Guardian

16

Namjoon scrambled back so fast he tripped over his feet and fell, slamming his butt on the ground and curling over. Jeohoon stared down at him, apparently just as startled.

"What--"

The change was instinctive. One moment Namjoon was struggling to his feet, hands splayed on the ground; the next he was back in cat form, streaking for the bedroom and hiding under the bed.

"What the hell?" Jeohoon said. Namjoon heard him coming toward the bedroom and backed up against the wall beneath the bed, tucking his tail beneath him.

"Joonie?" Jeohoon said. "Were you... in your human form?"

Namjoon shook. This was when Jeohoon was most terrifying, when he sounded like a confused friend and not the person who had hurt Namjoon for most of his life. Namjoon flinched as Jeohoon knelt by the bed, pressing himself against the floor and reaching for him.

Namjoon was tired. The consequences of walking and crawling around all day didn't disappear with his change in form, and he was exhausted, scared, and suddenly frustrated, angry at Jeohoon for invading Jimin's house without permission and trying to corner him. He was done, he decided, with Jeohoon's bullshit.

He stretched out a paw and gave Jeohoon a good swipe to the arm.

"Ow! Fucking cat--"

Namjoon meowed angrily and crawled forward on his belly, scrambling past Jeohoon and out into the open. Jeohoon lunged to his feet and bent down, sweeping him up, but Namjoon didn't care. Front paws, hid paws-- Jeohoon was in reach, and he was going to make him pay for trying to ruin everything again.

It didn't take Jeohoon long to drop him, at which point Namjoon scrambled out of range of his kicks, hissing and spitting before dashing in to bite his ankles. Jeohoon hollered, but the noise only fed Namjoon's rising rage. He clawed his way up Jeohoon's back onto his head and hung on for dear life as Jeohoon stumbled in circles, cursing and trying to pull him off.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Jimin demanded.

Jeohoon froze, and Namjoon meowed, still holding onto his head.

"Your cat attacked me," Jeohoon started.

"Shut up," Jimin snarled. "We both know that's Joon, and you're never doing good things if you're in the same room as him. What. is. going. on?"

Jimin was scary when he was mad. Not the friendly, puffed-chest mad, but the stern, hard, five-feet-of-hard-muscle-and-focused-anger mad. Namjoon slowly let go and leapt off Jeohoon onto the bed, sitting down and watching Jimin cautiously. Jeohoon huffed, crossing his arms, and looking down, scuffing a foot on the wood floor.

"I came because I wanted to talk to you, and your door was unlocked."

"No shit Sherlock," Jimin huffed. "And you left it gaping open, too! Wanna invite other bastards into my home?"

"No!" Jeohoon protested. "I wanted to talk to you! I thought--"

"We've been over this," Jimin said, planting his feet. "I don't want you in my house, and I don't want you anywhere near Namjoon. Get out."

"But--"

"Get out!"

Jeohoon's shoulders rose defensively. "I don't see why you're defending--"

Jimin whipped out his phone, swiped, tapped, and held it to his ear.

"You wouldn't--" Jeohoon said.

"Yes, I'm calling to report an intruder in my house," Jimin said. "Could you send someone over to--"

"Jimin!"

"Let me correct that," Jimin said, his voice still terrifyingly even. "The bastard who abused my closest friend while pretending to be friends with me is standing in my bedroom, and I want him out. How soon can you send someone over?"

Jeohoon stood stock still, apparently speechless. Namjoon's mouth had fallen open, and he continued to gape at Jimin, not quiet sure what he was hearing.

"Y-you--" Jeohoon said.

Jimin's eyes softened, slightly. "I told you to go to rehab," he said. "You trusted me to give you that advice. Why didn't you take it?"

"I--..." Jeohoon sighed, crossing his arms, and seemed to shrink into himself. "I don't know."

Jimin sighed. "They should be able to help you," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't." Outside, Namjoon heard sirens wailing.