╰─➤ baby tell me one more beautiful lie,
                  one touch and i ignite

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"do i even want to ask?" chenle's amused question woke both hyuck and mark up the next morning much earlier than they'd have liked. beneath a very thin sheet on a very narrow cot the two boys stretched and turned to find both chenle and sungchan standing by the table. the doctor did not look impressed, nor did he seem surprised.

"good morning?" mark hummed, running his hand through his hair and disturbing donghyuck on his chest.

"oh, i bet it's a great morning," chenle smiled snidely. "you two just can't keep it in your pants."

"if you've fucked up your stitches, i'll scream," sungchan added and shuffled over to nudge hyuck's  head to the side and check. "i mean, i'm not sure why i thought either of you would just sleep and hold down the fort while i was gone, but it's still phenomenal how trusting i can still be after all this time."

"no harm done," donghyuck yawned and sat up. immediately he felt the remnants of last night dried to his legs and still seeping out of him. he blanched, covering himself quickly. "where are my pants?"

"oh, just over here," chenle bent down to pick them up and dangled them teasingly at the omega. "how about you come and get them."

"you're so funny, le. haha, hand them over," he kept his face as indifferent and noncommittal as possible.

"i'm too lazy. come get them."

"chenle!"

"don't move so much," mark whined and tried to shift donghyuck off him. "damn."

"alright, those of you who don't have a shoulder injury, out," sungchan rolled his eyes and snatched hyuck's pants off chenle to hand to him. "and please, for the love of god, stop fucking the patient. not for at least three weeks."

"what?!" mark hissed. "that's way too long!"

sungchan didn't looked as though he cared. "yes, terrible, isn't it? now show me that arm."

>>>>>

mark was officially out of commission for the foreseeable future, but that didn't mean their mission had ended as well. on the contrary, jeno was frustrated that yet another job had dropped onto his desk and he, as the one who discovered it, had to handle it. he called a meeting.

sun shone in through the windows of the office as five of the six dolls lounged about in various spaces like the chaise, the couch and the chairs dotted about. donghyuck leaned forward in his seat and kept his feelings towards this case completely business and unbiased.

"so here're the ins and outs," jeno hummed and swung very gently from left to right in his seat behind the desk, "kang and his nephew are dead. i extracted the information i needed, got my revenue for pink lemonade and all that. but," he pointed the file to donghyuck, "we now have a second layer. it looks like bottled pheromones are making their way over from abroad and need some fine tuning. the samples we found in the kang estate were early models and not very good. case in point: mark couldn't smell them."

"hold on, remind me what bottled pheromones are?" jisung frowned.

"scents that have pheromone extracts in them to use on betas like you. or, in some cases, weak-scented omegas."

"ah."

"ah indeed," jeno sighed and flopped the file onto the dark wood in front of him. "we need to do some digging. this isn't my area of expertise — i don't dabble in the prostitution ring, where these perfumes are getting used."

"should we contact yoon?" renjun enquired.

"not yet," the alpha said. "we don't know if she knows, and if she does, what she's doing about it. she could be in on it and therefore the question of ethics comes up. i don't care much for drug testing, but those betas in that estate were a sorry sight, i'll say that much."

"we can't let this go on. the abuse of pheromones is sick," donghyuck stressed. "there is a natural order we all live by. this — this," he waved his hand towards the file on the table and crinkled his nose in disgust, "this experiment is basically playing god."

"we won't let it continue," renjun assured him from across the room and looked back to their leader. "he's right, you know. this is no longer a question of cruelty to omegas and alphas, but dragging betas — and bystanders, at that — into it as well. sickos have been finding ways to trigger heats and rut cycles for years, and there's always a reason it doesn't work out."

"it's a dangerous game," chenle sighed. "i don't like this."

"technically this case falls under amethyst, pearl and garnet. our territories link drugs and the sex ring, which i believe these perfumes are aimed at. so, my question to you lot is who wants to take on the assignment?"

donghyuck raised his hand quickly, eager to keep going with what he'd started. if he hadn't been there that day and smelt flowers, this issue would still be under the rug. the others all volunteered as well, so jeno nodded slowly and sat back with a small smile.

"alright," he hummed, "perhaps you can all do some work for me. i want to keep this discreet. i'm nearly certain nobody else knows about the details of this hustle but we do need to find out who kang shin was colluding with. he wasn't powerful enough to do this alone...so who was his sponsor?"

"oh, now i'm excited!" chenle grinned and clapped his hands. "we haven't had one of these meetings in a while."

"i also have the perfect start to the investigation in mind," jaemin piped up from his pensive silence on the edge of the couch. "the club night in two weeks, of course."

"oh shit, i forgot about that," renjun groaned. "not another party."

"but he's right," jisung perked up. "everyone will be there. it's tourmaline's opening night for their new club, isn't it? it's customary for everyone to show their faces as a sign of respect."

"i'm not sure i can make that one," jeno pulled his lips back into a grimace. "i have a meeting that evening, but i haven't declined the invite yet."

"let us go," jaemin suggested. "the five of us. take mark with you as your plus-one to the meeting so nothing looks off and then say we'll go to the club as a show of respect. there."

"i never let my dolls out alone," jeno shut the notion down. "the answer's no."

"oh come on," renjun scoffed and sat up properly. "you know you're being unreasonable for no reason. jaemin was being smart with that idea."

"thanks," the beta smiled proudly.

"it's too obvious," jeno insisted. "randomly letting five of you go and party without me? that, to me, would look like a red flag."

"he's kind of right," jisung winced, hating to agree. "maybe one of us could go to your meeting that evening instead? by proxy?"

"can't."

"then reschedule it."

the alpha sighed, passing a look over all of them and nearly smiling at how cute donghyuck looked, watching the conversation bounce from person to person while he tried to keep up. his newest doll was doing so well. he didn't want to let them down when they were finally working cohesively as a team. "i'll see what i can do. i'll contact the guy i'm meeting and see if we can move it, but don't get your hopes up. we gang lords have packed schedules and not a lot of room for movement."

"yes!" jaemin pumped his fist into the air.

"in the meantime we need to write to some contacts," renjun said and scratched the back of his neck in thought. "we need to find anyone who knows anything about this research and compile a list of names. these scents can not be let loose in seoul."

"agreed," donghyuck nodded fervently. "i think i might do some research of my own into pheromones too. it can't hurt to know what's really going on with the test subjects and maybe some of the jargon around it."

"it looks like you all have a plan," jeno smiled, eyes sparkling at them all working together. "don't let me down boys, i shall leave the heavy lifting to you. come to me when you need a signature or advice."

"okay," jisung beamed and stood up, cracking out his hands and shoulders. "let's get this party started."

>>>>>

renjun found a comfortable spot outside on the lawn in the fading twilight to practice reading. his material this time was the chemistry between alphas and omegas and what physically occurred when they used their scents. he was planning to spend this time alone and felt rather overstimulated by the recent events.

when mark had gotten home looking like that, he'd been scared. terrified, really, but he had no idea how to handle it. where others might get stressed, like jaemin, or cry like chenle or get angry like jeno...renjun froze up like a deer in headlights. stress wasn't a helpful hormone for him when he needed it. he felt wrong and useless and out of place when everyone else knew what to say, and it hurt inside.

if he could be like the others, he would. and god had he tried. fitting in was never renjun's forte, but he never thought he'd need to so badly before coming here. being an enigma and different and special out in the world beyond this manor had been fun. thrilling, even. but when you're shoved into a uniform group with boys who actually know how to process emotions and you can't, suddenly the fun of being unknowable wears off.

he squeezed his eyes shut and mentally tried to wave away an oncoming headache. he took his glasses off and sighed, looking up to the sky and hoping he'd find some sort of solace in it. dried leaves from the recent heatwave crunched under someone's feet and renjun tensed up immediately, scrambling around to get up but having done so too late when a body was suddenly rolling over his and pinning him down.

dressed in a sleeveless cropped top and shorts, jaemin smiled down at him and wriggled his brows, making an annoying tutting noise. "i wasn't going to test your reflexes but you were looking so vulnerable. i simply had to."

"get off," renjun groaned and didn't even try to free his wrists from his hold. jaemin's sugary sweet shampoo permeated the air now and the elder couldn't help but wonder if this boy had been an omega, would he have smelt something like this. it would've suited him. "what are you doing here, anyway?"

"looking for you, of course," the beta winked and got up to sit in front of him. his beautiful skin glimmered with something sparkly he rubbed into it, reflecting the colours spreading across the sky. jaemin was beautiful. there were no two ways about it. it made renjun ache with jealousy and longing.

"why?"

the younger boy's jaw tightened as he seemed to swallow down something — probably pride, of which he did not have a lot — and folded his legs criss-cross to lean over them. "i wasn't going to because often i feel like it falls on deaf ears...but wanted to apologise. for earlier. with mark?"

renjun's eyes widened imperceptibly, but he remained quiet and waited this out.

jaemin saw what he was trying to do and pouted childishly. "fine, let's get this out, shall we? i am ninety percent sure you have dulled emotions, or maybe none at all. you're like a robot and it ticks me off 'cause all you feel is rage or nothing. there is no spectrum with you."

"this is an apology?"

"getting there," he snipped. "anyways, i've been spoken to on more than one occasion about handling you with care, and i'm sure you know i'm not one to to let things linger and fester. off with the bandage, i usually say."

"jaemin, just say it," renjun couldn't help the small, accidental chuckle he let out. watching him run his mouth and dance around the point was, he'd admit, quite endearing for someone who was usually very obnoxious and in your face.

jaemin sighed, playing with the lace of his shoe, "i came to say sorry. not just for insinuating that you don't care about mark, because i know you do, but for a lot of other things i've probably said to widen the chasm between you and i. a year and a half ago, i'd have said i didn't like you. hell, i'd have said i hated you. a year ago, i still didn't like you."

"this feels like a dig at me—"

"and maybe even five months ago i'd have still said i wasn't your biggest fan. fuck, i think it probably started changing when hyuck arrived. the way you handle that boy, and look at him, and smile at him — i was so fucking jealous, renjun," jaemin hummed and looked down for a moment before composing himself. "i thought 'why the hell does he hate me so much? he couldn't even look at me but he'll cuddle that guy like a damn teddy'. it was hard to watch. and i suppose that's when i sort of picked up that jealously can't exist without desire, huh?"

"here we go," renjun smiled snidely. "i was wondering when you'd say it."

"oh, i'm not saying it."

"come now, jaemin, we're big boys. tell me what you wanted to tell me."

"i came to apologise. not to confess some very stunted, messed up feelings that definitely stemmed from loathing for you. or to confess that you're incredibly hot and watching you do it with anyone else because it can't be me is very annoying and irritatingly a turn-on."

"i suppose now's not the time to say something like i had severe body envy when i first saw you and couldn't stand to look at you for fear i may hate myself more?"

"there's never a wrong time for that," jaemin smiled faintly, blinking it away and pulling back his serious face. "look, rome wasn't built in a day and i still want to punch you everytime i see you. but you didn't deserve to have what i said thrown at you, especially when we were all losing it a little back there."

"apology accepted."

"i will try," he blinked and flattened his lips into a straight line, "key word; try, not to say rude things to you anymore. jeno told me i was out of line and it annoyed me because i knew it already. i didn't sleep great last night if you couldn't tell."

"jisung was kicking me."

"yeah, that too."

they giggled a little, not sure where to go from here. hating each other was beyond them at this point, they were in too deep and had risked their lives for one another. but love was still too far away to grasp. renjun saw jaemin for what he was and wanted to like him for it. his pride refused to let him back down from the wall they had established between them, but perhaps it was his pride that he had to fight to move on. he breathed out, crawling over to him and bringing their faces close.

"you're annoying, jaemin. you're loud and petty and spoiled and totally not used to hearing the word 'no'..." he paused, smiling when the blonde lifted his face and bumped their noses together, "but you treat those boys like kings and care for them so much more than you care about yourself. it would be an honour, one day, to be one of people you hold to such high esteem."

"likewise," jaemin whispered and was physically incapable of stopping his eyes from dropping to renjun's lips. "when you jump off your high horse and realise how nice it is down here, then we can talk."

"asshole."

"dickhead," he snickered and caught the elder's lower lip between his teeth before pressing their mouths together for a kiss. his hands flew up to hold the sides of his jaw while renjun's reached out and held onto his shoulders.

they were everything in a person each other hated and yet they'd been forced by fate to live together. 'civil' wasn't a word in their dictionaries but if the others wanted it badly enough, they'd come to a truce. they loved the same men. hated the same enemies. desired the same things from each other. there was common ground, and they had found it.

"why are you all sparkly?" renjun breathed heavily through his nose as jaemin sucked marks into his neck. his fingers glided through the platinum blonde hair before settling in it.

"hm?" the younger boy hummed against his skin and pushed him down to hover over him. he looked down at his exposed abs, seeing the glitter he must've been referring to and smiling cutely. perfect, white teeth that renjun also wanted to slap him for. "body butter. you don't use it?"

"no."

"you can if you want, y'know?" jaemin laughed and reached down to teasingly pull the loose t-shirt off renjun and expose his flawless chest. "you could do with some sparkles, i think."

"no way. what am i, a disney princess? be weird somewhere else."

"but this tummy," jaemin sighed and licked a long stripe from renjun's waistband to his ribs before pressing open-mouth kisses against his flat stomach. "come on, i'll show you when we go upstairs for showers. no need to have body envy when yours is just as hot in different ways."

"who said i want your body," renjun scowled and hooked one leg around the other's waist before pulling him closer and grabbing his face between his hands. "i just want to fuck it."

"if you say so," jaemin narrowed his eyes, but he knew. and renjun knew. between them both, they liked pretty things. the elder may have put on airs and graces — rough clothes, no makeup, coarse language and the bare minimum for his hair. but he was an omega, and he lit up at people like jaemin. jaemin who wore pinks and silvers and sparkles and makeup and all things dazzling even when he didn't need to. he was confidence and grace personified with the most annoying personality to match.

renjun ran his hands down along the taller boy's biceps, catching the glitter along his palms and finding himself mesmerised. then, leaning up when jaemin started to undo renjun's shorts, the omega bit into his pale shoulder and hummed contentedly when he felt him grow hard against him. jaemin winced, losing balance and dropping a little until renjun's head was back on the grass and his own inches from it.

"marking me, huh?"

"mhm. imagine if i could," renjun whispered and spread his legs wide around him, "imagine if you and i had to be stuck together for the rest of lives like this. if the others weren't here, what would we do?"

"kill each other?"

"huh, yeah. sounds about right," he smiled lazily and rested his head back to expose his neck. "alright, shiny boy. leave your stardust on me then. i better not be shitting glitter for days after this."

"i don't put body butter on my dick, idiot. what do you take me for?"

"uh, the type of person who puts body butter on their dick?"

"well fuck you then," he scoffed and slid the boy's shorts down and off alongside his underwear, being met with a sight he didn't see often enough from this angle.

"mhm, do. and if you use that sparkly stuff to prep me i'll—"

"i get it! you don't like it! can it, tough guy!"

renjun started to cackle, laughing wildly as jaemin giggled uncontrollably against him and, out of courtesy, pushed two fingers inside him to get him ready for the feeling. the elder moaned against it, hiking his legs up an digging his toes into the grass.

"just put it straight in. i don't need—"

"just shut up and let me touch you," jaemin rolled his eyes and pulled renjun up by his arms to sit on his lap. they took a moment to stare at each other, breaths heavy after the laughter and hair a mess. the shorter of the two slowly picked a blade of grass out of the blonde's locks and showed him, smiling.

"how'd that happen, i wonder..." he hummed, throwing it away. he felt the younger boy ready beneath him and leaned in for a kiss, pushing his tongue into the beta's mouth before sinking down on him and releasing a pitchy breath. his spine tingled and his senses were filled with that smell of sugary marshmallow and sweets. he smelled like a sweet shop, he realised, and relived a tiny memory in the back of his head, before he became who he was now, when the small things in life like a trip to the sweet shop made his entire week.

"hah..." he breathed out, pulling away from jaemin's mouth and slowly moving up and down to get used to the feeling of him, for they didn't do this very often. the smells, the voice, the length inside him were all a change from the usual shenanigans he gave into from time to time with the others. ordinarily it was just jeno. look how he was evolving now.

"i may have said something to donghyuck that was a little mean, but it was because you scarred me and my view of omegas," jaemin gushed and threw his head back as renjun moved against him, their hips a gentle but constant rocking motion that hit all kinds of angles inside renjun, making him moan a little every time it touched the spot.

"damn it, what did you s-say?" he gasped, humming when his hips were grabbed and forced to go a little harder.

"i said omegas were no fun," he admitted. "said that betas needed prep and that the fun part was the fact that we needed a bit more work."

"did he mind?"

"don't think so. he was in his heat and probably wasn't even listening."

"you're awful," renjun groaned and dug his fingers into jaemin's shoulders when they sped up and lost their rhythm, closer to their climaxes. "b-but hyuck doesn't care about those th-things. he's funny l-like that."

"how do you mean?"

"ngh!" he tried not to cry out and alert the whole garden staff of their whereabouts. "h-he's one proud omega. doesn't give a fuck about h-how anyone else feels about i-it."

renjun lost the energy to keep up the momentum and pulled jaemin back down over him and wrapped his legs around his waist, forcing him to thrust hard against him. "ah! p-please!"

jaemin panted and pinned the boy's wrists over his head before diving down and nipping at his neck and jaw, snapping his hips hard against him endlessly before slowly off and feeling the tight knot within him unravel. he pushed in once more, roughly, and remained inside renjun throughout his release. the omega arched his back up off the ground and came all over their stomachs. the overwhelming heat inside him, warming his core, made renjun sigh in relief and keep jaemin against him, pulling him down for a kiss.

"don't move for a bit," he whispered, feeling full and sated.

"okay," jaemin hummed and rolled a little over to the side to hold him against his chest without suffocating him. "feeling alright?"

"all good," renjun nodded, locking their legs together with a small, cheeky smile. "it's funny how we never do this. like, i know it'll be good, but i don't want to prove myself right. you're too annoying."

"my words exactly, princess. how the others could stand to be around you was always a mystery to me."

"i'm good at this."

"true."

"and i don't sparkle like a fucking disco ball."

"hey now, don't be mean."

"my apologies. i'll watch my words," the elder chuckled and enjoyed coming down from his high this way. under the night sky with the late-summer cicadas for company. "oh, i should also say i meant what i said before. your plan was a good one, jeno just doesn't like thinking we can do things alone."

"uhuh. you get used to it."

"annoying."

"very."

"but somehow we're in love with that guy," renjun sighed.

jaemin's eyes crinkled with his smile when he stared at collection of particularly bright stars. "we're not god's strongest soldiers, and never claimed to be."

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to be continued...