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Chapter Text

Hello readers!

Bawhahaha!   Here we go!

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As always:

If you don't care for language, mature content, smut, reverse harem, or poly relationships...these stories are not for you. :) But, if you read the first five, you'll be fine, you're all in at this point!

If you find glaring mistakes as you read, please shoot me a message and I'll correct them. Even after reading and re-reading, I'm sure I've missed a few.  

Tags may be added as I go.

Ami is pronounced Ah-me.

Cross-posted on Wattpad & Spotify playlist associated with some chapters.

The only thing I own is the story, as BTS are just actors in this story. They do not represent BTS in real life.

Every situation and conversation is fictional, with that, ENJOY!

Thanks and see you soon!

Chapter Text

The night felt long, and Su wasn't sleeping well, as the thoughts of the day kept playing over in his mind. He finally got up and went to get some water in hopes of resetting his brain and actually getting some sleep. As he made his way to the kitchen, he looked out the windows into the backyard and saw Quon sitting in a lounge chair the owners had left behind.

He grabbed two bottles of water Jin had sent over and headed out to join him.

The night air was warm. Quon heard the door close and footsteps. "Hey, there. Can't sleep?" he said without looking to see who it was.

"Not really. You?" He put the water down next to him and joined him.

Quon shook his head a little, "I'm just listening to the layers."

Su took a sip of water. "The layers?"

"The layers of sound. Our brains filter out and push aside so much to try to hear the important stuff, it can wear you down. So, when I can't sleep, I like to sit outside and try to reconnect with all the layers."

"Example?"

Quon turned and looked at him, "You know when the power goes out and all the humming of the lights, appliances, and gadgets turn off, then it's instantly quiet? It's not until then that you realize the impact of the constant noise you hear all the time. You rarely notice it when it's on because we filter it out. Now layer that with the everyday noise of traffic, birds, the wind, and life in general, it's exhausting. So I come outside on nights I can't sleep and just try to listen to all the layers, reconnect a little, and calm my brain."

"And what do you hear?"

Quon paused, staring into the dimly lit backyard. "The breeze and what it touches. There are two owls talking to each other. Distant traffic. There's a lizard or something over to my right in the bushes..."

"The whirl of the pool pump," Su added.

"Exactly," they both sat quietly for a while, listening. "So, why can't you sleep?" Su asked.

"I'm trying to remember where I've seen that guy before. It feels like it's just out of reach, and I can't grab it. So, I thought if I could calm my thoughts it would help." Quon sighed. "Any luck with your contacts?"

Su shook his head, "The police are keeping an eye out for the car. They told me they would give me a call if they spot it because I would really like to talk to him. So, we wait."

"It will happen. Things always happen." Quon sighed. "I can't believe the guys did this without us knowing, without YOU knowing."

"I don't give them the credit they deserve sometimes," Su smiled. "They did this for the good of the group, not just as an investment or for Ami. I know they feel hamstrung by what they are allowed to do daily, which frustrates them. This helps expand their roaming footprint. It helps us be close without sleeping on their couches. It's good for everyone."

"Have you been out to see their new compound yet?"

"No. Not yet. They keep me updated, but they are keeping it under wraps," he smiled. "I think they want it to be a surprise for everyone. The builder they have is one of the best in Korea, so I'm not concerned. I am surprised they've been able to keep it a secret for so long."

"Is it still on time to be completed by Namjoon and Ami's wedding?" Quon leaned back and closed his eyes as Su got comfortable as well. "Last I heard. They are pushing hard to get it done, and after today, I'm sure they'll try to speed it up even more."

***

Namjoon rolled over as the morning light started to stream through the curtains. After he got comfortable, he felt Ami reach over him and snuggled up, her head pressed against his back. He smiled a sleepy smile and took her hand, holding it against his chest. "Morning, Dove," he said quietly.

"Morning," she said quietly back. He squeezed her hand, then relaxed.

The bed was the usual tangle of bodies, three on each side, as Ami and Namjoon lay in the middle of them. Jungkook and Tae were carefully lying with Yoongi, while Hobi and Jimin were engulfing Jin on the other side.

It was the perfect morning. Quiet and calm, it was their favorite time with her and each other.

Every once in a while someone shifted, but no one was anxious to move. Eventually, Joon rolled over, leaving kisses on her face, wanting desperately to make love to her and more, but she had one more day on her meds. The only way he was going to be able to keep that from happening was to get out of bed. "Hungry?" he said sweetly.

She reluctantly opened her eyes with a little smile, then nodded.

"Come with me. I'll make you breakfast." He worked his way down to the end of the bed as she stayed where she was. Jimin opened his eyes and watched her stretch just as Namjoon grabbed her ankles and pulled her down. She giggled a little as he picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and headed out of the room.

"Joon?" Ami asked, still slung over his shoulder.

"Hmm?" He smiled, making his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. He plopped her on the kitchen counter, then rested his hands on each side, gazing into her face.

"Um," she smiled, and before she could speak he needed to kiss her. He kept his hands planted on the countertop as he pressed his lips to hers. It was a sweet, quiet, tender moment between them. Something that was hard to find in their very busy lives. He finally pulled off a little, "Did you have a question?"

She smiled and shook her head no.

He leaned back and picked up her foot, "It looks so much better."

"It feels good. I guess I needed just one more day."

"Lee knows his stuff," he rubbed her foot lightly, "So, what's your plan today?"

"Umm. Well, Wendy and I are going to do work stuff. She's going to look at the offers for me and give her opinion."

"Are you trying her out?" His hands rested on her feet, giving them a little squeeze.

"Trying her out?"

"Are you seeing if she will be a good second assistant?"

Ami smiled, "No. I don't think this is her long-term preferred lifestyle choice. She really looks forward to nesting with Riggs and finding something for herself. I think this is all new and fun, but I don't think this is her forever thing."

"It doesn't have to be her forever thing," he brushed her hair back from her face. "It's nice to have someone you trust to give you a second set of eyes on things, give you an outside opinion, outside the umbrella anyway," he winked.

"Wait," she paused. "Tell me about that."

"Tell you about what?" he said, his head tilted.

"A couple of days ago, Jae mentioned the 'umbrella', and Jimin said we needed to all talk about it as a group, but then life got in the way and I spaced it."

"What are you talking about?" he frowned.

"This umbrella thing. She mentioned something about it and said she wasn't going to tell me, and when I asked Jimin, he said he was surprised Yoongi didn't say anything. It was right before our wedding, I don't know, what are you guys talking about?"

"He didn't tell you?" Namjoon's eyes got big, and a little smile crept on his lips. "Maybe we should wait..."

"NO." She laughed, grabbing his face. "Tell me, you know I don't like to be kept out of the loop." That statement stung a little, knowing they all were keeping the true events of yesterday from her, but he wasn't ready to tell her about that.

"Do you really want to know?" he teased a little.

"Yeeeessss, tellll meeee," she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, then wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist to keep him from pulling away. Namjoon lightly ran his finger up and down her back as he sighed.

"Ok. Well, before you and Yoongi wandered off, we seven had a chat with Pak. It was the first time he's opened up to us about his concerns."

"What concerns?" she frowned.

"Nothing more than what we worry about. He was worried about the tour and the strain on you and us. He's worried about Jae and her happiness..."

"Is she not happy?" A concerned look flashed across her face. Namjoon smiled and put a finger over her lips, "Dove. If you want to know what umbrella means, you have to hear all the back story. I promise you, it's good. Can you listen to me?" he said sweetly. She nodded yes, but her eyes told him she wasn't sure.

"He's always worried about her happiness, yours, ours. Everyone. Just as we worry about them," he started rubbing her back again. "He loves watching you two together, because together you are unstoppable. We all love it," he kissed her forehead. "You need each other in this fucked up world we created. We know that. He knows that, but there is that real concern that someday she may want to find something outside our walls."

"Yeah, I know," she said with a little sadness. "If that's what they need or want someday, then that's what needs to happen."

"That's what we said. We told him we would support them if they needed to break away from our crazy." Then he smiled, "But your newest husband said no."

Ami stopped, frowned, and looked at him, confused. "What do you mean he said no?"

"Well, Yoongi spoke up and put words to our dynamic. He told Pak they can't wander off someday permanently because you and Jae need each other. That you need Pak as much as we do, and we weren't talking about his job skills. He told him they are part of our 'harem' and he agreed," he grinned.

"STOP!" She gasped.

"Yoongi explained in a nutshell that we are as emotionally tied to them as they are to us. Just like you and Su, we are all connected. We know you and Pak have a deeper friendship, and we are truly happy about that. Baby, he takes care of you in ways you don't even know, and I think you do the same for him," he said more seriously. "But he also trusts us with Jae, in every way. He knows we'll take care of her if he's not there, and we know he's going to do the best for you. Neither of us worries when we are apart. It's very personal for all of us that we can trust each other with our most prized possession. Ami. You are the most important thing in our lives. Jae is his."

Ami didn't say anything, just listened.

"He's held a professional line with us for a long time, but he finally opened up about his concerns, not as your security, but as Jae's boyfriend and friend. I think it's one of our first real 'friend' conversations we've had with him."

"You guys have been casual with him before."

"Not like this. Not like guys sitting in the bar with a beer, unloading their personal feelings about life. He doesn't go there with us, but it was the right time to break that wall down. We aren't going to let him stress about things he needs to get out. Our group's relationship is about love, respect, and trust. Across the board, we are equals, we see it that way, and we needed him to understand that too. The 'harem' joke has been floating out there for a while, but I think that's because it carried a little weight of truth."

"What did he say about that?" she whispered.

Joon leaned in, staring into her eyes lovingly. "He agreed, but harem didn't really fit, because those boundaries aren't going to be crossed. So, someone came up with the term umbrella, which fits perfectly. We're all under the same umbrella. Our group dynamics flow depending on the situation, but we are all one. What did Jae say about it when she brought it up?"

"She said she liked it. She thought it was a good thing." Ami stared lovingly back.

"Hm. And how do you feel about it, now that you know?" She pulled him in for a tight hug. "I love it. I really do."

"Yeah. Me too, Dove." The two stood in the kitchen, not wanting to pull apart as they held each other. Their moment was finally interrupted by the rumbling of her stomach.

"I need to feed you," he said, kissing her neck and finally pulling away to find something for her.

***

Pak and Jae were sleeping hard when the sun cascaded through their windows. They had arrived the afternoon before, barely able to pull themselves together before they got off the plane. Jae was in bliss as Pak had a car waiting for them, and he whisked them off to the home he had rented for their vacation.

Jeju Island was beautiful, and the house he rented for them was perfect. It wasn't the usual place they stayed with the guys; it was smaller and cozy, overlooking the ocean. The rest of the evening was pure relaxation for both of them. He made her dinner, and they sat outside talking, listening to the waves, and drinking wine.  They both relaxed and let go of all their stress.

Pak woke up first, not feeling the best. They didn't drink much, but it was enough to make him feel it the next morning. He got up and wandered to the kitchen to get them both glasses of water, figuring Jae was going to feel it too. As he was waiting for the glasses to fill, he saw his phone on the counter. Reluctantly, he checked his messages and was glad to see nothing was waiting for him.  They were leaving him and Jae alone for their vacation. Su had told him they would only message him if it was a true life-altering emergency, but besides that, no news was good news. Everything could wait until he returned.

He flipped off the water and started to drink his glass down as he made his way back to the room.

"Babe. Drink this." He said, sitting down beside her, holding a glass for her.

"OH god. What did you do to me..." she moaned as he smiled, "Can you please close the curtains all the way. I think I'm turning into a vampire."

Pak walked over, pulling the curtains tight as the room became dark. "Vampire, huh?"

"I think so." She sat up, her hair completely tousled, and squinted hard at him. "I can't believe I used to do that as much as I did."

"I think we're both out of practice. Here," he handed her the glass and watched her slowly drink it down, then he sat back down on the bed with her. "You're a cute drunk, though."

"Oh, I think we both know that's not true. But thanks," she handed him back the almost empty glass.

"All of it if you can," he shook his head as she took a deep breath and finished it off. Only then did he take the glass from her. She promptly lay back down to wait for the hydration to take effect.

"Do you need food, or not yet? I can order something to be delivered." He crawled back down next to her, pulling her over and holding her against his body.

"Does someone do greasy-salty American-style burgers like the ones we had in LA? God, those were the best."

He smiled, closing his eyes, "They were, but I think we'll have a hard time finding those here."

"Damn," she sighed.

"I said hard time, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible. So, if greasy burgers are what you want, I will find someone to make you one."

Jae smiled, her eyes still closed, and rolled over to face him. She finally opened her eyes a little. "That sounds like something the boys would say. But no. That's okay."

"Jae. Baby. You're asking for a hamburger, not a rainbow monkey. I think a little salty grease would be good for both of us," he said sweetly as she giggled. "Rainbow monkey?"

"They're all the rage right now. So hard to get your hands on," he joked, pulling her closer for a kiss as she felt his hand move down her back to her cheeks. They both relaxed in each other's arms for a moment before she nuzzled into his chest.

"Ok. A burger sounds really great. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They didn't move for another fifteen minutes or so before Pak rolled out of bed, leaving her there to rest. He put on some pants and went into the kitchen to make some coffee and phone calls, hunting for what they needed. It only took a few calls to nearby places in town to find a restaurant that met their requirements. He placed a big order, knowing they would be nibbling all day, and they could relax, not to worry about cooking.

Jae heard him finishing his conversation, so she rolled out of bed and found her sunglasses. The sun, even with the curtains, felt so bright. Pak heard her coming and turned to see her walk in. She was barefoot, wearing just her undies, a tank top that was riding up a little, one strap off her shoulder, messy hair, and sunglasses on. "I smell coffee."

"Oh, you're fucking cute," he snapped a quick picture and set the phone down as she fumbled her way to the coffee pot. "Nope. Let me," he intercepted her and picked her up, taking her to the couch and gently placing her in the corner. "Stay," he kissed her forehead, then closed all the curtains in the room.

"This is crazy," she got comfortable, closing her eyes even though her sunglasses were on. 

"I know, so sorry, honey. We'll get you sorted out." He poured her coffee, juice, and grabbed a couple of pain meds from his room. "I guess we'll cross drinking off our list for the rest of the trip," he smiled as he made his way back, sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

"Here," he handed her the meds and the juice, putting the coffee down for her when she was ready. So I ordered food for us. They'll be here about when those meds kick in."

"You found a place?" She swallowed the pills, then sipped the juice as he took a couple himself, took her juice from her when she was done, and downed the rest.

"I did, there are actually a few places in town. Who knew?" he pulled the throw blanket down over her.

"Sorry, I'm such a mess," she sighed.

"You aren't a mess. You just let loose a little. We both did, we're on vacation, remember?"

Jae smiled and opened her eyes, taking in her cute boyfriend doting on her. "So, what else do you have planned for our vacation?"

"Weeelllll. Today I think we are doing nothing but eating, sleeping and maybe some fresh air. Tomorrow I thought we would go for a drive and see the island. Wander around. Whatever you want."

"That sounds perfect," she wiggled ever so slightly in excitement. "Love you, Kai."

"Love you too."

***

Back at the house, Wendy was awake, showered, and heading to the main house. She cracked the door open and poked her head in, seeing Ami sitting at the island with Namjoon.

"Hey there! Come in," Ami smiled, "Want some coffee?"

"Can't say no to that. The house is quiet," Wendy made her way over as Namjoon got up and poured her coffee.

"Yeah, everyone is still sleeping, I think. I'm sure they will be up soon. Sleep ok?" Namjoon handed her a hot cup. "Careful."

"Thanks. Um, yeah, I think so. Better anyway," she took a careful sip. "Do you want to look over those proposals today? I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of dying to see what they are offering you."

"Yeah? Let's go see.  I haven't even looked at them yet."  Ami got up and picked up her cup.  "I'm curious too. Have fun," Namjoon smiled as Ami walked over, kissed him on the cheek,  then walked to her office with Wendy.   "So.  Does it feel less weird today than yesterday?" 

"Does what feel less weird?"  Wendy grinned as Ami flipped on the lights. She went to her desk to find the stack of offers for them to look over. Wendy found a comfy spot to sip her coffee and wait.  

"All of this.  Us.  Every time you see me I'm hanging on a different boy.  I'm sure that has to feel strange."  Ami sat beside her on the couch, placing the pile between them.

"I don't think you're hanging on them as much as they are hanging on you." Wendy took another sip, trying to conceal a smile, but her eyes peeking over her cup gave her away. 

Ami laughed, "I suppose."

"But to answer your question, yes. It's less weird. My brain isn't so weirded out by your number of lovers as it is WHO they are. If I let myself take in the scope of things, the big picture of it all, it's fucking crazy," she grinned as Ami launged out loud. "No, Ami. It's fucking crazy. Do you ever sit back and take it all in? You probably can't see it, you've been living it for so long, but if you crack your brain open to see all the different facets of your life, like, it's bats. B.A.T. bats! Take your Suki thing out of the equation, which is its own island of insanity, and look at the big picture. Seven well dressed, well mannered, hot, super millionaires fucking worship the ground you walk on. How does this happen?!"

"Maybe it just takes seven to manage me," she giggled as she took a sip of her coffee, her eyes peeking over in return. "Maybe I'm too much for one, so it takes seven plus a security team to keep me in line."

Wendy smirked as she leaned back and looked at her friend. "Oh.  I hadn't considered that.  Seems more likely though."  She teased.  

"A hundred percent," Ami agreed.  "But, to answer your question.  On paper, I agree, it's insane.  I recognize that.  I try to stay grounded, but I have to admit, it gets hard sometimes when you have those seven love bombing you.  Reality can get a little warped.  I don't want to lose that 'real' feeling, but after a while it blends." 

Wendy felt her friend get a little more serious. She put her elbow on the armrest and rested her head in her hand. "Is it hard to only live on this side of reality? I mean, the people you're meeting and hanging out with casually aren't Janet from accounting. You don't go to the local pub, listen to the house band on a whim with friends, and have spontaneous nights out."

"It can be, and I do miss that sometimes. We used to go out a little bit more, fewer work-sanctioned events, but it can get messy fast. I haven't been out alone for a long time, and I admit my comfort level has changed. Not that I'm going to walk down the street and have a panic attack or something, but right now I would rather have someone with me. That's my baseline comfort level. The boys can't be that for me because of who they are. They would, but that's not safe for them personally or their career." 

Wendy sighed as she listened. 

"I imagine everyone is on a ladder, reaching for that next rung in life, trying to get ahead professionally, financially, or personally. The higher you climb, the more careful you have to be. Not everyone, but a few people I've been unfortunate to meet, will not think twice to kick you off the ladder or knock you down a few rungs so they can climb higher. It's like there is an unspoken goal to get to the top, but what do you find when you get there?"

"Money and power, I would assume."

"Absolutely. So you must protect yourself and those who mean the most to you.  That's why you're getting security.  Not because we don't think you can't manage yourself, but because someone is trying to get ahead.  Someone knows you're tied to us, and they're taking extreme measures to knock us down a few rungs, and we won't let you be collateral damage.  It's not fair in any time or space. Does that make sense, or am I just spinning my own reality?  I've been known to do that,"  she said, lightening the mood. 

"No.  You aren't spinning it. It makes sense to me, truly.  Thank you.  I don't know if I've ever said that to you. I appreciate everything, like everything." 

"You're welcome,"  Ami and Wendy smiled at each other before Wendy smirked. "You always have amazing wild analogies, though."  

"It's what I do, I have a lot of time to think. So! After touching all those deep places in my brain, should we dig into the current reality of my life?" Ami joked, but was done talking about it. She usually didn't let herself fall down that rabbit hole, contemplating the 'why' and 'how' of her reality was sometimes too much to dig into. 

Neither one realized Namjoon had been standing quietly in the hallway, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, listening to their conversation.  He had come down to ask Ami something, but then paused when he heard them talking.  Instead of interrupting, he let them be and quietly walked away when he heard them start to focus on the offers. 

After reviewing the first offer for a few minutes, Wendy asked, "Sooo, what do they want?"

"Who?  Prada?  It says at the bottom..."

"No, the mystery power-hungry people.  Like, what's their issue? It seems like a lot of work to be for funsies."

Ami sighed, "Who knows."

"Too bad you can't just ask them."

Chapter Text

Ami and Wendy spent the better part of an hour reviewing the offers. Towards the end, Hobi popped in, "Mind if I join?"

"Hiii, come on in." Ami patted the couch next to her. "We're just about ready to talk everything over."

"Perfect timing, my favorite part." Hobi walked in and sat down next to her, crossing his legs and folding his arms to listen in and not try to interrupt. The guys liked to be there when she had these sorts of conversations. It helped them keep a bead on what was happening.

"So, what do you think? I want your honest opinion." Ami turned back to Wendy and smiled.

"Do you want my friend opinion or my professional opinion?"

"Is there a difference?" Ami smiled.

"Maybe. I don't want to step on Jae's toes, though. I know this is her thing."

"I don't think you would step on her toes," Ami said seriously as Hobi agreed.

"Okay. What's your goal if you collaborate with someone? Like, what's the drive? Is it the merch? Money?" Wendy leaned back, "How will it help you meet your goals?"

"Here's my thing. I'm conflicted. Right now, I show up for things, random events, drop an album, and do interviews, but that's kind of it. I don't go to shows and sit in the audience to be noticed. I don't do many carpets. So to do something like this means it will have to happen."

"Yes. You're kind of like the Olsen sisters of New York. Weird and mysterious but when you pop up you're on point and everyone loses their shit," Wendy smiled. "I guess that's the main reason people do this, for exposure and money."

Hobi shifted in his seat a little. There was something they hadn't told Ami about Jae and money, but now wasn't the time to bring it up.

Wendy reached beside her and tossed something towards her friend. Ami watched the Vogue magazine land face up between them. There she was on the cover staring at herself.

"Do you know how this landed with fans?"

"I mean, I heard it was well received. There was kind of a lot going on when that came out," she sighed, then she pointed at the magazine. "You know when that happened? I was in Italy for my wedding with Jin, and I got the call...FYI, get your butt to LA you have a photo shoot. Not my favorite way for things to happen."

"It landed really well, Ami. People lost their shit. Part of that IS because you are like a ghost, and part of it is because people like you."

"How do you know this?" Hobi questioned with a smile.

Wendy shrugged, "Professional online stalker-non-stalker. It's what I do in my spare time, and I have a lot when I'm traveling with Harry. It's so fascinating, especially because I KNOW you."

"I thought you just played with fashion?" Hobi said, just as impressed as Ami was.

"What? I can't have a hobby?" She grinned. "So. As your friend. IF you had to pick one of these, I would say Dior. They fucking want you, they're all but crawling up your ass. They are offering great money for what they want to do with you. They're classy and a solid brand. They already want Jae, so that's an easy buy-in. BUT! If that still feels crazy, I know she was joking, but I like Jae's idea and countering with them for just their sunglasses. It's an easy way to step into this world and then decide if you want to do more," she pushed her finger into the contract on the cushion between them. "It's on brand for you, queen of glasses."

"And your professional opinion?" Hobi put his arm around his wife, stroking her shoulder with his thumb.

Wendy paused, then smiled. "None of these. Well, maybe Dior and sunglasses, because you know, you practically live in them. That seems like a solid choice regardless."

"None of them?" He said, surprised.

"Really? Why do you say that?" Ami was equally surprised. The offers, while all a little different, were all good.

"Umm, can we go upstairs to your closet and I can show you? I like visuals."

"Give me five minutes." Hobi got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as it shut, he started running, a grin plastered on his face.

Wendy looked surprised as Ami grinned, "I think he's making sure everyone is awake before we head up."

"Ahh. Right." She smirked back and took the last sip of her coffee as they waited for the all clear.

"Problem?" Namjoon and Yoongi watched him race through the house and upstairs, skipping a step in between.

"Not yet!" Hobi laughed as he bounded upstairs and down to her room.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Yoongi said. He got out of his seat and walked to her office, knocked three times, and opened the door to see the girls talking.

"Context please of why Hobi is running upstairs like his ass is on fire," Yoon said calmly.

"Wendy wants to take a field trip to my closet." She said with a sweet smile. Both girls were comfortably curled up on the couch, talking.

"Got it. Good morning, Wendy."

"Morning!" she called out in a sing-song voice as he closed the door and headed back to Joon.

"Wake up! Ami and Wendy need the room!" Hobi laughed as he burst in on Jin being railed by Jungkook, while Jimin and Tae suctioned together like an octopus.

"JESUS FUCK, HOBI!" Tae yelled as they all startled and jumped. Kook instinctively flattened himself onto Jin, like he was hiding, causing Jin to gasp as he felt Kook plunge deeper into him. "Fuck..fuck.." Jin winced.

"OH shit, you okay?" Kook said as he slowly backed up, rolling Jin to his side.

"Too much...too much..." he groaned.

"What do you mean they need the room?!" Jimin said as he and Tae repelled each other like opposite magnets. Hobi walked over to the windows and pushed them open, letting the fresh air rush in.

"The girls are talking branding contracts, and Wendy wants to come up and look at her closet, so you guys need to relocate," he said as he turned and looked at the group. Tae and Jimin were quickly getting dressed, while Jungkook looked nervously between Hobi and the slow-moving Jin.

"Okay. Kook, take Jin down to your room and fix whatever you did to him. Jimin and Tae, help me strip the bed. We need fresh everything." The group moved fast, except Kook, who helped Jin down the hall to his room.

"I'm so sorry," he kept saying.

"It's okay. I need a minute. We have to remember to lock the door next time," he said slowly as he made his way to Kook's room. They both walked in, locking the door behind them.

The other three pulled everything off and dragged the linens and blankets next door, shoving them inside the room and leaving them to deal with later. They quickly pulled out fresh sheets and blankets, fluffed the pillows, and got the room ready. Within two minutes, it was completely changed over. The fresh air filled the space as they picked up any clothing left behind on the floor and made their way out.

"Come with me. I'm not done with you yet," Jimin said, pulling Tae into his bedroom and locking the door behind them. Hobi smiled, then wandered back downstairs to let the girls know the coast was clear.

"Everything okay? Sounded kind of scrambly up there." Namjoon smirked as they saw him come back at a less frantic pace.

"Fresh as a daisy. Jin, on the other hand, might need some time. Kook stabbed him hard when I burst in."  Hobi grinned.

"Is he okay?" Yoon glanced up the stairs. "Kook's not small."

"I'm sure there'll be some retaliation someday, but I think so. He's taking care of him. I'm going to let the girls know the coast is clear."

"Jimin and Tae?" Joon called out.

"Tae got dragged into Jimin's room," Hobi called back.

"Jesus," Yoon grabbed his phone and opened his playlist.

Namjoon sipped his coffee as everyone heard music start to play throughout the entire house. "Well, this is new. Fucking while people are actually in the house."

"Yeah, I don't know if we need to start that as a thing," Yoongi muttered.

"No, probably not. It's kind of funny, though."

Hobi soon followed the chatting girls back through the kitchen on her way upstairs to her room. "Coming?" she asked the two as they were still sitting at the kitchen island.

"Not us. Maybe the other four, though." Namjoon teased. Ami looked up the stairs, then back at them.

"It's okay. They're just taking showers and getting ready for the day. Everyone is tucked away, and your room is as good as new." Hobi said as he placed his hand on her back, and they all headed upstairs.

"What's got into you?" Yoongi smirked as they finally were out of earshot.

"I'm horny as fuck, and who I want isn't available right now," he sighed.

"Oh, you don't want me?" Yoon teased.

"Always. Always want you," Joon said seriously, "I want everyone, but you are specifically off limits until you've regenerated." He saw him thinking over possible options as Namjoon stood, finishing his last sip. Yoongi felt him stand behind him, his mouth in the shell of his ear, "Min Yoongi. You are off limits." Goosebumps shot over Yoon's arms.

"Fuuuuck," he growled, his head tilting back, eyes closed. "Are you sure?"

A smile curled on his lips as he didn't pull back from his ear, enjoying the teasing, "Yes. We all agreed you were unavailable until you were stable."

"I'm stable," he said, his growl becoming more of a moan, his eyes remaining closed.

"No, you aren't yet," he said softly, his velvet tone was more like Taes, which melted Yoon even more. "You think you are, but you need some more time. It's bad enough Ami has to have sex conversations with Lee, we aren't going to have them with him on why you aren't recovering as fast as he would like." He ran his finger from the low of his back slowly up to the nape of his neck, causing him to squirm a little. "You're in no position to dom me, and until you are, you aren't ready."

"Jesus fuck, Joon...that's the litmus test? If I can dom you?" he knew he was right. There was no way he could do it to that level right now.

"Yes. Until you are ready to take me on, you're off limits. I know what you're capable of, so that's where you need to be." He finally stood up, but not before kissing the back of his head. Yoon spun his chair around slowly and looked up at him. Namjoon could see in his eyes that he wasn't ready as much as he wanted to be. He reached down and gently held his chin. "I'm not going to give in like I did last night, do you understand?"

"Yes," he met his gaze. "Even though I know you're right, my head is swimming with ways to prove you wrong." Joon leaned down, still holding his chin, and gave him a sweet kiss. "I look forward to that day."

Upstairs, Jimin pushed Tae down on the bed, unbuttoning his pants and shoving his hand down his pants. He took him in his hand, leaning over him, and smiled. Tae put his arms up over his head as he felt himself being stroked. "Ooooh god," he whispered. "This is bad. Ami and Wendy are going to be coming up soon. We need to...to...to..." he stammered as Jimin stroked him harder.

"What do we need?" he asked, then carefully released him and watched him start to pant in desperation. It was then that they heard the music start up, and soon, the sound of the girls' voices floated up the stairs.

"Shhhhh," he put his hand over Tae's mouth as he grabbed the bedsheets and clenched his jaw.

"Do you want to stop?" He knew he wouldn't say no. The girls walked by chatting, as Jimin stared into his eyes, keeping his hand over his mouth. Quiet, muffled moans and whimpers leaked out as Jimin started stroking him again. He loved it. He loved watching him fight, trying to stay quiet when he wanted to yell out. Whoever turned the music on for the house understood its importance.

It wasn't long before Tae gave in. Jimin replaced his hand with his lips and shoved his tongue inside his mouth as he moaned in reply.

"Oh my god... oh my god...fuck..." Tae finally said as he was slowly released, rubbing his face and trying to pull himself together. "Amazing. You're fucking amazing," he smiled, panting and finally making eye contact with him.

"You aren't too bad yourself," Jimin slowly stood up and offered a hand to help pull him up. "Let's get cleaned up so we can join the tour."

"Yeah, I think a soapy shower might be just what you need." Tae flashed him a devilish grin as the two started stripping off whatever clothes were left on and headed to the shower.

Jin lay face down on the bed, letting his body relax before they headed out. Jungkook straddled his thighs. "So sorry, Jin," he said softly as he pushed his thumbs into his low back and slowly up to his shoulder blades, then back down.

He moved his head to the side, "I can take you, but I wasn't quite ready." He smiled a little as he started to feel a little better. "I'm going to be sore for a while. That's a compliment, by the way."

"I'll take it," he smiled, lying his body down on his. Jin felt his warm chest on his back and relaxed. It wasn't long before he felt Kook's kisses across his back, shoulders, and neck.

"Gooooodddd," he let out in a long breath. "Wait, did they turn on mood music?" Just then, they heard the girls walk by the door on their way to her room. "Oh. Right." He closed his eyes as Kook marked more territory with his kisses over his body.

"What do you want to do?" Kook moaned in his ear, "Fucking you is out of the question for now, unfortunately, and I'm not in a mood to be your sub, so how about I make it up to you." He started nibbling on him, the light pinches of his skin sent waves through his body. Jin didn't move and let Kook enjoy himself.

Soon, he was being rolled over, and Kook went down on him, fully taking him in his mouth. He looked up to see him arched back, mouth open, eyes shut as he took quick gasps of air. He closed his eyes and worked Jin over in his mouth. Sucking hard then slowly bobbing up and down on him. He could tell he liked it as he filled his mouth, getting harder each second. Kook reached up right before he could feel him explode, and grabbed his neck and squeezed. Jin felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. He came hard, breathless as the blood flow to his head slowed. Total euphoria, then Kook engulfed his mouth with his, carefully releasing his throat.

He started breathing fast through his nose and wrapped his arms around him, not wanting to stop or pull away. He finally had to break the seal and gasp for air. Kook pulled back and smiled, running his hand up and down his chest as he watched him recover.

"Fuck, Kook. We need one-on-one time more often." Jin moaned quietly as he finally opened his eyes and looked at him.

"We can make that happen," he said softly, leaning in and kissing his ear. "I want this with everyone. That conversation last night, I think, opened everyone up officially on another level. Do you agree?"

"I do." He sighed. "I mean, it wasn't hard to go there; we just finally said the words." He reached over, running his fingers through Kook's hair down the back of his neck, and pulled him in for a soft kiss.

"Come on. Help me take a shower. We need to get up." He said, but they both lay together for a few more minutes before reluctantly giving in and finally moving.

Hobi followed the girls through her freshly turned bedroom and into the closet. Ami glanced around, relieved to see fresh linens on the bed and no signs of boys anywhere.

"So. Professional opinion?" Wendy started as she flipped through her clothes. Hobi leaned in the closet doorway to watch.

"Okay," she smiled. "So I don't think any of those brands actually fit Suki one hundred percent. The closest one is Dior, maaaaybe Prada, but even those are recognizable. I honestly think you're more this." She pulled out an outfit she had seen in her closet the day before.

"Have you worn this before?"

"No. I think Jimin bought that for me."

"Put it on."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Do it." Wendy bossed.

"OH, I like her." Hobi heard Namjoon chuckle as he joined them to watch the fun. He mirrored Hobi's stance in the doorway, crossing his arms to watch. Ami slipped off her clothes and put on one of the many things the boys had bought, which she hadn't gotten around to wearing yet.

"How's it going?"

"Good," he glanced over to Namjoon, taking him in for a moment. "Where's Yoongi?

"Checking on the group, wish I was."

"You seem to have a different air about you this morning," Hobi smirked.

Joon sighed, "I had to explain to Yoongi why he is off limits right now, when all I want is nothing more than to..."

"Kim Namjoon." Ami interrupted him as she slipped into her clothes. She glanced at them briefly and winked before turning around to face her friend, getting back to the task at hand. Wendy was busy pulling outfits out and rearranging her closet, grouping like items together.

"That's one of my favorites." Hobi cleared his throat, getting them back on track. Ami stood and looked at herself in front of the mirror. "Oh, this one is comfy."

"That's because it's Celine. It's cut perfectly for you." She finally stopped grouping clothes together, turned and looked at her friend, and smiled. "Look, am I right that when you dress as her, you're more minimal, high-class fashion. Not tits out skirts barely covering your ass, with loud, in your face branding?"

"Correct." She grinned.

"Okay, from strictly a 'branding' deal question then, a designer like this would probably make it more comfortable for you to join forces. It feels more grounded. The quiet luxury side, not the loud Louie Vuitton with their LV plastered over everything. We get it, you're Louie Vuitton. Prada does a little better, and Dior has a history behind it."

"What about Tiffany?" Hobi asked, enjoying her opinion.

"Tiffany is sparkly fun, but you don't wear much of that. Not like what they want to drape you in and the campaigns they want to run with you. Do you even own anything like that?"

"She does, but you're right, she doesn't wear it often." Namjoon smiled.

"Exactly. So, that's my professional opinion when signing with a brand. You need to find someone who aligns with this part of you." She waved her hand over the entire Suki section of clothing she had merged together into one section.

Ami smiled. "I need to find someone who fits my crazy, got it.  It does help, actually, thank you."

"Jae could honestly pull off any of those designers, but her needs and wants differ from yours. Exposure, money, all the things."

"Yeah, the money some people are offering isn't horrible," Ami sighed.

"No, it's stupid money. "Play dress up for a wad of cash, it's kind of a no-brainer...sign me up." Wendy scoffed.

"Money shouldn't be a factor in this decision, though," Namjoon spoke up.

"Well, it kind of is for Jae," she looked back at the boys. "I know you guys don't let me pay for anything, and she's covered 95% of the time, but I know she thinks about the future. I'm not going to do this forever."

Hobi and Namjoon made eye contact, and Joon nodded for Hobi to say something.

"100% of the time," Hobi said seriously. "She's covered 100% of the time, Love."

Wendy just waited as the three quickly flipped to Korean. She was learning that while they spoke English for her most of the time, sometimes they needed to have quick sidebar conversations she didn't need to be a part of.

"Her future is covered, Dove. So please don't let money factor in any of this. The decision needs to be made for every reason except that."

Ami stared at them, shocked at what they were telling her. "What?"

"We all want the same thing for you and Jae, so we've worked out a plan. Let's talk about this later today." Namjoon's voice didn't waver.

"No...I think I want to talk about it now..." she said slowly.

Just then, Yoongi popped in the doorway. He had been in the bedroom for the last minute or so, listening in. "Wendy, why don't you join me downstairs. I need some help if you don't mind, arm and all." He waved his arm a little in the air. "These three need to have a quick chat."

"OH! Yeah, no worries.  Huddle time, I get it," she smiled and hung up the last thing she had in her hands.

"Be down in a few," Ami called out as Namjoon and Hobi stood to the side to let Wendy out of the closet, then took their places back in the doorway.

"Now what are you talking about?" She stood there staring at her boys.

"We don't want you or Jae to worry about the money aspect with these offers or any others, Dove. You and Jae's decisions should be based on what is best for you."

"No, I got that part. What's the plan you were talking about?"

"Ami," Hobi walked in and put his arms around her waist as she looked up at him. "Whatever she decides to do in the future, she's covered."

"What does that mean?" She frowned. "Not that I don't love the idea, but I don't understand."

"It means she's taken care of, that's all." Namjoon didn't want to get into it more than it needed to be.

"Does she know?"

"No."

"But Pak knows."

"Yes. We wouldn't do it without his input." Hobi said calmly. He unbuttoned her outfit and helped her step out of it, hanging it up as she slipped on her t-shirt and shorts.

"Guys," she rubbed her face, trying to put the loose pieces they were giving her together. "Ok, when would this come into play?"

There was silence for a moment before Hobi said a little more softly, "If Pak were gone for any reason, she wouldn't find herself working back in a boutique shop. That's all."

They watched her eyes get big as more pieces fell into place. "Wait."

"Pak and Su make ten times what other people do in their field. There are a few personal reasons for that, and Jae isn't hurting financially either, mainly because Pak covers a lot, and we cover the rest because she's with you. This money is long-term for her, and Pak actually, but in his eyes, it's for her. He doesn't have to worry if..."

"WAIT," She stared at them, without blinking. "You've set up an account in case he's gone? Where would he go?!"

"He isn't going anywhere, Dove." Namjoon said softly, "We're letting YOU know that for all future financial ventures, don't make money the main reason to do something. Treat it as a perk, like girl trip money, but in our eyes, it's unnecessary. Okay?"

"How long have you guys been doing this?" She looked into Hobi's eyes as he reached up and pushed her hair back a little.  "We approached Pak a few months after they started seriously dating. You and Jae were inseparable, and they had moved in together.  Work was getting busier, and we wanted to support Pak the best we could without overstepping. Taking that financial stress out of the equation removes a lot of pressure.  So, we started putting a percentage aside monthly for her...them."

"I just can't believe he accepted it," she said, shocked. 

"Well, we all sat down with him to explain our reasons.  He loves providing for her.  He loves it like we love doing it for you.  We're not trying to take that away or take over, but we also recognize none of us wants her going back to where she was living and working before. Don't you agree?"

"Yes."

"I mean, wanting to and having to are two different things.  We know our lifestyle is ridiculous sometimes, but we work hard and are lucky to have the means to do it.  We would rather share it with close friends so we can all do the ridiculous things together."

Her heart pounded as she took it all in.  Jungkook entered the doorway and stood next to Namjoon. Yoon had given everyone a quick heads-up as they came down after getting cleaned up.  Kook turned around and headed back up, knowing it could be a heavy topic. 

"So, the car you bought her?"

"It was necessary.   That was a work requirement, regardless. In fact, the cars have worked out so well, we had Su order a few more for him to use as needed."  Jungkook joined the conversation. 

"Okay," she took a deep breath and let it out.

"Dove...Ami.  They both mean a lot to you and us, more now than when we started this.  I think you can agree that they put in so much time, the only thing we can give them close to repaying them is time itself.  So, taking that future burden off Pak and the worry about Jae gives him peace of mind and allows him to do what he needs.  He's told us over and over that he loves his job.  He loves his team, all of it.  The fact he doesn't have to worry about fifty years down the road...we're so lucky to be able to gift him that."  Namjoon winked and gave his girl a little smile.

She thought over what they were saying, and she understood. She would want the same for them. She was shocked it had been a conversation in the works for so long, and she didn't know.  "So.  In a perfect world, when would Jae find out?"

"Never.  Things will keep moving like they are.  When the time is right, we'll turn the account over.  That's what he wants and trusts us with that timing.  It's very out of sight, out of mind.  He doesn't want to know numbers, he just understands it will be enough.  We are her safety net, her official backup plan she doesn't know she has."  Jungkook stopped, then smiled, "Namjoon. I think it's time to take that walk.  She needs to see all of it."

"I agree," Hobi reached for her hand. "Love, come with us."

"What?  All of what? Where?"  

"It's not far, we want to show you something we did while you were getting married to Yoongi." Hobi smiled sweetly as they walked her out.

"Wait. Let me clean up first." She veered into the bathroom to quickly wash her face. Hobi followed her in and waited as Jungkook and Namjoon went downstairs to tell the group.

On the way down, Jungkook fired off a text to Choi, Quon, and Su:

It's time, we're bring Ami and Wendy over to see the place.

(Su) I'm at the company, but Choi and Quon are there.  The security company is coming at 1:00.

We'll be out by then.   Jungkook looked at his watch, it was 11:00.

(Choi) The door will be unlocked.

Chapter Text

“Sorry about that.” Su put his phone back in his pocket as he and Director Ko were in the middle of a meeting.

“Never any downtime, huh?” Ko smiled as he pushed some papers over to him.

“Rarely. So, has the company figured out where the leak is yet?”

“No,” he sighed. “I met with building security, and we reviewed all the tapes together. No one came into the office except the cleaning lady. She was in and out, nothing unusual or out of the ordinary. We also checked my secretary's call logs and cell phone.  Nothing came up.”

“Did anyone interview the cleaning lady?”

“We did. She’s worked for us for a while. Model employee. No red flags.” Ko watched Su sit back and think everything through, trying to find the weak link. “Mr. Su. I know how this looks. There are only three options. I’m the only one who knew where we were meeting yesterday. My secretary didn’t even know all the details. I suppose she could have figured it out, but she didn’t make any additional calls, and a scheduled cleaning lady came and went. I’m telling you, it’s not me.”

Su was hoping it wasn’t Ko for Ami's sake.  “This issue has been ongoing for these two groups for far too long. I’ve been working with local and international agencies to track down who is behind it all, but it’s all dead ends, or we know just enough to wait for them to slip up. They need to get back to their normal lives, at least their normal, and I’m sure the company would love not to be held hostage either.”

“Absolutely. The sooner the better, because the company isn’t thrilled that the tours are delayed. Safety issues or not. This is what they want from them if they can’t tour right now.” Ko handed over a document and then sat back as he watched him glance over it.

“OH.” Su's eyebrows raised as he read the list they had planned for Suki. “This is quite a list. Wait, they want her to sit for the five big award shows this year? Red carpets and after parties?”

Ko nodded slightly, “They want her to be more visible, more media forward for her fanbase. Being at those events gives her more publicity. She was going to go on tour, so the company doesn’t see what the problem would be now to not go to those.”

Su just stared at him, “Are you serious? We barely got through a lunch meeting yesterday.”

“I know. This is what I talked them off the ledge to.” Ko said, sitting back and waiting for Su to look over the rest of the packet. Su turned the page and saw what they had planned for the boys. He paused, and his jaw dropped, then looked back at Ko, “They’re almost identical. What’s happening? These two groups are rarely seen together, but according to this, they almost have the same schedule.”

“LA happened. Now, that’s what people want.”

“What people? You? The company?” Su asked, and Ko shook his head no. “The fans.”

“That’s not a reason to do this,” Su pointed to the papers. “This is a logistical nightmare, on top of the massive safety issue for everyone. The tours were delayed, not cancelled. How can the company want this?” He set the document down in his lap and stared at Ko.  "So, if they did the tours, they wouldn't be doing this schedule."

"Correct. They would be in full tour mode, except for a few things that were on their schedule before."

“We need to find the leak.”  

“We need to find the leak,” Ko agreed.  

***

Su was heading back, deep in thought about what he needed to do.  He was so deep in thought that the ring of his phone made him jump.  "Jesus,"  he fumbled for it before seeing who it was.  "Hello?"

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Hey, Mom. How are you?  I was going to call you later today." He pulled over under the shade of a tree overlooking the water so he could talk. "No, I just got out of a meeting," he sighed. 

"I see.  How's my granddaughter?  Are you bringing her this weekend?" She smiled, leaning back in her chair on the porch.

"I don't know," she could hear the uncertainty in his voice, "She has a friend visiting right now, although they could both use a road trip, there is just so much..." 

"What are you doing the rest of the day?" She cut him off.

"Oh, you know, everything and nothing." 

"Good. See you in an hour.  I'll put lunch on," and with that, she hung up without waiting for a reply.  Su let out a long breath and started the car, turned it around, and headed out of the city. 

***

Back at the houses, Choi and Quon were waiting at the end of their driveway. Quon gave a little wave to the crew. “The girls don’t know yet. Look at their faces.” He smiled and nodded to Jin as they made eye contact. Jimin was holding Ami’s hand and talking to her as Wendy was walking between Yoongi and Jungkook.

“Hi guys.” Tae smiled.

“Morning group,” Choi said as they stepped to the side to let them pass, then followed them around the corner and up the next drive.

“Hey. I didn’t know you guys were here.” Ami smiled at Choi and Quon as they rounded the corner.

“We’ve been here, just staying out of the way,” Choi smiled. Ami stopped dead in her tracks, realizing they were heading up to the house next door. “Wait, what are we doing?” They all smiled as Jimin gently pulled her along, “It’s ok. We want to show you something.”

She slowly started moving again as they gathered outside the front door. Wendy stood next to her friend, just as confused as she was about what was happening. Yoongi stepped up behind her, resting his hand on her hip, and kissed her shoulder. “So, while we were in Iceland, this house came on the market and the boys decided it was something that could help us. So, it’s now ours.”

“Help us how?” she barely whispered, her feet firmly planted as she tried to make sense out of what they were saying.

Jungkook stepped forward and opened the doors as Wendy’s jaw dropped. The group waited for Ami to make the first move, so Jimin squeezed her hand, “It gives us more options to have people nearby more comfortably. Come on. We want to show you.”

She finally started moving, and they all walked in, excited to show her the new place. Quon was the last to enter and closed the door behind them. The house felt huge, mainly because it was still empty.  Just a few things on the kitchen counters. The doors and windows were open to the backyard, allowing the light to stream in. 

“You bought this?” Ami asked, staring at everything.

“We did. Namjoon heard it was about ready to go on the market, and we needed to make a quick decision,” Jin smiled. She finally looked over at Namjoon, who was calmly watching her. He gave her a little wink, then Jimin pulled her a little to the left. “Come, let’s give you two the tour.”

“Does Jae know about this?” they heard her ask as Jungkook, Jin, and Hobi followed Wendy, Ami, and Jimin up the stairs.

“No. They don’t know yet. We’ll tell them when they get home,” they heard Jin explain.

“We didn’t expect you for a day or so,” Quon leaned back on the counter in the kitchen as they waited for the tour to make their way back to them.

“We weren’t sure how we were going to get her over here, but the timing was right.” Tae said as they heard Wendy’s voice echo through the open house, “OH my god.” They all smiled as they waited.

“I wouldn’t be here past 12:30. The security company should be here around 1:00.” Choi looked at his watch.

“We’ll head back by then. Did you guys sleep ok? Sorry, we don’t have proper beds here yet, they should be coming by tomorrow.” Namjoon asked.

“Just fine. It was quiet. I think Su was up early.”

“He was,” Quon nodded. “He went to meet up with Ko this morning to see if they could figure out more about yesterday…”

“Shh.” Tae quickly put his finger up as he stopped talking. They could hear the crew wandering from room to room upstairs and would soon be returning. “The girls don’t know all the details.”

“We know,” Choi said quietly, and before they could continue, the group started heading back downstairs. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Tae walked over to meet them to continue their tour. “Our turn,” Yoongi held his hand out, and Jimin passed Ami over to him. “What do you think so far?”

“I can’t believe it, my brain can’t comprehend what you all did,” she murmured as they took her around the first floor.

“Well, it might become more clear soon,” Yoon said as he walked her into the first-floor master and ushered her inside. Ami and Wendy walked through the open rooms, peaking in the spaces and looking out the windows. Namjoon, Tae, and Yoongi all stayed by the door.

“This is Su’s space,” Namjoon said softly.

“What?” Ami paused and glanced back at he guys.

“He has a work space here if he needs to. He can stay if he wishes. This house gives them somewhere to base things out of when we are doing bigger events where we need more help.”

“Same for Choi and Quon. They have space to stay if necessary. They stayed last night to be near but not in our space…or us in theirs,” Tae added on.

“Oh…ooooooh.” Things started clicking together as she paused and looked back at them. “So, this is a house for them.”

“Or Wendy and Riggs, guests, or if you and Jae and to throw a rager of a party you are so known for. It’s space we can use as we need, because as big as our place is, sometimes we need more beds.” Yoongi smiled as they walked back out through the rest of the first floor, finally ending up outside looking over the backyard. Everyone came outside to join them, standing in the late morning sun.

“Wow,” was all Wendy could say as they both took it all in.

“I didn’t know something like this was in your plans,” Ami finally turned to face all her boys. She noticed Choi and Quon were standing back along the wall of the house, listening in. 

“We kicked around the idea, but it wasn’t until we heard the place was about to come onto the market that we decided to jump on it,” Kook explained. “We’re going to put a gate in between the properties, so we can come and go as we wish.”

“So Pak and Jae will have a space here too, then?” She saw them all start to smile a little. “No, wife. We have something else for them.” Jin spoke up. “We’re giving them the guest house, officially.”

Wendy broke her gaze from the backyard and turned around to listen.

“What do you mean?” Ami said slowly.

“We mean. This is now officially the guest house, and they will have their own private space to use without the rotation of extra people coming through. No offense.” Hobi smiled at Wendy.

“Hey, no worries.” She laughed.

“What?” Ami’s jaw dropped.

“Come on,” Namjoon said, walking over and taking her hand, then leading her and the group down the steps to walk around the backyard so they could see everything. “When this place became available, we at first thought about buying it for Pak and Jae, but we didn’t want to put that pressure on them. I think they like their apartment. It’s away from our craziness when they need it.” He squeezed her hand as he spoke. “Then it morphed into the current plan. A place for Su and the guys. A place for guests or a place for you girls to get away, without really getting away.” He smiled, then leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Because you aren’t allowed to go far.” They all saw her break and finally smile. She knew he did and didn’t mean what he said.

“Giving them their own place without the round robin of people filtering through seemed like a good option. It’s just for them.” He turned the knob to the pool house and pushed the door open so they could explore.

“So, um, let me get this straight,” Wendy finally chimed in. “You guys bought this property so Jae and Pak could have a place to hang some clothes?”

“Essentially.” Jimin smiled. “We want to make sure they don’t feel like guests all the time, because they aren’t. Giving them their own place to plant their flag helps a little, we hope anyway.”

“I don’t think they feel that way,” Ami stopped and hugged Namjoon, “but thank you.”

“Anything for you,” he whispered, picking her up and holding her in a long hug. Ami went to each one of her boys, hugging and thanking them as Wendy watched. She finally got around to Yoongi, who held up his good hand, “Don’t thank me. I didn’t know about it until yesterday.”

“What?” She grinned, “Wait, when did you guys know?” She pointed to Choi and Quon.

“A couple of days ago, honestly. Su didn’t even know until we got back from Iceland,” Choi winked.

“OH my god. How did you get away with that?” She all but gasped.

“It happens every once in a while. We save our sneakiness for special occasions,” Jungkook teased as they all walked back out of the poolhouse and back up to the house together, chatting. Wendy grabbed onto Ami’s arm as they walked in tandem. "Hell of a guest house."

"I know," she looked up at the large home.  Wendy looked back at the pool house, "You know, that pool house would be a perfect girl cave."   Ami started to grin and looked back at it with her.  "Out of these two giant mansions, you don't have a space that's just your own." 

"I have my office," she looked over at Wendy as she rolled her eyes.  "That's a workspace, but the pool house could be perfect for girl nonsense."

***

About the same time they were making their way back to their house next door, Su was walking into his mom's house.

"Hi, son, lunch is ready," she called out from the kitchen as she heard him close the door behind him.   Su set his keys down on the shelf and took off his shoes before heading in.  He walked in and sat down as his mom turned the corner with a cup of hot tea.   She set it down on the table,  then pulled out a chair and joined him.  

"So.  Tell me.  Did the drive give you time to sort things out?"

Su smiled, "It did, thank you."  He started to serve her plate with food, as she eyed him with a knowing look, "Of course it did. So, who's this friend that's visiting?"

"Her name is Wendy.  They went to school together." He set her full plate down and started filling his. 

"Hmm, and she knows about how amazing my granddaughter is?"  she squinted a little at him. 

"She does," he smiled. 

"Good," she was satisfied with his answer and took her first bite.  "So, is she coming out with Ami this weekend?  You know I still need to meet the rest of those boys you are so protective over," she teased.  Su chuckled, "Actually, she isn't coming out this weekend."  He enjoyed the few brief seconds of pause he gave her,  then continued before she asked more questions, "I'll be back out Saturday morning to pick you up.  Against my better judgment, you're coming to them."  He kept eating as she slammed her hands down on the table in excitement, "STOP."

"No," he said calmly, taking another bite. 

"I get to see my granddaughter AND finally meet the rest of them?"  He loved how excited she was, then she stopped and squinted again as she pointed at him, "What about Quon.  Will he be there?  I like him."

"They will all be there, well, not Pak and Jae.  They are on a much-needed vacation right now."  

"What a perfect birthday."   She sat in her excitement for a moment before she started eating again.  "What else is going on?  How's my future son-in-law?"  He paused for a second, making sure he was talking about the right one.  "He's good."

"And when is the wedding? Do they have a date yet?"

"Later this year, I believe, if all goes well."

His mom sat back in her seat and watched him more closely. "What wouldn't go well?"

"Mom."

"I'm just asking," she shrugged as Su now sat back in his seat.  "A lot.  There are a lot of pieces in the air right now," he finally relented. 

"Anything I need to help with?"  The look he gave her made her shrug again as she sipped her tea.  "I'm just saying..."

"No.  I think I have a handle on it.  I won't...I mean...I don't want to call in that favor," he sighed. 

"You don't have to," she said, sitting back as the tone of the conversation was now a little more serious.  Now no one was eating. 

"I've worked hard not to be connected with that side of our family." 

"I know," she nodded. "Everyone knows and respects that.  Your dad and I walked away from that side when we got married, and when you were born.  The family respected our choice, but family is family, and you have a very real favor to call in.  You think the people you work with don't know that about you? The card you have in your pocket to play?"

"I don't have anything in my pocket," he sighed.  "It's just rumors to people anyway."

"And that's what gives you some of your edge.  You know the truth and history, and whether you use it or not, it gives you strength.  Rumors can be stronger than actions."

"Oh, I'm aware.  I work in a business of rumors.  That's 98% of what your granddaughter deals with, by the way.  More so for the guys.  The fear of rumors dictates what they can and cannot do daily.  They're all currently locked down at home because a simple business lunch yesterday went sideways, which your granddaughter doesn't yet know the full extent of, and it's going to stay that way.   I can't bring our side into their business. It would destroy any credibility they have."  He paused as she watched him think, "I would have to walk away from them if I made that call, and I don't want to do that.  So," he sighed. "I have to do everything by the book, as absolutely frustrating as that is."  

"Okay," she said, simply.  "But just know, when you need a call to be made, YOU don't have to be the one who makes it."

"Mom," he sighed again, this time rubbing his face. 

"I'm old.  What are they going to do to me?" She smiled, sipping her tea.  

"Don't make me regret coming out here," he shook his head, and resumed eating.  

"What time should I be ready on Saturday?"  His eyes flickered over to her before he took a bite, "Does ten work for you?"  

"Ten is perfect," she winked back. 

Chapter Text

It was almost evening when Su returned to the house. "Hey there, let me help you with that." Jimin trotted over and took a box from him as he slipped off his shoes. "What's this?"

"I don't know. It's from Dr. Lee for Jungkook. He had me pick it up on the way over. How did show and tell go next door today?" Jimin set the large box aside as they walked in.

"Better than we thought it would go. I think having Wendy along helped. They've been hanging out all day talking over contracts, scheming, zoning out, and watching TV. Right now, I think they're online shopping for the new place with some of the guys. It's been an okay day overall."

"Good. That's good to hear," he followed him into the kitchen and sat down as Jimin grabbed something from the fridge for him.

"How did your meeting go this morning? We were surprised we hadn't heard from you until now." Jimin took a sip and leaned back on the countertop.

"Honestly, not great."

Jimin set his drink down, crossed his arms, and now zeroed in on Su, "What now?"

"We should get the guys..." Su didn't want to tell the story more than once.

"Nope. I'll take care of it, tell me," he said firmly.

He sighed, pulled out the paperwork that Ko had given him, and passed it over. Jimin picked it up and started flipping through it as Su explained. "In a nutshell, because she was going to do the tour, the higher-ups think she can now do all the things."

"Fuck that," he snorted as he kept reading, then turned the page. Su watched as his eyes grew wide, flipping the pages back and forth as he looked over the proposed schedule. "No!"

"Yup. They're almost the same."

"What are they trying to do? They were ready to send us on opposite sides of the world, and now this?! What the actual fuck. What's Ko thinking?!"

"It's not him, well, I don't think it's him. It's the higher-ups. The company is pushing, he pushed back, and this is what they came up with," he explained as he heard Jimin let out a long string of curse words under his breath.

"Do you believe him?" His eyes flickered to Su, then back to the papers.

"I don't know. I don't believe anyone 100%.  The company is primarily looking at it from a 'loss of potential revenue,'" he air quoted.

"They're about to lose all their revenue," he muttered. "What about what happened yesterday? Did they figure that out?"

"No, but I have an idea on how to track down who leaked our location...Jimin?"

He had turned and walked out of the room before Su was done talking, papers in hand. "I'll be right back. Don't move." He said in a tone Su usually heard from Namjoon or Yoongi when they were really angry. Right before he turned the corner, he stopped and looked back at Su, "Please."

"I'll be here," he nodded back with a little smile. He pulled out his phone and texted Choi and Quon: Can you guys join me next door, please?

On our way, Choi replied

Ami, Wendy, Jin, Hobi, and Jungkook were all deep in discussion about what they needed for the new house, making lists and placing orders, when Jimin suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Wife. A word."  Kook and Hobi looked up and just caught a glimpse of him as he was leaving.

"Be right back," she said, slowly getting up, still staring at the choices of rugs on the laptop, then broke away and trotted out the door.

"What do you think, Wendy?  You're the proxy decision maker while she's gone."  Jin smiled as they looked over the options.   Wendy snorted, "Your house will have a drastically different style if I get involved...but not that one," she pointed to a ridiculously ornate rug they were looking at. 

"Noted," Jin laughed as they all looked for more options.

Jimin was down the hall a few steps when she found him. "Hey," she smiled, but her face dropped when she saw how serious he looked. "What's going on?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall into his studio and shut the door.

"I need your permission to go speak on your behalf at the company," he was seething.

"What's happened?" she said quietly as he handed her the paperwork.

As she was reading it over, he continued, "Now that the tours are postponed, this is what they want from all of us. They want you out there, everywhere, at all the things, and they want us there with you."

"What? That makes zero sense. They just tried to put a literal ocean between us, and now this? Why?" She slowly read through the pages, shaking her head as she read.

"Apparently, if we can't do the tours, then keep us in the news for all the wrong reasons until we can. So, I need to go have a conversation with them, but I wanted to know if I can speak for you."

She stopped reading and looked up at him. She had never seen him so controlled and angry, but she knew the feeling. It was a side he didn't often get a chance to show, usually falling to Namjoon or one of the other guys, but not this time. "I trust you. I want to go, too."

He put a hand on her lower back and pulled her in for an intense kiss. Ami quickly inhaled as he smashed his lips on hers, "No, wife. They get only me this time."

Jimin went up to change his clothes as Ami slipped back in with Wendy and the shopping crew. "Ami, which one do you think will look best?" Hobi said without looking up. Jin noticed she was reading something she didn't like. "Come here," he patted his lap as she changed her direction without thinking and sank into his lap.

"What's this?" he asked, looking down at the paper, then frowned, "Ami, what is this?"

"This is what the company wants now that the tours are delayed," she murmured as she read in disbelief over and over. Everyone stopped and looked over at them. Wendy sat back as the energy in the room instantly prickled up.

"What's it say?" Jungkook asked. There was a pause, and Ami had a thought, "Kookie. Jimin is getting ready to talk to Ko and the Directors about this. Will you go with him, please? He doesn't want me to go."

"Wait, what?!" Hobi and Jin said in tandem as Junkook jumped up and ran to catch up. Jin stood up, holding her until her feet touched the floor, then the guys marched out to see what was going on. Wendy stared at her, standing slowly as Ami reached out, "Come on. It's about to get interesting."

Su, Choi, and Quon were talking by the front door when Namjoon wandered by. "Hey, I didn't know you guys were here. How was your meeting this morning, Su?" he said with a smile as he changed course and walked over to them.

Before they could say anything, they heard Jimin reply, "Poorly. It went poorly, Namjoon." They all turned towards him. He had changed into all black, his boots in hand.

"Here." Su handed Namjoon Pak's copy of what the company now wanted from them. 

"What the fuck is this?" he flipped the pages. It felt like each section he read felt worse than the prior one.

"That's what I'm going to go figure out," Jimin said firmly as he slipped on his boots. "I'm done with this shit. They're trying to use her and us, absolutely fucking not. I'm ready to go," he said firmly to Su.

"Wait, hang on," Jungkook called out as he ran over, "I'm coming with you."

"Everyone, wait," Namjoon said more firmly as he read over the papers. "Someone get the guys, we need to talk about this first." Jungkook turned and ran off to find everyone, passing Hobi, Jin, Ami, and Wendy, who were already on their way.

"Namjoon.  I need to go." Jimin said firmly. He was ready to kick someone's ass. As calmly as he could, he looked over to Jimin, "I know. Let's get everyone on the same page before you do that, okay? I agree, this needs to be dealt with, but you need to be level-headed." Jimin closed his eyes and took a deep breath as they all gathered to talk.

"Ok, all here," Kook said as he walked in with Yoongi and Tae.  Yoon's eyes fell on his wife as she was holding a set of papers.  He walked over and held out his hand as she passed them over to read. Before he could walk away, she looped her finger into his belt loop and gently held him in place so he couldn't wander off. Yoon stayed as Jungkook read over his shoulder.

"Now. What's going on?" Namjoon looked to Su and Jimin as he handed his copy of the papers to Jin, Tae, and Hobi.

"My meeting with Ko this morning was disappointing. Those lists are what Ko had to talk the directors down to after the tours were postponed."

"Down to? What did they want originally?" Tae scoffed.

"This is total shit," Jin murmured.

"So, I'm going to go have a conversation with them. This ends now." All the guys slowly looked over to Jimin; they now understood why he was so mad.

Yoongi turned to Wendy, "Hey, can you step outside with Su and the guys for a moment? We need to have a quick chat. Su, do you guys mind giving us a second to talk?"

"OH, yeah sure," she stepped forward, surprised.

"We'll be next door. The security system was set up today, and we need to show Wendy how it works." Su held out his arm, ushering her towards the front door with Quon and Choi in tow. He was glad they were making Jimin pause before he tore out of there hot-headed.

As soon as the door closed,  Yoongi felt Ami let go of his belt loops and walk over to Jimin. She reached out and he took her hand, "Husband, will you sit with me, please?" she said quietly. She knew how angry he was. He wanted to protect his wife and family. She felt just as frustrated and mad, but didn't want to match his energy in the same way. "I know you're upset, I am too, but we need to think this through together." They both sat down as he repositioned his hand around hers, squeezing them tightly.

"Well, this isn't happening. It feels like a setup," Hobi started.

"It is. Plain and simple. Question is, how do we want to fix it?" Tae took the papers and studied them carefully.

"Punching them in the throat seems like an acceptable response," Jimin said, not joking.

"Throat punching is illegal, I've been told," she whispered, trying to ease the tension.

"For you," he looked at his wife, unamused. Namjoon watched the interaction between them as everyone talked. Ami held his stare for a moment, then broke away first and looked over to Namjoon. He nodded slightly to her as Jin spoke above the rumble. "It feels like it did when we were just starting out. I thought we were past all this."

"So let's counter. Let's look at the list and decide what will and won't happen. Ko negotiated this down, so it can be changed." Yoongi walked over and grabbed a pen, as Tae placed the papers in a line on the table so they could see everything at once.

"Ami, come here, Love," Hobi called out as they all gathered around. Jimin stayed on the couch as she got up. "Come on, help us unfuck this situation."

"I already have a plan to unfuck this situation," he said, staying put. Ami let out a frustrated sigh, then felt Namjoon standing behind her.

"Ami. Let me talk to him, okay?" he said softly in her ear. He put his hands on her hips and gently moved her in the direction of the group that was gathering around the table. She relinquished Jimin's hand, and before it dropped, Namjoon grabbed it. "Let's go for a walk." Without waiting for a reply, he pulled him up and led him toward the door.

"Where are you two going?" Jin called out.

"Going for a hard walk. Any decisions you make are fine by us," Namjoon replied for both of them as he pulled him out the door and into the twilight.

"Namjoon. I don't want to take a walk. You're just delaying the inevitable," he yanked his hand back and stopped. Namjoon turned around and stayed calm, "Look. I know this feeling. Feeling like you need to fucking hit someone or something. I get it. Usually it's me or Yoongi who's about to fly off the handle, rarely you, so I know this is killing you. You need to deal with it so you don't do something stupid.  Your wife has been taking the high road with you, and you're not meeting her halfway. She's letting you step up as her husband. She wants that. As much as she could handle it, she's letting us drive that bus. You pulling up to the company and going off the rails with no plan doesn't help anything. They are making a plan inside so that we can shut this down. She and we need you to come back to earth so we can ALL do what we need to do, together."

"You don't think I can handle it?"  He spared. 

Namjoon frowned, "Jimin.  I don't doubt that.  No one doubts that.  On this level, we are all equals."  Jimin watched Namjoon unbuckle his belt and pull it off in one swoop. "Let's go." Jimin's eyes got big, then Joon turned around and started walking towards the garage.

"It's not for you," he called back, then finally heard him jog to catch up.

Namjoon flipped on the lights in the garage, but they didn't go upstairs. "We aren't going up?"

"No. We need a minder for that right now. I don't trust you to stop." Namjoon smiled as he pulled Kook's punching bag out and hung it from the hook. "When Tae, Kook, and I were up there, I was angry, same as you. Jungkook offered to let me take it out on him, but Tae wouldn't let me until I worked out the anger first. Which was very wise for Kook's sake and mine." He walked over and handed him his belt. "So, he made me beat the couch until I was clear-headed again. That's what she needs you to do with this bag. Beat the shit out of it so you can go in there and be the husband she needs. If that's going and telling the company to fuck off, that's fine, but it needs to be done with a clear head. Not feral Jimin."

Namjoon stepped to the side as he walked up to the bag. He stared at it for a moment, the belt hanging from his right hand, took a deep breath, and swung the belt fast and hard. The sound of the belt hitting the bag echoed throughout the garage over and over, as he released his anger.

***

Inside the house, they were going through the lists. Jungkook was standing behind Ami, arms around her, as Tae crossed things off or added notes. They made it much more realistic for what they were all comfortable with. Rarely overlapping except for a few events that had been scheduled before they added all the extra filler crap put in. Not that they didn't want to do things together, but they didn't want to give their relationship away. 

"There. What do you guys think?" Tae stepped back as everyone reviewed the new plans.

"I think there needs to be a pocket option," Ami said slowly, running down the lists.

"What do you mean?" Kook asked, squeezing her.

"Well. If we go in and offer this, and they say no, we can add one more thing to sweeten the pot on our terms. They might be more willing to accept it then. Make them think they're getting a good deal or whatever."

"Backup plan?" Kook kissed her neck.

"Yup."

"Or we can say it's this or nothing," Hobi sighed. "Fuck them." He turned around and grabbed her face, placing his forehead to hers as she giggled a little, "Doing okay?"

"Yeah," She sighed. "It will be okay."

"It will." He smooched her face as Kook squeezed her tighter.

***

Next door, Choi was walking Wendy through the new security system, keeping her busy as Su and Quon were outside. They were at the very back of the property, walking the perimeter and looking at where they were going to knock through the properties. Now that the security system was up and running, Su wanted to put in the gate as early as tomorrow.

"The new cars are being delivered tomorrow," Su said as they rounded the far corner.

"That was fast."

"Well, they needed a couple of modifications, but they were available. I'll be glad to get them up and running. I'm glad you and Choi will have something to drive of your own."

"What about Dr. Lee?"

"I stopped by today, and we installed a device in his car that does the same thing. So, he's cleared to come up here anytime."

Quon was surprised, "We could have just done that to mine and Choi's cars. No need to spend that kind of money." Su smiled, "It's okay. It's part of the optics. A fleet of similar cars comes across differently. It's more than time anyway."

Quon smiled as they made their way up the side, back towards the house. "The first round of house stuff comes tomorrow too, it's going to be a busy day. Have you heard from Pak and Jae?"

"Just once, they're doing good. I told him not to check in, no news was good news. Oh, here's something I need to share with the group. I'm bringing my mom up this weekend. It's her birthday, and she wanted me to bring Ami to her, but I'm a little reluctant to haul them too far right now. So, I need to see what they want to do. Bring her here, next door, to the apartments, even though that shit went down yesterday.  Oh, she's very excited to see you again." He smiled, hearing Quon chuckle. Just then, Quon stopped and listened. "What is that?"

Su stopped as they both heard a faint 'whacking' sound. It was consistent, but not a set rhythm. "Someone doing yard work this late?" Su said slowly. Just then, they heard a yell they recognized and started running.

***

Namjoon was watching Jimin go to town on the bag. For as laid back and calm as he usually was, he had been holding in a lot of anger. Back and forth he whipped the bag, grunting and sweating as he let it all go. He was so angry at the company and how they had been pushing. Every time they solved a problem, another seemed to arise. He was pissed at the people coming after his wife and Jae. He didn't know how they needed to find them and put a stop to it, but it had to happen. Namjoon watched him swing hard three more times and let his frustrations and anger out in one long, angry, releasing yell before finally stopping.

He stood there, head back, eyes closed, and sweating from how hard he had been swinging and for so long. "Fuck." he panted.

"Feel better?" Namjoon smiled as he finally turned to look at him, sweat running down his face, "Yeah. Not so feral. Thanks, I needed that." He turned back towards the bag, giving it a few more whacks before being done.

Su and Quon were running up the drive when they heard the whacks start back up. "Garage!" Su yelled as he aimed for the door.

Namjoon looked over just as Su and Quon barreled in. He jumped and then fell backwards over a chair, hitting the concrete floor. Jimin was in the middle of his last full swing. Startled, he flinched hard, the belt whipped around, wrapping around his head and the buckle clocking him right above his eye on his forehead.

"OH, fuuuuuuuckkkk." he dropped to the ground, holding his head as Namjoon was on his back, trying to roll over to get up, but was half caught up in the chair. Quon ran over to Namjoon to help him as Su ran to Jimin.

"Shit! OH god! Are you okay?" Su crouched beside him, "Let me see, let me see, did it hit your eye?" Jimin was on his knees, head down, rocking forward and back, the palm of his hand pressed on his forehead. "God daaaaammn." he groaned as he felt Su push him to his side and roll him onto his back, prying his hand away to see. A welt was forming, but no blood. He pushed Jimin's hand back down on his face and held his hand on top. "You're good. No cuts. I'm so sorry. Namjoon?! You okay?" He called out as Quon was helping untangle him from the chair.

"I'm good, what's going on?" He called back. Just as he got up, Jungkook and Jin walked in. They were done inside and wanted to check in on the two of them.

"Jesus. What the hell?" Jungkook murmured as they looked between the two groups. "Ice. Now." Su called out, and Jin turned and ran back in. "What happened?" Kook jogged over and knelt next to Jimin. He rested his hand on his chest as Jimin kept holding his face.

"Belt buckle to the head." Jimin groaned as he started to rub the spot a little, trying to push the pain away. Jungkook looked immediately at Namjoon, eyes wide. Namjoon knew what he was thinking and shook his head. "He was burning off his anger at the bag. He hit himself." He said quickly. That's all he needed for the group to think he beat Jimin with a belt to the head. 

"Is that what you were doing? What was the yell I heard?" Su asked as he carefully peeled his hand back again, looking more closely at the bruise that was quickly forming.

"Ice!" Jin called out as he ran back in, now with the rest of the crew behind him. He tossed the icepack at Su, and he caught it, then carefully molded it to his face.

"He took a belt to the head," Namjoon said quickly, as everyone stopped and tried to make sense of what was happening.   Jin, Hobi, and Tae all whipped their head around and looked at Namjoon, with a shocked expression on all their faces. 

"He did it to himself. It was an accident." He once again had to clear his name.

"Ami," Su called her name, and she walked over, kneeling next to her poor husband. "Here, hold this." Su took her hand and placed it on Jimin's, who was holding the icepack. "Baby,  how are you feeling?"

"Well. I was feeling better and about ready to come in. Did you guys figure things out?" he smiled a little, trying to play off the pain for her.

"We did," she moved the icepack so she could see the growing bruise, and then quickly put it back on.

"Su." She looked over at him, eyes big.  She didn't have to say anymore, and he took out his phone to call Lee.  "Quon, can you go get Choi and Wendy, please?"  Su called out as the phone rang. 

"I don't need Lee," he groaned a little.

"You know he enjoys coming to see what we've been up to.  He's going to love it. Come on, let's get you in the house." Jungkook and Hobi each took a side and helped him sit up, as Ami kept his icepack on him. They all carefully watched as they got him to a standing position, and he took over holding the ice to his face.

"You good?" Hobi asked.

"Yeah. I think so. It just stings. Belt buckles are off the list if anyone was wondering," he said as he started walking out of the garage and towards the house. The guys flanked him while Ami and Yoongi stayed back with Su in the garage. He quickly spoke to Lee, then hung up and looked up at them.

"What happened?" Ami reached down to offer her hand to help him up, as Yoongi did the same with his good arm. Su swiped Yoongi's arm away and took Ami's. She smiled and helped pull him to his feet.

"Quon and I heard him yell out, we came running and burst in. Jimin was in the middle of a swing, the belt wrapped around his head, and the buckle got him. I feel horrible."

"He'll be okay, he's had worse,"  Yoongi smiled as they walked to join the rest.  Ami took Su's hand as they walked inside.  They all knew Su felt bad, but it was all part of the weird life they led.  

"How was your talk?" he asked her as Yoon left the front door cracked open for Quon, Choi, and Wendy. 

"Good. We have a good plan. We'll call them tomorrow."

"You don't want to go in?" he was surprised. He figured another trip was in their near future.

"Nope. I think staying close to home is the best thing right now. With everything happening with the place next door, it's too much to all get pulled together and all go somewhere. Too much for you guys, too much for us. We can video chat if they need to see our disapproving eyeballs."

Su turned and looked down at her, "It's not too much for us.  I don't want you ever to think that." 

"Well. We can't bring Jimin in like that tomorrow," she smiled. "Ko already wonders about Yoongi's arm and my foot.  Jimin's knot on his head will push him over the edge, I'm sure.  

"How's your foot feeling?  You seem to be almost back to normal," he smiled.

"It's good, seems like I'll make it after all. I'm going to go check on my husband." She squeezed his hand and walked over to where they had sat Jimin down on the couch. Tae was standing behind him, holding the ice on his head as he leaned back on the cushion.

"Hi," he sighed as she crawled next to him and leaned on his shoulder. "Doing okay?"

"I'll be fine. Sorry about before."

"Shhh." She said quietly as she ran her fingers between his and held his hand. Soon, Quon walked in with Choi and Wendy, and they walked directly over to where he was sitting on the couch.

"He did a good job." Tae pulled back the ice pack, revealing the bruise.

"Dang, that's going to be a good one,"   Wendy said as she sat down in an adjoining chair.

"Never a dull moment," Ami sighed.  Choi and Quon's eyes got big when they saw the mark, but they stayed quiet, turning to walk back to Su. "He's lucky he didn't take out his eye," Choi said quietly to Su.

"I know."

It wasn't long before Lee was there, standing in front of Jimin, staring down at him.  "This is new."

"Well, I aim to please," Jimin smiled.   Ami kissed his cheek and went to stand with everyone in the kitchen, giving them space, except for Su, who tried to sit down nearby.  "Nope, come on," Ami grabbed his arm and walked him to the kitchen with her.  

"I should stay."

"Nope.  Let them be for a minute.  We want to show you what we came up with anyway," she all but dragged him to the kitchen as Jin started sharing with Choi and Quon what they were going to counter with.  They all knew Su felt bad for what happened, but also knew it wasn't his fault. They needed that level of security to feel safe, if that meant Jimin took a buckle to the head, so be it.  It was just a random storm of circumstances.  

Jimin sat up a little straighter as Lee sat down on the coffee table in front of him.  "Okay, let's see the damage."  He set the ice pack down on the couch as Lee stared at his head.  This forehead had a dark welt above his right eye.  

"Explain to me what you were doing?  And why?"  he didn't touch him yet, just crossed his arms to talk.

"I was angry and wanted to go storm the company, but Joon made me get that frustration out before I did something stupid."

"So, you hitting yourself in the head was the alternative?  How very Flagellant of you.  This almost ranks up there with Yoongi punching that wall one time," he joked as he dug through his bag for some arnica. 

"Apparently so.  I guess I needed it to keep me in line.  Who knew?" 

Lee smiled a little, "Give me your hand."  Jimin held it out, and he placed a little dot of arinca cream on the tip of his finger.  "Gently rub that in.  It will cut the bruising time in half."  He watched him gingerly rub it in, "You seem okay now, though?"

"Yeah, I'm okay.  Fustrated that every day seems to be a thing we have to deal with, but we're getting through it."

"Mmm.  What's today's thing, minus this thing of beauty?"  He crossed his arms and listened.  Su wasn't the only one who took in all the nuances of a person when they shared with him.

"In a nutshell, the company tried to merge our schedules.  They think that because Ami was going to do a tour, they can thrust her into the public eye and have us right by her side," he sighed.  "I was going to go down and, I don't know, do something, but they knew better than to let me do that."

Lee frowned. "What?  That doesn't make any sense."

"We know that.  Ko knows that. But the higher-ups have different plans.  So," he took a deep breath, "they came up with a take-it-or-leave-it counteroffer of what we would all be willing to do.  I haven't even seen it yet.  I was beating a punching bag and myself."  

"Well, in the future, lay off the 'myself' part if you would please," he patted his leg and handed him the cream. "Put that on three times a day.  You'll be good as new in no time." 

"I will.  Thanks for coming,"  Jimin got up and joined the group.  Ami wrapped her arms around him as they showed him the plans.  She pushed her hand under his shirt and tucked it in his waistband.  She loved it when they did that to her, it felt so intimate, especially when they were in mixed company.  "You good? I mean, besides the welt on your head." Namjoon smiled as they could all feel the old Jimin was back. 

"I'm good."  

"Good." Yoongi reached over and squeezed the back of his neck a few times before they all turned their attention back to the plans. 

Lee met Su's eyes and pointed to the backyard to talk.  The two went outside, closed the door, and wandered out of sight from the group.  "How did the company flip so fast?"

"I don't know.  I don't know if it's just business and they're trying to money grab because the tours are delayed.  I don't know if there are true alternative motives.  I don't know if outside forces are trying to dictate their schedule.  It's messy, and unpredictable, and frustrating." 

"What do you know?" he asked. 

"Well.  I know one of three people had the opportunity to know where we were yesterday.  Yesterday bothers me the most right now.  It was organized, too close, and fast,"  he sighed, "But I do have a plan for how to narrow that down.   I just need these guys to be settled for a day so I can get things in place." 

"Yeah?  Need any help with that?"

Su smiled, "I'll let you know."  The two talked a little more before returning indoors.  Su was walking him to the door when Lee saw the box off to the side.  "Has Jungkook seen that yet?" he smiled. 

"No, I don't think so."

Lee turned around and called back,  "Jungkook, your box you requested is here!"  Everyone looked over to them as Kook walked over, confused.  "What box?"  Lee pointed nonchalantly to it as he slipped on his shoes.  "The box you requested yesterday. I wanted to make sure you knew it was here in the chaos of the evening."

Still confused, he picked up the large box and shook it a little, then his face changed to one of shock as an entire case of tests rattled around inside.  

"Lee, I asked for a box or two," he said quietly as he started to blush.

"Well, I took a guess and sent one box for now, but if you think you need two, I'll have another one sent over," he said calmly.  

"NO!  That's fine!  Thank you!" he scurried off. 

"What's that?" Ami called out as everyone watched him quickly haul his box upstairs to his room.

"Later!" 

Su heard Lee chuckle, pick up his bag, and head for home. 

Chapter Text

Early morning, day three on Jeju Island, Pak and Jae were getting ready for a day of wandering and sightseeing. The two had spent the day prior sleeping, relaxing, and enjoying a quiet day together, but now it was time to head out for some fun.

Pak was waiting for her as she finished getting ready. "I'm so excited to go out today! It's been so long since we've had a proper wander," she called from the bedroom.

He smiled and pushed his phone back in his pocket as she came hopping out of the bedroom and into his arms, "You look cuter than usual."

"Dooooo I?" She cheesed and giggled as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "You do. Ready to go explore the world of Jeju?"

"Yes!" He held her hand as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her purse.

"Okay, let's go." He held the door open for her as they ventured out in the warm morning air to explore the quiet island.

Back at the house.

Wendy was curled up in bed. She wasn't sleeping but enjoying the quiet of the morning, her mind slowly reviewing everything that had been happening over the last few weeks. Harry's world was busy, but the world Ami and her boys lived in was on another level. She heard her phone ping with a message, so she rolled over to see Rigg's name flash across the screen.

Morning, love. Give me a call when you're up.

Wendy smiled and pushed the redial button, then snuggled in as the phone rang.

"You're up early. I hope I didn't wake you," Riggs leaned back in his seat and smiled.

"No. I was up, just lying here being cozy."

"Oh yeah? Wish I could be there cozy with you," he sighed. "Sorry, we didn't get a chance to talk last night. I was busy nailing down Sven and Magnus."

"Sven and Magnus, huh? You settled on those guys?"

"Well, actually, their names are Charlie and Parker. I found a couple of blokes that I think you'll get along with just fine. They're very well versed in kale and all kale-like accessories."

"Oh, well, fantastic then, at least I won't starve," she teased.

"You won't starve. They're going to hang out with you when I have to be with Lord Sparkles, otherwise, you're all mine. I promise you, though, they're nice. You'll like them, and Su and I will feel better about making sure people aren't trying to fuck with you."

"If you say so," she sighed.

"When it comes to this, I do, Love. So!" he changed the subject, "how are things going there? Did you girls have a quiet day yesterday?" He heard her laugh, "Well, the boys bought a whole ass house next door...on a whim...because they needed a guest house." Riggs listened to her rattle off about the house, what they bought for it, and the random antics that happened the day before. While things still surprised her, not much shocked him; he'd seen a lot with Harry and his world. Expensive, impulsive buys were more common than not in the world of the ultra-rich, although he guessed the guys did things a little more calculated.

"Well. If they feel like they need more space, I'm sure they do. Unlimited shopping sounds right up your alley, though," he loved hearing her perspective on things.

"It's not terrible," she giggled as she rolled onto her back, "So, do you still want me back in a few days when you get to Japan?"

"I want you back now, but the new guys will be here late tonight, they're flying in from London. I need to get them up to speed, and Harry requires loving care. We head to Japan on Sunday, which is just a few days from now. Think you can manage until then?"

"You found guys from London?" She stared at the ceiling.

"I did. They'll blend in with the crew perfectly and speak your kookie language."

"Hey, you speak the same way!" She snorted.

"I'm not talking about accents, dear. Tell me, what's your plan for today?" He closed his eyes and imagined her lying in bed, messy morning hair and sleepy looking while they talked. The mornings were his favorite with her. Wendy ran down what she knew about the day as he hung on her words and his imagination.

Inside, everyone was still in bed but was starting to wake up. Jimin was half asleep when he heard quiet voices around him. He felt one of the guys next to him roll over, slip their arm under his head, and place their other arm over his body, pulling him gently against them. Jimin sighed, completely comfortable with whoever had him.

Next, he felt someone gently rubbing ointment on his forehead. "How does it look today?" he murmured. Instead of replying right away, Ami leaned in and kissed him, finally saying, "Don't worry about it."

"That bad, huh?" he smiled a little, but kept his eyes closed as whoever was behind him squeezed him a little more, forcing him to relax. "She said don't worry about it." Namjoon's voice floated into his head.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she kissed him one more time before leaning towards Joon and kissing him too, "Take care of my sweet husband, please."

"Anything, Dove," he winked sleepily and snuggled in with him. Hobi rolled out of bed, letting Ami scoot out. "Do you need any assistance?" he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"I think I got it, thank you," she smiled as she wandered to the bathroom and shut the door.

"I should go help her," Jungkook mumbled.

"No, you shouldn't. Nothing good will come of you going in there," everyone heard Tae reply.

"Oh, something VERY good would come of it, but I'm not allowed right now and it's killing me," he groaned.

"It's killing everyone," Jin spoke up. "Today's her last day on those meds, then we can finally play together."

"You can play with her now, you just can't fuck her," Yoongi smirked as he felt everyone shift a little. The tension of wanting to be with her was real. "You know, maybe we need to wait until Wendy leaves."

"Whhhhhyyyyyy," Hobi groaned, rolling over and cuddling with Jimin and Joon to keep himself from running into the bathroom, locking the door, and pouncing on his wife.

"Because, Ami coming down stairs to breakfast looking like the aftermath of a proper night with us might be more than she wants to share with her friend. Also, taking care of her in the aftermath is one of my favorite things to do, and I don't want her to worry about entertaining guests."

"God damn it, Yoongi," Namjoon sighed. He lightly stroked his hand across Jimin's stomach. Hobi and Namjoon could feel him move a little with Joon's touches, but no one took it any further.

"You said I'm not allowed to play until I can dom you. Did you think I was going to sit back and read a book until I felt ready? Baby steps." Yoongi's smile was a little wicked.

"Has anyone given a thought to our new neighbors next door? Is that going to be something we need to worry about?" Jimin finally muttered. A grumble went through the bed.

Kook stretched, "I think once things get settled it won't be a problem, but we should probably talk to them about what they and we expect with this new arrangement if they are staying there. Set some ground rules for everyone." He sat up and looked across the bed. Everyone was so comfortable together. Tae and Jin reached up and pulled him back into the fold.

"Where are you going?" Tae whispered in his ear as Jin gently took both of his wrists in his hand and held them together. Everyone was ready to let go, but they wanted...needed to wait. The mental edging was going to be torture, and they were prepared to embrace it.

Tae was less subtle than Namjoon with his touches and ran his fingers down his jawline and slowly down his side, up and down, knowing what his man loved.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Hobi asked.

"Calling Ko first thing and a shit load of deliveries next door. Otherwise nothing. The goal is zero drama for everyone, which includes Su. Also, no additional injuries...Jimin." Namjoon and Hobi could feel him chuckle. "I'll try. I wasn't lying, buckles are off the list."

"I can't wait to get back to our lists, it's been too looooooong," Tae moaned.

"Oh god, yes," Yoongi sighed.

"I can't wait to show Ami and Yoongi our new space," a mischievous look crossed Namjoon's face as Jimin let out a more wanting, "Fuuuuck." He had been holding off, but now pushed back into Namjoon, feeling how hard he was. They all were. Yet no one made a move.

Yoongi sat up and looked at the group as they tried to stifle their laughter. "You have to tell me."

"No," Hobi chuckled.

"This is just cruel."

"I don't know. Maybe telling him would be worse. If he knows what we have available to us, it might be more of a mind fuck for him. It is Yoongi after all." Jin had to give in, pulling on Jungkook's ear with his teeth. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," they all heard him whimper.

Everyone was keyed up, but Jimin and Jungkook were fighting to stay in their right mind. Tae gently grabbed Jin by the jaw and pushed him back, away from Kook's ear. "Jin. You know he won't be able to be good if you do that." Jin opened his eyes, and Tae could see the lust oozing from his glazed-over stare.

"Oh, you're worse than Kook, you're fucking gone," Tae licked his lips.

"Jimins not far behind," Hobi ran his hand up to his neck and applied just the right amount of pressure. Namjoon felt Jimin completely let go as he held him. The tension in the room was thick.

Yoongi laid back down and carefully pressed up against Jin, his lips right in his ear. Tae and Yoongi's eyes met. "Tae. Tell me exactly what you guys have planned," his voice was intoxicating, causing Jin to groan from his gut.

"Namjoon? May I tell him?" Tae met his tone as Jin's eyes rolled back, and he let his head fall against Jungkook.

"Tell him," Jungkook begged, "I want to hear it too."

Namjoon considered the options as he and Hobi stared at each other, Jimin between them, fighting for his life to maintain his composure as Tae and Yoongi had a mind fucked Jin and needy Kook between them.

They could hear Ami still in the shower, the water running long and hot as she enjoyed her alone time.

Hobi smirked and shook his head no. "Let's wait. This is too good."

All four men groaned. Yoongi rolled back onto his back, frustrated but smiling. They knew how to get to him, and he loved it. Kook tossed his hands over his face as Jin sat up. "I have to get out of bed or I won't be responsible for my actions. Thanks for the mind fuck, boys. I look forward to continuing this later." Jin grinned as he wiggled out of bed, careful not to bump his erection.

Hobi and Namjoon slowly let Jimin go. "You guys suck," he sighed and finally opened his eyes to see a grinning Hobi. "How you think we're all going to behave now is crazy."

"A little foreplay never hurt anyone," Hobi cooed. Just then, they all heard the shower turn off. That was their cue to get up and out of the room before she wandered through and someone grabbed her. Seeing her in a towel at this point would not end well. Everyone scurried out to their rooms to calm down, shower, and get ready for the day. Joon called out, "We're calling Ko in an hour from the library. See you guys there."

Jimin wiped the steam from his mirror, a towel around his waist, and stared at himself in the mirror. The mark he gave himself was no joke, dark purple with hues of blue and red. He gingerly touched it in amazement. "This is going to take forever to heal, fuck." He reached for the ointment Lee had left and applied another layer. He tossed the cream on the counter, then headed to his closet to get dressed. As he was finding clothes, he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"It's open!" he called out as he pulled a shirt off a hanger. He looked over to see Yoongi walking in. He stopped in the doorway and leaned on the doorjamb as Jimin smirked, "You'd better control yourself."

"Listen. Everyone knows I'm not allowed, so they sent me to see how you're doing. I was the logical choice from the options of very, very horney men in this house. We couldn't send Ami, we know you wouldn't last."

"I wouldn't either." Jimin shook his head, then let his towel fall and heard Yoongi inhale, "Good god." He watched him get dressed in silence. Once he was dressed, he walked over to Yoongi, "Like what you see?"

"Always," Yoon said softly. He reached out and ran his hand down his arm, to his hand, then pulled him in a little. He wasn't being possessive or firm, but sweet and caring. He examined his features, then his eyes landed on his bruise. "Real question, how's that feeling?"

"Sore. Embarrassing. But overall fine."

"Yeah? Okay," he reached up and swept his hair back a little as Jimin stared into his eyes. "How's your arm? You seem a little more yourself the last day or so."

"It's feeling a little better every day. It doesn't ache as much. You know I love napping, but it will be nice not to feel like my body needs to crash out twice a day," he sighed.

"I know. You're getting there. It takes time to recover from everything you went through," he sighed and leaned against the wall to talk. "Today's going to be a busy moving day next door. Once everything is delivered, we'll go over and help unpack everything. You should stay here and rest in the quiet. You won't have to fight Namjoon off. We'll keep him busy," he winked.

"No. I want to help," he looked surprised.

"Well, you can come sit and point at things. That's all we're going to allow you to do," the tone indicated he was done with compromising. A smile curled on Yoongi's lips. "I love it when you're bossy. It looks good on you."

"Well, I like being both when I'm allowed."

"You're always allowed, no one will push you to be something you aren't or don't want to do. You know that." He pulled him in to kiss him, but let him lead once their lips touched. Jimin put his hand on Yoon's hips and pushed him firmly against the wall. He let him completely control the situation, moaning with his touches, not pulling back until Jimin did first. He consciously submitted to him for a couple of reasons. One, he loved time one-on-one with any or all of them when he could get it. Two, they all wanted Jimin to take the lead with Ko on the call today. Hobi and Namjoon were concerned that he might be a little stuck after their unexpected time together that morning, so they asked Yoongi to pull him back up so he felt ready. They wanted to honor that fight he had in him from yesterday, but in a clearer headspace.

Jimin finally pulled back, feeling good. Stronger. Better than when he got out of the shower. Even though Yoongi yearned to control things again, he knew this wasn't the time.

"Have you eaten yet?" Jimin traced his fingers over Yoon's lips and down his neck.

"No. I was waiting for you." His eyes involuntarily fluttered at his touch. Tough or not, his wanting wasn't a secret to anyone.

"God." Jimin kissed him once more, then pushed him towards the door, "We have to get out of here, or I won't care if you are off limits or not." Right before they walked out, Yoongi turned and carefully squared up with him, "All this right now, I fucking live for it. You know it's going to keep building until I lose it."

Jimin reached over, ran his finger inside his waistband, and along his skin. He grabbed the band and pulled it down a little. The pressure and his touch almost brought him to his knees with overwhelming bliss. Jimin smiled as he struggled to stay present, "We want you to get back to where you were before Iceland." He leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "So, do as you're told and rest. We're waiting for you."

"FUuuuuuuck," Yoongi grinned.

"Come on," Jimin smiled, opened the door, and followed him out and downstairs to join the rest.

An hour later, everyone was getting ready for the phone meeting with Ko. Ami and Jimin were outside having a serious conversation about how they wanted the meeting to go, while the rest waited for them inside.

Su and Choi had come over to listen in on the call and were inside watching the two talk through the window. "He seems much more together today." Choi leaned over and said quietly to Su.

"He does," Su nodded. "That's good, because he was ready to burn down the company yesterday."

"Here, guys," Jungkook and Tae brought over hot coffee for them. "Thanks." They gratefully took the mugs. "Looks like a serious meeting out there." Choi took a sip as Su held his cup, warming his hands.

"Yeah. Jimin's going to lead the meeting, so he wants to make sure they are on the same page going in." Jungkook smiled at the two outside.

"Jimin is? Not Namjoon?" Su said, surprised.

"Nope. He needs some resolution from yesterday. He's got it," Tae winked then looked around, "Where's Quon?"

"He's staying next door. The deliveries are starting to come, and he's having them dropped off in the garage for now. We'll start working on them later today to get the house ready for you guys," Choi smiled.

"Oh. We're all coming over to help. We'll have that house put together in no time. This is where we excel as a group, tell him Su." Jungkook grinned.

"It's like watching the Amish building a barn in a day." He took a sip as Tae and Kook looked proud. "Oh, by the way, around one o'clock, the pass through for the two properties is going in. So no more walking down the drive and back up."

They all watched Jimin say one more thing, lean in, and kiss her. She nodded, then turned to head down to the guest house. He watched until she disappeared, then turned and made his way back up to the house. "Okay. I think we're ready to get this show on the road," he said calmly and confidently as he stepped in the door. Choi didn't follow the group to the library, but headed down to the guest house to be with the girls during the call.

"Anything you need from me?" Su asked Jimin as they all made their way down the hall.

Jimin smiled, "No. I don't think so. I sent Ko the new schedule this morning, so nothing will jump out and whack him in the face. The only thing Ami's worried about is her time with Hobi, Kook, and Joon. I told her those times would be protected, and they will."

"Ready for the call?" Wendy smiled from the couch with her coffee as Ami joined her in the guest house. She started setting up her computer and papers at the table.

"I'm ready for it to be done. This is the part I hate about all this, the back and forth. People trying to push for things that make no sense for the overall picture. Just sort it out, put it on the schedule, and stop dicking around with changes," she smiled as they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Wendy called out. Choi popped in, "Hey there. Mind if I listen in?"

"Of course. There's more coffee over there if you need some," she pointed to the counter as he sat down near Wendy. "Where's your partner in crime?"

"Quon's next door. The deliveries are starting to come in, so he's directing all that. Su's up with the boys. We're hoping this all goes smoothly and we can spend the rest of the day unearthing boxes."

"We ordered a lot of stuff," Wendy grinned. "It's going to be fun."

Up at the house, Su was standing in the doorway of the library, watching everyone. They felt grounded and rested. It was good to see them stepping back and allowing Jimin to take the lead for the call. Su loved watching their dynamics. It always amazed him how well they ebbed and flowed together. While Namjoon usually led things, they all had grown into businessmen and stepped up when it counted. Jimin's anger yesterday was something he hadn't seen in a long time. The fact that he was so collected and focused today was a testament to his strength and their faith in him.

They were all standing around Namjoon's desk talking. "Is this how we still want to handle it?" Hobi asked as the rest nodded.

"This is what they need to agree to for her. This call isn't going to be a shit show, it needs to be clean and done so we can put this to rest." Jimin picked up the phone and called Ko before he looped Ami in as the rest all found seats.

"Director. This is Jimin. I'm here with the rest of the group and Mr. Su. Did you have a chance to look over what we sent you?" He flipped it to the speaker phone so everyone could listen in.

"Jimin. Gentlemen. I have. It looks a lot more on point for both groups." Ko was in his office, leaning back, reviewing the counteroffer from the groups.

"It is. Now, before we loop Suki into the call, are there going to be any problems? We want this to be a quick thumbs-up call, nothing more. So do you see any sticking points?" The seriousness in Jimin's voice could cut the air. Ko sighed, "They really want her to hit the award shows this year, that's where there's going to be the most push back."

"Why?"

"Honestly, they feel it's easy press. The fans eat that stuff up. She shows up, smiles, you guys know the drill. It would be a great soft launch for her tour." Jimin rolled his eyes.

"One of those shows is during your time with her." Su leaned down and whispered in Namjoon's ear. The one thing she or they didn't want was to interrupt the rest of the weddings. Joon shifted, his eyes piercing through the phone and into Ko's skull. Jimin looked up at Namjoon and could read his thoughts.

"That's not going to work," Jimin rapped on the desk as he slowly looked at each of them, and they all nodded in agreement. "So, this is what we propose. Keep her out of the shows, don't force her unless she agrees to them, and if you do, we'll put on a full concert of our choosing here in Seoul."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we'll do more. We'll step up so the company gives Suki a little breathing room and Su gets things sorted out. Money is money, and if the company is stressed about losing out because we've delayed the tours, then we'll put something together to bridge the gap. But, that being said, the dates we originally told you we need time off for are still in play. Neither group nor their staff is available during those dates. No last-minute photoshoots, no surprise shows, or interviews. There won't be a repeat of Vogue in LA. Our phones will be off. Understood?"

Ko was quiet and thought for a moment, "Agreed. With you guys tossing in a concert, this will work. I'll set this up and push out the new dates to everyone."

"Good. I'm going to put you on hold and loop Suki in so you can tell her officially everything looks good and everyone can get on with their day," Jimin didn't wait for a reply but hit mute and looked at the group with a big sigh. They all had looks of satisfaction on their faces, "Good job, Jimin." Jin winked.

"I'm ready to put all this to bed so we can be done for a while," he said as he dialed Ami's number to loop her in.

Ami's phone rang, and she took a deep breath before she answered. Choi waved Wendy over to sit next to him. "Come here, I'll translate for you," he said quietly. Wendy hopped up and sat down next to him, arms crossed as they both watched her from across the room. Ami put it on speaker phone as Jimin's voice floated through the air, "You ready, baby?"

"I am."

"Hey, we spoke before I looped you in. We agreed to do the concert to keep the company happy, so this call should be less than 30 seconds. Then we have the rest of the day to play house."

"You had to play that card, huh?"

"We did, but it was worth it. Everything should be back on track."

Wendy and Choi watched her smile, "Okay." She looked over to the two in the peanut gallery. Wendy gave her a thumbs up as they heard the phone click a few times. Jimin connected to Ko, and they were all on a three-way call.

"Director Ko. Suki has joined us." He was back to business.  Yoongi leaned over to Hobi and whispered, "Bossy looks good on him."  Hobi flashed him an agreeing look. 

"Hello, Director."

"Good morning, Suki. So, I received both groups' amended schedules this morning and reviewed them. I think we can make this work."

"I appreciate you working with us, Director." Ami rolled her eyes, making Wendy quietly giggle.

"The company will be excited for an additional BTS concert they weren't planning on, that's going to be the bridge between what they wanted originally and what they get. Once Su can get the security stuff settled with you, we can talk about getting your tour back on track. I know this has been stressful for everyone, but I hope you believe me, I'm on your side."

"That's good to hear," Suki said, not entirely sure that was the case. 

"I'll send the new schedules to Jae and talk to you all soon."  They all heard the phone click, and Ami stood up, walked over, and tossed herself on the couch, face down. 

"That wasn't so bad," Choi smiled as he took a sip of coffee. "Sounds like everything worked out, okay."  Ami stayed facedown for a moment, then turned her head and looked at the two sitting across from her.  "I hope so." 

Jimin hung up, and no one said anything at first as Su took stock of the room. Finally, Jungkook took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know he's working with us and her, but this shit drives me insane," he said calmly but irritated. It was a feeling shared by all.

"Maybe we need to rethink breaking away and forming our own company, that way we don't have to fight this anymore," Yoongi sighed.

Namjoon crossed his legs, "We've talked about that before. If you think we're busy now, owning and running something of that size would be worse. We need to finish our contacts, then we can regroup and make our long-term plans."

"You've thought about that? Starting your own company?" Su said, surprised, finally speaking up after listening to them all talk. The guys all looked over at him, and a little smile crept across their faces.

"We've talked about a lot of options. We could do nothing, work on more independent projects, or we could start something big that we can all work on together," Jin shared.

"Truth is, we aren't sure what we're going to do. We just know we don't want to be in the same position we are in now, and we don't want that for her either. Although starting our own company? I agree with Namjoon that it might be more work than I'm ready to take on. Maybe we need to go live on Jimin and Ami's island for a while after we're all done," Hobi stood up as the rest of the guys joined him. They all started to head out as Su waited to walk with Jin, the last to leave.

"When you say Jimin and Ami's island, you mean where they got married, right? There isn't an island in the real estate portfolio I haven't been informed of yet, is there?"

Jin grinned, "Not yet. Maybe someday."

The rest of the morning was spent letting go of the stress and frustration the company was pushing on them, and looking forward to the new fun they had waiting for them next door.   Choi and Su returned to help Quon with directing the deliveries and told them they would let them know when they were in the clear to come over and help.  

The group was sitting around the kitchen, eating and talking, when Su walked in the door with a sledgehammer.  "Oh hell.  What are we doing?"  Ami laughed as everyone looked over, their eyes wide.  Su was grinning, sledgehammer over his shoulder.  

"This looks dangerous,"  Jin shook his head. 

"I want in!" Kook shouted as he started anxiously hopping up and down.  

"I told you the new path was going in today between the two properties. I don't know why you all look so shocked," he said calmly as he walked through the house without stopping, heading toward the backyard.

"You said someone was coming to put it in,"  Tae hollered at him.

"No.  I said it was going in today.  I didn't say by whom,"  he stopped in the doorway to the backyard and turned back to the group.  "Any other takers, or am I giving solely Jungkook the task?"  He saw them all start to scramble as he turned and headed out into the backyard.

Su made his way down the fenceline to where they had determined the gate would go in.  He turned and smiled, seeing the group trotting down to join.  Ami and Wendy brought up the rear of the group, laughing at the boys' excitement.

"Are you serious?" Namjoon chuckled as Su handed him the hammer first.  

"Look.  Think of it as smashing a bottle on a ship's hull in its dedication.  We need to knock through here, then I'll have someone come in and put in a proper gate.  But, this way you save a little in labor costs," he teased. 

"Oh. Yes, this is going to offset the cost,"  Jimin laughed.  Everyone started to back up to a safe distance as Namjoon walked up to the wall to square up and take the first swing.   Su stepped back and stood next to Wendy as Kook stood behind Ami, wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed.  "OH my god, I'm so excited," he squealed, causing her to laugh.  Yoongi walked over to her side and took her hand.  "You can be my proxy for my swings."  

"Oh, I'm not doing that," she laughed.  

One by one, they each took a series of swings at the wall.   Laughing and cheering each other on as piece by piece it started to chip away and come down.  For each person, the first hits were careful, testing out how it felt, but by the last swings, they were giving it their all. 

It was finally Jungkook's turn, and Ami called out, "I gift you Yoogni's proxy swings!"    He grinned and carefully adjusted his grip on the handle, absolutely ready to do some damage.

"You might want to stand back a little more," Su carefully pulled on Ami and Wendy's arms to back them up, and the rest of the guys followed suit.

Jungkook gave it his all, twenty hard swings.  No test swings to feel it out.   He used all his strength with the last swing before, turning and handing it to Wendy, "Here, your turn," he panted.  

"Me?!  What makes you think I can swing that thing?" she laughed.  

"Give it a try," Su said with a smile.  

"Wen-dy...Wen-dy...WEN-dy..." the guys started chanting as Ami joined in.  

"Okay!" She finally gave in, taking the hammer from him.  "OH my god!" She laughed as the weight of it caused her almost to drop it.  "Seriously, for fuck's sake!" She walked up to the wall, trying to get her giggles under control so she could properly swing the thing.   She wobbled a little, trying to get a feel for the weight of the hammer, which didn't help her giggles.  Suddenly, she felt someone grab the hammer, helping her steady it.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Hobi's nervous smile,  "Riggs won't let you back to play if we break you."  She let out a couple more snorts and then nodded, "Okay, ready."  Hobi carefully let go and backed up slowly, turning to look at the crew, who looked equally as nervous but were trying to stay excited for the moment.

"You got this!" Ami called out, and with that last word of encouragement, Wendy took her first swing.  While each swing was a good one, if she turned and looked at the guys, their faces would read differently.  Each hit came with nervous cringes as they cheered her on, but couldn't wait for her turn to be done.  With the last whack, they cheered the loudest, more so happy she got through, and she didn't hurt herself.  Jin walked up quickly and took the hammer from her. "Nice job," he smiled. 

"Thanks!" She grinned proudly back.  "Ami, you're up last."

"I think I'm good, thanks," she chortled. 

"It's almost down, just a little bit left.  Finish it off," Su encouraged, standing behind her.  Yoongi pulled her over to Jin, who was waiting with the hammer.  "Wendy did all the hard work, knock the rest out. Then we'll walk through and see what Choi and Quon have waiting for us."  

Jin kissed her head and whispered, "Give it hell, because I know you can."  The two walked back to the group to wait and watch.    Ami turned and looked at everyone. They all looked calm, happy, but excited. 

"Come on, Dove, knock the rest out,"  Namjoon said sweetly as they watched her take a wide stance to swing.  She gently tapped the wall a couple of times, as if warning where she was going to hit, then pulled back and let go.

Ami gave nine hard swings before the last of the brick busted loose, and the opening between the properties was wide enough to walk through.  She turned and smiled as everyone cheered at all of their accomplishments.  Hobi walked forward and took the hammer as Tae wrapped her in a hug and kissed her neck repeatedly,  "Great job, wife." 

"That was kind of fun," she grinned as the guys started walking carefully through the rubble to the other side. 

Chapter Text

The guys assisted Ami and Wendy over the rubble and into the adjoining backyard. "Welcome!" Quon called out. He had heard the pounding on the wall and cheering, so he came outside, sat down, and watched the show.

"Thanks!" Ami laughed as they all made their way up to him on the back patio.

Jungkook was the first to trot over to him, reach out, and shake his hand. His excitement was easy to see. "We hear you've been air traffic controlling deliveries."

"Oh yes. Ready to see what's waiting for us?" Quon held his arm out, ushering the group towards the house.  

"We are. We're ready for something to get our mind off all the shit from the last few days," Jimin glanced at Quon as he walked next to him.

"I'm sure. It's been a lot for you all," he said, softer. "Well, maybe knocking down a wall and doing stuff here today will give you guys a much-needed mental break."

The group chattered as they all walked through the house and out to the garage. "Oh holy hell," Tae started laughing as the scope of the project became clear to them. Choi was pushing a large box over next to another stack of boxes.  He looked over and smiled at all their shocked and amused faces. The large four-car garage was almost full.

"Damn," Wendy whispered. Ami reached over and grabbed her friend's arm, giggling, "Ready to watch the magic happen?"

"Okay. So, beds and frames are over here. Couches, chairs, rugs, lamps..." Choi pointed and rambled off what was approximately where in the large garage as everyone listened. "Most of the deliveries expected for today are here, but we're expecting a couple more to come in. When they get here, I'll have them dropped off in the driveway, so we're good to go."

Choi walked over to stand with Quon and Su as the guys huddled to make a plan. "Guys, why don't you go home and take a break. I can handle the rest of the deliveries and these guys. You've been working for a few days now. " Su said, having a little huddle of their own.

"And miss the fun?" Quon grinned.

"Honestly, Su.  I think we'd rather be here right now. It's nice to be around the group when there isn't immediate stress happening." Choi looked at Quon as he nodded in agreement.

"I get it," he sighed as the guys broke their huddle and got to work. Yoongi walked over to the girls and Su's huddle.

"What's the plan?" Ami smiled as he kissed her forehead.

"They're going to be the muscle, and we three are in charge of officially pointing to where things need to go."

"I think we can do more than point," Ami looked over as the other six started cutting cardboard away from furniture. Packing material began to fill the limited walking spaces of the garage.

"Why don't I stack cardboard and keep that under control, because that's going to build fast." Wendy walked over and started collecting discarded cardboard to put in a pile. Quon and Choi stepped up to help her as the garage was quickly becoming disorganized and messy.

Jungkook, Namjoon, and Jin had cut an enormous rug free from its wrapping, picked it up, and started walking it into the house. "Come on. There will be stuff for you to do, but moving king-size mattresses up the stairs is not one of them." Su took Ami by the shoulders and turned her to walk in after them. Yoongi not far behind.

The three placed the rug down in the large family room, positioned it as best they could, and unrolled it, leaving Su and Ami to square it up. Soon, the furniture was brought in and placed so people had places to sit if need be.

"How do you want this arranged in here?" Ami called out to Hobi, Tae, and Jimin as they headed back to the garage.

"Whatever you think is best!" Hobi called back.

"This is insane how fast they got stuff delivered," Ami pushed a chair over a little to straighten it.

"I'm surprised anything surprises you anymore," Su said calmly, helping her push things in place.

"Oh, you weren't surprised when they told you they bought a whole ass house?"

Su smiled, "Okay. Fair point. When they ordered things, though, they did take into account how quickly things could arrive. Soon, the guys came back through and started the parade back and forth to Su's space. Rugs, bedframe, mattress, a large desk, office chair, and other odds and ends for his wing. "Good lord," he said quietly as he stood in the room and watched them come and go.

"Don't know why you're surprised," Ami smirked, "Want some help, or do you need to touch it all?"

"No, I think I can manage. Thanks, though," he stared at the pile awaiting him. Ami headed to the kitchen to figure out where things should go as Namjoon passed her on the way in with one more box, "Su. If you need anything else, let us know."

"I just needed a table to use as a desk, this is a whole fancy-shmancy office," he said seriously as Joon chuckled. "A desk, proper chair, and rug doesn't make it shmancy. I think you'll like what I picked out for you."

"You picked this out?"

"I did," Joon smiled. "I know you enjoy using my desk and chair in my library, so they're by the same company. Let me know if you need help moving anything." And with that, he left him to open boxes and arrange this space as he saw fit.

The house was a buzz with people giving directions, calling out what they had, and someone replying with which room they thought it belonged in. Every once in a while, someone remembered something else they needed to order, and Ami wrote it down on the pad of paper left in the kitchen.

After a couple of hours, Choi and Quon shooed Wendy inside, so she went to look for Ami. She found the kitchen half unpacked, with more packing material and empty boxes dumped in the corner. Cupboards open and partially filled. The dishwasher was running with newly unpacked items. The living room looked the most put together, except for the naked walls. It even came with a Yoongi resting on the new couch.

"Testing the new furniture?" She smiled, leaning over the back of the couch, down at him.

"Someone has to," he murmured back, "She's in the laundry room, to your left if you are looking for my wife."

"Thanks," she wandered from room to room until she found Ami swapping out towels from the large washer to the dryer. "Hey there, need any help?"

"Just a minute...aaaaaaand done." She closed the dryer and started it up as a new set of towels started their cycle. Ami turned and saw her sweaty friend. "How you doin'?"

"It's bloody hot in the garage. The guys are close to being done with getting it all inside, then all the assembly begins." The two walked back out to the kitchen, and Ami opened the fridge, pulled out cold drinks, and slid one down to Wendy.

"I think everyone needs a break. Be right back," Ami headed out to the garage, leaned in, and called out. "Break time!"

"Almost done!" Jimin called out as the six guys were starting to wrestle the last king-size mattress out of the garage and up to the second floor. She looked over to Quon and Choi, who looked just as hot and exhausted as Wendy. "Hey guys, drinks are on the counter, come take a break." Choi and Quon set down the last of what they had in their hands, agreeing. She stood in the doorway, waiting for them to walk through. "You guys don't have to play in this chaos. You're doing too much."

"Ah, but this is fun chaos." Quon smiled as he walked with her back to the kitchen.

"Still. You've been stuck here for days. I'm sure you're ready to go home."

"Meh," Quon shrugged. "What will I do there?  Stare at the wall?"

"Well, not deal with our nonsense," she smiled.   Quon leaned in, "That's literally our job, but this adventure today, we don't see it as our 'job'.  We want to be here to help. Don't worry, we're good."  Ami glanced up at Quon as they made their way back to the kitchen.  "I really appreciate it, I hope you know that.  I appreciate everything you guys do."

"We do," Quon smiled sweetly back at her. 

Soon, the exhausted six came downstairs, hot and ready for a break as well. "I think that's enough moving heavy things for the day," Jin moaned as they joined the girls, Choi, and Quon. The boys grabbed a cold drink she had waiting for them and finally stopped moving.

"You know, we didn't have to do all that in one shot," Ami smiled as a tired Jungkook walked by the group, stripping his shirt off and tossing it by the couch where Yoon was resting, and then kept walking.

"What ya doin', Jungkook?" Hobi grinned. "Too hot," he mumbled, trudging through the house. They watched him take everything out of his pockets, pull off his belt, and set them down on the floor a little further away, then opened the doors and walked out back.

"Where's he going?" Wendy asked. Choi picked up his drink and one for Jungkook, then, nonchalantly, started to follow him outside. Before he could step out the door, they all heard the splash in the pool. Jungkook had walked himself up to the edge and tipped in headfirst. He let himself float unmoving, enjoying the cool water supporting his tired body. It felt so good he wished he could stay, but eventually had to come to the surface.

He shook his head to get the water out of his eyes, only to see Choi standing at the side of the pool looking down at him. "You had about five more seconds before I plucked you out. Ami would kill me if I let you drown."

Jungkook grinned as he tread water, "Sorry." Choi bent down and set the cold drink on the side of the pool for him. Just before he stood up, he could hear the thunder of footsteps coming up fast behind him. Choi stayed crouched in place as the bodies of Jimin, Jin, Tae, Hobi, and Namjoon came flying around him, splashing down in the pool.

As he stood up, the girls walked out, laughing. "I'm surprised you didn't go in with them," Choi smiled. Yoongi heard the commotion and got up off the couch, following them out and squinting in the sun. He walked up behind Ami, gently touching her back, letting her know he was there. Quon was just a few steps behind. 

"Oh. They're going in," Jimin grinned. "Empty your pockets, ladies. It's time for a break, the water feels too good." The guys were all floating and relaxing in the cool water, watching in amusement as the girls started to smile.

"We don't have suits on!" Ami protested, knowing that wasn't a good argument. She began to feel her pockets for items she didn't want to have soaked.

"Love, you know how this works," Hobi floated onto his back, enjoying the warmth of the sun and cool pool.

"Choi, do you mind grabbing their phones?" Tae called out. He turned to the girls, amused that they were going in regardless, and held out his hands. "Phones, watches, and anything else you don't want ruined, please."

"Are we really going in?" Wendy giggled as she started doing the same, feeling her pockets and handing her phone and anything else to Choi.

"Can you swim?" Yoon asked, amused at the two and what was to come.

"I mean, yeah." She barely got out before Namjoon and Jungkook pulled themselves up on deck with ease. They all had stripped off their shirts before hopping in, leaving them in their waterlogged shorts. Both girls took a step back and started laughing at their impending doom. "Oh, damn," she whispered. The boys' bodies weren't hard to miss.

"I mean, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Namjoon winked at Ami as he could see her trying to decide what to do. They could make a run for it, but knew they would get caught pretty quickly.

Quon noticed Yoongi grab her waistband to keep her from fleeing. He set down his drink and walked over to take his place. "I got her. We don't need you being jostled. Go sit and watch," he nodded to a chair in the shade as Choi put the girl's stuff down and stood a little closer to Wendy. Quon leaned into Ami, "Sorry. I'm Yoon's proxy for this," he placed his hands on her shoulders instead of her waist, as Ami started to giggle nervously. Namjoon inched closer.

Wendy stood frozen, not sure what to do, taking her cue from Ami to stay put. Jin, Jimin, Hobi, and Tae all started floating to the far sides, giving them room to plunge. "Time to go," Jungkook flashed a smile. Quon released Ami and took a couple of steps back as the boys quickly bent over and picked them up over their shoulders before they could react.

"Oh my god! Oh my GOD! OH MY GOD!" Wendy repeated as Kook covered the pool deck quickly and jumped in with her. They all heard Ami squeal as Namjoon did the same.  The cool water was a shock for just a second before feeling amazing.  As soon as Jungkook and Wendy hit the water, he let her go, and Wendy felt someone grab her arm and pull her up to the surface.   

"You guys are crazy!" She laughed and sputtered, wiping the water off her face before seeing Jimin smiling at her and letting her go as she started to tread water herself.   Jungkook was grinning and floating next to her as Ami and Namjoon both came up for air. 

Ami laughed as she swam over to the edge of the pool to hang on.  Swimming in clothes required a little more work than her bikinis. She felt Joon push her the last few inches to the wall, then she grabbed on.  Wendy soon joined her as they both turned to look at the guys. 

"You guys are nuts," Ami smiled.  

"It's the perfect way to cool off after knocking out a wall and moving an entire house of furniture," Jungkook floated by on his back.  

Yoongi walked over and carefully sat down on the side of the pool, letting his feet and legs dangle in the water as they all talked and unwound from working so hard.   

Choi and Quon headed back inside and closed the door to the house behind them.  Su was coming out of his room, then tossed a set of keys at Quon, "Cars are here.  Sounds like they are all in?" He smiled as they all headed outside to the driveway.  

"Oh yes.  Drowned rats, all of them," Choi chucked. 

"Good."  They made their way to the driveway to see the new fleet of brand-new vehicles that had arrived while they were finishing up moving furniture.  Su pointed, "Matching Suburban to what the guys have.  That one is for me.  Those two are yours."  A matching pair of blacked-out Audi SUVs was sitting off to the side.  He handed Choi his keys, "I'll be honest, I don't know which keys go to which car, but they're identical. You might have to hang some dice off the mirror to tell them apart."

"Just to be clear, when you say have our 'yours', you mean company car, right?"  Choi asked.  He assumed they were company cars, but with this group lately, he wanted the clarity.  Su started to smile, "Same setup as Pak and Jae.  They're yours.  Yours-yours."  Su watched them freeze and stare, their brains blanking out at the gesture.  "Guys.  When I tell you they appreciate everything you do, they really do.  I do too.  You guys go above and beyond without batting an eye, so they want to make sure you're compensated as fairly as possible, which to them feels impossible to achieve.  Jin said their success is everyone's success, and none of them could do what they do without you.  So, these are for you."  

"Jesus."  Quon shook his head in disbelief.  Company cars were one thing, brand-new personal Audis were entirely another level they weren't expecting.  "Su..."

"You don't think I know?  I have an entire furnished wing inside," he shook his head, as both guys smiled back at him.  "So, listen.  Why don't you both take them for a spin today, feel them out.  I'll be here.  Go home, rest up, take some time, and come back tomorrow.  These guys are going to putter between the two houses for the next few days, I'm sure."

Choi and Quon looked at each other and had a conversation with their eyes, "How about this.  Let Choi go today, and I'll stay just in case you get pulled away for some reason, that and I can help the guys assemble stuff.  Tomorrow we'll switch, I'll go home, and he can stay here."   Before Su could object, Choi agreed.  "Sounds good to me.  I'll go get my stuff, and I'll see you tomorrow."  

Choi went inside to gather his things before Su could counter the plan, and Quon clicked the car fob to figure out which car was his. The car on the right chirped at him, so he and Su walked over, opened the doors, and sat inside.  "Good lord," he muttered. 

"Yup.  We have some light reading to do on these machines,"  he smiled. 

***

The group floated and relaxed in the water for a long while.  Talking, joking, and playing around, enjoying a truly non-stressful afternoon.   Choi had taken off, so Quon and Su worked quietly upstairs, leaving the group be.  They worked on getting the room Quon was going to use together first, then moved to the one Choi would stay in.  The other spaces in the house would be left for the guys to help finish later.  

After a while, Su walked out to talk to the group.   He walked up behind Ami, who was sitting on the side of the pool with Yoongi as the rest were still enjoying the water.  He stood behind her, bent over, and squeezed her shoulders.  Ami looked up and smiled, "Hey, there you are. Where did you guys go?"

"I sent Choi home for the night for a break, and Quon is up taking a shower and going to nap.  Are you guys pruney yet?"

Wendy and Tae both held up their hands and smiled. "Very pruney," Tae grinned.  

"Good.  Hey, I need your help with something."  He kicked off his shoes and socks and sat down next to Ami, dipping his toes in the water with her.  

"You need our help?" Jimin asked as they all floated closer to him. 

"So, I had planned on taking Ami and Wendy to my mom's this weekend," he looked down at Wendy and explained, "it's her birthday. But, she's been yelling at me for years to meet all of them."  He exaggerated and rolled his eyes, they all grinned.  "So, I was thinking what if I brought her here...or there," he pointed next door, "or I'm open to ideas.  I just thought bringing her to the city would be simpler than hauling you all there, and we could rip off the bandaid in official introductions, so she will get off my back."  He teased, but they all knew it was true.  Su's mom had been on him for years to meet all the guys.  He had been gatekeeping them hard. 

Ami sat quietly and thought about the logistics of having his mom come into their space, while the guys processed out loud.  "I think we should have the party here.  Break in the new house." Jungkook spoke up first.

"It doesn't have to be a party," Su said quickly. 

"Oh, the hell it doesn't.  It's her birthday," Jin quipted back.  

"We need to go birthday shopping," Hobi floated by, which spurred the guys to start talking about present options.  "Guys," Wendy watched Su put his head in his hands.  She was amused by Su's obvious discomfort and their excitement to host his mom. 

"Is she staying the night?" Ami finally asked.

"No.  I was going to pick her up early and have her here around noon.  It's just a day trip...party," he finally relented to the party idea.  "She wants to see you, meet Wendy, and the rest of those clowns.  Where are you most comfortable doing this...or are you?"  He leaned in as they spoke quietly together.  Yoongi was listening as well, holding her hand as they talked.  Hobi made his way across the pool, hooking her feet under his arms so he could float and listen, as the rest of the guys stopped their chatter to listen in. 

"I think it would be great for her to come, definitely easier than dragging everyone there.  Less stress on the crew," she said sincerely.  "She only knows about Namjoon and me, so people will have to be on their best behavior."

"Of course we would," Hobi leaned in and kissed her toes.  

"If we have it here at the new house, then we don't have to worry about the conversation of why we all live together.  I don't want to take over the purpose of the day with that bombshell," she sighed. 

"I agree.  While my mom is progressive, I'm not sure if sharing all of this in detail is a good idea," he waved his hand over the entire group.  Wendy watched the group go from joking to serious. "We wouldn't do that, Su," Namjoon said, thoughtfully.  "Would it be better then if we met up somewhere else?  We could rent out a restaurant for the day."

Everyone started to pull themselves out of the pool, it was time for serious conversations and to get dried off.  Wendy climbed up the ladder, trying her best to wring out her clothes as she still wore them, shivering in the warm sun but cool breeze.  Kook grabbed one of the dry towels and wrapped it around her as they discussed options.  

"Thanks," she shivered through a smile.

Kook winked as he carried on the conversation, "I don't think we should go anywhere, I think we should stay here," he said, thinking about what happened just a few days earlier at the apartments.  "This is our guest house.  She's a special guest. I think it would be fine."

"I agree.  I think this place would be the easiest for everyone." Yoongi maneuvered to stand up.  Ami reached over to assist, but Su jumped up and helped so he didn't topple over into the pool. Jimin and Hobi pulled Ami up.  

Su smiled as Yoongi steadied.  "She's just excited to see everyone.  That's what she really wants."

"I think it would work perfectly.  Let's get dried off and get everything put together inside.  Then we can party plan,"  Namjoon grabbed a towel as the rest did as well.  

"Su, we'll be back over soon,"  Jin called out as the soggy group headed back to the hole in the wall and into their yard.  Everyone was excited for Su's mom to come, which gave them a new push to get the house done.   It wasn't long before they started filtering back one by one, clean, dry, and ready to get to work.  

The rest of their afternoon and evening was filled with finishing the house and making party plans.  While Su tried to protest, he loved the amount of planning and effort they were putting in.  Most of all, he knew his mom would love it.  

***

It was early evening on Jeju as the two walked into a little restaurant by the water. They followed the waiter to an outside table on the veranda and settled in for a nice dinner. The air was warm, and the breeze made it perfect for enjoying the evening. "Today was fun," Jae sighed.

"It was. Who knew there was so much to see? Thank you," Pak nodded to the waitress as she set down menus and water, then walked away to give them time.

"I'm starving," Jae started to look over the menu as Pak glanced at his phone under the table. He saw that a new schedule had been uploaded for both groups and was trying to figure out why.

"Trying to figure out why the schedule changed?" Jae asked, not looking up from the menu.

"You're not supposed to be looking at your phone," he murmured.

"Neither are you," she smiled and glanced up at him. "Do you want to phone a friend so we can get on with dinner?"

"NO," he shoved the phone in his pocket, refocusing his attention on her. "Sorry."

Jae paused, then bit her lip a little, "Did you see the boys are doing a concert in Seoul?" Poking him a little more. She knew it was going to naw at him unless they figured out why everything changed. Pak's eyes got big, "What?" She put the menu down and pulled out her phone, as he did the same. "The guys are doing a concert in three months, I think, between Hobi and Jungkook's special adventures."

"Since when? That was never in the works that I knew about? And why have all the dates changed?"

"I don't know. Want to call Su?" Jae slowly scrolled down the calendar. Pak groaned, "No, he's just going to say we'll talk about it when we get back...I'll call Choi," he scolled to his name and hit dial.

Jae put her phone back in her purse and started looking over the menu. "Oooooo...what do I want in my mouth?"

Choi was back at his apartment, repacking a bag with additional clothes for the next day.  His phone started ringing and he answered it, confused. "It must be an emergency if you're calling me from your vacation."

"We just have a quick question, then we'll go back to vacationing. What's going on with the schedule?"

Choi smiled, "Su said not to look at your phone." He went back to packing.  Pak rolled his eyes, "Choi. Please. Jae's losing her mind."

"HI CHOI!" She called out in a sing-song voice.

"She sounds like it," he laughed. "Okay, long story short, they had to renegotiate dates because the company was meddling in their schedule. It all worked itself out, but the boys had to offer a concert to get them to lay off Ami. But everything is fine. They're fine with the outcome. You can go back to jet-setting around Jeju. We've got it under control, promise."

Pak sighed, "Okay. Thanks, Choi."

"Bye, Choi!"

He smiled, "Tell Jae we miss her." The two hung up. Pak put his phone back in his pocket. "He says they miss you."

"You bet your ass they miss me," she smirked. "Now, what's up with the schedule?" Just then, the waitress walked back over to take their orders. The two quickly skimmed the menu, ordered, and waited for her to walk away before continuing.

"They had to renegotiate the schedule and the guys tossed in a concert to keep them off Ami's back."

"Geez."

"Yeah.  He said everything was fine, so now back to vacation," he gave her a wink as she sipped her water. The two spent the evening eating and talking about what they enjoyed about the day and what they had planned for tomorrow. It had been a truly relaxing day, one they hadn't had in a long time. Pak finally stood up after a long while, took her hand, pulled her up, and headed back to their rental for the night. 

As they walked out, some girls in the bar followed them with their eyes.  "I'm telling you, that looks like Suki's hot security and her assistant. Do you think she's here in Jeju too?"

Her friend took a long sip of her drink, "I mean, maybe."  She watched her friend get up. "Where are you going? Don't bother them!  Don't be that wierdo!"

"I just wanna see something!"  she called back as she walked quickly to the door and stepped outside.  She looked around and caught a glimpse of them pulling out and turning south down the road.   The girl walked back in and sat down next to her friend.  "I swear, I think it's them. That's so cool," she was visibly excited about the idea that she might have seen Jae and Pak. 

"So, what do you want to do with that random information?"

"I don't know!  I can't believe I didn't say hi or something, though...I should've said hi or hey or waved or SOMETHING," she groaned.

"And then you could be best friends!" her friend teased and took another drink.  

"Nooooooooo!  I mean...what if we could be...I'm fun!" the girl pouted a little. 

"Yes.  You're very fun, but you aren't a creeper.  Friends don't let friends be creepers."

The girl put her elbow on the bar and her head in her hand, rethinking the interaction that didn't actually happen.  "Next time I'm going to shoot my shot though, and at least say hi."

"Okay.  You can say hi, but I swear, don't be creepy."

Later that night, while Pak was in the bathroom, Jae pulled out her phone and texted Ami:

Jeju is amazing, we should girl-trip here sometime.  

"Ami.  Phone." Jungkook murmured from his slumber.  Everyone was exhausted from the long, hard day of work and planning.  They had all crashed as soon as they were done next door. 

"Who is it?" She yawned.   Jungkook rolled over and squinted at the bright light of her screen. "Jae."  Ami slowly sat up as he handed her the phone.  She sleepily texted back: 

So glad you are having fun!

Are the boys behaving? Anything exciting going on? 

Ami smiled, Yes they are.  Su is bringing his mom in a couple days for a visit.  It's her birthday. 

"What!" Jae grinned and gave up on texting, dialing Ami for all the details.  They all heard her phone ring as Ami laid back down, giggling.  

"Su's mom is coming?!" They could hear Jae squeal through the phone. Ami flipped it to speaker.  

"She is.  You're on speaker phone, by the way."

"Hi Jae.  Welcome." Jimin yawned.  

Jae grinned, "Are you guys in bed already?"

"We are," Ami giggled, as Namjoon snuggled her. "Hi Jae." 

"Well, hello everyone.  By the way, this is the closest you'll all get me in that bed with all of you," she teased.  All the guys smiled sleepily as Ami started laughing. 

"Who are you talking to?" They all heard Pak ask as he came out of the bathroom to see her on the phone. 

"Ami and the boys.  They're in bed already."  Jae said, amused.

Pak stopped and stared at her, "I don't know what to say to that."

"I was just telling Jae that Su's mom is coming in a couple of days to visit. It's her birthday."

"OH." Pak crawled into bed with Jae.

"I called her," Jae caught him up.  "We need to be back for that, though." 

"Don't cut your vacation short.  Stay as long as you want," Ami said quickly.

"If you think I'm missing Su's mom, you're crazy.  Is there going to be a party?"  Jae shot back.

"Of course," Hobi replied. 

"We have to be there," Jae looked over at Pak as he smiled with a nod, then mouthed 'hang up the phone.'  He ran his hand up her leg as Jae's eyes got big, and they heard her breath hitch, "Oh fuck...okay!  Count us in!  Gotta go! Bye!"  

"Well, I'm glad they're taking full advantage of their vacation," Tae rolled over and wrapped around Jimin. 

"I didn't think they could out-awkward us, but I've been proven wrong," Yoongi mumbled as Kook took her phone from her and set it back on the nightstand.  The group resettled together, getting comfortable and passing out.  

Chapter Text

The next day, everyone worked with a purpose. Ami and Wendy wandered around the newly put-together house and made a list of everything it needed to make it cozy, then went online shopping.

The boys took care of the big party planning for the next day. Food, decor, flowers, anything they could think of. They wanted it to be special, but also wanted to give the house a true test run for hosting guests. Years before, they used to have friends over to their old apartment. They loved hosting, but after Ami joined them, they stopped. She was more important than throwing parties, but they missed it. Having a separate house for these types of shenanigans was an exciting prospect, and they hoped it lived up to their expectations.

Choi came back that morning, and Quon headed home to return the next day before the party. Choi and Su hung out in Su's new office, talking while the guys sat around the kitchen table tossing out plans and ideas.

"Any new news about our unwanted guests at the apartments the other day? Or who our mole is at the company?" Choi asked.

"Not really, but I have a plan that might solve both those mysteries tomorrow," he said quietly. "Close the door, please." Choi got up and closed the door to his office, then returned to join him. "Do tell."

Over on Jeju, Jae and Pak had gotten up early to do as much as they could before heading back to the mainland. Their day was filled with traveling, shopping, and enjoying their uninterrupted time together. They planned to spend the day doing everything they wanted, stay one more night, then get up in the morning and fly home.

It was soon evening, and they pulled into a little bar for food. "This is where you want to go?" Pak smiled as they parked the car. The bar was just outside the town, off the beaten path.  More locals than travelers.

"I heard they have the best tacos on the island. We have to do our due diligence, for science," Jae grinned. "I also saw online that they have music. Do you know what that means?"

"Dancing?"

"Dancing!" Jae cheered as they both got out of the car. Pak wrapped his hand around hers, and they walked in, ready for whatever the night would toss at them. They were both having a wonderful vacation, but they were also getting excited to return and see Su's mom.

The two chose a table in the corner of the dark bar. It was obviously a more local spot, not overdone, and decorated for the island's vacationers and visitors. "Do you think they have dirty nachos here?" Jae grinned as she scanned the menu.

"My guess is that those are a New York delicacy only. I'm sure they don't translate here. I'm shocked they have tacos."

"Everyone should have tacos," Jae said seriously. "How can they call themselves a restaurant if they don't. Do you know what you want?" Jae got up to order at the bar.

"Sit your ass down," Pak grinned as he jumped up, "Tacos. Anything else? Drinks?"

"No real drinks," she smiled, as she sat back down. Pak walked up to order as Jae got comfortable and waited for her man to return.

The evening was wonderful. They ate, talked, and enjoyed their time together. Soon, the music started filling the bar as the atmosphere began to shift. A younger local crowd was starting to arrive. "Come on. It's time!" Jae clapped her hands as she stood, reaching out her hand to her Kai. "Come dance with me!" He didn't hesitate as he got up and walked her immediately out to the dance floor. He swung her around as she squealed and wrapped his arms around her. Letting the music take over. 

Outside the bar, a car was slowly driving through the lot. "There! They're here!" The girl from last night spotted their vehicle and pulled in to park.

"How do you know?" her friend sighed.

"I saw them drive off yesterday. It's the same car, I swear. Listen, if they aren't here, we'll go home. Promise. But if they are here, I need to shoot my shot," she said, way too excitedly.

"What are you going to do? Walk up and say, Hey! I've been lurking in the parking lots of South Jeju. I swear, I'm not creepy... Wanna be besties? What's your ultimate goal from this?"

Her friend was giddy, "I don't know. Meet some cool people? If it is actually them, we would be one degree away from Suki and two degrees away from BTS. Who can say that!? Come on." She hopped out of the car, and her friend sighed, following along.

"Fine! But keep your creepy in check!"

The two entered the building, letting their eyes adjust as they made their way toward the end of the bar. They took a seat as the bartender nodded to them both, "What will ya have?"

"Two beers!" the excited girl called out as she scanned the place.

"And two menus," her friend shouted over the music. "I'm going to go to the bathroom, don't do anything until I get back." She warned. Her friend waved her off as she kept scanning, looking for the two she had seen the night before.

The dance floor was crowded as the sea of people moved with the music. It was hard to make people out between the flashing lights and moving bodies, but she caught a glimpse of a couple that could be them. The bartender put two beers down, and she picked one up, taking a sip without breaking eye contact with the dance floor, waiting for another glimpse.

Leena eventually made her way back from the bathroom and rejoined her friend. "Glad to see you're still here."

"I think they're dancing," Mira leaned over, her eyes staying focused. 

"Where?"

Mira pointed out a couple off in the far corner, entirely in their own world. Leena picked up her beer to take a sip and looked at her friend, "Hey, stalker." Mira smiled and looked back. "IF that is them, they look like they're on vacation. Suki isn't here."

"Yeah, but she could be on the island."

"You think her head of security would be out dancing if she were? Unlikely. They don't appear to be here looking for new friends. You need to let them be."

"What about shooting my shot? Leena! How many opportunities do you get to meet people like that?!"

"But walking up to random people, whoever they are, and acting all crazy doesn't make friends! It makes restraining orders. Look at it this way. If you were here, with a guy all into each other on the dance floor, and some random girl tapped you on the shoulder, grinning like a loon, yelling 'I found you', what would be your first instinct?"

"Run. Or she wanted my guy."

"Exactly. That guy, though, isn't your normal guy." They both looked over with a clear view of Pak and Jae. "That is potentially fucking security. He used to work for BTS. You don't think he wouldn't karate kick you into tomorrow?"

Mira smiled, "I thought you didn't know much about Suki."

"I don't know about Suki, but I know about BTS," she took another sip. "I've read enough online not to mess with their people. That over there is out of our league."

"They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us. We just have different jobs," Mira frowned at her friend's lack of excitement over the opportunity.

"And tax brackets," Leena said, taking one more sip before they ordered some food.

The night progressed as the two sat at the bar, watching the dance floor. After eating and a few beers, Mira got up, "I'm going to the bathroom."

"I'll go with you."

"I don't need a chaperone. I'll be good and won't be creepy," Mira said as she started to make her way through the crowd. Leena stayed back, watching her friend walk across the room, and relaxed when she saw her duck in without bee-lining to the dance floor.

"Want another one?" the bartender asked as he cleared away the empty bottles.

"Sure. One more," Leena smiled.

Out on the dance floor, Jae pointed to the bathroom, and Pak nodded. Pak pointed to the bar and shouted, "I'll get us waters," then gave her a quick kiss. They both separated and headed in opposite directions. He made his way to the crowded room and up to the end of the bar, the opposite of where Leena was sitting.

She was people watching, waiting for Mira, when her eyes fell to the end of the bar and on Pak.  He was people watching as well when their eyes met.  He gave a friendly smile and nod, but then frowned as he watched the girl start to look around him, as if searching for someone.

"Where's your girl?" she mouthed over the loud music.

"What?" he mouthed back, confused and not making out what she was saying. He watched Leena sit back, think, then look towards the bathrooms. He followed her eyes, then back at her. They both suddenly got a bad feeling and jumped up, beelining across the room. About halfway, they met up.  Pak grabbed her arm and pulled her with him as he plowed through the busy room. 

"Who's in there with her?" he shouted as he pushed through people.

"Mira's in there! She's a fan, that's all! She's harmless, just overexcited!" Leena yelled over the music as they bounced off people towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Jae walked out of the stall and up to the sink to wash up. A girl was standing, drying her hands, staring at her with a little grin. "Hey," Jae smiled, turning on the sink.

"Good music, right?" Mira said slowly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's super good. Do you come here a lot?" Her eyes found her in the mirror, now watching her carefully. Something about her expression caught her off guard.

"Yeah, um, hey, I have a question to ask you, are you Jae by chance?" Jae stopped washing, hands still in the water, "Um. Yeah...do I know you?" The acknowledgement made the girl giddy, "OH my gosh! I knew it! Leena said not to be a creeper, but I had to ask!" she said quickly.

Jae's eyes widened as she glanced at the door and then back at the girl. "Um, how do you know me?" She quickly turned off the water and wiped her hands on her pants. She didn't want to join her by the paper towel dispenser.

"How do I know you!? You work with Suki! Of course, I know you! Everyone knows you! This is so amazing! I mean, I know Leena said to leave you and Pak alone, but here you are and here I am and...OH my god!"

Now Jae was creeped out, "You know Pak?" A pit was forming in her stomach. Ami had these encounters before, but never Jae.  This was her first, and it totally caught her off guard.

Mira wasn't paying attention to how uncomfortable Jae looked as she excitedly took a step closer to her. "OH my gosh! Yes! I'm such a fan! This is so exciting!" Jae gave an uncomfortable smile as she slowly side-stepped towards the door.  Mira turned and matched her steps.

"Um, would you like to meet Pak? We could go do that now." Jae was thinking of ways to get out of the small bathroom without decking the girl and running. Mira started jumping up and down with excitement at the opportunity. Just then, the door flew open. Jae jumped back against the wall, and Mira finally paused and took a breath.  Leena came barging in, "Sorry! Jae, sorry! I told her not to. Mira! Let's go!"

Jae looked towards the door, and Pak was standing there filling the doorframe. He grabbed her hand and yanked her out as the other two stayed inside for a minute. "Who am I? Pak or Kai?" he gently held her face and stared at her, obviously mad but trying to stay calm.

"Um...Kai..." she took a huge breath. "She's a fan she said. She knew my name and yours." Pak wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, giving her a long kiss on her head. "Okay. We need to talk to them. Are you ok with that? We can do it together. Her friend was very concerned that she was ambushing you in the bathroom." He pet her hair as he felt her nod. Pak slowly loosened his grip and took her hand, gently pulling her behind him as they waited for the two to come out.

It wasn't long before Leena was pushing Mira out the bathroom door, arguing.  They both came to a dead stop as Pak stood there, calm and unimpressed by the situation.  Their perfect vacation had come to a screeching halt. He leaned forward and pointed to the front door, "Let's go talk outside."

Pak and Jae stepped to the side and let them lead the way. Jae squeezed his hand as they slowly made it to the front door and all four stepped outside in the cool air. She was going to let go when they got outside, but Pak wouldn't release her hand. Instead, he repositioned and held her firmly.  This wasn't about appearances of who they worked for, she was his girlfriend, and he wasn't going to let her go. 

"I'm so sorry," Leena started before Mira could say anything. "I told her not to bother you guys."

"Coming up and saying hi is one thing.  Cornering my girlfriend in the bathroom is another," Pak said seriously.

"I didn't follow her in there, she came in after me," Mira tried to explain. "Then you were there, and just wanted to say hi. I would have said hi yesterday, but I wasn't sure it was you."

"What do you mean? Where did you see us yesterday?" Pak said, shocked and now concerned, they had been followed, and he hadn't realized it.

Jae took a step forward, "Why would you do that? We're on vacation. You can't do things like this. How would you feel if someone followed you around without knowing?"

"I know...we know. We didn't follow you. We saw your car, and Mira wanted to stop."

"How did you know what car we were driving?" Pak was now flabbergasted.

"Fuck, this sounds so bad," Leena grimaced.

"It doesn't sound good," Jae agreed.

"I saw you guys pull out of the restaurant last night. That's all," Mira finally got the hint that this was not the meet and greet she had envisioned. "Then, I saw your car tonight, and we stopped in. I swear, that's all."

"Ladies. I can't tell you how unsafe that is, on top of not a good first impression," he stared at Mira. "You can NOT do that to anyone. I don't care who it is."

"No, I know that. I'm sorry. I just wanted to meet you. That's all! I swear," Mira now sounded more rational than she had in the bathroom. "Listen. I'm really sorry. I just got too excited, that's all. Promise."

"Did you tell anyone else you thought you saw us yesterday?"  Pak asked seriously.  Jae could hear the tone in his voice had changed.  He was in work mode. 

"No."

"You didn't post it on social media or anything?"  

Both girls shook their heads, "No."

"Do you live here on the island?"

"Yeah," they both answered quickly.  

Jae and Pak looked at each other, trying to decide whether to believe them. Sincere or not, the damage was done. The last night of vacation was going to end on a sour note. "Look. You have to understand our side. We have people who do what you did tonight, but for very different reasons. I have to treat everyone with that level of suspicion," Pak sighed. "Just be smart about approaching someone in the future."

"We should go. Sorry, we butted in," Leena took her friend's hand to pull her away. "Sorry again, but it was nice to meet you!" Mira called out as they quickly walked to their car, jumped in, and drove off in the opposite direction Jae and Pak needed to go.

Pak took both Jae's hands in his and looked down at her.  The reality of their work life had squashed the carefree, fun mood from the last few days.  "Baby, I'm so sorry."  He said softly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just mad she thought it was okay to do that,"  she sighed.  "It's our vacation," Jae blinked back tears and wouldn't make eye contact with him.  "We were having the best time.  She had no right."

"Yeah, I know.  She made a poor choice.  I'm glad in a way she did it, though."

She paused, then looked up, "What?"

He used the back of his hand to wipe a stray tear that fell, "Well.  She didn't recognize Ami or the guys.  She recognized you.  Cute little you, in a random place, off the beaten path, without any rhyme or reason to be here.  And, she was then excited enough to find us here and love bomb you in the bathroom, and that scares the shit out of me," he sighed.   "But now we know you have an impact.  Ami wasn't here to draw attention, honey.  Do you know what that means?"

Jae stood in the parking lot, the music pulsing from the building with a blank stare.  "I don't know, no more bathroom breaks by myself?"

Pak leaned forward, his breath hit her ear, "Our vacations are going to either be on deserted islands, or with Choi or Quon."  Her eyes got big as he continued. "Honey, we're absolutely going on more vacations, so many more.  But when we go, I don't want to worry the entire time.  I want to be with you, so I'm going to need someone to help so I can focus on us."

"I'm getting more people?" she whispered. 

Pak smiled, "We're getting more people.  Come on. Let's go back to the house."   He walked her over, opening her car door, and helped her get in.  He didn't let his smile fade until he shut the door and walked around the back of the car.   It could have been so much worse, and he was upset that he had let his guard down for the past two days.  They had been everywhere on the island, and didn't realize he still needed some part of his work hat on.  He had gotten too comfortable.  How many other people may have recognized her or them and then wanted to approach them?  They're lucky all they encountered was an overexcited girl and her friend who had the common sense to try to keep her in check.  

Now all he wanted was to get her back to the house, enjoy the last night of their vacation, and fly home in the morning.    He climbed into the car, a smile back on his face, and took her hand in his as they drove off. He tried to keep things light, but definitely watched his mirrors to make sure they weren't being followed, his work hat very much on.  He was glad to see no one else of concern as they headed down the quiet end of their road.  

Later that evening, they were both in bed, Jae in his arms as he stroked her side. It had been quiet after they got back. The interaction with the girls had definitely dampened the mood of the vacation. "Kai."

"Hm."

She moved a little so she could look at him in the dim light.  "Would it be bad if we just went home?"  Pak frowned, "No, of course not.  But why?" 

"I think I'm just ready.  Tomorrow is the party.  It might be nice to sleep in our own bed tonight." 

"Talk to me," he whispered, kissing her lips in a long, loving kiss.  She settled back in his arms. 

"I guess it's the first time something like this happened when we weren't with the group.  I expect it when we're with them, but not randomly on vacation, on an island, in a dark bar.  I didn't think anyone would recognize me without the rest of them.  It caught me off guard."  He stroked her arm as she spoke.

"I'll be honest, me too. While I think everyone should want to meet you, because you're fucking delightful," he felt her body shake a little with a giggle, "I don't think it was on our radar," he sighed.  He knew it wasn't on Su's radar.  "You know.  If you agree to one of the sponsorships with Ami, this could happen more often."

"Yeah."

"So, I guess you're at a crossroads of sorts. Do you step up and step in, do something together with your friend? Lots more exposure can bring this level of interest, but it appears it's already there. It's honestly not going to be a major shift for any of us. Choi and Quon won't bat an eye. In fact, I'm sure I'll get yelled at for not letting one of them tag along for this trip. It was a conversation before we left."

"It was?" 

"It was," he pulled her over so she was lying on his chest while they talked. "Ultimately, I wanted them to stay with the group.  There's just a lot being tossed at them right now.  Su's a little preoccupied with tracking assholes down, and I figured we could manage roaming on our own.  Which we did, minus your fan club tonight."  

"That was crazy. Not bad-bad, but, wow." 

"Yeah," he said with a sigh.  Jae pushed herself up so she was straddling his thighs, her hands in his.  "How would you feel if I did something with her on that level?"  

"Honey, I would support you in whatever you want to do.  

Jae smiled, "That was a very stock, supportive boyfriend answer.  Which I appreciate, mind you, but try again."  She felt his thumbs start to rub the back of her hands. 

Pak paused, "Real talk?"  Jae nodded. 

"The truth is, I do have my concerns.  I worry about things like what happened tonight, but that's in our wheelhouse to fix.  I worry about how the industry will treat you.  I know you watch Ami navigate it, and as tough as she is, you can see what gets to her.  If you both agree to do something, it's not 'Suki and her assistant Jae',  it's 'Suki AND Jae', equal billing."  He could see her eyes get big for a moment.  "I know you two together are a force. I think, together, you can take on anything...and I don't want that to change." 

"Why would that change?" she frowned. 

"I don't know.  Life.  You might meet someone in the industry who offers you your dream job, and you'll want to move to France."

Jae looked baffled, "What?  What dream job in France?"

"I don't know. Croissant taste tester?" he teased.   Jae's jaw dropped, appalled at his suggestion.  "What?!" She started swatting at him as he chuckled.  "You think I would leave this over pasteries?!"   He quickly grabbed her wrists and flipped her down and around onto her back, and he was now on top, straddling her.  

"Now-now, Mr. Security with the ninja moves," she teased back.  

"OH my god," he laughed, still holding her down.  Their jokes finally eased the tension of the conversation and the overall evening.   He leaned down, resting on his forearms, his face close to hers.  "What I mean is, I love my job.  I love our friends and coworkers.  With that crew, I love that you get to live out whatever dreams you want with your best friend. As serious and professional, or as batshit crazy as they are.  I love that we live together, but I also love that you are just as comfortable at the house.  I couldn't do my job if I knew you were sitting at home somewhere, by yourself, waiting for me to come home after the long days we have sometimes."

"That would suck," she said softly with a smile. 

"I know.  So, my fear is that you and Ami will collaborate with someone.  You'll be offered an opportunity somewhere else, because you're awesome, and why wouldn't someone want you...and then...Jae...I will follow you anywhere...but, I don't want to leave our support system."

She reached up and stroked his face.  "Kai. We live a fun life, a crazy one, but it's fun.  Not many people can say that.  I think that if we moved to pursue my dream of tasting French food, it would be fun for a second, but I don't think we would be fulfilled.  We aren't 9-5 job people." Then she gasped, "But I could become a shop girl for a French bakery!  I could support us in macaroon money!"  He instantly pressed himself fully down on her, wrapping himself around her as she squealed.  

Pak said low in her ear as she laughed, "Darling, if you think I'm going to let you work in a shop again, you've lost your damn mind."  Jae bit her lip as she grinned, then felt him start to kiss down her neck.  "I need one more night with you here, then we'll go home."

"Okay," she said breathlessly as she relaxed and let him make their last night on vacation a memorable one.

Chapter Text

Early the next morning, the elevator doors opened, and Su stepped out into Director Ko's office. "Good morning," he said to his secretary.

"Good morning," she smiled back in a friendly tone, "What can I do for you, Mr. Su?"

"Is Director Ko in?"

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry. He's out of town today for meetings."

"Oh, that's right," Su said, smiling. He was carefully rotating an envelope in his hands. "I forgot he mentioned he was going to be out of town." He knew he wouldn't be there, but she didn't need to know that. Just then, the phone rang, and she held up her finger as she answered. Su stood there, patiently waiting as she spoke on the phone, answering questions and getting sucked into fixing dates and times on the calendar.

Su leaned forward and whispered, "Do you mind if I put this on his desk for when he returns?" She nodded, waving him to go in.

Su gave her a little bow and walked over to Ko's office, trying the handle, but found it locked. He looked back at the now-focused girl, who was trying to deal with the caller. The secretary glanced over, picked up her keys, and tossed them to Su. "Only for you." She mouthed as he bowed again, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door.

On the corner of Ko's desk was today's mail waiting for him.  He slipped the envelope between the stack, then took another note out of his pocket, crumpled it, and tossed it in the trash. He moved quickly to relock the office and return the keys to the girl at the desk. Just as he handed them back, she was finally able to hang up the phone.

"Sorry about that. It's been a busy day," she smiled.

"No problem at all. I forgot he told me he was going to be out of town. Completely my fault. I returned some papers he needed signed, that's all."

"Sounds good." Just then, the phone rang again, and she took a breath before answering. She gave him a little wave as Su nodded and headed out. It was time to get his mom.

***

At the airport, Choi and Quon stood on the tarmac, waiting for the travelers to arrive. They talked as the plane landed and made its way over to them and parked. "Do you want to tell him what Su's plan is or me?" Choi asked as the stairs were pushed over to the door and the airport crew chalked the tires.

"Why don't you. I'll take Jae, and you guys can talk," Quon smiled and waved as Pak and Jae emerged from the plane, luggage in hand.

"Sounds good," Choi said as they both started over to meet them.

"HI!" Jae grinned, "Did you miss us that bad you both had to come?"

"Well, I was convinced you were going to be bringing boxes and boxes of souvenirs back for everyone, so we brought both cars," Quon smiled as he took her luggage from her.

"Hey, guys," Pak said, reaching out and shaking both their hands, glad to be back on the ground.

"Whose is that?" Jae took note of the Audi parked behind their car.

"That's miiiiiine. The boys upgraded Choi and me while you were gone," he said proudly. "Come see."

"Niiiiiice!" Jae walked over to inspect it as they loaded all the luggage into the back of Pak's car.

"It is. Let's take it for a spin. I'll show you all the bells and whistles," Quon opened the passenger door for her, and she automatically climbed in as Choi said quietly to Pak. "Ride with me. We need to talk."

"Yes, we do," he said back to him, then called out, "Quon, we'll see you back at our place. We need to get cleaned up for the party."

"Yup," he nodded, opening his door, and everyone could hear Jae's voice carry on about all the buttons she was exploring inside his new car.

"Everything go okay?" Choi asked as they climbed into Pak's car.

"Overall, yes.  Just a minor adjustment for Jae.  What's been going on here?"  

"So! Tell me all about Jeju. I want to know everything." Quon asked as they headed out of the restricted airport and towards their place. "Is it as amazing as everyone says? Did you visit the waterfalls?"

"Oh my gosh, yes." She sighed. "It was perfect." She leaned back and got comfortable. "Amazing sightseeing, the food was to die for, and the weather was perfect." She went on and on about all the places they had explored. Describing the scenery and house in great detail. "Only one glitch, but otherwise exactly what we needed."

"What was the glitch?" he asked, watching her reach over and play with a knob on the console. She paused a little, then continued. "Oh, well, last night I met a very excited fan."

"Whose fan?" She could feel Quon suddenly get serious, glancing over at her as she looked out the window. "Jae."

She let out a big sigh, "Some girls recognized me and Kai, and one wanted to hold a meet and greet in the bathroom of a noisy bar."

"Jaaaaae, what do you mean?"

"I mean," she said a little more softly, "I happened to be in the bathroom at the same time as one of them, and she wanted to talk to me. Pak and her friend busted in and broke it up."

"Pak or Kai?" he looked at her with surprise. He rarely heard her call him Pak and knew she only called him that when things were rough.

"OH. Kai." She quickly stumbled, taking her words back. Quon was watching her closely now as she continued, "I was just caught off guard. I didn't know anyone would recognize me without the rest of them, so that's new."

"Yeah. That's officially new for you. Not outside the realm, but new," he took a deep breath and said with a little more ease, "Well. I guess you know what that means."

"Yeah, Kai let me know that from now on, you or Choi will probably be coming with us on vacations for extra eyeballs. Lucky you." She finally looked over at him and could tell he was trying not to show how bothered he was by their experience.

He finally smiled, trying to ease her mind and his, "Jae. Extra eyeballs are my specialty. Literally on my business card. Easy fix."

"You don't mind?" she asked, chewing on her lip a little.

"Why would I mind? Do you mind?" She shook her head no.

"Are you still processing a bit?"

"Yeah, I guess so. It's fine. Overall, it was fine, just caught me off guard," she pulled herself together and forced a smile, "I'm glad to be back." Quon followed Pak into the parking garage to their apartment, parking next to him. The gate behind them came down, and they opened their car doors. 

"Well. Everyone is excited for you to be back, and the boys have been decorating." he smiled, "Come on." Choi started to unload the trunk as Quon walked over to help.

"How was the ride?" Pak smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Good. Sweet car," she squeezed him and then let go to help grab her bags.

Choi was asking her questions about Jeju as Quon leaned in, "She called you Pak." They closed the trunk, and Quon caught Pak's eye. Choi had caught him up about Su's plan, and he knew Jae had told Quon what happened. Pak nodded and turned to take her hand.

"Let's go get cleaned up, then we're going to drop Quon's car off at the boys' apartment building, then we'll give them a ride back to the house," he smiled, walking her in.

"Why are we leaving it at the apartments?"

"I'm letting Byun borrow it today." Quon jumped in, giving a truthful answer. The four headed upstairs to let them get ready and get the day underway.

***

Back at Hybe, the cleaning lady was heading up to the Director's office on her usual route. She was always nervous about going into his office because she didn't want to be caught looking for intel on Suki or BTS.  Jang had been up her ass for new information, and she needed to find some. 

"Hello! Good day to come today, he's out of town," the secretary smiled and waved at the familiar face coming off the elevator.

"Hello," she said, unlocked the Director's door, and pulled her supplies in after her. She didn't close the door all the way as she started her usual routine around the room. She straightened and wiped things down, always keeping an eye out for the slightest bit of information she could call in. Nothing really caught her eye until she picked up the wastebasket. Right before she dumped it in her trash can, a partially wrinkled paper caused her to pause. She could make out  'Suki' before she quickly palmed it, shoving it in her pocket.

She quickly finished up in the room and headed out, anxious to get to a place to inspect what she might have found.

Back down the elevator, into the maintenance room, she found a quiet corner to take out the paper and carefully unfold it.

Suki/BTS Dinner at 9 pm tonight at Ryunique.

She snapped a photo and sent it off quickly.

Across town, Jang's phone pinged with a message. He finished yelling orders at someone, then glanced down at his phone. A smile curled on his lips, and he made a call.

***

"Hello! We're back!" Jae's voice rang out through the house as the group of four returned.

"In the kitchen!" Jimin called back. Jae kicked off her shoes and jogged in, Pak, Choi, and Quon not far behind. "OH holy shit, what happened?!" Jae gasped as she caught her first sight of Jimin's face. His bruise was mellowing, but he still sported a faded rainbow of colors.

"Oh, we forgot to tell you about that. He's ok," Choi said quickly to Pak. Pak's eyes widened as soon as Jimin came into view.

"Hi! How was your trip?" Hobi smiled as Jin handed him dishes to take out back and over to the house next door. He gave more to Namjoon and Tae, and the train of food headed out.

"Fine. Who did that to you?" Pak asked, quickly. He walked up behind Jae, who had stopped in her tracks. He placed his hands on her arms, giving them a gentle squeeze, which made her feet start moving again. Choi and Quon quietly motioned from behind Jae and Pak that they were heading next door. Jin nodded and got back to preparing the food.

"OH. I did. Operator error. Promise," JImin smiled, walking over. "It's been quiet here otherwise, well, you know, within reason. How was your trip?"

"Good. It was good," she finally broke her stare. "How?"

Jimin smiled sheepishly, "Um, whacked myself with a belt buckle. You know, normal stuff. It's fine. Promise."

"Of course," Pak shook his head in disbelief. "So, where is everyone?"

"Decorating," he grinned. Pak caught Jin snickering as he grabbed spoons for the last two dishes to take over. Just then, Ami walked back in from outside, "Hey there! You're back!"

"Hiiiiiii!" Jae hop skipped over to meet her friend halfway, both girls embraced in a big hug. "Oh my god. I'm glad you're back." Ami sighed. "I'm glad you ran away, but I'm glad you're back."

"Me too. I have so much to tell you."

"I do too, but later. Come on. I wanna show you the setup," she grabbed Jae's hand and pulled her outside, but not before Pak noticed her flash a mischievous look at Jimin. He watched them head outside before he turned back to Jimin. Everything felt right again.

"They didn't tell me about that," he pointed to his face.

"Well, you were on vacation. You didn't need this play-by-play of this nonsense. What were you going to do?" Jimin said as Jin walked over, handing him a dish of food. "These are the last ones. So. Pak. We want to hear all about your trip, but we need to get you acquainted with the party setup before Su and his mom get here."

"Isn't it just out back?" he looked confused. It was the only other place it could be.

"Sort of. Come on," Jin led the two outside to an empty backyard. A look of absolute confusion fell on Pak's face as they walked around the pool and on a newly worn path through the grass to the side of the property.

"What is happening? When did this go in?" They heard him say as they pulled open a new gate to the property next door."

"The gate? Late last night. The workers just left about an hour ago. We knocked out the hole, and Su had them install a gate. It needs a little more trim work, but it's functional." Jimin said calmly, as if he were describing some new shoes he had just bought.

"GUYS!" They led him into the adjoining property, which had been transformed with party decor. Balloons, flowers, and music playing. Jae was standing still, stunned by what she was looking at, as Wendy hugged her.

"WE WERE GONE FOR A FEW DAYS! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!" Pak yelled as everyone started laughing, enjoying the fact that they had kept the secret from everyone until they were ready to reveal it. 

"Welcome back." Yoongi smiled as the last three made their way up to the house.

"Don't welcome back me. What have you done?"

Ami and Wendy grabbed Jae's hands and pulled her into the house, rattling off everything they had been doing the last few days, the house, the decorating, the planning, all of it. The rest of the boys had a proud look on their faces.  Choi and Quon also enjoyed seeing Pak speechless for once.

"We don't have much time before Su shows up, so quick and dirty version?" Hobi spoke up as Pak nodded, turning to take in the property, "Highlights."

"The house was going on the market when you were in Iceland. We bought it as a second house, guesthouse, event house of sorts. Su has a proper office here. Quon and Choi have been staying upstairs while you've been gone. Most of the furnishings came in yesterday. Now you're caught up."

"Oh, and Ami has claimed the pool house for a she-shed," Jin smiled.

"Iceland?! Did Su know?" he finally turned to look at them, still trying to take it in.

"No one did. Not Su nor Ami. You two are the last to be filled in, and that's only because you were on vacation."

"This is insane. What's a she-shed?" They all turned and started walking inside the house to give him a tour.

"Girl cave. Just a space for her, Jae, and their girlfriends.  She needs a girls-only space, " Jungkook mused. The interior of the house was bright and clean, with brand-new furnishings. The walls were empty, but the basics were there. More flower arrangements were inside to make it feel homey.

"Jesus," Pak put his hand over his mouth and took it all in as Jimin and Tae gave him the grand tour. They started upstairs, going room to room and explaining more about why they realized they needed this space, and then working their way downstairs, ending in Su's office and room.

"Oh. This is great for him. Really," Pak finally said, absorbing what they had set up for Su. "What does he think of all this?" 

"Well, after the shock and awe of it all, he's glad we did it. It's nice to have a proper space that isn't our house or the apartments and is right next door," Tae said. 

"No. This is amazing. Really great. You're all insane, but great," he finally cracked a smile as Jimin and Tae chuckled. After a few minutes, everyone regrouped in the kitchen, where Jin and the rest of them were making sure everything was ready for their special guest.

"What do you think?" Hobi grinned.

"No words," Pak shook his head. "It feels like 500 things happened while we were gone."

"Well. Yesterday was spent unpacking this place, but otherwise we've been here," Yoongi said.

"It's been a nice distraction," Kook said quietly next to him, so the girls didn't hear as they chatted on the other side of the kitchen.

"I bed," he glanced. "Besides Jimin's face, everything else going okay?  New schedule, I hear."

"Yup. Busy with this, that's all.  We can talk about the schedule later."

"This is cute, is it Ami's?" Jae touched the fabric of the dress Wendy was wearing.

"Yes. I didn't bring party clothes, so I got to go closet shopping," she grinned.

"I love closet shopping," Jae groaned as Ami laughed. The three caught up as the boys did the same on the other side of the kitchen.

Su saw the message that everyone had gathered as they turned into the gated community.

"Faaaaancy," she said as they drove up the winding streets.

"Mom," he smiled. "Where did you think I was taking you?"

"Shack down by the river," she quipped back as he shook his head. "Sure.  So.  The boys just bought a new house. No one technically lives here, but they needed a proper space to entertain guests. They literally just moved furniture in yesterday, so it might be a little sparse. It's so much better than trying to coordinate somewhere off-site, though. The boys live nearby, and Ami is not too far either," he made sure to add before she asked.

"My granddaughter lives in this development?"

"She does."

"Good. That's all I need to know," she said sincerely. "I'm excited to see her and finally meet everyone else. This is the best present."

"I know," he smiled.

Su was careful not to pull into the boy's driveway, but into the new house next door. As soon as he parked, she jumped out, excited to meet everyone.  Su reached into the back seat and pulled out a large container of food, which she insisted on bringing with her.

Inside, everyone was gathered and waiting.  The guys were peppering Jae with questions about Jeju as Ami and Pak were catching up.  "I can't believe the guys bought this place without anyone knowing."

"I know," Ami grinned.  "It's kind of perfect, though.  Who would have thought?  So!  Jeju was amazing, I hear.  Food.  Roaming.  The works."

"It was really nice.  It was just what Jae and I needed.  Jimin's face is something else," he shook his head, still in disbelief.

"I know.  It looks rough now, but it was so bad when it happened, Pak.  It was instantly bruised. I thought he broke his face."

"How exactly did he do it?" 

"He was letting off steam in the garage.  He was whipping the punching bag with his belt, and caught his face," she said a little more quietly. 

"Good god," he groaned.  "What did you do to piss him off?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know," she jabbed back. "No, it was scheduling frustration."

"Ohh yes, we saw that changed.  You wanna fill me in later?" 

"Yeah, we should probably have a proper work meeting in a couple of days.  Let's wait until Wendy heads back to Riggs, though.  I want to enjoy having her here and not talk about work if we can help it."

"Did Riggs find people for her?"

"He did.  A couple of guys from the motherland, actually, so they should blend in well on Harry's tour."  

"Oh, that's great," he approved.  "Perfect.  I hope they're overkill for her."  His eyes wandered behind her and fell on Jae, who was joking and laughing with the rest of the group. 

"Yeah, me too," she sighed.  Pak zoned out as he stared, while Ami kept talking.  He was thinking about the night before at the bar, and how unexpected everything had happened.  It was a conversation he needed to have with Su, but not until after the party. 

Choi and Quon were across the room, watching Ami and Pak joke around.  They saw him look at Jae, then get sucked into a thought. He wasn't listening to Ami, and she was starting to notice. They followed his gaze across the room to Jae, then back to him.  Both men instinctively started walking over, but Quon walked over to Jae and next to her as Choi walked over to join the two.  

"Pak.  Pak,"  Ami tried to get his attention, but he kept nodding as if he was listening to her.  Just then, Choi joined them, and Ami leaned in and said a little more quietly, "Kai."  That Kai from her snapped him out of his thoughts.  He looked over and saw Choi now standing with them, and Quon was across the room, standing next to Jae, but nonchalantly watching Ami and Pak. 

"OH!  Sorry!  What did you say?"

Ami glanced at Jae and noticed the repositioning.  She knew her guys.  She knew how they moved, and this wasn't random. "Why are Choi and Quon doing safety maneuvers in the living room?" she asked quietly.

"It's fine," He said quietly back. Choi left them to talk and went over to join the rest of the group. 

"Did something happen?"

Just then, she felt hands on her waist and someone holding her against them. "Everything okay?" Namjoon's voice softly joined their conversation without announcing it to the entire room.    He had been watching her and noticed their shift while everyone was listening to Jae talk about Jeju. 

Pak paused as his eyes flickered to Jae and back.

Namjoon didn't wait for an explanation but saw his hesitation.  "Are you and Jae good?"

"Very," he replied, confidently.

"Is there something else you need help with, immediately?"  It was a loaded question that gave him leeway to take the conversation where it needed to go. 

"No.  Right now, everyone is where they need to be," Pak finally refocused and gave a concerned Ami more of a sincere look. "Listen, it's a conversation we can have tomorrow, okay? Jae's really happy to be here.  This place is bonkers," he tried to lighten the conversation. "We had an amazing time, and we are really looking forward to all of this."

"Is it the stalker?" Ami had to ask, she needed to know.  She felt Joon's hands push down on her hips as Pak could see the stress flash across her face for a brief second. 

"No, it was not your stalker, I swear," he said, his eyes softened.  They could see his fight to want to talk about it now versus waiting.  He took a deep breath and a step closer, "Cliff notes only, and we'll talk about it in depth tomorrow, with everyone?"  They both nodded as he shifted a little.  

"Last night Jae had her first encounter with 'fans' that recognized her, and me, without you all being there.  Nothing bad, just excited girls.  It was new.  New for both of us.  She's happy to be home, that's all." 

"Oh." Her eyes got big. She completely understood how that felt, they both did. 

"Dove, why don't you go spend time with your girlfriends.  Pak's right, we can talk about this tomorrow," Joon said in her ear.   

"Really, it's okay.  Just processing what that means for her moving forward, because it will, but it's okay." He reassured Ami as he nodded and walked over to join the group, taking her place next to Jae.  Jae smiled as she gave her a shoulder check, then stood close to her friend, joining in the conversation. 

"So, I'll ask again then.  Is there anything either of you need?" Namjoon asked, understanding all too well the feelings they were dealing with.  

"No, really.  We had a wonderful time, except for about an hour at the bar last night.  I think the only change will be Choi or Quon coming with us when we travel alone again."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea.  Sorry that put a damper on things yesterday," he sighed.  

"She's glad to be home, this is her safe space with you all," he winked at Jae as she glanced over and smiled at him, then turned back to continue her stories.  Namjoon thought for a moment, then smiled, "Come with me.  I need to show you something."  

Pak followed him outside, down the backyard, and through the gate back to their yard.  "So, we were going to tell you two after Wendy left. Jimin wanted to throw a big housewarming party, but I think it's better to share now."

"Share what?  Did you buy the property on the other side of you, too?"  he chortled.  

Namjoon grinned, "No, but that's a good idea. We can talk about that if we need to."  They walked the short distance down to the guesthouse and stopped just outside.  "So, the main reason why we bought the house next door was because of you and Jae."

He frowned, trying to understand, "What are you talking about?"

"We bought it so this could be your space, just for you two.  No round robin of people coming and going.  It's yours."  He pointed to a new keypad they had installed on the door.  "After Wendy leaves, you can program that for just you two.  You don't have to share the code with us unless you want to.  Jae can change whatever she wants inside, it's your second home.  No asking if she can stay here if you need to leave and travel, it's yours."

"What?" was all he could get out before he was speechless.  

"Jae commented on being a squatter and moving in as a joke.  That got us talking, and we don't want either of you to feel like a 'guest' here.  So, this isn't a 'guest' house anymore," he pointed back next door, "That is the guesthouse.  This is yours.  We know there is a very blurred line between us all between 'work' and 'personal'.  This isn't because of the job, it's not a perk.  We want you both to have your own space to use as you need. We understand why that's important."

"Oh my god," he barely whispered. 

"So, after what you briefly shared next door, I thought it was important you knew now.  If Jae and Ami sign with a brand, that's going to happen a lot more."

"I know. We talked about what it could mean already," Pak sighed.  

"So did we, and having this bubble might be more comfortable sometimes for her, or you. You needed the option," then he paused, and a smile started to cross his face.  "You know, the first plan was to buy the house next door for you."

"Shut the fuck up.  No.  That's too much house," Pak laughed.  "NO."

"That's what we thought you would say. So we reworked the plan, and this seemed like the best solution for everyone.  It checks a lot of boxes.  Su has an office.  Choi and Quon can come and go as needed without feeling like they are invading. The girls have claimed the pool house, which can only be dangerous, and you two have your own space."  The two started to wander back next door slowly. 

"I don't know what to say.  The fact that you did ALL of this for us is too much."

"Well, you're our friends, there really isn't much more to say. You both mean a lot to us."  They walked through the gate, shutting it behind them.  "You can tell Jae, or if you want, we can tell her after Wendy leaves, like we were going to.  Ami knows, we told her when we showed her this place a couple of days ago."

"She's going to love it.  I love it. You don't know how much this helps put my mind at ease.  Thank you."  Pak said sincerely as they headed back inside.  

"Like I said, anything we can do, we'll do it." 

Just as they were heading back inside, Ami was trotting to the front door, "They're here!"

Su and his mom were almost to the door, and before they could knock, Ami was standing there, excited. "Happy birthday," she beamed. 

"OH! Hello, sweet granddaughter! I'm so happy to see you!" She gave Ami a big hug as her voice carried inside the house. "It's been too long," Ami sighed. "Are you ready to meet everyone?"

"Yes!" her eyes sparkled.

"Are you?" She grinned at Su. He winked, and Ami took her arm, leading her into the living room where everyone was waiting. Namjoon walked over first to them, "Hello again, we're glad we could spend your birthday with you. Happy Birthday." He smiled sweetly as she reached out and took his hands in hers and squeezed, "Hello, Namjoon. So good to see you again."

"Ami, why don't you introduce Jae and Wendy first," Namjoon said, motioning to the girls. Choi was standing behind Wendy, quietly translating for her as Pak had slipped in behind Jae.  

"Those are the two I don't actually know, hi Hoseok," she winked at Hobi as he waved back. She looked down the line of boys. She knew them all, even though they had never officially met, then paused on Yoongi with his arm, and then Jimin's face. She looked suspiciously at them both. "I'll get back to you two in a minute," she said, pointing at them, and walked with Ami over to Jae and Wendy. Quon chuckled as he took the container from Su and placed it in the kitchen.

"What did we do?" Jimin leaned in, and Yoongi raised his arm, pointing to his face.

"Grandma, these are my friends, Jae and Wendy."

"OHhh! Jae! I'm so happy to meet you finally!" She said excitedly as she hugged her. "Nice to meet you, too," she beamed. "Su's been gatekeeping you, by the way." His mom gasped and turned to her son. "I know. He hasn't been letting us meet," she said, turned back to Jae, and leaned in. "He knows we would have too much fun together."

Choi relayed what they were saying, and Wendy giggled. Grandma looked over at the two, and Choi held up a finger for her to wait a moment, then whispered something in Wendy's ear.  Everyone saw her cheeks start to blush as she said, "Um, it's nice to meet you. I'm Wendy. Happy..." he whispered again, then she said, "Happy birthday."

The room fell silent for a moment as they heard Wendy work out her first sentences in Korean. Choi stepped back, proud of her as everyone started to grin. "Oh, dear. Thank you so much. What a nice gift," Su's mom said back in not too bad English herself, and leaned in for a hug.

"When did you learn that?" Ami asked, and they all saw Wendy's face flush red as all the focus was on her.

"Choi helped me."

"That was pretty good," Jungkook was impressed. Everyone was. 

"Grandma, this is Mr. Choi and Mr. Pak," Ami said, smiling and pointing to the two men standing behind the girls. Wendy and Jae stepped to the side, but Pak kept Jae's hand in his. 

"Oh, it is very nice to meet you, Mr. Choi," she bowed warmly. 

"You as well.  Happy birthday," Choi smiled, bowing in return. 

"Thank you, dear.  And Mr. Pak," she reached out, taking his hands in hers.  "Min-Jun has told me about you for years.  I'm so glad to meet you finally."

"I'm happy to finally meet you, too.  Happy Birthday," Pak smiled.

"Thank you.  I hope we can talk later."

"Of course," he said, a little surprised. 

"Okay! Now, back to you boys." She turned around, walked straight over to Jimin, took his cheeks in her hands, and inspected his forehead.

"Mom." Su shook his head. 

"Shush," she said quickly back. All eyes fell on Su, who was trying to manage not being in control. No one ever 'shushed' Su, but he wasn't about ready to go against his mom.  They loved it. She finally lowered her hands from Jimin's face.

"Mrs. Su," he smiled

"Hello, Jimin. I hope the other guy looks worse.  It wasn't you, was it?" She looked at Yoongi. 

Jimin chuckled, "I'm sorry to say the other guy was me."

"OH! Was it now? Well, you need to be a little easier on yourself then." She couldn't hold back a mischievous look. 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Su," Yoongi said as she turned to him next.

"Everyone needs to stop being so formal."

"Sorry, but don't think we can do that," Yoong said smoothly back.  His eyes twinkled as they held each other's gaze.  While they were informal with Su, this was his mom, and the boys all respected him and her too much to call her by a nickname.  

She slowly looked at the rest of the line, and they all nodded in agreement.  "Very well," she conceded, then looked back to the girls, "Grandma for you three, though. I won't answer to anything else." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Su," Yoongi said, emphasizing his point.  

"He reminds me of distant family," she winked at Su as she moved over to Jin, but he didn't acknowledge her comment.  Ami had been watching him as his mom worked through the room.  It was a rare glimpse of him dropping his formal walls when they visited her.  That comment, though, from her didn't cause a reaction.  His eyes slowly tracked over and caught Ami's gaze as his mom greeted Jin enthusiastically, and he joked with her.  Su didn't try to play it off as Ami noticed his lack of reaction, but turned his attention back to the group. 

She officially met Jin, Tae, and last but not least, Jungkook.  They all loved that she was there, and they could all finally close the gap.   

"Would you like a tour?"  Tae asked.

"Oh, I would love one!  Min-Jin told me you just bought this place."

"Who?" Jungkook looked confused for a moment.

"Me," Su sighed, "I do have a first name."

"We never use it, though," he looked baffled as his mom took Jungkook by the arm to drag him along with them as Tae and Jin started the tour.  "Like, never."  

"Oh my gosh, she is sooo sweet,"  Wendy said as they all gathered in the kitchen to wait for the tour to return.  

Su walked over to welcome Pak and Jae back from their trip.  "How was it?" he smiled as Jae leaned in and hugged him.  

"Good.  Really nice," Jae sighed.  Pak's long-held eye contact with Su told him something a little different, though.  "I'm glad to hear it.  I can't wait to hear all about it."

Namjoon wrapped his arms around Ami, squeezed, then whispered in her ear, "I told Pak about their new place below.  I think he's going to tell Jae when it's the right time."

"Okay," she nodded as the group talked excitedly and the party got underway.