The Eight | A BTS Soulmate Fic |

Chapter 111

The Muse was really the only one that had a good night's sleep that night. WIth each outburst, It felt like she was cleansing the pain and suffering she'd felt at the neglect of her husbands over the last couple of months. With each outburst, they were getting closer and closer to knowing the full extent of their mistakes. She knew that they just needed to get through the next couple of days, and then there would be no more need to hide around them anymore.

    Her husbands, on the other hand, all tossed and turned, reliving the pain and fear she had experienced because of their actions, or lack thereof. Each man experienced varying degrees of guilt and uncertainty of whether they could win her back as they stared into the black night.

    The production crew pulled The Muse aside as they readied themselves that morning and had a talk with her about keeping everyone in a good mood for the sake of the cameras, then the eight of them were off to take a helicopter ride to see the snowy mountain peaks. Somehow she was able to relax and enjoy the ride, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time. They visited a pristine glacial lake in the mountains, and then got to land near the top of another mountain to play in the snow.

    She had tried to stay out of the direct line of the camera's, and let her Warriors do their work. She explored as much as she could within her limits, loving the crisp air and feeling of the sun on her face.

    When they got back to the campsite, the group split to enjoy their activities. Tae and Jimin went horse riding. Jinnie, Hobi, Yoongi and Jungkook all went fishing. Joonie needed to get some work done, so The Muse opted to stay with him. She could say it was under the guise of helping him work, but honestly the idea of relaxing on the bed and taking a nap without the stress of hiding from her husbands sounded heavenly.

    It was a beautiful day, and Joonie popped open the window and let some fresh air in the RV while he worked. The Muse laid on the bed in the sunshine, daring to take off her overly large sweatshirt so she could feel the cool air on her skin. The tank top was snug, and hugged her curves. She smiled as she rubbed her hands over her growing belly, almost surprised at how much she had grown over the last week. It's amazing how you can tell the difference when you haven't seen it in a while.

      She'd been spending so much time hiding the belly that she was almost surprised when she saw it. She sang a little song to Petal while rubbing her hands around her belly, catching Joonie's attention. With a huge smile on his face he removed his ear buds and went to find his book on Korean lore. He snuggled up next to his Queen and read a story to his niece. He'd missed this. It was also just the break he needed. Once he'd finished a few pages of lore, he was ready to face writing lyrics again, feeling refreshed and creative as he sat back down to focus.

     The Muse heard the approaching cars, and put her sweatshirt back on. Just a couple more days, she kept reminding herself.

     They had the campsite packed up in no time and were on the road to their final destination in New Zealand. The house was beautiful, and the view of the lake and mountains was picturesque. Bedrooms were chosen and everyone took their turns getting cleaned up and ready for dinner. Luckily Jinnie and Hobi had a huge bed to share, and they agreed to let The Muse sleep in between them.

    Yoongi frowned at that news. He had won the single bed to himself, and could easily accommodate them both.

"Um, Yeppeun?" he said shyly, unsure but knowing he needed to push forward if he was ever going to win her back, "I have the single bed. It has enough room for both of us." his voice trailed off with the question hanging in the air.

    The Muse was feeling softer toward him than she had in awhile. She gave him a sweet smile and politely told him she was staying with Jinnie and Hobi. This time, though, it had more to do with hiding the bump than avoiding his touch in general. And, although Yoongi was disappointed, he did see that something seemed to have changed in her attitude toward him, and that softened the blow.

    Yoongi and Jinnie set to making dinner, and she stayed with Joonie. He had decided to read his Korean lore book out loud under the guise of telling her the stories, when he was really reading to Petal. They sat on the couch, he had his head in The Muses' lap and she was running her fingers through his hair as he talked. She enjoyed listening to his voice while he read.

    All of her husbands were paying close attention to them, and all of them were envious of Namjoon's position, both in her lap and in her life. She trusted him, and he hadn't hurt her. It was that trust and intimacy that had his head in her lap as he read to her.

    Dinner was delicious, as they were all starving by the time it was ready, and the game of UNO afterward was raucous and fun with a lot of laughs shared.

Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook had all noticed that their wife had relaxed more around them that day than she had all week, and even though they were all conflicted in their own ways, they were all in agreement that things were starting to look up with her. They were feeling cautiously optimistic.

    The next morning was the start of their last full day in New Zealand. They had a trip to the luge planned, which was a pain in the ass for The Muse. She had to point out all of the small children riding the luge with their parents and put her foot down with her Warriors in order to even go on the ride. And it was totally worth it! She was laughing and screaming as she got up speed, ignoring Joonie who was in her head telling her to slow down. By the time they got off at the bottom, her cheeks were rosy from the wind and her eyes were lit with happiness.

She even smiled at her husbands and didn't shy away when any of them got too close.

    After lunch, they all went their separate ways. Tae wanted to check out the museums and shops around town, and Hobi, Joonie and Jimin wanted to take a bike ride. Jinnie, Yoongi, and Jungkook had a plan to go fishing, and although The Muse had no intention of fishing, just a few hours relaxing by a lake with minimal people around sounded heavenly. And it was. It wasn't warm enough to lay and soak in the sun, but it was beautiful and quiet, and by the time they left she was feeling relaxed and happy.

     Yoongi was hungry, so they stopped to grab an order of fish and chips for the drive home, which he shared, delighting in the smile his wife gave him at just the idea of eating his fries. He was almost surprised as he watched her face light up. He hadn't seen that look on her face in too long. Once they were done with their food and had wiped their hands clean, Yoongi reached over and threaded his fingers through hers, watching her reaction closely. She turned her head and smiled at him before looking back out the window. This time the smile reached her eyes, and Yoongi's heart sang with hope.