Avenoir || BTS

5

I tilt back, letting myself fall into the tumultuous water. 

"Y/N!" 

It's Jimin. I'm trembling in his arms, eyes wide like I'd seen a ghost. I actually felt this one, unlike the other where I was just watching. 

"Breathe," Jimin orders, patting my back, "It's okay, I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of, Y/N."

I let my breathing slow down, taking deep breaths. He lifts me easily, setting me down on a boulder that protrudes from the uneven surface. 

Kneeling in front of me, he takes my hands in his. The cloudy gray morning makes his features appear clearer. 

I can see the worry etching his frown. 

"What did you see now?"

"I jumped," I answer vaguely. 

He seems to understand immediately, face hardening just as quick. 

"I- Hoseok, he-"

"Hoseok? You've never met him before. Has anyone mentioned him to you?" he asks. 

I shake my head. 

"Continue," he says softly. 

"Hoseok was there. He was telling me not to do it, but I told him I'd only cause him trouble. And things like that. Then I just jumped."

"He didn't teleport to you?" Jimin asks. 

"No."

"Was it a sunny day?"

I sift through the illusion, remembering the shadows cast on my face. The sun had been behind me. 

"Yeah. It was really sunny."

He nods as if something clicked. 

"Vampires weaken under sunlight considerably. Our powers diminish with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Listen, Y/N," he says, tightening his grips on my hands, "No matter what happens, I never want you to come to this point. I don't care if you cause us trouble. The future can change. It's not set in stone. You are not coming to this conclusion, do you understand?"

I nod. I do understand for now. Although I don't enjoy my life, I don't have enough reason to quit, either. 

But there's no telling whether I will be pushed to those circumstances in the future. 

"You can always come to me, Y/N. Whatever troubles you. I don't care what I'm doing at the moment - even if I'm drinking blood - you can come to me. I can make it better."

I can already feel myself calming down in his presence. I give him a slow smile. His answering smile is gorgeous, his eyes shutting involuntarily. 

I've never really noticed how handsome all these vampires were, too caught up in envisioning the past or future. I suppose attractiveness is a common trait to lure in unsuspecting humans. 

"I think that's enough for today. You've had enough. I heard something happened to you yesterday. But Namjoon didn't elaborate. Mind sharing what it is?"

I don't think I can put into words what I felt. But he seems to sense it. 

"That feels... horrible," he grimaces, "I think it's a side effect of you wearing the amulet for so long. Your reservoir of power works well within its capacity. But the more you withhold it, the more it tries to overflow. 

"It's like short-circuiting your nervous system if you keep it in for that long. I'm glad we found you when we did. Any more and you might have not survived. The bracelet is only for when you need a break. It works for short periods, like a few weeks, or even months, at most. I'm assuming you wore it constantly for years."

He stands up, brushing off the dust on his clothes. 

"Why did you wear the bracelet for that long anyway? Who gave it to you?" he asks. 

"My mother did."

"And she never told you to take it off after a while?"

I shrug, looking across the rocky terrain, towards the ocean that spans out.

"I haven't spoken to her for the past two years." 

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I wave it off. 

He doesn't say anything for a while, probably screening through my emotions. When he doesn't find much grief, he breathes out quickly. 

"Do you want to go back or stay here for a while?"

"I don't want to leave my trolley unattended."

He laughs at that, taking my hand again. 

I glare at him when I find out I'm in the trolley. I am sitting inside it like a child. 

"Jimin," I hiss, looking at the man who put me in here.

He did it on purpose, judging by his boyish grin. His hands rest on the handlebars and he watches in amusement as I try not to squash the cartons beneath me while trying to get out. 

"Oh, lighten up, baby girl. Let me take you for a joy ride," he sings, pushing the cart. 

I yelp at the sudden movement, falling back inside. We pass two kids, around the ages of seven to ten, who stare at us in amazement. 

"Mommy!" they both yell, running to the next aisle. 

I wince as I imagine how they will annoy their poor mother to get in the trolley like me. 

"Jimin, I will stab you in the chest with a wooden stake," I threaten him. 

He snickers, looking at the shabby list I had prepared. 

"You can do that later," he shoots me a flirty wink, "You can tie me up in my coffin too. Kinky."

My face flares up as the guy standing a few feet away catches the last word. I really have to wonder how he teleported us safely when there are so many people around. 

We move to the aisle where hair care and facial products are stacked on one side, and feminine hygiene products are on the other side. 

"Which one do you want?" he asks. 

His eyes seem to sparkle, making me question a lot of things. Inappropriate things. I point to the pack of pads I want, watching him toss it into the cart. 

"Can you sense when a woman is on her period?" I ask him a question that isn't disturbing. 

"Yes, we can," he replies, "And before you ask, we do not consume menstrual blood. I know you were thinking about it, don't make that face. But I do know a few vampires - not from our lot - who have a fixation for women on their period. They... do certain stuff during intercourse I'd rather not mention in public. Or mention anywhere, actually."

My imagination runs wild. Part of me is mildly disgusted at the image that pops up. Part of me focuses on the things that come after what he's implying. 

He can sense it as well as he smirks at my red face.

"You're a naughty little girl, aren't you?"