(Y/N) POV:
When I next awake it's because Kookie shifts closer and mumbles gently in my ear, hand shaking me lightly.

"(Y/N)... (Y/N) wake up." his sleep-deepened voice calls, lips grazing against the shell of my ear. My eyes blink open slowly, squinting at the way the light floods the room, my enhanced senses allowing me to be able to see clearly after a few long moments. Across from me Minnie is asleep, his hand still splayed across my back, the two of us unconsciously having shifted closer to each other- his head is curved towards mine and like this I can see his eyelashes rest against his cheek, see the way his plump lips are parted just the slightest in his sleep. 

Around us, however, is the quiet flurrying of movements as the others try to bustle about the nesting room, eyes tinged red with panic and gestures both hurried and careful as they lift items from the room. Ornaments being lifted from the shelves, from the drawers, cupboards opened and hands rifling through them, curtains pushed aside to peer behind them and I even see Joonie oppa sink to the floor to peer under the bed.

What are they looking for?

"Taehyung-ah, where are you?" Hobi oppa murmurs as he continues to search around the room.

Ahh...more who are they looking for.

"Oppa." I call gently to him but the word draws the attention of all four of them, even Joonie oppa who's head collides with the bed frame as he attempts to straighten immediately, he appears rubbing his head with one hand. Hobi oppa draws him up, brushing a kiss against it and smiling when Joonie oppa's face clears up of the slight pain before turning to give me attention.

"What is it my flower?" Joonie oppa asks. The term of endearment makes my cheek warm and soul twist happily inside, and it distracts me from what I'd been intending to say.

The pet name spoken in a soft deep voice and paired with a small dimpled smile had made me lose my train of thought.

"Oh...uh are you looking for Tae?" I ask.

Jinnie oppa nods, a pinched look between his brows.

"He sometimes has the habit of shifting during the night but not always in bed, so he must be around here somewhere- I can't sense him in any other place in the house." He says, looking slightly panicked.

It makes me feel bad, especially because I know where Tae is- it makes Kookie startle and sit up, alertness coming into the very doe eyes that had been sleepy moments ago- he'd probably just woken me up because it was time to, not knowing his mate was missing.

I shift onto my back, propping myself up slightly against the headboard- the movement dislodges Minnie's hand but instead it just snakes out from under me to go sprawling against the low of my waist instead.

My hand had carefully cradled Tae's sleeping form against me, careful not to dislodge him or have him tumbling out all of a sudden.

"I know where he is." I say.

Their eyes become focused, alert.

"Where? Where did he end up hiding and sleeping this time?" Yoongi oppa says, a small fond smile on his lips, mouth opening to probably make a remark about one of the weirdest places they'd found him.

But nothing comes out of his mouth, instead none of them speak and only stare in shocked silence as rather than verbally elaborating, I just go to raise my pyjama top, shifting the fabric up to show the bottom half of my stomach, where above my waist Tae had managed to curl against and sleep.

Their eyes fall to the sight of Tae happily curled up; wings wrapped around him cocooning him within the warmth of his own body.

And when my eyes raise to meet theirs, expecting to see relieved smiles, I see the red in them flicker and darken, see the intensity their eyes look at the scene with.

"Aigoo this boy." Hobi oppa says lightly, but his voice has deepened, thick and smooth and his eyes burn a dark red, still fixed onto the sight.

"I think he wanted to cuddle and might've been cold. I found him like this." I explain, hand reaching down to gently pet the fur on his head, brush carefully across his ears and smiling when it makes him shift.

"Should I wake him?" I ask, eyes darting up for confirmation.

Joonie oppa shakes his head.

"Allow me." he simply says but his words seem to hold a deeper meaning, his hand comes to delicately brush against the inner lines of Tae's folded wings- it makes him immediately squirm and shift- small head rising and eyes wide open. And I watch as he stands up, teetering almost had it not been for the way my hand and Joonie oppa's hands had shot out to steady him.

He looks so adorable and now that I know it's him in bat form- I can't help the way I feel so soft and gushy looking at him, at the way he peers at me and ever so slightly shifts, feeling him against my stomach.

"That's enough playing Tae, where are your manners?" Jinnie oppa scolds lightly, reaching over to scoop him into his hands, the tiny bat shifting in his hands and almost drooping his head in response, feet seeming fidgety. It seems so similar to the way he'd shift on his feet guiltily when he's turned back that I can't help but giggle.

But those giggles receded into a sharp intake of breath when long fingers gently draw my pyjama top back down, Kookie's eyes fixed on me as his fingers tug it back down to cover my stomach- feeling the slightest pressure of them against my stomach, a light but burning caress before it's gone.

The arm splayed around my waist suddenly turns me, tugging me towards him- the sudden movement drawing my trapped gaze that's pinned under Kookie's powerful one towards our mate who's shifting, eyes blinking sleepily at me, as my body turns- hand gripping the shirt at his shoulder between my hand as I look at him.

"Morning baby." Minnie but his voice is deep and thick, the words rolling off in a heavy satoori accent. But contrasting his deep, reverberating words- his hand is tender as it comes to cradle my cheek, as is the hand that splays on top of my back but this time over my pyjama top, tugging me closer to him and happily sighing when I allow myself to be tucked into his sleepy embrace.

"Kookie come kiss hyung." He says, beckoning for our mate over my shoulder, head curving forward and letting out a deep protest of 'hey' when there's the sound of lips quickly pressing to his cheek instead. 

But he settles fairly easily, mumbling into my ear that Kookie doesn't give kisses and he's mean- as if trying to warn me.

But then his words turn slightly serious.

"Did you sleep fine after that? No more nightmares?" he says softly.

But the way Kookie suddenly stills from where he'd been scrabbling off the bed I know he's heard.

I know they all have.

But I'd decided not to hide from it, especially when I raise my head to see the concerned looks my mates are shooting me.

"I'm fine now. Minnie and Tae were with me." I say.

And the doting smatter of kisses Jinnie oppa showers all over Tae's bat form makes me smile, so does the way that Hobi oppa gives me a warm smile- knowing I wasn't alone, that I didn't suffer by myself.

"And so was the house." I quip, recalling how in that moment of blind consuming fear of the darkness, the room had lit up in a soft glow.

"Maybe the house does come with benefits even if it favours you." Yoongi oppa teases lightly- though I can see his eyes rove over me a few times to make sure I'm fine, trying to assure himself- relaxing when I wriggle out of Minnie's hug to give him one too.

Because when I'm in his arms I feel the tension seep out of him, muscles loosening as he hugs me close.

"We'll sort this together." He promises into my hair as he hugs me.

I nod.

Together. Because he'd only managed to hurt Yoongi oppa because he hadn't had us then, he'd only been able to hurt me because I'd ignored Yoongi oppa's warning and headed obliviously into the alleyway.

But if we were together, there was no way I'd allow him to harm one of my mates. Never again.

TAE POV:

It's the feeling of the buzzing receding, the tingles under my skin decreasing and even as I find myself curled in a pair of hands, cradled in a lap- I feel that itching need to remain in bat form lessen, feel it ebb away like the gentle slow waves of the sea lapping at my ankles and drifting back away from me.

It's a slow gradual change, the warmth and love I'm feeling as well as the overwhelming feeling of safety and contentedness filling me, pushing away the fear and worry that had pushed me to the edge. It had been the sounds of small breathless whimpers, tiny cries of pains had been the final thing to push me off that edge- that somewhere in my subconscious I'd registered it as the sound of my distressed baby mate and had curled close trying to reassure her, trying to comfort her. And I recalled flashes of curled against the sweet-scented warmth that was her, of hands cradling me and of teasing fingers trailing over my wings, small petting and kisses pressed to my face and ears.

And it was after a nap cradled in a lap that I awoke to feeling a muscled frame cradling me, the soft gentle scent of our bonded scent drifting off in loose languid waves. I lift myself up on my arms, feeling the muscled chest under my touch as I gaze at wavy dark locks curling around Kookie's face, at the way he's shooting me the most adorable bunny smile. 

"Feeling better hyung?" he asks, stretching and shifting, letting me feel the way his muscles shift under my hands, and I finally catch a glimpse of a book in his hand.

"Yup much better Kookie. What are you reading?" I ask, pressing a small kiss to the sharp curve of his jaw.

He smiles.

"A comic Jiminie hyung recommended. It's what requires the littlest amount of movement too." He says, smiling down at me.

I feel guilty slightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek before sliding off.

"Just admit you like cuddling your favourite hyung, my baby." I say, tugging him upright.

I note the slightest colouring on his cheeks as he silently lets me raise him up.

"You woke up in time for dinner. Makes me think you have extra senses apart from being the cutest bat." He teases.

I head to the bathroom to freshen up and change, finding that Kookie follows me in- eyes attentive and focused as he watches me; alert in case I wobble or fall. It wouldn't be the first instance; it wouldn't be the last that had happened.

And when I'm done I grab his hand and tug him into the kitchen where the others are already scattered around- some on the large dining table and some bustling about cooking.

Surprisingly (Y/N)'s not the one bustling about as the hyungs fuss around her- I knew she enjoyed cooking but to see her seated apart from the din- knees drawn up to her chest and looking at something, something shielded from view. Her face is pinched and her eyes rove over something. I pad over to her, Kookie easily following.

"Taetae." She says warmly as I approach, locking her phone to give me her attention- a glimpse of a conversation before the screen goes dark.

I feel myself soften at the new nickname, bending down to give her a quick kiss on the lips- a peck, brief brush of lips against hers. But she surprises me when her hands come to cradle my face, tongue gently roving over the inseam of my lips and sliding into my easily parting mouth and kissing me sweetly, slowly, and tenderly. She leans back a few moments later, eyes soft as she gazes at me.

"Do you feel better now?" she asks.

I nod.

"Your pyjama top made the best blanket I've had as a bat." I say by way of answer, sliding into the seat next to her and tugging Kookie onto my lap.

The others stop for a few moments, taking in the scene with fond red eyes before returning to their tasks- for Jiminie, it's distracting Joonie hyung by demanding adequate cuddles, and the other hyungs continue to cook- moving around each other in sync.

"Why were you frowning? What's wrong?" Kookie asks, leaning forward to peer at the dark shut screen as if it'll reveal the secrets and details of what it was that bothered our baby mate.

"I asked for a favour. It's taking longer than we expected." She sighs.

I decide in that moment I never want to hear her sigh so sadly again- how could a small sound be so deep and emotive? 

"A favour? What favour?" Kookie presses, face showing some sort of suspicion, fearful understanding dawning across his features.

She meets his gaze resolutely.

"Trying to see if Chul left any traces of his dirty handiwork behind." She says so bluntly, so simply it makes me startle, it carries and cuts through the slightly noisy and familiar ambience of the kitchen. The sound of a spoon clattering against the counter, a hiss before a muttered curse and a choked sound, the sound of a knee colliding with the table we're at, the reverberations felt across.

"Sweetheart don't tell me..." Jin hyung says, moving hurriedly forward towards us- face open and pained.

As if he could he would hide her away from the world and the horrors she'd been unfairly exposed to, then he would do it in a heartbeat. In a fraction of one.

She meets his eyes, a bit of soft vulnerability in them as she meets his gaze.

Focused on him even as the other hyungs shift close, food abandoned.

The sounds seem to melt away, as if the house too has been shocked into silence.

"Tell you what oppa? That I've started researching about the murders? Because I'm not backing away or changing my project but far, far more important than that- I'm not stepping away from something that had been started so, so long ago. I'm a part of this mess and I fully intend to help resolve it." She says firmly even though her voice carries pain and heartache in it.

Her eyes flicker back and forth from red to her usual beautiful shade- but there's no hesitance in her face, nor her voice.

She means what she said.

And I feel a mixture of overwhelming crashing pride and sorrow.

"I'll help too." Yoongi hyung says first, breaking the small silence- shooting her a meaningful promising look.

And what can we do when our mates are so brave and determined?

We join. One after the other. To promise that we'll do anything to put an end to this. Anything to bring them and the young victims- the peace and closure they all deserve.

(THERE YOU GO!! HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE WAKING UP SCENE AS MUCH AS I DID!! AND GOSH IT'S GETTING SUPER HARD FOR THE BOYS TO NOT BE DISTRACTED AND TEMPTED BY THE SIGHT OF THEIR BABY MATE- JUST TUGGING UP HER CLOTHES, REALLY INNOCENTLY, TO REVEAL THEIR SNEAKY MATE CUDDLED AGAINST HER!! I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY ALL THOUGHT? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAVE FOR MINNIE WISHED THEY COULD'VE BEEN IN HIS STEAD AND MINNIE WAS DREAMING ABOUT THAT SO! THERE YOU GO! AND WE FINALLY HAVE THAT BEGINNING OF THE SOLVING OF THE ANGST HAPPENING- (Y/N) IS THE MOST DETERMINED BRAVE BABY MATE THEY COULD EVER HAVE AS WELL AS A STRONG INDIVIDUAL AND SHE IS READY TO PUT AN END TO THIS! I WONDER WHAT THEY'LL LEARN, WHAT'LL BE REVEALED AND JUST HOW MUCH CHUL THINKS HE CAN GET AWAY WITH UNTIL IT COMES TO AN END! LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS MY LOVES AND ENJOY! STAY SAFE!)

We can never learn to run until we learn to walk. We can never learn to walk until we learn to crawl. Everything takes time, everything has a process of growth, so don't rush yourself and take the time needed to grow as a person.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3