Bound by Blood

Chapter 18- who is she?

KOOKIE POV:

I listen with fascination as Tae hyung tells me of a human he's seen- a human who helped a young vampire tonight, helped him overcome his worries and fears. Who told him that he wasn't a monster. He tells me of how under a starless sky, that human became a light for the vampire- gave him hope and faith that things would turn out fine. And that somewhere out there, even if their paths never crossed again, there was a human who saw him as a person and rooted for him.

The story is fascinating, warming, entrancing. It gives me a rare glimpse of the possibility that maybe just maybe- there was the chance of coexistence, and yet it seemed so far away, out of grasp- almost as if it was a fairy-tale spun simply for the sake of storytelling.

But the glimmer in Tae hyung's eyes as he tells me, the wriggle of excitement, the way his face becomes animated as he speaks, assures me that it is the truth. That he has seen it. And it has excited him just the way it flares a seed of hope in my now cold and unbeating heart.

But the feeling is bittersweet.

Because I wish when I had been human and was suffering- I had found someone like that to help me out of the dark, to provide me with a shred of comfort when the days seemed long and endless and the night failed to provide me with security. I wish that back then someone had stretched out their hand for me- seen me suffering and offered to help me out.

It's those small things that could make all the difference.

And maybe if that had been the case- I wouldn't have died that night.

-----

There's a noticeable tension at breakfast, Jin hyung who usually mans the stove is sitting despondently at the kitchen table, pallor whiter than usual, eyes on Yoongi hyung and Hobi hyung who bustle about making breakfast- but there's a vacancy in his eyes, as if his mind is somewhere else.

Namjoon hyung smiles when I plop down next to him, placing a chaste kiss on the mating mark on my neck, mumbling good morning into my skin before he straightens, dimples appearing but he too has eyes that show his mind is whirring away busily, occupied by something.

I smile back at him, quietly fretting for the two of them and hoping that they don't burden themselves alone with whatever the issue might be.

Jimin hyung and Tae hyung are conversing on the other end, a low stream of conversation interjected with laughter, teases, and casual tactile gestures. But seeing them happy and normal, settles a sort of unease in me- that surely whatever it is, isn't so bad if the two of them are able to smile and laugh.

Hobi hyung and Yoongi hyung set down plates, blood-infused drinks sitting amidst the pancakes they've made.

"Come on, eat up" Hobi hyung chirps at everyone, bringing a forkful to my mouth. I open my mouth allowing him to slip the morsel inside, his eyes crinkling happily at this small gesture.

"Always such a good boy for hyung." He says pleased, fingers lingering against the corner of my mouth before moving back to eat.

Breakfast passes by in its usual manner but I know I'm not the only one wandering what it was that had happened last night. What it was that had caused Jin hyung, the voice of reason, to go storming off, Namjoon hyung hot on his heels.

Yoongi hyung's eyes have narrowed, silently contemplating, and examining the two of them, fingers playing with the fork in his hand.

And then Jimin hyung beats us all to it.

"What happened last night hyungs?" he says lightly but the words have the opposite effect, a sudden heavy silence descending, clinking of cutlery ceasing, mugs raised to mouths slowly lowered and placed with a small thunk onto the table.