Free // BTS AU //

Chapter Ten

Hoseok smiled at the girl who was crouched round the fire with the rest of the boys and learning how to cook in such a different environment. He felt like a proud parent watching his children finally getting along with one another.

The smile faded once Namjoon began to rise to his feet and he walked over to Hoseok who was stood with his back against the trunk of the tree. "Hoseok."

Hoseok knew what the man was about to say before he even said it. "I already told you I'm not telling you. Just trust your gut and you'll be fine." Hoseok looked at Namjoon, a lazy smile strewn across his face. Namjoon groaned and threw his head back like a child who had been told 'no'. Hoseok's lazy smile grew brighter.

"Please."

"No Namjoon. No matter how many times you ask, I'm not telling you." Namjoon glared at the fae in front of him and walked back to where he was crouched and continued watching the food over the fire.

Hoseok chuckled softly. "She'll tell you all in due time." He muttered under his breath before walking over to the group. "How are you feeling anyway Hye? Homesick?"

"No." The girl looked up from the stew starting to bubble. "I'm loving it." Everyone around her heard the determination, the fire, and the true love in her voice. "I'm loving the feel of the earth around me."

"Good, I'm glad you're liking it." Hoseok smiled and sat down and lent backwards so his head was against the log they used to sit on from time to time.

"I hope that wasn't sarcasm." She called out jokingly, she already felt at home with the boys and once they had gotten past the godawful and awkward introductions, she settled right in as if she had known every single one straight from the womb of the mother who birthed them - she assumed someone had to have given birth to Hoseok, the fae - and she was happily comfortable cracking out a mild joke like this one. Something her caregiver would've said as a warning more than a joke.

Hoseok chuckled softly. "Don't worry Mum. It was't sarcasm." He teased back and the boys looked between one another with raised eyebrows.

"Nobody has ever gotten such sly comments out of Hoseok before." Jimin came up behind the crouching Hye. "Are you some kind of witch enchanting him?"

"No magic powers here Jimin." Hye laughed softly at the boy. "All human." She turned and smiled at him and he swore his heart stopped momentarily. He went and sat beside Hoseok and his voice dropped to a low whisper.

"What do you think of her?"

"She's nice, she's a great addition to our family." Hoseok replied back. "And no, I'm not in love with her before you even ask me."

Jimin glared at the Fae. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop looking into my mind as if it's something meant to be stared into?"

"For the rest of my life." Hoseok joked. Jimin glared more before focusing on the five boys and Hye gathered around the fire and his heart swelled up with some form of joy, almost as if he had found the boys again for the first time.

He was content.

That was the way he liked it.