Guardian

3

Namjoon did his best, but when a friend is panicking one can only do so much.

He sat patiently at Jimin's feet, watching as Jimin fumbled with his shoelaces. Jimin's eyes were cloudy, unfocused, and wet. His shoulders shook as he struggled with a task he completed easily every other day.

Namjoon admired him for going.

Jimin sighed, pausing to look down at Namjoon. "I'm sorry, kitty," he said, voice strained. "It's going to be noisy over there."

Namjoon butted his head against Jimin's leg to hide his surprise, hoping the motion would soothe his friend. Silently he promised himself he would stay by Jimin's side, even if it meant getting squashed between rowdy college kids and having his tail stepped on. He could take a little pain for Jimin, as long as Jimin needed him.

"It'll be alright," Jimin said, almost to himself. "We'll be alright. And Yoongi said we can leave anytime. We can do this. I can do this."

Namjoon rubbed himself along Jimin's legs, purring. Jimin chuckled, running a hand along Namjoon's back. Pride swelled in Namjoon as Jimin stood and walked to the door, pausing to beckon him to follow. He needed no more prompting.

Jimin was amazing. Jimin was strong. Jimin was special.

Namjoon wanted to stay beside him as long as possible.

Outside the sun was setting, and Namjoon followed Jimin carefully down the road, alert for potential threats. Jimin walked slowly, pausing every so often as if taking in the view. Namjoon recognized his friend's stalling and walked ahead, hoping to coax him forward. He hoped Jimin's effort would not be wasted.

They had to be close.

He stopped when Jimin paused again, looking back at him quietly. Jimin was curled into himself, staring at his feet. Namjoon hurried back to him, winding around his legs. Silently he begged Jimin not to give up. He was so so close, and besides, when would Namjoon have a better chance to observe the people trying to befriend him?

Never.

He dashed ahead and came running back, and Jimin sighed, straightening.

"It's alright," he mumbled, "I can do this."

Namjoon purred as Jimin brushed a hand over the top of his head, then followed him down the road. Jimin jogged now, perhaps finally aware of the growing darkness. It occurred to Namjoon to wonder if Jimin knew where he was going, but before wonder could turn into worry they turned a corner and Jimin stopped in front of a low gate, taking a deep breath.

"Ready?" he asked.

Namjoon meowed.

"Okay," Jimin said, pushing the gate open. "Let's go."

The house was quieter than Namjoon expected. He remembered passing by frat house parties and cringing at the smell of alcohol and sweat, shying away from the noise and the rowdy humans around him.

This place was nothing like that. They walked on a stepping-stone path past a well-kept garden and a wide lawn to a house that, while not necessarily small, was more modestly sized than most homes college groups rented. Namjoon blinked at the light shining through the curtains in the front windows before dashing forward to join Jimin on the doormat, sitting down as Jimin rang the doorbell.

Yoongi pulled the door open within moments, smiling shyly at Jimin. "You came," he said, keeping his voice low. "We're just hanging out in the living room."

Admiration for the other man swelled in Namjoon's chest. Yoongi glanced down, and his smile widened upon seeing him.

"Are you sure he's just a neighborhood cat?" he teased.

Namjoon missed his eyebrows. He would have liked to raise them at Yoongi. But the thought fled when a stranger came up behind Yoongi, face breaking into a wide rectangular smile.

"Hello!" he said, "Are you Jimin?"

"Yeah," Jimin mumbled. Namjoon waited patiently for his friend to step through the door, then returned to twining around Jimin's legs. He didn't complain when Jimin scooped him into his arms. Whatever made Jimin more comfortable was fine with him, whether he had to perch against his friend's shoulder or not.

What he didn't like was the look Yoongi's friend gave him. Like he was listening carefully for-- oh.

Namjoon hissed at the stranger, fur fluffing around his neck. The stranger's face contorted in a mask of surprise. Namjoon didn't care. He hated mind-readers. Butting their minds where they didn't belong, with no care for asking permission.

"You probably smell like tannie," Yoongi said, completely oblivious. "Jimin, this is Taehyung. He has a dog right now."

Jimin nodded and laughed, and Namjoon kept his eyes on Taehyung, glaring when the man shifted. He looked nervous. Namjoon tried to focus on rubbing up against Jimin, making sure he wasn't panicking, but it was much harder with Taehyung watching him.

Say one word about me and a hiss won't be all you get, Namjoon thought.

Taehyung flinched, then hitched a smile onto his face, looking away quickly.

"Come on, then!" he said. "What kinds of foods do you like, 'min?"

***

Finally.

Interlude:Shadow is absolutely amazing. I was late to the party so I saw dozens of screenshots before I heard the song, and still it's nothing like what I thought I expected. Leave it to BTS to surpass and subvert expectations. 

I'm working on strengthening my prose to make the story more dynamic. I don't know if it makes a difference here, but I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story. If the flow looks a little weird let me know, this is new(ish) territory for me. 

I purple you! <3

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