╰─➤ follow everywhere i go
               top over the mountain or valley low

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

again.

donghyuck could sense it all happening again. it was nothing at first, just an inkling that he was dreaming...but sometimes he felt he really wasn't. when his bleary, hazel eyes flickered open to peer into a darkness he hadn't been expecting, his gut twisted in worry. sometime after he'd fallen asleep in the library, obviously someone had collected him and the others and brought them to bed. his body wouldn't move an inch, although he could tell he was safely wound in jeno's arms from the intoxicating scent of rosewood and mint. 

this was fine; the rising and lowering of the chest underneath him lulling him back into a false sense of security. but the freezing cold fingertips to suddenly dance across his exposed thigh nearly made him choke. what was that? he panicked internally, freaking out yet again at his night paralysis.

"how do you keep waking up?" a low voice whispered so quietly that it couldn't have been recognisable to anyone.

it's them again, the omega swallowed with all his will. he knew he was going to forget this as soon as the sun rose, and yet he always recalled these moments when they reoccurred. jeno didn't move an inch, and neither did the others. clearly the blonde the was aware of something he shouldn't have been.

the blinding flash and snap of a photo being taken made his breath hitch, and soon enough the intruders were filing out of the bedroom like they always did; having not touched a thing as far as donghyuck was concerned.

the male's eyes drooped with fatigue, fingers twitching a little as he implored them to hold onto jeno's shoulders. with his cheek squished to the leader's pectoral muscles, he could hear the faint heartbeat he loved so dearly, and used it as an easing method to slide back into a peaceful slumber.

~

his wrists ached once again, bound mercilessly to the headboard he remembered from solitary confinement. flailing his legs — kicking each and every which way — was not helpful in this situation, and his voice was muffled for some inexplicable reason. he could barely hear it in his own head, let alone project it through the room. an itchy, unforgiving blindfold rendered him blind...and his lungs could've collapsed from panic.

"please..." he whimpered, flinching at any sensation of movement nearby, including small gusts of cold air over his painfully exposed body. "what am i doing here? j-jeno..."

"useless," a familiar voice uttered, but it wasn't quite natural. firstly, it was like ten renjuns said it at the same time, and secondly, it was even icier than the normal version usually managed.

"i haven't done anything!" the blonde shrieked weakly, tugging at his restraints and wailing. "renjun, let me out!"

"disobedient," another whispered in a very similar manner. yet this time it was jaemin's vocals, all twisted and gnarled to sound horrible. the echoes brushed over donghyuck's ears too closely, and he arched his back off the mattress to pull even harder.

"i'm being good! i've done what you told me to do! stop it! stop it!"

his blindfold was ripped off harshly and a freezing hand with what felt like claws pinned his chest down to the sheets again. "ugly!" they hissed, and the omega screamed in horror, crying frantically and attempting to pull away from the nails digging into his skin. the figure he could see definitely supposed to resemble chenle, but it barely did. his hollow eye sockets where nothing resided and pale-as-hell skin made him appear more ghostly than anything.

where the fuck am i? what the hell are they?! under no illusion could these boys have been the harem who cared for and raised him. the training, the love-making, the cuddling at the end of the day...it wasn't with these people.

"you're a disgrace," mark's doppelgänger with horrendously dead features chided cunningly and tore him from his binds, as if the rope had been mere string, just to sling him to the floor where donghyuck landed with a wince. his teeth dug into his tongue and he could taste blood, but that wasn't what disgusted him the most.

deafening, banshee-like laughter cut through the air as he lay alongside an unborn child — a mere foetus left in its bloody membrane. anything inside the omega's gut lurched forward as he cried and screamed, scrambling to get away from it. the floor was covered in its protective layers.

"it's not mine!"

"it's yours, baby killer," renjun taunted. and the rest joined. repeating it over and over, like sirens drilling into his temples until tears streamed down his face in despairing rivers. it's yours, it's yours, it's yours.

"no!" he hissed, shooting upright from the mattress and colliding headfirst with the real renjun. the ravenette cursed, falling back a little from in front of him and holding his face. "i..." hyuck rasped, running his tongue over his dry lips as he looked around him at the sun-filled bedroom. the others weren't around, save for his fellow omega friend. "it was a dream?"

"a nightmare, i'd say," renjun murmured and looked back up, pinching his bleeding nose. "i didn't want to leave you behind to wake up alone, so i waited. but you were..."

"you have no idea how glad i am to see your face," the blonde sighed out in relief and smiled faintly as he touched the other's hair. "sorry about your nose. did i just hit you with my head?"

"i was going to wake you up from that fit you were having," he complained. "last time i ever consider being thoughtful!"

donghyuck pouted, reaching out to feel along the bridge delicately and pursing his lips wearily. "broken?"

"i hope not."

they sat in silence for a minute as the taller of the two grabbed tissues from the beside table and started to clean up the flow of blood leaking down renjun's face. his expression was focused and determined, but the older could tell he was stressed.

"your nightmare," he swallowed thickly, tasting the metallic flavour on his tongue, "what was it about?"

"don't remember."

"but you do."

hyuck chuckled, blinking slowly and taking a small breath. "m'not sure what it was about, really. just a collection of horrific scenes to terrify me."

"i see," renjun hummed and pulled away to feel the bridge of his nose once more. "i'm going to sungchan to make sure it isn't broken. accompany me."

"why? we need to eat first."

"don't be so precious. ask about the nightmares." the smaller got up at long last and tidied up an outfit the younger hadn't seen on him before. a casual pair of dungarees and a graphic t-shirt underneath with a pac-man on it.

"ah, you think they're medical?"

"not necessarily. you've been complaining about sleep a lot lately and this nightmare is the last straw. when i first started taking suppressants, i needed time to settle into them. perhaps the pill or the suppressants are taking a toll on you. best check it out."

"the pill..." hyuck repeated quietly, and that actually solved one piece of the horror show for him. the premature baby on the floor. "okay, i'll join you."

as predicted, sungchan did indeed suspect the drugs of causing painful images to pop into the omega's mind. he claimed it worked in all kinds of ways, and bad sleep was just one side-effect. although this settled a few questions in the young boy's head, he was still absolutely certain that night terrors weren't the only things occurring in their sleep. he just couldn't remember what these suspicions were.

the doctor checked renjun's nose briefly and assured him it wasn't broken, simply aggravated from the hard knock. both omegas seemed happy enough with the information from the visit, and so they left without any further questions.

as their flat shoes clacked against the floors, verbal silence locked them in a state of anxiousness. the older of the two kept wearily glancing around to the windows and whatnot. it was as though he had something to say, but couldn't quite get it off his chest.

"renjun," hyuck eventually hummed. playing with his sweater paws and staring off into the distance as they wandered aimlessly.

"mhm?"

"am i useless?"

the shorter's brows creased inwards and he couldn't help but check what expression his companion was making. "i'm not sure i understand what you mean."

"just...as it sounds, really. am i disobedient?"

"a little. not hugely, to be honest."

"i can't help but feel you guys are somewhat irritated or something with me. i must be annoying, right? so far behind you and so stubborn..."

"donghyuck, where on earth is this coming from? all of a sudden?" renjun scoffed and pulled at his shoulder to stop them and have the young adult face him. "spit it out."

"it's nothing."

"it isn't nothing if it's tearing your up inside. is this about the nightmare you were having?"

jesus, he's perceptive, the blonde mentally noted and swallowed heavily as their eyes bore into each other. "how did you know?"

"because i know everything," he winked slyly, nosing his cheek and smelling that refreshing citrus and summer fruit scent.

"liar..." donghyuck whispered against his neck, crumbling from the rush of vanilla and cherry. "you don't know everything."

"don't i?"

"nope."

renjun pulled away and stared at him, unable to suppress a fond and baffled chuckle once he explored the boy's intrigued face. "it was merely a joke, although i'm very knowledgeable on most things. but why were you so adamant?"

to throw the cheeky male's game back in his face for once, the blonde leaned in again and licked the shell of his ear, so immensely grateful that his heat was over and he could control his every move and decision. "because, oh wise one..." he whispered, "you can't read."

the smaller scoffed and shoved him back, sporting an irritated yet somewhat impressed look. "that was low. and you don't need books to know everything."

"you're right. i was too mean," hyuck chuckled bravely and walked off ahead now that he had successfully dodged the conversation about his dreams. "i'll be more aware of your sensitivity next time."

"lee donghyuck, you're lucky i'm too tired to fuck some sense into you. with a tongue like that, it'll be chopped off sooner or later in the mafia."

"jeno wouldn't. he needs it for future games."

"jeno's the least of your worries," the ravenette suddenly went serious, keeping pace with his partner and curving his lips into a slight sneer. "there are men and women out there who target us. one wiff of attitude from us leads to the loss of a limb. i'm sure mark will teach you the way to act during a kidnapping in due course, or perhaps jisung."

"we have to learn that sort of thing?"

"all the time. the only one of us who's ever been snatched is chenle though. we're quite careful."

donghyuck went quiet and firmly kept his gaze ahead. even when it'd technically been his 'home', he knew what being a hostage felt like. the quiets that could've burst his eardrums while he waited for people to come home and harass him. the churning within the pit of his stomach when he smelt the disgusting remains of a 'joke' taken too far with his name. he indeed felt he could relate to being locked away, and so he dropped the conversation.

renjun noticed the strange silence now that he'd joined it, and his hands locked behind his back while his head tilted up to think. something about the way his fellow omega's energy levels had changed bothered him, and so he nudged his shoulder with his own. "do you want to see something cute?" the boy whispered knowingly, watching as donghyuck flicked his attention towards him with intrigue.

the chinese adult didn't need another indication to continue, and with this he moved on ahead down the hallway. they didn't say much, even with a few questions hanging on their shoulders. the blonde nearly had to speed walk to keep up, and paid a little attention to the garden beyond the windows since he'd been longing to spend some alone time out there for a while now. renjun eventually came to a halt outside two double doors with surprising butterflies painted on them — unfitting on the mafia vibe. hyuck crashed front-first into his back and nearly elicited a sensual gasp at the gorgeous scent of the other's hair.

"coming?" renjun murmured, pulling one of the wooden doors open and wandering inside. many different smells flooded the younger's nose, and it crinkled to keep up with them once he entered as well. they stood side by side, now coming up against a hoard of children playing around and their caregiver managing the issues.

"is this..." hyuck blinked in surprise, "the nursery?"

"indeed," the shorter boy nodded affirmatively and stumbled to keep his balance when a little boy ran at his legs and latched around him without any sign of letting go. "these are all children of our members, albeit abandoned or still raised. they're brought up like us though, not according to typical schooling."

"welcome, boys," doyoung waved with a curious smile, wandering over through the sea of children and placing his hands on his hips. he was adorned in a big jumper and loose jeans, probably not bothered to look any more intimidating, considering his line of work. "what brought upon this spontaneous visit?"

"hey," renjun beamed faintly and leaned in for a hug, squishing the kid that still wouldn't let go. obviously the smell of omegas was terribly alluring. "came to see the children again, y'know? they grow so fast around here."

"they do, don't they? one of the twelve-year-olds got a nose piercing and the teenage unit have decided to tattoo their symbol onto their shoulders. i feel so old watching them move on."

"a nose piercing..." hyuck pursed his lips, hand subconsciously reaching up to his ear and twisting the stud inside it. he was supposedly due another one, and he was most definitely not looking forward to it.

a few of the younger ones started to crowd them, and doyoung stepped back to watch as they were swarmed with squeezes and stories. the two young adults crouched down to reach their level, and even if it was only feigning interest in their nonsensical gibberish, they quite enjoyed the company of young ones.

hyuck gently tilted his head to the side to see if his fellow harem member thought they were irritating, or wasn't suited to them...but his stomach churned to see renjun flick on his maternal instincts. the way he ran his fingers through their hair and smiled so genuinely as they told him tales...it was so precious. it then led the blonde to recall their heated moment the other day.

'i want a baby', he'd said in the omega tone. a special voice used to manipulate alpha pheromones. it wasn't a natural skill that they could just use and abuse...but something that accidentally occurred when emotions ran high. it broke donghyuck's heart, but he was last person with any rights to comfort him or patronise him. he couldn't give him a baby even if he wanted to in that sense, and in another he was shutting off his tubes to avoid a kid of his own.

indeed, he couldn't say a word without sounding like a hypocrite.

"i like to think of jeno and jaemin when i come here," the ravenette suddenly murmured as the children started to play with his hair and nestle in his lap. hyuck too perched with crossed legs to let them hang out of him and have a bit of fun. "once upon a time, they were in a nursery similar to this...playing with other kids and blissfully unaware of the dangers outside."

"does jaemin know who his parents are?"

"i think he might. they didn't raise him though, and he doesn't think about them. in fact, that might not even be here," renjun explained and gently rocked a small girl on his knee. "there are other posts and quarters for various types of units."

"what about the others? were you a child of the mafia?"

"psh, god no. i was a normal kid for most of my life, and certain circumstances..." he paused, running his tongue over his lip before saying too much, "sometimes something can happen, and it fucks you up forever, you know?"

"tell me about it. sometimes it's out of your control."

"it will almost always be out of your control, and that's what makes it more tragic."

"are you an omega, mister?" one of the boys asked the younger of the two. he couldn't have been more than about five or six. he was playing with his sleeves and standing in front of him.

"i am," donghyuck smiled kindly.

"i want to be an omega," he giggled excitedly and started to stretch the sleeves more as he explained himself. "omega's are pretty."

he has a lot to learn before thinking being an omega is a good idea, both adults thought, but refrained from voicing it for various, obvious reasons. "you're already very pretty," hyuck promised and rubbed the boy's cheek gently. "don't wish for a secondary gender, okay? we always end up with the right ones, don't we?"

"i want to be an alpha!" the girl in renjun's lap squealed happily. "my mummies are alphas." she pretended to do a karate chop motion and this could only mean her mothers were fighters in the front lines unit. they probably kneecapped people who went against garnet's rules or didn't pay up.

"you're all too young to be worrying about that," doyoung tsked playfully and started setting the large table up for them to have some lunch. it alerted the two to how late in the day it had already gotten, and they felt bad for imposing on the caregiver's work.

"sorry to knock your day off schedule," renjun gushed and shuffled all the children off him to head to the table. everyone raced to their favourite seats and settled down, surprisingly sniffing their food first.

"why're they doing that?" donghyuck whispered to his friend. 

"detecting poison. doyoung laces some in about three of the meals, and they have to find out which plates have it."

"that's...dangerous. they're only kids."

"it's life," he deadpanned. "they won't be tricked by it when they're older, and nipping it in the bud early means they won't end up like us; susceptible to drugs."

"poison!" one of them shot their hands up.

"wow..." the blonde gushed and smiled a little. "i wish i could do that."

"mhm, it is interesting to watch. shall we go?"

"okay."

"we'll be heading off," renjun suddenly called to doyoung, and the older male waved at them with a grin before returning to handing out the safe dishes to the victims of the poisonous ones.

"see you soon. glad you stopped by."

they edged down the hallways again together, and this time the younger couldn't get the children off his mind. he thought of jeno and jaemin as well, for they too must've been able to smell poison. how truly incredible that was.

his companion seemed to be contemplating as well, since he very obviously had something to say and not quite the right words to say it. his sienna irises shifted to the taller, and released a long breath to demonstrate frustration at his own nature. "look, donghyuck."

"mhm?"

"i know you're probably very confused. we only tell you what suits us, and you're drip fed pieces of stories until you're able to handle the full truth...but i promise we don't think lowly of you." his fringe swept inwards towards his eyes and flicked out perfectly in curtains, and he brushed some of it off to see where he was going. "your nightmares, worries and fears are all extremely valid, okay? you've been thrown into a mafia, for fuck's sake. and a harem, no less, as an omega."

"so you do get it?" he chuckled nervously, twisting a few strands of his own golden hair. "i thought i was being dramatic with how lax you all seemed towards my behaviour. it's not something you wake up one morning thinking, y'know?" he chewed his lip, "joining a gang."

"that's true. actually, did you know," renjun smiled a little and — against his own personality — looped his arms around donghyuck's bicep, "that only three of us in the harem chose this life? ah, no actually, maybe even less."

"really? you didn't all have the option?"

"it was an option, yes. but more-so; mafia or die."

"oh..."

"much like yourself," he chuckled to keep it lighthearted. clearly he was trying his very best to ease donghyuck with actions that didn't come naturally to him. "anyway, jaemin obviously was raised here, but i suppose that doesn't mean he wanted this. he would never say anything since jeno is the love of his life...but maybe he didn't like his life when he was young."

"possibly. i wouldn't have."

"me neither. not as a kid. mark was a drug dealer, so he chose this life even before the harem."

"yeah, i heard about that," the blonde grinned excitedly. "he's so elegant now, and wise. i can't picture him sneaking bags of cocaine to other druggies."

"the secret to being a top-notch dealer is to not take drugs yourself. you see, if you're high...then you're no better than the addicts you're trying to sell to. mark went off the rails."

"he was an addict?"

"a bad one. he was essentially rotting himself from the inside out, and wanted to die by the time jeno planned to kill him. knowing our master," renjun scoffed, "he didn't want to give mark the satisfaction of offing him so easily. so he kept him alive, cleaned him up and his system..."

"and added him as the second member of the harem..." the male sighed since he'd heard the story from chenle, if he wasn't mistaken. "i suppose he was the first though, if jaemin wasn't actually a one-man harem."

"you could say that." the ravenette stopped them outside an archway with bars separating them from the outside garden. he signalled a nod towards the member guarding it, and soon enough it was drawn up to let them out. hyuck could only smile radiantly now that he was going beyond the walls again.

"so, you said there were around three of you, right? who else chose this life?"

"why, the only boy given another choice that wasn't death, of course," he smirked and led them to a bench to sit down beside a small, man-made pond. "park jisung was an ordinary teenager. in fact, he could well have been as boring as they got."

"it was ji?"

"mhm. so young...so innocent...so terribly stupid. i won't tell you his story, but he did choose this world over his old one. incredible, right? giving up normality, school, friends, liberty, just because you fall for a guy. i mean, jeno is quite alluring, isn't he?"

"he is..."

renjun slid his hand onto donghyuck's lap and gently caressed it like a comforting parent. "you'll be fine, okay? our stories aren't your stories, and soon enough you'll have one of your own to add to our storybook."

hyuck nodded subtly and stared off towards the water again, the glistening of its lapping surface capturing him in a trance. he did want a story of his own...and so far, this mafia hadn't been the worst.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

...to be continued