Run

28. First Watch

3rd person's pov

Hyunjin decided to take first watch, he felt restless with constantly being on the move. Now that they were set up in the cave for the night, he didn't need to worry about the weather. What worried him was the men that were still in the area, he worried that they might be found but he put that thought out his mind. At the moment, Hoseok was the last one preparing for bed. Everyone else already had drifted off to sleep and although Hoseok needed his sleep, he couldn't help but worry about Seo-Jae's health. So he opted to stay by her side for the night, Jimin was already sleeping on the other side of her facing towards Jungkook. He was sharing a sleeping bag with Jungkook, whose leg and arm were draped over the wolf. Both sleeping soundly, it made Hoseok's heart swell to see the maknae line sleep well. Taehyung was wrapped up in his shared sleeping bag with Yoongi, the tiger draping an arm over the sleeping panther who didn't mind the invasion of space at all. Namjoon shared a sleeping bag with Jin, his head resting on Jin's shoulder and both hybrids were out like a light. Everyone was pretty much exhausted from the six hour trek they started, they all needed their rest so they could push on another several hours to get to Suho's place. Seo-Jae had been provided her own sleeping bag, though she didn't want to sleep alone so she insisted on sharing it with someone. That someone happened to be Hoseok, he was currently sitting outside of the sleeping bag. Seo-Jae's body pressed up close to him, she was searching for a bit of warmth. The fire was still going, giving the entire cave warmth from the storm outside. The wind blew harshly, it was a wonder how that sheet was still holding up against the harsh wind blowing outside. Hyunjin was sitting up in his own sleeping bag, right across from the entire bangtan pack. He was envious of the pack, they had each other for comfort and he didn't have that. He had been separated from his soulmates a few years before he met Jimin and Jungkook, he's been searching for them but somehow always managed to get captured or tracked by crazy ass men.

"Thanks for taking first watch, Hyunjin." Hoseok gave the young man a small smile, "It's not a problem. I can't really sleep anyways since we'll be on the move again soon." Hyunjin leaned back against the cave wall, he never could sleep well while on the move. Most of those times he had been alone, so he had to be even more alert than if he was with a group. Lucky for him, he had a group of hybrids who were pretty good at fighting and looking out for one another. "If it's not too much trouble.. Can I ask.. How did you meet Jungkook and Jimin? What made you decide to help them escape but stay behind? They told me a bit about you guys' shared history. But I'm curious to hear your side of the story." Hoseok spoke softly, he didn't want to wake anyone nor did he want to possibly offend Hyunjin with his question.

"I met Jimin when he was about 19, Jungkook had just turned 17. The man that had me managed to capture both of them and brought them back to the house, that man was truly awful. I tried my best to keep them both protected from the cruelty that man had but I couldn't always stop him. And just like that, Jimin and Jungkook lived with us for three years. The three of us got along well during the years they stayed with us. One afternoon, Jungkook had gotten into serious trouble and the owner was looking to possibly kill him. That's when I decided that I needed to get them out of there, I knew that me going with them was only going to slow them down and I didn't want him coming after them because of my decision. So I helped them plan an escape, Jimin didn't want me to stay behind.." Hyunjin paused for a moment, thinking back to the day they left. His eyes shifted over to Jimin and Jungkook, both who were still sleeping peacefully. Hoseok felt sickened the by the story, his heart hurt at the thought of the abuse that all three of them had gone through. Jimin never liked talking about the past and whenever he was asked, he wouldn't talk about it. And Jungkook altogether would shut down not wanting to talk to anyone about it. If any of the trauma had resurfaced from their past, Jungkook would end up shifting and would spend all day staying by Jimin's side. When they all first met, everyone was taken back by their behavior but it was the best way that they could cope.

"I couldn't protect them from the abuse and I didn't want either one of them to end up dead because of that man. And as much as I wanted to escape that crazy ass man, I knew all three of us were not going to get away from him without getting caught. So I stayed behind and ensured that they could escape." Hyunjin explained, running his fingers through his hair.

"Wow... I don't even know what to say but thank you. Had you not done that, we wouldn't have met them." Hoseok shook his head, looking down at the sleeping pair and then his eyes shifted to Seo-Jae. "Why did you stick your neck out for Seo-Jae? You two don't know each other." He had been curious about this as well, "I could tell that she was good person when I made eye contact with her back at the cabin. She solidified that thought when she came out in the cold, looking for me so she could take care of my wounds. When those two idiots cornered her, I could tell that she had been imprinted on by one of you. I also smelled your pack scent, I only recognized it because both Jimin and Jungkook have it. So I decided to step in, knowing just how crazy those two are. And I felt somewhat responsible, she was only out there because she saw me." Hyunjin looked at Seo-jae, who seemed slightly restless in her sleep. "Thank you, Hyunjin. Truly. Thank you for saving her from those assholes, I don't know what I would do if anything had happened to her. We just found her." Hoseok brushed back Seo-Jae's hair, his gesture seeming to put her at ease. She relaxed into his touch, shifting closer to him as she was seeking his warmth.

"I know this is personal.. But can I ask? Do you have any soulmates?" Hoseok looked to Hyunjin, who struggled to answer the question. Hoseok sensed a deep pain in Hyunjin's eyes, the young wolf letting out a small chuckle. "I do... But.. I haven't seen them a very long time. I was separated from them years before I met Jimin and Jungkook. I've been looking for them ever since."

"I'm sorry.. That must be really tough." Hoseok frowned.

"It's okay.."

"No, it's not. Nobody should ever be separated from their soulmates like that for as long you have. Tell you what.. When we get to Suho's place, I'll have him and his mate start searching for your soulmates. And i'll be there every step of the way." Hoseok offered. Hyunjin looked up at him in shock, "Really? You would do that for me?" He asked, "Yeah. It's the least I could do to pay you back for saving my soulmates." Hoseok smiled softly, Hyunjin looked at him speechless. "Thank you.. You don't have to do this, you know?"

"I know.. I want to." Hoseok said. A comfortable silence fell over the pair, the wind letting out a harsh sound outside. "Hyung, you should get some sleep. I'll be fine." Hyunjin said.

"Alright. Yoongi's taking the next watch so he'll wake up in a few hours. Make sure you get some sleep, you're still recovering from your injuries."

"I will."

Hoseok slid down into the sleeping bag, Seo-jae pulling herself closer as she was finally able to wrap an arm around him. She let out a small huff of air, settling in to deep sleep as Hoseok kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. Hyunjin looked away from the Bangtan Pack, all of them now asleep and looked down at the book sitting by his lap. Jimin knew that Hyunjin and Seo-jae liked to read, so he packed some books for them to have on the trip. His eyes then flitted out to the entrance of the cave, the wind seeming to settle down slightly but the blizzard was still waging hard.