DISTORTED DESIRE | JIKOOK (DISCONTINUED)

6. NERVE ENDINGS

Jimin blinks at Jeongguk and his eyebrows come to a furrow. "What?" he asks.

Jeongguk hums, putting his legs together, leaning forward in his chair and balancing his chin against one of his palms. "I'm doing what I'm doing because your father asked me to."

It could be the hunger creeping up on Jimin but he teeters, finding support by sitting on a chair close by. He's staring at his legs, evidently in thought before he looks to Jeongguk who scans him curiously; as if his disclosure isn't of significance.

"That's impossible," Jimin murmurs. "He's dead. I watched him die."

"I did too," Jeongguk replies. "He's a vampire. Was a vampire."

Jimin glances at Jeongguk, mouth parted bafflingly. "That's not—you're lying," he declares, storming up to the vampire with a glare.

Jeongguk looks up, mouth in an even line. He rises from his seat, towering over the blond who doesn't vacillate. "What could I possibly gain by lying to you? You're only special by association. I wouldn't waste my time by toying around with someone who's already a waste of my time."

A sudden burst of confidence inspires Jimin to shove Jeongguk by his shoulders. The latter stumbles back into his chair, scowling at the blond. "If I'm such a waste of time then why bother protecting me? Just pretend like you never met me. Pretend I don't exist—"

In an instant, Jimin is across the room and pressed into a wall with Jeongguk's hand wrapped around his throat. He's clawing at the man's fingers, grimacing while the tips of his toes graze the floor beneath him. It's clear how strong he is and the blond believes that he would be capable of snapping his neck in a split second if he wanted to.

"That's a lot to ask from someone who insisted to be here. From someone who purposefully put themselves in danger just so they could see me. You begged me for this. Or have you already forgotten?" Jeongguk declares, looking into Jimin's eyes with unadulterated rage.

With every passing second, Jimin can feel himself losing consciousness. He can't find the energy to mutter any word in response and just when he thinks he's about to pass out, he's surprised by the soles of his feet hitting the ground. His back slides against the wall as he slumps to the floor, ghosting his fingers over his throat.

Jeongguk crouches down in front of Jimin, grabbing his face, making sure that he's looking at him. "Don't test me, blondie. I'm not the bad guy. So keep your hands to yourself and we won't have any problems. Understood?"

Still reeling from shock, Jimin nods his head almost robotically. He realizes that his hands are shaking and he hides them beneath his long leather sleeves. Jeongguk still seems to notice, glancing at the tips of the human's fingers that are left in the open.

"I have no reason to lie to you. You can think what you want of me. But I'm not a liar," he claims, letting go of Jimin's face. He studies the faint red line coating his neck, tilting his head to the side curiously. "It shouldn't be too long before it fades."

Jimin is frozen in place. He stares at the ground, feeling a pound in his head; all the while it seems empty. It pains him to admit that Jeongguk isn't wrong. He asked for this, believing he could handle it. He doesn't feel any kind of relief or that his curiosity has been repleted. All that's left for him is an endless plethora of questions and regret for being so inquisitive and pushy.

"...I wanna go home," Jimin murmurs, keeping his eyes on the ground.

Jeongguk exhales while he stands. "You aren't safe at your house anymore. I'm the only one you should be trusting right now."