

“Definitely!” He said happily. They left the tiny cabin and he transformed back into his wolf form. Jimin flew atop him and held on tight. Yoongi and Jungkook climbed onto the four-wheeler again and they all took off. Hoseok was on the porch when they arrived and his face dropped when he didn’t immediately see Jimin. His expression turned to shock when Tae skidded to a stop and suddenly the fairy flew up and returned to normal size.

“Where is the one that needs help?” He asked and Hoseok motioned towards the door, body flooding with relief.

“In here,” he said, leading him in and up the stairs to the loft bed. Jin was lying with Namjoon, using his natural cool body temperature to help him. Jimin winced at the sight of him, Namjoon sweating and shaking.

“poor guy,” he said sympathetically. He could hear Yoongi, Tae, and Jungkook hurry up the stairs behind him but he ignored them. He picked one of Namjoon’s hands up and held it between his own as he began murmuring words that the others couldn’t understand. Slowly, the shaking stopped and he fell asleep, looking peaceful for the first time in days. Hoseok put a hand against his forehead and grinned for the first time in days.

“He’s nice and cool,” he said to the others before turning to Jimin. “Thank you so much fairy-ssi,” he said gratefully.

“You’re welcome. My name’s Jimin,” he replied, smiling. He held out a hand to shake and Hoseok immediately took it, smiling back.

“I’m Hoseok. I’m so glad you accepted our offerings,” he said. Jimin giggled.

“I didn’t exactly,” he said. Jin, who’d been silently watching everything, looked concerned at the same time Jungkook did.

“What did they give you?” He asked, worried.

“Aren’t we supposed to not tell fairies our names?” Jungkook asked at the same time.

“I’m not that sort of fairy,” Jimin replied to Jungkook first. “Honestly I’ve never liked the idea of being any kind of malicious. Mischievous, but never mean,” he finished with a wink, making Jungkook’s cheeks go pink again. “And they agreed to allow me to join the six of you,” he explained to Jin. “As a friend,” he added, giggling again at his expression. “Though if more developed I wouldn't be opposed.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Tae said with a grin. “Want me to show you around? We’ve got all sorts of cool stuff” he asked excitedly.

“Sure!” Jimin agreed, curious to see how the new friends he’d found lived. The other four watched them take off back down the stairs and out of sight.

“… I guess he’s not so bad,” Jin said with a fond smile as he watched them go. Yoongi chuckled, knowing he was already softening towards the fairy.

“Not so bad at all,” he agreed. “What do fairies eat?” he added, contemplating what to make for dinner.

“I’ll go ask!” Jungkook said, following Tae and Jimin down the stairs.

“Yah! You need to feed Kook-ah!” Jin fussed as he followed behind him. Yoongi watched him go in amusement and then crawled onto the bed. He gently put a hand on Namjoon’s forehead to feel the coolness of his skin for himself.

“He’ll probably write Jimin into his next book as a thank you,” Hoseok said as he sat down beside him. Yoongi nodded, smiling softly.

“Yeah probably” he agreed, leaning against him as he gently ran his fingers through Namjoon’s hair. The two of them sat quietly together, watching Namjoon sleep, until Jungkook came back up the stairs.

“Fruits and vegetables and sweet stuff mostly,” he reported. “And now I gotta go eat. Jimin agreed to let me taste him!” he added excitedly. Yoongi chuckled.

“Thank you Bun. I hope he tastes good,” he replied. He turned to look at Hoseok with an amused grin on his face. “I think Jimin’s gonna fit right in,” he said.

“I think so too” Hoseok agreed, grinning back. “Let’s go make dinner Hyung,” he added, getting up and holding out a hand. Yoongi kissed Namjoon on the cheek before taking it and getting up too. The two of them went downstairs, both feeling, even if they didn’t say it out loud, that things felt complete with seven of them.