Chapter Text
•••
Taehyung isn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Some part of him—the idealistic part, though neglected, did still exist in a back corner of his heart—had been trying not to think about it at all. When not thinking about it hadn’t worked, he’d hoped to at the very least steer clear of any expectation. He’d clearly been aiming a little too high still, as he takes in the room.
It’s clear to him now that he’d been thinking about it, mapping out an idea or two of what he might encounter, and the reality does not disappoint any one of his wistful, half-formed thoughts. It blows them out of the water, and he tries his best not to let his jaw hit the floor too obviously.
“This is—nice,” he says, aware it’s needless.
Jimin gives him a minute, patiently dragging him through the length of the front room. “It is. People pay good money to be here.”
As if Taehyung needed a reminder. “Good money”—any money—is the only reason he let his best friend dress him up and parade him through here like some object at auction.
The house, situated on a back road Taehyung hadn’t been aware of even existing, sits on a sprawling manicured lawn, lit up with lights and fountains that leave passerbys in awe without needing to step a foot in the door. Inside is no less impressive, though less overtly flashy. It’s lit only by colored lights that have no obvious origin, just dim enough to set the mood. The air is tinged with something sweet, and apart from the steady thrum of noise brought by attending guests and the clinking of their glasses, a song plays somewhere overhead, heavy and slow, with a beat.
“I feel like I shouldn’t be here,” Taehyung says mostly to himself, though he knows Jimin can hear him fine. “This is so…” his statement drifts into the ambient noise, unfinished. He’s sort of speechless still, even as they settle into a couple of seats by a small bar, even as he downs his drink with too much haste to be nearly as classy or suave as he ought to be in a place like this.
“I think you fit in just fine,” Jimin says over the rim of his glass, eyes scanning the room with a lazy sort of interest. His eyes flicker back over Taehyung for a second, and Taehyung doesn’t miss the quirk of his lips.
“Yeah, you’d say that,” Taehyung pouts. He looks fine. Good, even, with the help of Jimin’s careful hand. He had felt nothing short of ridiculous and fraudulent squeezing himself into the pants Jimin had given him, black and shiny and very nearly painted to the shape of his body. His shirt, a crop-top made out of some heavier sweater-material sits above his navel, brushing the top of his Ridiculous pants. His face is coated in glitter and eyeliner and powders and gloss, and he looks good. He knows so, but it doesn’t stop the feeling of not-belonging from curling up somewhere inside of him, stubbornly and wholly making itself known.
No one had really given him a second glance, apart from one or two appreciative once-overs, but Taehyung guesses that’s because everyone is in a similar state of dress—that, and the fact that they are most certainly not here for him to begin with. Humans did not come through here looking for other humans.
The thought causes him to squirm in his seat, downing the rest of his drink. He hardly notices the burn.
“Another, please,” he says to the bartender, who maybe gives him a look. Jimin looks equally unimpressed.
“You’re not going to seduce anyone when you look two seconds away from puking, Tae-yah.”
“I’m aware,” Taehyung says, before he feels his entire body lock up. “Wait—what. You didn’t say anything about seducing anyone, I thought they just—”
“Calm down, you baby.” Jimin throws his arm over his shoulder, his eyebrows pinched together in partial annoyance and worry. “You’re pretty enough to get away with looking like you want to pass out. It doesn’t hurt to flirt a little, though.”
Right, flirt. Because Taehyung could get away with looking the part and apparently play it, too. He’s no Jimin, not that anyone is, but he knows his limits well enough.
He really doesn’t belong here.
As if the universe could hear his detailed mental spiraling and decided it was far from through with toying with him, he feels the lightest touch on the back of his shoulder, bare from where his shirt had slipped down.
He tenses immediately before forcing himself to relax, plastering what he hopes is at least a half-convincing smile onto his face. Jimin is already looking at whoever is standing behind Taehyung's shoulder, assessing gaze fully engaged. He turns around, almost whining when Jimin’s encouraging touch slips away.
“Hello,” Taehyung greets, hoping against hope that the lighting was just dim enough to hide the wobbliness around his smile.
The vampire in front of him appears unassuming, his clothes nothing flashy like his and Jimin’s, but still well fitting—attractive. He’s handsome and taller than Taehyung, and Taehyung isn’t short. If Taehyung wasn’t so aware of where he was and why, he’d never guess the stranger was a vampire.
“Hi there,” he says, and Taehyung tries to relax even a little. “Can I get you a drink?”
God, this really was like being picked up in a club. Only instead of being hit on for sex, Taehyung’s hoping someone might find him pretty enough—good enough—to drink from him.
“Uh, sure,” he responds eloquently, because even if he’s got a drink and it’s mostly still full, he thinks it’s the right thing to say. “I’m Taehyung,” he adds, when he can’t think of anything else.
The guy waves the bartender down, and Taehyung stares at him for a moment, trying to size him up further.
“That’s a pretty name,” he replies, and then flashes a toothy smile. “You’re pretty.”
Taehyung is somewhat startled by his forward-ness, even though he shouldn’t be. Humans willing to be drunk from aren’t exactly a rarity , but they’re not easy to come by either. From what Jimin has shared with him, it’s not just about finding the first willing warm body, and vampires have preferences about who they’d like to sink their fangs into, just the same as humans have their qualms about certain foods. The concept is sort of funny, to Taehyung.
“Um, thank you,” Taehyung stutters, panic rising when he leans back only to realize that Jimin is no longer right behind him. He’s definitely not gone far, and he promised to keep an eye on Taehyung if he got around to talking to anyone, but it would be awkward if he hovered so closely by while someone was trying to possibly proposition him. The thought leaves his head spinning for a moment.
I’m doing this for the money , he reminds himself. A lot of money. Taehyung wasn’t about to start accepting handouts from Jimin, no matter how much he argued he could give a damn about the money one way or the other, and he was tired (literally, so tired) of working himself to the point of exhaustion for half of what he’d like, and deserved to be, making.
Taehyung imagines what being able to sleep in again would feel like, or taking time to himself, maybe even having enough energy to have a social life in between classes and course work; he forces his resolve to remain intact, even if he feels himself shaking.
“You smell really good, too. Uh, do you mind?” The vampire gestures to Taehyung’s wrist, and Taehyung swallows heavily, shaking his head.
“Go ahead,” he says, and allows the man to lift his wrist up to his nose and scent. It feels as weird as it is to watch, and Taehyung hopes the stranger isn’t focusing too closely on Taehyung’s pulse, still thrumming erratically. He’s familiar with this too, that vampires wanted to ensure their—meal, for lack of a better word, was to their liking before committing. It certainly wasn’t cheap, and Taehyung is pretty sure this place didn’t offer refunds.
“Uh, sorry. I don’t think I caught your name,” Taehyung ventures, after the vampire finishes scenting him. His ears feel hot.
“Oh—“
Before he can get any further, the man’s eyes register something, or rather someone, just behind Taehyung, and he wastes no time in leaning out of his space. It’s barely a second later that Taehyung feels a hand on the dip of his waist, over his shirt. Even through the thick material, he feels a sort of familiarity to the touch. Oh God .
If his pulse was racing before, it’s absolutely hammering now, if for an entirely new reason. Taehyung can’t spin around fast enough, though he tries to be subtle about it.
“Jin-hyung,” he breathes, almost surprised by how close Seokjin was standing to him. He was definitely surprised about Jin’s presence here in the first place, for a multitude of reasons. Taehyung had assumed that Seokjin was the kind of vampire that wouldn’t have to go looking for his next meal, considering—everything.
Seokjin doesn’t look at him yet, even as his hand remains steadfastly on Taehyung’s waist. He’s plainly staring at the other vampire, who Taehyung realizes got somewhat rudely interrupted. Not that I mind , a meaner part of Taehyung’s mind supplies.
“Oh sorry, you were going to tell me your name—“ Taehyung pauses upon seeing how far away the other vampire has gotten from him, eyes somewhat wide and set on Seokjin’s face.
“It was nice to meet you, Taehyung-ssi. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he says, bowing to the two of them. Before Taehyung can begin to parse what in the world is happening, he straightens up and leaves without a backwards glance.
What just happened ? Taehyung can only watch his hasty retreat for a moment before Seokjin’s hand grips him tighter for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough for Taehyung to jolt back to the present, confusion mixing with something new. For the first time since Jimin forced him into this ensemble, he feels… nearly giddy.
“Jin-hyung,” he repeats, his voice noticeably softer, and he inwardly cringes at how hopeless he is. He clears his throat, like the affection in his tone is something physical stuck in him, meant to be cleared away. He wishes it were that easy.
“Taehyung-ah, what are you doing here?”
Taehyung takes a second to think about it, but mostly he’s biding his time so that his face might stop burning so intensely. This may be one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, and he has a few of those. What is he supposed to say? Oh hi, hyung. I’m broke and kind of desperate for cash, so I’m whoring myself out to the vampire masses . No, not that.
Spinning in his seat slowly, Taehyung blinks up at Seokjin’s face, softer around the edges than it had been a moment ago, his eyes endlessly dark in the low light.
“Well, what does any human come here for?” Taehyung responds, awkwardly laughing through his nerves. “I could ask you the same.”
Seokjin still hasn’t moved away, and Taehyung is still nervously fidgeting in his seat. Why is he so awkward around the one person he’d do anything not to be? He’s not necessarily an awkward person by nature, at least not anymore. He’d grown into his ears and his limbs and learned that people liked his outgoing personality. He had a lot of friends and he could make a lot more, if he wanted. Trying to be pretty and appealing for hungry vampires put a damper on that. Trying to be anything near cool around Seokjin obliterated that.
“I’m a partial owner. I’ve never seen you here before.”
Taehyung’s eyes flicker up in surprise. Seokjin is looking at him with a strange look in his eyes, guarded but not well enough, like he can’t keep it all off his face. Taehyung has no idea what it means, anyway. “You are? Jiminie didn’t mention anything...” he trails.
“ Jimin ?” Seokjin asks, like he’s both surprised to hear the name as he is expecting to hear it.
“You called?” Jimin says, very suddenly appearing next to Taehyung. Taehyung catches the flicker of his eyes between Seokjin and him, and perhaps the lack of distance, his eyebrows raising.
Maybe Seokjin notices too, because he’s stepping back a second later. It’s both relieving and disappointing, being able to breathe and think clearly again while missing Jin’s warmth just as intensely.
“Jimin-ah. You brought Taehyung here?” Jin sounds put-off, disappointed even, and Taehyung has never wanted to disappear more. He hadn’t imagined any such scenario unfolding, but if he could go back in time to do so, hearing Seokjin speak of him in such a disapproving manner would be at the top of his list of things to avoid at all costs.
“Of course I did, hyung,” Jimin says easily, unwavering even in the face of Jin’s unimpressed expression. “Isn’t he cute?”
Taehyung groans, jabbing Jimin in his side. “Cut it out.”
Seokjin’s eyes flicker over Taehyung’s body, his lips pressing into a hard line. He looks out over the room before turning back to Jimin. “Yes. Everyone else seems to think so, too.”
Jimin touches the corner of his mouth with a pensive tap of his finger, “Really? No surprise. Tae is planning on seducing someone, or being seduced, whatever. Even though I’ve told him a hundred times that I’m more than happy to—“
Taehyung cuts in immediately, embarrassment momentarily forgotten in the face of his stubbornness. “Yeah and it’ll never happen. I can make my own money.”
“I had no idea we’d run into you, Jin-hyung. But I’m glad we did. I know Taehyung is glad.” Jimin’s voice is saccharine sweet, dripping in false warmth and obvious falsity. Taehyung should have known.
“I’m here at least once a week, Jimin-ah. You know that.” Jin is frowning harder than ever.
“Listen,” Taehyung looks down at his lap, playing with the hem of his shirt, “I really didn’t know. Sorry if it’s weird.” He chances another look up at Seokjin’s face, who is glaring something fierce at Jimin.
“It’s not weird,” Jimin and Seokin say at once, and Taehyung feels confused all over again.
He brings one of his hand’s up to cover his forehead, thoughts racing. He just wanted the chance at a quick buck, but apparently Seokjin, his Seokjin, frequents the place and has just seen Taehyung in this humiliating outfit that definitely reveals more than Taehyung would ever otherwise allow anyone, anywhere let see, and the one vampire who might’ve taken taken pity and contracted him is already long gone and Taehyung is definitely going to have to work two jobs until the time he dies—
He doesn’t realize how quickly he’s let his thoughts take hold of him until Seokjin’s fingers are brushing just under his chin, just a little too cold to be natural. Taehyung shivers, glancing back up. “I’m not judging you, Taehyung-ah,” Seokjin says lowly, and Taehyung desperately wants to be kissed right now, just one time, so he can die saying he knew what it felt like.
“It’s fine, if you are,” Taehyung responds, trying not to sound too despondent. “I feel ridiculous. I don’t dress like this. No offense Jimin-ah. I’m not…” he trails again, his thought from earlier echoing itself. I don’t belong here . He’s not so sure he even wants to.
Seokjin doesn’t respond right away, still in some sort of telepathic communication with Jimin. Jimin is fearless as ever, having the gall to look more smug than anything else.
“Taehyung either doesn’t realize how hot he is, or how much every single vampire here would pay double to get a taste, but we’re working on it,” Jimin declares, defiant.
“I said cut it out,” Taehyung says, quietly because he can at least recognize when he’s lost. He runs his hand through his hair. He needs to finish the rest of his drink and then he needs to leave. Only he can’t, because he really does need the money.
“Okay, well. See you later, hyung. No offense but you’re scaring everyone off and I didn’t spend this long harassing Taehyung with a bottle of hairspray for it to go to waste.” Jimin pulls Taehyung right off his chair, and Taehyung stumbles as he stands to full height. The two glasses of whatever he threw back rush to his head just enough to ease some of his nerves.
“See ya, Jin-hyung,” Taehyung murmurs, throwing one last wistful look over his shoulder, led away by Jimin.
Seokjin’s frown doesn’t ease up when Taehyung disappears into the throng of moving bodies and darkness.
—
Operation ‘play it cool by the bar until someone approaches them’ proving to be a complete failure, Jimin and Taehyung find themselves on the other side of the decently large front room. From what Taehyung understood of the general layout and workings of this event, there were a few rooms they were allowed to use, aside from where they were and the private booths, where vampires took to feeding.
Jimin is swaying to the bass heavy song playing, looking better than ninety percent of the other guests, while Taehyung presses his lips into a thin line and forces himself to sway along. An approximation of swaying along. Pathetically shift in place.
“Did we really have to ditch Jin-hyung? He seemed kind of weirded out to see me here.” Taehyung asks, picking at a thread on his shirt. He’s been pretending to dance for half an hour, but his mind is stuck, replaying how Seokjin had appeared suddenly, touched him so gently. He can feel himself frowning and doesn’t try very earnestly to stop.
Jimin moves something dangerous, and even Taehyung gapes watching his movement control. He dances closer to Taehyung, leaning in to drape his arms over his shoulders.
“You still caught up on Jin-hyung? He’s caught up with you ,” Jimin says, close to his ear.
Taehyung shuts his eyes, lightly shoving at Jimin’s shoulder. “Stop. Did you not see the way he was looking at me?”
Jimin nods against his shoulder. “Like he wanted to eat you? Mhm.”
Taehyung shoves at him again, harder. Jimin has the strength to stop someone a hundred times stronger than Taehyung, but he allows himself to be shoved anyway, a sardonic grin on his lips.
“ No ,” Taehyung hisses, paranoidly looking over his shoulder. “He looked upset. Why are you being such a pain tonight?”
“ I’m being a pain? You two are the—look. Maybe allow yourself to consider the idea that Seokjin would like to bite you or whatever, if nothing else. And maybe also take you to bed and hold your hand.”
Taehyung lets out a long sigh, spinning on his heel with no real destination in mind. He can’t tell if Jimin is being annoying because he’s secretly bitter about Taehyung not letting Jimin play platonic sugar daddy, or if Jimin really thinks Seokjin would ever give Taehyung a second glance. Or both.
It doesn’t matter. Taehyung can and will take care of himself.
—
After stumbling around in search of a bathroom, Taehyung finds himself mostly sober again and nursing a headache. He gets lost on his way back to wherever he came from, and ends up in some long, dark corridor, but the air is cooler here, less stifling and sweet, the sounds of everyone else muted. He leans against a wall and stares up at the ceiling. A pair walk past him, one of them human and one not, the human stumbling as the vampire supports most of their body weight, probably high after getting their blood drained and filled with whatever vampire venom makes people so pliant. Taehyung’s mouth twists into a frown.
He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Pretending? Faking it until he makes it? Wasting his own time? He took tomorrow off of work on the off chance that he actually does manage to work his way into some one-time contract with someone, but right now he feels more out of his depth than ever. He’s never even let his best friend slash soulmate bite him, partly because they’ve never had to do that, but there have been a couple of occasions over the years in which Jimin was a little hungry and out of blood bags. It could have happened, but it was so—intimate. Too much so, even for the two of them, but here Taehyung was, ready to be bitten for cash. Yeah, he’s broke.
Taehyung can’t picture it, or doesn’t want to, but even as he argues to himself that he never “wanted” this in the first place—some wistful fantasy takes form in his thoughts. Crooked fingers and a titled smile and suddenly being dragged off into the night sounds much more appealing.
I need another fucking drink , he thinks to himself, and sets off to get one.
—
Fifteen minutes later and three shots down, Taehyung is back where he’d found himself when he and Jimin got here. At least Taehyung’s not just slouching in his seat anymore looking despondent. His shirt is still hanging off his shoulder but he’s actually trying to play it up, smiles at the people who catch his eye, bats his lashes at the first one who talks to him and lets himself be led to the floor to dance. He’s super numb about all of it, but he’s not a bad actor.
The vampire dancing with him is a woman this time, her eyes unnaturally vibrant and heavy, her long black hair pinned perfectly in place. Taehyung shivers when she leans in near his neck to scent him, mostly out of a lingering fear and not much else, but at least he’s not thinking about Seokjin.
Or, at least he wasn’t.
His skin breaks into goosebumps before anything else, the feeling of being watched digging into him with a sudden urgency. The vampire in front of him tilts her head almost in the same breadth of a second, but unlike the first time Taehyung spots Seokjin before his temporary company.
Jin’s not anywhere near them this time either, across the room at one of the tables, hardly visible past the movement of other people, but noticeable regardless.
Taehyung doesn’t realize he and Seokjin are caught-up in a private staring contest until the vampire—of which he can’t remember the name of—bumps into him now that he’s gone stock still. She turns to glance behind her, confused to what has his attention so wholly, and catches sight of Seokjin a moment later.
“Are you two here together? Because he doesn’t look too happy,” she says rather bluntly. Taehyung blinks at her, laughter bursting from him before he can stop it.
“No, we’re not.” Apparently Jin’s upset is obvious even to a stranger, though.
“Do you want to be here together?” She asks.
“You really cut to the chase,” Taehyung says, looking down at the floor. The lights pulsate for a moment, in time to the low music.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she says. “I hope you realize what my intentions were. I wanted to contract you.”
The alcohol has left Taehyung loose enough not to flush in embarrassment while discussing contracting so openly, though it’s a near thing, and he nods along. “Yeah of course. We can still—he and I really aren’t—“
She gives him a look, part pity and clear apprehension, and it’s clear to Taehyung that it wouldn’t matter what he said to her at this point, she’s clearly got it in her head that Seokjin has some kind of claim on him. If only she knew. “No offense, but you’re not worth getting into a fight with Seokjin-ssi over. You know he owns this place?”
Taehyung has to exercise a lot of restraint not to laugh again, though he’s nothing near amused.
“Yup. Sorry for wasting your time,” he gets out, managing a smile when she pats over his hair once before walking off.
Alone, Taehyung takes a second to regroup. He has a few options. Pack it up, call it a night, take a shower and diligently pretend none of this ever happened. That, and hope that the next time he and Seokjin saw each other Jin would be over whatever has him in such a mood, and they never speak of it again. Or, let his tipsy brain do what his sober self would not and speak to him.
Talking to Jin sounds nice, even though Taehyung isn’t sober enough to promise himself he won’t say anything embarrassing, but at this point he’s past that. He’s been embarrassed. Even yelling at him for acting strange and inadvertently hurting both Taehyung’s ego and feelings, sounds nice. Being near Seokjin in any capacity sounds nice, all the time.
His eyes find Seokjin who is still sitting across the room, no longer looking at Taehyung but directing his brooding glare to everyone around him.
Taehyung is closing the distance between them and sliding into the other side of the booth before he thinks it through, a frown between his brows.
Seokjin doesn’t deign to so much and look at him, his hand coming into view as he raises his glass to drink. Taehyung feels some itch under his skin at suddenly being ignored, even if the sight of Seokjin’s hand around his glass is simultaneously giving Taehyung no shortage of impure ideas.
“So you’re going to scare everyone else off and then ignore me?” Taehyung isn’t yelling, but his voice is pitched in an ugly way, and he can hardly force himself to stop it.
Seokjin’s eyes flicker over to him, and Taehyung slumps under the weight of his attention. “I promise I’m not ignoring you.”
He’d sputter if he tried to speak, so he doesn’t, but the look he’s giving Jin is probably close to incredulous.
“You look stunning.”
“Are you messing with me, Seokjin-ssi? You think this is funny?”
“No, I don’t,” Seokjin says, and Taehyung feels a little cowed under the strength of it.
“You hate me being here that much then? I don’t understand.” It’s a hair's-breadth away from blatant whining, but he doesn’t care.
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Seokjin asks, completely ignoring Taehyung’s question, but the look on his face is cracked open, closer to what it had been earlier.
Yes, friends. Taehyung would say they’re friends. They’ve known each other a good five years now, and Taehyung has had a horrible, debilitating crush on him for the entirety of them. Seokjin is the type of friend to call on birthdays and give wonderful gifts on holidays, the type to carefully choose who he allows the privilege of being close to him. He's a lot older than Taehyung—like, lifetimes older—and deadly beautiful. He’s a lot of things and one of them happens to be Taehyung’s friend.
“Yes hyung,” Taehyung says.
Seokjin nods. Another thing about Seokjin: he’s painfully honest, all the time. And when he’s not, it’s not hard to tell, even if most people would argue otherwise. Taehyung knows him, at least enough to trust what he says to be the truth.
“I don’t want anyone contracting you.”
The words don’t make sense for a second too long, Taehyung squinting at him like it’s going to piece itself together. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I do have a problem with you being here, but not for whatever reason you’re imagining.”
Taehyung’s heart rate picks up, a moment of irrational fear overcoming him. What is Seokjin insinuating? That this was dangerous? There has to be something seriously wrong for Seokjin to make such a bold request but—he’s an owner, and any business owner wants to make a profit, regardless of the risk to those who’re dumb enough to partake. Though, Jimin wouldn’t let Taehyung do something that was an actual threat to his safety either.
“What? You’re not making sense.”
Jin’s eyes flicker from Taehyung to the table and back again. “My reasoning is purely selfish, please don’t get startled.”
Swallowing, Taehyung forces himself to calm down. It’s easy to forget that Seokjin could hear his heart rate, hearing sensitive enough to distinguish it even in a crowded room.
“Just—tell me,” Taehyung pleads, more confused than startled at this point.
“It’s selfish, as I’ve said but—I don’t like seeing them near you. It upsets me. You shouldn’t have to ask them in the first place.”
“I’m sorry—what—“ Taehyung cuts himself off, having said what too many times in too short a period, but it doesn’t make sense, not any of it. “First of all, hyung, you don’t have any right to say that.” Taehyung watches Seokjin flinch at the frost in his tone, but he barrels on. “Are you being serious? Second of all—I shouldn’t have to? Of course not. But I still have the right to make my own decisions.”
Taehyung huffs, his eyes narrowed and face flushed, alcohol fuzzy-ing his thoughts around the edges and emboldening him.
“I know that, of course I know that. I wanted to be honest with you.” Seokjin drains the rest of whatever is in his glass. His jaw clenches around nothing, and Taehyung hates that he even notices. “I’m not upset with you or judging you, or anything of the sort.”
Unimpressed, annoyed, and tipsier than he’s been all night, Taehyung crosses his arms. “Who’re you upset with then, every other vampire here? That doesn’t—“
“Yes,” Seokjin snaps. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I don’t like them all over you, and I’m not claiming it’s rational.”
“Why?” Taehyung asks, and while he’s meant to sound snappish, it comes out much breathier than he’s comfortable with.
Seokjin opens his mouth only to shut it after a heavy moment of consideration. Taehyung’s sure he’s never seen him so close to flustered in all their time of knowing each other.
Taehyung rises in his seat, indignation taking hold of him once more. “Tell me. Or I’ll—I’ll find someone to contract me and this time I won’t let you or anyone else stop me.”
“You won’t. Not tonight or any other night. You can find somewhere else to go if you have to,” Jin responds, tone frigid and utterly unwavering. Seokjin truly intends to keep him. From everyone else? What other reason was there?
“You’re being unfair,” Taehyung says, and it's pathetic that he feels his lower lip trembling. The idea that Seokjin detests the idea of him being here so strongly hurts him deeply.
There’s another pause, where Seokjin seems nearly regretful of taking such a tone with him. It’s not often they fight, or even disagree, but it was likely due to the fact that they didn’t see each other too often to begin with. Taehyung had no reason to seek him out outside of the gatherings Jimin invited him to, and even if he did, he hardly thinks he has the guts to initiate anything with Seokjin, not even idle conversation.
“I’ll contract you,” Seokjin says, in the midst of Taehyung’s angsting. It startles him so much that Taehyung thinks he’s started hearing things. He doesn’t have a chance to begin to recover before Jin is barreling on. “I don’t want them near you, they’re below you, but that doesn’t mean you should have to suffer. I’ll contract you right here. Tonight.”
Oh. Taehyung feels dizzy all of a sudden, and not just from the alcohol. In all their years of knowing each other they’ve never come close to the subject, never even skirted the topic.
It’s insane. Taehyung stares open-mouthed. “You want to contract me?” He burns bright red immediately after but it can’t be helped. He’s still unsure he’s not just hearing things.
“Yes,” Seokjin says, and his expression is tight.
“Hang on—hang on.” Taehyung feels like doubling over. “You’ve never even suggested anything near—ever, not once and now you want to contract me? Just like that? You expect me to be okay with you contracting me out of pity?”
Taehyung is rambling, he knows. His mess of thoughts are indiscernible from the next. His eyes lock with Jin, who is surprisingly (or not surprisingly) completely composed. His only tell is the grip his hand has on his empty glass, and the faintest tick in his brow. What a horribly confusing and beautiful creature.
“I can’t believe you,” Taehyung mutters, an afterthought.
“I never knew you’d be open to a contract until now. It’s far from pity,” Seokjin replies. Taehyung’s astonishment only increases, if possible.
“You’re making it sound like you’ve been waiting for me to—to announce my availability so that you could claim me before everyone else.”
Seokjin purses his lips, eyes sliding off Taehyung and back into the room. “You were never available to anyone else to begin with, but you’re not far off.”
“Oh my God. You are unbelievable.”
“So I’ve been told. I’ve said my piece. Please don’t feel obligated to decide one way or the other, but know that I’ve never once acted out of pity towards you.” Seokjin tilts his head at him, eyes as dark and alluring as ever, maybe more so. Taehyung can’t catch a break.
“Right,” Taehyung says flatly. “It’s you or find somewhere else, if I’m lucky.”
“I’m sure your luck has yet to run out.”
Why would Jin even entertain this? Taehyung doesn’t imagine he’s any better than the next guy, but maybe he’s wrong. Only, Jin has never scented Taehyung, and he isn’t so sure saying yes to Jin’s sudden proposal would end well when he has no idea what Taehyung tastes like—or even what he may taste like. The thought of Seokjin finding him unappealing has Taehyung withering inside, but the possibility is too real to ignore.
“You’ve never scented me,” Taehyung points out, redundantly. “What if I taste bad to you?”
An expression Taehyung can’t quite read passes over Seokjin’s face. “I doubt that’s going to be an issue, but if it makes you feel better I’m more than happy to scent you beforehand.”
Embarrassed, Taehyung huffs. “You’re the one risking a bad meal and your own money. I’m only trying to think this through before making any rash decisions.”
It’s the truth. Taehyung likes him, as horrifying and uncomfortable as it is to remind himself of the fact, and he knows Jin would be the type of person to shrug the entire thing off even if it didn’t go well. He’d probably smile the certain way he does, the way that leaves most people enamored, pay Taehyung anyway, and act as if nothing ever happened.
Taehyung would have to pretend he didn’t care then and everytime after that, and he knows he’s not good enough at faking his emotions to pull that off.
“I see you as a lot more than a meal,” Jin says, and Taehyung looks back at him from where his eyes had fallen. “I hope you realize this.”
He sounds sort of pissed, and Taehyung trembles in his seat. Not out of fear, because having any normal reaction to someone as beautiful as Seokjin is far from realistic, but from some twisted urge to agree and make Jin look at him softly again.
“Yeah. We’re friends.” Taehyung bites his lip. “Okay.”
Jin stills completely, the barest of smiles gracing his lips. “Okay? You want—“
“You scent me first,” Taehyung manages to say without sounding too embarrassed. “And you—you should bite me, just to be sure, before you commit to anything.”
Seokjin is already standing from the table, his eyes set on Taehyung. “I’m not sure why you’re so apprehensive about my own decision making skills.” Taehyung allows himself to be guided from his seat, now headed towards the door he knows lead to the private booths. “But I have no objections.”
—
His heart is racing. It’s not like he can very well control it, and no amount of slow breathing is going to change that.
Nervously, he wrings his hands together. Maybe that last shot was a bad idea, because he still can’t think clearly and he’s nervous as hell, unable and unwilling to voice any one of his thoughts.
Worse still was the knowledge that Jin could hear his racing heart, could see him even through the darkness of the small room. He feels unbearably exposed. Expectedly, Seokjin makes no comment of his fidgeting or heart palpitations. He sits at the booth, waiting.
Taehyung swallows, steps forward. Pauses.
“Are you going to keep me waiting Taehyung?” Jin asks, when Taehyung makes no other move, locked in place by his own indecisiveness.
“Where do you want me?” He blurts, and it’s not like he’s trying to make this any more awkward than it needs to be, but count on him to do so anyway.
“Come here,” Jin says instead of giving him a proper answer, and Taehyung obeys. On autopilot, his body arranges itself so that he’s stood between Seokjin’s legs, parted to allow Taehyung room to settle closer. One of Jin’s hands comes to rest on the curve of his waist as they had earlier, only now Taehyung is able to watch Seokjin’s face while he does it.
Seokjin is staring up at him with an unreadable expression, eyes roaming from where his hand lay, to the mess of Taehyung’s hair and back again, patiently, as though he has all the time in the world. Taehyung can’t help but remenate on the fact that Jin is being billed not only for the amount of blood he may or may not take, but for every minute they spend here together. Seokjin, if his unhurriedness is anything to go by, seems completely unconcerned about it.
“Jin-hyung,” Taehyung says eventually, when Seokjin’s hand begins to burn a hole over the point of contact between them. Jin may be calm, patient, easygoing in the face of this all, but Taehyung isn’t. He’s never been patient and here and now most certainly isn’t going to be the moment he starts.
“Yes?” Jin says, at length.
Taehyung’s jittery. He’s waiting for Seokjin to make a move or direct him to move, but he does neither. Although Taehyung is very much already in-between the jaws of a predator, laid bare and ready to be devoured, the chase doesn’t feel over. Not at all, and his thoughts turn against him to conjure up the striking image of a cat playing with its prey before committing to the deed. Growing up he had a cat who’d mortally injure whatever unlucky creature it could find, just to give it hope it might survive. He always thought it was cruel…
“I don’t have all night,” Taehyung settles on, which is a laughable retort at best, but he’s fatally wounded now, in every place Jin’s touch has decided to stray.
His knees nearly buckle when Jin’s hand snakes under the hem of his crop-top, large hand wide on his abdomen all at once. This is the part where the pathetic little creature falls over and dies for real, after the cat grows bored and hungry.
“I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that you were mine so long as I’m paying to have you here. Unless you’d like to leave?” His dark eyes flicker to the exit just over Taehyung’s shoulder, and Taehyung shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “You can leave, Tae-yah. I would never keep you here against your wishes.”
Oh, great. Taehyung has been resurrected so that the predator with pretty eyes and deadly teeth may ask him to beg for it. Of course.
He frowns. “I don’t want to leave, I want you to do something.”
“Oh?” Jin’s hand trails featherlight under Taehyung’s shirt, goosebumps breaking out on his skin in its wake. “You should’ve said so. Try asking nicely.”
“Hyung,” Taehyung whines, but the only reaction that elicits is the smallest of grins. “Please,” He manages, which surprises even himself. It feels needy.
Flushing, Taehyung wills the heat to dissipate from his face and prays that Seokjin may take pity on him and do something.
“Getting closer. Please? Please what?” Jin’s fingers curl, the pads of his fingers digging into the flesh of Taehyung’s tummy the smallest amount. He jolts, gasping.
Having had quite enough, Taehyung yanks Jin’s hand away by his wrist, steps away to shove his legs closed, and sits directly on Jin’s lap.
“You’re not being very nice, and I think you owe me a little kindness after so boldly ripping me away from everyone else.” Taehyung looks up at him from under his lashes, now settled resolutely on his lap with legs bracketing Jin’s hips, trying to look cute but not having to play up his bashfulness. He has absolutely no idea what he’s doing, or should be doing, but he wasn’t very well going to give in to Jin’s annoying little game without at least trying to play his own angle.
To his delight it seems to work, at least for now, Seokjin looking much less smug.
Jin brushes a clump of Taehyung’s hair away from his eyes, gaze tracing over the shape of Taehyung’s face, still tilted up at him. “And if I’m not nice?”
Taehyung would be nervous right about now, if this were anyone else. He can’t imagine Seokjin being anything but kind to him, even when he’s being inexplicably territorial over Taehyung, even when he’s looking every bit the predator Taehyung knows he’s capable of being.
Jimin’s earlier words go filtering through his thoughts, and Taehyung reassess: Seokjin is looking at him like he wants to eat him, and he has not one issue with this.
He leans in, hovering closer. Jin always smells so good, which may be strange to say, but it was stranger not to. Everything about him made Taehyung ache with want, invited want, redefined what it meant to be desirable, and here they were, so very close .
“I don’t think you have it in you to be anything but gentle with me,” Taehyung says, with finality. He’s sure of this much.
A hand wraps around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer, nothing but a breath between them. Taehyung has to force himself not to make an embarrassing sound. “Perhaps I’ve been more transparent than I thought.”
Jin doesn’t wait for Taehyung to respond, tilting his head to the side to lean in and press his nose to the skin of his neck. Taehyung feels himself tense for a dizzying moment, heat spreading from the point of contact to the rest of his body, electric and overwhelming for something so objectively insignificant.
“Hyung,” he says, with no real purpose, and curls his hands into the silky collar of Jin’s shirt.
He feels Jin’s gentle scenting ghost over him, and he’s nearly trembling only a few moments later. He’s never felt this way before, not even during activities that would certainly warrant it. He feels everything as though it was amplified, seeping into him slowly and tremendous.
“You smell very good, Tae-yah,” Seokjin murmurs against Taehyung’s collar, and it takes a great deal of self restraint to not start begging. For what, he doesn’t care.
His grip on Seokjin’s poor shirt has only gotten tighter, and he uses it to pull him closer. It’s Jin who rests his hands on the top of Taehyung’s thighs and tries to calm him.
“Breathe. I’m not going anywhere,” Seokjin assures, though Taehyung doubts logic will reach him right now.
“Bite me,” Taehyung demands, entire body buzzing with some unknown energy. “You wanted me, right? I want you,” he declares, completely unprompted.
“I want you,” Seokjin agrees, and his hands feel so nice on Taehyung’s legs. His waist feels so nice between Taehyung’s thighs. He feels so nice, so nice, so nice.
Taehyung whines when Seokjin pulls away, warm eyes zero’d in on his. “Why did you stop?” Taehyung breathes, feeling brave and dizzy on proximity.
Without answering, Seokjin’s hand cups the swell of his cheek, and Taehyung doesn’t fight the urge to lean into it. He feels inadvisably safe all of a sudden, put under by the knowledge that he was here sharing a moment with none other than Seokjin, his sweet charming Jinnie. There was something so comforting about knowing him the way Taehyung did, albeit limitedly, Seokjin has never given anything but a dazzling impression on those he encountered. Taehyung wanted to say he knew more—to at the very least say he was Jin’s friend as much as Jin was his.
“Taehyung-ah, I don't think—maybe this is not a good idea.”
The illusion of comfort shatters, Taehyung’s eyes snapping wide from where he had unconsciously shut them. He feels his stomach bottom out, hazy to mortified in an instant.
“What—?”
Taehyung feels a thumb brush the apple of his cheek, where Jin’s hand still rests. Oh. Jin must not want this; Taehyung feels something inside him shrivel up and die while another part of him feels partially relieved. He was right to ask Jin scent him properly first, before anything else, they hadn’t even gotten to—
“I’m not interested in contracting you only this once. And I’m fairly certain that’s what you had in mind.” Taehyung watches his jaw muscles tense, restraint in his movements. “I’ve already been incredibly selfish but I can’t ask anymore than I have.”
Taehyung does not follow. Jin is saying he doesn’t want to contract him, but how that equates to being selfish, he isn’t sure.
He bites his lip, face burning with shame. “You’re not selfish. You have just as much a right to stop as I do.”
Jin’s responding scoff has Taehyung looking up, and he watches Seokjin swallow heavily around nothing. “I’d hate to see what I’d have to do for you to think so, then. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, it was the farthest thing from my intentions, but I couldn’t help myself.” He seems to have more to say, but his mouth works around empty syllables with no end.
Taehyung’s not prepared for the rest.
“I want you—too much. I almost dragged you away the moment I saw you here, but I knew—“ Seokjin’s breath shutters out of him. “If I had you even once, I wouldn't allow anyone else near you for the rest of time.”
Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding. Taehyung unfurls himself, back straightening and hands itching with a renewed energy. Jin wants him. He does, more than once, which would explain—It would explain a lot. Jin watches him with something bordering on sadness, and Taehyung thinks: you don’t have to be. Neither of us do . It may be one of his better thoughts of the night.
“You’re going to let me go then?” Taehyung asks, slowly, as if testing the waters. “And find someone else?”
Something dark flashes over Seokjin’s features, but he doesn’t move to protest, mouth shut. He nods slowly, and Taehyung feels a smile curl at his lips.
“Really? You’ll leave me be, so easily? You won’t give yourself a taste, even once?”
Jin’s features are cloudy with muted upset, but Taehyung can’t stop now that he’s started, the part of himself he’s kept trained into submission around Seokjin rushing to the surface for the first time. “After all the trouble you went through, that’s a shame.”
Taehyung's eyes flicker downward to where Jin’s hand rests delicately upon his face, and he makes a decision in the same moment, trailing his own hand up his body in a show to peel Jin’s hand away. Taehyung encourages Jin’s fingers to curl around his wrist instead, and guides his captured hand to just under Jin’s nose.
“Am I not sweet enough?” Taehyung asks, and his heart is beating too loudly for his little seduction to have any proper effect, but Seokjin looks enraptured by him anyway, pupils huge and mouth just barely parted.
He startles when Seokjin yanks his hand away, now breathing heavily through his mouth. “Have you lost your mind, Taehyung? Don’t you get what I’m trying to tell you? I bite you and you and I are stuck together for the foreseeable future. You’re mine until—“
Taehyung lolls his head back, shutting his eyes, and he loathes to take his eyes off of Seokjin for even a moment but he's tired of the dancing, he’d like to either be let go or pinned down. “You promise?” He says simply, and suddenly his world is spinning.
Seokjin moves at an inhuman speed, and from one second to the next Taehyung is manhandled from his lap to lay stomach-up across the sofa. When he opens his eyes Taehyung is wearing the smallest of grins, and he knows he must look satisfied as all hell, but he can’t wipe the emotion from his face. Seokjin is hovering just above him, hair tousled and breathing heavily, and Taehyung wiggles in place. “Comfy,” he says teasingly.
“Tell me this is what you want, Taehyung-ah, because I mean what I say.”
Taehyung marvels at the sight of sharp k-nines around the movement of Jin’s mouth, larger than they’d been all night.
There’s a moment of complete silence between them, where Taehyung stares at Jin with more open emotion than he has previously ever dared, and decides once again that there is nothing he’d like more. His arms wind around Seokjin’s broad shoulders, where one of his hands settles behind his neck. He doesn’t say anything more, and when he guides Seokjin down, Jin moves without protest.
“Bite me here,” Taehyung whispers. “I want you close to me. Please.”
He melts against the seat when Jin presses all the way against him, his nose and mouth cool against the flushed skin of his neck. He feels Jin press his lips down once in a kiss, twice, before tentatively licking the skin. It’s a ghosting touch, but he feels the sensation sear him. Taehyung wonders if he tastes any good, if there’s any appeal in doing this or if Seokjin is trying to comfort him, even now.
When Jin bites, Taehyung is surprised by the pain. He shouldn’t be, because regardless of how sharp fangs may appear, it must be impossible not to feel someone biting down on you, but it only lasts a second before the pressure and pain dissolves to a pinch, and from a pinch to something else. It must all happen quickly, but it feels longer. He relaxes without thought, leaning against Seokjin who supports him easily, hands back on his waist.
“Oh…” he says to himself, when the tingle begins to feel almost—good. Almost becomes a definite yes, and Taehyung remembers the way he’s seen humans get after being bitten. Loose and pliant with venom, delirious, when given a lot.
The rush is heady and wonderful, unexpected but appreciated and he’s leaning entirely against Seokjin by the time he pulls away.
He giggles when he feels Seokjin lap at the wound, tongue soft on his skin. “Feels good,” he slurs, so very content.
“Tae-yah,” Seokjin says, and he sounds breathier too, which Taehyung privately thinks is quite nice. “Have you ever been bitten?”
“Mm, nope,” Taehyung says, leaning up on his forearms to get a better look at Jin’s face. He seems to be frowning a bit, which Taehyung doesn’t like. “What’s that look for?”
“I just—didn’t know that. Are you feeling alright? Venom affects everyone differently. I didn't use much, and I took very little blood.” Seokjin is still frowning, and Taehyung presses his thumb in between his brows to flatten it out, satisfied when it causes Jin to smile at him.
“I’m more than alright.” Taehyung hasn’t felt this good, ever. He could do anything. “Do I taste good?” It sounds absolutely ridiculous, and the question makes him giggle.
“Yes, you do.” Seokjin is smiling too, eyes creased ever slightly and eyes impossibly soft again, miles away from what they’d been minutes ago. It was surprising how quickly he could switch between hungry and utterly sweet, like it was effortless. “Not that it surprised me.”
Taehyung stares up at him starry-eyed. He laughs again. “You’re very pretty, Jinnie-hyung.”
The smile lighting up his face dissolves back into a frown. Taehyung pouts. “Tae-yah, I barely gave you any venom. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? It should start wearing off already.”
Taehyung shrugs, and the movement causes his shirt to shift, exposing his tummy. The cold air feels good on his skin. “I already told you, I'm more than fine. Sad you stopped.”
Taehyung’s never had any reason for vampire venom to be anywhere near him, and he assumes that the floatiness he’s experiencing is on-par, but then again he has no actual point of reference. The light at the edges of his vision is starting to dim, however, and maybe that should be concerning, actually, but he doesn’t feel much of anything.
It’s not until Seokjin’s deeply concerned expression registers, that Taehyung notes he’s being spoken to.
“‘M sorry. I can’t—I can’t focus.” Taehyung’s eyes slide shut, his head lolling to the side.
Seokjin is saying something. It’s the very last thing he remembers.
—
When Taehyung comes to, he’s in the back of an unfamiliar car, the sound of tires rolling over wet asphalt the only ambient noise.
He blinks up at the ceiling, startled when it’s Jimin who speaks, his lap currently pillowing Taehyung’s head. “Tae, are you alright?”
Taehyung blinks. “Huh? Where’s hyung? How’d I even—“
“Calm down,” Jimin hushes him. “You’re fine, by the way. Jin is driving.” The teasing tone about Taehyung being fine isn’t lost on him, but Taehyung is too confused to dwell on it.
“You… fainted, from his venom, I think. We’re going home now.”
“Oh.” Taehyung isn’t even sure where to begin. “Sorry,” he says and then cringes about.
Jimin hums in response, but Taehyung can’t help but notice the utter silence from Seokjin. Taehyung isn’t sure he could have imagined a worse way for things to go; Jin must be annoyed, at best.
The rest of the drive home is met with complete silence, and Taehyung doesn’t move to sit or do anything but stare at the passing light on the ceiling of the car, too zoned out to focus on anything else. Jin said he took only a little blood, not enough to satisfy, just a taste really. Taehyung is miserable about this.
When the car rolls to a stop and the engine cuts, Taehyung still doesn’t want to move. He feels better now, if a little spacey still, but he doesn’t want to look Jin in the eyes ever again, nor be looked at. How pathetic.
Jimin gently nudges him upright, and Taehyung goes without complaint. When he dares a glance toward the front, he’s surprised to see Jin staring at him through the rear view mirror, expression carefully blank. It takes a lot for Taehyung not to immediately jerk away and be obvious about his inner turmoil.
“Jimin-ah, would you mind going ahead first? I'd like to take Taehyung in.”
Taehyung does jerk away this time, right to Jimin who doesn’t seem to have a problem with this suggestion in the slightest. Jimin agrees, ignoring the look of distress Taehyung is begging him to meet, and steps out of the car on his own. He’s gone in the second after that.
It happens so quickly Taehyung is reeling, but he has no time to recover, Seokjin out of the car and opening the passenger side for Taehyung before he has the chance to feel awkward at being left alone again.
Seokjin doesn’t look annoyed, or angry. But Taehyung knows Jin is good at hiding his true feelings when necessary. He’s better than good. Taehyung shuffles out of the car, a small sound of surprise pulled from him when Jin grabs onto the crook of his elbow, ever gently.
He doesn’t say anything, but Taehyung feels himself grow itchy with tension by the time they reach the elevator in the parking deck.
“Jin-hyung, I’m so sorry that—that happened. I had no idea that it was even possible. I completely understand if you’d rather not… do this again, with me.” Taehyung says into the static, hoping that Jin might understand just how sorry he feels. Words couldn’t begin to describe his embarrassment.
He dares a glance towards Jin, who is staring straight ahead at the closed elevator doors, making no move to meet his gaze. “Taehyung, I will say this once, so please listen carefully. I don’t want an apology. It wasn’t your fault. I should have asked before anything else if you’d ever been bitten, but I got so caught up in the moment—It’s no excuse. I beg your forgiveness.”
Taehyung frowns, but before he can begin to respond the doors shutter open, a couple waiting inside to get off. Jin still doesn’t look his way, but dips his head in greeting to the couple as they walk past. Both of them stare at Jin as they pass, probably enraptured by his unexpected beauty.
Jin gently tugs him forward while Taehyung is too busy with his thoughts to realize they need to enter, and stumbles slightly going in.
He sighs. “If you won’t accept my apology don’t offer me one of your own, either. I don’t want it.”
Jin frowns, his eyes flickering to the floor in frustration. “Fine.”
The ride up to the lobby is awkward and silent. Taehyung is beginning to feel somewhat angry, not at Jin, nor at himself, but perhaps the entire sequence of events. He hates that he wants Jin so badly and he hates that he can’t have him—apparently not even in the one way he thought plausible, given and taken away in such rapid succession.
The doors open to the lobby of his apartment building what feels like a hundred years later, and simultaneously it’s not long enough. The thought of not seeing Seokjin for however long again is more upsetting than usual, even coupled against everything else.
Jin follows him out, and Taehyung bites his lip when he realizes he should say something before just walking off to wallow. He doesn’t know what, though.
“Taehyung-ah.” Taehyung hears behind him, and he spins around in half a second. Jin stands close. “I—Are you okay?”
Taehyung looks up at him, and the tension that had been brewing between them feels to dissolve just like that. Jin’s eyes are open with emotion, which in itself is rare. “Yes,” he answers, and it’s mostly true.
Jin nods, and Taehyung can’t help but think of how easy it would be for Jin to touch him again, in any way, even innocently. He wants it.
“We never discussed proper payment. Or a possible schedule, or anything else,” Jin says, and Taehyung closes off the emotion from his face, aiming for cautious. “If you still want to, I’d like to discuss everything, officially. I’ll have tonight’s time sent to you by tomorrow. We can work off that.”
Taehyung has to keep the blooming joy from spreading across his very visible face with a desperate sort of resolution, but he manages, just. “Oh. That’s fine. We can talk more later. I’m… tired.”
It’s true, but Taehyung also needs some space to think even a little clearly again. Jin makes that impossible, and he just knows Jimin is going half-insane waiting for him to go and divulge details about everything.
Jin hesitates another moment, and brings his hand up to ghost over the curve of his cheek. His touches, while not entirely rare to this point, have been feather-light, delicate, almost afraid. Taehyung both loathes and loves it.
“Later is a good idea. You need more rest than I do.” Taehyung huffs. “Goodnight.”
Taehyung can’t resist the urge to reach out and tug on the fabric of Jin’s shirt once, just to keep him there a moment longer, though he can’t say why.
“Goodnight.”