Notes :-

This is my first time writing an action centered piece as well as my first time experimenting with the A/B/O trope so please be kind to me! Thank you!

Chapter 1

“You’re being ridiculous, Joonie.”

“Well, I’d rather be ridiculous than a grieving spouse, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin groaned internally.  He loved his husband more than life itself but he hated when he said things that were impossible to argue with during a discussion.

“But I honestly don’t think I need a bodyguard.”

"Jimin-ah..."

The petite Omega could hear the frustration in his husband's voice.  If he were married to anyone other than Kim Namjoon he would worry about being forced into compliance by his mate's Alpha voice, but Namjoon had never resorted to that extreme during the whole of their five year relationship, always preferring reason and compromise over coercion or force.  It was one of the things Jimin loved most about him.

“...I know this is  not an ideal situation but it’s not forever, baby.  It’s just until we get this Geumga Tower situation settled.  And it wouldn't be all the time.  Just whenever you leave home by yourself.”

“Are you sure you’re not overreacting?” Jimin asked.

“I really don’t think that I am, love.  Some of the communications we’ve been receiving in regards to our refusal to sell that property have the security guys nervous – especially the ones that mention you.”

 “I’m sure it’s just some prospective buyers blowing off steam, hyung.”

“Maybe.  Maybe not, but I can’t ignore it.  It would destroy me if something happened to you that I could’ve prevented, jagiya.”

Jimin studied Namjoon's expression carefully.   “You really feel that strongly about this?”

Namjoon cupped his spouse's face in his large hands and stared into his eyes.  “Yes.  Yes, I really and truly do.”

 “Fine," Jimin sighed.  "If it will make you feel better.  But if I’m going to be spending a lot of time with this person, can I at least have a say in who you chose?”

“Absolutely.  As a matter of fact, I’ve asked someone to come over this evening.  I don’t know if you’ll remember him.  It’s one of my old college friends.  Min Yoongi?”

“Yoongi-hyung?  Sure I remember him.  I haven't seen him in ages.  He’s the one that used to work for the police department, right?”

“Yeah.  After he left the force a couple of years ago he started a private security business.  He’s really good at what he does and I trust him completely.”

Jimin smiled as he reached up to place a tender kiss on Namjoon's cheek.

“Well if you trust him then I trust him, love.”

“Thank you, baby."  Jimin could sense the overwhelming relief in his mate as he wrapped him in a warm embrace.  "This will give me so much peace of mind while I'm gone the next couple of days.”

“Do you have to go to that conference?  You know I don’t sleep well without you,” Jimin pouted as he nuzzled his head against Namjoon's broad chest.

“I don’t like being away from you either, love.  I’ll get these meetings over with as quick as I can then I’ll be right back here where I belong.”

Even after three years of marriage it still bothered the pair to be away from each other for any extended period of time.  It was part of what fueled Namjoon’s concern regarding the threats.  He could barely manage being away from Jimin for a couple of days.  A lifetime without his partner was utterly unthinkable.

***

So Jimin agreed to meet with Yoongi.  The Alpha was much like he remembered - a quiet, professional man with a dry wit who was clearly very serious about his job.

After reviewing the situation with the couple, Yoongi outlined some basic security measures he thought ought to be implemented immediately.  Namjoon listened intently to everything Yoongi proposed but Jimin would later be ashamed to confess that he hadn't been paying quite as much attention as he ought to have been.

The last instruction Yoongi gave before leaving that night was for Jimin to wait in the apartment the next morning until his bodyguard arrived.  Yoongi would call first to verify he was in the garage then take the lift to the apartment and personally escort Jimin back to the car before driving him directly to the studio where the dancer worked.

And Jimin really HAD meant to comply with that request but Namjoon got up much earlier than normal the following day, leaving before dawn to get to his conference on time. Once he was gone Jimin had gone back to sleep without resetting the alarm, which lead to him oversleeping by almost an hour.

When he woke again and saw the time he panicked, throwing on his clothes and grabbing his keys, phone and dance bag before charging out the door.  He was already in the lift before he remembered that he was supposed to wait inside the apartment for Yoongi’s call.

Oh well, he thought, the visitor space where hyung said he would park is right next to the elevator.  I'm perfectly safe.  I can even use the extra time to pick up coffee for Hobi and Kook on the way.

At that thought he began dialing his friend and boss, Hoseok.  He was just asking for his and Jungkook's drink orders when the lift doors opened and he stepped out into the empty parking garage.

Something in the air caused Jimin to stop midsentence.  He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong but suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he could feel his pulse start to quicken.

"Hey!  Jimin-ah...you still there?"

Jimin could barely hear Hoseok's voice on the other end of the line, his wolf senses now on high alert, trying to figure out what it was about his surroundings that didn't feel right.

Jimin mumbled something unintelligible before ending the call without replying to his friend's question then took a few tentative steps away from the lift.

He paused and stood very still, his eyes frantically scanning his surroundings as he tried to determine what was out of place. A second later an unfamiliar dark SUV pulled out of a spot a few meters away and rolled to a stop in front of him.

The deeply tinted front passenger window rolled down to reveal two burly men in dark suits and mirrored sunglasses sitting inside. An almost tangible wave of aggressive alpha pheromones poured off of them, causing Jimin's nose to twitch in disgust.

The driver had a viselike grip the steering wheel and kept his gaze fixed forward but the passenger turned towards Jimin and smiled, however the action came across as cold and calculated instead of warm and friendly.

"Park Jimin?  We've been sent by your husband to make sure you get to work safely."

Knowing this was a blatant lie, Jimin subtly shifted his weight backwards as he assessed his options.  Realizing that he wouldn't be able to reach the lift in time, he decided to stall in the hopes Yoongi would arrive soon.

"Really?  What happened to my usual driver?" Jimin forced himself to keep his tone light, his gut telling him not to use Yoongi’s name.

He could almost see the wheels spinning in the other man's head as he formulated a plausible answer.

"Him?  He got sick at the last minute.  We’re the replacements."

"Nobody said anything to me about a switch," countered Jimin as he fidgeted with the straps of his duffle bag.

"Hmm...that's funny.  The other guy was supposed to call and let you know.  If I were you, I'd mention his shoddy performance to your husband,"  the man answered as he motioned towards the back seat.   "Come on.  Hurry up and get in.  Don’t want you to be late."

Jimin's fingers tightened around his phone.  "If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll just call and confirm…"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the man in the passenger seat suddenly threw open his car door and leapt forward. Anticipating the move, the dancer managed to spin expertly out of the way.

Jimin quickly jumped up and slid across the hood of the small sports car beside him, landed deftly on his feet before sprinting towards the emergency stairs but his assailant was faster than he anticipated.

The large man pounced towards his prey, snagging hold of Jimin's dance bag and jerking hard, the resulting change in momentum causing the Omega to stumble briefly.

His attacker then lunged for his wrist but Jimin swung his arm out of range, jerking his bag away from the man and switching it to his other hand. He whipped it around until it made contact with the man's skull, causing him to pitch forward.   Jimin then took the opportunity to drive his foot down hard on the back of the guy's leg.

When the man briefly dropped to his knees Jimin made another dash for the stairs but the driver of the SUV managed to use the vehicle to block his path.   Seeing the other man struggling to his feet, Jimin flung the dance bag in his face as a distraction and rolled underneath a nearby truck.

As he lay panting under the pickup, he saw two pairs of highly polished shoes taking up positions on either side of his hiding spot. Taking deep breath Jimin hurled himself headlong from under the front of the vehicle.

He scrambled to his feet and made it a few steps before being grabbed from behind.  Jimin threw one leg back and hooked it around his attacker's, making it difficult for the man to lift him too far off the ground.  He then twisted his body enough to bring the other leg into a position where he could slam his foot into his assailant's crotch.

The man grunted in pain, causing him to  loosen his hold on Jimin long enough for him to tear himself free. He pivoted just in time to see the driver now approaching him with a knife.  Jimin widened his stance, shifting his weight as he rapidly tried to calculate his best defensive move when he suddenly heard the screeching of tires followed seconds  later by the ear piercing crack of a gunshot.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the sounds were coming from Yoongi, who was now charging towards him with his pistol drawn.  The attackers split up, each taking off in different directions.  Yoongi shot at the one closest to Jimin, catching the guy in the leg, dropping him to the ground.

The other guy took advantage of the diversion, diving back into the SUV and peeling off as fast as he could.  Yoongi fired off two more shots, shattering the back window as the vehicle tore out of the garage.

Yoongi raced over to Jimin and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You okay?" he panted.

Jimin nodded numbly, momentarily unable to form words.

"What the hell happened?!  Why are you down..."

Before Yoongi could finish, the remaining perpetrator tried to push himself off the ground.   Without hesitation, Yoongi swung around and kicked the man hard in the gut, causing the man to collapse back onto the cold concrete floor.

"Did anyone say that you could move, asshole?" Yoongi growled as he dropped and jammed his knee in between the man's shoulder blades, using his full weight to hold him in place.  He then leaned over and pressed the muzzle of his gun just behind the man's ear.

"Now stay still or I will not hesitate to blow your mother ******* head off, are we clear?"

When he didn't get an immediate response, Yoongi pushed the cold steel of the gun harder against the man's skin.

"I said, are we clear?"

The man on the ground huffed and gave the smallest possible nod of his head to convey that he did, indeed, understand Yoongi's command.

Seemingly appeased for the moment, the bodyguard glanced up at Jimin then jerked his head in the direction of his black, four door sedan parked a few feet away.

"Keys are inside.  Get in, lock the doors, sit in the back and wait.  I'll call the police.  Once they get here to collect the trash then I'll escort you upstairs." Yoongi's tone was clipped and matter of fact.  "In the meantime if any of this idiot's friends come back, you jump into the driver's seat and get the hell out of here as fast as you can. Head for the nearest police station.  Don't hesitate.  Don't wait for me or anyone else - just go, understand?"

Jimin nodded as he made his way slowly towards the car. Yoongi observed how badly the younger man was shaking as he collected his bag and jacket on the way.  As a former police officer he recognized that moment when the adrenaline rush begins to give way to the realization of both what had happened as well as what might have happened.

"Jimin-ah?"  Yoongi's tone softened slightly as the dancer turned to look at him.  "It's okay.  You're okay.  Just get in the car, call Joonie and wait, alright?"

Once the Omega was safely sheltered inside the vehicle, Yoongi made a quick call to the police then turned his attention back to the criminal beneath him.  He produced a pair of handcuffs from his inside jacket pocket and expertly secured them around the man's wrists before whipping off his necktie, using it to bind the man's ankles to make sure he wasn't going to try and run.

"Ouch!  Watch it!  I'm bleeding!" cried the man.

"Really?  I've heard that can happen when you get shot," deadpanned Yoongi as tightened the restraings before plopping down and making himself comfortable on the man's lower back.

"Unfortunately it's the wound isn't bad enough for you to bleed out which gives us a little time before the police get here for us to have a chat about who your employer is and what their interest is in my employer's mate."

"Uh-uh.  No way," the man on the ground grunted.  "Not talking about that."

"Sure you don't want to reconsider that position?  I can shoot you again.  No one will question it and it won't bother me a bit.  I got plenty of bullets to spare.  I've got a loyalty card so I get a discount."

"Go ahead.  Shoot me as many times as you want.  Whatever you do will still be quicker and less painful than what my boss would do to me if I squealed."

As the man spoke Yoongi took a cursory look at his neck and wrists, noting the lack of any gang tattoos indicating to him that this was no low level street thug.  The elite gangsters frowned on those kinds of markings anymore as it made it too easy for law enforcement to determine allegiances in situations like this.

Before Yoongi could question the man any further, however, a battered, rusty two seater coupe abruptly careened into the garage.  It's slightly splayed wheels skidded to a stop a few meters away then two men sprung out and began hurtling in Yoongi's direction.

The bodyguard snapped to attention and pointed his gun at the intruders.

"Stop right there!"

The men hesitated for just  a moment before the shorter of the two squared his shoulders and barked, "Where's Jimin?  What have you done to him?"

"Who the hell are you?" Yoongi growled, shifting his aim towards the man's chest.

Suddenly a distraught voice called out from behind him.  "Yoongi-hyung!  Stop! It's okay!  They're my friends!"

Yoongi kept his eyes trained on the newcomers as he yelled back over his shoulder.  "Jimin!  Get back in the car.  Now!"

"Only if you promise not to hurt them!"

Yoongi swallowed hard, fighting to keep his hands steady as his Alpha struggled to deal with with the smell of Jimin's distress coupled with the palpable fear in the Omega's voice.

"I promise, okay?  Now... get. back. in. the. car."  He forced the last command out through clenched teeth, his jaw relaxing only when Jimin complied with the request.

The taller of the men from the car - a young Alpha covered in piercings and tattoos - stepped menacingly towards Yoongi.

"See?  He's told you that he knows us, so let us by," he insisted.

Yoongi shook his head firmly. "Nope.  Sorry but  I'm not letting anyone - especially an immature alpha with obvious impulse control issues - around that distressed Omega right now."

The younger man visibly bristled at the insult and took another step in Yoongi's direction.

"And just who the hell are you to make that call?" he challenged.

"I’m the one in charge of keeping him safe, pup," Yoongi retorted.

"Really?  Looks like you’re doing a pretty piss poor job of it, Gramps."

Yoongi's nose twitched as he raised his gun again.

The other man rolled his eyes as he stepped between the two.

"Alright, alright!  Take it down a notch, the pair of you!  For the time being let's just assume that everyone’s **** is the same size."  The man shook his head as he huffed in annoyance.  "Now if the big, bad alphas have finished their pissing contest, can we at least check for ourselves to see if our friend is okay?"

"You can talk to him from here," Yoongi snapped.

By now the younger alpha was clearly agitated, pacing in small circles and running his hand roughly through his hear.

"I can smell how upset he is, Hobi-hyung.  We need to get him out of here now."

"No way.  Not gonna happen, pup," reiterated Yoongi in a firm voice.  "He isn’t leaving my sight until the police have this bastard in custody and I have Jimin-ah safely tucked away in his flat."

The older male gave the younger a reassuring pat on the arm before taking a step towards Yoongi.

"Fine.  How about a compromise?  Can I at least sit with him to help calm him down?"

Yoongi scrutinized him closely, sniffing the air to assess the threat level.  “You’re a Beta, right?”

The man pulled a face and crossed his arms as he snarked, “Yep.  That’s me.  I’ve got a name and everything, believe it or not.”

Yoongi ignored the attitude being thrown his way. He kept his eyes on the pair as he motioned for Jimin to roll down the car window.

“Jimin-ah?  Are you okay having this person with you in the car?”

The omega's quivering voice immediately answered back. “Yes.  Hobi-hyung is one of my best friends.  I work with him and Kookie at the dance studio. Namjoon knows them and trusts them both as well.”

Yoongi briefly considered his options then gave Hobi a curt nod.  "Alright. Go ahead."

Hobi stalked towards the car, muttering a sarcastic, "Thanks, Ant Man" on his way past.

Yoongi barely had time to register the thinly veiled jab at his stature when the one Jimin referred to as Kookie attempted to follow his hyung.

Yoongi brought the gun back up and pointed it at him.

"Nuh-uh.  Sorry.  Not you, pup."

The Alpha directed a defiant stare at Yoongi and was just starting to take another step when Hobi called out to him.

"Jungkook?  Stay where you are, please.  Jimin is struggling enough as it is.  All these additional angsty alpha pheromones you guys are spewing out are just making things worse, okay?"

Jungkook snarled at Yoongi but did as he was told.  He kept his eyes locked on Yoongi as he sauntered back and leaned on the rusty hood of the car in which they'd arrived. The alphas were locked in a silent stare down when suddenly Hoseok's voice rang out once again.

"Hey!  You!  Arnold Shortsenegger!  With the gun!"

Once more dumbfounded at the monumental levels of disrespect being directed at him, Yoongi spluttered out, "Ex-excuse me?"

Hoseok plowed on as if this were an everyday occurrence for him.

“My scent isn’t strong enough to override the stench of that bozo you’re currently using a futon and it's causing Jimin to have an anxiety attack.  Is there anything in here with your smell on it that I can wrap around him until we can get him into a shower?”

Yoongi squelched the dozens of insults he wanted to hurl back and instead focused on the job at hand.

“There are some scent suppressant wipes along with a hoodie and a couple of t-shirts inside the gym bag laying on the passenger seat.  You can use any of them.”

"I can give him mine," Jungkook offered, already reaching to remove his own shirt.

"Sorry, Kookie.  I'm sure he appreciates the offer but the car already reeks of Junior John Wick over there.  If we add any more scents to the equation it might overwhelm him."

Min Yoongi took a deep breath and pushed aside the mounting irritation festering inside him.

"Has Jimin-ah talked to Namjoon yet?" he asked.

 “Yeah, he did.  He’s on his way back as we speak.”

Before Yoongi could ask about the timing of Namjoon's arrival the police arrived.

Hoseok could tell right away that Yoongi knew most of the responding officers and thankfully he was able to use his influence to make things as short and painless as possible for Jimin, convincing the detectives to defer the in-depth debriefing until later.

As the police were dragging the perpetrator away, Yoongi asked one of the officers  to move his car into the empty spot by the elevator, the Beta looking on in confusion as they pushed the car rather than driving it.  Once that had been done, Hobi observed the man tossing a small, round object into the car.  Seconds later, the passenger compartment filled with a fine, white smoke.

The Beta glanced at one of the young officers and gave her a questioning look.

"It's a scent neutralizer," she explained.  "When the smoke clears out then you shouldn't be able to smell anything.  Makes it easier for the Alpha to focus instead of continually being distracted by the aroma of a panicked Omega."

Just then Yoongi walked over, talking with Namjoon on his phone.  He confirmed that Jimin was perfectly safe now but that he would make sure the Omega was secured in their apartment and stand guard outside the door until his mate arrived.

Upon hearing this, Hoseok jumped in.  “I’ll stay inside with him until Joon gets back.”

Seeing the look of relief on Jimin's face at that offer, Yoongi pushed his personal feelings about the beta aside and shrugged.

“Fine.  As long as Jimin and Namjoon agree then I got no problem with that.”

"What about me?" Jungkook asked.

"What about you?" scoffed Yoongi.

"I'm not going to leave my boss and my best friend alone with you," snapped the younger man.

"And again, I'm not putting an aggressive Alpha in an enclosed space with a distressed Omega," shot back Yoongi as he prepared to square off against the muscular youth.

"Oh, sweet Baby Beyonce!" snarled Hoseok.  "Can't you two put a lid on in for five minutes?!"

He jerked his head towards Yoongi's car.  "Jungkook, please stay down here and stand guard over Baby Bruce Lee's car until Joon gets back."

Jungkook's brow scrunched in confusion.  "Why should I give a rat's *** about his car?"

"Because unless I'm mistaken, it appears as if it's the one Chim's going to be riding around in for the foreseeable future and someone needs to make sure that whoever tried to hurt my little buddy just now doesn't come back and try to tamper with it while the Tiny Terminator is guarding the door upstairs."

Yoongi was torn between being wanting to congratulate the Beta on his foresight while simultaneously wanting to smack him for the unrelenting stream of jabs about his stature.

"Fine," Jungkook grumbled.  "But I'm only doing it because you asked."

"Thanks, Kookie.  That's why you're the Alpha I like best," grinned Hobi, as he wrapped his arm around Jimin's shoulder and began guiding him towards the elevator..

"I'm the only Alpha you like, hyung," quipped Jungkook as they walked away.

"Same difference, JK!"  the Beta laughed, happy to see that the comfort of their well worn repartee was bringing a hint of a smile to Jimin's face.

As the trio entered the elevator, Hoseok watched carefully as Yoongi put on a medical grade face mask before moving to the furthest spot away from Jimin and Hobi.  The Alpha fixed his eyes on the wall in front of him and didn't move or speak until they arrived at the appropriate floor.

As soon as the doors to the lift opened, Yoongi drew his weapon and scanned the hallway before motioning for Jimin and Hobi to exit.  He waited for Jimin to enter the security code on the door then silently signaled for the pair to wait in the entry way until he checked to ensure the apartment was safe.

"Alright.  Jimin-ah?  I'll be right outside this door.  If anyone unusual tries to contact you or you feel anything is the least little bit wrong or out of place you yell for me, pronto, okay?"

Jimin gave a weak nod and tried to keep his voice steady as he replied.

"I will.  And...th-thank you, Yoongi-hyung.  I...I don't know what I would've done without you today."

"It's okay, Jimin.  Namjoon-ah will be home soon.  Just rest and relax now."  He shifted his attention to Hoseok.  "And you...I'll be needing to do recon on this dance studio of yours before Jimin returns to work."

Hoseok plastered on a fake smile and gave an over the top salute to the bodyguard.

"Whatever you say, Small Fry Samurai."

Yoongi could feel his eyes starting to twitch as he turned on his heel and marched into the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he removed his mask and assumed a defensive stance, taking a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose as he debated who he wanted to shoot more - the attacker that got away or one of Jimin's friends.

In that moment he was fine with either option.

Notes:

So.... that's the beginning. Anyone interested in seeing what happens next?

As always, kind and constructive feedback is always welcome!

As Yoongi tried to squelch his murderous tendencies out in the hall, Hoseok was throwing the clothes Jimiin had been wearing into the laundry while the Omega took a long, hot shower in an attempt to eliminate his attacker's scent from his body. excise

After the third scrub down he was feeling a bit more like himself.  He toweled off and changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Namjoon's hoodies before Hoseok wrapped him in a fluffy fleece blanket and curled up beside him on the sofa.

The Beta handed him a mug of chamomile tea which Jimin cradled in the sweater paws of his mate's oversized shirt as he leaned against his friend.

"Don't worry, Minnie," said Hoseok, wrapping his arm around the Omega's shoulders.  "I'm gonna stay right here and make sure nothing happens to you until Namjoon gets home."

Jimin closed his eyes briefly as he sipped his tea.  "You don't need to worry about that, Hobi-hyung.  Trust me.  Nobody's getting through that door as long as Yoongi-hyung is standing out there."

"You sure seem to put a lot of faith in the Bite Size Badass, Jimin-ah," Hoseok scowled as he glanced towards the entry way.

"Hyung, can you please try to treat him with a little more respect?"

"Why should I?" Hoseok huffed.

"Well, to start with, you've known my husband almost as long as I have.  You know that after what just happened,  if I ever want to see the outside of this apartment again then Yoongi-hyung will have to be with me which means he's going to be spending a lot of time at the studio."

Hobi rolled his eyes so far back that Jimin wondered if he could actually see the inside of his own skull.

"Great!  Spending all day with that little Alpha Ankle Biter hanging around?  That should be loads of fun."

Jimin gave his boss a  pleading look.  "Hyung, I know you don't care for alphas other than Namjoon and Kookie, but it would be nice if everyone could get along.  Besides,  Yoongi's really a good guy.  He...he's been through a lot."

Hoseok didn't even try to mask the derision in his voice.  "Oh, I'm sure an apex Alpha male like him has faced LOADS of disappointment in his lifetime."

"Listen, I know you don't think so but he really has been through some bad shit, okay?"

"Like what?"

Jimin stared into his mug, weighing his next words carefully.

"I can't really say anymore than that because Namjoon told me about it in confidence but...just know that even though Yoongi-hyung is a bit...grumpy and his social skills are a little rusty...he's a good person and a good Alpha.  I promise.  He's nothing like You Know Who."

At this both men paused. leaned over and spit on the ground before continuing on as if nothing happened.

"Fine," said Hoseok in a grudging tone.  "For your sake, I'll do my best to make nice with the Petite Power Ranger."

Jimin tried not to laugh.  He was only moderately successful.

"I suppose that's all I can ask for.  Thank you, hyung."

Hobi tugged Jimin closer and ruffled his hair.

"So... if I can't get Fun Size Fight Club's story, how about we fill the time by you explaining what the hell happened this morning and why you even need a bodyguard to begin with?"

Jimin took a deep breath as he rested his head against Hoseok's shoulder.

"It's kind of complicated..."

"I got nowhere to be, Chim."

The Omega pulled the blanket closer and tucked his legs underneath him.

"Okay...It's like this...Joon's great-grandfather originally established their family business with the help of investors that consisted mainly of a group of friends who lived in a big building located in what was then a really run down part of the city.  As way of thanking them for their help, when Great Grandfather Kim became successful he bought the property and renovated it with the written guarantee that all of those families could live and work there for as long as they wanted without fear of eviction.  Ever since that day, each heir that has taken over the running of the company swears to honor that pledge."

"So when Namjoon's father died and he assumed the role last year...."

"He took a sacred oath that the property would remain in the hands of the Kim family and that the terms would be honored as they'd always been."

 "That's all very touching, Jimin-ah but I'm not sure how it ties in to what happened to you."

"That building is now in a very desirable part of town, hyung.  Over the years lots of people have made extremely lucrative offers to purchase it but, of course, the Kim family has refused."

Jimin began gnawing at his lip as he tightened his grip on the mug in hands.

"Until recently that's all it ever was - polite, persistent inquiries.  But a few months ago an anonymous buyer started getting much more...aggressive with their offers.  And when they were told in no uncertain terms that the property was not for sale at ANY price that's when the threats began.  I didn't take them seriously but Namjoon insisted on getting me a bodyguard.  I was supposed to wait on Yoongi-hyung to escort me to his car this morning but I decided to ignored what he told me to do and..."

The Omega dropped his chin to his chest as his voice trailed off.

Hoseok pulled Jimin closer and rested  his chin on his friend's head.  "No offense, Minnie.  You know that I'd never want any harm to come to your mate  but...why go after you? Why not target Joon directly?  He's the one that owns the place these bastards want."

"That's where it gets complicated.  Since there are currently no other direct heirs that are currently of age, if something happened to Namjoon, then I would inherit everything.  But since I'm not a Kim by birth the paperwork for that specific property is written in such a way that any attempt on my part to sell after Joon's passing would be tied up in probate for years if not decades.  Not that I would even think of doing such a thing anyway.  I would never betray his family's trust like that."

"So you think whoever wants this property tried to grab you so they could use you as leverage to force Namjoon to sell since he's the only one with the authority to break the contract?"

"It would appear so."

Hoseok leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.  "Jimin-ah?  Do you think what happened today will cause Joonie to rethink his promise and sell anyway?"

Jimin shook his head firmly.  "No.  I won't let him sell."

"But Jiminie..."

"NO, hyung!"  The unexpected force of the Omega's tone startled Hoseok.   "For all of Joonie's progressive ways of thinking, family honor is still incredibly important to him.  If he were to break his oath because of me, I...well, I couldn't live with myself."

The Beta gazed fondly as he nudged his friend's shoulder.

"Hey?  You know that Namjoon loves you more than anything in the world, right? Given the choice, you know that he'd choose you - over money, family, honor, what have you...without a second thought."

"I do know that, hyung.  And I love him enough to make sure that he never has to face that kind of choice.  If that means having Min Yoongi surgically attached to my hip until they catch whoever is responsible for this then so be it."

Jimin gave Hoseok a pointed look.   "So it would really help me if all parties involved could get along with each other?"

Hoseok made a face then huffed in resignation.  "Fine, fine...Like I said before, if playing nice with Diminutive Dirty Harry will keep you safe then I'll give it a try."

"Thank you, Hobi-hyung.  You're the best," beamed Jimin.

"I know I am. Be sure and inform Little Liam Neeson of that, will you?"

Jimin chuckled as he snuggled into his friend's side.  "I promise that I'll make him aware of that fact."

xx

The tea and Hoseok's calming presence had almost lulled Jimin to sleep when the sound of a commotion in the hallway caused both men to leap to their feet.

The door flew open and a distraught Namjoon came barreling inside, making a mad dash towards his mate.  Hoseok barely had time to jump out of the way before the Alpha had scooped his Omega into his arms, embracing him so tightly that for a moment Jimin was worried he might crack a rib.

Namjoon fought back tears as he began smothering his mate with kisses while simultaneously trying to leave his scent on any bit of the Omega's exposed skin he could reach. Jimin managed to work one hand free, running his fingers through his husband's hair as he whispered repeated assurances that he was okay.

Once he felt his mate was sufficiently scented, Namjoon turned and snarled at Yoongi, who was still standing in the doorway.

"What the fuck, Yoongi?!  You're not on the job a full twenty four hours and..."

Hoseok studied the bodyguard as he remained motionless, head bowed, hands clasped in front of  him, stoically accepting whatever abuse the other Alpha hurled at him.

"Namjoon!  Stop!"  Jimin scolded his mate sharply as he wrestled his way out of Namjoon's arms.  "It's not his fault. It's mine!"

Namjoon looked at the upset Omega in confusion.  "What?  What are you talking about?  He..."

"He did exactly what he was supposed to do!  I was the one who didn't listen!"

Jimin's voice broke, the smell of his anguish causing Namjoon to experience a fresh round of panic and anxiety.

"I didn't do what he asked me to do, hyung!  I went downstairs on my own before he called.  I was the one who put myself in danger, not him!"

Jimin glanced sadly at the still unmoving Yoongi, sniffing back a tear before grasping his mate's hands.

"I ignored his instructions because I wasn't taking the threats seriously but I am now.  I swear it.  I'll do everything he asks of me from now on but please...please don't blame Yoongi-hyung for what happened today.  If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here right now.  He really did save me, Joonie.  I...I owe him my life."

Namjoon's lip quivered as he reached out and pulled his mate back into his arms, burying his head into the Omega's hair, inhaling the scent of his love deep into his lungs.  He swallowed hard then looked over at his old friend.

"Then I owe him my life as well," Namjoon fought to control the emotion in his voice.  "Thank you, hyung.  I...I'm sorry for my outburst before. I was just..."

Yoongi waved dismissively as he began backing into the hallway.

"You were upset.  Completely understandable.  However, if you feel that my services have been sub-standard, there'll be no hard feelings if you decide to terminate our agreement..."

"NO!" cried Jimin as he cast a beseeching look at his mate.  "Please, Joon!  I trust Yoongi-hyung!  Don't blame him for my screw up!"

"Yoongi, wait!  Don't go," called Namjoon.  "I...we...want you to stay on.  Please."

The bodyguard hesitated then nodded.  "As you wish. However, I'm assuming the two of you are going to stay in this for the remainder of the day so if it's okay with him..."

Yoongi tipped his head in Hoseok's direction.

"I'd like to do a thorough recon of the dance studio before Jimin returns there.  Given the events of this morning, I think I need to do more than just rely on our conversations and the pictures I saw on the internet."

Both Namjoon and Jimin glanced at Hoseok who nodded with gritted teeth.

"Of course.  Anything for my little Jiminie."

As Hoseok followed Yoongi out into the hallway, the Beta caught Jimin's attention and stuck out his tongue while mouthing, "You owe me for this".

Jimin raised his eyebrows and mouthed back, "Be nice, remember?"

Hoseok held his hands up in mock surrender before blowing a kiss to the little Omega.  He would've given him a hug but he could smell the tidal wave of protective pheromones rolling off Namjoon  and knew any attempt to touch Jimin, however innocent, wouldn't be well received by the Alpha at the moment.

The group said their good-byes then Hoseok found himself standing in the hall with Yoongi as they waited for the lift.

After an awkward pause, the Beta was surprised when the Alpha broke the silence.

"I'm surprised you're willing to ride in the same elevator with me," Yoongi muttered.

Hoseok crossed his arms and kept his gaze fixed on the wall in front of him.

"Yeah, well...I'm surprised you didn't fight back when Namjoon went after you. Thought that's what you boys lived for...tearing each other's throats out in situations like that."

Yoongi gave an indifferent shrug.  "He was upset and rightfully so. The most precious thing in his life had been threatened.  Any Alpha would react the same way at the thought of losing their mate."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yoongi observed an abrupt shift in Hoseok's posture.  The Beta's shoulders tensed and his jaw clenched as he scoffed and mumbled, "Not all of them...".   He then suddenly turned on his heel and began walking quickly towards the emergency stairs.

"Hey!"  Yoongi called out.  "Where are you going?  I still need to go to your..."

Without turning around, Hobi held up his arm, tugging his sleeve down just enough to show the fitness tracker on his wrist.

"I just realized that all this hullabaloo has put me behind on my movement goals...need to get my steps in.  I'll meet you by your car."

He didn't spare Yoongi a backwards glance before slamming through the heavy, metal door to the stairwell.

The Alpha stared after him then shook his head, deciding to be grateful for the momentary respite from the Beta's hostilities as the elevator doors slid open before him.

He was grudgingly impressed when the doors opened to reveal that Hoseok had beaten him to their floor without even seeming to break much of a sweat.  The dancer was obviously in better shape than Yoongi had given him credit for.

However, the small amount of serenity Yoongi had mustered during the lift ride disappeared the second he turned the corner and spotted Jungkook sprawled out on the hood of the bodyguard's car, watching videos on his phone.

Yoongi dashed forward and smacked the younger man's leg in an effort to remove his mud splattered Doc Martens from the previously pristine hood without damaging the paint job.

"Aish!  Get your filthy clodhoppers off my car, you snot-nosed punk!"

Jungkook nonchalantly slid off the car and chuckled as the older man whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket and impatiently wiped the scuff marks off the otherwise immaculate surface of his car.

"What's the matter, gramps?"  The young Alpha's eyebrows twitched upwards as he consciously leaned into Yoongi's personal space. "Upset that my feet are bigger than yours?"

Yoongi growled as Hobi stepped in and shoved the men apart.

"Back off, JK.   You know that it's impolite to make those kind of comments when Tiny Tom Cruise here is obviously dealing with some inherent inadequacy issues."

The Beta then fluttered his eyelashes and plastered on a smile as he gestured towards the exit ramp of the car park.

"You can follow us to the studio.  Think you can keep up?"

Yoongi cast a disparaging glance at the vehicle Hoseok and JK had arrived in.

"Yeah...I think I got it."

The bodyguard slipped into his tidy sedan and took two deep cleansing breathes before pulling out of the spot to follow JK's car.

He used the word "car" loosely and only because he lacked a better term for an object that seemingly  passed as a means of motorized conveyance that [for the time being at least] operated on four wheels.

He was more than a little surprised when the ancient coupe actually arrived at the dance studio with all of its parts apparently still intact.

He retrieved a bag from the trunk of his car and immediately started working his way through his detailed reconnaissance checklist, taking a bit more time than he  normally would just because he could tell that the slow, methodical pace was beginning to irritate Hoseok.

After he had deliberately checked the same door three times, the Beta finally huffed out, "Come on, Knee High Ninja!  I don't have all day!"

At that, Yoongi finally snapped. He rounded on Hoseok, jabbing his finger hard into the Beta's chest.

"Alright, that's it, Two Bit Travolta!  When were you born?"

Hobi held his ground,  not flinching in the slightest at the aggression.

"1994.  Why?  You trying to make sure I'm legal?"

Yoongi ignored the insinuation.

“I'm 1993.  Your complete disregard of honorifics aside,  at the very least you should be calling me ‘hyung’.”

"Why?"

The straight forwardness of the question caused Yoongi to blink as he stammered,  "B-because that's how our society works?"

“Yeah, well...I don’t care what you or the rest of society thinks.  With me, respect has got to be earned.”

The Alpha tilted his head, as if the change in his physical perspective would somehow cause the conversation to make more sense.

“I just saved your friend from being abducted.  Shouldn’t that buy me a little respect?”

“Not if you only did it because it’s your job,” Hoseok stated firmly.

“How do you know I wouldn’t have done it otherwise?”  Yoongi challenged.

“I don’t,” Hoseok retorted as he pushed past the Alpha.  “So I guess you’ll just have to prove it to me, won’t you?”

The Beta marched into his office, slamming the door behind him, once more leaving Yoongi to wonder what the hell kind of situation he'd gotten himself into.

Namjoon managed to keep his mate at home for all of one evening but the next morning, after the police had taken his full statement and had him work with their sketch artist,  Jimin insisted on returning to work.

His spouse argued against the idea, only relenting after Jimin allowed him to scent the Omega thoroughly, leaving an aroma so strong it forced Yoongi to double mask on the ride to the studio where Hoseok wrinkled his nose and exclaimed, "Jumpin' Jay-Z on a pogo stick, Jiminie!  You reek more than the teenage boys in my contemporary class!"

Yoongi made Jimin wait in Hobi's office until he'd inspected the premises again.  Once he was satisfied that the building was secure he waited while Jimin changed clothes then he stood quietly off to the side of whatever room the Omega was in until it was time to escort him home.

This same pattern repeated itself for the next few days, with Yoongi and Hobi managing to keep a (mostly) respectful distance with only the occasional barbed exchange of acerbic nicknames.

"Jimin-ah?  Does the Half Pint Hit Man really need to search the bags of the three year olds in our baby steps ballet class?"

"Jimin-ah?  Please remind Bargain Basement Baryshnikov over there that my job is to be thorough, not polite."

It was in moments such as those when Jimin would briefly wonder if he might not have been better off allowing himself to be abducted.

As for Jungkook, he amused himself by doing things like placing a geriatric seat cushion on the chair Yoongi used when they had lunch or sneaking large print word searches and tubes of denture cream inside the bodyguard's bag.  In retaliation, Yoongi surreptitiously placed puppy pads and teething toys in the employee changing room beside Jungkook's locker.

So while none of the parties involved were holding hands and singing songs around a campfire,  they did abide by a clear, unspoken agreement as to what their main priority was - keeping Jimin safe.

Near the end of his first full week accompanying the dancer to the studio, Yoongi was escorting the Omega inside when they were met with the sight of  a visibly irate Jungkook standing behind the check in counter, trying to placate someone on the phone who obviously wasn't letting him get a word in edgewise.

The young Alpha looked at Jimin then quickly scribbled a name on a post it note, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue as he held it up for his friend to see.

Seeing the confused expression on Yoongi's face, Jimin sighed as he turned to provide the bodyguard with an explanation.

"Seo MoonJo is the neighborhood bully - slash - busybody," he said as he slipped his jacket off and threw it over his shoulder.

"There's an elderly homeless man that Hobi-hyung sometimes lets sleep in our doorway at nights when most other businesses won't.  Hyung even buys him food and lets him crash inside the studio during the winter when the temps drop too low."

"That's very decent of him.  I take it this MoonJo character doesn't approve?"

"That's putting it lightly," Jimin snorted.  "He hates that hyung does this. Thinks it affects his 'property values.'"

The Omega pretended to gag as he made air quotes around his last statement.

"As if his shabby old second hand shop down the street is some sort of five star establishment.  He calls at least once a week to complain.  We're all getting pretty sick of it.  I wouldn't be surprised if one day hyung..."

As if on cue, the door to Hoseok's studio burst open and the Beta stormed out and snatched the phone away from his youngest employee.

"Hello?  MoonJo?  This is Hoseok.  Listen,  I can tell that you really want me to be as upset about this as you are, but I hate to tell you that I've just double-checked my store room and it seems that my entire inventory of fucks has been utterly depleted."

He switched the phone to his other ear and continued on.

"Sadly I do not foresee my stock being replenished anytime in the near future but if the situation changes and I find myself actually giving a damn about your opinion on this - or any other topic for that matter - then I promise you'll be the very first person I call, okay?  Now leave my employees alone before I come down there and pop you in the mouth.  Got it?  Good.  Bye!"

He then unceremoniously ended the call and tossed the phone back to Jungkook.

"If the asshole calls back, hang up," he ordered before marching back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

The remaining trio stood in stunned silence until Jimin and Jungkook simultaneously whooped with laughter while sharing an enthusiastic high five.

Jimin did a spontaneous happy dance then turned and smiled at Yoongi.

"Well?  What do you think about that?"

The bodyguard glanced back at Hosoek's door before giving the Omega a grudgingly impressed nod.

"That....that was pretty good," he admitted.

"That's nothing," grinned Jungkook.  "You should've been here the day Hobi-hyung took down those teenage Alpha street thugs all by himself because they were harassing a young ballet student on his way home."

Yoongi's eyebrows raised slightly. "Did he really?"

Jungkook's chest puffed up with pride.  "Really.  And all he with him was a broomstick and a trash can lid.  Dropped all three of them in less than two minutes.  I saw the security camera footage.   Hyung didn't even break a sweat."

"Oh! Remember the time that non-custodial parent who was accused of abusing their kids tried to force one of them to leave the studio with him?"  Jimin's eyes grew wide at the memory.   "Hobi-hyung protected the little girl until the police got here.  Got a black eye for his troubles but at least the child was safe."

JK eagerly nodded his agreement.

"And don't forget that sadistic ex that was stalking one of our contemporary dance students.  Guy tried to assault her in the parking lot.  Hyung went after the bastard with a tire iron.  Took out the fucker's kneecap."

"Yeah.  That was wicked!" Jimin's eyes sparkled as Jungkook went to answer the phone once again.

After making sure the person on the other end of the line wasn't the dreaded MoonJo calling back, Jimin started towards the changing area with Yoongi by his side.

As the Alpha cleared the room, Jimin dropped his duffle bag on the bench then paused as he glanced at the expression on Yoongi's face.

"What's that look for?" the dancer asked.

"What look?"

"That look.  The look that says you've got something on your mind."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," replied Yoongi as he fixed his eyes on the lockers in front of him.

"Come on," insisted Jimin.  "Admit it.  You're totally impressed with Hobi-hyung right now."

 Yoongi continued staring at the lockers.

"You know," said Jimin, trying to make his voice sound nonchalant. "You aren't as good as you think you are about masking your inner thoughts."

Yoongi quirked an eyebrow at his charge.  There was a long pause as Jimin stared at him until the Alpha gave an indignant huff.

"Fine.  I will admit to respecting the way Knock Off Nureyev holds his ground when he thinks he's right about something.  Not that I always agree with his assessment of that fact but...he doesn't back down, which - under the correct circumstances - might be considered an admirable quality."

"And...?" prompted Jimin.

"And what?  I said what I said.  Period.  Full stop.  End of sentence."

"No...there's something more than that floating around inside the labyrinthine mind of Min Yoongi."  Jimin waggled his eyebrows mischievously as he teased the Alpha.

"Labyrinthine?  Aish!  You've been married to Kim Namjoon too long."

"There's no such thing as too long when you're with someone you love," stated Jimin.  "And now you're deflecting, so go ahead.  Spill."

"I assure you that there is nothing more to spill,"  Yoongi sighed in irritation.

Min Yoongi was not about to admit that after hearing the stories of Hoseok he'd experienced a split second moment of doubt in which he'd wondered if Namjoon might have hired the wrong person to be Jimin's protector.

"Fine.  Have it your way," pouted Jimin as he placed his street clothes in his bag and locked it inside his locker.  "At least I still get to say 'I told you so.'"

"Told me what?"

Jimin smiled wide.  "That Hobi-hyung would eventually start to grow on you."

"Yeah, well..." Yoongi scoffed as he followed the Omega back into the studio.  "So does fungus.  Doesn't mean you ought to be happy about it."