JIN POV:

(Y/N) pauses, eyes going wide and lips parting as she looks down at the sight that Hobi gestures to, stunned and shocked into a silence that has no cute, surprised gasps or a delighted giggle like I'd been yearning to hear. But she's equally endearing like this, silently awed and unable to wrench her eyes away from the sight.

It looks like our thoughts, careful planning and sincerity can be felt and I can see the silent giddiness in everyone's expressions, in the way everyone seems to be communicating by telepathy- connected by minds and hearts that all whisper the same thing, all breathe with relief that she liked it, that our first date seems to have started off on a good positive note.

"Do you like it that much? Did we steal your breath away cutie?" Hobi asks, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to give her a hug, seeming delighted by her stunned expression, as if it surpasses his personal expectations regarding her reaction.

Tae and Kookie lean in close, eyes sparkling with joy as they each take a hand, tugging her alongside them as they begin the descent down the slightly rocky path, their usual boisterousness of chasing after each other vanishing and whilst they'd have usually raced each other to the shore- they take careful care, eyes flitting constantly to her to make sure she's not wobbling or struggling, keeping an eye out for her.

Hobi doesn't mind that he didn't get an answer, already leading the way behind the maknaes with a bright expression, snagging Yoongi's hand in his.

The weather is perfect, warmer than it had been these past few weeks, a mixture of sunshine, clouds and a gentle breeze.

As if the universe was working in cahoots with us, the weather trying to be the best it could be so that she'd remember this date, so it would be memorable for her.

It was exciting and nervous to get to the point of leading upto this moment, of walking down the path to get to the beach because it seemed like it had been so long, so long since I'd planned a date to such fine detail, so long since I'd felt so out of my depth, of traversing foreign waters. 

But it was also equally as meaningful and special. As if I was learning all over again the magic and sweet novelty of falling for someone, of wanting to go and above and beyond for them, of wanting to coax out the happiest reactions and expressions from them.

And somehow (Y/N) had become that person. The person who lingered in my mind, who crept into thought when we were all together. Who seemed so naturally and easily to slot herself into my mind and heart, making a place long before I'd consciously accepted it, because maybe a part of me had always known those feelings of wanting to spend time with her, of being near with her was beyond platonic friendliness. I hadn't felt such an attachment to a friend ever and when I'd compared how similar the feelings for her were to the feelings I had for the guys. And knew that my feelings were too far gone to hold back or try to reign in.

And seeing how she fit so easily between the two, the two of them chattering happily- heads curved towards her, eyes lingering on her I could see how much she meant to them too.

"Do you think she'll like what else we've got planned?" Jiminie asks, squeezing my hand to get my attention.

I pause as we step off onto soft sand.

"I hope so...is it too much to have planned a romantic lunch that we've all planned and cooked for on a boat? Is it too intense for a first date?" I suddenly ask, worried that we might come across as too strong, too forceful, too invested where she might not that deeply into this so early on.

But he shakes his head. Smiling as his eyes follow the others walking ahead, catching upto the maknaes.

"(Y/N)'s a soft soul, she'll love the thought behind it hyung. And all those hours you slaved away in the kitchen for before us even weren't for show, they were because you genuinely want her to enjoy every moment. Just like we all do." He says, shooting me a bright smile before he's tugging me alongside him to move quicker, complaining that everyone is already far ahead and near the boat.

Once we reach them, near the shore I smile as I take in their exhilarated faces, pausing when I take in the fact that (Y/N) still hasn't lost the wide-eyed look. If anything, her eyes have become even wider, and her lips are tightly pressed together, thinned and whitened with the force she's clamping them together with.

My eyes glance towards the boat, the water and her.

Is she afraid of boats? Does she get seasickness? Have a phobia of open water? 

Suddenly our plan, our carefully put together date seems like a massive gamble, a risk we'd taken because not for one moment in our shared excitement had we considered any of these things, had paused to wonder whether she even would like it.

I remember how it had been a sudden suggestion, recalled how we'd automatically made the connection with the water because Kookie had remarked how much she enjoyed swimming, how she seemed in her element.

So maybe it was something else?

But even as the others greet the small boat crew and get on board, I tug her free from the maknaes grip, holding her back and towards me as the others file on- Yoongi shoots me a glance, a knowing glint in his eyes and he ushers the others further on, giving a small nod and an unveiled look of concern towards her.

So I hadn't been the only one to notice.

"(Y/N) sweetheart. I need you to be honest. Do you not want to go on the boat? Because if that's the case for whatever reason then we stop this right here- no questions asked, no answers needed." I say to her, turning her to face me and gently tilting her chin up.

Her eyes flicker with a flurry of emotions and thoughts that pass by too quickly for me to grasp onto, to pluck out and examine.

Her eyes slowly meet mine, focusing on mine and yet despite all the uncertainty and worry I had, she quickly dismisses with a small shake of her head, turning to glance at the waters, body seeming to curve towards it, towards the boat where the others are waiting with small patient smiles.

But something doesn't feel right.

Feels instinctively wrong. Body going tight with the feeling that there's something glaringly obvious that I'm missing.

My eyes rove over her face slowly, trying to pick up on anything amiss, anything that shouldn't be there.

Her eyes are slightly shiny, cheeks rosy pink and when my hand brush across them, I take note that they don't seem warmer than the average temperature.

I can't see anything physically wrong.

"Is it the water? Do you not like open water? Maybe it's boats?" I try to guess, get nothing but blank confused looks from her.

As if I'm just listing random ideas.

She smiles at me, lips curved up in what I recognise immediately as her amused expression she sports when I tell jokes or make hilariously brilliant puns.

The sight of it makes the worry unravel, concerns dissipate.

She reaches out for my hand, carefully brushing against my fingers as if for silent permission, testing the waters before she slides her hand into mine, lacing them together and giving a small squeeze.

Roles somehow reversed.

And she's the one who leads me onto the boat, with a reassuring smile.

As if everything is fine. Everything will be fine.

And that I'm just worrying for no reason.

But I trust her, trust that happy sweet smile and those telling eyes and get onto the boat.

----

"Look at the sea, look at the sun reflecting onto it." Tae says, beaming as he tugs Jimin alongside with him, ushering the youngest two ahead of him to reach the helm of the boat, peering with fascination at the sparkling water, at nature's bright hues of blue, vibrant and welcoming and gently lapping against the boat.

Joon is leaning against the railings, peering at the water to try and spot any of the sea life, eyes wide and so endearingly wide as they remained trained on the surface as if somehow if he blinks he'll miss the sight.

"Hobi, how are you holding up baby?" I ask, wrapping my arms around him as he sits beside Yoongi, head resting against his shoulder.

But he shoots me a reassuring bright smile.

"Those seasickness pills really work a treat. I'm not feeling the slight bit nauseous. It's just my darling older hyung seemed content to listen to music and look out to sea so here we are." He beams, gesturing to the earphones shared between to the two of them and their hands resting intertwined between their laps.

"Glad to hear that. What about this hyung?" I ask, pointing to myself and leaning down to steal a kiss from his lips which part to answer, tongue brushing teasingly against his before retreating, laughing at his startled expression.

The crew staff approaches to let me know that they've set up the food in the downstairs dining area, that they're on standby for serving and for dessert too.

I smile, thanking him before rounding up the group, snagging (Y/N)'s hand, Joon taking her other side as we lead her down between us to the downstairs level, my eyes roving with satisfaction over the darker ambience, soft glowing rays casting light on the large circular table.

Her eyes seem to flit from one place to another, taking in all the small details and it's so beautiful to see the blue waters of the sea lap at the circle windows, filling our vision with the blue light that seems to pour in.

She tenses up slightly, almost trance-like as she walks over to the window, hand pressed flat against it- against the blue of the water, seeming to both relax and slump at the sight, leaning forward to peer outwards with interest- Joon beside her, making a quip about fantastical water creatures and the cutest sea life to discover.

She smiles, nodding along with his words, signing back to him- their communication having grown increasingly effortless over the weeks, silently conversing.

"Tell me too. Over lunch, about all the mysteries of the deep blue sea. And Joonie can translate." Yoongi says, drawing her back with him, sitting in the seat beside her.

He's laughing as the others scrabble for the other seat beside her, dejected drooping figures settling next to each other.

And the way everyone seems to shift and turn towards her, bodies gravitating to face her better and staring at her with shining eyes makes me smile at how our hearts have expanded to make place for a seventh figure in them.

And the way she seems to both become shy and flustered under the combined attention of all of us, clutching at the edge of the table with pinkening cheeks and glassy eyes makes me believe that somewhere in her heart, we've made our place too.

(Y/N) POV:

Each second is agony. I stepped onto the boat with bated breath, waiting for the Ocean's call to tug me away, to have me lured into Her deep watery depth but it doesn't come. And mercifully I allow myself to relax the slightest, to enjoy the feeling of the cool breeze kissing my skin, and the feeling of their hands in mine, of their excitement to rouse up my own.

Because if I took away the silent omnipresent threat of the Ocean, then it really was a perfect date, of chatter, laughter and lingering moments of longing glances and bodies brushing past each other, of being held, and of words brushed across the delicate shell of my ear- making it hard to bite back every shiver. Their presences served as a distraction from the rolling churning movements of my stomach- feeling nausea well up with every glance to her deceptively serene waters, almost lapping against the boat with taunting small waves, as if a warning, a soft call before hell was unleashed, before the full torrent storm broke out.

Every moment of silence, of being alone to my thoughts I pleaded to the Ocean, pleaded for Her to wait until this was all over, that She wouldn't ruin this moment of delicate beauty, of happiness for me.

I knew until my body made contact with Her waters She wouldn't be able to sense my presence, but it didn't stop the paranoia from creeping in, seeping through my body like a slowly activated poison- leaving a searing agony behind- a bubbling feeling of pain bursting sporadically in random parts of my body, making me fight the trembles, the shaking and the whimpers that begged to be released from the confines of my throat.

It felt like I was being pushed closer and closer to an abyss of blue waters so dark, so horrifying they lost colour, they became shadows that overtook and consumed the light and left me drowning in its inky watery prison.

I was on the edge of a cliff, freefalling and there was no rope, no harness, nothing to stop from the wind lashing my face and cutting into my skin, nothing to stop the way my eyes threatened to tear up, or the way my body stiffened- unable to fight or save myself and yet unwilling to crash with full force into Her vastness.

And the sight of her cerulean blue waters brushing against the windows, swishing against them was all a deception, because at the sight of them, with my hand against the window- the urge to get to those waters, to enter them became unbearably strong, body leaning close despite the small barrier that parted us.

And I wondered what would've happened had Yoongi not drawn me away, had not gently taken my hand and led me to the table.

But still Her presence flickered in my life, flickered like an ever-present looming figure over me, casting a shadow large enough that the light had begun to seep away. And right now Her presence loomed over the new light I had gained in my life, over the happiness I'd dared to dream for, long for.

It felt selfish to want happiness, want them especially when I was reaching the end of my service, and a bitter part of me wished that I had met them afterwards, because it was definite that She wouldn't have me bound to Her in the same way. But I still wanted it, wanted this with them. This newly forming dynamic and relationship, wanted the silly, the happy, the fun, the good and bad with them.

But being here on the boat made me feel shackled, made me feel trapped, made me feel caged, surrounded on every angle by Her, feeling constantly watched, scrutinised, observed. As if She was biding Her time and waiting for me.

And I hated how my skin crawled with the sensation, hated that no matter how much I relaxed I could still feel an anxious, restless buzzing under my skin.

"(Y/N) are you okay? You look a bit pale. Are you feeling sick?" Jimin asks, peering at me worriedly, a concerned frown on his face.

I dredge up a smile but it feels weak, wavery and shaky and his frown deepens.

He stands up, drawing me up with him and leads me out, turning over his shoulder to shoot a look to the group.

"You look all flushed. And you've been drifting in and out- are you sure you're okay?" he asks, once we're out of earshot, his hand a supportive grounding weight, the fresh salty breeze doing nothing to alleviate the throbbing ache and the painful realisation that there's no escaping the Ocean, that effectively I'm surrounded by all angles.

I nod, head drooping because I can't bear to look him in the eye, can't meet those sweet soft eyes and see how much I'm messing up our first date. And it all comes down to the person I am, to my identity, the fact that there is no escaping this.

His other arm comes to encircle me, drawing me in for a hug.

"Even if I don't think you're okay, I'll believe you. Though I can't help but feel something is bothering you, that you're not feeling your best. Did you get worse from that day at dance? Do you feel weak now?" he asks gently, not realising just how apt his words are.

Not knowing that on that day it hadn't been a headache, it had been the Ocean's call filling me, and neither did he know how excruciating it was getting, how much more the pain built up under my skin, pulled taut and pushing at that barrier but unable to burst through, unable to be expelled.

And even as I gratefully burrow and lean into his embrace, into that protection it brings, I feel naked and awfully vulnerable, exposed with my back towards the sea, with the blue waters that to my ears sound choppy and faster.

He leans back a while later, maybe moments, maybe minutes- but there's something infinitely soothing about his touch and he gives me a private tender smile as he peers at me, slowly unwinding his arms from around me, body craving that warmth that banished the internalised cold.

"Are you lovebirds done? Do we get a chance to steal (Y/N) away?"  Jungkook's voice comes filtering through the air, carrying with it his mischief and teasing intent and there's barely a moment's notice before I don't find myself tugged away but Jimin instead, the two playfully scuffling getting closer and closer to the helm, laughing as they grab at each other, bodies curving into each other with a natural magnetism.

But my heart is in my throat as I watch them get closer and closer to the edge, heart squeezing and breaths becoming laboured.

"Cut it out you two. You're too close to the edge." Yoongi's voice cuts through the panic, a mixture of loving concern but also mild scolding and reproach, the two looking chastised as they pause and make a noticeable distance gap between them and the edge.

Yoongi's voice comes and cuts through the thick suffocating fog of panic.

"(Y/N)- my pretty girl won't you come with me?" Tae asks, suddenly having snuck up behind me and surprised me with the arms that slide around my waist, tugging me into his frame, happily holding me, draped over me- a comfort solid presence that stops me from slipping away, from falling away from my grip on the present, on them.

I nod, turning to smile at him and surprised by a small light peck on my lips, stealing a quick brush of our lips and smiling as he moves back.

"These won't ever be shared with Tannie." He whispers conspiratorially, drawing out a smile from me, something he responds do with a charming boxy grin, looking delighted at the sight of it.

So when he begins walking with me, unwilling to separate from my back and with fondness pushing through my body and fighting away the pain, I smile and let him lead me, faltering when we get to the edge of the helm and he tugs me down, plopping down and bracketing my legs with his, his own swinging happily over the edge.

It makes me freeze, a petrifying moment of sheer fear that paralyses me as he laughs and tries to stretch his legs out further, trying to get closer to dip his feet in.

I don't realise I've tried to still him until he pauses, looking at where my hands are gripping his legs, tightly holding onto him and trying to prevent him somehow from doing that.

"What? I can't logically fall in, the barriers stop me." he points out, somehow astutely reading my fear and trying to console me.

But despite the rationality I can't ignore the fact that it's terrifying to see him so close to Her grip, knowing that the call is strong, knowing She's planned to gain energy from taking lives.

And I just can't bear the thought of any one of them even near Her.

Especially not when Her call is getting stronger and stronger and just the sight of the waters is enough to have me wanting to lean forward, having silently been beckoning me all day, luring me in, coaxing me to slide into them.

I shake my head furiously when he begins to swing his legs again, fingers scrabbling for tighter purchase, backing into him as if somehow I could morph through him, scurry back and at the same time as if me backing into him blocks him from the Ocean, blocks him from sight, from access.

"Hey it's okay. I'll stop. We'll move from here." He says, voice low and gentle, legs retreating from through the railings that he'd been dangling them, standing up and drawing me with him, face twisted in understanding as he pulls me away- guilt searing across his features.

I didn't want that. He shouldn't feel guilty.

But there's this restless clawing urge to get them out of here.

To move them away whilst I still can.

Because when I'd stood up I'd felt the most searing intense burn yet, bones groaning and shrieking in pain as molten poison coursed through my blood, made it burn and scorch me, igniting me from the inside and my legs had trembled and threatened to collapse, no longer holding the strength to keep me upright. And had it not been for Tae's arms around me I would've collapsed to the deck.

But then Tae moves back, head turning to call for one of the others, having sensed that something is wrong.

But then the sound of a splash comes, loud and sudden and grating- corrosive on my ears.

And I can't stop the pained cry that tears out of my throat at it, eyes desperately scanning for all of them, frantically searching for them- to try and locate all seven and when I do, my legs no longer have the strength to hold me up, buckling under the strain of the pressure and stress that keeps mounting higher and higher.

Tae startles, a surprised sound slipping out.

"(Y/N)..." he begins with urgency.

But I can't hear him. Can't hear him over the pounding sound of my heartbeat echoing in my ears or the rush of the waves hitting the boat, and the sweet predatory call of the Ocean beginning, taking over my body and asking me to slip into Her beckoning embrace.

"STOP IT. JUST STOP IT!" I scream, begging for relief, for respite, for everything to just stop and pause and for a moment for me to just try and breathe.

And the words spill out and my voice closes up, tears falling from my eyes as I clamp my hands over my ears, mind screaming for it all to just stop, for Her voice to be drowned out.

And when I scream I don't know who it's for. For the Ocean to hear. For the boys to stop getting close to Her. Or for me, for having been the force that brought the two together.

(THERE YOU GO! I WAS SUPER SCARED THIS CHAPTER WOULDN'T MAKE IT OUT TODAY BUT HERE IT IS! I HOPE YOU ALL THOROUGHLY ENJOY THIS ANGSTY CHAPTER, GOING FROM SWEET AND CONCERNED TO FULL ON PANICKY AND JUST SO, SO AWFULLY SCARED. AND I HATE, HATE HATE THAT THE SITUATION DROVE HER TO FINALLY SPEAK, TO BEG FOR IT TO STOP, FOR IT NOT TO HAPPEN AND OOF! I'M SCARED FOR WHAT'S TO COME. ONE THING I WILL SAY THOUGH IS THAT BE PREPARED, GET YOUR TISSUES READY IN THE TRUCKLOADS IF HOPEFULLY THE WRITING GOES WELL! I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR EVERYONE'S PLANS AS TO HOW AN OCEAN CAN BE MURDERED AND JUST ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS! TAKE CARE, STAY SAFE AND ENJOY!)

We find comfort in classics because they're safe, they're something we're used to.

We find relief in indulgence for the slighter extremes, for giving in to the temptations because it means that we've held back from something better.

We experiment with the extremes and the bolds because we like plunging in headfirst- for trying something new not knowing the outcome.

So treat life the same way, hold onto classics, have something that is an indulgence and occasionally dive headfirst and be adventurous!

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3