╰─➤ let the darkness lead us into the light
let our dreams get lost, feel the temperature rise

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hyuck had been bluffing when he so confidently said he could take an exam on the different mafias. the rush he got from his acting victory had gotten to his head, and now he was seated in the gang's library with the other six scattered about elsewhere while renjun sat opposite him and arranged some files. or exam papers. one or the other, and neither boded well for him.

"okay, i'll ask these questions orally 'cause i can't read," he hummed, looking up at the other through his lovely lashes. "you can have three strikes, but any more incorrect answers and it's a fail. this will be important for the reception, since you need to know who you're dealing and speaking with."

"okay."

"alright. let's start." as he looked down to glance over the pointers he'd made for himself in flawless handwriting (which hyuck now attributed to all the practice renjun put into it), his brows furrowed a little with concentration. "drug trafficking has seen an increase in investors lately. the products aren't as pure and therefore cheaper. who started this and leads this change?"

donghyuck was pleased that he'd only read about this last night before sleeping. "the new group, pearl, have changed the way popular drugs are mass produced and sold. they were only named pearl a couple of years ago, i think."

"indeed. what else do you know?"

"uh, the leader is an alpha woman," he wracked his brain for her name. "go narae. she's targeting those already riddled with addiction, since the more desperate they are the more they'll pay regardless of quality."

"which makes recreational use look silly now. garnet needs a new game plan for this nightmare," jeno grumbled off to the side. jisung promptly nudged his shoulder to shut up.

"alright, you've got pearl relatively sussed," renjun skimmed another sheet and spread it out before him. "tell me about ruby."

hyuck's palms grew sweaty on his lap and he played with his fingers while thinking as hard as he could about that gang. what annoyed him was that it was older and had plenty of intel on it, but he hadn't looked into them much yet. "they're hired hands, aren't they? hit men and assassins and all that."

renjun looked unimpressed. "anything else?"

"um..."

"what's the leader's name?"

he drew a blank. couldn't even recall what their gender or secondary gender was.

the other sighed, crossing something out. "no good, hyuck. yang inho, their leader, was invited to the reception too. you can't keep your wits about you if you don't know who you're surrounded by. look into them."

"i will," he mumbled, frustrated that he'd already gotten his first strike. he'd been studying this shit for weeks.

"stay focused," jaemin pleaded off to the side, his hands laced across his knee which was folded over the other. he was the picture of elegance, but for the worried lines pinching his forehead. "you know this stuff."

"next question," renjun fiddled with his pen and returned his gaze to hyuck. "what can you tell me about tourmaline?"

again, donghyuck had only read this recently. it was fresh in his mind and even names came quicker. "the leader is kang jinsang, formerly a street fighter but he went into money laundering as a young adult. he got rich quick, invested in companies with great luck and then made one of his own. kang corporation look like stock brokers on the outside but it's just a cover for tourmaline, a lone shark gang even the authorities haven't found yet. it's the underworld's best kept secret."

"hell yes it is!" jaemin clapped and mark kicked the back of his chair from behind him.

"go be a bleachers mom outside, would you?" chenle hissed. the blonde quickly turned around poked both of their chests.

"one more peep out of you knobs and you'll get the wooden spoon like i'm a real mum!"

"and he wants kids," jisung sighed into his hands while jeno scooted a little further from all of them and cleared his throat.

renjun ignored them professionally, seeming more than happy with the rash of information donghyuck had spat out quickly for fear of missing any details. he'd grow comfortable with the knowledge soon enough, and it wouldn't sound so much like he was a database when that happened.

"two questions left, okay?" he blinked, perhaps a small part of him wanting donghyuck to succeed, just so he could see that adorable victorious smile. but mostly, he didn't want him to have to meet these horrible people they discussed like annoying neighbours. these people would eat him alive if they could, lock him up in hell, drag his soul to the brink for entertainment. how could he let him meet them? "speaking with a bit of experience with you, amethyst are the leading prostitution gang and, as we all know, snatch people off the street unscrupulously. what else do you know about them and their leader?"

"her name is yoon," hyuck hummed, sitting back and staring just over renjun's head as he thought. "well, her alias is yoon. nobody knows anything about her with regards to origin, ethnicity — since she only looks half korean at most — or family. she's alpha though, which is unusual enough, since only she and go narae from pearl are female leaders and both are alpha. aside from her, however," he swallowed, thinking some more since he'd read about this a long while ago, "i think amethyst thrives on anonymity. nobody knows their members very well, or where they sell their victims to, or what their net worth is. it's all very secretive."

renjun nodded as he listened, a little sad hyuck knew what he was talking about, but proud he'd done the work. at this point, he would pass jaemin's trial regardless of the last question, but they still had mark's and chenle's left. unfortunately, it didn't look like donghyuck had slacked off at all. he'd been hoping that, for all jeno said only chenle's test would discern whether he went to the reception or not, that donghyuck would perform badly enough in the other trials that it would've been obvious enough he couldn't attend.

"and finally," he sighed defeatedly and dropped his pen to rest his mouth against his interlocked hands, "jang jiho."

"the leader of topaz," hyuck said coolly. "young, enigmatic, quite mysterious as well. topaz are more dangerous than most since they're info brokers and share or buy secrets. and funnily enough," he leaned forward, "they're own secrets are kept under a lock and key. i don't know much about them."

the other omega's gaze shot quickly to jeno before he realised his error and it darted back to donghyuck. whatever moment the other six shared briefly, it hung in the air like a held breath. hyuck wanted to ask about it.

"mhm, seems about right," renjun hummed and bit the lining of his cheek before raising his hands in surrender. "this trial goes to you too." he hesitated, lowering his hands and splaying his fingers over the desk with a grimace. "well done."

hyuck's heart skipped a beat.

"congratulations," jaemin practically flung himself out of his chair and flew at donghyuck, crushing him in an embrace from behind. "i knew you were reading a lot."

"thank god," chenle breathed out what must've been a sigh of relief. they all looked pleased, save for renjun, who sat quietly and accepted that they weren't dealing with a petulant child, but a very cunning young man.

"i was getting nervous there," donghyuck chuckled weakly, coming to terms with his victory. his fingers were trembling on his lap from the stress, but he stood up surely and gave jaemin a hug. "that was luck though. i don't know even half the stuff i should know at this point."

"it'll come with time," jeno smiled and wandered over to ruffle his hair. "rome wasn't built in a day, and learning takes practice. once you've seen these people with your own eyes, everything will start to click."

donghyuck certainly hoped so. everyone celebrated this small win with him, for all there was still a lot more to do. his heart raced with anxiety at the thought of chenle's trial soon, when his physical capabilities would be put to the test. he didn't think he could handle it, and the faith the others were putting in him was starting to grow heavy.

"alright, i think we can all agree that this is enough for today," mark clapped his hands twice before everyone fell quiet. "let's get some food and call it a night."

"yeah, we don't really have time for any more," renjun curtly agreed. "we'll see how you fair for the last two tests tomorrow. but for now," he waved his hand dismissively, "we can relax."

the seven of them trailed out of the library and made their way down the stretching corridors, passing other members as they went and earning stares as usual. it still surprised donghyuck that, even though he spent all day with the dolls, everyone else was lucky to sneak a peak at them. at jeno's masterfully constructed harem of lethal, beautiful boys. they were no secret, but altogether a sight well worth waiting for.

was that the real challenge he'd face at the midsummer reception? the eyes that would inevitably follow him around a room and whispers about his role here, and comparisons to the others? did he live up to this group?

as they neared the dining area jisung suddenly paused, falling behind as he wore a confused expression. hyuck stopped too, nearly crashing into mark who sidestepped him and looked behind too. "ji?" the blonde arched his brow, concerned that something was wrong.

the youngest seemed to stare through him for a second before coming back to himself and shaking off what looked like a chill. "all good. i think i left something in the bedroom, so i'll be down in a second." he moved to leave.

"don't take too long or your food will disappear," jeno gave an accusatory nudge against jaemin who scowled at his annoying grin.

"i'll go with him. i need to grab something up there too," donghyuck lied through his teeth before joining the purple-haired boy's side down the hall. jisung appeared to be a little shaken, and he didn't like it one bit.

"be quick," renjun reiterated, folding his arms.

"sure."

the two took off quickly towards the stairs, at first jogging up two at a time and then slowing to a moderate pace when they were out of sight. "you...don't need something up here, do you?" donghyuck enquired gently, not looking at the other for fear that eye contact might make him clamp shut.

"what do you mean?" jisung hummed as they walked down the elaborate, off-limits hall to their room.

"your face is pale," he insisted, "and you looked a bit scared back there. did something happen?"

"no, not really," the boy mumbled before they got to the door. unlocking it, jisung hesitated at the threshold and glanced at the newest member, considering. then, with one look over his shoulder, he encouraged donghyuck inside and closed the door behind him. "well, actually, i don't feel well. haven't for a while now, actually."

"ji—"

"you can't tell the others. i'm saying this because i'm getting worried too, okay?" he held onto hyuck's shoulders and released a breath before pressing on. "about two weeks ago or so, i started getting these hot flushes. like i burn up for about ten minutes and then i'm fine again."

the omega wondered about this and placed his hands over jisung's on his shoulders. "are you nauseous?"

"sometimes. sometimes i feel so sick i could throw up, but other days it's just a little bit uncomfortable and i hardly notice. i went to sungchan," he sighed, "and he said he'd like to run some scans or tests or something. i said no."

"why?"

"because i hate needles! and i'm a perfectly healthy young man, hyuck, this is freaking me out."

"so why'd you come up here?" the blonde had to ask and looked around. the bed was made, clothes all put away neatly. there was a select few people who were allowed to clean their room — who had access to it. his senses tingled.

"i needed space and air," the beta admitted and walked away to sit in his favourite little alcove by the window. he unlatched it and let a breeze through, taking a long look at the sunset spilling amber and pink across the huge bed and now his face. "the hot flush is over."

"you know," hyuck began, crawling onto the bed and flipping down onto his front to feign nonchalance, "i've heard of hot flushes for omegas and women going through menopause. you should really let sungchan see what's causing something so strange. if it gets worse, the others will have to intervene. why don't you want to tell them?"

jisung shrugged absently, still staring at the toasty hues outside. "they get so dramatic. especially jeno. they'd treat this like a big deal when it's not. it's not contagious either, or else you guys would have it."

"that's not the point. contagious or not, you're suffering in silence." donghyuck released a breath through his nose and simmered down his frustration. "okay, since you've told me i'll stay quiet. but i'll try to help too."

this time the purple-haired boy looked over his shoulder at him with a small, weathered smile. "thanks."

hyuck ignored the little butterfly that brushed against his insides from that smile. "alright, let's come up with possible reasons, yeah? have you been outside the manor lately? on a mission?"

"once in the past couple of months. jeno hasn't taken me on missions lately for whatever reason," he looked bitter, "so i don't think this is an external virus or anything."

"you haven't been attacked then? nothing got into your mouth? or blood?"

"i don't think so? i have considered food poisoning."

the blonde waved that off, "it can't be. your stomach would be in knots if that was the case."

"yeah, that's what i thought."

they sat in silence for a moment, and donghyuck considered all the people who had access to their food, their room, their gear and equipment. the issue he kept facing was plausibility, and why it was only jisung feeling this way? it would point to an accident, like he had just taken ill...but from where? the sick and injured were kept in a med-bay or in the quarantine room underground. not too far from the solitary confinement room hyuck had spent his first week in at the beginning.

"i'll go to sungchan again," the youngest grumbled and pulled his knees in closer to his chest. "you should come. you might have better questions than i do."

"really? you'll let me?"

"of course. you're my..." he thought for a beat, "accomplice? it feels like the wrong word for hiding that someone is sick."

"eh, it'll do." the omega picked at his nails and frowned. "i should visit the doc too. he always checks my bloods and stuff because of the pill and the suppressants."

"deal. if anyone asks, that's the cover story."

"okay."

they fell into a small silence again, as comfortable as any other night when they all sat and did different things, but together. company was the best cure for uncomfortable silence. donghyuck kicked his feet once or twice before hauling himself up and sauntering over to sit opposite the taller boy in the alcove. the oranges beyond the window were dimming into lilac now. the others would be waiting.

"we should go," he hummed, not really wanting to.

"yeah, we should," jisung nodded, but there was no resolution or determination behind his eyes. "just after i motivate myself."

"three..."

"two..."

they glanced at one another, and neither could spit out the last number. before long they'd burst out into fits of giggles, finding themselves totally hilarious. "never mind then," hyuck managed to say between laughter.

"ughhh, i don't even want dinner. i want to disassociate up here," the beta groaned. "i love them, but they don't understand space. space means we're angry at each other, or punishing each other or something. god forbid i just need half a day to recharge."

"oh yeah, let it out," hyuck motioned for him to continue.

"and then when i'm clingy, i'm just being childish," he shook his head. "did you know i nearly killed jeno when we first met? i'm the only person ever who has landed a near-fatal hit. and look a them; acting like i'm a kid."

"your story is one of my favourites," the elder admitted.

"heh, i do have a good entrance story. it's a shame when i look back at that time, all i can remember is the depression, and the fear. when all i'd wanted was to leave and start again."

"i'll just look back and see the amount of sex i had before i even reached twenty-one," hyuck chuckled, causing jisung to smile again. "i suppose that's how life works when you wait. you feel slow when everyone else around you is in relationships or starting their careers and you haven't...but life has a funny way of catching you in a net and giving you what you sought in bigger quantities because you were so patient. am i making sense?"

"yeah. yeah you do."

"i suppose what i'm saying is, whatever it is that's bugging you about them now, you have it because you didn't when you were young. all that love and physical contact and reassurance."

"you thrive off it, huh?" he teased.

hyuck couldn't hold back a small grin, "maybe. they're still insane, and i still can't believe i'm fitting in...but i'd rather be here, with a bunch of killers and criminals making me feel less alone, than out there where the killers and criminals aren't my allies."

"what's that saying?" jisung whispered, looking up and blinking a few times to bring the quote into his vision. "heroes would sacrifice you to save the world...but villains will sacrifice the world to save you?"

"how romantic."

"can we be your villains?" he smirked, and that expression alone made something within the omega coil excitedly. he'd never been asked something so wrong yet so right. any normal, sane person would want the rest of the world to keep spinning, even if it meant their demise. but donghyuck was sick of wishing the world could be better, and what had it ever done for him? other people could only disappoint an omega of his standing, so maybe he wasn't so wrong for wanting to see what these boys would do for him.

"sure," he whispered, fingers playing with the hems at the ends of his trousers. jisung lit up at the response, possibly surprised, definitely pleased. he reached out and pulled hyuck towards him by his lower legs, until the blonde was right up against his front and their legs were pressed against each other's sides.

"you see," the purplette hummed, leaning in to mutter against his ear, "bad guys are only bad because they don't follow the rules. but who made those rules?"

"good guys..." hyuck breathed airily, tilting his head back as warm breath crept across his neck.

"or, what everyone else perceives to be good guys. we're all just bad guys wearing nice clothes, at the end of the day," the younger smiled deviously and pressed a kiss underneath hyuck's ear. he could feel jisung's heart against his own chest, pounding like his was. whether the new rush of heat between them was another one of his hot flushes or the same kind of unshakeable inferno that crackled when any of them got too close, donghyuck wasn't sure.

"the others..." he gasped when warm hands slid up his shirt along his back, making his spine tingle.

"they're probably sharing out our meals at this point," jisung scoffed, stealing a kiss when hyuck brought their faces together. "they didn't lie when they said they'd take it if we weren't there."

"won't you get hungry?"

"not if you feed me," the boy winked shamelessly, and for all it was a ridiculous thing to say, the elder couldn't hide the way his thighs tightened around jisung and his lower back heated up inexplicably.

the younger pulled his legs closer to cross them while hiking hyuck up onto his lap, eliciting a weak moan from him when their fronts pressed tighter. their faces were so close they could spy every intricate detail of their features, every imperfection that made them unique, every telltale of their youth. hyuck could only see the pretty flecks of hazel in jisung's eyes from this angle, missing something so pretty from afar.

"i like your eyes," he whispered hoarsely, sliding his hands along the younger boy's shoulders towards his neck, where he cupped his lower jaw. jisung huffed a gentle, surprised laugh.

"funny. i was only just thinking your eyelashes were lovely."

they both chuckled again and captured each others lips, lost to that feeling while jisung leaned back against the small alcove wall and hummed when donghyuck sank further against him as they lazily ran their hands along each others backs, hips.

what had become so natural to the omega used to scare him so much. had you asked him even a year ago if he'd know where to place his legs, or that they'd burn where a body fit between them, or how to hold his own in a particularly playful kiss, he'd have laughed nervously and told you it would never happen. that he'd never have let that happen. and yet his misfortune had a silver lining when he'd been so sure there was no such thing as a happy ending.

amidst the half-assed pulling of clothes — after which hyuck was left in just his top and jisung in unbuttoned jeans — the two found themselves sprawled in the cramped space, the omega's feet pressed against the far wall and jisung's hand pressed firmly against the space just over his head while his other held hyuck's bare hip.

"logic would suggest the expensive, unnecessarily big and comfortable bed just ten feet over there would be more comfortable," the taller boy hummed.

"when have we ever been logical?" hyuck whispered and chuckled airily, breath hitching when jisung leaned down to press kisses against his neck and suck bites into it, gently pushing into him.

the omega's toes curled against the wall as his hips lifted to meet him, eyes falling back and nails digging into the younger's shoulders. crescent moons were left behind as his hands scrambled for purchase, littering the boy's skin with marks.

"too fast?" jisung asked cockily, all too adaptable to how he knew alphas to be. hyuck wondered if it took this guy a while to grow used to jeno and the others, or if he was naturally a switch — a domineering top and a cheeky bottom.

"hah, you think too lowly of me," the blonde challenged, willing his body to stretch and mould accordingly, but he was struggling to remember sizes and more-so who had what. his body was never entirely ready until his partner was in, and then it thought 'ah yes, i do recall this'. he leaned up, abs tensing to hold him up as he devoured jisung's lips like he hadn't had kisses for years. the taller was gentle, despite his taunting, and only grew quicker based on the sort of sounds the omega was making.

"not...too...rough," donghyuck warned, taking one of his hands back to press between his head and the wall. "i'll be...concussed." the heat between his legs wanted quite the opposite, however, as slick rolled down his thighs and his tight body only invited jisung closer.

their breaths were erratic, hyuck's a mixture of pitchy and breathy where jisung's were an out-of-sync rhythm of low groans and air escaping through his nose where it couldn't pass his lip getting chewed by his teeth.

and there it was; the tight, desperate sensation in the omega's abdomen that demanded release. he couldn't deny it, lest he call forth a pain worse than death, but he couldn't just indulge it either...or jisung would tease him.

"you look like you're about to pass out," the beta chuckled, lifting one of hyuck's legs to bend it against his chest, changing the angle so that he was poking spots inside him that donghyuck was quite certain he hadn't known could be reached. his face was flushed pink and he just wanted to explode.

"says you," he huffed, bracing his head with both hands now.

"true. you ready?"

hyuck tried not to look like an eager dog when he gave one tight, curt nod that really meant 'if you don't come with me now i'll shoot you for real'. the younger snickered taking him in for one last kiss before he increased the pace to nearly unbearable, eliciting whines from hyuck's throat, and pushing once more, hard, and letting the tight heat in his lower stomach go.

they both rode out the high with sloppy kisses matching the staggered thrusts before stopping altogether and breathing as hard as if they'd run a marathon. saliva ran down their lips and jaws, but it tasted like the memory they'd just made.

"when i followed you up here..." hyuck sighed airily, catching his breath, "i didn't expect to get railed."

"i don't think any of us really do, and yet when the time calls for it..."

"you guys are insane."

"excuse me. 'you' has become 'we', i'm afraid."

"i'm not...well, actually."

"welcome to the club."

"where's the exit?"

"drum roll," jisung laughed hoarsely and patted a gentle, quick rhythm against hyuck's flat stomach, "once you check in, you can never leave." he lay down against him then, both waiting for the rapid rising and falling of their chests to subside so they could rejoin the others — who were undoubtably waiting impatiently.

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...to be continued