JOON POV:

Our eyes are carefully and observantly taking in the surroundings, taking in the details we'd spent hours pouring over, at the bar that takes up one large corner of the spacious hall, at the lighting, the décor, the colours...everything.

Everything has to be perfect; everything has to be absolutely fixed and kept and ready.

It's Jin hyung and Hobi who rush us to the venue two hours before the ceremony starts, even though our parents have already gotten everything set into place and come bustling forward- already dressed and ready, welcoming smiles on their faces as they bustle around us, fixing and straightened already perfectly set suits.

"Eomma stop. Please." Jin hyung says, brushing Eomma number one's flitting hands off his immaculate suit, snug and perfect in the way it hugs his broad shoulders and flatters his frame, outlining his torso with precise definition. He looks sinfully delicious. And he knows it, especially when his eyes flicker red when he meets my gaze over her shoulder and his lips twitch at my blatant staring.

"Eomma, everything is clearly managed. Now stop! You'll end up putting creases into it for real." He says, eyes sliding slowly away from me to scan the crowd of family.

"Hyung isn't here is he?" he asks, voice tight and brooking no argument, clearly showing with his stiff posture alone that he won't have him ruining something so precious for our mate.

She shakes her head.

"We're all sorry we didn't step in sooner. But no...he won't be here. I won't have him ruin something so important, so precious for my youngest darling. Speaking of which...when is she coming?" she asks, seeming to exude joy in the form of radiance, face lit up and almost vibrating with excitement.

It makes me stifle a laugh.

Because she's this excited. But has no idea how much want and longing thrums through us, every part of me feeling restless, as if there's an ache deeply rooted in my soul, winding around me and tugging.

A dull pain that consciously reminds us that our mate isn't here, that she's not here, not in close proximity and that our bond isn't settled, because it's not fully complete- instincts fidgeting with the need to find her, to keep her close- even if my rational mind is able to accept that she'll be here in a bit.

And despite how long and never-ending the two hours seem they'll be, it somehow flies by and we all find ourself immersed in some mindless task or the other. Kookie and Minnie meticulously straightening the centre table- arguing in hushed whispers about who sits where, fiddling with the floral centrepiece. Yoongi hyung is talking to the caterers, eyes narrowed as he scans the menu list in his hand- no doubt checking meticulously to see if anything is out of place. Hobi has already made himself comfortable behind the corner where the DJ will play music- handing over a list of songs that we'd all voiced we'd like to dance to with our mate. Our first dances with her. One of the courtship rituals that marked the transitionary period into something new. And it made thrill rush through me at the thought. Jin hyung is trying to separate himself from a clingy Tae who even from this distance I can hear him complain about (Y/N) not being here- how the separation was too much and he'd shift is she didn't appear.

I smile at the two, turning when I feel a hand rest on my shoulder, turning me around to come face to face with my father, who smiles, dimples appearing when he takes in the sight of me.

"You look dashing Namjoon-ah, I know for a fact you'll sweep her off her feet. One way or the other." He jokes, laughing at my panicked face, at the teasing comment at my hereditary clumsiness. 

I sure hoped that the only reason she was swept off her feet was because I wanted to impress her, not because I wanted to knock her over. And my cheeks warm at the thought, at the possibility.

He squeezes my shoulder.

"Appa is just teasing. When you see her, you'll be so awed- you'll forget your clumsiness." He reassures me, nudged aside by my mum who elbows him lightly, eyes flashing red with warning.

"Stop scaring my lovely baby. All grown up and about to finish the mating process. Why are you spoiling the romantic mood?" she huffs, eyes twinkling with soft love as she cups my cheek, tiptoeing up as I bend my head towards her so she can brush a light kiss across my cheeks, careful not to stain my skin with lipstick, rubbing a thumb over my cheek regardless.

"Treat her well. Don't ever let her feel the absence of her parents in her life." my mum says, eyes filled with sympathetic love.

"I have no doubt of it. The boys won't let her. Besides, she'll always have us." A bright new voice interjects and I turn in haste, recognising Deok-mi's voice, lips stretched wide in a beautiful smile, eyes sparkling and face radiant, arm looped through her own mate's.

I bow my head quickly, greeting her parent figures. Noting the smile on Ryan's face when he meets my eyes.

"You look handsome Namjoon ssi, poor         (Y/N)." he says with a laughing smile.

"Please don't use formalities, especially now that our relationship has changed." I insist, bond warming as the others gravitate towards Ryan and Deok-mi, having spotted them too.

"Sorry, it's hard given how long we've known you professionally. I apologise...Namjoon." He amends, bowing politely to my mum, who I'd forgotten to introduce.

But she does so herself anyways, voice turning delighted when she hears their relation to     (Y/N), the parents shifting forward in excitement.

We step away, eyes glued to the doors through which people are beginning to enter- but none of them are her.

"Hyung where is she?" Tae complains, latching onto Yoongi hyung this time- who's own dark eyes had narrowed and fixated onto the entrance, who turns to shoot a sympathetic look.

"I'm wondering that myself." He mumbles, not even denying it as he continues to scan the other faces, as if by some preposterous way we missed her entering. As if we wouldn't have felt it in the bond.

"Do you think she'll have liked the shoes?" Kookie asks, teeth gnawing at his bottom lip and eyes wide, worried even though he'd been the one to shyly propose the idea, body expressing uncertainty but voice level as he asked what we should give as our final courting gift. He'd also given the idea that it should be something she should be able to have with her before the mating ceremony.

"Of course! Hobi hyung spent so much time going every inch with healing spells over and over to make sure it would cushion her feet, so there's no chance of her feet aching or starting to hurt." Jiminie points out, smiling at Hobi who's smile is gentle and shy, flustered under our younger mate's verbal appreciation.

"And Joon's designs to convert the very real flowers into immortal embellished blooms was beautiful too." Jin hyung adds, squeezing my hand.

"I think Eunwoo and Yugyeomie have stolen her away from us. And have no intention of—" Kookie begins, voice frustrated and put-out when he pauses, sucking in a harsh breath, trailing off because his attention, our attention has been taken away by something else.

Someone else.

A very special someone who enters shyly through the door, fingers clutching at the jacket sleeve of her bloodmate, head peeping out tentatively from around his tall frame.

It's the tiniest glimpse we get of her before Yugyeom's taller, larger frame covers her from sight.

But it's enough.

Enough to have my heart clenching, soul soaring and blood to sing. Everything turns brighter, as if suddenly the world is seen through brighter, clearer lens- everything sharper, and yet the surroundings all melt and fade away as I look at her, at the barest glimpse of her- fingers clutching at fabric and the slight uneasiness and giddy elation that seeps through the bond.

Suddenly everything is perfect.

Because she's here.

JIMIN POV:

The Ims, MJ hyung and Eunwoo move closer, silently and unconsciously having formed a protective circle around her and the familiarity of it is nostalgic- all those months ago when I hadn't know that within the Ims, (Y/N) had been tucked away, that our final mate had been so close and yet infinitely far.

The electrifying feeling returns, a dizzying rush of feelings as with each step she grows closer and closer to us, heart squeezing painfully where once centuries ago it would've rapidly picked up, trying to burst out. And when Yugyeomie gently uncurls her fingers from his sleeve, it's to give a small squeeze to it.

And then steps away silently, the cluster of them falling away to reveal her in all her stunning, ethereal, breath-taking beauty.

I've lost the habit of breathing centuries ago, never missed it and yet right now, within this moment, it's suddenly as if my lungs are desperate for air, for breath, feeling tight and constricting, suddenly caving in at the lack of air- as if all of the oxygen has been sucked out of the air as I greedily and hungrily taking in the sight of her. As if we hadn't been parted only a day. It was more 38 hours and 17 minutes but who was counting?

I most definitely wasn't.

Not when she was looking like that. Glowing and exuding such natural charm and allure even without saying a word yet, without having met any of our gazes, head bent and fidgeting with her fingers. She looks so different and yet completely the same. 

"Hey sweetheart. Won't you give your mates a glance?" Jin hyung coos, voice soft and gentle, eyes bright as he looks at her, almost beside himself with joy.

But it's his soft words that do the trick because she raises her head, eyes wide and beautifully large, flickering red as she looks at him, as her eyes drift to take us all in- noting that her eyes seem to linger, unwillingly sliding away. And that once she raised her head we got our first full glimpse of her, layers of blue tulle gracing and adorning her frame, fitting it, sensually wrapping it up as a gorgeous gift, drawing attention to her bare shoulders and collarbones, to her unblemished smooth unmarked neck, delicate curve of her throat- bobbing as she consciously becomes aware of the fact that none of us can take our eyes off her. I can't stop raking my eyes over her soft skin, glaringly obvious and teasingly visible given the way loose tendrils seem to purposely escape and curl attractively around her face and the slightest at her neck.

She looks stunning. Delectable. She looks like everything we'd been waiting for given to us infinitely magnified and glorious. (Y/N) standing there physically embodies the saying that the fruit borne from patience is sweet. She is. So, so sweet. Her scent coming across stronger, large sweeping waves that make my instincts dizzyingly flare, that makes my body want to curve towards her, lean into her and hold her there.

"You look and smell delicious." Tae blurts out without a filter, eyes wide and lips glistening, voice rough and laced with desire.

His words send a bolt of desire through the bond, but also physically affects her, pupils dilating slightly and sparking red and cheeks warming slightly- a tinge of rose coming into the full soft shape of them. The flushed flustered look makes me want to pepper kisses all across her soft cheeks, to coax out giggles, contrasting with the hypnotic intoxicating effect she has merely by standing there.

His words trigger a wave of words and compliments, all of us shifting closer to feel her near, to sigh with relief when the bond settles at the completeness it allows me to feel and sink into. My hands slide over her tulle-clad waist to tug her close, smiling at the way her glossy satin smooth rosy lips part with a small gasp, hands coming to slide upto my shoulders, resting at the nape of my neck.

"May I...?" I ask, voice slightly rough.

I don't know what I'm asking for. A dance. A kiss. Eternity just like this. All three and more.

But she nods.

"Yes." She breathes back and I take it as an invitation to wrap a hand around her back, tugging her closer and leaning down to brush a kiss gently across her lips.

"Don't hog her Jiminie, let us all have the chance to meet and kiss our sweet mate." Yoongi hyung voice comes out, deeper and smooth and sinfully attractive. And one by one the others sweep descend on her, arms wrapping her close and lips pressing light kisses to hers, and when Hobi hyung parts from her- lips having unfairly lingered longer, she's pleasantly rosy-cheeked and slightly dazed, lips kiss-swollen and reddened from pressure.

"You all shouldn't have...what will everyone think?" she asks a few moments later, too flustered to look around to see if anyone has seen.

It makes pride possessiveness flare low in my gut at the thought. That anyone who had set their eyes on her, had been enamoured and trapped by the sight of our angel would have seen that she was ours, that she belonged to our coven.

I hadn't missed the intrigued eyes that had turned to them when they'd entered, hadn't missed the way the way emotions had fluctuated around the room, unbeating hearts feeling awe and wonder at the sight of her.

Too bad she didn't have eyes for them, that she hadn't strayed her eyes off us.

It makes the bond burn, positively smouldering and engulfed in the flames that came from the constant, never-ending sparks whenever we were close.

And it seems like perhaps we did have eyes on us indeed because she has barely freed herself from Hobi hyung's content hold on her that do the parents descend, Ryan and Deok-mi being the first ones to swoop on her and shower her with kisses and hugs- a glow of belonging and content surrounding the three of them, encasing them in an impenetrable bubble, their own world as they doted on her, as their eyes sparkled with tears of pride.

And when they turn, standing tall and proud and strong behind her when our parents descend, fluttering around her- unable to resist the powerful and silent magnetism she exuded, our fathers proud and radiating joy as they hug her, I note the way her arms tightly wind around Yoongi's Appa, lips moving as she talks to him, and the way the mothers can't stop gushing, hands trailing freely across her bare arms, the stirrings of jealousy and longing begin to thread through my body.

Despite it being our mating ceremony, it seems like the world forgets, everyone forgets because one after the other people keep coming to whisk her away, arms reaching out to scoop her away from reach, away from us who crave to have her close. 

The music and voices mingle into background noise, drowning out the sweetness of our baby mate's voice, making it hard to find her, locate her had it not been for the way her scent makes a very physical tether guiding us there.

It's frustration and petulance and a mixture of instincts and deeply-rooted want for her, for her to be by us, near us that leads us to split off from the people we'd been talking to, eyes having distractedly been roaming, minds absent and bodies feeling restless and fidgety as we seek her out.

And it's beside Dawon noona that we find her, face relaxed and shining as she smiles and laughs, head curved towards each other as they talk, Dawon noona's eyes burning red with pride and happiness and fondness too. The two couldn't be contrasting more, where (Y/N)'s dress is a lighter blue, noona's is an inky dark blue- they make a striking pair and I can see noona relishes in it, sees the way the two are drawing admiring glances.

It's Joon hyung who steps forward to slide large hands around her waist, settling across her stomach to tug her backwards into him, pressing a lingering kiss to her shoulder, her exposed shoulder where the beginning of her scar is, an open-mouthed kiss that makes her shudder and melt.

"Joonie..." she gasps, trying to tug herself free from his arms, eyes wide and sliding away from Dawon noona, but instead his hands just tighten.

"Don't worry darling, I'm afraid I've caught sight of much much worse." She grimaces, eyes flickering to Hobi hyung and wincing in recollection.

But then she breaks into a smile, dazzling and bright- just as her brother's was.

"Aren't you going to greet your noona boys?" she asks, hands spread wide for hugs as she looks at us, smiling when Hobi hyung is the first to move, wrapping his arms tightly around her, murmuring to her. The others follow with quick succession, Kookie still a bit shy as he accepts her easy affection- much like how he'd been around us, and Joon hyung unwillingly unwraps his arms from around (Y/N), the spot snagged immediately by Kookie, who gently noses the skin of her shoulder, pressing a row of butterfly kisses until he reaches behind her ear.

"Stunning baby. I'm proud that you're confident, even with your scars." He murmurs.

His words draw attention to the silvery faded scar that runs down one half of her back, that serves as a constant reminder of what she'd endured and survived. It makes her even more beautiful.

And it's then that I realise that the dress style was intentionally so. Not to tease and rile us up like I'd been the moment I'd spotted the low back, the deep v it made that exposed the top half of her skin, one threaded with silvery scars, drawing attention to it almost as if it acts as an embellishment, adorning her skin. It's a dress that silently but powerfully demands attention, draws eyes to the scars and says that she's proud of them, that they're a part of her. She wields herself with silent firm power.

Dawon noona steps back from Joon hyung, eyes flickering between us to take in the way all of us constantly keep shifting closer, trying to be close, closer to her- trying to satiate that craving because it had been near impossible to have her for longer than a few moments at a time since the ceremony had started. And it was beginning to make my patience wear thin.

Her eyes are mischievous and playful as her hand reaches out to grab (Y/N)'s- almost experimentally tugging her forward away from our cocoon of bodies, eliciting deep rumbling growls and sounds of protest, Kookie's mouth parting to let out a surprised hitch of breath, hands trying to keep her close.

She smiles, beautiful and bright as she lets go of our mate's hand.

"Just testing the water boys. Well, I won't keep my delighted baby from you any longer. (Y/N) sweetheart, a pleasure. Let's meet up after your mating is complete." She says, eyes intently on her and gently pecking her cheek, cupping it lightly.

She steps away and moves both leisurely and quickly, melting into the crowd- finally allowing us to be alone with our mate. Maybe inviting people beyond family had been unwise. Because of it we'd barely had her to ourselves.

But seeing how bright she looks, how relaxed makes me think that if it made her happy then we'd do it again.

And it's up close that I find that all the exuded radiance and glow she'd had goes beyond the innate beauty and charm she radiates, it's closer that I realise her skin seems to shimmer, with a subtle shine that makes her body glow.

Her breath hitches when Jin hyung steps close from the front, hand trailing over her collarbone before sliding up to cup her cheek, she melts into it, curving into the touch.

"May I have the chance to sweep you off your feet little one? That is if you're feet aren't aching?" he asks, voice teasing and playful. She laughs, sliding her hands up the fitted shape of his jacket to rest at the collar, brushing her hands over it.

"They might be the best pair in the world. I'll cherish these forever. It feels like I've been walking on clouds." She says, sighing with relief, twisting slightly to display the shoes, happily smiling down. 

And with that said, Jin hyung laces their hands together, leading her out to dance, and it's then that I realise that his actions perfectly coincide with the timing for the first dance, the beginning tune of the music playing out- a hushed admiring silence falling when his hands fall to her waist and hers rest on his broad shoulders.

And as they begin to dance, the first step of seven marking the end of our courtship, I find myself wistfully nostalgic- wishing that we could've had it longer and yet at the same time giddy for it to be over so we can place a determined label and changed status on our relationship. Because with this ending there's a new beginning. With this dance, the past is swept away with every twirl to make more and more space for our future.

And seeing the way the two of them have eyes for no-one but each other, lost in each other makes my heart burst with affection for them. With what our lives will bring. And each twirl brings a tantalising sight, of her dress flaring around her hips, fabric fanning out and teasing glimpses of skin, her back exposed everytime they spin and whirl around effortlessly, the flowers at her bust, shimmering attractively, drawing attention to the hint of cleavage it gives. The glimpse of smooth thigh and leg when the dress spins out, dizzyingly distracting and attractive.

She's stunning.

And when my ability seeps out, emotions winding around my mates- it's raw beautiful need and sweet painful longing, and it makes the bond burn stronger and stronger.

And through the strengthening flames comes sparks of impatience, to be the one holding her, moving with her. To be the thousand eyes, to be the only ones to see her like this- ethereal divine temptation.

An image of beauty. An image of sweetness. An image of imperfect scarred perfection.

An image of the one who came after decades of waiting. And became the one to complete us. To make the bond whole.

(THERE YOU GO!! THE FIRST PART OF THE MATING CEREMONY! AND I THINK IN THE NEXT CHAPTER WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE THE MATING ACTUALLY BEGIN, BUT WHO KNOWS?? I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE!! I HOPE THE FEELING OF URGENCY AND NEED AND LONGING REALLY CAME THROUGH THE PINING WANTING MATES WHO SEEM TO BE CONSTANTLY TRAILING BEHIND HER IN ATTEMPTS TO HAVE SOME TIME WITH HER! BUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER- NO MORE DISTRACTIONS, NO MORE LONGING- BUT LAVISHING HER IN ALL THEIR ATTENTIONS!! LET ME KNOW ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS!! I HOPE IT MADE YOU AS GUSHY AND SOFT AS I FELT WRITING IT! I'M SO SO EXCITED TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER ALREADY! STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE DARLINGS!)

Beginnings and ends are like a constant cycle rather than being a straight timeline. Whenever something ends, a new thing begins. Whenever something begins, something old ends. Beginnings and ends exist beyond stories, beyond books- they exist within us and within life. So don't mourn endings without the hope of something new and better coming. 

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3