It Might Just Come Back To Bite You (BTS Vampire AU)

Epiloge - (The End of Book 1)

"Please, hyung?" Jungkook wheedles, tilting his head a little and throwing in the doe eyes for added effect as he tugs on the elder's sleeve. "It'll only be for a few hours, and Rocky's already subbed in for my solo part so we'll just be going over the group choreo, nothing crazy."

Namjoon gives a soft, noncommittal hum, continuing to gently massage the sweet-smelling herbal ointment into the purpling bruise that spans the length of Jungkook's outer thigh.

The youth is cuddled up sideways in Namjoon's lap wearing just a t-shirt and boxers, a melting towel-wrapped ice pack discarded on the nearby coffee table as he obediently keeps his injured leg extended across the couch cushions, patiently letting the healer work. It's not a serious injury by any means, it just aches a bit and looks pretty ugly, and by this time tomorrow it'll have faded almost to nothing - but he knows better than to say that to Namjoon. He's seen the healer fuss over a teeny-tiny splinter in Moonbin's finger, so no amount of laidback reassurances from Jungkook is going to stop Namjoon from tending to him with all due care.

Honestly, of all the occasions for Jungkook to topple off Odengie and whack himself on a tree stump, it had to be the one day that he'd hoped to convince Namjoon that he was whole and hale enough to resume dance practice sessions this coming weekend. It's been a little over two weeks since his unintentional overdose, and he hasn't felt this well-rested and stress-free in forever, so he's keen to rejoin his team and learn the new choreo in time for Seoul DanceFest. With Moonbin benched until next month to prevent his newly-healed fracture from bucking, they're already down one key dancer, and Jungkook doesn't want to cause Rocky and the other choreographers any additional stress by backing out last-minute.

And he really is fine, swollen thigh aside. This is just a temporary blip on his otherwise vastly improving health record.

"There," Namjoon murmurs, setting the jar of ointment aside and removing the residue from his hands by tracing a quick cleansing rune against each palm. "How's the pain now?"

Jungkook gingerly bends his knee and lifts his leg to flex the muscles of his thigh, smiling when the movement produces only a very faint background ache compared to the pulsing throb that had been there beforehand.

"Much better," he answers cheerfully, and turns to peck a soft, grateful kiss against Namjoon's cheek. "Thanks, hyung. I'm sure it'll be all healed up in a couple of days."

"Mm," the vampire concurs, hand gently squeezing the youth's hip where his arm is wrapped about Jungkook's waist. "And what lesson did we learn today, bun?"

"Not to dismount on a slope?"

Namjoon sighs and gives him a chiding look, but there's a fond half-smile tugging at his lips even as he slides his hand up from Jungkook's hip to squeeze the back of his neck, giving the youth a very gentle little shake.

"Not to go riding griffins on your own," the vampire corrects, and clucks him lightly beneath the chin with his other hand. "You're lucky you landed on your thigh and not your head, little one."

Jungkook winces at the reminder. He knows it could've been far more serious, and he's already apologised for his unauthorised griffin joy-ride a good half a dozen times - mostly to Jimin, who'd arrived in Chim-form only minutes after the unsuccessful backwards dismount (apparently having heard Odengie's loud honks of distress all the way from the clearing). Once the shifter had ascertained that Jungkook was only bruised from the fall, he'd proceeded to lecture the youth the entire way home, carrying Jungkook on his back as Odengie meekly followed behind.

It hadn't been Jungkook's intention to go out riding this morning. He'd eaten breakfast with Hoseok and Namjoon, waved goodbye when they set off for work, and settled himself comfortably on a blanket near the edge of the clearing to enjoy the warm weather, hoping to finish a sketch of the mansion before the others woke up. But not long afterwards, Odengie had come trotting out of the treeline with a delighted honk of greeting to gently bump his head against Jungkook's shoulder (the griffin thankfully having learned to greet him with less enthusiasm after several more Jin-sanctioned encounters over the course of the past week), and when the cub had crouched down with one wing extended to offer Jungkook a ride, how was he supposed to say no?