╰─➤ diamonds are forever
                  but all we need is just tonight

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

the countdown to donghyuck's first mission weighed heavily on his mind the past couple of days. his heat was more manageable now and he didn't need constant surveillance or assistance, although he'd have been lying if he said he didn't enjoy some of it.

however, more than just his heat and mission were balancing on his plate. he had found jisung again, hiding from the others for a while. he was ill, hyuck knew immediately, fighting that same feeling he'd described before.

and so they were here, with the omega pulling his friend down the hall hurriedly and talking for the sake of keeping jisung focused. "come on, we're nearly there. are you going to throw up?"

"n-no," jisung winced, stumbling along behind him and occasionally trying to pull back. his stomach was causing him grief and he claimed it was a little worse every time it happened. "hyuck, slow down."

"we can't. not when you look ready to hurl again."

they rounded a corner and donghyuck did a cursory glance to ensure nobody else was around before pulling the beta down the hall a bit further and stopping at the infirmary door. he knocked twice, hard, before entering without waiting for a response.

"hold on," sungchan's voice called out from the inner chamber of the office and the two dolls stood still. jisung leaned against donghyuck's shoulder and fanned his face, sweating like a sinner in church even with a tank top and board shorts on.

"it's okay," the elder of the two promised him, holding his hand and then taking another look at the doorway into the med bay. he cleared his throat loudly. sungchan didn't bother responding to that. "this guy..." he grimaced and pulled jisung along to see what the hold up possibly could've been.

"you're one impatient boy," sungchan sighed as he did running repairs on a gang member's arm. she had an open wound that looked infected, and hyuck had to swallow back a gag at the sight.

"i'm worried about jisung. something's wrong," he insisted.

the doctor didn't look up, wrapping a bandage around the wound over and over until it was sufficiently covered and protected. he pinned it together, finally sparing the two dolls a look. the patient, on the contrary, had been staring at them, slack-jawed and wondering if she was in major trouble for wasting their time.

"uh, you should see to them, doc," she gushed. "i'm all good."

"you could've needed this amputated had you not listened to me and gotten it treated," sungchan tilted his chin, but he relented to the situation and stepped back from her before rooting through his cupboards for something. "alright, boys. what's happened this time?"

"it's hyuck's checkup," jisung replied, slowly walking in and taking a seat on the other bed, "but i also want a checkup. something's been wrong with me lately, i think."

"oh?" the man arched his brow, taking a packet of pills down and passing them to the girl. "you can head off. come back in another week and i can take those bandages off. you know the rest."

"yes, doc. thanks." she slid off the bed and nodded nervously to jisung and donghyuck who gave small waves and watched her disappear. then, they were down to business.

"talk to me," sungchan said, tapping the now free bed for hyuck and pulling out a syringe while the omega took a seat. "what're the symptoms worrying you?"

"see, i've been nauseous recently. out of nowhere," jisung explained and seemed to feel a little better once he was sitting down. "in the past few weeks, sort of since hyuck got here, every once in a while i'll get really sick and then it'll be over as quickly as it came."

"and you're eating properly?" the doctor enquired without looking, instead taking a blood sample from donghyuck and bringing it to a machine hooked up to his computer.

"well, yeah. i think so."

sungchan hummed and seemed to think about it while the blood test went through. "when you get sick, there's nothing untoward? no pain or blood or whatever?"

"no."

"you sleep alright?"

"yeah."

"you're not coughing?"

"no," jisung sighed. "seriously, sungchan, this is weird. i wasn't going to say anything, but hyuck is as worried as i am now and i don't want to like," he threw his arms up defeatedly, "die or some shit."

the doctor laughed a little at this, printing out the results from his screen. "what would the you of the past say to that, huh? you boys really are breaking the mould."

donghyuck frowned. "do you know what this could be, though? i mean, random bouts of sickness and hot flushes for a supposedly healthy beta? it's strange."

"i will give you that," sungchan agreed, "it's weird. the inconsistency and long period of time make it bizarre. i'm not sure what i can do without a diagnosis, though." then, he handed the sheets of paper to hyuck and nodded tightly before continuing. "let me run a blood test and urine test. i'll see if your system is coming up against any internal trouble."

"these look good," donghyuck hummed to himself when he read over his own results. the suppressants were agreeing with his body and the pill wasn't screwing with his reproductive system. as far as his checkup went, he was good to go. his external injuries from the fight in the arena were also coming right quickly.

jisung held out his arm and waited patiently for sungchan to take his blood and then the doctor handed him water. "drink this and then take a leak."

"thanks..." the beta pursed his lips dryly and chugged the contents of the glass in one mouthful. he got up and stretched out his arms after the syringe, trailing to the bathroom and catching the little flask sungchan tossed to him on his way.

donghyuck waited for the door to close before asking, "he's going to be fine, right?"

"now how would i know that?" sungchan rolled his eyes and went to sit at his computer again. "i haven't done any tests."

"but the symptoms?"

"are strange, i'm not lying. but, i don't think panicking this early will do him any favours. just relax, i'm sure it's anxiety or something. he's been battling with himself for years."

"doc, that's not fair. this could anything—"

"and i'll do my best to get to the bottom of it," sungchan assured him, spinning around in his seat and looking the boy up and down in an assessing way. "believe me, lee donghyuck, i do care about the harem. i've been around longer than you and i've brought these boys back from the brink, one after the other. if his nausea is something more malignant than anxiety, i'll find out. for now, just be around him and watch his condition for me."

donghyuck wanted to argue. he wanted immediate results and needed to be sure jisung was alright. but he was no doctor, and sungchan did know best at the end of the day. he relented. "fine."

"fine. and those results were promising, so i'll keep you on your current dosages."

"thanks." he scratched the back of his head and looked down at his own pages. and then it occurred to him that jisung wanted all this kept on the down low. "oh, by the way...you can't tell jeno or anything about ji, okay?"

"what?"

"i forced him to come see you 'cause he's too stubborn to go on his own. he doesn't want the others to know."

sungchan looked dubious. "i'm paid to tell jeno everything, you know. he's my boss."

"he's a worrier."

"you're his harem. no offence, kid, but whatever happens to you and the others is his business and his problem. he should know if park jisung is ill."

the omega gritted his teeth, holding back a long list of reasons why they were entitled to privacy. but he knew, in the back of his mind, that his name was on a piece of paper now, with a signature marking him as property. he released an irritated breath through his nose. "whatever. can you keep quiet, at least, until we know something is wrong? it could be nothing, and then what would the point be?"

the doctor tutted and shook his head, not moving an inch when the bathroom door opened after the sound of flushing. "fine, lee donghyuck. we can have it your way for now."

"i'm back," jisung announced and passed the flask to sungchan who was way too good at pretending they hadn't spoken about anything. hyuck watched as he put more tests through, inwardly celebrating a small victory and planning his next steps around jisung and everything else he was involved in.

>>>>>

more days passed and the mission was right around the corner. chenle had been extra hard on him in training, jaemin had been tougher about memorising faces and names and mark practiced fighting alongside him so they could work out a more seamless rhythm. this was his first time with a partner, and he had to admit he was excited.

but the fun was still just out of reach, for jeno was also trying to introduce him to the more formal and boring parts of the mafia. like now, as he stood by the window of a large tea room while jeno discussed business with a higher-up in peridot who's name donghyuck was struggling to remember after the two hours they'd been chatting. he'd refused to sit a second longer and was excused to stand and stretch his legs by the window. he continued to listen, however, to every word.

he couldn't lie, this guy seemed strange. his offer was nice enough but there were holes in his story and he danced around the point a lot. donghyuck was certain this meeting would've ended long ago if he'd just answered the damn questions instead of finding a hundred ways to say he didn't know. it was a weapons auction again, and jeno wasn't bothered to go, so the sellers came to him since he was worth it.

"these models are older, though," jeno hummed, flicking through the catalogue of arms that would be put up in a fortnight. "i myself have tested the quality of the newer models and they are a reasonable upgrade."

"but these are more affordable, no? think of the target audience, mister lee. the lower gangs who aren't able to access the newest and greatest." blah, blah, blah, donghyuck thought, having heard this before. it was all twists and roundabouts now, and he wanted to shut this down.

"hm," jeno mumbled in that way hyuck knew to be pensive disinterest. he wanted to think about it more, but he was tired, and the omega couldn't blame him. he wandered over like a ghost and subtly lay his hands over his master's shoulders as a gentle sign that this had gone on long enough. jeno touched his hand lightly, still reading the documents.

"well, what do you say?" the man pressed, hopeful. donghyuck flattened his lips into a line and tried not to let his face be too readable.

"i'll think on it, mister son. leave the catalogue with me and i'll have an answer sent to you by tomorrow morning at the latest." the peridot member seemed happy enough with this, getting up slowly, undoubtably with the aches and pains of sitting down for so long, and shaking jeno's hand briefly. the blue-haired boy stood too, stretching out and sharing a small look with his doll.

"i await your response eagerly, mister lee. have a wonderful evening." he left. donghyuck released a long, drawn out groan once they were alone and cracked out his spine.

"man, he likes to beat around the bush. what the fuck was that?"

jeno huffed a laugh, gathering up the files and walking to the door before opening it and handing them to someone beyond it. once he'd given quiet instructions, he closed the door back over and loosened his tie with a shake of his head. "i'm not sure about that one. how did you feel, love?"

"i was preparing to put up road signs for plot holes. his proposal made sense, but he got a bit vague with the distribution plan and the actual manufacturing details. you saw," he added, "i tried to ask him about those and he gave me some weird story about a dealer getting his fingernails pulled off. was that a dig at me?"

"no, angel, i think he was just a bit odd," jeno smiled at the thought and walked around to sit at a comfortable setup around a chessboard. the pieces were glass, one side was clear and the other frosted while the board was covered in matte and mirrored squares. "how about one round before we go for dinner?"

"how can you even think straight after that discussion?" the omega sighed, sitting down onto the plush armchair regardless and kicking his shoes off to pull his feet up.

"you'd be surprised what lengths i go to to keep my mind sharp and active. and it's no fun playing with jaemin anymore," he admitted. "we've worked each other out."

"i see. let me just warn you in advance, good sir," hyuck readied himself and traced his fingers over the clear pieces, "i am the world's worst strategist and you might just find yourself in a tangle — a pickle, if you will — of my own, grand design. you think you know where i'll be going with something, and then suddenly we're both lost in the aether of confusion, unable to discern left from right."

"you can't be that bad. nobody is that bad."

"you underestimate me, lee jeno, and that will be your downfall," donghyuck tutted and made the first move. his edged the pawn two squares ahead and sat back like he'd just won the war.

jeno tried not to laugh. he really did. but the way his omega knitted his brows and tried to predict every move ahead of time made him want to eat him up. donghyuck had already proven himself to be unpredictable and stubborn and tough, but he'd also been patient and an avid learner as well as compliant with most of the rules. somewhere inside, jeno was acutely aware that a boy like this could beat him at chess.

they had different upbringings. different ideas. different concepts of what had to be done to meet a goal. he was not tainted by the underworld yet, and jeno could not see the left wing his doll was hiding. all those little crazy ideas and fun weapons.

the alpha immediately brought his knight out, taking in the layout of the board like his own, personal playground. he'd spent hours pouring over this very board as a child, exhausting every combination with junghee at first, and then jaemin, and then alone. he didn't play with others anymore, lest they disappoint him.

he didn't think donghyuck could even do that.

"i wonder what it's like to be a chess piece," hyuck hummed and pushed the same pawn a square closer to jeno's front line. "you know? picture yourself on the squares, in real battle over and over. it'd be awful."

"you'd become the best strategist though," jeno said. "you'd see every kind of match play out."

"the worst kind is when you become stuck in check," hyuck chuckled, watching the pieces move, one by one, onwards and upwards. "when no matter where you go, the other king follows. check, check, check."

"let's not reach that outcome," the alpha smirked and kept watching closely. the smell of summer fruits tickled his nose and he risked taking a look at hyuck, with his beautiful blonde hair, his finger resting on his lips while thought. he probably couldn't even tell he was radiating that smell, but the distraction was there.

"oh, look at that. i got your bishop," the boy cheered, snatching the frosted-glass piece and waving it in his master's face. jeno blinked slowly, never too cocky but always too clever. he moved his queen to take the rook donghyuck had used to take his bishop. it was all a chain of events, wasn't it?

"oh. damn, i didn't see that," the blonde grimaced. "what a waste."

"focus, love. taking my pieces for the sake of wiping out the army is pointless. you're after the king, remember."

"i know the rules."

"do you?"

hyuck looked up at him, finger falling from the corner of his mouth when he took in the advice and eyed his opponent. he never said he was good at this game, but he wanted to be when faced with an expression like jeno's. the desire to lose without sabotaging himself was evident. he wanted him to be his next challenge.

well, let's go to the aether, then, the blonde inwardly smiled and glanced back down at the board, running one hand along his leg and placing the other over his knight. he knew what he wanted to do but couldn't see more than two moves ahead.

they played in silence from then on. each time they edged a piece across the squares, another idea followed. from beyond the immediate game it nearly looked like dancing. you put your hand here, i'll put mine there, and when i spin, i want you to spin with me. see?

hyuck did as he always did, and confused himself well enough. he took no strategy into consideration once his pieces became sparse and jeno took the upper hand. it was all guns out by the time just his queen and a few pawns held the line. "a captain goes down with his ship," he murmured, giving jeno a quick look. the alpha was so deep in concentration that he hardly noticed, keeping his king guarded and moving his own queen out to face donghyuck's.

the smell of fruit encompassed them both. the smell of an omega's excitement, and passion, and happiness. he was being entertained, even when he was losing.

"check," jeno whispered, his thumbnail sliding between his teeth.

donghyuck moved his queen out in front his king.

jeno took her.

"check mate."

hyuck sat back with a defeated sigh and clapped, smiling slyly at the boy and quirking his brow when he saw the look on his face. "did you enjoy the trip into my mind? where logic lays redundant and impulse reigns?"

"i enjoyed watching you throw every idea you had at me, even when they were sure to fail or only had a fifty percent chance of success. it was fun," he smiled. "i had fun."

the pair were satisfied with the end result, and dusk was starting to creep over the horizon beyond the windows. it was already evening.

"donghyuck," jeno hummed, starting to rearrange the board back to its starting position to go again some other time, "how are you feeling now? at this point."

"in what way?"

the alpha finished what he was doing and stood, diving his hands into his suit pockets and taking a look out the window. "you've been here about two or so months now, right? maybe three?"

"something like that."

"i can honestly say i've never handled a boy like you. you're new and challenging, and i can't tell what you're thinking most of the time. so tell me; how do you feel?"

hyuck slowly stood too, sliding into his shoes once again and almost meeting the alpha's height. "i feel everything, if that makes sense? i went from being hollow and terrified of my own shadow, to angry and alive. i suppose that's it then," he realised, "alive."

"do you like it here?"

"i can't answer that yet," he admitted and met the eyes observing him head-on with equal conviction. "there are things about this place that i love, and would never leave now that i've had the chance to see them. but at the end of the day, this is a mafia. and if i don't die some horrible way, someone else probably will and will break my heart for me."

"i do try not to let that happen," jeno smirked, stepping closer and breathing in the scent of summer fruits again. "i've heard you've already melted renjun somehow, and the others are rather fond of you already."

hyuck tried not to let it show on his face how much those words made his heart light up. all those nights with them, the study, the practice...and they were fond of him. instead, he tilted his chin and angled his head so that he was nearly kissing jeno, in that way that made most of the others grumpy. "and you?" he smiled innocently, "what do you think of me?"

"i would answer, but that i know you aren't so dense," the alpha teased and pulled him in by his waist, licking a stripe from donghyuck's neck to his ear. "i think you know damn well how hard it is to resist your charm. i will admit defeat, lee donghyuck. you play your game well."

the blonde stared at the window behind jeno, feeling his kisses nip at his skin while he grinned victoriously to himself. his hands held onto the older boy's shoulders, holding on tighter when he was pushed onto the armchair again. hyuck drew him down against him, throwing his head back and making space for more teeth on his neck, spreading his legs to make room for jeno between them.

he did play his game well, he realised now that he'd been told. he had survived all this time, hadn't he? when life refused to give him lemons, he ripped them from the branches and hurled them back at the tree crying 'fuck you'. he didn't get anything for free in life, but he'd gotten this.

between the tickling of his weaker heat in his stomach and the mesmerising sunset outside, the hem of his shirt wound up between his teeth as he arched his back and held onto the sides of the chair, making soft, needy sounds through the fabric as his chest was sucked, his hips were raised, his hole was filled.

jeno was holding his thighs, keeping him spread open as he sated that inferno inside the omega. the one that demanded attention and would not disappear without it. jeno felt different in a lot of ways, to donghyuck. he was his first, back then, and his alpha. their bodies, by nature, called to one another in a way he was sad but certain the others would never know.

his throat constricted around whines as the pillows buffered his constant impact against the backrest of the armchair. his shirt was wet between his lips, and his chest glistened where jeno's tongue had roamed.

and when he looked down slightly to catch jeno's gaze, he saw his eyes were that gorgeous auburn that he brought out with his scent. he was driving the gang leader crazy, and that in turn made him all the happier. he had control over him, even if it was only in this way.

jeno, without truly understanding why, was on his knees for donghyuck and his scent, his body. they drew out the animal in each other, and wouldn't have it any other way.

"j-jen—" he cried through his shirt, unable to force it out of his mouth at this stage. he was too hot, too close. the world was on fire and he was burning.

and then the cold flood of relief washed through him, inside him. he clamped tight to keep jeno close, not getting enough of that cure for his madness.

the sky was orange, and jeno smelled so nice. the hot coals making him uncomfortable inside had been washed out for now, and he could rest easy. his eyes lazily searched the room, as though he couldn't quite remember how he'd come to be here.

the chess pieces had been knocked over.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

...to be continued