Yoongi returns to the small cabin after his walk. It cleared his mind a bit, he knew he has been an asshole towards Seokjin these past few days, heck he has been an ass for weeks now and if Namjoon is telling the truth then he needs to step up. He knocks on the door before Hoseok opens it with a curious look towards him. Of course, he knew him so well.
"Yoongi hyung, are you okay now after your walk?" the carrier hesitantly asked.
"Yes, thanks for asking. I have been rude towards your brother these days. Sorry, Hoba." He mutters in shame. He has been so self-centered, that he has thrown all the pain and hate towards Seokjin without thinking. That makes him so uneasy.
"I think that apology should be said towards somebody else hyung. I know you, I can understand what you're going through right now but please understand that my brother has no clue. You just got together, he doesn't know your mood swings or the way you do things. Please try to communicate with him, have more patience with him." Hoseok opens the door wider to let him in.
As Yoongi stepped inside he saw Seokjin munching on food catered to them by Namjoon's staff.
"Hey."
Seokjin looked up at him and nodded his head.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, I just went for a walk."
"It's alright... We are just starting to eat." Seokjin weakly said, startled by the fact that Yoongi seemed to be acting polite towards him all of a sudden.
Yoongi sat beside his carrier and looked at Namjoon who was looking back at them with raised eyebrows.
"Shut up." He hisses towards the taller man who puts up a finger towards him.
"Hey, we're in front of food you fools. Stop fighting." Hoseok yelled at them before grabbing a plate and starting to eat. Thank God for the family guards, Namjoon just called them and they bring food, lots of it.
"We're not fighting." Namjoon simply said as he grabbed a drink.
"You are also here, it means you will be going through that test too." Namjoon started.
"Yeah I heard, but I already know it's just some voodoo stuff. One of the shamans will probably perform a ritual to test our bonds." Yoongi casually said.
"What... What ritual will it be? I can't handle too much stress now." Seokjin exclaimed, worried about what was going to happen.
Namjoon quickly looked at his ex-fiancee with a glint in his eyes. He will be a perfect addition to his plans b,c, and d's. They can use Seokjin's pregnancy to delay the ritual or something, and if Seokjin agrees to cause havoc then this whole thing might get called off for good. A child's addition to a clan is a huge blessing, he is sure the elders will be so happy they will put these whole string of fates thing under the rug.
"If you're planning something, leave it. Don't use him." Yoongi said with a frown.
"What... I didn't say anything."
"It's written all over your face Kim."
"Don't fight, anyway my brother and I are curious about this test or ritual. Will it require me to use my brain? Because I'm not fond of overusing it, you know my motto in life is THINK LESS FEEL BETTER." Hoseok said while imitating a relaxing Yoga pose.
Seokjin snorted into his food and shook his head fondly at his brother. He's always the sunshine, always making things feel light and easy.
Namjoon looked at his carrier in shock mouth wide open, as this information was another thing to hide from the elders as those aged geezers wanted a smart one as his partner in life. Yoongi just laughed fondly at the younger one while laughing loudly at Namjoon's expression.
"We're not gonna be exerting so much effort on this rituals, they will do everything else. They are the ones who will see the bonds, not us. Our presence is very important though." Yoongi calmly explained.
"Hoseok, no matter what happened never let the elders know about your motto in life," Namjoon adamantly said said.
"Why? It's a great one, they can actually use it sometimes you know. I think they're a bunch of overthinkers. And don't worry Joon ah, as I said I'm actually smart. Well, smarter than Youngjae at least, he thought a minus is higher than a plus." Hoseok said with a shrug.
"Hmmm, your friend Youngjae is my favorite one," Seokjin said with a giggle.
"I know right, he's cool. But I'm smarter." Hoseok said with a wink in Namjoon's direction who looks like he's having an intense battle with himself.
"Good luck with that one Kim," Yoongi whispers towards the man who puts up a finger at him again.
The four of them returned to the main house after a few hours of relaxation. So many things have been going on inside Namjoon's head, the need to protect Hoseok from the elder's wrath has been his main priority since they came here but alas he got a very feisty carrier with him who's a trouble magnet it seems.
"Hey, about what you said. Since Seokjin seems to be carrying my young, this will solidify my claim on him but I still don't trust the elders. I think everything depends on that ritual and what the shamans say about the bonds."
Namjoon looked sharply at him.
"What do you mean? They will go against the law and take a youngling away from the carrier?"
"If it will be the reason to right the wrong I think they will do it. They are a bunch of obsessed people, we all know that. They don't think like us. Basically, they're prisoners of their beliefs." Yoongi gravely said.
"I won't let them ruin things for us. They already did from the start."
"I won't too but it will be a messy battle and I'm not looking forward to it. I already spoke to my family's shaman and she explained everything to me. The four bonds between us are blurry, they can't see who's partnered up with whom. The ritual to be held will clear up the mess, it will make things clear, the bond which is typically colored red will be in different colors, they will finally see who is meant for whom."
"If I really end up with Seokjin I will give him back to you. I won't have that child be separated from his parents. And you won't ever have an opportunity to lay your paws on my carrier again, no Min." Namjoon said with a sneer.
Yoongi scoffed at that.
"Possessive psycho." He mutters under his breath. He looks in front of them to see the two brothers having a good time talking their heads off. At least some of them are having fun on this dreadful day. If worst comes to worst and the elders decide to switch things up again and tell him he can take Hoseok it will be a nightmare. All because of a child, it certainly changed the game now. No matter how strong his feelings are toward the younger man, he can't deny the fact that he has a responsibility towards Seokjin and their unborn child now.
He won't be a hypocrite and say he will move on quickly from his unrequited love, but as he can see Hoseok seems to be striving under Namjoon's care. He's not scared to show himself around the man anymore and he is certainly showing his self-confidence now. He can live and be with his carrier and their baby. Maybe time can heal his heart and he will be able to love Seokjin as he deserves.
"Don't stare at him, he's mine now. Control yourself, Min, remember Seokjin will be hurt if he sees you simping over my carrier and he can't have so much stress right now." Namjoon mutters as they reach the border between the forest and Kim Family territory.
"Can't help it, I'm still in love with him, I will always have feelings for Hoseok. You should just accept it. But I will heed your warning, I will try to control myself around him and be more sensitive to Seokjin's feelings. Hey does this mean you still care about him?" Min curiously asked the taller man who scoffed under his breath.
"I am made to believe I will have him as my carrier by everyone. Of course, I am always fond of him, no matter what the issue is between us I can overlook it and have a civil relationship with him since he is my carrier's brother."
"Are you in love with Hoseok now?" Yoongi quietly said without looking at Namjoon.
"Love is such a strong word and shouldn't be taken lightly. I have feelings for him, yes, I like him, I want him and I am sure as time passes by I will be able to confidently announce to the world that I am in love with Hoseok."
"Good... I would appreciate it if you love him and take care of him as he deserves." Yoongi seriously said, taking a peek at the younger man one last time.
The Kim family guards went towards them and bowed down to show respect towards the Kim and Min heirs.
"We will go ahead towards the mansion. Get the car here." Namjoon said with a knowing glance toward Seokjin. Pregnant carriers are easily tired out especially if they're male carriers.
They arrived at the mansion and Zee immediately caters to their needs.
"Just in time masters, the room and baths are ready for you. Here are the staff to assist you."
"How many hours left?" Namjoon asked.
"You will be called by the elders at midnight, if you are tired from your walk in the forest you still have lots of time to rest, take a bath, and get ready." Zee gently said.
Yoongi grabs Seokjin's hands and drags him towards the corridor. Signaling a staff to assist them to their room.
"We will take our rest first, see you guys later." Yoongi waved at the two and went ahead.
Hoseok looked at Namjoon who signals for him to be quiet. They walked back into their room and Hoseok sighs loudly.
"I know you guys said it's just a ritual and all but I am still scared of what the outcome will be. I hate it here, it feels like those old men want to control our lives to benefit them." Hoseok whines.
"I also have a bad feeling about this but all I ask of you right now is your complete trust." Namjoon looked intensely at him.
"What...."
"Whatever happens, please choose to be with me."
"What are you talking about, I am bound to you. You are my provider." Hoseok said with a nervous laugh.
"Please open your heart and choose me. It's very important Hoseok. We will be surrounded by magic later, it may require things to work out."
"What things..."
"Love, affection, respect..."
Hoseok hesitantly looked back at Namjoon, the man is asking a great deal from him. He just went from being hated to being wanted and it's a very confusing thing. Now the man is asking for his love... He doesn't know how to deal with all of this.
"I am not asking for your love right away, I just want you to open your heart to me. Once we get over this thing, we can start a new chapter together."
"You said, we are here to stop whatever nonsense the elders are cooking up and move on from here..." Hoseok quietly said.
"Yes, I did..."
"You said we will be free after all these has passed..."
"Yes I did say that but I also talked to you before we went here. Things have changed. I wanted to make things right, I wanted to be with you this time..." Namjoon patiently reminded him.
Hoseok looked seriously at him, so many thoughts inside his head it felt like blowing up.
Yes, he had feelings for Namjoon before, he is his childhood crush. He is still attracted to the man even though he knows he is his brother's fiancee. He accepted his unrequited love and bows to keep it a secret until he dies but it seems like his brother knew him too well. Seokjin somehow knew about his feelings and kept it a secret for him too.
He felt as though his soul had left his body when the switch-up was announced and he suddenly became Namjoon's carrier instead of his brother. He doesn't want those butterflies, oh no. He wanted a way out to save himself from the pain, but he still got hurt... As always.
TBC