Kim Taehyung

Fifteen Years Ago

A weight on my lap and suddenly I have to grow up. I have a life in my arms. A wet kiss is pressed onto my forehead and I am confused. I watch my mother's sad expression.

"It's the Clanless, isn't it? They're back. Because he's not in your tummy anymore."

My mother purses her lips and strokes my cheek.

"You're coming back, right?"

"Of course, sweetie. Just stay here, okay? And not a sound."

I nod and grin at my mother as she shuts the wardrobe door.

I hear her running downstairs. I hear shouting.

The toddler on my lap starts to cry and I shush him, cradling him into my chest. "It's okay. They're coming back."

"There's nothing up here!" My mother pulls on a faerie's arm.

"Shut it, demon slut."

The door is wrenched open. A hand pulls me out and I stumble into my mother's arms.

She pushes us behind her protectively. "You don't touch them." Her eyes go black and she glares.

"You can have the faerie boy, he's no use to us. It's your son we want." He sneers and I can't help but think it's not very aesthetically pleasing.

"Well, you're not touching either of them. Get out of Uffern."

"Not without the boy." The man cleans his bloody knife on his shirt sleeve. "Hand him over nicely and maybe I will let you and the older child keep your lives."

"Stop threatening my children and maybe I'll let you keep yours." She glares yet more, growling.

"Your children?" He laughs and it makes bile rise to my throat. "He is no son of yours." The man points at me. "He's a faerie. No demon whore could have a faerie son."

"He may as well be." My mother wraps an arm around me and pulls me into her side.

"Isn't that quaint. Now give me the boy." The man lunges and my mother pushes us all to the side, out of the way.

My father bursts into the room, covered in blood. "Beom, stop this. Please!"

The man rolls his eyes. "I'm under the queen's orders. Not that I'm complaining."

"You're my friend. We went to school together! Don't do this." My father begs, pulling at the man's sleeve.

"Then I grew up. I wouldn't be hurting anyone on this street if you'd just given me that monstrosity when I first asked you to." The man snatches himself away.

"Mon-.. You mean my son?." My father scowls.

"The abomination." The man glares at my brother and I pull him tighter into my arms.

"But he's just a baby. What do you want with him?" I frown, confused.

"I'm working as pest control, dear." He smirks.

My mother's hand collides with his cheek, tears streaming down her cheeks. The man sneers and in one movement, slides the shining metal through her neck. It's so quick, no one has time to move. My father rushes to her, tears streaming down his cheeks. I stare at the glassy eyes, never having seen a dead body before. My brother's hand tightens around my own and he screams. The man is pushed back, into the wall.

"Taehyung. Take your brother. Find someplace safe. You're strong, I believe in you." My father hugs me tightly and kisses the top of my head as the man in the corner picks himself up. "Go. Now!" My father clicks his fingers and the window next to him smashes, glass slicing into his cheek.

I pick up my brother and pull myself out of the window, glass cutting my palm and my shin. I look back to see my father struggling against the other man. I flap my wings and jump from the window, holding my brother close to my chest. I thank the heavens that he's skinny and therefore incredibly light. I look back once. Just in time to see the knife piercing my father's chest.

***

Present day

I'm crying. I'm screaming. I'm thrashing against the arms that hold me down. My eyes open and I scramble away from Jungkook, sinking into the corner of the room as I steady my breath and shaking hands.

"Tae.. I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I had to wake you, you were screaming!" He is panicking, eyes wide.

I nod. I'm grateful he did, I just don't trust my voice.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He strokes my hair in an attempt to calm me.

I shake my head, tears dampening my sweat-soaked t-shirt. He kneels in front of me and pulls me into him, hugging me tightly.

"I was eight and a half." I sniffle, voice groggy and tired.

"What?" He frowns, leaning slightly away from me.

"When my parents were murdered." I keep my eyes fixed on a random point of the floor.

He stiffens slightly but doesn't move. "What happened?"

"They had a kid." I chuckle sadly.

"And?" Jungkook probes.

"And everyone was afraid of him." I wipe my tearstained cheek with my sleeve.

"Why?" Jungkook guides my hand away and replaces it with his own, carrying some form of handkerchief.

"My step mum... She wasn't a faerie."

***

Min Yoongi

Present day

I grin to myself as I sit down with a bowl of steaming instant ramen. Jimin finally made me confess to how little I've been eating and he had packs of the stuff sent in. I inhale its scent and lick my lips, saliva gathering thickly on my tongue.

"Yoongi." The boy sits in front of me.

I blink at him and sigh. "Piss off, kid."

"No." He stares back.

"You what?." I glare intensely.

"I said 'no'. I want to eat with you." He keeps his eyes fixed on mine.

"I could kill you so easily..." I growl.

"I'm not scared of you." His expression doesn't change. He's still calm.

"Why not?" I frown. "You were scared of the other men and I beat them. I have my magick. You know that, right?" I smirk.

"So do I." The boy blinks and his eyes become jet black, no whites left.

"H-How?.." I gape.

"I don't know. It never left." He shrugs, spooning some slop into his mouth and watching me eat my noodles, intrigued.

"Why don't you use it?" I frown.

"I don't know how. No one ever taught me." The boy looks down, almost sad.

"So you have been here your whole life..."

"Most of it. I was hoping you could teach me." He looks up again. He seems eager and it makes me smile slightly.

"I don't know if I can... They wouldn't just lock up a demon for being a demon. So, what are you?" I cock my head to the side, suddenly very interested.

"It's complicated." He speedily looks away again.

"As it happens, I'm a bit of an expert on complicated." I smile genuinely and watch his shoulder relax a little as he chuckles.

The boy nibbles his bottom lip from nervousness. "I've never told anyone before."

"I can't teach you if I don't know what you are. I won't tell anyone. Do you trust me?" I watch him carefully as he thinks through his decision, not answering straight away.

"I don't know why..." He finally sighs.

"But you do..?" I grin.

"Yes." He smiles back.

"Then maybe we can help each other. Tell me what you are." I lower my voice, wanting to make sure that no passers-by hear our conversation.

"Half demon..." He mumbles.

"And..? What's the other half?" I bite my lower lip impatiently.

"Faerie."