JIMIN POV:

There's the blaring of a phone, a loud incessant ring that keeps on going and going, forcing me awake, reaching over Joon hyung to pick up the phone. Hyung shifts slightly, face scrunching up as the sound begins to awaken him. Behind me Kookie begins to shift too.

I answer the call, a glance at the screen telling me it's Mark hyung.

I frown when I notice that it's still dark outside. It's really early in the morning, what could be so important that Mark hyung is calling at this time?

I hope everything is fine.

I answer the phone, with my heart in my throat.

"Namjoon—" Mark hyung's voice comes in, firm and cuts through the sleep that still hovers over me.

Forces me awake.

"It's Jimin, what's wrong Mark hyung?" I ask fearfully into the phone.

I don't know when he awoke, but Namjoon hyung is blinking his eyes awake and is looking at me with concern. Behind me Kookie shifts uneasily before the weight in the mattress changes as he comes closer, looping his arm around me as he sits upright.

"What's wrong? What's wrong Jimin? You're asking me that? Wow, seriously?!" he asks incredulously, anger seeping into his voice as it gets louder.

There's some noise on his end, it sounds like he's moving, before he speaks up again.

"Well Jimin, let me tell you as you are all so clearly ignorant. Where is (Y/N)?" He asks, voice trembling with mounting anger.

(Y/N)? Why is he asking about her?

"(Y/N)...she's asleep hyung. She's in her room." I reply, unsure as to where the conversation is going. The other two are fully awake now, bustling closer as they try to hear what hyung is saying.

There's a brief period of silence, the sound of Mark hyung breathing deeply. But then the door opens and Yoongi hyung rushes in, his ruffled hair and dishevelled clothes telling me he's just gotten out of bed. Behind him, Hobi hyung follows- biting his lip with worry as he eyes us all, eyes uncertain about what's happened.

"Are you sure Jimin? You're positive that she's in her room asleep." He questions, voice hard.

I look uncertainly at the others, a slither of doubt entering my mind.

"Hyung...you put (Y/N) to bed, right?" I ask Hobi hyung, who nods- slightly confused. But even so, I'm sliding out of bed as I rush out the room, the others right behind me.

The commotion awakens Jin hyung and Tae who appear in their doorway, eyes groggy with sleep but quickly awakening when they take in the rush as we hurry past.

I approach the door with the beginnings of nausea, a slightly sickening feeling as I use my ability to gently open the door, peering in almost fearfully.

The bed is empty. Sheets thrown aside and void of our final soulmate. She's not there. She's not there.

I turn to them.

"She's not there." I gasp, voice slightly wavery.

I bring the phone back up to my ear.

"Found out Jimin? She's not there because for the past few hours she has been crying, she cried herself into exhaustion, she's been inconsolable, and now finally, finally....she's sleeping. And only because I had to use my ability on her." he says, voice slightly hysterical.

The breath in my throat catches, unable to move past the lump that threatens to choke me.

I make a pained sound, grip tightening on the phone.

The others bustle close, expressions worried.

"Can we...can we see her?" I ask, pleading into the phone.

There's a humourless laugh, an empty sound.

"That depends on her. That depends on whether she wants to see the very same soulmates who forgot her birthday. The very same who made her cry on the day she should've been smiling and laughing." He says bitterly, hanging up soon after.

It's like the end of the phone call, cuts the strings holding me upright, I sink onto my hunches, curling my arms around myself, eyes filling with tears, Mark hyung's words ringing painfully in my ears.

We forgot. We forgot her birthday. When on her last birthday we'd all vowed to make that day the happiest, when we'd vowed it was something we'd never forget.

JIN POV:

Something is incredibly wrong. The look of utter devastation on Jimin's face attests to that. The tears keep flowing down his cheeks and his face has gone pale, he looks shattered.

There's endless hurt coming from Jimin. Yoongi's mouth wobbles and his hand reaches up to swipe furiously at his eyes, face turning away from us. Hobi's mouth is pressed together tightly, unaware of what's happened but the energy in the room is morbid, even as his hand remains on Yoongi's shoulder.

Tae frantically reaches out for Jimin, bending down as he cups Jimin's face, large fingers wiping away the tears that don't seem to stop. His hands are trembling, no doubt that everyone in the bond is feeling the sickening guilt that floods out of him and Yoongi.

Kookie presses himself into my side, seeking comfort, his own lashes fringed with tears that are about to fall.

"Jimin-ah, what is it? What's happened?" Tae asks urgently, voice thick with command and persuasion.

The question brings another shaking sob out of Jimin, even as he leans into Tae.

"Tae. We messed up. We forgot our own soulmate's birthday. But worse...we didn't even know she wasn't at home. What does that make us?" he cries.

The question brings my heart crashing down.

What does that make us? It means we've failed her.

(Y/N) POV:

When I awake, there's a sick, churning feeling in the bond. A nauseating feeling that threatens to make my stomach convulse and spasm, to empty it's contents- little as they may be.

I twist frantically, the unsettling feeling in the bond forcing me upright, even if my eyes feel sore and my head throbs with the beginning of a headache.

The pair of arms around me tighten instinctively before they loosen.

"You with us kit?" Jackson oppa asks, usually vibrant voice tinged with worry and sadness. My eyes meet his and he gives me a small smile, even though I can tell it doesn't have his usual happiness behind it.

It brings back the crashing wave of memories- the hurt, pain, sorrow of being forgotten. It didn't matter so much about my birthday- but it felt like I had been shunned, left alone at home whilst everyone went out to work, no warmth, no hugs, kisses, and their usual limitless love. It wasn't the fact they'd forgotten my birthday, more that it felt like they'd forgotten me.

And it had taken me down a road I'd never wanted to travel on again. Made me feel the same aching loneliness, the same hurt and emptiness that I'd felt after my dad had died. Like I was truly alone. And I'd never find someone again who could bring that warmth into my life.

That's why it hurt. That's why it felt like my soul was being torn apart.

The bedroom door opens and Yugyeom enters it, eyes downcast as he makes his way towards me, plopping himself onto the bed so he can nestle into Jackson oppa's other side.

"They're downstairs." He sighs.

They? Surely, he doesn't mean...them. Right?

And then JB oppa appears in the doorway, eyes tired and face wan as he looks at me.

He manages a weak smile.

"You up kitten? The guys are downstairs and they're not leaving. They said they want to meet you." he adds, face twisting into a pained grimace as he hears my thoughts.

Hears the same thoughts as I mentally unfolded my hurt, makes his eyes harden slightly.

"You don't have to kitten. You don't have to do anything you don't want." He promises, coming closer and closer until he's hovering over the bed, arms open for me to step into.

I eagerly move into his embrace, allow myself to melt against him, to breathe in his familiar scent and allow myself to be held. To be cradled close.

And to press my stinging eyes against the soft fabric of his jumper, to will myself to calm down and breathe properly.

"I know it hurts kit. I know. But you'll hurt more if you let this stay undealt with." He urges, hand coming up to card through my hair.

And even though it hurts. Even though I don't feel strong enough. I face them. Because the last thing I want is for our bond to be affected.

----

But when I step into the living room and the seven of them stare at me, with such open and raw expressions of vulnerability, eyes red-rimmed and tear-stained cheeks. I break.

Can't stop the tears that course down my cheeks or the whimper that leaves my throat.

They move, shifting towards me. Breaking the distance between us, feet hastening close, arms outstretched to soothe, to comfort. But they freeze. As though unaware of whether they still hold that right.

But then Jimin rushes forward, the spell is broken- moving out of the statue state as he throws his arms around me, desperately wounding themselves around my torso as he holds me close, as he hugs me. I can feel hot tears soak the skin of my neck, can feel them press wetly against my skin, even hear the apologies that constantly bubble out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Forgive me." He repeats like a mantra, shaking slightly as he cries.

The pain and hurt in his voice mirrors the pain and hurt in me, makes me cry more, even as I duck my head against his shoulders to hide them, to shield myself from the hurt broken expressions on their faces.

I can feel myself trembling, leaning towards him desperately, soul starved for them, for him. for the comfort it brings even as my heart cries tears of blood.

"Don't leave me." I breathe into his shoulder, a plea that comes spilling out after the thoughts from yesterday.

And those three words propels the others close, I feel myself getting cocooned from every angle under the warmth and solid presences of my soulmates.

"Never. Please don't leave us either. Ever." Kookie's voice says, steeped in sorrow and fear.

I allow myself to be held. To feel like I belong. And silently I allow my heart to seal itself, to heal from the balm that only they can provide.

They make it better.

-----

The guilt from them doesn't fade for a long, long while.

Guilty sad glances in moments of silence in the days that come, a sobriety when they see the mess my face has become from crying for hours. The never-ending sorrow and hurt that fills the bond when they hear that I didn't eat, waited for them, and couldn't bring myself to eat even after coming here. The silent apologies brushed across my skin when they kiss me, the silent plea to keep me close when they wrap their arms around me, hands entangling in my hair.

The way their faces fall when my friends turn up bearing gifts and their own expression is clouded with disappointment for themselves.

But when they bring out their own gifts, it's with burdened hearts. Gifts they'd brought before my birthday, intended for that date but one that had slipped from their minds.

I see the way their eyes linger every time longer than usual, see the plagued thoughts in their eyes. The way they can't bring themselves to sleep apart from each other and me- all of us making our way to the shared bedroom without fail, night after night. The small gestures of love and intimacy brushing away the hurt, the memory of it all. The hands that intertwine with me as I sit, the head that rests on my shoulder, the gentle hand that guides my head down to rest on their chest, the small kisses- shy and tentative, almost wary of wanting more, maintaining the chastity of the gesture until I lean in, deepening it, coaxing out the usual passion and fervour in their actions.

And a week later when I lie facing Jinnie oppa in bed, our bodies curved towards each other, his hands a strong solid weight on the base of my back, I reach out to brush a strand of hair away from his eyes, fingers lingering as they brush across his face, trace out and map his features with a slow languid pace.

And then finally reach his lips, press against them- feel the plushness of his lips against my light touch.

"Don't burden your heart oppa. Let it feel fully." I say, urging him to banish and abandon all those feelings.

Because even though they missed my birthday, they made up for it with memories infinitely more precious, cherished and held close. Memories of healing, of learning to overcome hurt together.

Because that's what soulmates were for. Not just to experience happiness with. But also sorrow, and to emerge stronger from them. To emerge more closer than before.

(THERE YOU GO! I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SATISFACTORY BUT I COULDN'T HAVE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER STRAIGHT AWAY- THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS. HEALING IS A GRADUAL PROCESS NOT RAPID. HOW DID YOU FIND IT? I FOUND MY OWN HEART ACHING FOR THEM AS I WROTE. REALLY TORE AT ME. BUT OOF! AN ANGSTY PROMPT DONE! HOPEFULLY THE NEXT ONE IS FAR HAPPIER! SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE AND STAY SAFE LOVELIES!)

QUESTION...ONE OF THE SADDEST MOMENTS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED?

Mine was...once my parents had a very tiny tiny tiff but my dad was flying out that day. And my mum felt so bad- and then couldn't contact him because he was on the plane, and she cried that she couldn't make amends before he went on a long journey- that she didn't know how we was, couldn't contact him until a few hours after he'd landed. So more than half a day later. It made me feel really sad. But it was sweet hearing them make up too. Even though the argument had in reality been very very minor and on something silly.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3