(Y/N) POV:

Being in the car with two of my mates in such close proximity is both unnerving and exhilarating. It makes my heart thud at their close proximity, at the way Jungkook doesn't sit at the front but asks me to scoot over so he can plant himself next to me. It makes me feel less alone and more assured- and not to mention the beautiful, innocent smile he sends me makes my heart twist in giddiness and before I know it I'm reaching forward to press a kiss to the curve of his cheek. And when I lean back his eyes twinkle and he grins, leaning to intertwine our fingers, squeezing lightly.

"Morning sweet mate." He whispers as if I'm confidence to me, as if those words are just meant for my ears to hear, a whisper, a caress. It brings the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Morning Jungkookie..." I whisper back but I have no doubt that up front Yoongi has heard- if the slight tug of his lips is any indication as he drives us, hands expertly managing the car as he pulls up in front of a cute cafe.

When the car comes to a smooth stop, Jungkook is already unfastening my seatbelt for me, leaning over to remove it and in that moment when he looks up, head at a lower position I can see all the fine details of his face clearly- see the way his eyes glitter with a thousand thoughts and emotions- so expressive, round and welcoming in their soft brown warmth. The way his mouth parts in surprise for a moment, rosy and giving way to a flash of teeth and that when he smiles at me- it's incredibly endearing to look at. He leans forward to kiss the tip of my nose, drawing our intertwined fingers towards him as he guides me out of the car, arm going around to wrap around my arms in a comforting hold.

And Yoongi is holding the door open to the café to the two of us, eyes gentle and roving around slightly before settling back onto us. There's a new soft side to Yoongi, small subtle gestures that I'd picked up that he'd used on the others and he does now- perhaps even unconsciously. The way he makes sure the two of us are seated before sitting down, sliding the menus over to us and waiting. Or the way his hand rests lightly on Jungkook's back- setting there even as he leans forward to hear the two of us talk and discuss- face showing that he's giving us his undivided attention. Or the way when Jungkook scampers to the front to pick up our orders- he suddenly leans over to draw my head forward, letting me escape the wild swinging of a bag of someone who comes rushing in.

I smile gratefully at him but he's already turned to watch Jungkook come back, balancing a tray that's far more laden than the items we'd ordered.

But all of those curiosities fly out of my head when he sets the tray down proudly, a cute row of cupcakes decorated and lettered to spell 'sweet mate' in icing and my drink coming with a cute message attached to the cup.

I can't help the smile that tugs itself widely across my face, beaming at Jungkook who's clearly been waiting in silent anticipation for my reaction but his own bunny smile comes out in response and he sits down next to Yoongi with a happier demeanour.

And when he nudges the cupcakes towards me, it's with a soft sweet shyness that adorns his face with spots of rosy colour on the high of his cheeks and a smile that lights his expression up.

And when I bite in, I fail to keep in the hum of pleasure at the way the flavours burst across my tongue and incidentally are one of my favourite flavours, and I shoot him a grateful smile over the top of my cupcake- eyes crinkling with happiness.

When I put the cupcake down though, there's a soft fond huff of laughter- the sound amused and I see Yoongi reaching out with a napkin- gently wiping away the smear of icing I'd accidentally smeared onto my face, touch gentle and slow. But he stops to stare at me, frozen in his action midway and I tense up waiting for him to withdraw, for the hand to fall to his side. But he resumes the action and then leans back with a soft mumble of how all his maknae mates were the same. The words sending a jolt of warmth as I realise he's included me into that- and the shy smile he sends me is one that is grateful that I didn't push him away and that I'd allowed him to refer to me as one of his own.

We pass away our time talking to each other, Yoongi slowly opening up more and progressively becoming the one who's leaning forward to ask questions- eyes animated and lips tugged upwards. And more and more I begin to catch Jungkook's pleased expressions, or the way he leans back slightly to allow his hyung to move in forward, to give him more opportunities to speak and bit by bit Yoongi becomes someone alive, real and warm; the façade of the statue, person carved of marble mask shattering to reveal this lively, soft person underneath. Someone I can with a flutter in my heart recognise and call mate.

KOOK POV:

Hyung has never been this animated. Not for quite some time anyways. And slowly I can see the Yoongi hyung I love and adore and cherish rise to the surface, pushing away the immovable mask he'd put there. Revealing his genuine soft heart and soul- the mate who cared for all of us perhaps more than we could ever say. The mate who at the end of the day was perhaps one of the most tender, most caring. The one who silently took care of us- and relished in our comfort. That mate.

I didn't miss the way he's gone to the counter to pay, to have the other cupcakes boxed for (Y/N) and had come back with a smile that didn't seem to slide off- no matter how much time passed. And when he'd dropped us off at campus- it hadn't been just to me that he'd turned to wish goodbye, drawing me in with a firm guiding of my jaw towards his- lips pliant and soft and eager under his strong, brewing passion but also he'd turned to (Y/N)- had walked around the car to open her door and scoop her into a hug, breathing her scent in deeply- murmuring something to her before stepping back with an unwillingness that I recognised too well from myself and the others.

And that there's a lingering gaze as we turn to enter campus, a pair of eyes that burn on the back of my head and leave a scorching trail. A pair of eyes that follow us until we disappear from sight- Yoongi hyung is either on edge or his protective instincts are still shining through strongly- perhaps a mix of both given how recently his bond with (Y/N) had finished settling. It's natural. I find my own eyes drawn to her several times, even if she's just sitting, or idly stirring her drink, or deep in thought- it's as if the pull demands that my eyes remain on her, draws them back time and time again.

And as we walk to our art class together, I can't help noticing that it's not only my eyes that are drawn to her- there's an abundance of eyes that keep darting back, several crowds that stop to gawp, and several eyes that fill with a red hue of interest, intrigue and arousal- those looks in particular sending hot flashes of revulsion, towards their inability to disguise their lustful stares, and bubbling ire through me, making my own fangs threaten to emerge and my eyes to flash in challenge and with protectiveness over her.

So my arm automatically tightens fractionally around her and draws her in- the strong, sweet scent she naturally emanates from her being a temptation to the other vampire students.

And I gently nudge her into the classroom, thankfully- the students immersed in setting up their easels and equipment to notice the two of us. But there's one person who does. And said person makes no qualms about waving excitedly, mouth opening to joyously exclaim but then decides against it and in less than a blink of an eye is standing in front of us.

"Hey Eunwoo-ah!" I greet but his attention has already been taken by my mate- the same mate he is busily tugging out of my arms, tossing them aside before scooping her into a hug, her feet going onto tiptoes so she can wrap her arms around him, giggling at his zealous greeting.

"I missed you too Eunwoo you big baby." She teases him, trying to push him back gently but laughing exasperatedly when he clings on tighter. But after a few long moments, I begin to fight the itch to push Eunwoo away- even if he's only teasing my mate.

But when his eyes land on mine and reads whatever my face shows, he just grins before painstakingly slowly separating from her.

"Hello Kookie." Eunwoo slowly drawls, eyes sparkling with mischief.

And before I can ask (Y/N) if she wants to spend this lesson working with me, next to me rather than whoever she had been working with before- or wherever she had been, seeing this as an ample, fruitful opportunity to learn more about her through her work- to see the style she works with, to see what is revealed and conveyed through her art...heart leaping with excitement at the prospect when I see Eunwoo tug her wrist towards him and begin to turn to walk away with her.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I call, urgency and a bit of desperation seeping through my voice- at the image of my mate walking away in our shared friend's company, allowing herself to be guided.

The two turn, (Y/N)'s head tilted slightly in a questioning manner- confusion lighting her wide eyes up in an adorable manner- I fight the urge to gush or smoosh her cheeks; whichever thought threatens to triumph first.

"To work...we always sit together in art." Eunwoo explains slowly. And I feel my head whip in it's haste to take a long hard look at the two of them.

Since when?!

And then the dawning realisation that creeps in like ice melting slowly- the coldness of it spreading throughout.

She's the one Eunwoo mentioned before? The one I'd seen him laughing and messing about with? And he's the one she talked so warmly about during our early chats? The friend she loved buying snacks for- or sometimes, forcefully- because he'd steal them?

It never occurred to me that the two knew each other, worked so well together- and I have to take a moment to process the mixed feelings of jealousy, want and longing.

She's the same girl I remember from all those lessons ago.

The girl with her hair curling attractively against her cheek, the one with the slender column of her throat exposed as her head tilted back and she laughed, at the huff of exasperation and loud bright giggles as he'd darted away after smearing paint across her cheek- an artist making that streak of paint on a canvas. All along it had been (Y/N).

And I wonder whether fate had been conspiring to push me towards her since the beginning, had literally had her in front of me this entire time and I had somehow been too clueless to see the signs.

(Y/N) POV:

What I don't expect is the sudden freezing motion in Jungkook. That adorable quirk of his when his eyes widen and he seems to be lost in thought and I wonder if he feels excluded or left out by the thought. So rather than let him dwell on any hurt or negative thoughts, I just lean over to grasp his sleeve between my fingers and tug him along- prompting him into action and letting him follow me.

He smiles gratefully when I suggest he sits on one side- a side where he's less likely to be gawped at or in constant view of the others- I've noticed he's sensitive and shies away from attention that doesn't come from our mates or his friends; he's a sweet shy soul. And he sinks gratefully into it but then Eunwoo huffs and tries to claim the middle seat- I relinquish it easily, shooting an apologetic look to Jungkook as I slide into the seat on Eunwoo's other side.

He smiles and clasps his hands as he looks at us.

"The two of you are cute- but no lovey dovey stuff when we're meant to be working." He says, voice teasing.

And then the teacher comes in and my regrets are washed away when we begin to work; everything else melting away to give way to concentration and focus, my attention taken up by the work in front of me.

Nothing else.

It's a tapping at my cheek...no an incessant poking that draws me out of my focus. Annoying and constant- prodding away at my cheek, no matter how many times I let out annoyed sounds or twist away from the touch. I turn to snap at Eunwoo- but the sight of his cheeky smile and laughing eyes makes it difficult to stay mad at him, I find my annoyance bleeding away even if I had been holding onto the idea of revenge.

"If you do that again, I'll tell MJ oppa that you hide matters about your health from him." I threaten, pointing a finger at him.

His smile slides off to be replaced with confusion.

"But I don't...?"  he tails off.

I smile knowingly at him.

"But oppa doesn't know that. And he'll believe me more." I retort, sticking my tongue out at him.

And his protests are cut off by Jungkook's pealing laughter- eyes softened and crinkled as he looks at the two of us, the paint that has managed to make his way across his hands, bright and vibrant just like the happy gleam in his eyes.

And our playful bickering somehow takes on a different level- it becomes something that coaxes that beautiful melody out of Jungkook's mouth, and I know that I'd do anything to hear them again and again- over and over.

"As much as I'd love to chat with the two of you, hyung is waiting for me." Eunwoo says, shattering the moment with his sarcastic tone- but he throws a smile and wave over his shoulder as he leaves.

"Have fun lovebirds." He calls as a goodbye, leaving through the door.

And after we finish packing, he holds out his hand to me- inviting, even as he wriggles his fingers.

"Come on, hyung said he'll treat us to lunch." He says.

I slide my hand in his, even as I wonder just what hyung he was talking about.

Because in any case, it'll bring me forward towards one of my mates.

And the thought is almost as pleasing as the notion.

(THERE YOU GO! THE DATE- WHICH I HOPE WAS SWEET DESPITE IT NOT BEING AS LONG AND DETAILED BUT THERE'S MORE STUFF TO COME SO HOLD ON TIGHT FOR THE FLUFF TO FOLLOW! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE- I'D BEEN OUT ALL DAY AT THE MALL BUT I'D BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPISED TO GET A LOT OF BTS EXPOSURE SOMEHOW- FIRST THERE WAS NEARLY ALL THEIR ALBUMS IN A MUSIC STORE- ALTHOUGH UNFORTUNATELY I GOT PULLED AWAY JUST I WAS GIVING IN TO THE TEMPTATION TO BUY MY FIRST EVER ONE!! THEN THE BT21 CHARACTERS AND MATTEL DOLLS THEY'D HAD AS WELL AS A PJ SET!! BUT WAY OVERPRICED UNFAIRLY I THINK! AND THEN BTS POSTERS—H E A V E N WAS RIGHT THERE AND I WAS PULLED AWAY BY MY AUNTS' YOUNGER KIDS *SIGH* MIND MY LITTLE EXCITED RANT...WHO DO YOU THINK THE HYUNG IS?? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS LOVES AND STAY SAFE!!)

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3