JIN POV:

"Ba!" Hae exclaims as I lift her up, leaning forward eagerly to press giggly wet smooches to my cheek, patting my face as she peers at me, head butting against mine as she dives back to place more, lips curved into a smile against my cheek. Just pressing them there. Leaning back and repeating. Pressing her lips at times gently to skin and at times an enthusasitic dive as her face smooshed against mine, soft giggles muffled against me.

"Ba?" I echo, smiling at her eager nod, cheeks all rosy pink from her bath, eyes drifting past me, hands waving and grabbing over my shoulders as she peers over.

I turn, twisting to see who's stepped inside the room, smiling at the sight of (Y/N) towelling her own hair dry, having paused at Hae Kyungie's call. Eyes flashing with soft maternal warmth.

"Not Ba...Ma! Mama." I correct, pointing to her. (Y/N) nods.

And then she walks over, tapping the tip of Hae's nose and pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Tapping my chest.

"And dada." She says.

"Mama and dada." I echo, lips stretching wide.

It never gets old hearing it, the novelty never wears off.

The sound of dada, of being a parent still makes my soul soar, bursting and thrumming with happiness.

A feeling of completeness that came with the happy giggly girl in my arms. The feeling of wholeness that came because of the sweet baby mate standing in front of me; mate, wife, equal.

For someone who'd been raised to reject human traditions and cultures. For someone who'd been taught only the laws and treaties and traditions of vampires, I never quite thought I'd relish and adore the human term so well.

Husband.

Never thought my ears would strain to hear it, wait to hear it. That my unbeating heart would clench and stutter when I did, murmured against skin, brushed with lips and crooned softly into my ear. Sometimes it was her, sometimes it was the others.

They all relished the term too. Eyes glowing red with pleasure and happiness to hear that (Y/N) called us by it, that she gave us the human term to her vampire mates.

"Husband, wife and baby." (Y/N) coos, tapping herself, me and then booping Hae's nose in turn, face softened with laughter and love as she leans in to press a kiss to pink cheeks.

I tap my own, eyes wide and imploring as I look at her. But she just laughs and ducks under my hand to press her lips to my own, lingering there for a few seconds before she retreats.

"You get them right here." She murmurs, tapping my lips as she moves back.

"Special eldest mate husband privileges." She whispers with a conspirator wink, ducking away behind me with a sudden whirl of speed when a protesting voice calls from the doorway.

"And is that just for the eldest? Do your other mated husbands mean nothing?" Hobi asks, eyes flickering red with tease and amusement, having stilled from where he'd made a silent sudden swipe for (Y/N), only to grasp at air.

She was getting better at using her enhanced abilities, better at controlling them.

And when I feel her lips curve into a smile against my shoulder as she peeks, I know she's delighted to have escaped.

"No it's not like that. It's just that Jinnie oppa gets all the kisses he'll ever want and more. Unconditionally. Without having to even ask." She says, teasing lips brushing against my ear, my throat, humming happily as she nips. From the way Hobi's gaze fixates on her, burning crimson and darkening, I know she's meeting his eyes and toying. Playing with him.

"Little one, you'll get sweet Hoseokie to pounce. He looks hungry." I say.

Watching the predatory focus flicker in his eyes.

Maybe he needed to feed.

"Hungry? Whatever for? I think Kookie's making dinner." She teases, damp strands brushing across my nape.

It elicits a shiver from me, hands curling around Hae Kyungie who happily twists to wave at Hobi.

"Ap..." making grabby hands, chubby arms reaching out, eyes flickering red.

His gaze softens, smiling as he rushes to curl hands around her, fingers brushing against mine, peppering kisses and pressing smooches eagerly to her skin.

"I'll give baby all the kisses. Seeing as another doesn't want them." He grumbles before grinning against Hae's cheek. Blowing a raspberry just to hear her squeal and peal of giggles as she wriggles, shaking happily in my arms.

I feel (Y/N)'s fangs graze across my ear, nipping at the lobe before pressing a kiss to the side of my jaw.

Smiling at the way the bond sparks slightly.

"Up...up...up." he coos.

"Up, up, up." (Y/N) whispers, hands curling around my stomach, delving under my shirt and inching higher with every soft whisper that Hobi undoubtedly catches.

"(Y/N) you...I'm holding Hae!" I whisper, sparks burning and scorching skin where she touches.

Her hands are warm, curling around me. Seeping through skin.

I hadn't known what it felt like to hold and curl around warmth, a gentle pulse of it that had remained, not until (Y/N). Not until it had been wounding around me even long after she'd been turned.

As if a part of her, that human mortal thrumming warmth, had been unwilling to let her turn without it.

"Let's make a run. Teleport us." she whispers, luring and tempting.

"Hobi's holding onto Hae too." I point out.

As if said mate isn't listening to every word, as if the cooing hasn't silenced and I can feel heated eyes looking at the two of us.

"(Y/N) don't tease! You haven't been with me any of the past few nights. And you're always being hogged." Hobi complains, hands slowly sliding down away from Hae.

"And if I want to hog her?" I teasingly input.

Watch the crimson flash as the gaze turns to focus solely on me.

"Ba..." Hae squeals, twisting back to peer for her mum.

"Mama" I automatically say, laughing when she insistently continues her stream of words. Focusing her attention back to (Y/N).

"Ba bye baby~" (Y/N) laughs, apologetically curling away before she's darting for the doorway, rushing past Hobi to try and escape.

He spins on his heels to chase after her, gait steady and fast- chasing after an errant baby mate.

And yet, she's caught. Encased in his arms as he curls around her, body bearing down to pin her to him.

"You're mine now." He murmurs.

Voice low and sweet and smooth.

"I've told you several times Seokie. I prefer older men." She jibes, amused teasing eyes meeting mine over his shoulder, fluttering at the nip he gives her throat for it.

"I'll be taking this away from baby's eyes." Hobi informs as he scoops her up, cradling her towards his chest as he steps through the doorway.

Taking it somewhere else.

Taking it away from young curious eyes.

But the way the bond burns and bursts with euphoric elation and pleasure is indication enough what exactly transpired when they vanished out of sight.

When they didn't make it down to dinner.

When Hae curiously calls 'ba' and finds no cooing soft voice mum to answer it.

HOBI POV:

I grin down with satisfaction at the littered marks across (Y/N)'s body. Proud of the way her chest heaves, running a finger through the thin rivulets of blood, leaning down to lap at them, warm blood staining my lips as I lick her skin clean of red.

Hold her steady when she shudders, my mouth closing around the puncture marks at her shoulder, at the curve of her breast, mouth warm and wet with her blood. I groan as her scent fills my nose, heady and entrancing. Sweetness coating my skin, heavy on my tongue and curling around me in a shadow of the embrace that I hold her with.

Her shaky exhale brushes against my ear, body arching as she tries to tug my mouth away, breathing wet and laboured. Shuddering under my touch, at my fangs scraping against skin as I straighten. Lips quirked.

"Still want to hide? Still want a mate older than me?" I whisper, hands skimming lightly across her sides, rubbing circles into her hips, pulsing out healing energy to soothe any aches she has.

"Maybe." She says, breathless but eyes flashing with challenge, her own hands reaching to brush across the bite she'd left across my shoulder, hands trailing down across to tug me down, winding her arms close as she tugs me to her.

Her fingers brush across my back, breath warm as it fans across skin, melding herself to me as she hugs me.

"Or maybe it's just fun getting a rise out of you Seokie." She whispers.

Pressing a smatter of kisses, head tucked against mine.

I huff, a smile stretching across my lips at her teasing. Eyes glowing red with contentment.

With satisfaction at having her close.

"I even missed quality Hae time to spend time with our baby mate." I say, settling down carefully, twisting to lie beside her, tugging her close.

"So did I! You're not the only one who gave time up with our baby girl." She retorts, curling beside me, hand sliding around my waist as she rests her head against my shoulder.

Voice droopy and hazy slightly.

Content after helping me feed, and curling beside me with that all too familiar feeling of protectiveness flaring up at the sight of her pressed close. Of her scent still heavy on my nose and the feeling of her winding around me, bond thrumming with happiness and pleasure.

"Tired?" I ask, feeling her head still and her body stay still for some time. I can't tell whether the light puffs of breath are her breathing in sleep or in wake.

No answer.

"Sleeping baby?" I whisper.

And then her fingers squeeze my waist.

"No. Just...want to lie like this. Figured you could do with the rest too, my busy, busy healer mate." She murmurs.

I see her face tilt up, see her cheek brush against my collar as she looks up, eyes a soft red.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you have to be wrangled into bed these days. Or that you're developing a bad habit of overworking." She chides. Tapping my stomach with warning.

I squirm in guilt slightly.

But there had just been so many opportunities to help. So many potions and tonics that Jinyoung had been experimenting with; and that chance to be able to learn them, to be able to make them myself for my coven, to have them ready in case I wasn't there.

And besides it had been gratifying to see the products of my efforts safetly lining shelves and stocked up. To see them tucked away into the medical room that had appeared as I'd walked down the hallway, arms full. Had vanished out of sight, door melting away afterwards.

"It's for the coven. I just...want to make sure we're not ever lacking in any thing. Want to keep the house all stocked up." I murmur, thumbing at her jaw, rubbing a line to her ear and leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.

She sighs against me.

"Having a baby doesn't mean, you stress about every potential injury and hurt that will probably never even happen." She says quietly.

I sigh, twisting to prop myself up, looking down at her face.

"I know...but it's....it's just even more daunting." I confess. This time her fingers brush against my mating mark, curling her fingers to press against the mark low on my collar. Eyes fixed on me as my own flutter, head dropping forward.

"And we'll get over every hurt and pain together. But don't worry about what might never even be. Don't miss these moments because of that worry." (Y/N) urges.

I nod.

Smiling when she pecks my cheek.

"I won't. I'll live in the present and not the future." I promise.

"And that starts with worrying about our dinner later. Cuddles come first." I say.

Frown when she sits up, stretching away as she clambers out. Reaching instead to draw the blankets away from our bodies.

"We've already missed it. Present means hogging Hae and hearing all the wonderful sounds she's beginning to make." She says, bare back to me as she twists away.

Reaching for the bedside table as she gets up.

Hips swaying as she walks away, hair drawn across one shoulder and eyes flickering red when she shoots me a look.

"And I'm hungry. All drained after that feed. So...I demand dinner with one healer mate." She calls before vanishing behind wardrobe doors.

I smile, twisting to hurry after her.

I can do that.

I can do that very gladly.

And when I end up with Hae sleeping on my chest, head resting under my chin and warm body wriggling slightly as she shuffles, my heart twists, an echo of what a thrumming heartbeat wouldve once been.

So overjoyed with our sleeping girl tucked close. Smiling as I remember the way she'd stretched out for me, small tiny fangs peeking through her happy beaming smile.

"She's going to drool on you." Jiminie remarks softly, head tucked against my shoulder as he brushes his fingers through small waves, sweeping across pink cheeks as he looks at Hae's parted mouth. Breath warm against my throat.

"Doesn't matter. I'll bear the drool if it means I get to sleep with her." I say.

"And the nappy changes?" he whispers.

Unable to stop giving her light touches.

"The nappy changes we do together. We're both appas in this. And that means you stick it out with me through that as well." Laughing quietly at the scrunch he makes, pout ruined by the way his eyes shine with adoration.

Humming as he noses at my cheek before kissing me.

"I can do that. Appas together." As his hand loops around my wrist.

Squeezing gently.

Parents together in this.

(ANOTHER SNIPPET OF JUST HAE BEING THE ABSOLUTE BABY THAT SHE IS AND STEALING HEARTS EVERYWHERE! I REALLY DO GIVE MYSELF BABY FEVER THIS WAY BUT OH WELL! SHE'S TOO ADORABLE! WE HAD TEASY BABY MATE, WE HAD JINNIE AND WE HAD HOBI DEMANDING SOME ONE ON ONE BABY MATE TIME! IT SEEMS SHE LOVES TO TEASE AND SHE'S PICKING UP MORE AND MORE STUFF FROM THE MAKNAES *COUGH TAE COUGH*! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS! AND IN THE NEXT CHAPTER WE'LL BE REACHING A MILESTONE SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THAT! ENJOY AND TAKE CARE LOVELIES!!)

Time slips by us in the blink of an eye, people brush past us with the touch of a shoulder as they walk the same street. Moments pass us in a heartbeat. Everything is fleeting, moving, whether we can keep pace, whether we can move along with it or whether we stay still is up to us. But sometimes a moment's hesitation causes us to lose that one person, that one chance, that one opportunity that matters. Don't let life slip past you and leave you. 

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3