KOOK POV:

The moment she leans forward to seal our lips together, I feel this rush of elation, a sense of wholeness and completion from where her soft plush lips lean against my own, moulding hers to mine as she initiates the kiss. The touch of her lips are warm and the moment they touch mine, I can't hold back the sound of relief that escapes me, a deep sigh of fulfilment and contentment and I slowly begin moving my lips against hers, gently cup her jaw as I trace the shape of her lips, commit the curve and dip of them to memory, to imprint the shape of them against my own as I kiss her slowly, taking all the time to burn the memory to mind as I dart my tongue out to trace the outline of her lips, to run it across the soft plushness and to slide it down to the seam of where her lips meet. She relaxes into the touch as her hand slides to cup the back of my neck, to draw me further into her and then she leans back, the moment cut off too soon as she looks at me with eyes that burn a soft red- beautiful.

"I won't shatter in your arms Kookie." She whispers, yet her voice is firm and soft- eyes meeting mine unhesitant and urging. Coaxing me to take more, to ask for more, so she can tell me that I can have it, have her.

A groan slips past my lips, the self-control wavering as she shatters every idea of holding her delicately, reverently.

"Home. Let's go home first." I murmur.

This time there's no time to spare, only a hurried need and urgency to take her home and kiss her deeply and fiercely. I envision my bedroom in my mind, will the small thread of hyung's power that's in me to take us there and hold her tight as the scene around us fades and we appear in a familiar comforting room. 

(Y/N) gasps, turning to take in the room and looks at me with an expression of marvel and awe.

"Kookie wo—" she begins but already I've pulled her close, lips hungrily seeking hers out and cutting off her words as our lips meet in a fiery entangled embrace, mine slide over hers deeply, tongue darting out to tease her as I slowly run it over the curve of her lips, the dip of her cupid's bow and down to the seam again, running it back and forth slowly as I pull her closer, arms sliding around her to tug her further into me, feeling far too much distance between us as I angle her jaw, tilting it back so I can deepen the kiss and feeling delicious tingles spark and fan out from where our lips meet, from where her hands are sliding into the strands of my hair and gently tugging, pulling me down, urging me closer. She gasps when I nip her lip, fangs scraping against the plush warmth and after briefly soothing the sting over with a small lick, I slide my tongue into the hot warm cavern of her mouth. I explore the sweetness of her mouth, run my tongue slowly and deeply in long strokes as I learn each nook and cranny until I slide my tongue against hers and coax it into a slow entangled embrace. She lets out tiny mewls and whimpers, swallowed eagerly by my mouth, wanting to elicit more as I lean further into her, feel her slightly stagger and then the two of us shift.

Even as I feel her body fall backwards, my arms tighten to protect and cushion her fall as she hits the edge of the bed and falls back, hair fanning out onto the sheets and black jacket drowning her frame. Her lips are plump, kiss-swollen and glistening, chest heaving with the habitual rise and fall of her breathing and she tightens her hold around my neck and draws me down onto her. My arms go to steady my hands on either side of her face as I lean in to kiss her slowly, small butterfly kisses pressed again and again to those lips, addicted to the feel and taste of them, lured by the sight of the rosy lips that lure me down again and again. I shift so my body doesn't press hers tightly into the mattress, shift so my legs are on either side of her hips as I cage her in, looking down and feeling a thrum of pleasure of seeing my baby mate under me, to see the sight of her caged in- and eagerly my mind whispers 'caught her' triumphantly, as if this is what I've been rewarded with at the end of a long and hard and trying chase.

I lean back, feeling my heart swell with love for her, with sheer strong affection and tenderness to see her always like this, to see those plump lips smiling sweetly at me, the soft red glow of her eyes as she looks at me and sees only me, nothing else.

But then she does something I don't expect. Something that makes my instincts surge rapidly to the surface and fight to try and get out, keening with pride and satisfaction and pleasure when she tilts her head back and arches it, exposing the slender column of her neck as she turns slightly to the side. A clear invitation to mark her.

My hand rises from the side, thumb brushing and rubbing against the smooth sensitive skin, feeling the vein under my touch, feel the way she shivers and yet pushes herself further into the touch.

"Mark me Kookie. Mark me as yours." She whispers.

It's not the claiming bite. But a mark that shows everyone, the world and to us that we belong to each other, she's asking me to lay that claim on her.

I search her eyes for any hesitance, for any forced feeling but see nothing but the want and need that mirror my own.

I lean down to press a soft kiss there, nose brushing against the skin as I breath in her sweet thick scent.

I place open-mouthed kisses along her throat, humming with pleasure when she gasps at a sensitive spot, at the junction of where her neck and shoulder meet, my hand unzips the jacket with impatient haste, to bare the skin properly to me as I kiss the spot slowly, lingeringly, tongue darting out to taste and lick along the spot, teeth gently scraping against it. I make sure my fangs aren't out when after a few small kisses I suddenly nip at her skin, tugging the skin between my teeth as I suck harshly and firmly at it, instincts growling with approval when her back arches and she guides my head down further, grounding me there even as I suck and lick at the mark before gently moving my mouth back, eyes falling to the reddening mark on her smooth skin, lips automatically falling back to press butterfly kisses there before I lean back.

Her eyes are glittering with satisfaction, with relief and with contentment and somehow I just know that the marking did more than let her feel my claim, even if it wasn't a mating claim or one made with my fangs, it's instinctually soothed her all the same, her body loosening and relaxing as she sags into the mattress.

I roll off her, sinking into the space beside her and immediately she turns, shifting closer until she's pressed tightly against my side. But my arms wrap around her waist and tug her onto me, feel her warm weight against me as she nestles in happily, head tucked into the crook of my neck.

And I feel her body loosen and relax, perhaps properly and fully for the first time in weeks as she curls up, a sleepy small yawn leaves her mouth, the small huff of breath felt against my neck- making the skin tingle with sensitivity and a want to ask her to mark me too.

But that'll have to wait. Wait when she clearly finally relaxes enough to slip into sleep, arms tucked close to her and against my chest, right where my heart is. And as she slips off to sleep she mumbles drowsily.

"Wanna mark you too Koo..." she says.

And with that thought left behind as she drifts off to sleep, I found myself slipping into a state of bliss and contentment; one that can't be roused nor broken when the others enter the room a few minutes later, protests dying on their lips when they see our mate finally and truly sleeping deeply and properly- without help of tonics and without unrest.

HOBI POV:

Even though we're all burning with curiosity to know where is it that Kookie took (Y/N), why is it they suddenly appeared upstairs in his room- it's overwhelmed and drowned out by the satisfaction that we all get from seeing her rest, from seeing her sleeping soundly for the first time in weeks, and to see her so at ease, so comforted in Kookie's arms. And even though we all want to pile onto his bed and sleep together, the bed isn't large enough to accommodate us all. So it's through rock-paper-scissors that I emerge as victor and usher the rest out, the healer in me satisfied at seeing the two babies resting peacefully but also wanting to send them off to bed before the bustling wakes her up.

And it's pleasure and surprise when at some point in the night where I had cuddled Kookie who had been holding (Y/N) in turn before falling asleep, wake to soft kisses pressed to my face accompanied with sweet giggling- the sweet soft high giggles of our baby mate and when I blink my eyes open I see the sight of her hovering over me with a smile on my face, looking infinitely rested and relaxed- she looks like her usual old self, I see the glimmer of happiness in her eyes.

"Koo said to wake you up Hobi oppa." She mumbles, leaning back and straightening up. I rise with her, wrapping my arms around her, holding her close in a warm embrace.

What we'd all thought had been the warm natural scents of the two intertwining simply because they'd been sleeping together in each other's arms, turns out to be an imprint of Kookie's scent left on her and when he appears in the doorway freshly showered- the sweet scent of her hangs heavily over him, despite the floral, fruity tones of what he's just washed with.

It reminds me achingly of when Tae had returned home saturated in her scent, soaked with her- her sweet heady tone left heavily on his lips and I see and sense the same for him. And realise that whatever occurred last night also allowed her to shift closer, to return to the old intimacy we shared.

Kookie had taken the step we'd all been fearing to take, to push onto her- we wanted her to seek out the intimacy if she wanted, we didn't want to make her uncomfortable. But in hindsight it may not have been the best decision, maybe we'd unintentionally neglected and denied her of one of the easiest ways of expressing our love and concern for her, we'd taken that away as a source of comfort.

And when she leaves my embrace, I feel my body missing her soft warmth, soul craving her to return to my arms.

But she shoots me a smile as she leaves.

"Better get ready oppa. Or you'll miss breakfast." She says as she heads out to go shower and change herself.

And when I walk into the kitchen, I find that she's not there but rather the others have all surrounded Kookie and are trying to badger him for answers- using tactics ranging from kisses, to holding him in their arms, to negotiating with food and trying to pull cute faces. None of them seem to be working but he looks delighted at their attempts- laughing brightly when Tae tickles him and squirming under several pairs of arms. He looks happy and bright. And somehow I sensed from my healing ability that there had been a brighter tone to her soul, as if it had begun the journey of healing.

And as I join the fray, he reaches out with grabby hands, laughing and begging for me to help him.

"Hobi hyung~ help me." he says.

I laugh as I try to disentangle the layers of arms that have wound their way around our baby, tugging him free and laughing brightly when I free him when suddenly everyone freezes.

Not knowing what's caught their interest and silenced them all of a sudden, I get a strong trail of her scent and turn to see her standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

And find my words and laughter catching in my throat.

(Y/N)'s standing there, fiddling with her hands as she smiles at all of us, damp hair tumbling down her back, looking a mixture of nervous and happy as she stands dressed in a pair of leggings that I recognise as her own but also the sight of a familiar white t-shirt that is coated with Kookie's scent; one of his favourites and it drapes over her slender frame gaping at the shoulders and neck, revealing the tantalising sight of a smooth expanse of skin, unblemished save for the dark red purpling mark on the junction of her shoulder and neck, starkly contrasting, the splash of colour on her skin. It's not a mating mark but it's definitely a claim, a claim that Kookie left on her.

"Kookie I hope you don't mind, I wanted to smell like you." she mumbles when Kookie appears at my shoulder.

I turn just in time to see him grin, wide, unrestrained, and exuberant and he's already rushing to go to her, scooping her up in his arms as he laughs delighted, twirling her around easily- her hands going to wound around his neck- eyes wide and bright.

"Any time baby mate. Any time." he voices.

And I know for sure that the jealousy that zings through the bond isn't only me, it comes from everyone else too- but over it comes a crashing wave of happiness. For the two of them. For (Y/N) who is letting us back in, bit by bit.

(SOO....THIS CHAPTER WAS CONSISTING MOSTLY OF KOOKIE AND (Y/N) KISSING AND MAKING OUT...DO I HAVE ANY REGRETS? NO. NO I DON'T. I HOPE NONE OF YOU DO EITHER AS YOU READ THIS CHAPTER AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THERE'S WAAAAY MORE TO COME! FOR CURSED FATE- AT THIS NUMBER CHAPTER WE WERE ALREADY AT A WAY DEEPER STAGE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND HERE WE'VE JUST GOTTEN TO THE FINAL KISS AND THE FIRST MARK. WOW...I REALISED JUST HOW SLOW BURN IT IS WHEN I COMPARED THE TWO HAHA! WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT? AND WE WILL EVENTUALLY GET TO THEIR MATING BUT FIRST WE'VE GOT THINGS TO DO; THE FIRST FEED HAS TO HAPPEN, SHE HAS TO HEAL, SHE HAS TO BE FREE FROM THE DEMON- SO DOES YOONGI! AND THEN WE'LL HAVE FLUFF IN ENDLESS AMOUNTS! STAY SAFE AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS LOVELIES!)

Sometimes we don't have a clear path to our goal, sometimes we'll experience breakdowns, we will have moments where we fall weak, or where we lose stamina. But the main point is to persevere- you cannot achieve the full journey to your destination in one stretch, it's okay to take breaks, okay to stop for a breather- you will reach it one day.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3