It's obvious what I'm going to say next.
"What happened?"
Jimin gives me a look, and I already know that he won't give me an answer. But instead, he motions at Jungkook.
The boy is completely frozen, his head hung low, his eyes not leaving the floor.
What would had to have happened to make Jungkook act like this?
"That's for Jungkook to tell you at his own time. I'm just here to check on you because Jin hyung told me to." The dark circles seem to come back to Jimin's eyes as he presses his lips together.
Jungkook's words are careful. Like he's walking on water, and a single misplaced word could send him tumbling in.
"What happened, hyung?"
Jimin hesitates for a split second, his expression unreadable. I nearly think that he's not going to tell us when he opens his tightly pursed lips.
"V," He whispers. "Is not in good condition."
I find myself holding my breath in terrifying anticipation as he continues. Part of me doesn't want to hear, to stay ignorant. But I had to know. It would kill me not to.
"Some damn human provoked him, started throwing things. Called him names." Jimin says, rubbing his tired eyes. His tone has anger in them, and I can't help the corners of my eyes curve down in sadness. "But that wasn't the worst part."
Jungkook bites his bottom lip.
"They numbered up on him."
My tongue goes dry, my mouth sticky with horror.
They hit him.
"He couldn't fight back. He lay there, bleeding, and he had to hold his breath and let those damned humans give him blow after blow. Just because he was a vampire. Because he knew all of us would be put down if he resisted."
I'd never been so disgusted of my own race.
In my peripheral vision, I see Jungkook. He's frozen like a statue, beautiful, icy, and untouchable. Angry.
When the maknae's eyes slowly shift, Jimin nudges him in warning. He glances over at me, and I suddenly feel ashamed of myself. I can't believe I'm part of this specimen, where they loved and hated so quickly.
Where they were selfish and arrogant, never caring more about someone else than themselves.
"You're not them, Elle." Jungkook tells me, watching my shoulders slack in guilt and shame. "You're nothing like them. Too pure. Too innocent and kind- something they are not."
Even though he means to comfort me, I can't help but feel worse. Imagining the Taehyung I'd seen smiling and laughing on the ground, surrounded by people who hurt and scorned him....
It didn't make me as pure as Jungkook believed I was.
"So is he okay? No suppression? No permanent damage?"
Jimin nods, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. I'd been worried to death that this had gone over the edge, leave scars behind that couldn't be mended.
"Taehyung won't heal as fast as he would if he drank human blood, but I think that stuff the hospital gives will help his regenerative abilities. He'll be released sometime this afternoon. The hyungs will stay with him."
At Jimin's words, my ears perk up with the notion I could help.
"I can give him blood. He could heal faster that way, right?"
Jungkook instantly shakes his head, brows drawn together. But instead of the seriousness the younger displays, Jimin just looks lightly amused as he watches the two of us.
"I would never take your blood without your permission," He tells me, voice quiet but filled with power. "But know that I'm the only one you can give it to. I won't let other vampires drink from you, Elle. Not even the hyungs."
When I seem stunned from his firm declaration, Jimin sighs as he crashes onto my bed.
"Look at you, Jungkook. Protecting your first possession."
What?
"Possession?!"
At my shocked voice, Jungkook's demeanor instantly shifts from authoritative master to cute, apologetic bunny. His eyes go wide with surprise at Jimin's nonchalant compliment, and even more at my expression.
"I'm sorry if that sounded weird." He says quickly. "But really, Elle. I won't let you give your blood to any other vampires. I won't, and the only time I will let someone is if they have killed me."
He winks.
"Which won't happen."
I blush profusely, and Jimin groans something about young people and sensibility before burying his ashy gray head into my pillow. In less than a second or two, I can hear him snoring softly underneath the covers.
"That was quick," Jungkook comments. "He usually doesn't fall asleep until an hour or two later."
"You know you were faster, right?" I remark, recalling how he'd fallen asleep before his head even hit the pillow. "I had to get you into bed just because."
He shrugs, and suddenly breathes a heavy sigh through his lips.
Before I can ask what was the matter, a flash of green and black fills my vision, making me cry out in surprise. The shock quickly dies down when I see Yoongi yawning lazily, his eyelids drooping.
I mean, that was his usual expression.
"Don't scare her like that, hyung." Jungkook says firmly. "She gets scared easily."
"Hey!"
Yoongi doesn't even spare us a glance as he nonchalantly shrugs, his right eye already closed with sleep. He yawns again, and pads toward the bed.
Was he actually planning to fit with Jimin? He was already taking up the entire space.
"I thought you were staying at the hospital? With V hyung?"
Yoongi shoots Jungkook a harsh glare as he pulls the pillow swiftly out from beneath Jimin's head. Jimin unsurprisingly doesn't even notice, too immersed in slumber.
"If you remind me of those pathetic creatures again, I will bite your head off." He hisses, and a sliver of his eyes turn a shade of vivid violet.
Vampire eyes.
But Jungkook continues prodding, even if I give him a stern look meaning this was not the time. He just ignores my stares and asks as Yoongi fluffs my pillow.
"Hyung, you need to at least tell me why you're here. I thought you were staying back at the hospital."
Yoongi suddenly stops fluffing the pillow. I hold my breath as he slowly turns, fixing a furious gaze at the maknae. His eyes are radiating the sliver of purple I'd seen before, except now it filled his entire eye.
Both of them, completely violet.
"I said," He snarls, voice low and with an edge that could cut air. "Don't remind me."
Jungkook looks surprised as well, his doe eyes widening when he sees how purple Yoongi's eyes are. I can see his face pale, his pursed lips dropping open.
This couldn't be a usual occurrence.
When he sees the maknae's stunned expression, Yoongi sighs. His eyes fade back into a dark brown, and the anger seems to drain out of his face.
"I came back because I was worried about you kids, alright?" He says. "Besides, who knew what you would do if you learned that Taehyung was all like that."
My heart warms. I'd never believed that Yoongi would be the caring one, but I should've told myself to never assume about someone.
Then Jungkook smiles.
"Why did you really come here, hyung?"
Yoongi gives the maknae a hard look when he asks that, but finally breaks into a tiny smile after a few long moments of staring at Jungkook's innocent, bunny grin.
"Fine."
When I hear that, the warmth rushes out from my chest.
"I came back because I wanted to sleep, and I hated the place."
Yoongi breathes deeply, inhaling and exhaling. Then he pushes Jimin to the barest corner of the bed as he flops down onto the space next to it.
He continues to breathe slowly as he stretches out his legs, and the two of us look at him in confusion as a smile brightens up his face.
"Ah, Kook. Jin hyung is absolutely going to murder you."