JIN POV:

It's a haunting sickening feeling watching your soulmate in pain and not being able to do anything about it, the centuries I had been alive couldn't prepare me for this, didn't warn me of how heart-wrenching and soul-crushing it was to see your soulmate look at you blankly before a monotone, almost detached voice came out of their beautiful lips.

"Hyungs, today a man called me a freak, demanded I was thrown out of the café because of who I was and I couldn't do anything." Kookie says, eyes staring but not really seeing, his hands fumbling for ours- desperate for some sort of reassurance, grounding.

I captured his hands in my own, felt them tremble in my hold, felt an echo of his vulnerability pulsate me as he leaned closer, starved for comfort- I gently guided his head to rest against my chest, drawing my hands through his hair and setting them to rest around his waist.

I felt the surge of anger in the room, felt the room begin to crackle with the fury of our soulmates. Kookie didn't deserve to suffer, our youngest who had still not fully adapted to being a vampire to be degraded, made to be felt unwelcomed, shunned, a freak he'd been called. I felt my blood begin to boil with anger even whilst my heart became heavy and cold. Our soulmate was so sensitive, so gentle and loving and he had been carrying this hurt around all day.

But I knew that the comment, the scenario hit closer to home, drove itself into Kookie's heart with all the force of a blade plunged in to the hilt.

Because Kookie had been human. And as a human had suffered from the hands of other humans. Kookie had been a victim of bullying.

No number of centuries to come could ever wipe away the years filled with hurt and pain and suffering as Kookie tried to come to terms with having been turned, days that turned into months that stretched into years of Kookie flinching away from touch, eyes wide and afraid whenever one of us loomed too close into his personal space. Years of us suffering as a coven as we shared in his pain and felt ourselves shatter continuously at seeing him in pain, tortured by his memories that were too recent to fade and nights when piercing powerless screams tore through the dark and yanked us out of bed, chests heaving even if there was no breath for us to breathe.

I felt the wetness of tears soak through my shirt bring me out of my thoughts.

The sight of Kookie's tears bringing my hands to out to cup his face and tenderly wipe the tears that course down the apple of his cheeks. I press our foreheads together, allowing my love for him flow between us, to ground the two of us, the others come round to encircle us, bodies pressing close as we seek out comfort and reach out to provide it to our youngest.

"Baby...what happened?" Joonie asks, his voice is careful and soothing but I can hear the control in it, the emotions, and instincts he's holding back to go and find the human and make him repent.

Yoongi's face is deceptively blank, all the thoughts and emotions held behind the impassive mask he's slid into place. But I know he's hurting just as much, perhaps even more because of his own personal history. Kookie's hurt reminds me of why I've been told time and time again that humans will never change, that they exist as the evil in our lives and are a threat to our existence.

But right now my focus, my entire attention is on my coven. On Kookie.

Whose mouth opens and then closes, a slight hesitance entering his eyes. Almost as if he's afraid of what he's about to say.

"You can tell us anything Kook." Tae says hand splaying across the back of Kookie's neck in a gesture that's both an act of comfort and slightly possessive- a touch that reassures Tae that Kookie is fine and safe.

Tae's voice is careful and neutral but coaxes Kookie's mouth open and his head arches into the touch of his fingers.

"But the man came forward, he was really angry, stank of fear and hate and bitterness, he was coming to hurt me..." he says, voice slightly quiet but everyone hears.

I hear the sharp intake of air from Hobi, hear the concerned sound that slips out of Jimin's throat, slightly high and keening as he comes to brush his fingers against Kookie's cheek, try to assess if he's hurt and we've somehow missed it. Hear Yoongi's teeth grind against each other, the tick in his jaw being the only thing that hints at his anger.

I open my mouth but Kookie speaks again.

"But someone came in the way. Put herself in between. And she got hurt—she protected me and never even knew me." He confesses as though shamed by the fact, as though the recollection of the incident haunts him.

It makes me pause. Someone protected our baby? Intervened and got injured instead.

If that is the case then we owe them our gratitude, our thanks.

"She was human." He adds and then the air goes deathly silent, I feel Yoongi against me stiffen, see the others freeze.

This was something none of us were expecting.

"Human...?" Jimin asks delicately, the word rolling off his tongue as though it was foreign.

Kookie nods, hands coming to grasp my shirt.

"But...but. There's no way a human would help me for no reason, right hyung? There's always a motive." He says, tone dejected and defeated.

His words sting me, the truth that rings through his words- he truly believes what he's saying.

But I don't know what I can say that can make those thoughts disappear, not when my own head is buzzing with questions.

"Don't hurt my love, let hyungs take care of you." I say through a choked throat, gently giving soothing touches and calming strokes to his back, holding him close and let him know he's loved, always wanted and cherished.

The others bustle close, it doesn't matter if the position we're in on the floor is uncomfortable, right now all that matters is Kookie. And we'll do whatever we have to make sure he smiles again- free and unburdened.

But the thought of the mortal girl doesn't leave my head, it takes root and niggles away at me- always present in the corner of my conscience.

(Y/N) POV:

I lie against Gyeomie, enveloped in the cocoon of his long limbs that wrap around me as we lay on the couch, TV playing a drama and the table scattered with empty plates and dishes.

Gyeomie's hands come to gently play with my hair, carding through it in a massaging movement as his fingers scratch lightly at my scalp, I lean my head into the touch savouring the loose calm feeling I'm floating in.

He's been unusually affectionate and gentle and pampering- but in the slighted dazed state, body still flooded with a gentle lulling buzz, I couldn't dredge up any suspicious thoughts or question his intentions.

"(Y/N)-ah." His voice softly whispers.

I lean back further into the comfort of his chest, sleepily turning to face him.

"Hmmm...." I hummed, trying to push back the heavy thick blanket of sleep that weighed down on me and threatened to pull me under.

"You promise you won't hide things from me again?" he asks, a tone of desperation creeping into his tone, an undercurrent of fear in each syllable.

I nod slowly, hand rising so I can offer him my pinky, there's a sound of relief that bubbles out of his chest, a low reverberation as he laughs- a sound that's airy and light before he brings forward his considerably bigger hand, his own pinky intertwining with mine, thumbs pressed together.

"Can you promise me something else?" he asks, eagerness creeping into his tone, jostling me as he shifts with excitement.

I sit up, unwrapping myself from the cocoon, albeit unwillingly and slowly.

"What?" I ask, curiosity in my voice.

"Promise me you'll be there for my mating celebrations." He replies, eyes intently boring into mine, shining with hope and eagerness.

And I can't find it in my heart to say no, especially to something as important as this.

"Promise." I vow.

-----

I dash into the classroom, almost spilling the holder of drinks I bear, just about making it in time. Who knew there would've been a queue at the hidden tucked-away café I liked to visit?

I smile at Bambam who's beaming at me and Jaehyun who sits next to him, both look amused at the way my lungs heave desperately for air and my hair has loosened out of it's ponytail, cheeks heated as I see some eyes turn to me after my dramatic entrance- door swinging wildly open and hands clutching desperately to balance the cups.

I duck my head further into my scarf, trying to hide from view from the curious amused stares of some straying eyes as I make my way over, setting the holder down with more force than necessary.

"Your drinks." I say between gritted teeth, trying so hard to maintain my stone-cold mask in front of the grinning boys. To let my ire of having to run with hot drinks to class seep into my voice. Make itself known.

"Aww...so sweet. Thanks (Y/N)!" Bambam teases, patting at the space in between him and Jaehyun where a vacant seat waits, I huff as I slide into it, unable to stop the smile from curling my lip upwards. The smile only widens when Jaehyun places a cutely packaged cupcake in front of me- immediately dissipating all my annoyance, smiling cutely at me. A small gesture that wipes the slate clean, makes me pinch his cool cheeks and ruffle his hair, his cheeks flushing- proof that he's recently fed.

The professor enters and our anthropology lesson begins, the lesson talking about cultural patterns over time for both human and vampire societies, eras when both have overlapped and what norms and values have survived to today's era.

I become engrossed in the lesson, notes filling pages as I continue to write until the professor stops, drawing our attention to him as he announces that we're going to have a class debate.

"From what we've learnt today, the topic will be whether you believe human culture or vampire culture has a greater impact in the society we live in today." The professor announces, opening up the topic for the class to discuss amongst ourselves on before we start the debate.

I tap the end of my pen against my notebook, letting the question sink in. Which has had a greater impact? Does that mean positively or negatively? Greater impact on both vampires and humans or just one side? I can hear Bambam and Jaehyun chatter from either side of me, but the question continues to whirl around in my head. How can someone truly answer this?

NAMJOON POV:

I watch from over the screen of my laptop, eyes scanning the classroom as everyone sets to discuss the points they want to bring up in the lecture.

Does the question even make sense? Because the 'greater' impact will always and obviously be in favour for the race that the speaker identifies with. No-one considers the other, everyone is in it for themselves, trying to portray themselves as the more benevolent or superior race.

This could get very very messy.

And I'm right.

The question sparks off a debate, which quickly becomes very ugly, harsh words and biased judgements being thrown out by some, passionate defensive statements for their own kind, each and every speaker getting riled up, becoming vicious in their attempt to come across as correct.

The professor watches with a slackened jaw, shock and horror coating his mundane, mortal eyes.

It makes me scoff at the lack of foresight.

I raise my hand.

The professor's eyes catch onto my hand. Nodding for me to speak.

"It isn't about greater impact. Vampires have their norms and values and humans have theirs. We're all just simply co-existing as well as we can, each in our own worlds even though we share one earth. There's nothing that makes a greater impact on both races. We each have our own impacts, on our own worlds." I say, thoughts spilling out of me even as the class becomes silent, reflective of the words I've just said,

I lean back when I'm done, so sure that I've put an end to this debate and the crashing loud sounds of voices overlapping will no longer gnaw at my head when a soft but firm voice speaks up.

"Professor I'd like to dispute that." She says, eyes on said teacher who nods, smiling at the student who sits a few rows ahead, the only glimpse of her being messy waves which tumble over her shoulder, her smaller frame cocooned by the two larger males on either side of her.

"Greater doesn't necessarily mean better. We live in a world that's horribly entangled with each other; we influence the other race without perhaps even realising. Every action and value that either race has passed down and exists today forms our assumptions and thoughts about the other. There isn't one race that's better, humans aren't the victims of bloodlust creatures like we paint them to be, we're not blameless, vampires suffer just as much, no...arguably more because of the discrimination and hate. No-one deserves that, regardless of how our lives have been shaped by the past. We all deserve to live free from those shackles. I think our biggest shame, regardless of our race, is that we have failed to learn to cooperate and support each other. The blind animosity of our past has had the greatest impact unfortunately" she says, voice never wavering, strong and confident and surprisingly it's her words that have the biggest impact.

Her words that were so free of prejudice and blame, so accepting of the fact that humans have had a large hand in causing the divide between two races.

Her back is straight, shoulders set, even as the furious whispers from her human classmates erupt, disgusted looks and loud whispers of betrayal and contempt for her fill the air. Even as the vampire students take in the scene, some faces blank and others filled with surprise- as though it'd never occurred to them that humans could understand.

The two males on either side of her turn proudly to talk to her, eyes lit up and hands that rest on her shoulder or pull her into a side hug. And it is when one of the males pull her into a hug that I recognise him. Bambam. One of Jaebum's nestmates.

They consort with humans? I wonder, seeing the casual display of affection.

But it's not my place to interfere in. Each coven to their own. Each operate differently.

But even so I can't help wonder who this bold human is, and just for a second wonder what it'd be like to see the world from her eyes? From ones that see both as equal.

I wonder who the girl is who unwaveringly spoke up and put my own argument to rest, who disputed it without insulting.

The girl who sparked my desire to learn more. To see what it was that made this human different from the others.

(TA DA! HOW WAS IT? HONESTLY...THIS FIC FEELS MORE DAUNTING TO WRITE THAN CURSED FATE BUT I FEEL MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S NEW AND I STILL HAVEN'T SET INTO THE PACE OR SOMETHING...LET ME KNOW- YOUR COMMENTS REALLY DO HELP MOTIVATE ME AS WELL AS GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW IT'S BEING RECEIVED! SO...SHE MET JOONIE! AND NOW WE ALSO KNOW KOOKIE'S SAD PAST...HIS REASON FOR BEING WARY OF HUMANS- DO YOU BLAME HIM? I WONDER HOW THE OTHERS WILL REACT SLOWLY...BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL, I GUESS! AND WE'VE REACHED 1K READS?! THANK YOU SO MUCH LOVELIES, STAY SAFE!)

Every life, every being matters. No life matters more or less than the other, everyone holds a unique and special place in the pattern and design of the universe- so let yourself shine as the star that you are.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie