I promised a recap I know but fuck I'm so lazy!!
(Chae's parents find out about her and kook. They point out the fact that his tattoo isn't glowing while Jungkook claims her to be his mate. They give the couple some time to sort their shit out.
Next day, Chae's cousins come over and one of them, Mina - turns out to be Jimin's mate. Chae talks about her tattoo not glowing to Taehyung who seems equally confused and taken aback).

--

It was routine. I'd been ignoring Kook for the past few days, for no solid reason.

Spending my time with Mina, I helped her family move into their new home a few kilometers from ours. She couldn't be any happier. She had found her mate and the distance between them had been obliterated as they'd now be living in the same city. She could see him anytime she wanted and it was all good going.

Kook on the other hand, had tried to contact me to the best of his abilities. He even came over to our place only to get glared at by mum, who thought he lied about the whole 'you're my mate' thing.

I wouldn't blame her though. I was her only daughter and its natural motherly instinct that she'd want to protect me from something that'd bring me trouble and grief.

I pretended to be okay with everything that was happening, but on the inside I missed him. I knew he wouldn't lie about anything, he just wasnt the type of a person to keep secrets and dish out lies in its place. He wouldn't do it. I knew it and I repeated it over and over to myself, as if trying to write it into my brain with inerasable ink.

As much as I didn't want to sit face to face with Jungkook, I was now...at his apartment, just him and I. And oh, who was to blame? Kim Taehyung, of course!

"How about you come over to Kookie's place? We're all here and I promise I'll help you guys sort things out. It probably is not a big issue.." Was what he had mumbled on the phone, which had me walk all the way to Jungkook's place, only to find out that, one..Taehyung lied and the boy here had no idea I was coming. Two, nobody else were home except him. And three, the poor thing was taking a shower and his hair stuck out in all the directions, lips a dark shade of pink and a light blush coating his face because of all the hot water that he'd just poured onto himself.

"Umm..I heard Jimin's mate is your cousin?" he asked awkwardly, shifting in his seat.

I smiled at how he tossed the honorifics aside and straight out called his hyung by his name.

"Yeah" I nodded, "I was there when it happened".

"Hmm "

And there it was, the silence, thick and awkward all over again. He tapped his feet against the carpet to a rhythm of his own, eyes fixed on the ground refusing  to look up.

"I'm here to talk about us" I sighed.

His head shot up. He sat up straight before nodding quickly and crossing his arms.

As I was seated on a couch right opposite to his, I had a clear view of his whole form and an added advantage was that he couldn't just bring me into a warm hug and get me to melt into him and forget the things that I had to say, things I'd rehearsed on my way to his place.

"Are your cousins still home?" He questioned.

I shook my head.

We were getting off topic and I couldn't do much other than repeat that I was there to talk about 'us'.

"And about my tattoo not glowing.." He started.

"Um?"

"I did some research. Couldn't find an explanation, I don't know what's wrong"

"Does it matter?" I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Does it have to glow?" I bit my lip.

"That's how you know you've met your mate. It has to gl-"

"Jungkook-" I cut him short, "humans fall in love and there's nothing  that glows. My parents love each other and there's no tattoo involved. "

"What're you trying to say?" He carded his fingers through his hair, pushing it back, away from his forehead, eyes not leaving mine.

"All I'm trying to say is, I'm human. Your tattoo glows or not, makes no difference to me. All that matters is 'you'. Love isn't a feeling, it's a choice and I want to know if you're willing to choose me".

"Willing to choose you?" He snapped, "I don't get to choose Chae! None of us do! It's all pre-"

"no" my voice was much quieter, "Did you not choose me then?"

" I-I did" he stuttered, unsure of himself.

"You told me I was your mate.." I tried  so hard not to break down and cry. I shouldn't. I wanted to deal with it like a woman and get it over with, whatever the outcome would be.

"You are my mate!"

"How am I your  mate if that thing doesn't glow?" It was my turn to yell at him.

"I don't know-"

"What if you meet someone else and it glows? What about me then?" My hands were balled into fists, anger pouring out in the form of words.

Jungkook fell silent. His eyes leaving my form to trail down and fix on something on the floor.

He let out a sigh before speaking again.

"It won't. You have no idea how I felt when I woke up that day, with you in my arms. I've never felt that way before and I know I never will. I feel it every single time you're around, I feel it when I enter your room even when you're not in it. I feel it when I look through your pictures on my phone, I feel it when the boys take your name to tease me. I feel it all the time and I feel it only for you, belive me".

"I'm scared " I confessed immediately.

"Why?"

"If I'm not your mate, then someone else is. You just don't know them-"

"You are my mate!" He stressed on his words, frustration coming  through.

"Alright " I looked away. I had nothing else to ask or say. I had no idea how to convince my parents about this. Hell, I wasn't convinced myself. But they wouldn't trust him. Why? Because they wouldn't want me hurt.

"Oi" Kook broke the silence, making me look up at him.

"Why're you sitting so far away?" He raised his brows.

"Huh?" I glanced at the distance between us, a brownish red carpet on the floor covering the smooth tiles underneath and a glass table at the center, separating us.

He sighed before stretching his arms out, as if it was a small invitation. Something he often did. Something he very well knew would have me melt in his arms.

I shook my head, a tiny smile creeping onto my face as I closed the gap. Walking over, I threw my legs on either side of his lap, straddling him before settling down on his thighs.

"I want you to trust me" he mumbled, his eyes looking up at mine, full of loyalty and promise.

I nodded meekly, leaning in to press my lips against his forehead.

"We'll figure this out, right?" I questioned.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, warmth spreading through in seconds, his slightly damp hair pressing against the side of my neck as I rested my head against his shoulder, "Yes, we will" he assured.

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How have y'all been??