The feast the coven provided was excessive and delicious. Jimin couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the dining table overflowing with a variety of foods. Large plates were filled to the brim with scorched meat and grilled vegetables. Bowls of freshly washed fruit such as grapes, melon, and strawberries were scattered along the table. There were three types of salads, each with a unique dressing and toppings. Small bowls of rice were placed at every chair with smooth, rounded tops. All with the promise of dessert.

The smell was hypnotizingly amazing. Jimin was shocked they were able to pull together so much food in such a short amount of time.

When he asked Seokjin how he was able to do it, he simply replied, "Yoongi and I love to cook. We work well together in the kitchen. It goes quickly."

Jimin sat down and Hoseok and Taehyung quickly took the spots beside him. He eyed Taehyung as he settled into his chair. He wanted to ask how he vanished earlier, but his chest was tight with shyness.

Jungkook waved his arm. "What does everyone want to drink?"

Jimin reflexively shrunk into his chair.

"On the rocks!" Taehyung declared as he relaxed into his chair. His body seemed built for lounging.

"I'll have the same," Hobi chimed in. He turned to Jimin with an expectant smile. "What will you have?"

Jimin hesitated. "Can I have some water?"

"Are you thirsty?"

He wanted to lie and claim that he wanted to wash the taste of blood from his mouth. However, hazy memories of attacking Namjoon for his bloody arm resurfaced. He was more afraid of losing control than losing his humanity. Jimin slumped further into his chair, wishing he could vanish into the thin air. "Yeah."

"Then he'll have the same," Taehyung told Jungkook without batting an eye.

This forced Jimin to sit up and face the terrifying vampire. He didn't want anyone to speak for him. He already felt humiliated, but he could still make his own decisions. "I didn't say that I did."

Taehyung coolly raised his eyebrow. "You don't want ice in your drink?"

Jimin frowned. "Maybe I don't."

He did. He really did.

Taehyung shrugged, brushing off Jimin's hard stare as if it meant nothing. "Trust me. You'll like it."

"I can make my own decisions," Jimin added firmly. "I don't need to be spoken for."

This made Taehyung frown in return. He looked over at Jimin with mild confusion in his dark eyes. "Oh," his voice fell with realization. "Oh, you're upset. I'm sorry. I thought... I just wanted to..."

There was a sharp kick in his heart at the sight of Taehyung's sad expression.

Jimin's throat clenched as words struggled to form. "I—, I mean I didn't—, I just wanted to..." Somebody shoot me. He fumbled to remedy his mistake. "God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Hoseok laid his hand on Jimin's shoulder. "It's alright. Just a little communication error. That's all."

Taehyung's lips remained downturned. His large eyes were similar to a puppy in one of those tear-jerker commercials about donating to the local kennel. The type of commercials that used to make Jimin bawl his eyes out. The trauma was so deep-rooted in him that he would start tearing up if he heard the background music. And Taehyung—gorgeous in every way-was looking at him with a myriad of sad emotions.

"I'm sorry," Jimin apologized again.

Finally, Taehyung's expression shifted to a lighthearted one. "No worries. But I shouldn't have assumed. Sorry, I'm just a bit excited. We haven't had a new fledgling in a while."

Before Jimin could respond, Jungkook asked, "Where's Namjoon?"

"He should be down in a minute," Hobi replied. He looked around the room to double-check. "Somebody went and got him, right?"

"I did," Yoongi said as he walked in. He was carrying a large woven basket of hot, buttered rolls. He set it down on one of the few empty spots on the table. "He's coming."

"Ah! Speaking of..." Hobi smiled. "Hungry, Joon?"

Namjoon lingered in the doorway with clear hesitation. Jimin shrunk into his chair again, feeling guilty for his awkwardness. Just when he thought he couldn't feel like more of a burden.

Seokjin sat down and patted the chair beside him. "Sit by me today. It's been a while since we've talked."

Namjoon nodded and kept his gaze fixated on Jin.

Jimin's chest was tight with guilt. He ducked his head and focused on the empty plate in front of him. It was decorated with scalloped edges and swirls. There were several forks and spoons laid out, signifying this was truly a several-course meal if they bothered adding more silverware.

Jungkook returned holding a silver platter of various drinks. Jimin's eye was caught by the dark red liquid within the chilled glasses. His throat went dry at the mere sight of it. Jungkook went around the table and set a glass in front of Jimin.

Jimin realized that "on the rocks" meant they put blood-filled ice cubes in a full glass of cold blood. It was gruesomely aesthetic. It almost made Jimin laugh at how pretty it looked and how the light illuminated the deeper shades of color in the swirling liquid.

Hoseok clapped his hands in the air and said, "Now that we are all here, let's take a moment to welcome our guest!"

The coven smiled and clapped politely, all eyes fixed on Jimin.

Jimin's jaw clenched tightly as he smiled in return. He deliberately avoided looking at Namjoon, who was conveniently sitting right across from him, just as Namjoon was dodging eye contact with him.

Hoseok smiled warmly, unaware of the underlying tension in front of him. "Let's eat!"

The vampires started to fill their plates with food and erupted into several conversations. They chatted amicably to each other about their day and occasionally turned to Jimin and asked him how he was doing. Jimin tried to match their lighthearted energy, but he felt distant and awkward.

He started his meal with small portions of food. He was careful when eating and took it slow. He knew vampires could eat food, but his stomach was sensitive from earlier. The food tasted wonderful, and he wished he could eat faster.

When the meal was over, Taehyung stood first and started to gather their plates. Occasionally, he would look over at Jimin with a gentle expression. Jimin would try to smile back but the knot of awkwardness had yet to leave.

"Come and sit with us," Yoongi said. He motioned for Jimin to follow him. "They'll take care of the dishes for us."

Jimin was about to protest but Seokjin appeared at his side with an easy smile. He hooked his arm in Jimin's and started to walk forward. "You are our guest, after all. And we were the ones to cook the meal. It's only fair."

"Oh, alright..."

They moved back into the parlor and gathered near the center. Yoongi sat in the large armchair and studied Jimin closely as he approached. "You work at the store in town. Do you work tomorrow?"

"No, but I work Thursday's morning shift." Jimin took a seat on the couch opposing Yoongi.

"And do your parents live here?"

He shook his head. "No. They live quite a ways away. It's a twelve-hour drive."

Yoongi's eyes widened. "Oh. Did they move away?"

"No, I moved here."

"Any particular reason? College?"

Seokjin stood behind Yoongi's armchair and leaned against its back. He watched Jimin with curious eyes.

"I wanted to live by the sea. I thought it would be easier to move first, and work towards a nicer home. It's a good place to live," Jimin explained. He found himself relaxing into his couch and finding himself at ease with the two vampires.

Yoongi and Seokjin listened attentively as Jimin explained his story. He told them that he wasn't sure what he would do next, but he had time to decide. He was saving his money for a downpayment on a house. Jimin admitted that most of the time he felt like he was pretending to be an adult and simply going through the motions.

To his surprise, Yoongi related to Jimin's confusion about where to go next with his life.

"When I was human, I owned an instrument store in London. I gave private lessons for the piano and a few string instruments in my spare time. I was content with that life, however, I felt like I could be doing more."

Jimin found himself leaning in to hear Yoongi's story. "What did you decide on?"

The corners of Yoongi's eyes crinkled with amusement. "I met Hoseok."

"You met him as a human? Did you know he was a vampire?"

"I met Hoba as a human. I figured out he was a vampire on my own, much to his surprise." Yoongi's smile appeared as he recalled it. "I paid more attention to him than the others. When I asked him about his habits, he panicked and I realized I was right."

Jimin listened intently to Yoongi's fond memories of his time with Hobi in London. He described their leisure dates through the parks and taught Hoseok how to play piano. Yoongi allowed Hoseok to drink his blood when he was thirsty, and always brought his umbrella for sunny days. Jimin asked how Yoongi almost died to be turned into a vampire and was shocked to hear that Yoongi said he asked Hoseok to change him.

"I didn't want to leave him. He didn't want to leave me. We couldn't be married at that time, so we settled on creating a blood covenant instead."

Seokjin looked at him with a fond smile. "Romantic as ever."

"What did you do afterward?"

"We traveled. I sold my store and we decided to roam across Europe. An extended honeymoon. We were nomadic for several decades."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Jimin admitted, surprised by his own words.

Yoongi continued to describe a few stories of their travels with embellishments of sarcasm and deep affection towards Hoseok. It helped Jimin humanize the coven. He knew they were once human, and becoming a vampire didn't make them less of a person. However, the nagging pressure of hatred toward himself made it difficult to come to terms with. As he listened to Yoongi, the seething hate began to fade into a mere ache. It was becoming easier, he realized.

Later, they were joined by the man of the hour and when he asked Yoongi what they had been talking about, he merely shrugged. "Just some small talk," he said as if he didn't spend the last two hours detailing the beautiful life they created together.

Jimin found it cute, and so did Hobi.

It wasn't long before the rest of the Bangtan coven joined them. Jungkook took residence upon Seokjin's lap, melting into his hyung like honey, and whispered something that made Jin's ears turn a bright shade of red. It only took two seconds for Seokjin to whack his arm.

Taehyung crossed the room while wiping his drying hands against his thighs. He made brief eye contact with Jimin and smiled. "It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Jimin replied, then he frowned in momentary confusion. "Where are you going?"

Taehyung paused in the open doorway that led to the lobby. He chuckled and said, "My sleep schedule is off. I'm going to bed."

"I thought vampires didn't need sleep?"

Seokjin spoke up on Taehyung's behalf. "He doesn't, he just enjoys sleeping."

Jungkook added, "He loves to dream ."

"Unless... you'd prefer I stay?" Taehyung's eyes gleamed with the possibility of it.

Jimin's heart raced as the tone of his words entered his brain like a seductive lullaby. He knew he was whipped, but he didn't realize how bad he was until now. What have I gotten myself into? "I... well, I mean..."

The corner of Taehyung's mouth quirked. "How about this, I'll take a nap, then we can have the night to ourselves."

Hobi giggled quietly as he glanced between them. "Made plans already, Tete?"

Jimin couldn't help himself. "What kind of plans?"

Taehyung tilted his head back and smiled wide. There was a playfulness in his expression. "You'll see." With that, the vampire turned the corner and vanished from view.

Namjoon entered the parlor, not that Jimin was paying attention, and spared him a brief look. He settled near Hoseok and Yoongi and asked, "The kitchen is clean."

"Thank you, Joon," Seokjin said.

"Yoongi's telling Jimin about his time as a human," Hoseok explained, glancing up and over his shoulder to look at Namjoon. "About our adventures!"

Namjoon finally looked directly at Jimin and gave him an inquiring look.

Jimin nodded in confirmation. "It sounds like you had a lot of fun."

"Hyungie, you should tell your story." Jungkook prodded Jin's side with a finger. He pressed his head against Seokjin's temple and stared intently at his face. "You went on many adventures before you met Taehyung and I."

Seokjin's eyes slowly closed as he smiled. He started to shake his head and lifted his hand in the air. "No no no, I think that's enough ancient history for tonight."

Jungkook's lips formed a sad pout and he wriggled on his lap. " Hyungie... "

"He used to be a pirate," Yoongi pointed out, gesturing to the reluctant vampire.

Hoseok smiled fondly at him, "He used to be many things. Seokjin lives his immortal life to the fullest."

Jimin turned his eyes to Seokjin and felt terribly curious about the life Seokjin made for himself. He didn't want to be rude, but he wanted to hear more about their adventures through immortality. It gave him hope for his own future.

Seokjin gave in to Jungkook's endearing gaze and divulged the story of how he was turned into a vampire.

He served an aristocratic family in 1380 in Korea. He described lavish courts and the nobility's obsession with finery. The court the family took part in was a secret society of vampires. Loyal servants were turned into vampires to stay with their masters for eternity. Seokjin was one of them and turned against his will. He ran away and never looked back.

He recounted his travels across Korea and how he found a way to sail to China several years later. Seokjin had difficulty finding blood in the beginning. He developed a system where he would steal food and trade with impoverished folk. Food for their blood. He made friends over time, mourned when they died, and moved on when a village grew too lonely for him.

Seokjin confirmed that he, indeed, was a pirate during the height of piracy. He wished the rest of the coven could have been there with him. It was thrilling to be part of the crew and pillage the seas. His shipmates came to love him, and they accepted him for being a vampire. The captain adored him and his sense of humor, and often invited Seokjin into his quarters to drink the night away. The ship gave him their blood, and Seokjin was happy.

But like all good things, they must come to an end.

The fall of piracy began as men started to hunt and down pirate ships. The survivors were to be hung or severely punished until death for their crimes. The captain didn't want to see his crew members tortured, and disbanded. They went their separate ways, but Seokjin would never forget his time as a pirate.

As the sky grew darker as Seokjin recalled his tales. There were moments when Seokjin's eyes were saddened as he talked about old friends or memories made with kind strangers. Jungkook cuddled up to him, offering small comfort as Seokjin's silver voice was heavy with grief.

Jimin wondered if he would become like Seokjin if enough time passed. He appeared happy and carefree, but there was a deep sadness attached to living forever. Relationships with humans had to end, and there was always pain in living on.

Seokjin finished his stories with a special meeting with a British lord—who spent his days writing poetry—and his close friend and physician, Polidori. They had a beautiful villa near Lake Geneva. Polidori grew suspicious of him, but the lord was amicable and curious to hear of Jin's travels. He enjoyed his time there, but he had to leave before the rest of the lord's friends arrived.

Seokjin sucked in a sharp breath and then smiled. "In the end, life is made of passing and lasting relationships. This remains true for all creatures wandering the earth."

"And our relationship will last forever," Jungkook added fondly.

Seokjin's brown eyes were soft with adoration. "Indeed."

Hobi left Yoongi's side to stand near Jimin. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "Do you need another drink?" he asked.

Jimin's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He hadn't noticed the thirst until Hoseok pointed it out. He lowered his head with momentary shame.

"You didn't drink anything during dinner either."

He grimaced, "Sorry."

"That's alright. I understand being shy to drink in front of others in the beginning."

Seokjin slipped his arms underneath Jungkook and held him closely. He carried Jungkook like a child as he stood up. "I think that's enough reminiscing today. We'll leave you four to be settled."

Namjoon's gaze followed Seokjin and Jungkook. "You don't have to go... we're a combined coven..."

Seokjin raised his brow at him, pressing his lips together. "We are, but I think Minnie would prefer less of an audience."

"Minnie?" Jimin echoed in mild confusion.

Yoongi stretched his legs out and slumped back in his chair. His chin rested on his chest for a prolonged moment. He appeared comfortable in the awkward position. He lifted his head slightly to say, "You need a better routine with drinking blood. You can't wait for the last second."

"It isn't healthy to strain your body like that," Hoseok said.

Yoongi pointed at Namjoon, "You too. Don't think we haven't noticed. You have barely drank anything all day, and I won't have you going feral too."

"Let's move into the kitchen," Hobi suggested. "We can prepare our drinks there."

Jimin pushed down his rising thoughts of fear. He forced himself to stand up and follow the vampires into the kitchen.

The kitchen was beautiful like the rest of the house. There were abstract-shaped white tiles hanging from the ceiling, delicately placed to appear like pieces of a puzzle. A baby blue standing mixing was set out on the clean counters. The cabinets were made of glass to display ivory and swirling blue dishware and elegant wine glasses. There was a woven basket on the island, filled to the brim with blood oranges.

There were two refrigerators, one was large and the other was shaped like a box. The box fridge sat in the corner of the room, separated from the rest of the kitchen. Yoongi went straight for it and when he opened it, Jimin realized where they kept their blood supply.

In neat stacks, clear packets of blood sat on the shelves. Small white cups with red lids lined the inside of the fridge door. Yoongi pulled out a packet and slipped it into a black cloth covering. A blood packet cozy. He massaged the packet with one hand while he checked over their inventory.

"You haven't drunk human blood yet," Hobi eyed Jimin. "I think now would be a good time to start doing that. You can't survive on vampire blood forever."

Yoongi's head snapped up in surprise. "You let him drink your blood?"

"It isn't enough to form a bond," Hoseok reassured gently. "When he wants to form a bond, it will be his own decision."

Namjoon crossed the room and stood by Yoongi. He took a cup from the fridge and moved to the counter.

Jimin watched in morbid curiosity as Namjoon prepared himself a drink. It appeared as natural as making a normal drink. He unscrewed the lid off the cup and poured the blood into a larger glass.

Jimin's mouth watered as the thick liquid settled in the glass in a thick layer. Small flecks of black swirled in the blood before they settled at the bottom. It reminded him of his mom's superberry kombucha.

Namjoon paid no mind to Jimin's intense stare. He worked in silence as he quickly peeled a blood orange. He threw the rinds into a small wastebasket labeled as compost. His claws slid out from his nails and he sliced off a few sections. He dropped them unceremoniously into the glass, blood splashing up on the sides of the glass. The outside surface was beginning to fog and condensate from the cold blood.

Jimin jumped when a hand laid on the small of his back.

It was Yoongi. "Do you want him to make you one?"

He hesitated. He didn't want Namjoon to do anything for him. He couldn't bear seeing Namjoon's guilty expression when he handed him a drink like his. He could already see it. Jimin lied and shook his head.

"Some of us like to drink it cold, others like it hot or warm. How do you want to take yours?" Hoseok asked, kneeling by the mini-fridge.

Jimin remembered how warm blood was in his mouth. It tasted like blood but would the coldness help dilute it? He wondered if he could mask the flavor with fruit like Namjoon was.

"I don't know. Does it being cold change the flavor?"

Yoongi sucked his teeth and looked back at Namjoon. The broad man was topping off his drink with sparkling water. "The temperature doesn't change the flavor. It can affect the consistency, but only a little bit. Joon, could you leave your stuff out?"

"You don't have to—" Jimin tried to backtrack but Yoongi gave him a stern look.

"It might make this easier for you. There's nothing wrong with adding some flavor to it."

"I just don't want to bother..." Jimin's eyes flicked to Namjoon as his sentence turned to ash in his mouth. It was dumb that he felt so insecure about talking to Namjoon. There was an awkward atmosphere around them, and it made it difficult to be around him.

Namjoon hated himself for turning Jimin, and Jimin couldn't blame him for saving his life. It felt like an endless cycle of guilt and suppressed emotions. Jimin wasn't sure how to approach it.

"Did you two fight?" Hoseok asked, glancing between Jimin and Namjoon. "What happened?"

Namjoon's shoulders shrunk inward, but he kept his back to them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jimin shook his head, stepping out of Yoongi's reach. "No."

Hoseok clearly doubted them because he frowned and said, "You two haven't spoken a word to each other all evening. Did something happen earlier?"

Yeah, he turned me into a vampire and he's guilt-tripping me for it.

Namjoon slowly turned around with that damned look of guilt on his face. Jimin was becoming frustrated with him. It's not like his life was ruined by changing me.

"Nothing happened," Namjoon said.

He controlled his expression to remain neutral but he couldn't help but feel angry. Jimin's jaw clenched together and felt the numb pressure in the space where his tooth fell out. There was a headache building in his temples, either from thirst or from tension.

Yoongi half-rolled his eyes, "Oh, you're definitely lying. Jimin here is about to blow a fuse. What did you say to him, Namjoon?"

Namjoon shot Jimin a look of confusion. "Wait, why?"

Jimin exhaled slowly through his nose. It helped dull the tantalizing scent of the blood. "You keep avoiding me," he said plainly.

"I'm not avoiding you," Namjoon argued.

"Yes you are, and whenever you look at me, it's like—, you look at me like I'm a mistake," Jimin explained. Even in his own ears, he knew he sounded pathetic. Defeated. But it was how he was feeling, and nothing could change that.

Namjoon's mouth opened but Yoongi cut him off sharply. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence. Jimin's right. You have to stop acting like this. How would you feel if Hoba acted like this around you after you changed?"

"I thought I was dead," Namjoon muttered unhelpfully. "For a week."

"The car crash would have killed you. The stingray poison would have killed Jimin," Yoongi continued as if Namjoon hadn't spoken. "I don't know where this is coming from! Hoseok would have never made you feel guilty for surviving! For a decision you made."

"So I'm supposed to be happy that I ruined his life?" Namjoon asked with wide eyes. "I lost control of myself while trying to save him. I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"You're still a fledgling. I understand that you might have lingering feelings about your own existence, but I won't allow you to burden Jimin with your own regrets." Hoseok contended Namjoon with a tight jaw.

Namjoon moved back to the counter as if Hoseok had swung at him. He lowered his head with clear shame. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

Hoseok narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Jimin's heart raced as Namjoon met his gaze. It was clear that Namjoon regretted his actions, but that wasn't what Jimin wanted an apology for.

"I'm sorry, Jimin."

With a burst of confidence, Jimin lifted his head slightly and asked, "For?" He hoped this would be the end of the awkwardness and extra-heaping of guilt.

Namjoon's eyes widened for a moment. Then his face crumpled with remorse. "I'm sorry for avoiding you this afternoon. Also for freaking you out by trying to explain the bond." He offered no excuses, or made mention of ruining his life so Jimin was satisfied.

"I accept your apology."

Hoseok breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Now, you two should drink. Both of you have been avoiding blood today, and we're not about to have two feral vampires running around here."

Jimin cringed with reluctance. He choked on the human blood earlier. He wasn't eager to do that again.

Namjoon took his fruity blood cocktail and started to sip the edges of it. Then his downcast expression morphed into one of pure hunger. His tawny gold eyes flashed and he tipped his glass up, practically chugging the drink in one breath.

Is that how I look like when I drink?

Yoongi continued to massage the packet in his hand. The quiet sound of plastic rubbing against fabric made Jimin shiver. "Do you want one too?"

"Maybe another time. My teeth still feel sensitive, the cold might make it worse."

Then Yoongi palmed the packet into Jimin's hand. It was warm to the touch. "Here. This one is all warmed up for you."

Hoseok added, "Don't think about it, Jimin. Go for it."

Don't think. Just drink it.

Jimin unscrewed the lid of the packet and inhaled the sweet scent of pure blood. A sharp pain shot through the base of his gums and was followed by a pleading ache between his teeth. His throat went dry as he breathed in its tempting smell.

"Don't hesitate, Jimin."

And for the first time, he didn't.

He brought the packet up and his lips enclosed around the small spout. He began slow, careful not to choke again, and drank the blood. The refreshing liquid moved down his throat providing blissful relief to the pain his body was experiencing.

This blood was different when compared to Namjoon's and Hoseok's. Its drug-like qualities and disorientating thirst were lacking. He was drinking blood. There wasn't anything magical about it.

Before Jimin knew it, he was sucking on an empty packet. His breath tasted of blood and his tongue was coated with it. He willingly drank human blood. It should disgust him that foreign blood was inside his body, yet Jimin only felt satisfied.

"Hey! You did it!" Hoseok celebrated.

Jimin smiled weakly. "I did."

"Do you want some more? Or do you want to wait to see how it settles? I know fledglings tend to feel woozy after drinking blood in the beginning. It's why you passed out the first two times."

Jimin fainted like a damsel in their arms after drinking their blood. The image he had of himself was humiliating enough. He tried to appear unbothered by Hobi's observation, but it was difficult not to grimace.

"How about you two take a walk?" Yoongi suggested, pointing between Jimin and Namjoon. "It will help your bodies settle. The sun has already gone down. If you stay close to the house, you won't run into any humans."

Jimin expected Namjoon to turn Yoongi down. An innocent evening walk brought Jimin to the coven in the first place. Even Jimin feared his own self-control; he tried to run away from the house earlier to find humans. However, Namjoon nodded at Yoongi, "That would be nice. Jimin? How are you feeling?"

"If you think it's a good idea, I wouldn't be against it."

"Take some blood with you," Hobi said. "You should be prepared for anything. If you feel too thirsty, come back to the house."

Namjoon went to the fridge and took out two packets as casually as one would take soda out. He handed the second one to Jimin and slipped it into his pocket. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's go."