TAE POV:

I finish wrapping the gift to peer at it with a critical eye, to see if the wrapping paper and ribbon match, if it looks good.

"Tae-ah, she'll love it." Joon hyung murmurs from beside me, having offered to help but had been affectionately banished by Yoongi hyung when his scissor wielding had almost gotten him to accidentally cut himself..

"You really think so? She won't think it's weird...?" I ask tentatively.

Joon hyung is smiling when he shakes his head, fingers tapping against the book.

It's a notebook, the pages filled with his beautiful handwriting and when I really focus on the words, I startle when I see (Y/N)'s name on them.

"Are you writing her something?" I ask curiously leaning over his shoulder to read them, taken aback when he jerks his head and the book gets abruptly shut.

The movement making Yoongi hyung and Hobi hyung turn from where they'd been watching a show to peer with curiosity.

I grin.

"A love letter hyung? Aren't you a romantic?" I tease making a swipe for the book he clutches tightly, not expecting him to jerk his hand back with a look of seriousness on his face.

"It's not a love letter Tae...though that's a good call. It's something else. Something I'm working on with Habaek." He confesses, eyes filled with meaningful depth, flickering as they glance at the book, fingers reflexively tightening around it.

"Working on something with Habaek...about (Y/N)?" I ask, slightly confused. But an inkling of understanding beginning to seep in, slowly filtering in alongside hope, pride.

He nods.

I can feel the attention of the other two hyungs, show completely abandoned as they read the situation, read the meaning behind Joon hyung's words.

"You're helping her aren't you? With Habaek...to help her through her trauma." Hobi hyung says, voice soft and low.

"I am." Joon hyung answers easily.

"All this reading, researching. All those notes and stressful late-night ramblings. It's because of (Y/N), because you don't want her hurting." Yoongi hyung says matte-of-factly but there's fierce pride and love that shines in his eyes.

Even as Namjoon hyung shakes his head.

"Not because of her, but for her." Joon hyung says softly.

I nudge my shoulder with his, looking at him fondly. Namjoon hyung is so fiercely protective and tender hearted and even though he's not broadcasting it, even if he's not saying it, I know just how much he's worried for her, so fiercely dedicated to researching because he wants her to hurt as little as possible. If he could somehow miraculously take her hurts away, if any of us could, then we'd do it in a heartbeat. We'd do it time and time again. So she wouldn't be hesitant about speaking. So she wouldn't be hesitant in revealing those parts of herself.

Essentially I knew time was what she needed. But it didn't mean I was happy about it.

"You met her today didn't you? How did the date go? Still can't believe you wouldn't let it become a three-way date, you never spoil me anymore." I lament aloud, leaning more heavily into his side and huffing dejectedly.

Namjoon hyung laughs, lightly digging his elbow in to try and get me to dislodge.

"You went on a date with the hyungs just two days ago!" he retorts.

And though something playful sparks in his eyes, incredulous fondness and disbelief, something else in them too as his hand draws the book close.

Then sighs, drooping as if an inner weight bores down on his shoulders and back.

"What's wrong Joon-ah?" Hobi hyung asks, sliding off the couch to move close to the two of us, hand loosely wrapped around his wrist, thumb rubbing back and forth over the inner skin.

"I feel...I feel positive whenever it comes to helping (Y/N). Even if that's just talking, or whether Habaek and I are finding ways for her to unburden herself. But..." he hesitates, looking torn and vulnerable.

It makes my heart ache to see Joon hyung look so lost and confused. So out of his depth.

And lean in close to him.

"But?" Yoongi hyung prods, getting up to join us, thumb rubbing at Joon hyung's furrowed brows, trying to soothe and ease away the worries and discomfort.

"But it feels like I'm not doing enough. It feels like what I'm trying to do is barely even scratching the surface. Somehow it doesn't feel like her trauma is just associated with the loss of her family. There's so many gaps but I could never ever force her to tell me when she has every right to her hurts and to keep them private." Joon hyung says, voice heavy with both guilt and worry, looking torn.

Because he doesn't want to pry and push. But for her to heal she needs to overcome her trauma, her pains. And that means eventually she'll have to confront those demons, have to face them.

But she wouldn't be alone, she wouldn't be suffering and hurting alone. She had us.

And as my eyes drift back to the wrapped gift, I know that this is the very least.

The biggest gift we can hope to give her, that we'll aim to give her is to live again. To live freely and boldly and beautifully. To let her know that nothing is holding her back from doing and living how she wants.

But more than a gift that is a right.

"What we're seeing is definitely only the bare surface. She's not dealing with pains of her memories and heart. She's dealing with a broken soul, trying to endure it and survive." Yoongi hyung agrees, a look of remembrance flashing across his features.

Thinking maybe about the day at the Magic Shop where she'd left from, leaving behind a slightly troubled Yoongi hyung who wouldn't divulge anything, not when he wasn't sure if she'd be comfortable with him telling us.

Joon hyung looks slightly troubled as he nods, leaning into Hobi hyung's touch, his fingers still brushing against Joon hyung's wrist, even as his body curves towards me, head resting on mine.

"I want her to just be happy. And I want to be one of the people that become that reason for her." I confess, smiling when Joon hyung tilts his head up to smile at me, eyes soft and tender.

My eyes dart to his lips, leaning in to press our mouths together in a soft, slow kiss, lips moving languidly against each other and when my tongue flicks out across his bottom lip, I register the faintest sweetness from them, a bare, ever so light glossy stickiness that tugs me closer, makes me swipe my tongue more firmly across his lips to taste the fruitiness of them.

And then lean back, slightly confused.

"Hyung you don't wear flavoured gloss right?" I ask aloud, even if I know him well enough. Even if he never has before.

He barely gives the tiniest shake before I'm pressing our lips together, firmer and harder, teeth drawing his bottom lip in to suck, that faint echo of sweet fruitiness once more, tongue licking into his mouth. And then it clicks. An instant of connection. That has me drawing my mouth away with a smile.

"You kissed (Y/N)." I state.

And watch as Joon hyung's eyes widen, a flash of surprise. And his subconscious tell of where his shoulders bunch and loosen, chin jutting out slightly, defensive and guilty all in one.

"Where's the proof?" he asks, even as Hobi hyung gives a delighted laugh.

I tilt my head to his lips.

"Surely I'm not the only one who could taste and tell. (Y/N) wears fruity gloss. She always does." I remark with a grin spreading across my lips.

And then Hobi hyung is turning Joon hyung's mouth towards his, diving in for a taste too and humming happily when he discovers the faintest trace of her gloss.

It hadn't been too long after all, since Joon hyung had returned home.

"You're right Tae. Just seems like our Joonie doesn't kiss and tell. What a gentleman...no what a sweet baby." Hobi hyung croons, eyes flashing with want as he grips the back of Joon hyung's neck to draw him closer again.

I feel desire pool in me as I watch the two of them, watch as Joon hyung's hand goes slack around the notebook and goes to grip at Hobi hyung.

And watch as Yoongi hyung picks the notebook up, not opening it, just holding it and staring at it with some immeasurable depth, a deep look of thoughtfulness his eyes.

"Come on hyung, feed me." I say, reaching out to poke him with my foot, watching as his other hand immediately comes down to whack it, expression turning amused as he meets my eyes.

"Is that a demand Tae-ah?" he asks.

I shake my head quickly.

"I trust your unwavering love for me. You're not a traitor like Joon hyung. You won't desert and abandon my needs." I say, pouting my lips to pucker them, sighing when he leans in to brush a kiss across them.

"Of course I'm not. Jin hyung is the traitor too. Off to bake with our girl." He whispers as he stands, laughing as he leaves to the sounds of Joon hyung's affronted protests, Hobi hyung's laughter and my protests that my boyfriends were stealing (Y/N) away and not even letting me know until it was too late.

And as I head into the kitchen after setting her gift aside, Tannie's barks and Yoongi's soft laughs and complaints filter in from swollen lips, watching as the small fluff ball tugs at Yoongi hyung's trouser leg, standing up on his back paws to try reach upwards to the smell of meat.

"Come here Tannie. Let hyung cook!" I laugh, diving in to swipe at him, bringing him close to my chest.

I lean over hyung's shoulder.

"What's on the menu for tonight?" I ask, peering over and kissing his shoulder.

He pushes his hips back as a way to dislodge me from his back but I lean in closer.

"Apart from Jin hyung's desserts and Joon I was thinking of spaghetti." He says with a laugh, lips curved up in a small smirk at the way Hobi hyung and I had been all over Joon hyung earlier on. Had been intent on stealing that lingering sweetness from his lips.

I peck his cheek.

"Thanks hyung! I'll go round up the others. Pretty sure Jiminie was dragging away Kookie for a 'talk' last I heard." I say with a smile, turning to leave the kitchen and head upstairs to find the other two.

Tannie barks in agreement.

Tail wagging in assent as I walk up the stairs.

But the 'talk' I'd imagined had involved far more hands and giggles than this. This seriously focused sight of heads bent towards a screen, pouring over something.

And when I peer at the screen, the sight of an old black and white dance performance that the two of them are watching, sharing a pair of earbuds between them.

I let Tannie scamper out of my arms as I set him down, his fluffy sudden attack on them drawing them out their focus.

"What are you watching?" I ask.

Kookie grins up at me.

"Jiminie hyung wanted to watch old performances to prepare for his duet with (Y/N)." he says, grinning at the two of us.

Jiminie flushes.

Such a sweetheart. He wanted to prepare for his first duet dance session with her. To be as prepared as he could. Endearingly he looked nervous at the prospect. Giddy excitement melting away to tentative shyness, wondering quietly if he'd be good enough as a partner.

I knew he would.

I knew that (Y/N) and him would make the most stunning duet.

And I for one couldn't wait to go their performance.

Couldn't wait to see what they created.

And from the looks of it, it's an old song they're using.

All I know is that their version will both remake and rewrite the history of the dance.

And I'll be cheering them on loudly from the crowds.

My dancing darlings.

JIN POV:

I swipe some of the mix from (Y/N)'s bowl to taste, eyes widening at the taste. How did it taste so good and it was yet to be finished, yet to be made. I watch her spin around, as if instinctively alerted to my theft, brows rising before she's gently batting my hand away.

"I know stealing and eating it raw is best. But that only applies for cake mix and cookie dough!" she says then glancing at the bowl.

"Not for crème caramel I'm sure! It's meant to be baked with the water basin first!" she says.

I shrug.

"Tastes good. And seeing as I can't taste what I really want...this'll have to make do." I say with a sigh, watching as she distractedly fusses over the oven and levelling out her tin.

"What did you really want to taste?" she asks, head still bent over her tin.

I wait for her to turn, to peer at me with curiosity when my eyes flick to her lips, the distracting rosy shade that whenever she talked, whenever her tongue unconsciously darted out to flick across them, when she bit her bottom lip in thought I found it harder and harder to focus, had her hand darting out to stop me from adding in the wrong ingredients.

And at my silence she pauses, cocks her head.

"Are you okay Jin? You've been off all lesson." Turning fully to give me her attention, silently examining me.

I nod, leaning close, stepping forward a few steps to get nearer, eyes darting around the class before leaning in for a quick peck, lips meeting her soft warmth before moving away.

"This." I reply softly.

And watch as comprehension quickly dawns and her hand pushes me away, cheeks warm.

"Jin!" she whisper yells but she's smiling as she turns away, my hands sliding around her waist as I hover over her.

"Yes flower?" I ask.

She sighs but I can hear the amusement in her breath.

"Hands away. You're not meant to be distracting me!" she playfully bites out, moving out of reach with her tin safely encased in mitten clad hands as she moves to put it into the oven.

The sight of it snapping me out of that longing to quickly tug on my own oven gloves and take the tin from her.

"That's my role in this kitchen partner. Now shuffle aside and let me." I say with a nudge to her hip, gently moving her aside as I open the oven, carefully putting my tin in and then taking hers from her hands.

"If your hands even accidentally get burnt or hurt in the slightest I won't hear the end of it from the others. Or myself. Not when you're Jiminie's special pink-mittens saviour." I say with a smile, turning around after shutting the oven door to find her looking right back at me, eyes soft and full of that same depth of swirling emotion that I'd seen that night when she'd woken, with memories clinging to her and eyes distraught and haunted.

It's as we're clearing away the rest of the ingredients, sorting them away that she speaks. As if broken out of thought, as if wanting to break the comfortable silence with her words as she turns to face me.

"You remind me a lot of them. My parents." (Y/N) clarifies when I turn to face her, tugging the rubber gloves off, her hand clutching the tea towel as she mindlessly dries.

Her parents.

"How so?" I ask.

She gives a small smile as she raises her head.

"My dad always used to bake, my mum was the clumsy one in the kitchen. But even so she'd always take the oven gloves to put the things in, always said she had to protect his talented hands." she says softly, eyes unwavering as they hold mine, lips quirked with fondness and nostalgia.

"Namjoon would've gotten along well with her." she adds, voice slightly teasing.

Two clumsy ones in the kitchen.

"And your dad? Who would he have gotten along with?" I ask.

She doesn't hesitate as she tilts her head forward.

"You. He was also making jokes and puns. But he would've liked you all. Both my parents would've." She admits.

I lean over to take the tea towel, though her grip doesn't ease up around it, causing her to stumble forward with it, my hand going to steady her.

"What else? What were they like?" I ask.

For a moment I wonder if she wants to share but she smiles, a dazzling bright smile, as she looks at me.

"They had this way of distracting Hyun Joonie. He was a very clingy little brother." She adds.

Little brother.

"How old was he?" I ask.

The timer goes off. Sudden, loud and jilting us out of our comfortable haze, bodies tilted close. It makes me yearn and long for her warmth when she leans back, my eyes going to glance morosely at the timer for disturbing our conversation.

She leans away and moves to grab the oven gloves out of habit, just as I reach for mine and gently bat her hands away.

And I'm getting the basin of water out, the heat seeping through the gloves when she speaks.

"Seven. Hyun Joonie was seven when he was taken from me." voice pained and aching and raw with agony.

I jolt, not expecting her to answer given the way she'd gone quiet, not expecting for him to have been so young, to have been ripped away from the chance of living. To not have truly begun to live at all.

And the basin goes sliding out of slack hands, hot boiling water sloshing out and soaking into the gloves as it goes crashing onto the floor, angry hot splashes that hit the skin of my calves. The sound of (Y/N)'s alarmed call filtering through the numbness.

So young. So little.

And register the hot water burning my skin a tad bit slowly, eyes going to see (Y/N) kneeling and carefully moving the now near-empty basin to the side before getting up.

"Jin your poor legs! I should've...I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry." She says, plaintive distress in her voice, heavy with remorse and guilt as she begins to lead me away, gently nudging me to sit into one of the chairs.

But before she can leave.

Before she can walk away, my hand darts out for her wrist.

Feeling my throat clog up with agony for her.

"I'm sorry that you lost him so young. Sorry that your family was taken from you." I say, voice slightly hoarse.

She shakes her head softly. A small reassuring sad smile curving her lips.

"Don't be sorry for something you can't control. Me being sorry is enough." She says, leaving to get the first aid kit.

And it's when she's insistently treating the light burns on my calves, do I run her words through my head.

And come to the heart-wrenching realisation that she was sorry over losing them. That whilst I didn't know how long it had been since she'd lost them, she was harbouring guilt and remorse.

Survivor's guilt.

For being the only one from her family to survive.

And in that instant I wanted to hold her close and hide her from the world more than ever.

------

"I'm sorry again Jin. Maybe mid-baking isn't the best time to talk about my past." (Y/N) apologises once more as she pulls up into the driveway.

I sigh.

"(Y/N) that was my carelessness. You can talk to us about anything at any time. There is no bad time when it comes to you." I say, leaning over to draw her hand off the steering wheel and into my own, squeezing.

She squeezes back, eyes moving to me.

"I might hold you to that." She finally speaks, face soft and gentle.

I nod quickly.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I ask hopefully.

And though she seems to be excited at the prospect, there's a rueful smile on her face.

"I'm having dinner with Habaek oppa." And speaks with fondness, the mere mention of his name bringing an unconscious smile to her lips and deep emotion to her eyes.

Whatever they shared, whatever history they had was priceless and immeasurable.

I was glad she had someone like that.

"Ahhhh...Tae will whine." I sigh even as I unbuckle the seatbelt.

"You know there was something else my mum did everytime my dad used to bake for her. Something I've wanted to do for a long time." she adds.

I tilt my head.

"And what's that?" I ask.

"This." She whispers, echoing me from earlier before her lips come to meet mine, the distracting sweet fruitiness of her gloss making me lean in further, lean in to kiss back, lips moving against hers, slow and deep as I move to cup her face, to draw her closer, the closeness between us somehow not close enough, even as she curves close, even as the feel of her hand reaching for me, resting on my shoulder has my heartbeat accelerating.

We sit there, lost in each other, curved close, lips slowly moving over each other, stolen shared breaths when our mouths part only to be drawn close to each other again, magnetically tugged towards her, stealing the sweetness from her lips, cradling her face close to me.

And when we part, when our heads press together, breaths deep and shared, eyes meeting each other's I know. That every moment is like making up for lost time, for the time we never knew her, for the time we took in processing our feelings.

Because each feeling feels electric, each touch, each moment together feels so intense, so much more than the last, as if now that we don't have to hold back our feelings constantly bubble over, constantly build and climb unrestrainedly higher and higher. Each moment becomes so intensely beautiful.

And that I won't ever tire from this. This breathlessness, the pounding of my heart, the warmth that seeps into my bones and settles in my soul.

Nor from the sight of her, so sweetly dazed, lips reddened and staring back at me with the same burning intensity. I wouldn't ever get enough.

(THERE WE GO! I AM SO, SO SORRY IT TOOK A BIT LONGER THAN USUAL TO GET MY REGULAR UPDATE OUT BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO FORCE IT OUT AT ALL, SO JINNE CAME IN AND SWOOPED AWAY BABY SIREN AS WELL AS GETTING A LOT OF IDEAS AND HINTS OF HER PAST, THE BOYS BEGINNING TO MAKE CONNECTIONS ABOUT HER TRAUMA! AS ALWAYS...SS IS A VERY SENSITIVE BABY OF MINE SO I'M NOT TOO SURE ABOUT HOW CERTAIN CHAPTERS ARE TO BE READ, SO DO LET ME KNOW IF IT FLOWED WELL AS WELL AS YOUR THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS! NOW THAT WE'VE GOT A BIT OF HURTY STUFF OUT THE WAY, ONWARDS TO FLUFF AND DANCE PARTNERS! AND KEEP THE GUESSES COMING FOR WHAT SONG IT IS THEY'LL BE DANCING TO! I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS ENJOYABLE! TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE LOVES!)

QUESTION...SOMETHING THAT'S MADE YOU HAPPY AND SOMETHING THAT'S MADE YOU SAD RECENTLY?

Mine is...happy wise- now that exams are over I'm finding myself with so much time for me, to write and I'm happy because of that! Not to mention it gives me plenty time to chat away! Something sad recently is...wondering what sort of person I am, that to some people I might not be a good person in their life, that I might be letting them down, failing them in some way. And it makes me sad, because I want to be the best person for them but also for me too.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3