Chapter 2

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.

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