Low Stress: Bite Me (Jikook)

Chapter Eighteen: Crescendo

Peaking beyond the golden frame of the large painting hiding Jimin and Jungkook from view, Jimin saw Kim Seokjin enter before he physically felt him. The air in the warehouse became colder as he passed through it, Jimin's breath a light fog against his lips. The vampire prince regarded the space with a contrasting warmth in his eyes and a sad smile on his lips.

Jimin swore he smelled something sweet: if Yoongi was cigars, Seokjin was all roses. The laughing friend from dinner was gone, replaced by a burdened prince whose dark eyes lingered where Jimin and Jungkook hid on the second floor. He gave them a nod, tilting his head as if to tell them to stay there, before reaching for the warehouse door to open it.

Jimin's heart hammered. His neck burned where Yoongi had nearly drunk him dry all those months ago as he listened to each slow, echoing footstep the older took while walking inside. Jimin was shocked to find blood on his fingers as he touched the spot, remembering suddenly that Jungkook had just fed from him too. He was glad for the extremely subtle buzz the venom gave, attempting to call his system.

It hadn't been hard to fall back into a friendly routine with Yoongi after the incident - not really. Ignoring the whole thing was what made it easy enough to pretend nothing changed between Yoongi and Jimin in the first place. They'd party, they'd bicker, Yoongi would say something about someone Jimin was dancing with or Jimin would poke a joke about Yoongi's lazy habits, and they'd moved on. Maybe they both knew that if they talked about it, really talked about what had happened, the aftermath would become inevitable. This aftermath, would be.

As the air turned from a light floral scent to a smoky one, every muscle in Jimin's body involuntarily started to lock. He could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck, his body screaming to run, and his skin burned like it was branded by Yoongi's fangs. Jimin reached for Jungkook, holding onto him as panic started to settle into his chest. He tried to focus on the boy in front of him, on the familiar tattoos inked into his skin, the cinnamon scent of his cologne, or the comforting gleam always present in his eyes. He wasn't alone, Jimin reminded himself. He wasn't alone in the hallway, waiting for Yoongi to attack. He hadn't been alone for months.

"Jimin." Jungkook's soft voice broke through the nausea, pulling Jimin out of his thoughts. Jungkook's hand went to Jimin's hip, lovingly cupping it. His fingers were so gentle, thumb brushing up and down slowly. Jimin almost laughed at how normal it felt, like they were getting ready to head to bed or play video games together.

"Fuck. Fuck." Jimin said as Min Yoongi stopped in the center of the warehouse floor. Moonlight bled through a high window in a single beam, illuminating him like an actor hitting his mark on stage. He was so pale, his dark curls a storm against his cold face. Jimin's hand went for Jungkook's wrist, his grip tight around it. He thought he was ready to see Yoongi like this again, but he was wrong.

Jungkook tilted Jimin's chin up to focus on him instead and Jimin flushed. Slowly, Jimin brought up his hand and wiped some stray blood from Jungkook's lips. He stared at it in wonder, shocked that he'd let Jungkook feed off him not once, but twice, and even more surprised that he'd let Jungkook do it again. Jungkook looked stronger with his eyes glowing gold. Jimin could see it in his muscles, in the way he carried his weight, but there was something more to it than that. Jimin smiled, causing Jungkook to blink in confusion. He supposed the difference now was trust.

"Seokjin better have a good fucking reason for bringing him here." Jungkook said, drawing his fingers down Jimin's arm. His body was tense like he was preparing for a fight, anger dancing in those golden eyes causing Jimin to blush. For the first time, Jungkook truly looked like the supernatural being he now was. There was a sort of detached rage in the air surrounding him, his movements inhumanely still. He held onto Jimin like he'd burn the world down before he'd let anything happen to him. Jimin echoed the sentiment with a weak grin. He might be human, but he worried for Jungkook nonetheless. He always would.