JIN POV:

There's an awful sort of silence that descends, a deathly hush that makes my instincts recoil with the wrongness of it, because it's never silent with all of us, never tense and the air thick with unspoken words and emotions. And awful because I see the moment when the words leave (Y/N)'s mouth and then as seconds tick by, stretched on infinitely, she seems to shrink, deflate. And more than the impact the words have had on me, a sudden forceful jolt to my system, my eyes immediately snag onto her instead- noting and prioritising her distress as the key factor to address, confession be damned had it not been for the way her emotions weighed heavily on it.

She divulged such a big part of herself to us, such a shocking truth that it seems to sink in far too slowly, the words circulating my mind at the pace of trudging through thick heavy sludge.

And then a hoarse unbelieving voice breaking the silence.

"You're Amparo?" Joon-ah asks, eyes wide and staring.

And I want to berate him for the incredulity that seeps into his voice for the way it seems to make her wither before she confirms it, two words- strong and unrelenting in the deafening, roaring silence.

"I am." 

But her words don't seem to bring him any solace, his blanched complexion seems to whiten and his mouth opens and closes and yet no sound comes out. Worrying enough that I make to take a step forward.

"But you can't be..." he stutters. I see her expression break, see the moment where her face freezes- as if she's seeing all her fears turn into reality.

I realise that admitting it was an impossible feat, to give up such a big part of yourself. But his following words stop me from physically stepping forward to get him out of her sight- because the last thing she needs is a mate disregarding her words.

In fact the next words change everything.

"I told you off for touching your own work. Oh my god...the first time I saw my mate and saw Amparo I told her off for touching her own painting. Oh god! I-I, I am so, so sorry." He rambles, eyes panicked and posture tight and coiled with panic- ready for (Y/N) to lash out.

Instead his confession draw the sweetest giggle out of her, a light lilting sound that transforms her face, makes her face soften and seem incredibly inviting and beautiful and captivating.

Her eyes are sparking red with amusement.

"Yes, yes you did Joonie oppa." She confirms.

I feel my lips twitch remembering that instance. 

"But I...but I, I must've sounded like such a snob, I can't believe I told the Amparo themselves to keep their hands off their own work." Joon says again, voice pitching slightly.

She seems amused, lips curving up.

"You did tell me...in fact I remember being asked whether or not I can read signs if memory serves me right." She adds, and Joon lets out a pained groan- wounded and ashamed, cheeks flushing red as he ducks his head down- in response to the startled sharp gasp.

"Hyung how could you?" Jiminie all but screeches, the tone of voice and thick emotion wounding itself around us, prickling shame, and embarrassment that floods all of us. Heavy mortification which hangs as a heavy curtain over us, in shared response to what our mate has done.

But despite the humorous tone she's been using, her eyes still dart nervously to the others, to me- awaiting our response. 

"No wonder you knew what order to put them in. I feel so stupid." Kookie mumbles and though there's no heat in his words, it makes (Y/N) turn towards him- pain flashing through the crimson irises.

"Koo...you're not stupid." She says softly.

"All this time I knew you did art, I've seen your art, I've been sitting with you in art classes and I never ever clocked? Hyung hide me." he laments, voice sounding ashamed and embarrassed but incredibly endearing with the way that his cheeks burn a pink and he tries to duck down behind me, eyes darting to her when she lets out a soft coo.

"You couldn't see what I didn't want you to. No-one could've. It's why it was such a well-kept secret." She adds.

"Where you ever going to tell us?" Hobi asks, and though his voice isn't accusing or pained- merely curious, it still makes her flinch, pushes me steps towards her out of driven instinct. The sight of her distress making everyone shift and angle themselves towards her.

"Hoseok-ah." Yoongi says, voice low and full of warning- soft and yet firm.

"I didn't mean it like that! Just wondering whether she thought of hiding it from us..." he trails off, shooting an apologetic look to (Y/N), who's head is bent, fingers bunched into the nightshirt she's wearing.

"I did tell you. It took me time to get here but I always intended to tell you one day. Do you hate me Seokie?" she asks, head raised and gaze solely focused on him, eyes holding a glassy sheen.

I feel my heart twist with pain for her, with her.

Because Hobi's words despite the soft tone that had been used had sounded confrontational.

"Oh sweetheart, never. Never could I hate you. I'm sorry- I should've said it better." he says, rushing towards her, to encase her in his arms, fingers darting away the few tears that escape- none of us miss the choked relieved sound that escapes as she presses herself into him, fingers clutching at his loose top.

Jiminie keeps staring at her, silent and wide-eyed but the moment Hobi steps back the barest distance, he's there- nudging him aside with his hip.

"(Y/N), my beautiful mate, oh gods- we're so lucky. How are you so perfect?" he murmurs, softly speaking to her- voice filled with awe and admiration, peppering her face with kisses between each word, making her a squirmy giggly mess.

She all but melts in his arms as he continues to kiss her, lips moving down to her neck as he mumbles against her skin, each word punctuated with a firm kiss to her skin.

"I love you so much. I love that you're Amparo. And I love that you're ours." He says.

I love that she's ours too. That our beautiful mate is also the artist we've admired. I loved her fully and wholly before knowing and know that she's told us, I feel as if my heart and soul could burst with how fond and proud I am of her. Of trusting as us as her mates to tell us this. Of sharing this with us.

YOONGI POV:

There's a mixture of feelings- pride, confusion, surprise and above it all- threading them all together is immense love and adoration and admiration.

Because I know it wasn't easy for her to say, know that telling us was a monumental step. And know that even if she doesn't voice it- through her works she has slowly told the world her story, the story we don't know the origins of, don't know which aspects are merged with the present, which aspects have been covered but it's her story, nonetheless.

And to have painted it out for the world to see, to leave herself so vulnerable and exposed to millions of eyes and yet kept safe, because no-one truly knew that it was her, no-one knew that behind each canvas and painting was a bit of (Y/N) is both astounding and powerful. Because she crafted her way to overcoming them, she found a way to try and escape, to cope and I feel like I'm at the edge of the cliff- at that peak where I think my love couldn't grow anymore only to plummet into the wide oceans of her, to drown myself in her essence, her being- letting the power of her as a person overcome me and consume me until every fibre of being, every nerve cell is alight and thrumming and screaming for (Y/N). For my beautiful mate who crossed each hurdle and obstacle and didn't let it define her, she defined each pain instead.

It makes my throat threaten to close up and for my heart to be clenched in a vice- and not only because I can feel the vulnerability and rawness through the bond coming from everyone, strongest from her, but because despite having lived centuries longer than her- she showed me that as a human she survived and coped, that she didn't let horrors define her once mortal existence. And she showed me a new type of strength and bravery.

Jin hyung is still silent, looking as if he's taking in each of our reactions and storing them but I don't miss the protective glint in his eyes; I know very well that he wouldn't hesitate to put us in our place if any of us said something that could hurt (Y/N), that rare off-chance that someone reacted negatively. I'd seen it in the way he seemed to have been tugged forward when Hobi spoke, saw it in the way he relaxed and responded similarly to (Y/N) when everyone else was slowly trying to process it.

And when Jiminie steps back, tugged into Kookie's excited silent hold who seems to be shaking with a mixture of repressed excitement and awe, I step forward- eyes focused solely on her. But anything I was going to say, anything I could've thought to say to express even a fraction of the pride I felt vanished because when I focused on her face, the face that had so easily become cherished and loved and treasured to me, it blurred and I couldn't stop the tears that rolled down.

"Oppa?" she says, surprise and alarm in her voice, small cool fingers coming to wipe at the tears. I laugh shakily, shaking my head- telling her I'm fine.

"What's wrong?" she asks, voice soft and caring- yet again putting us first, selflessly focusing on me, on making sure I'm alright. What did I do to deserve this angel?

"Nothing, you're just...I'm so lucky to have you. We all are. The entire time I pushed you away to keep us all safe, because my past kept haunting me and I let it control my actions. And you...you never let the emotions in your work hold you down or keep you back, you live and feel so intensely, so fully." I murmur, arms looping around her waist as I gaze down at her, voice trembling slightly.

"I did what I had to." She murmurs, confessing that perhaps the only way she kept from shattering, from dissolving and losing herself was by painting and then I realise with cold clarity that it's what she must've been doing following the incident, that those nights she shut herself into her own space was to let out the emotions that tormented her, because it was the only was she could escape. 

And it's guilt, thick and cold that seeps into my veins- liquid ice that numbs me. Because I realise that in the most crucial and sensitive period of her life- that transitional phase of her trying to accept herself, none of us had been there- she'd endured alone again.

I mentally vow to never let her suffer alone, to try and draw her out more so she can lean on us just as much we had all grown to depend on our baby mate, on our living epitome of joy and optimism.

And yet I understand. I understand her. 

And the way Jin hyung gently cradles her close, murmurs nothing but a soft 'love you little one' as he lets her seek comfort from him and he from her- the words being enough to show the silent understanding and acceptance. Because he'd love her regardless. He'd love her even if she had been someone who'd been hiding a dark secret- because when it came to her, it dissolved away all of those thoughts. Nothing mattered more to him than seeing his mates happy. Which is why perhaps the moment she'd uttered those words, he had fallen deeper for her and never questioned it. Never saw it as anything but a small snippet to know about her. He loved her and loved all the details that came with her.

And yet what I don't understand, perhaps what I'll never understand is that though Tae's ability is to shift, is his extreme perceptiveness. Because clearly he knows how to lighten the mood up, he knows how to pick up the mood and shift it. 

All it takes is for her to look at him waiting for his reaction before he snaps out of the relaxed posture he'd been in as he allowed a fretting Joon to shake him. Because all it takes is a soft 'Tae' murmured from her sweet lips that has his own curving dangerously.

"Oh my baby mate, you hid a secret from us. And now you have exactly ten seconds." He says, words promising and low- practically vibrating with excitement.

Her eyes widen as she shifts backwards into Jin hyung, who simply squeezes her lightly before letting her go.

"Go ahead chickie. Tae doesn't mess when it comes to playing." He says, nudging her forward.

"And neither do we." He adds when she begins to backtrack towards the door.

Her eyes widen with surprise before morphing into giddy elation, back curving towards us as she pulls the door open.

And no sooner has she rushed off, contentedness and sweet excitement trailing from her end of the bond that the others sport matching thrilled expressions.

Because Tae has initiated a chase.

And this one is where everyone has their sights on our baby mate.

And with those words he's set at ease all her worries and coaxed out her instincts. To play and relax.

Tae knows how to lighten a mood and when he calls a loud 'coming for you jagi' it's full of mischievous tease and promise. One that makes the haze of surprise dissipate- because all of our instincts have been pushed into that mindset. Of the thrill that comes after chasing an errant, giggly mate.

And one instinct we'll gladly indulge in.

(THERE YOU GO! THE REACTIONS!! I HOPE I DID THEM ALL JUSTICE!! BUT IN CASE NO-ONE/SOME DON'T GET IT- FOR TAE HE WAS TRYING TO SHOW THAT AMPARO OR NOT- SHE'S HIS BABY MATE FIRST AND RIGHT NOW, HE'S SENSING SLIGHT WORRY AND HE'LL PUT THAT TO REST IMMEDIATELY!! WHAT BETTER WAY FOR THE WHOLE COVEN TO BE RUSHING AROUND PLAYFULLY CHASING EACH OTHER!! BUT THE FANBOYING IS FAR FROM OVER I'LL GIVE YOU THAT!! PROMISE!! I HOPE THE CHAPTER THAT WAS LONG AWAITED WAS ALL WORTH IT- WHO'S REACTION WAS YOUR FAVOURITE?? WAS THERE ANY YOU WERE'NT HAPPY WITH? DID I MANAGE TO PLEASE YOU?? LET ME KNOW IT ALL AND STAY SAFE AND HOPEFULLY ENJOY! NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE THRILLING CHASE!! AND SOME MORE FANBOYING!)

250K READS!! Thank you darlings for your love and support as always!! 🥺🥳🥳

There are people who are like sunlight in our lives- bright and giving optimism but also bringing that warmth, there are some who are like clouds for us- giving us that shelter and shade when we need it, and there are some like rain- pouring down on us but sometimes that needed change, that refreshing feeling that comes with it. We need a balance of them all in our life just as we need the weather to be balanced; because that's what life requires- a mix of them all.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3