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

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

donghyuck felt renjun tense up like a rod beside him. the beautiful man stalking towards them had the type of aura that insisted you stop and listen to what he had to say, to what he wanted to do. his cat-like eyes were pale brown like milk chocolate and mesmerising, but hyuck couldn't forget where he was, and who this was. his hand found the small of renjun's back and he hoped silently that this contact would encourage them.

but it seemed there was no need as jiho stopped just before them, his eyes trailing over both with the look of searching in them. as though they had the answer to a question he'd been thinking about. the elder of the omegas' breath hitched with words he never said when five looming presences joined them from behind in a sort of semi-circle.

"jiho. long time no see," jeno's voice resonated pleasantly through the now quiet hall. after all, the most powerful man in the underworld was facing the third, and this was not a sight one would often see. another thing donghyuck noticed and nearly kicked himself for not seeing sooner was that jiho was...rather short. the same height as him, really. jeno had the advantage of looking down slightly but somehow the effect was lost when the other leader was nearly as threatening.

"ah, jeno. you look a treat," the man smiled somewhat genuinely and it changed his face entirely. how one person's smile could light up an atmosphere was always a mystery, especially when his despondent expression could be described as a 'resting bitch face'. his voice, too, was alluring — like syrup rolling over pancakes or chocolate fondu over strawberries. sweet and enticing.

"when was the last time we saw each other...?" jeno hummed and eyed him suspiciously, "the solstice reception? it must've been. you never attend parties otherwise. you or," his eyes flicked over to the incredibly elegant woman not far behind jiho, conversing with the leader of ruby quietly, "yoon."

"oh, you know what they say. gemstones can't decline and all that."

"and yet they do from time to time," jaemin spoke up with a tight smile. "you do."

the leader tilted his head and wore a disarming expression. "relax, boys. why so tense?"

"you looked like you had a destination in mind when you marched over here," mark then said. his hand landed on donghyuck's shoulder and he flinched. "or, perhaps i was mistaken."

"not at all. i clapped eyes on renjun and saw an unfamiliar face. assumed it had to be your newest—" he paused, looking for the word and smiling again, "lost kitten."

"lost kitten?" donghyuck puffed his cheeks irritatedly and retorted, "try 'annoyed cat'."

"ah, my bad. what a lovely cat you are, too."

the omega narrowed his eyes skeptically and tried to find what this man was hiding that made him so dangerous. what made this whole ballroom keep half an eye on him as they pretended to go about their night. the same went for jeno and yoon, but donghyuck knew why they were here.

"topaz and garnet are not in any spats with each other right now," jiho sighed and pursed his beautiful, full lips. "no need to have your hackles raised, kittens. jeno, join me for a drink and relax, won't you?"

"sure," their master responded and passed a look along the others to scatter as they had been before. but donghyuck had a question, and so he tugged his sleeve quickly before he could disappear.

"about important people asking for dances..." he whispered. "we have to say yes, right?"

"if you want to," jeno touched his cheek and seemed reticent to say it. "stay close to the others, hyuck. you're in the middle of a massive game of chess." and with that he and jaemin followed jiho through the crowds that parted for them and renjun returned to his side.

"i don't like this," the elder omega mumbled. "we usually do a decent job of avoiding each other's feet, but those three might just be too bored to bother anymore."

"you mean yoon and narae as well?"

"mhm. they arrived together...it's all a bit weird. and the way he came to us...i don't know. what was it he would've said had jeno not intervened?"

donghyuck pondered on these questions and thoughts as he and renjun decided to stand to the side for a bit and catch their breath. he stared at all the leaders gathered there this night, from the higher ups like jeno to the lower ranks in peridot or tourmaline. he didn't know enough yet, and faces and names eluded him when he needed them.

"that guy annoys me," chenle grumbled and picked at a pastry with fish in it as jisung stood by him with a piece of fruit. "he's always so nice but he's faking it. i know it."

"jiho could just be unusual for this...industry. are we an industry?"

"and he's too damn pretty. rumour has it he used to be a model."

"rumours have a lot of shit."

"jisung, stop defending him!"

the younger boy sighed, deciding he didn't really like whatever fruit he'd found and put it in a napkin to leave on the edge of the table. "we've not had bad dealings with topaz so far. amethyst, however, tried to take donghyuck so we can hate yoon for that alone."

"funnily enough, i don't mind her as much."

they passed each other a look and couldn't help but smirk at their mixed opinions. the fun of mafia politics was bitching and picking sides. chenle was fond of learning who was up to what, although he had a bad habit of believing nearly everything he saw. with a stronger drink in hand, he knocked back a shot of something amber in colour and let the burn carry him closer to that sweet realm of butterflies and laughter.

"careful. get too drunk and someone will take advantage of you—" jisung started, prying the empty glass from his friend and freezing up when a woman started to pick her way through the crowd towards them. "ah, le..."

"what?" chenle grimaced at the aftertaste and looked down at the table for something to eat to chase away the feeling.

"zhong chenle, right?" that same woman's voice tickled over the boys' skin as she stopped in front of them with a sickeningly nice smile. her eyeliner made her dark irises even darker and her lips were full of gloss from the naughties.

chenle tensed up, glancing at jisung quickly before turning to her and nearly dropping the pastry he'd found. "you."

"i'll pretend i didn't hear that."

"well...you," the youth gritted out and put the food down in case he crushed it in a rage. "go narae. for what do i owe you the pleasure?"

the lady seemed to take in his beautiful suit and hair, admiring the boy for what he'd become after escaping the clutches of her mafia. she'd never known him, of course, as she cared little for test subjects. but jeno liked him a lot, and so she needed to understand why. "you can drop your defences, boy. i'm not here to harm you. rather, i would love a dance."

jisung subtly took chenle's hand and tried to encourage him to say no. his harem companion didn't take the hint.

"a dance? with me?"

"yes. would that be so hard?"

chenle furrowed his brows and tilted his chin up challengingly. she was gorgeous, sure, but he only saw the signature that condemned him when he looked at narae. "i fear being so close to you for too long might end up feeling like dancing with a porcupine."

narae's smile tightened and it was too obvious she was trying not to laugh. her eyes were glittering where she refused to let it out. "you're funny, boy. do you make others laugh?" she turned to jisung who had been largely ignored. "does he entertain you, too?"

jisung released a nervous breath through his nose and nodded hesitantly. "he's got funny comebacks. if you like dark humour."

"oh, i do," she beamed and extended a very slender, manicured hand towards chenle. "come on, one dance. i won't pester you again."

"jeno might not like this..." jisung mumbled unhelpfully.

"jeno needs to learn to stop being such a worry wart," narae sighed and wriggled her fingers to persuade the beta. "and besides, he lets you boys dance ordinarily if the guest is high ranking enough. why not the leader of pearl?"

"because i don't like you," chenle deadpanned. "you make me uncomfortable."

"then...you're chickening out?" she grinned slyly and retracted her hand. "forgive me. i didn't realise i scared you."

"hey, 'scared' is a gross overestimation of your power, lady," chenle frowned. "i can dance. i'll run rings around you." he quickly composed himself and tapped jisung as an 'i'll be okay' sign and took narae's warm hand to lead her to the dance floor where another song was starting.

jisung started fanning himself with his hands and lacing them together just to unwind them and do it again. it wasn't the time to panic, but he was panicking. he didn't know how to feel about the situation, or trust that chenle wouldn't scratch out narae's eyes and start a war.

he looked for mark and wanted to tell him everything, but he was nowhere to be seen. none of this was in the cards for tonight's plans.

"oh, i like this one. this one tastes like jam," donghyuck hummed happily and passed a half-eaten piece of desert to renjun. "try it."

the older boy trusted him and leaned in to eat it from his fingers, chewing slowly to form a proper opinion.

"have you two seen jeno and jaemin?" mark suddenly approached them, looking around with concern rolling off him in waves. "they've disappeared, and so has jiho."

"i'm sure they're fine. if anyone is capable of looking after themselves, it's those two," hyuck assured him.

"i don't know."

"you guys all need to calm down. we're in gangs, y'know? there are loads of our members here to help us out and relay messages. let's just try to enjoy our time out of the mansion."

"you're way too relaxed for your first outing," renjun rolled his eyes, but he was calming down in the presence of someone who took 'calm' to a high level. "i'm so glad this is a refined setting and not a club."

"same," mark agreed before giving renjun's shoulder a gentle squeeze and walking off again.

"hey, where are you going?" the two asked in unison.

"to get a drink. i'm too highly strung," the eldest saluted them before disappearing into the crowd. hyuck and renjun were left watching his retreating back, wondering what was going on.

"i feel like we've all scattered somehow," renjun muttered and folded his arms. "where've they all gone?"

"beats me."

mark raised himself onto his toes to look over the heads of the guests in hopes of either spotting his master or at least another doll. renjun and donghyuck were safe and together for now, but he wanted to confirm the same was true for jisung and chenle who were, inconveniently, out of sight.

"need help?" someone suddenly said from behind him and grabbed his waist to hoist him higher. mark blanched, withholding a strangled noise as he batted the hands off him and backed away a few steps to see who'd done it."

"ugh! i should've known."

"hello, darling. it's been too long."

"fuck off, zixin, i don't have time for you," the beta huffed and tried to put as much distance between them as possible while he shuffled through the throngs of people again. zixin was persistent, however.

he grabbed mark's wrist and quickly tugged him over to the side and pressed him up against a pillar where he backed up a step. his hand, however, remained on mark's shoulder to hold him still, and the boy didn't even fight it. "your antics are tiring, mark. you can push away your past all you like, but we're all made of memories, aren't we? there's no point in constantly acting like members of other gangs don't exist."

"ah, but that's where you're wrong," mark fixed him with a look of irritation, "it's just you. i don't give a damn about the other gangs."

zixin was an unusual boy to look at, standing at around the same height as mark with sallow skin and dark hair. he was technically an alpha but didn't boast the same all-powerful qualities that many of them did, like jeno or yoon and narae. one of his eyes was brown, the same darkness as his hair, and the other was a startling wine colour. altogether he was characteristically charming to look at but the longer you stared the more unsettling he became. mark had had a lot of time to stare at him when they'd been dealers together before joining garnet and tourmaline respectively.

"i'll take that as a compliment, then," zixin tsked and cautiously released his hold on mark to appear less pushy. "anyway, now that i have you, we should catch up. i've been wondering how you've been doing."

"you needn't waste your energy thinking about me," mark grimaced and folded his arms while carefully angling his body away slightly as a show of disinterest. it never worked, really, when both knew they cared, even just a little. "but, if you must know, same old. still a doll."

"as i can see," the younger boy smiled faintly. "you look healthy. i must admit it's nice to see that you've recovered in his care. lee jeno's, i mean."

"he takes care of me," mark murmured and risked taking a look at zixin's face. "and i'm with him, as you well know. finding me at every event won't change any of that."

"does it really kill you to let me see your face once in a while? you may have your big strong man to lean on, but i'm still doing what i've always done. i'm still addicted and alone and missing you. cut me a bit of pity at least."

"i shouldn't even be near you," mark groaned and tried to move away again, but he couldn't fight the hand on his wrist once more. it irritated him to no end, when he was quietly led towards the dance floor even though every fibre of his being was resisting and telling him to set the damn boundaries he had in his head. "xin, let go. i'm not doing this again."

"that's what you always say."

"quit living in the past and making me say it, then!"

"a dance won't kill you," the alpha sighed and they blended into the mixture of bodies. a dark figure glided past mark's peripheral vision, and he thought he saw chenle for a moment. but he was gone again in an instant, and he was once more forced to live in the moment.

the two started to move to the music like everyone else, copying the dance and keeping their eyes firmly on each other. the day mark would become strong enough to push his ex away entirely would be the day he conquered whatever remaining demons he had lingering from his addiction days. the monsters he had battled to get this strong had seemed overpowered at the time, but he'd made it. and now, all that remained was one person, and a defeat-able one at that. zixin technically shouldn't have posed as a problem. but memories were funny things, and they dragged him down when he needed to swim upwards.

"i see tourmaline chose the nineties," mark swallowed thickly and minimised how much they touched each other as possible. he was just a memory now. he kept reminding himself of it. a memory of when he was too fucked to stand on his own.

"mhm, we did. jinsang invited the leaders of each faction of the gang to come with him tonight. i got promoted. if you didn't know. i manage the dealers now."

"that's..." mark hummed and spun accordingly before facing him again. "congrats, i guess. i would recommend leaving the gang altogether...but moving up the ranks works, i suppose."

zixin's eyes were gentle, but he could sense the turmoil. "talk to me. about garnet. and you and him."

the beta closed his eyes momentarily to weather the storm of emotions that came with thinking about the harem and jeno while facing a piece of his not-so-glorious history. it was like whiplash, and it burned. "i have to go. please, for the love of god, stop dragging me back. i'll get in trouble." and with that he forced himself off the dance floor, throat as tight as though someone was strangling him and stomach lurching.

donghyuck was bent over, tying his laces. the reception was in full swing now and the music had picked up a lot into a collection of songs all through the decades. he and renjun had kept the promise and stayed close, but it was getting unnerving how alone they felt at the same time.

"i feel like we should find the others," he suggested, starting to stand up and accepting the hand that helped him. "it's a little weird—" he choked, eyes flying wide open at the man whose hand he was holding that was definitely not renjun. "oh my god."

"god isn't the term i'd use, kitten, but i appreciate the sentiment," jiho winked and took his hand back when donghyuck dropped it like it was fire.

"where's renjun?"

"over here," the elder omega interrupted and came up beside them from the next table down. "you don't take a hint, do you? where's jeno?"

"he and jaemin are preoccupied with..." jiho twirled his finger around and imitated a hurricane, "business. we were chatting and something came up."

"i don't believe you," renjun gritted out and tried to pull donghyuck away. "however, i hope you have a lovely night, we'll just be going—"

"oh, but that's not fun. you ran from me last time too," the leader pouted and held renjun's shoulder to keep him in place. it worked. "you're very elusive, huang renjun. i've heard so much about you and have stitched situations to meet you, but you're always a step too far away. why are you so guarded?"

"why are you in my face? if you wanted to chat to me, should've done it before i joined garnet."

"you were hard to find then, too. tell me, how did jeno tame you? you were so," he smirked, "untouchable. what, even you couldn't resist his alpha charm?"

renjun's gaze darkened and he promptly tugged a very quiet donghyuck out from jiho's proximity to stand beside him. "whatever it is you want, just say it. i'm losing patience."

"nothing much. a dance would be lovely."

"i'm not dancing with you."

"well, you don't have to," jiho chuckled and motioned towards donghyuck with a wave of his hand. "how about the newest addition? the golden omega i've heard so much about?"

"i don't know about this..." hyuck swallowed.

"it'll only be a little while," the leader blinked slowly and with enviable long lashes. "just one or two. what do you say?"

"he's staying with me," renjun resisted.

but donghyuck found this person intriguing and was a little flattered that he wanted to dance with him specifically. he knew it was all a game and this was a move he couldn't really see yet, but he liked the attention all the same and longed to get to know this world as well as the others did. jang jiho had the air of someone restraining something big, and that mystery was almost as alluring as his face. "just one dance, right?"

"donghyuck!"

"yes, if that's what you'd like," jiho agreed. "though i'm up for as many as you see fit."

"alright then."

"fuck, does anyone listen to me?!" renjun growled and spun hyuck around to face him. "what are you doing?!" he whispered desperately. "he's dangerous. you don't know his whole story—"

"well, do you?" the blonde enquired with a raised brow.

the elder sneered. "yes. i do."

"then will you tell me?"

the silence was answer enough.

"alright, jun, keep half an eye on us, okay? i'll be max half an hour."

renjun stepped away from him as though he had confessed he had the plague. his face was a mixture of hurt and rage and the feeling it put in hyuck's stomach was akin to needing to puke from anxiety. he ignored it for the sake of making a point. "you're not serious."

"i like to learn in my own way," he said before taking jiho's outstretched hand and swallowing his nervousness. none of this felt right, but he didn't know what else to do. he'd never learn any other way, but he equally didn't like jumping off cliffs.

they walked slowly to mix into the bodies around them. the smells of pheromones and perfume and food were strong in here, where those who had had too much to drink were enjoying the occasion. donghyuck snuck a look at jiho's profile and wondered just what he was. it was so hard to tell, and that was more disconcerting than following him.

"you know," the man hummed and stopped to draw the omega into a dance, "you're better behaved than some of the others. cold feet?"

"how do you mean?" hyuck ventured to ask as he watched what everyone else around them was doing for a backstreet boys dance. the nineties were a funny few years for dancing.

"well, jiho took his hands and helped him match the rhythm, "at least three of you haven't been 'playing the dumb game', as i've heard jaemin call it. you know, like him," he tilted his chin to mark who was retreating from the dance floor in way more of a hurry than was deemed elegant for the infamous dolls. "i saw him fighting someone. and it looks like narae has her work cut out for her," he then nodded to her and chenle a few couples away. granted, chenle was as stiff as a board as he listened to the leader of pearl chat to him while they danced. "and of course, renjun couldn't make his distaste for me clearer. you're all getting rusty, i fear."

"i think the pretence isn't necessary when the company knows we're not stupid," donghyuck guessed. he wasn't sure why the others were acting out on a night like this, but he didn't know anyone else here so he stuck to the plan. "and you. why do you rile them all up if you know they take the bait?"

jiho huffed a quiet laugh and shrugged before pulling hyuck closer and giving him a twirl. "it's becoming clearer and clearer you don't know who i am."

"should i?"

the boy's eyes sparkled at this and he drew the blonde in again to speak under his breath. "shall i tell you?" donghyuck's heart started hammering against his ribs.

"we leave for ten minutes, and shit's already hitting the fan," jaemin groaned when mark and jisung found them to share some news.

"so three gang leaders have taken hostage three of my dolls?" jeno enquired and looked out over the dance floor where, unfortunately, it could be confirmed.

"wait, three?" jisung gasped, trying to follow his gaze and covering his face when he spotted yoon and renjun in reluctant conversation. what were they saying? the omega looked suspicious. "rescue time?"

"no, leave it. they're as capable as anyone to look out for themselves. i trust they'll find us if they're distressed," jeno decided and tried to ease the remaining three's concern. "let's calm down, shall we? jiho and donghyuck are a worry, but neither are reckless. let's just watch."

"it's strange, though, jen," jaemin insisted. "they've divided us. this isn't part of some plan, you don't think?"

"can't know anything for certain yet," the alpha shook his head. "for now, you three stay with me before anyone else takes it upon themselves to steal your attention."

"understood," they responded simultaneously.

jaemin plucked another glass of champagne from a passing waitress and knocked it back like a shot. "i'm not drunk enough for this."

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

...to be continued