TAE POV:

It's reluctantly and hesitantly that Ryan ssi and Deok-mi ssi leave- eyes constantly glancing around as if (Y/N) might materialise in front of their eyes. I knew they were worried and concerned but apart from reiterating their request several times that they'd like it if we could tell her to give them a call, they leave but not without worry hanging heavily on their shoulders.

The brief silence that follows is deafening- if there's one constant that's never changed in my life in this coven is that silence is rare enough that it's a matter of concern. And it's only a few more moments until Jiminie and Kookie burst out simultaneously.

"Do you think they've finished talking?" and "Can we go to them yet?" in such adorably eager tones that it draws out an automatic smile from me- turning towards the hyungs to shoot my own pleading puppy-stare.

"Cut it out loves. We have to give them time." Jin hyung starts but his resolve is weak and wavering in front of the three of us- diving forward to shoot him the combined intensity of our wheedling looks- ones reserved for such occasions.

"Please hyung...you said lots of tears. I don't want them to be hurting." Jiminie adds more empathetically- his ability could help ease the heartache, lessen it and allow them to feel comforted by the bond we share.

Kookie shoots me an anxious glance, worrying his lip between his teeth.

My heart leaps to go to him, and I rush to wrap an arm around him- pressing him into my side.

"Hyungs....please?" Kookie asks, voice trembling- he's always been sensitive to others' emotions as a person and seeing him become distraught because he's thinking of our mates suffering proves to be the final crack because then Jin hyung lets out a sigh.

And nods resignedly as he allows us to dash off, the hyungs not too far behind as we go up to the bedroom we'd set aside for (Y/N) and with each meeting- learnt more about her and decorated it accordingly.

But when we get to the door it's shut and no amount of budging and shoving doesn't make it fall open. The handle doesn't push to give way to entering the room and I stare at it bemusedly until I realise that the house probably has a role in it.

"Hyung....the house isn't letting us in." I whine, still pushing against the door to no avail.

Hobi hyung lets out an amused laugh.

"Guess it's giving them their privacy." He muses.

Kookie glares at the door half-heartedly and I wouldn't be surprised if the house can feel it.

But I still persist in shoving and twisting the door- and a few minutes later maybe out of pity or maybe because the two of them are done, the door suddenly flies open and I go tumbling onto the ground- suddenly weightless and airborne before I crash into the carpet face-first.

There's a few amused chuckles but the hand that guides me up is still gentle and caring despite the smile tugging at his lips.

"You okay Taehyungie?" Hobi hyung coos as he presses a butterfly kiss to my nose. But I know that through the kiss alone if I had been injured it would've soothed it away.

I smile wryly at him before twisting in to see the sight on the bed- ready to throw myself at the two before I find my feet coming to a halt- as if cemented to the ground.

And the others don't take a step further either- all stopping at the sight that greets us.

Yoongi hyung is protectively cradling (Y/N) on his lap, their limbs so tightly intertwined with each other as they embrace, the two of them are shaking, bodies trembling lightly and the occasional sniffle escapes them accompanied with hitched breaths, the sounds are heart-breaking but what becomes the balm is the way they tightly clutch at each other- rafts holding one another adrift and the way I can see their knuckles tight from the force they use, unwilling to let go. And hyung is content to just hold her, body only shifting to bring her closer- as if any distance between them is too much. But then his head turns as he senses our presence, his eyes are glittering with tears and are a fiery red- imbued with the instincts to keep her close. I don't know whether or not they've activated the bond because the way they are holding each other is clothes in contact- not skin.

"Yoongi hyung did you two—" Joon hyung asks tentatively, taking one daring step forward, curiosity on his face.

He voices the beginning of the question we're all thinking. Did they bond?

Yoongi hyung doesn't say anything except raises his hand and brings it to hover over the bare vulnerable skin of her nape.

"Yoongi think carefully—" Jin hyung warns, voice full of concern and undoubtedly thinking of the damage accidental bonding had already wrought. His hand comes to cup the nape of her neck, drawing her bent head into a more comfortable position against his shoulder. His body loosens as the bonding occurs, eyes fluttering from the zinging of pleasure and how right it feels to have initiated the bond- soul recognising and merging with hers. She slumps forward with a breathless gasp, body trembling and pliant under his touch and her own hand sliding up to cup his neck too. Watching them bond is something both intimate and sweet- and I can't decided whether or not it feels like I'm intruding on a special, private moment but then (Y/N) turns her head from where it rests against his shoulder, smiling wetly as she holds out a hand towards us.

This time it doesn't take any prompting and I bound over, sliding my palm into hers and squeezing tightly, leaning over to press a kiss to her damp cheek- lips tasting of salt when I move back.

I can't stop smiling at the two of them, leaning over her to steal a kiss from hyung's lips before snuggling up with them, content to lie on the bed and look up at the two.

"We're finally eight." I whisper, marvelling over the fact.

(Y/N)'s hand comes to brush a strand of hair off my forehead, fingers tracing down the side of my face in a gentle, light caress.

"Finally." She whispers back.

And I think, this is the beginning of our happily ever after. This moment- no matter how long and hard and difficult it was to get to this place was all worth it.

(Y/N) POV:

Crying makes me feel emotionally and physically drained- a weariness I long to get out by doing something. Talking everything out with Yoongi had left me feeling raw- but this slight burn and sting that came with it was one I welcomed, because it meant that we'd finally bridged that gap between us- had began to make that tether form.

But there's only so much lying around I can do when my mind is still whirring, busily processing everything that had been said and trying to make sense of what the next thing should be to do.

But it seems like at least one of them pick up on it because then Joonie is leaning over with inviting arms- an offer to extract me from the countless limbs as he notices my trapped state.

"I think we should get started on displaying the artworks." He suggests whilst effortlessly lifting me up and setting me down gently next to him- hugging me briefly before turning to the others, arms wrapped around me in a loose embrace.

The others straighten, eyes shining with eagerness and excitement.

And I let myself be flurried away in a storm of giddiness and palpable joy as the others all usher me into a room I've not yet been in. A room I've never come across before in fact. The doors are for once wide open and the space itself is large and airy- spanning across one of the floors to make a gallery of sorts. What doesn't catch my eye is the paintings wrapped and waiting to be hung up but rather the artworks that adorn the walls already- ranging from different years, styles, and colours- all expressing something different but there's one thing in common. They're all Amparo's work. They're all mine.

Some of them date back to my earliest works when I felt that Ryan oppa had displayed them out of love more than artistic appreciation but here it is, placed carefully onto the wall- the title card still one I remembered sitting down to make- late into the night.

It makes my breath catch in my throat and countless emotions to build up and remain pent-up in my heart as I turn to take the room in, overwhelmed with how many of my works they've managed to amass. 

It's hard to process and think that years of effort has all accumulated here- my entire life story panned out across the white walls- there for them to see. And I wonder what it is that called them to my work. Out of the countless artists- why me?

"Do you like it?" Jungkook asks, coming to wrap his arms around my shoulders, head resting on top of mine, voice alight with joy and pride.

"I don't know what to say—it's so..." I tail off. Beautiful? Cherished? Overwhelming? How do I find a word that accurately describes that feeling of being both lost and found, of having a home and yet feeling out of my depth, of being appreciated but not knowing the reason behind it? How do I say that I'm overwhelmed by learning that they've made a collection of my works?

"It's indescribable. This is one of the safest places for all of us." Jin oppa says as he comes round to us, smiling sweetly at me.

Safe. There's a word I never thought I could associate with my work- not whilst I had been so terribly lost when I'd made them.

"There's something about Amparo's work that just speaks to all of us. Something so haunting and captivating that we can all relate to. A time where we truly doubted and wondered who we are." Jimin adds, eyes soft and melancholic as he takes in the paintings.

"It reminded us that others suffer too- perhaps at times more than we ever did." Hoseokie adds, voice void of his characteristic happiness and instead steeped with nostalgia. But then the smile comes and it's like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, welcoming and bright.

"They helped us. More than they'll ever know." He says.

And their words strike at my heart, make it crumble.

I know Hoseokie...just a bit. And I'm comforted by the knowledge that someone somewhere found solace in my work- just as I had found painting them.

But the thought does come to mind is whether or not they know Amparo is a human. And that if they did know- would those feelings melt away?

YOONGI POV:

There's melancholia coming off from (Y/N). In strong thick waves but I don't know whether she's conscious of the fact or not. Maybe she too has found refuge in these paintings- I know she's a fan too. It eases that stiffness, makes me realise that even before knowing we were mates, there was something tying and drawing us in to the same place- as if our hearts feel and have hurt the same.

But I can't bear to see the sad wistful smile on her face as though she envisions something that is out of her reach, something she longs for but cannot have. I don't want to see her sad. I know just how much of it used to be because of me.

And I long to get rid of it.

I slowly reach out to squeeze her shoulder, letting her know she's not alone in this. 

She smiles back at me- eyes soft and understanding.

But as the others get to work setting the paintings up, I too slide away to help a while later- chatting and admiring the work as we do so that when we finally all meet in the middle- it's with lighter hearts and a brightness that comes from having Amparo's work with us. For us to always be comforted by- whenever we seek it out.

The others drink in the sight of newer paintings adorning the walls, all laid out in a manner that goes chronologically to the times they were created but also in a way that we feel Amparo has been mapping their life through- snippets and fragments of memories seeping out from the strokes of paint.

But that silent observation is cut out when (Y/N)'s voice calls out softly but somehow captures all of our attention simultaneously.

"I'm getting cold." She confesses. 

But those three words flurry everyone into action, apologies streaming out. Because we'd never considered needing heating here- never contemplated that we'd have a human in our midst let alone a mate who was mortal. But everyone becomes attentive, Taehyung and Jungkook plastering themselves to either side of her and Jin hyung fretting as he ushers her out- blanket materialising in his hands as he drapes it over her. Hobi and Joon flank my either side and we too hurry after Jiminie- eager to get to our mate and attend to her needs.

But I can't shake off the feeling that there had been something undecipherable in (Y/N)'s eyes as she had spoken- as though she wanted to leave the gallery. 

Maybe the paintings reminded her of things she longed to forget. And we had unintentionally stirred them up. But it made me decide to keep a closer attentive eye on her- that sense of discomfort hadn't gone amiss despite the hive of activity that had burst out. 

And it had come from (Y/N).

Something was wrong.

And I hoped we could build a foundation of trust strong enough that she felt safe sharing with us. But for now- I could only watch and hope she didn't crumble under its burden.

(THERE YOU GO! PRETTY MUCH A FILLER CHAPTER BUT LET ME KNOW HOW IT WAS ANYWAYS MY LOVES! A BIT OF HOUSE MAGIC THERE- AND HONESTLY, I THINK IT HAS A SUPER SOFT SPOT FOR (Y/N) MORE THAN THE OTHERS AND YOU CAN BET IT'LL PLAY OUT IN THE FUTURE! AND LIKE TAE SAID- THE BEGINNING OF THEIR HAPPY EVER AFTER! I WONDER WHAT'LL HAPPEN NEXT? I'LL TELL YOU- LOTS OF FLUFF AND BONDING IS WHAT! AND I CAN'T WAIT TO FINALLY WRITE A SOFT CHAPTER- THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH ANGST ON THE WAY! BUT LET'S GET TO THEIR RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOPING NOW! STAY SAFE LOVES!)

Who are we defined by if we are alone? It is the people around us, the people we spend time with and the people who sees us who build up how we are seen, perceived. So spend time with the people who define you well- who help make you the best version of you.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3