Word count: 2,325
Your gloved hands grabbed onto the pesky weeds that had invaded Jungkook's once pristine garden, wrenching them from the dirt and tossing them into a nearby wheelbarrow. You brought some gardening tools along with you, but Jungkook was nice enough to provide some for you, though a few of them had been rusted and worn from not being used over the last few centuries, the wheelbarrow being one of them. Though withered by time, it did the job and that's all that mattered.
"I would offer you a refreshment but I do not have food." Jungkook mentioned.
"That's alright." You smiled. "I brought something to drink and some snacks."
He nodded, feeling a bit more at ease knowing you had something to keep you sustained.
You moved over to the next section of the garden and began removing the weeds from there.
"I was unsure you would return." Jungkook voiced aloud as his hands twisted the handle of his black umbrella.
"I told you I would."
"You are a woman of your word." He smiled softly. "Do you need some assistance?"
"I've got it." You assured him.
"I feel a bit useless standing here. If it is not too much to ask, perhaps you could start teaching me how humans talk these days."
You chuckled softly. "Okay. I'm not sure where to start."
"You seem to shorten your words. Perhaps we can start there?"
"Alright. Shortening your words is just easier and it's not very formal. You speak very formally but no one talks like that these days."
"Okay."
You perked up hearing him say that, a small smirk playing at the corner of your lips.
"See? I can learn." He grinned, flashing his adorable front teeth and fangs.
"Let's see it, then. Say something with shortened words."
"I'm very pleased that you are teaching me how to fit in."
"Not bad." You nodded, tossing a large clump of weeds into the wheelbarrow. "You can shorten you are to you're. Try again."
"I'm very pleased that you're teaching me how to fit in."
You chuckled softly. He still sounded a bit proper, but it was good progress.
"Have you ever heard the word lame?" You asked him.
"I have. It means to be unable to walk without difficulty. For most cases it is used to describe the state of an animal."
"Not exactly. I mean, yes that's what it can mean but when it's used these days it means something was disappointing."
"Could I have an example?"
"Let's say someone went to see a movie and after they watched it they say the film was lame."
"Ah." The vampire nodded. "I see. This garden work must be lame." His eyes glimmered expectantly as he waited for you to react.
You cracked a smile, letting out a string of chuckles that made Jungkook's heart soar.
"To some it might be, but not to me." You laughed.
"Teach me more."
You went through a few more words that came to mind, Jungkook listening intently and taking in everything you said. He would try to use the words in a sentence and you'd be lying if you said you weren't impressed with how easy he was taking in the information.
Grunting, you tried to yank a particularly stubborn weed that seemed to be rooted deeply in the earth. Both your hands were wrapped tightly around the cluster of leaves and spouts, pulling on them as hard as you could.
"Allow me." Jungkook stepped in.
Before you could turn down his offer, he grabbed hold of the weeds with one hand and jerked them from the ground with ease, the long, scraggly roots ripping from the ground as small chunks of dirt went flying through the air.
"Woah."
"This is why I offered my assistance."
After that, you let him help you out, but only if you really needed it.
You clipped the tops of one of the many bushes in the garden, snipping away at the untidy branches that stuck out, giving shape to the shrub.
"They look better already." Jungkook marveled.
"I'm no expert but I know how to trim in a somewhat straight line." You chuckled. "Are you okay with this square shape?"
"Yes." He nodded. "It's very uniform."
"Hey, look at you." You grinned. "You're already implementing what you learned."
"Are you proud of me?"
"Of course I am."
***
You had made significant progress on the garden and with the help of Jungkook, you were able to get things done much quicker. Over the span of four days you were able to clear out all the weeds and get the bushes pruned.
"Be careful with those." Jungkook warned, watching as you cautiously trimmed the rose bushes with a small pair of handheld clippers.
They had a few buds on them, but there were many dead branches and if they were trimmed away, the blooms would flourish and the bush would produce more.
You could tell Jungkook was anxious, so you decided to make conversation.
"So, you have super strength. I'm curious, what other special abilities do you have as a vampire?"
"I can smell very well, though I believe that is obvious. I can hear things that a human cannot and I can run incredibly fast. I can also see well in the dark."
"So, the typical vampire abilities."
"I suppose. If that's what you would define as typical."
"Can you hypnotize people?"
"I cannot."
"Can you read minds?"
"That's absurd. How would that even be possible?"
"Can your saliva heal people?"
"Repulsive." His face scrunched up.
"What about your blood?"
"I haven't tried."
"Can you turn into a bat?"
"I am a vampire, not a shapeshifter."
"Ouch!" You yelped, jerking your hand out of the thorny rose bush.
Jungkook hastened towards you as you pulled your glove off and examined your finger.
"Are you alright?" He questioned.
Your eyes scanned over your digit, looking for any sign of injury.
"I'm fine." You breathed a sigh of relief, Jungkook doing the same. "It just pricked me but not enough to draw blood."
"Thank heavens."
Jungkook carefully took your hand to glance at it before pressing a gentle kiss to the pad of your finger, the action making a wave of heat rush across your cheeks.
"Please be more careful."
You nodded, unable to speak.
"I think now is a good time to rest for a moment."
Again, you could only nod your head.
Jungkook led you inside, closing his umbrella as soon as he was in the safety of his home.
"Please have a seat."
You grabbed the small lunchbox you brought along and took a seat in one of the fancy wingback chairs in the sitting room.
While you unpacked your food and took a sip of water, Jungkook stepped out of the room.
You didn't bring much with you, just a sandwich and a bag of chips, but it was enough to give you the energy you needed to finish up for the day.
Jungkook returned a few seconds later with a wine glass filled with a deep red liquid, you didn't have to guess what it was.
"I hope this does not bother you." He mentioned, taking a seat in the chair across from you. "It's been a few days since I last fed."
"Not at all." You waved your hand, popping a chip into your mouth. Part of you wanted to offer him one just to be kind, but you doubt he would like it.
"You are doing an exceptional job on the garden." He praised, taking a sip from the glass perched between his fingers.
"Thank you."
"It's beginning to look the way I remember it."
"It'll look even better once I'm done."
"I want to help when we go back out."
"You don't have to."
"I want to. Just because I cannot be in the sun doesn't mean I am unable to provide assistance."
You smiled softly. "Thank you."
When your short break ended, you went back out to the garden and got back to trimming the rose bushes, choosing to be more careful this time. Jungkook kept himself busy by watering the clusters of flowers you had cleared all the weeds away from. He felt a sense of tranquility wash over him while he watched the water cascade out of the watering can and onto the buds, coating them well. Being out in the garden was relaxing and brought him a feeling of normalcy he hadn't had in centuries. Even if he had to hold an umbrella to shield himself from the sun's rays, he was still happy to be doing something normal instead of staying cooped up in a dimly lit house all day.
He had never really done work in the garden since he always had people to do it for him, but he enjoyed taking walks through the lush greenery and blossoms to admire their beauty. Even if he was just watering plants, it felt nice and he wondered why he hadn't done it sooner.
His gaze turned to you, admiring you while you trimmed the dead twigs off the rose bushes. You were working your way around the last one, making any needed adjustments. Jungkook couldn't believe how lucky he was to have met you. You were so sweet and kind, offering to help him clean up his garden and agreeing to teach him how the world is nowadays.
It took a few days, but you had finally finished cleaning the yard, successfully restoring the garden to its former glory. During the time you spent tidying up outside, you used that opportunity to simultaneously catch Jungkook up on a few things that have changed over the last few decades. He had been implementing a few of the things you taught him into his daily speech such as shortening his words and attempting to speak more casually.
When you weren't teaching him new things, you were telling him about yourself and your life.
"It looks beautiful." Jungkook commented, gazing out at the pristine garden. "I feel as if I've been transported back to my time."
An accomplished smile settled onto your features. "I'm glad."
"How can I ever thank you?"
You held your hand up. "No need."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. I enjoyed it." You assured him. "Now that all the hard work is out of the way, what do we do?"
"Well," Jungkook took your hand. "I would love to spend some time together—without any distractions like yard work."
"I like the sound of that."
"We could stroll through the garden while we chat." He held his arm out to link with yours.
You looped your arm around his and let him lead you through the garden, making sure to keep his umbrella held up with the other so he wouldn't get burned.
"I still cannot believe you offered to do such a difficult and time-consuming job."
"Cannot?"
"Can't." He corrected. "I can't believe you offered to do such a difficult and time-consuming job."
"Like I said earlier, it's fine. It wasn't too difficult and it's not like all I did was work. You and I got to talk while I cleaned everything up."
"I'm just a little perplexed." He stated. "Why did you offer to help in the first place?"
"Because I could see how reminiscent you were when you were looking at that painting. I wanted to see if I could help restore your garden."
"You are too kind."
Jungkook's seemingly endless compliments and gentlemanly behavior has you falling for him even more than you already had.
"Let's sit under the gazebo." He gestured to the structure that had been cleared of vines that previously wrapped around the posts.
Once in the shade, Jungkook closed his umbrella and took a seat on one of the built-in benches around the perimeter of the gazebo. You sat down beside him, feeling your heart jump into your throat when you looked at him.
You hadn't been this close to Jungkook before, let alone in a well-lit area, but now that you were, you could really see his features, silently admiring them. When you first met him, his home was dark and while you helped clean the garden, he kept his distance so as not to bother you while you worked so you never got the chance to fully take in his appearance. Seeing him now had your heart racing so fast you wondered if he could hear it.
His crimson irises stood out in the natural outdoor light, his skin looking much paler than it had in the dark. The tip of his nose had a soft curve to it and his lips were stuck out into a faint pout that had you yearning to kiss it away.
"What is it?" He inquired, blinking a couple times.
"Nothing." You turned to look away.
"I can hear your heart racing. Are you alright?"
You swallowed thickly. "I'm fine."
He leaned over to glance at your face, scanning it worriedly until it finally clicked, a small smirk gracing his lips.
"There is no need to be nervous around me."
"I'm not nervous."
"Hm." He hummed thoughtfully. "Do I perhaps fluster you, then?"
When you didn't answer he chuckled, muttering a quiet, "Cute." under his breath.
A few moments passed before you stood up and walked towards the railing of the gazebo, gazing out at the garden as you tried to calm the rapid beating of your heart. When you turned around you found Jungkook standing right in front of you, his sudden appearance startling you slightly.
"Tell me, Y/n." Jungkook's hands slid up your sides, leaving tingles in their wake. "Would you ever let a vampire court you?"
You chuckled softly. "Nowadays we say date."
"Then, would you ever let a vampire date you?"
You pressed your lips together, fighting back a grin. "If that vampire is you, then yes."
_____________________________________
I originally didn't have any plans for a part 2 but I did have a few ideas floating around that I wanted to add in the first part and didn't. So, when a reader asked if I would write a part 2, I agreed.
Just a heads up though, the rest of this book is pre-planned and I don't have any room for extra parts. Also all of my extra parts are usually pre-planned so if I don't mention in the author's note that there's a part 2, there won't be one.
DO NOT steal, copy, alter, or repost my works. These are my original ideas and I work very hard on them. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.