Yong Guk pulled Him Chan close as everyone gathered in a circle to discuss their decision on the man’s offer. Dae Hyun sat across form the couple while maknaes pulled Young Jae between them taking a seat a close as they could to the eldest. Yong Guk couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling their hairs earning a chuckle from Him Chan and three glares from the youngsters.

Yong Guk sighed loudly, “Alright it’s time to voice your thoughts.”

Everyone was quiet contemplating their answer, finding their fingers entertaining. Dae Hyun sighed, “We’re going to have to settle somewhere, and we’re going to need all the time we can get to search for certain supplies.”

Yong Guk nodded his understanding before turning his attention to the trio next to them. The maknaes looked to each other, Jun Hong softly chewed the inside of his cheek, “I think we should accept his offer.”

Jong Up nodded choosing to be optimistic, “then that way we can save up for our own place farther away.”

Young Jae hesitated before giving a slight nod. Yong Guk gave a small smile.

“What about you two?” Jun Hong questioned.

Him Chan smiled, “I’m going to accept as well.”

“I want whatever is best for all of you,” Yong Guk answered, “and right now this seems like it’s what we are all in need of.”

“So we’re accepting,” Dae Hyun said flatly everyone nodding their ‘yes’. Dae Hyun looked to the smiling couple, “what are you two so cheery about.”

Yong Guk’s smile grew wider, his teeth and gums exposed, his hand moved to Him Chan’s stomach to rub gentle circles. Dae Hyun’s eyes grew wide, “you guys have got to be joking?”

The couple shook their heads. The silver haired boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Their smile had become contagious. He ran over to hug Him Chan, “that’s freaken amazing!”

The maknae’s gave their ‘congratulations’ to the couple as well, avoiding Dae Hyun has he jumped between the two. The blonde laughing the scene beofre him, not wanting to get tampled.

“So now we have two pregnant Carriers to worry about,” Jong Up spoke up with a serious expression. “Jun Hong is there something you need to tell us as well?”

The pink haired boy crossed his arm and glared at his brown haired hyung, “and who would I be pregnant by? I’m still a you know and I’m not mated.”

“Young Jae’s not mated and still a … I think.” Jong Up thought while the blonde mimicked Jun Hong’s pose. “You could’ve been inseminated.”

“Then ‘congratulations’ hyung you’re going to be an Appa,” he mocked.

Jong Up eyes widen, “how would I be the Appa?”

“They wanted us to mate, remember?” his glare intensified, the elder three snorted as they held back their laughs in favor of hearing the argument.

Jong Up thought for a while, “so are you pregnant or not?”

“Oh for the love of-,” he threw his hands up wildly. “NO! I AM NOT PREGNANT!!!”

Jong Up covered his ears, “You could’ve said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ without yelling.”

By this time everyone except Jun Hong and Jong Up were laughing. Jun Hong only shook his head in slight embarrassment. Jong Up shrugged it off, “so now what?”

“We go set some ground rules,” Yong Guk stood up pulling his mate with him, “Dae Hyun watch the kids, we’ll be back.”

Dae Hyun nodded, as three sets off eyes were on him. He looked to each of them, “what?”

Jun Hong smirked as he sang, “Dae Hyunnie hyuuuuuuung.”

Fearing on to what he was going to ask he cut him off, “nu-uh, not a word out of you?”

“How about a sentence?” he continued. Dae Hyun pointed a warning finger, “there you did, now shut up.”

“Dae Hyun, that’s rude,” Young Jae scolded, “you can’t tell a kid to ‘shut up’.”

“Aish,” he smacked his hand to his face, “why me.”

Him Chan followed Yong Guk a little ways from the camp but still close enough to hear if the children needed help, to where the man was covered with a blanket so he wouldn’t get cold. The man looked up hearing their footsteps, his body tensing in fear and uncertainty.

With a nod from his mate Him Chan pulled the man to his feet before taking the blindfold. The man was lost to complete confusion. Him Chan spoke, “how far are we from the Facility?”

“The Facility, is that where you’re heading?” the man asked. “Look I know you won’t believe me, but I don’t think the Facility is such a good place.”

“Why not?” Him Chan feigned curiosity. “The Facility helps those trying to have children, does it not?”

“Yes, but-,” the man hesitated. A shake from Him Chan warned him to continue, “They seem a bit suspicious. People go in but they rarely come out, you can’t be too sure what happens in there.”

“Well maybe everything is nice in there,” Him Chan pouted. “Maybe the families have babies and they don’t want to move. I want to have my own too you know.”

“But everything is indoors, that’s not healthy,” the man protested. Him Chan frowned. Yong Guk’s voice cut in, “and how far is the Facility.”

“On foot,” the man thought for a while, “maybe a little over a month.”

“And how far is your village?”

“Just a few days; close to a week.”

“That’s a lie,” Yong Guk wore a scowl. “There’s not village nearby on the map.”

“The maps don’t show small villages or towns,” the man defended, “but we actually prefer it like that.”

The couple looked to each other, silently conversing. Yong Guk looked to the man “why are you taking the forest?”

“If I take the road it’ll take me three to four weeks,” the man sighed, “it goes completely around the mountains. If I cut through the forest there’s a path between the mountains and it only takes a few days.”

“How many times have you been through the forest?” Him Chan cocked his head to the side.

“This would be my fourth time,” he smiled sheepishly, “it’s hard to see the markers at night.”

Him Chan looked to Yong Guk, “are we going to accept his offer?”

Yong Guk shrugged, “it’ll push us farther away from the Facility, are you sure you’d want that?”

“The kids look weary from traveling for so long,” Him Chan sighed sadly, “I believe Jae is having a hard time as well, he may need a doctor. I’ll be alright I can wait a little longer.”

Yong Guk pretended to think, taking his time to make it seem believable; pacing back and forth occasionally glancing towards camp and to his mate. Sighing heavily, “then we may as well, I don’t think Dae Hyun will be too happy if we push them any farther until we know for certain how long it’s going to take us.”

Him Chan nodded his agreement. He surprised the man by shoving him into a tree holding him in place. Him Chan’s voice became deeper than normal, his eyes darkened, “but if anything happens to any of my ‘babies’, you are a dead man. You got that?”

The man nodded vigorously his hands raised in defeat, “I promise I mean no harm to any of them or you.”

“Good.” Him Chan released him. The couple’s attitude shock the man, they went from very menacing to happy-go-lucky in the matter of milliseconds. Him Chan sported a bright smile, “I am Him Chan and he is my mate, Yong Guk.”

The man looked to Yong Guk whose smile was just as bright as his mate. Him Chan continued, “And you are?”

“I’m Kang Seo Gu,” he answered. After Him Chan untied the man’s arms he was pulled close by Yong Guk, “let’s go introduce everyone else.”

Him Chan nodded as he took the lead heading back to camp with the elder two following him.

Him Chan almost burst in laughter when he entered camp; Yong Guk seeing his mate’s expression he raced to his side to see the cause. He let out a laugh; Dae Hyun was siting crossed legged and pouting near a tree with Young Jae practically in his lap asleep and the maknaes lounging on his shoulders to keep him from throwing off the blonde. Jun Hong looked at them full of curiosity, “so what’s going on?”

“Gather ‘round,” Yong Guk grinned.

“But hyung we’re already right here,” Jun Hong protested. “Can’t you guys just come over here?”

“At least wake him up,” Yong Guk seceded. Him Chan pointed a warning finger to Dae Hyun, “doesn’t mean for you to throw him off.”

Dae Hyun growled quietly causing the maknaes to giggle. Jong Up gently shook the blonde trying to wake him up, but he refused to move. Jun Hong smirked as he leaned down to whisper in the blonde’s ear. Young Jae shot up causing them to back away a bit to avoid getting hit. Jun Hong giggled as Young Jae moved off of Dae Hyun, everyone but the blonde shot him a questioning look. He only shrugged it off not caring to answer them.

While Him Chan introduces the man to the children and vice versa, the man gave each of them a slight bow. The man then noticed that they had not given him the family name. He pondered if he should question them about it or leave them be though maybe it was because they were still wary of him. He decided it was best if he let them get comfortable with him before they gave out so much information about themselves.

Him Chan refigured the amount of food they had left six times before sighing sadly to himself. Yong Guk looked over to him, “how bad is it?”

“Even if we cut down to one meal a day we won’t make it, even if we didn’t have the extra person.” Him Chan gave Seo Gu an apologetic look as he tugged at his hair.

Yong Guk sighed biting his lower lip; even thinking about the question was hurting him, “what if we eat one meal every other day.”

“You mean to starve the kids a full day?” Him Chan’s eyes watered, “I’d rather give up my portions so they can still eat.”

“I have some food, though I don’t know how much use it’d be,” Seo Gu offered his bag to a teary Him Chan. Yong Guk thanked him as he took the bag and placed it in Him Chan’s hands.

“Do you know if there’s any place closer to resupply?” Yong Guk asked in small hopes.

The man thought for a minute, “there should be a village two or three days to the west.”

“That’s gonna be three days added to our journey,” Yong Guk spoke thoughtfully.

“That’s if we all travel together,” Dae Hyun joined in. “we could split up for a while, just to get supplies. Him Chan and Young Jae will be fine with the maknaes for a few days.”

“He’s right,” Him Chan cut off his mate’s protest. “If we all go it will take longer than if just the three of you go.”

Yong Guk nodded, “then we need to get enough food for seven people that will last a week.”

“We can do two meals a day of we have to,” Him Chan smiled softly.

Dae Hyun nodded, “we’ll travel with only one meal each.”

“Why so little?” Him Chan protested. Dae Hyun looked to him, “because you and the kids need it more than us. We’ll be fine.”

The elder two nodded their agreement. Him Chan sighed, but he let it go, “just be careful.”

“We will,” Yong Guk smiled rubbing his mate’s knee. “I can’t let you find someone else.”

“I don’t know he might be better than you,” Him Chan joked lightly.

“And who would you find out here?” Yong Guk laughed.

“You found him,” he pointed to a Seo Gu, who was chuckling. “You never know what might happen if you decide to take too long.”

“He might miss you though,” Dae Hyun intervened.

“Oh, that reminds me, you have a brother… A twin brother at that,” Him Chan’s eyes widen in realization. Yong Guk’s eyes narrowed, “you honestly wouldn’t leave me for him, would you?”

“That depends,” Him Chan smirked, “you know I was going to mate with him first, but then you came along and me.”

“I didn’t you,” he defended. Dae Hyun piped in again, “I thought we considered it ual harassment.”

“I’m calling it ,” Him Chan scoffed. Turning back to his mate, “So you better come back to me quickly and unharmed.”

Seo Gu was at a loss for what was going on but nonetheless amused. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Dae Hyun smiled, “I think we should give them a bit of privacy.”

Seo Gu nodded as he got to his feet and followed the boy to their sleeping companions, well two were sleeping the blonde was keeping a look out.

Dae Hyun left the man to find his own place to settle down as he made his way to Young Jae. He pushed some stray hairs back, “what are you still doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he spoke softly. Dae Hyun cocked his head to the side, “what’s wrong?”

“I woke up and everyone was gone, so I was worried.”

“We were just figuring out how much food we had left.” The silver haired boy smiled.

Young Jae sighed, “and how much is that?”

Dae Hyun sighed looking down, “Yong Guk, Seo Gu, and I are going to a village to resupply, we’ll be gone for a few days.”

Young Jae nodded, “so it’s in the opposite direction in which we’re heading?”

Dae Hyun nodded, “so it’s just going to be you, Him Chan and the maknaes for a few days, so no wondering off by yourself at night.”

Young Jae nodded. He looked around camp slightly confused, “where are the hyungs?”

“They’re a bit busy right now,” Dae Hyun blushed.

“Doing what?” Young Jae cocked his head to the side.

Dae Hyun’s blush grew deeper with an awkward smile he patted the blonde’s hand, “you’ll find out one of these days, but not while I’m here to protect you.”