Chapter Text
"I hear you whispering my name
You're moving on, but I can't change, oh-oh
It feels intoxicating
When you look at me that way, oh-oh"
Jimin is on a high when he returns to Jungkook's room. He'd yelled and cried out after having spilled a wine glass. Servants had come running, alarmed, and made quick work of saving Seokjin. Jimin had watched from afar as another vampire servant had nursed Seokjin back to health, uncried tears in his eyes.
He shuffles back into his master's room and jumps at the sight of the man sitting up in his bed, elbows on his knees. “You’re awake?” He calls as he softly shuts the door behind him.
“I am indeed,” the vampire nods, his dark eyes peering into Jimin's skin and he feels as if he's a rebellious teenager been caught sneaking out. “Um," the human nears his vampire counterpart on light and hesitant steps, "how long have you been up for?”
“Long enough to overhear your conversation with Seokjin of the Kim’s."
Jimin feels his heart drop at his words. “Oh, I," Jimin stutters, unsure what is the right thing to say at the moment. "I have no excuses for my behavior,” he dips his head in shame as he comes to stand in front of the man.
Jungkook sighs as he comes to intertwine his arms around Jimin's waist, pulling the human into his lap. “I am pleased with you, little love, why would you think otherwise?”
Jimin looks up and into his dark eyes for a moment, before he wraps his arms around the man's neck. “I acted out of line without permission,” he furrows his eyebrows.
“I believe I told you to act as you wished to, did I not?” Jungkook says calmly. “That you did,” Jimin slowly nods along. Jungkook permitted him to protect himself and for JImin to act according to his desires, but Jungkook probably hadn't expected Jimin to poison one of the most powerful vampires of their time. Jimin's selfish desires should have limits, the human knows that.
“Then you’re simply doing what I asked if you, although, I did not expect you to stir trouble up for me so soon," Jungkook's col eyes shine in amusement. "The entire manor is in an uproar as we speak,” the vampire chuckles.
“If you overheard our conversation, you understand why,” Jimin straightens his back on the vampire's lap, trying to muster as much confidence as he can.
Jungkook nods. “What I don’t understand is why you turned him down."
“What?” What did he mean by that? Had he expected Jimin to betray him? No, if Jungkook had, he probably would have interrupted their conversation sooner. Betrayal wasn't something a man like him took lightly. Or had he expected Jimin to crave the power Seokjin offered? The life Seokjin has asked Jimin to lead?
“You said it was out of devotion for me,” Jungkook states.
“T-That was part of it, yes,” Jimin admits, embarrassed. Jungkook heard his rant about loyalty. Jimin suddenly feels shy. Jimin hadn't even been aware that his feelings had such depths for Jungkook until he was saying them.
“And because you didn’t wish to live eternally, is that true?”
“It is. I do not wish to prolong my life span,” Jimin confirms. Jungkook doesn't like his answer. Jimin can tell in the way his eyes flicker for a moment, the way they do when he's thinking, processing. Jimin supposes his confusion is understandable. Growing up, the people around him craved the vampiric culture. They all wanted power, the prestige. They all longed to lose their weakness called humanity.
“Why?” Is Jungkook's simple question. Jimin pauses for a moment, really thinking about his answer.
"I think I did at one point," Jimin finds surprising truth in the answer. "Before, I believed I needed eternity to be happy. That I needed to be someone not me to feel genuine joy, but now I know that's not true." Jimin pauses, watching Jungkook's reaction. As usual, his expression gives nothing away. "Can you answer a question for me honestly?"
Jungkook nods, earnestly.
"Do you know a single vampire who would call themself happy?"
Jungkook opens his mouth to answer, but Jimin slides a thumb over his mouth. "I don't mean content, or self-fulfilled. I mean genuinely, truly happy. Happy in the way they wake up in the morning and are happy to live another day. Happy in the sense that they don't take the things around them for granted." Jungkook's mouth slowly closes. "Because hyung, in my time with you, if I've learned one thing, it's that your kind is everything but happy."
Jungkook takes a deep inhale, but remains silent, and Jimin knows the man agrees with him. Jimin cups the sides of Jungook's face, brushes his thumbs over his cheekbones, and the vampire thumbs under his shirt in silent response. "I'm becoming happy as I am, hyung," Jimin lets his voice grow soft. "I don't want time to find a way to ruin that."
Jungkook's red eyes search Jimin's face, and for the first time in the entirety of their relationship, Jimin feels fully seen. "You could be happy with me forever," Jungkook whispers and Jimin thinks it's the most vulnerable he's ever heard the man sound. More vulnerable and exposed than when he was lying at Jimin's feet drying just hours before.
"No," Jimin shakes his head slightly. "I don't think we could, hyung." He gnaws his lips as he thinks, all the ideas he's speaking new to him as well. "We'd grow tired eventually."
"I wouldn't," Jungkook is quick to refute, surprising Jimin. Maybe this desire to have Jimin enterally wasn't just an idea brought up by Seokjin. Maybe Jungkook had weighed these options before. "I've lived long enough to know what things are beneficial permanently. You're one of them, love."
Jimin smiles, really smiles. It's soft and unintentional. Jungkook isn't one for sweet words and these might be some of the sweetest things he's told anyone, ever. "I would. I'm not like you, hyung. I wasn't born into eternity. Human minds aren't meant to be 'permanent.' We're meant to live, enjoy life, hate life, and then, die."
"Your nature would change," Jungkook pulls the human closer in his lap. "You'd learn eventually what forever means and it'd become a part of you."
"I'd learn to become ungrateful and cold," Jimin shakes his head, realizing this conversation will run in circles.
Knowing Jungkook would like Jimin to live with him forever is comforting beyond belief. It tells Jimin that Jungkook cares, more than Jimin had been aware of. The blonde human wasn't just a momentary desire with fleeting memories, he was a being Jungkook considered important enough to fear losing him to time. Maybe he and Jimin stood on closer to equal footing than Jimin had realized.
But Jimin doesn't want forever.
He doesn't want to lose himself to time and become someone unrecognizable, because if Jimin believes in one thing, it's change. Nothing is forever, even if you have it. He's sure Jungkook has lived numerous lives, has been numerous people, and he doesn't want to live long enough to watch Jungkook become someone he doesn't love anymore.
Jimin stiffens and Jungkook quirks his eyebrows at the sudden change in body language.
Jimin loves Jungkook.
The human takes a shuttered breath and slowly removes himself from the pureblood's lap. Jungkook lets him, albeit hesitantly. "I'll let you get your rest." Jimin turns on his feet and leaves the room before the vampire can make a move of protest.
Jungkook remained seated as Jimin left him for what felt like hours, really thinking.
Jungkook hadn't realized how much Jimin's aging and dying had weighed on his mind until he was told no. He hadn't realized he truly wanted forever with the human until he was told he couldn't have it.
Jimin was perfect for Jungkook in every sense of the word. His body was now trained to react the way Jungkook liked it to. Jimin wasn't just a run-of-a-mill human either. He held depth and capacity and he was capable of things some vampires his age weren't. He was smart and could take care of himself in his own way.
And he was loyal.
A trait Jungkook had yet to come across in his life, lacking in even his mother. Jimin cared for Jungkook, not because Jungkook was powerful and carried weight in the world, but because Jungkook himself made him happy. And Jimin was unfortunately smart enough to realize how fragile that happiness was.
Because Jimin was right. Time does find a way to ruin things. But to Jungkook, they weren't something that could be ruined.
Jimin was Jungkook's, and Jungkook was slowly becoming Jimin's.
No human created for him was meant to remain just that- an insignificant human until the day he grew old and withered away. Jungkook’s stomach tightens at the thought. He could never let that happen. He could never let Jimin’s beauty disappear into the void of time. The human was only 25- he was in the prime of his years. The most beautiful he will be all his life.
Jungkook would turn Jimin. Goosebumps rise on his skin at the idea. He'd be sacrificing a lot in the process, but to Jungkook, Jimin was worth it. Others would look down on them in the beginning, but Jungkook knows Jimin would find a way to prove himself. After all, Jungkook is the most difficult-to-impress vampire he knows, and the little human fully enraptured him.
Jimin held great possibilities as a man, Jungkook couldn't wait to find out what the blonde was capable of as an undead.
A soft knocking at the door gains Jungkook's attention and the vampire gives a small shout of permission. Mrs. Choi walks in, bowing and shutting the door behind her. "The bodies have been taken care of, and I've ensured the only witness to the event will not have a way to spread the information of your attack," she delivers and Jungkook nods. "Good, I'd hate for this incident to make me lose face. Very smart of you, little Choi," he smiles as he praises, using the nickname he made for her when she was nothing but a young girl her mother brought to work. The elderly lady smiles, wrinkles around her eyes as she bows and leaves the room.
In times like these Jungkook was grateful for her family, and he retracted his earlier statement about loyalty. The Chois have served his family for as long as he can remember. Sure, maybe at one point they went by a different name, but it was the same loyal bloodline that ran in the old head maid's blood.
Jungkook sighs, finally laying down and giving in to the tired aches in his body as it tried to heal back to its full capacity.
Ever since Jimin whispered words of happiness into Jungkook's ear, he's been strangely aware of it. Strangely aware of Jungkook. To say he was a little put off by his sudden realization of his love for the man is an understatement. He felt like his world was crumbling around him as he left the pureblood in his room.
Jimin had never really entertained the idea of love. He didn't have the time for it. It was a scary notion and even scarier when he realized the man he'd fallen for was nothing short of a monster.
"Jimin-nim," Jimin's head snaps up from where he'd been lacing his shirt. A young girl who works in the palace stands at the edge of his friend Sungho's curtain. Jimin had taken to using his room just as his friends had. "Master Jeon Jungkook is ready for you." Jimin nods and stands.
As he gets ready to walk out, he hears a snicker at his side. Tense and not in the mood due to his recent epiphany, he turns his head to the side, to see a group of female banks gathered by the mirror, obviously giggling in his direction. Plastering on a smile, he slowly approaches them. "What's so funny?"
The obvious ring leader of the group of followers rolls her eyes at one of her friends. "Oh, nothing," she laughs, and the rest of them follow suit. "No, please enlighten me," Jimin says a bit more firmer now. "I'd like to know what I did that was so humorous."
The leader stiffens at having been directly confronted, but she recovers fast. "Nothing, you know, just," she shrugs her shoulders, "that your vamp is the talk of the town."
Jimin tries to keep his expression passive. This was news to him. "How so?"
She smiles. "I've heard a few things from my master," she smiles like she's already won this interaction. "The Jeons won't be on top for long."
Jimin laughs, but it comes out more of a scoff. The Jeons have ruled long before Jimin was born and it will probably stay that way long after he's dead. Whatever her master thinks is going to happen, has happened before, and the Jeons came out on top. Jimin takes a seat, right next to her on the small bench she's placed on. She looks mildly uncomfortable by his proximity. "Sweetheart," he smiles. "Who exactly is your master?"
"Baron Sung," she holds her head high and Jimin nods along to the information.
He laughs wholeheartedly now. "Baron Sung Wonho," he sits back in his seat. "You mean the Baron that only has relevance in society because he's one of Jungkookie's vassals?" The girl doesn't let her demeanor break, even though they all know Jimin is right. "How exactly is he going to usurp the Jeons?"
She smiles again and Jimin doesn't like it. It's the kind of smile that screams she knows something he doesn't, and she's probably right. Her blind confidence has to come from something. "I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," she leans in close and Jimin gets a whiff of her sickeningly sweet perfume. "Just know that your master will have bigger threats than a little dead man's blood."
Jimin's body tenses at that, without his permission. No one knew Jungkook was poisoned. They kept it hushed in the palace, Jungkook's own servants having been the ones to discover them. They'd taken him back to the mansion and disposed of the bodies secretly. How would she know? No, how would Baron Sung know?
Jimin smiles softly at her. "Thank you," he says as he gets up and exits the room.
He follows the servant who had been patiently waiting for him down the hallway.
There was a spy in the Jeon Estate.
The meeting comes and goes as they all do, minus the fact that there are no Kims in attendance. Jimin sits, patiently, boredly, in Jungkook's lap as the nobles around him argue, all secretly seeking the Jeon's approval. From what he's heard, Jungkook's mother has been out of the palace for a while, leaving all her royal duties to her son. Jungkook took the added work with grace, the way he was raised too, and Jimin has a feeling this isn't the first time the man has covered for his mother.
Jimin sits thigh to thigh with Jungkook in the fancy carriage they always take to and from the palace. Jungkook is looking calmly out the window, watching the greens of the scenery go by and Jimin is looking at him. He's been antsy the whole trip and he's sure Jungkook can feel it too. The information he had learned a few hours before stays hot and heavy on his mind.
He should tell Jungkook, but he isn't sure if it's really his place. Jungkook has always been so adamant about keeping Jimin out of his business, it is dark and bloody, as well as long and boring, so Jimin has never really had an issue with his decision. But now, Jimin is unsure if the man knows of the Baron's ideas to move against him. He surely is, because there's little Jungkook isn't aware of. But what if he isn't?
"What is it, my love?" Jungkook's deep voice causes Jimin to jump. The pureblood still has his head turned towards the window, his legs crossed and arm propped up to hold his head on the armrest. "You've opened and closed your mouth twenty-four times this trip and you're all but vibrating next to me." The vampire turns his head slowly and Jimin feels even more unsure of his idea to talk to the man as his dark red eyes fall on him.
Crumbling under his heavy gaze, Jimin turns his head to the front and shakes his head. Jungkook sighs before a hand reaches out and cups Jimin's pale cheek. "I thought we had traveled to the point where you were aware I'm uncaring of your manners when we are alone," a long finger brushes under his eye in an act of comfort. "You will not offend me, nor will I be angered by what you have to say."
Jimin nods in his hold, his light eyes never leaving the man's dark ones. He nuzzles into his hand for a moment, until he clasps his fingers around his wrist and pulls it into his lap. "I talked to some other banks today," he starts and Jungkook sits quietly, urging him to go on. "Baron Sung's in particular." Jungkook hums along. "She heavily, and I mean heavily," he stresses his point with his face as he looks in the vampire's direction, "implied that he had plans to overthrow you. Or that maybe someone else did and he is in on them."
Jimin watches the man's expression closely. Jungkook frowns slightly but isn't shocked or surprised. "I'll admit, this is the first time I've heard about any heresy from the Sungs." Jungkook squeezes Jimin's hand from where they lay interlocked on the human's lap. Jimin smiles, pleased his anxiety over the topic hadn't been for nothing. "But," the vampire continues and his smile falters. "I'm not worried about the Baron. He's the least threatening vampire in the line of those after my head and position."
Jimin's eyebrows furrow. "I don't know, hyung," the human starts. "She was very confident. She knows something we don't."
"Everyone knows something we don't," Jungkook states. "The world is too big for me to truly have control over it. The Baron is a man with a big mouth and a boastful soul. He knows not of what he talks about, he speaks merely to hear the sound of his own voice. I'm not concerned with the likes of him."
"She mentioned something else as well," Jimin continues, trying his hardest to stress how important he feels the situation is.
"And what might that be?"
"She knew you were poisoned by dead man's blood." Jungkook makes an inquisitive hum at the news. "Which means the Baron knows. How does he know, hyung? I was there during the clean-up. Mrs. Choi did a damned good job of it." Jungkook turns his head to face out the window once more. "There's a leak o-or a spy in your home, hyung. You need to-"
"I'll worry about what happens within my walls, Jimin," Jungkook snaps his head back towards the human, who involuntarily cowers at the dominance in his voice. Jungkook sighs, dragging a hand over his face once he's realized his behavior. He pulls Jimin in, delivering a gentle kiss to his temple. "Thank you for your worries, but these are not things for you to stress about."
Jimin clenches his jaw and lets himself be fully pulled into the male. He closes his eyes and gives in to the warmth and comfort Jungkook offers.
But his stomach doesn't unclench and his heart doesn't calm.
Jimin doesn't sleep well that night. Junkook is pressed to his back, both their skin sweaty from where Jungkook had pinned him to the mattress an hour before. Jimin stares at the side of his lover's face, because he supposes that's what they are now; lovers. He knows the way Jungkook treats him isn't normal. He's heard through his fellow friends in the harem that Jungkook has made arrangements for them to all return home or has created a home for those who have nothing waiting for them outside the Jeon walls.
He sighs. Jungkook used to barely sleep when Jimin first started serving him. He'd stay with Jimin until the human fell asleep, but when Jimin would wake in the night, he'd almost always find Jungkook working away at paperwork in the desk in his room silently. But lately, Jungkook has been falling asleep with the small human. Jimin assumes the dead man's blood weakened him more than the proud vampire would like to admit. He finds it strange though.
Jungkook is strong. The strongest of his time in most people's opinions. A small scuffle like that shouldn't weaken him so. But Jimin also supposes his sudden increased workload isn't helping either.
Jimin peals the man's arms off of him as gently as possible and decides he could use something to drink, his mind restless. So, he slips into the hallway and makes the familiar trek to the kitchen. His train of thought wanders and he finds it odd how at home he feels in this vase mansion. When Jimin was young, he'd once thought he'd never have a place akin to refuge, and when he was sold off, he knew he never would. To find safety in a place like this is surprising to him, but he welcomes the idea, just because Jungkook is a part of it.
He feels silly, stupid even, for having such a notion. Maybe even scared. Jimin has placed so much of himself in Jungkook and that within itself is a scary thought.
Once he arrives in the kitchen, he struggles for a moment. His meals and every request are usually brought to him, and he's slightly embarrassed by how long it takes him to conjure up a simple glass of water. He hops on one of the counters and takes in the silence for a moment. He's just about to head back to the safety of Jungkook's chambers when he hears a shuffling behind him.
His skin stands on end, a hood figure approaches him from the depths of the exit into the courtyard. His anxiety is quickly resolved and a smile takes over his face when the figure unmasks itself and he finds a sweet old face looking at him. "Mrs. Choi," he greets. The addressed bows her head and Jimin takes notice of how he doesn't return his smile the way she always does.
She wordlessly tries to slip past him, and Jimin's body moves on its own. He grabs her by the wrist and spins her to face him. "Why were you out so late, Ajumma?" He asks with furrowed eyebrows.
She shuffles uncomfortably. Jimin's eyes naturally find the small vial she carried in her unrestrained hand. As if he's been burned, he releases her. "Hyung, uh," he fumbles, his heart suddenly races. "He's been so weak lately," he states. "I thought it was weird. T-Then, the Baron-" Jimin cuts himself off from where he'd been talking out loud.
Jimin knew there had been a betrayal within their home, but he hadn't expected it to come from someone so close to the heart of it. He shrieks as he's suddenly seized by the shoulders. "I'm telling you this because I like you, Jimin-shi," she whispers with a sudden urgency. "Leave through that door and run. Don't come back."
Jimin makes quick work of removing himself from her grasp, his chest starts to rise and fall rapidly. His eyes betray his train of thought as he glances at the hallway behind her. She quirks her head in a warning and slowly reveals a small silver dagger from her waist. Jimin gnaws his lips. "Don't do this, kid," she begs softly. "You can't alert him, or all this has been for nothing."
"Alert him of what, Ajumma?" His voice breaks slightly as he rounds the island in the middle of the room. "What is about to happen? Why have you been slowly poisoning him instead of doing it in one go? Why have you been weakening him?"
She gives him a look, one that says he already knows the answers. Outside, there's a loud crash, and both their heads snap in its direction. Taking use of her distraction, Jimin takes off down the hallway and he's unpleasantly surprised to find Mrs. Choi is quite fast for her age. He supposes most of that he knew of her was probably a lie anyway.
Jimin's legs are fast, but not fast enough. He hears a sudden commotion, which seems to come from every corner of the mansion. It's a sneak attack. Jungkook won't awake unless he's woken, and his entire home will be destroyed from the inside out in the dead of the night. As he makes to turn into the hallway Jungkook's room lies in, he's tackled to the side.
"Hyung!" He screams, his throat instantly feeling raw at the velocity of it. "Hyung! Wake up! We're being attacked!" Then, a hand covers his mouth and he finds the distressed eyes of the elderly woman he once held affection for. "Quiet, Jimin-nim," she shushes.
Jimin kicks her body to the side and takes off again. "Hyung!" He screams but is once again tackled by the small lady. She rests on his back before she pulls him up to his knees, her chest pressed firmly to his back. "I'm sorry," she whispers.
Jimin's eyes widen as a flash of silver comes into view and his heart breaks as he watches Jungkook's weary form appear from his doorway. He leans on the walls and holds his head, but the dark red eyes Jimin has come to love find him in a heartbeat.
Then, pain shoots up from his torso, and blood spits from his mouth.
Jimin starts to cry.
Not because of the pain, or the fact that the stab wound is undoubtedly a fatal wound, but because of the way Jungkook's entire being seems to crumble. He watches as his lover's eyes widen and his face contorts into pain as if he's the one who's been stabbed.
There's a brief rush of air and then the warmth at his back is gone and blood splashes onto his cheek. Despite being poisoned, Jungkook still moves impressively so, making Jimin think that maybe the first time Jungkook had been drugged in front of him, he concealed a little of his strength on purpose.
Jimin's form learches forward as he coughs and Jungkook is eager to catch him. "Hyung," his voice calls out without his permission.
"Sh, my love, I have you," Jungkook's velvety voice calls out. "We're, we're being attacked," Jimin tries to warn, but Jungkook hushes him once again, saying he knows.
"We'll be okay," Jungkook whispers into his blonde locks, his old on the human turning almost painful. "You'll be okay." They both know Jimin won't be. Jimin knows Jungkook has seen enough death in his life to know that a wound like this is repairable.
Jimin lets himself fully fall into the man's arms. "I wanna tell you something, Jungkookie," he whispers and Jungkook slowly drags their bodies into his room. "Jungkookie, listen," Jimin tries as the vampire groggily locks the door and leans them against it, the human curled up on his lap. "Hyungie, listen to me."
"Sh, baby," Jungkook cradles the back out of Jimin's head as he rips a curtain off a nearby wall and starts to apply pressure to Jimin's wound. "You can tell me after all this is over."
"I need to tell you now," Jimin cups the side of the man's face and is surprised to find blood on his hands. He looks down and wants to vomit. There's blood everywhere. It's gushing and even Jungkook can't stop it, couldn't drink it up in time. "Jungkookie," the human sobs. "Please."
The vampire closes his eyes for a moment, his head hitting the large wooden door, before he reopens them and their eyes meet. The Jungkook's chest rapidly falls beneath Jimin's head and he slowly leans down until their foreheads are pressed into one another. "Okay," he whispers.
"I love you," Jimin cries. The words hurt to say, more than the throbbing pain in his abdomen. "I love you so much."
Jungkook's chin wobbles and Jimin cries harder. The vampire presses his lips forcefully to his forehead before he tucks Jimin's head under his chin. Jimin can feel the way his hands shake as he holds the injured human in his arms. Jimin lightly pulls on his shirt, the blood on his hands staining it red. Jungkook pulls back and Jimin's heart cracks a little more to see tear stains on the man's handsome face.
"Say it back," Jimin begs. He doesn't care if Jungkook won't mean it, even though he likes to believe he will. The pain is starting to slowly fade away, telling him he doesn't have long. "No," Jungkook shakes his head, more tears cascading down his face. "Please, hyung," Jimin begs once more. "Please. I love you."
"Jimin," Jungkook's face finally crumbles, his strong features contorting as he pushes their foreheads together once more. "Don't make me, please, not now." Jimin's heart would break more if it had any piece left to shatter. Jungkook has never asked anything of him before. He demanded and took what he wanted. But Jimin won't relent.
"Please, hyung."
A sob shakes the vampire's shoulders.
"I love you, Jimin. I have since the day I bought you," bloodied fingers thread into the back of his blonde locks, pushing them impossibly closer. "You've made me human. You've made me weak. You've made me everything I hate to be, but I love you for it. You've taught me what it feels like to live, not as a monster, but as a man."
Jimin smiles softly, his thumbs struggling to wipe away the man's tears as fast as they come.
"I love you, Park Jimin, and I will love you until the end of my days."
Jimin laughs, but it's weak and watery. "That wasn't so hard was it?"
His vision starts to dot and he pulls away. He is okay with this. He's okay with his end being in the arms of the man he loves. He's okay with his last view being the face of the man who has saved him in more ways than he'll ever know.
He's okay, because he knows Jungkook loves him, too.