Run

8. Friends

Seo-Jae's pov

"Your best friend's life depends on a single flash drive?" Hoseok asked, both Jimin and I turned our heads to the right. Hoseok came into the living room with Taehyung walking in behind him, the two of them looking confused at my statement. Jimin smiled, standing to his feet as he greeted them both. While he scented them, I got the odd feeling that something was going on between the three of them. My suspicions were confirmed when Taehyung lightly bit Jimin's neck and when Hoseok kissed both of their cheeks. He turned his head to me, coming over to greet me and sat down on the coffee table where Jimin had been sitting. "What is on that flash drive that could put your best friend in danger?" Taehyung asked, I noticed that he was staring at me warily. It was like he didn't trust me but at the same time, I felt this urge to hold his hand and tell him that I was of no harm to him. My eyes shifted away from Taehyung and back onto the window, watching the snow fall slowly. "Because he works under my Dad, not by choice. He was forced to take over his older brother's role, when he left the company. He's the one who helped me escape.. He's been the one who usually helped me run away and this time.. He really intended for me to leave for good. If my Father finds out that he was the one who has been helping me escape this whole time, especially in the past times I've ran away from home, he'll..." I trailed off, tears filling my eyes as I thought of what he could possibly do to him. I quickly blinked them away, I hated seeming emotional and weak in front of others. I need to pull myself together and stay strong, my mom would have wanted me to be strong in a time like this. "I have to keep him safe. And the only way to do that is to..."

"Keep the flash drive safe." Jimin finished.

"I'm not letting my Dad take him away from me like that. He's the only good that's been in my life for the past several years since what happened with my mom. I'm not giving up this flash drive, not even if it comes down to me choosing to stay alive or dying over it. I'm fine with going this journey alone, I want to keep the people I love safe from him. From his company and his men." I clenched my fists tightly, soft hands touched mine and I relaxed a bit. When I looked up, Hoseok was beaming down at me with a warm smile. When his hands fully enveloped mine, a spark ran through my body. It seemed Hoseok felt it too because his eyes seemed to dilate, his hands slightly tightening his grip on mine. My heart thudded in my chest, my cheeks slightly heating up from the intense feeling that washed over me. Jimin noticed the exchange as well, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as he looked between us. Hoseok stared into my eyes, his blue ones reflecting an unknown emotion towards me. For a moment, I swear he was looking at me with adoration and love but I couldn't be sure of it. He kept a warm smile on his face, not bothering to let go of my hands. "I think it's honorable that you would do that for your best friend. I think that you are a great person for wanting to protect him for as long as you can. I know that I would do anything I could to keep my pack mates safe from harm. But you are not alone, now. You have the seven of us who are willing to protect you." Hoseok said, as I looked into his eyes. I saw an unrecognizable glint in his eyes, wondering what it was.

"Why would you all do that? I'm nothing but a human who has now become a burden to you because I'm injured." I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from him. It was strange that they all had wanted to help me, wanted to keep me safe when I could possibly have been a threat to them. I still couldn't believe that Namjoon had so openly welcomed me into his pack of wild hybrids.

"Because we all have experienced what you are experiencing now. Being hunted down, forced to do things that we didn't want to do. Forced to take part in things that we didn't agree too. We all have experienced that and you... You are so different from what we turned out to be like during all of it. Instead of being moody and trusting nobody, like most of us, you embrace others. You are no longer alone and whatever is on the flash drive, we will help you protect it. I can tell that you are nothing like the people we've encountered over the years.. Hell, you might be the nicest human I've ever met in a very long time." Hoseok gave me a warm smile, his words warming my heart.

"Hobi hyung's right. You have all of us and we won't let anyone harm you. Not if we can do anything about it." Jimin smiled at me, he leaned forward and wiped the tears falling down my cheeks. In such little time, they have made me feel safe. Safer than I had ever felt in my life. Their eyes reflected just how genuine they really were, how nice they were to me. Their words and warm smiles made me feel so many different emotions that I had not felt for years, ones that only my mother had made me feel. And when she was gone, there was no longer the happy young girl I used to be. Taehyung stayed quiet, but his eyes.. His eyes showed me that he felt the same way that Jimin and Hoseok felt. It stunned me that he was like this, I knew he was the only one who didn't like that I was here. When I was first set on the couch, I wasn't fully unconscious. I could slightly hear the conversation between the pack and I knew that Taehyung didn't like that Namjoon had brought me here and insisted that I stayed. I don't know what happened in their past, but I understood that he wanted to keep himself and his pack mates safe from anyone and everyone new that comes around them. "Why do you look so surprised, Seo-Jae? Haven't you ever had someone say this to you? Or make you feel protected and safe from harm?" Taehyung asked, coming to stand beside Jimin.

"No," I shook my head, looking back out at the snow covered field. I hadn't noticed the way the boys were looking at me, surprised and concerned.

"Not since.. Not since.." I shook my head, not ready to tell them what happened to my mother. Not even my best friend was able to make me feel the way I was feeling now, though I knew I could trust him and that he would protect me, he couldn't guarantee his own safety or mine from the wrath of my own father. "I.. I haven't felt this way in a long time."

"Felt what?" Taehyung scrunched his eyebrows, confused by my statement.

"Safe. Wanted. Protected. Liked." I spilled, "Well... Seo-jae, you can always count on feeling that around us." Hoseok started, making me look at me. His eyes sparkled with emotion, the same going for Jimin. "And why is that?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

"Because we're your friends now, Jae." Jimin smiled.

My eyes widened at that, there was no way they wanted to be friends so easily... I became choked up, tears pooling in my eyes but they weren't sad tears, they were happy tears.

"I have friends.."

"You have friends." Hoseok nodded.

"And you know what friends do?" Jimin asked, "What?"

"Protect and support each other. And cheer up their friends when they are in a bad mood. Something that always cheers me up when I'm down is some good old fashioned hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. And lucky for you, we have just that." Hoseok booped my nose, "I'll go make some for us." He ruffled my hair, more sparks running through my body causing me to blush lightly. "Aww, she's not used to the affection." Jimin teased, pulling me into a hug causing me to blush harder. "Stop it, Jimin." He laughed, ruffling my hair and trying to tickle me. I could only laugh at his actions, trying to keep his hands away from my hair. Taehyung watched the interaction, a small smile itching to come out as he saw Jimin and Seo-Jae playing around. Hoseok smiled brightly, watching from the kitchen as he prepped everything for them. For some reason, he felt whole and completely at peace watching Jimin and Seo-Jae. Jimin and Seo-Jae both seemed to be having fun with one another, the bond between them becoming just a little stronger.