The Eight | A BTS Soulmate Fic |

Chapter 86

After dinner, Hobi and Mickey vied for Petal's attention. They found that, not only was Petal entertained with Mickey, but she liked Hobi as well. When he got down by the belly and talked in that high pitched tone he used with his pup, The Muse felt Petal's happiness and amusement get even higher.

"It's official, then." Said Hobi with a big smile and not a little bit of pride, "I am the favorite uncle."

"You do realize she's only now grown to the point that she can hear outside of herself, right?" The Muse laughed.

He waved her off and declared himself the favorite as Mickey clamored back into her lap.

Hobi sent the video of Mickey and Petal playing to Namjoon and Seokjin, who both responded with great humor. His smile faded, though, when thought of the other four that should have been the ones to have this experience with their wife and child. As much as he was enjoying his time with both of them, he knew the others were missing out on something incredible, and cursed their stubbornness.

    No matter how many times he had brought it up to any of them, that envelope stayed untouched on the coffee table at the dorm. None of them even asked why it was so important they open it, either. It was like they were purposefully trying to stay ignorant, or were afraid of what could possibly be inside.

    On the other side of that, he knew for a fact that all four of those men loved her, and all four were trying to do what they were told by the company was the right thing by putting their careers first. That made Hoseok shake his head in frustration, and made him view his relationship with the managers and the company in a different light.

    They were all young when they started with the company. They were all naive and easily molded into what they were expected to be. Now that he had the opportunity to see what was happening to the others from an outside perspective, he saw how easily he had been persuaded to do things in a certain way. But to what end? He didn't want to think about what he may have missed out on in life. But he was certain that he was going to make sure he took more stock into his own thoughts and feelings going forward.

    He had his Queen to thank for that wake up call. If she hadn't been brought to them, who knows if he ever would have opened his eyes to how he'd let his life be directed and controlled by others for the sake of his career. They all had. And none of them had truly understood the cost, until now.

    Hoseok had talked with Namjoon and Seokjin about this at length over the last month or so, and all of them agreed that, though none of them were Petal's father, their lives and outlooks had changed as though they were. It had nothing to do with the responsibility of parenthood, but with the idea that one day they would each meet someone they wanted to have a family with, a life with. And if they didn't take a long hard look at how their lives are being led, they might miss their chance.

     Watching Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook struggle with themselves and the damage they've done to their relationships with their wife at the will of their managers and the company has been painful for everyone involved. He just hoped it was repairable.

    Bedtime was exactly as naptime had been, with Mickey burrowed happily next to the belly.

Hobi had to be the big spoon so The Muse could get the touch she needed, but she felt happy and content snuggled between the two of them.

    All four of her husbands filtered in and out of her dreams that night, and Mickey woke her up, licking the tears off of her face. How could she not smile at that fuzzy face as he tried to provide comfort to Petal's carrier. It was still very early, so The Muse made a quick trip to the bathroom before snuggling back into the bed between her Warrior and her new little Soldier.

    The day was beautiful and sunny. Hobi and The Muse took Mickey for a little walk and grabbed coffee before heading over to his parents house. Again, just the simple task of walking the dog felt like a huge treat to her.

    It was amazing how such little freedoms changed her outlook on life. At that moment, she felt... Normal. She felt like there was a world of possibility around her.

    Hoseok's family was amazing. The Muse adored them all, and they took her in, no questions asked. Treating her like any other part of the family, fawning over the baby bump and how Mickey stayed by her side, or in her lap, the entire time, providing endless entertainment and laughs.

    By the end of the night there were no negative thoughts and no lingering sadness. Just joy. It was refreshing and amazing. That was the world she wanted to bring a baby into. That was how she wanted to be. Joyful.

    On the way home, as Mickey napped in her lap, she watched the lights go by and thought about how her life was, and how it was supposed to be. Or, how Sejong said it was going to be. She knew she would have to go back to her husbands at some point. But she didn't have to make it easy for them. She was hurt and angry with how they had treated her.

    But when it came down to it, that didn't mean she had to be angry and miserable as she lived her life. Her little Petal was a miracle. A happy miracle. And even though life wasn't exactly how The Muse would like it to be right at the moment, she could still be happy. She could still celebrate.

    She took her hand off of Mickey and rubbed it across her bump, a smile creeping across her face as she closed her eyes and walked the flower path to check on her baby. Petal was sleeping and content, and The Muse let all of her joy and love cover the entire garden.

"Yeppeun?" asked Hobi while they sat at a traffic light, "Are you ok? You're rubbing your belly. Is Petal ok?" His look of concern was so sweet and endearing.

"We are good, Hobi." she reached over the console and squeezed his arm with a smile, "Thank you for being the best Warrior and Uncle a Muse could ask for."

"See?" he said with a smile as the light turned green, "I knew it. I AM the favorite uncle."