Guardian

9

Namjoon hated the cone. Hated it.

He couldn't see in it. It caught on the floor and the furniture. It made him look stupid(how many stupid photos did Taehyung have on his phone now?). He couldn't claw anyone properly with it blocking his reach, either. The most he could do was sit and sulk in the corner, staring at the wall.

He knew it made Jimin feel guilty. But he felt just bitter enough to avoid his own guilt.

"C'mon, Joon..." Jimin said, shaking a bowl of cat food gently. "Someone's coming over soon. You'll be cranky if you don't eat."

Namjoon turned his head, scowling as the cone whacked the wall, and glared at Jimin. Jimin sighed, dropping his head onto his knees. His shoulders shook. Ah, laughter. Such a beautiful sound when it wasn't directed at Namjoon. Which it was all the time now.

"C'mon, please?" Jimin said. "I can't hold this up for you while I'm chatting with Jeohoon."

Jeohoon? Namjoon's ears perked up, then flattened. What a nasty name. He was glad parents had a tendency to know just how to name their children.

Or maybe he was just grumpy, and projecting. Who knew. He sighed and got up, braving the long, jerky walk to Jimin and taking a few bites out of the bowl. Then he sat down and looked at Jimin.

"Bratty kitty," Jimin chuckled, waiting a moment before setting the bowl down. "It's just a couple more days, alright?"

Namjoon's tail twitched. He wished he could apologize. Maybe Taehyung was right-- it was annoying, the closer he felt to Jimin, how little he could really communicate with him. But if he was human, he would have to deal with his pawlike hands and feet, the imbalance of no tail, the frustration of actually using his words to communicate with others.

What a pain, not knowing which was better.

Well, until he had some other sign, he was going to stay right where he was. People liked him better as a cat, right? Right?

He walked to the bedroom and settled in his spot on the floor. He had adopted it shortly after fighting with Taehyung for the last time, instead of curling up on the bed right beside Jimin. Yes, he felt guilty. He would need to move on soon, before Jimin got attached to him or something.

And Jeohoon... Namjoon shuddered. He didn't like that name. It brought back memories of nasty words and well-placed kicks. Laughter. Stuttering, frustration, tripping, slipping, losing track of thoughts, staring into the eyes of those who couldn't care less--

No. Namjoon shook himself, sighing as he realized his fur had puffed around the collar and he couldn't reach it to fix it. How many days had Jimin said? A couple? Did that mean two, or three? He couldn't wait to get proper balance back.

He startled at the knock on the door, considering movement for a bit before he heard voices in the living room. Jimin's laugh rang out, loud and clear, in the hallway, and he poked his head in, smiling at Namjoon.

"Gonna come out?"

Namjoon sighed, staring at him, and Jimin chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll leave the door open for you," he said, "come out when you're ready, yeah? Your food is still waiting for you."
It was almost like he already knew. Namjoon caught himself wishing it was true and squashed the thought, waiting until Jimin was halfway down the hall to struggle to his feet and follow, tipping his head up high to avoid getting the cone caught on the floor. To hell with looking stupid. He was tired of the jerk to the throat every time it happened. He wandered along the lower edge of the counter, half-conscious of the familiar voices of the other guys in the living room, then turned slowly toward them, huffing his way to Jimin's feet and flopping down across them.

"He really loves you," Taehyung said, the smile in his voice unmistakeable.

Shut up, Namjoon thought, but he was too tired to put the necessary fight into it.

"Oh?" a stranger's voice said.

Namjoon's eyes flew open. He knew that voice. He froze, then rolled over, jerking his head in the direction of the voice and hating the pressure on his neck. The man perched on a stool by the counter had gained facial hair and a few ear piercings, but his voice remained the same, a dangerous teasing undertone that made the hair on Namjoon's back rise.

"So this is where he was hanging out?" Jeohoon said. "Long time no see, Joonie."

Life is a fight. Good thing I'm stubborn.

Wanted to quit before I started writing. Not sure why. Tired. Haven't been able to use my words as well as I used to. I hope this chapter is good. They say don't force your writing but I promised, right? I promised. And it turned out okay, I think.

I'm drinking water. College is okay. I'm almost caught up with my assignments, and I'm about to go to bed. I like my professors, I'm seeing old friends, I've started projects that seem fun. I got to draw a skeleton model in charcoal today.

Today was productive. I'm not lazy, I'm not failing. Just glad I could update. Just glad I could update. I can do this.

I love you. Thank you for all your support.