JOON POV:

I glance up at the clouds, frowning at the cluster of them steadily gathering and growing darker, a grey blot seeping across the once blue from earlier.

Had I been up here that long?

I was so sure that Jin hyung had popped up only an hour or so back, warning me that there was going to be a storm later, so sure that he'd left the jug of lemonade recently but the sky had begun to darken and the jug was empty. And when he'd popped by with his warning, the sun had been at its peak.

I groan as I stretch, clambering to my feet, already wincing with the inevitable chiding look Jin hyung was going to give me when I came back. And to worsen it heavy droplets of rain begin to fall, a drizzle that quickly turns to a heavy downpour, clothes plastering to skin with cold wetness that threatens to seep into already cool skin.

And though I know vampires don't catch colds in the same way, that it's harder to for even the coldest temperatures to even begin to affect our own constant fixed temperature, I also know that Jin hyung's fussing will follow regardless. And with soaked clothes clinging to my body as I scoop up the jug and rush for the stairs I know without hyung's ability to see visions that I'm in for a resigned pouty mate.

True to word, Jin hyung's waiting at the base of the stairs, eyeing me with a weary sigh as he unfolds the large towel he'd been holding, wrapping it around me and tugging me close as he begins to pat me dry.

"Hyung I—" I begin.

Jin hyung shakes his head, a rueful smile on his face as his eyes flash red.

"Flower I already know you're going to say you got carried away. And I already knew that despite my warning I was going to end up with a dripping mate. Guess somethings can't be avoided." He says, lips quirking when he runs a smaller towel through my hair.

I make a move to reach for the towel, other hand curling to keep the big one wrapped around me but it falls away when he gives me a look, indulgent look on his face as he carefully dabs up the water dripping down my face.

"Get into a hot bath will you love?" he says.

I frown and then laugh, lips creasing.

"Then why go to the effort of drying me up hyung?" I ask.

"If I leave you all cold and wet, the chill will sink in. But that doesn't mean I don't want you hopping under hot water right now." He says easily.

"Now pucker up. I want a kiss for all my efforts." Hyung says once he's satisfied, lips curving wide when I instinctively lean forward, humming happily as he closes the distance between us.

Jin hyung leans to press a scorching kiss to my lips, heated and fiery and pinning me to him, hand curling aaround my nape in a possessive tug as he clutches at me. Lips soft and warm and demanding, the shape of them imprinted against my own

My hand falls from around the towel to grip at him, tugging him close, hand curving under his shirt to touch skin, a breathless gasp exhaled against my lips when my cold fingers touch his warm skin, feel him wriggle even as he tugs me closer to him, squirming slightly.

"Get warm. Then come find me." Jin hyung murmurs as he presses a quick kiss to my lips as he leans away. My hand around his waist tightens, drawing him closer, unwilling and unwanting to let go.

"Why don't you get warm with me hyung?" I murmur, peppering kisses against his jaw, pleading murmurs as I brush my lips across warm skin.

"I don't know...do you deserve it? After not listening to hyung?" he whispers back even if he tilts his head back to allow for access, even if he shudders when I mouth at his throat.

"Please I'll be good for you hyung, I'll make it up to you." I whisper, hands roving over him, dragging him closer, body flush against my own.

The hand that tugs at my hair, sinking into strands and drawing my face away from his throat is firm and unrelenting and his gaze burns a deep, dark crimson.

"You will? Is that a promise flower?" he asks, voice a soft gentle crooning lilt.

I nod.

"Will you be quiet too? Will you keep your sounds in?" Jin hyung asks, lips quirked up in a way that promises so much, sensual intent in the way his body gravitates to mine and his thumb brushes against my lips.

My stomach tightens.

"Hae Kyungie's at the Ims though. Eunwoo and Yugyeom took her earlier." I murmur, words catching in my throat when Jin hyung leans forward.

"So? You want your noises spilling out for the others to hear? You want sweet baby mate to be distracted from her work?" he asks.

I shake my head.

"Good boy. Now come on, there's a hot bath waiting for us." and with a tight grip on my hand tugs me with him, stooping to pluck the towel and wrap around me with a gentle touch that belies the mishcief flickering in his eyes.

------

My hands slip against the tiled walls, muffling my cry against my forearm, head dropping forward as Jin hyung continues to hold me, tongue flicking teasingly against blooming marks colouring my shoulders, leg wedged between my thighs as he keeps me pinned open. I jerk at the sensation of a second tongue flicking at my inner thigh, hands tightly gripping skin and keeping me pinned, mouthing and licking, legs trembling and mouth dropping open as I pant.

"You're doing a good job so far of being silent." Hobi says, mouth moving away, fingers digging into my hips, uncaring of water cascading over him, skin and hair slick and wet, blinking up at me through wet lashes with bright proud red eyes.

"Does that mean we're not doing a good enough job Hob-ah?" Jin hyung asks, teeth sinking down on the crook of my neck, fangs piercing skin and the hand banded across my torso tightening and keeping me upright when my legs threaten to buckle, tugging me back when my hips buck forward into Hobi's awaiting open mouth.

The sensation of two mouths on me, one bobbing between my legs and the other clamped around my throat and mouthing, feeding on me has my eyes clenching shut, a moan slipping out, fingers slipping for purchase as I try to keep myself upright.

"There we go. There's our pretty flower." Hobi croons, pressing kisses to my thigh as he moves away, tongue pressing to the dark bruises his hands have left behind.

"Hyung stop I..." I gasp out, panting at the sensation of Jin hyung's fangs retreating, tongue lapping at blood, body thrumming with pleasure that seeps out and curls over every limb, back arching at the hands that rove over my torso, mapping me out for him; coaxing out groans and whimpers for him.

"Stop? You wanted to share heat, wanted company. Is it so bad that Hobi joined us after our bath?" Jin hyung croons, the low smooth hum to his voice reminding me of exactly how he'd taken me apart, body caging mine, hands roving and slowly bringing me to pleasure over and over, head falling against his shoulder, lips meeting mine in gentle grounding touches even as he continued to make my body shudder with euphoric relief.

A nip to my ear drags my mind away from the fog of pleasure, a spark that makes me try to focus.

"What did I ask Joon?" Jin hyung asks.

I grasp onto threads of words.

Shaking my head quickly.

"No, not bad." I mumble.

"Good boy Joon. For that, you get a reward." Hobi says before he's gripping me and with his hand and mouth bringing another crashing wave of pleasure to slam into me, vision blurring slightly as I grunt, hand falling to fist his hair, unsure whether to tug him away or closer, chest arching forward, brushing against slick cold tiles, body jolting with pleasure, threatening to slump over had it not been for the way Jin hyung supports me, murmuring gently and Hobi's hands run up and down the side of my legs soothingly.

And when my body stops trembling and shaking, vision clearing slightly, it's to see a small grin on Hobi's lips; gentle and tender and indulgent. Keeping his eyes on me as he presses a kiss to my skin, uncurling and straightening from where he'd been kneeling.

Pressing a soft kiss to my lips as he sandwiches me between him and hyung.

"Now your lesson is try to avoid making hyung's visions coming true. And our lesson is to keep babying our boy. And if he's too forgetful to remember to head in earlier, then let's make him forget about everything else but us too." He says with a wicked teasing grin.

The hands around my waist squeeze.

"Now...let's get you dry properly. And let's get some food in you."

A breathless laugh escapes me.

Now the fretting set back in. Resumed.

-------

A restlessness begins to settle when the storm continues; thundering loudly against the panes of glass, streaming down the windows in the living room. Hobi's hand stills in my hair, sensing the unease and feeling it himself.

It thrums through the bond.

"What's wrong?" Hobi mutters to himself.

My eyes drift over the living room, spotting Jiminie slumped against Kookie; sleeping, head tucked close and splayed over him.

Kookie's gaze meets mine; eyes flickering red with question even as a hand goes to rub at his chest, trying to ease a discomfort there.

"Is something wrong Kook-ah?" Jin hyung asks softly, rising off his seat on the adjacent couch.

He shifts and wriggles, the light motion making Jiminie stir slightly, brows scrunched and frowning.

Eyes fluttering open and a bright red peeking through.

"Where are the others?" he asks, voice rough but tinged with worry, slowly pushing himself off.

Yoongi hyung and Tae appear in the hallway, sensing the same fretfulness in the bond, Yoongi hyung's gaze narrowed as he scans everyone before his face tightens.

"Where's Hae and (Y/N)?" he asks.

Jiminie's straightening up, fist rubbing at the sleep in his eyes and Kookie's quickly disentangling himself from him, hastening to his feet.

"I left her with (Y/N) a while ago; she kept wanting to see her and the house let her through." He says.

And whilst that's meant to be reassuring, the following sounds aren't.

Small hops and then the sound of a small 'hurry' before rushing small footsteps. And then a small body is wriggling between Tae and Yoongi hyung's legs, Hae's face popping through as she looks up at all of us.

"Hae honey! Where's—" Tae begins bending down for her.

But her face is creased with a worried pout and wide red eyes that peer at us, urgently tugging at Yoongi hyung's leg; the rest of us straightening and getting up.

"Mama's sad and crying. Mama boo-boo." She says urgently, tugging again and again.

Yoongi hyung's face shutters, worry and concern and fear searing across it before he's rushing up, twisting to get to her.

Tae's scooping Hae up before following suit, hands secured around her.

The thought of (Y/N) being hurt, being alone and being in pain makes my soul twist and writhe with agony, bond thrumming with urgency and the closer we get to her art room the more the feeling amplifies; pain seeping out from her tether to us, consumed with grief and agony.

The door swings open automatically, the sound of shaky shuddery sobs filtering through the air, permeating it with the sound of our baby mate hurting and suffering.

It makes my throat tighten that the feeling had only begun, that the restlessness had roused us, still feeling guilty and fretting for her having been alone when she first started hurting.

Yoongi hyung is the first to reach her, bending down to move close to her curled up figure.

She shakes, body rocking back and forth, hand stained with red, the bucket of it spilling out across the wooden floor, garish and dark and glinting in the dim lighting of the room.

My stomach tightens because whilst I know it's not blood, whilst I know it doesn't have the metallic tang to it, it still makes my body jolt with alarm at how it stains her hand.

But Yoongi hyung's hand never gets to reach her, hovering and retreating when she shrinks into herself, curling up smaller, small sobbed pleas to not be touched.

"Mama...mama boo-boo. Appa make it better." Hae mumbles, voice trembling and eyes shining with tears as she nudges Tae's face, trying to push him forward.

Kookie gently pushes through to get to her, kneeling in front of her.

"Baby...baby you're okay." He whispers.

Her hands clamp over her ears, shaking her head and the red paint smears over her clothes.

"No...no....get away he'll hurt you!" she screams when Kookie's hand touches her stained one, head jerking up. The red of her eyes a thin ring, pupils dilated and her gaze unseeing, pleading and sobbing and cheeks stained wet with a torrent of tears as she tries to move back, sensing him and yet not, stuck in this loop within her own head.

"(Y/N) please....just focus on my voice, it's okay. It's really okay." Kookie whispers, voice trembling.

And I know a part of him is reminded of himself when he looks at her, hands curling against his sides as he tries to calm her down, not wanting to touch her and bring her greater panic and fear.

"He'll hurt you. Leave. He's already....he's already taken them." She breathes, fingers curling into skin and digging in.

Realisation creeps in, colder and more numbing than the torrent of rain had been. And my hands tremble with the urge to hold myself back to rush to her because she doesn't need physical touch right now. But they also shake with anger, with that bubbling need to have protected her and Yoongi hyung from more pain.

And now Yoongi hyung's face shutters, flashes with anger and hurt and fierce, fierce protectiveness.

"Mama...mama hurting!" Hae insists, trying to tug herself free, pushing at Tae's shoulder and trying to wriggle free. Her voice is a shaky sob.

But the sound only pushes (Y/N) into a deeper manic, throat bobbing as she tries to scrabble away.

It cements one thing, one painful, agonising reality.

(Y/N)'s mind is stuck on the memory of the night she lost her parents. And Hae's cries and rush to get to (Y/N) are reminding her of her own cries. Of her own self sobbing and pleading for her own mum, of her shrieking and trying to get away from her parents unmoving figures.

"Tae take Hae out. Take Hae outside, her cries are making it worse for (Y/N)." I get out, eyes flashing to his and watching as his stiff figure, face shuttered with pain nod as he staggers back, trying to soothe Hae as she shrieks, twisting to get to (Y/N). Jiminie's face crumples, tears sliding down his cheeks as he moves to soothe our daughter, eyes almost unable to tear away from the sight of (Y/N)'s figure.

"It's okay Hae. Mama's okay." Are soft murmurs that are barely heard, leading Tae from the room, hand fretting and trying to wipe at pink cheeks blotchy with sobs and cries for her mum. Door closing softly behind them, the sound of our daughter's cries fading away.

It hurts to get Hae to leave, to tell our mates to take care of her when I know that they're tearing up inside just as much, unable to help our baby mate.

And yet as I approach, Jin hyung and Hobi already softly speaking to her, trying to ground her without touch, my ability spurts out; natural magic responding to her agony, thorny vines spreading across the floor where I crouch, threatening to entangle me in it.

"Joon calm down love." Yoongi hyung says softly, a hand reaching to wrap around my ankle, pulsing out soft soothing waves of emotion; trying to get the vines to stop spreading across the wooden floor and the pool of red paint.

I nod, trying to tampen down the spike of nature magic, trying to reign it back in but it tugs to be free, to respond to my mate's hurt.

"Calm down Joonie, (Y/N) needs us to be strong and steady for her." Jin hyung whispers, eyes flickering gold briefly, lips twisted into a frown.

I nod, forcefully tampening it down.

Calm down.

(Y/N) needs us.

But all we can do is help guide her through it, try to anchor her to us, bond pulsing with love- trying to guide her back to us and away from the nightmare she's stuck seeing in eyes that flicker in and out of focus.

And it takes time, an endless stretch of time; maybe minutes, maybe hours, an infinity panning as she cries and holds herself, eyes fluttering with exhaustion- run down and body giving up.

Her posture slowly slumps, uncurling, head falling back and body swaying dangerously but Jin hyung is there, slipping behind to support her and cradle her against him. Body going limp as she cries herself into unconsciousness, tension slipping away when her body gives up, gives out on the pain tearing through the bond.

And Kookie leans forward, wiping her tears and murmuring gently, pressing kisses across her skin, fingers laced together with hers.

"We've got you. We've always got you."

My fingers unclench, rushing forward as Hobi checks on her, rubs soft circles to her pulse point, a healing charm under his breath as Kookie stabilises her energy; shares his own with her to steady her body.

"Is she going to be okay?" I ask.

Yoongi hyung's frown smoothens slightly, reaching back to take my hand and squeezing.

"She'll be fine. She's fine." He whispers.

Some days are good.

And this was one of the bad.

But we'll help her through it.

We'll help her get through the bad.

(LEMME JUST SAY...JOON WAS DEMANDING ATTENTION AND I HAD TO GIVE IT! IT WENT FROM WHATEVER THAT MIX WAS WITH JIN AND HOBI TO BABY MATE PROTECTION MATE SQUAD RISE!! THEY ALL FELT HER PAIN THROUGH THE BOND AND NEEDED TO FIND HER AND SEE IF SHE WAS OKAY! AND THE STORM BROUGHT BACK TRAUMA!! AND BABY MATE JUST COULDN'T ESCAPE THAT NIGHTMARE OF RELIVING THAT SCENE OVER AND OVER, SEEING HER PARENTS DEAD AND POOR HAE BABY!! WHEN SHE SCREAMED FOR HER MUM, IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS SEEING HER OWN YOUNG SELF PLEADING FOR HER PARENTS! SO THIS'LL BE CONTINUING NEXT CHAPTER- THE HEALING ACHY FLUFF TO FOLLOW! LEMME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE LOVES!)

Life is a show, a stage, a film, a performance all at once. Except it's unscripted, it never goes to plan and we don't meet an assigned set of 'characters' in them. But that doesn't lessen the beautiful tale that is each and every life. Our lives don't fit a genre but our lives and our experiences define them instead. So remember to cherish the life you have and to make the most of it!

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3