#nctfic

“What do you mean she threw up on you?”

“Dude I was about to finish and next thing I know-”

You’re sat on the couch perched by the table completing a jigsaw puzzle while Johnny sits at the bar conversing with Jaehyun about one of his sex horror stories that you begin to zone in on for a moment but quickly regret it, putting your airpods back in. You had the day off today but you were out of the house for most of it, running errands and catching up with Mark before you two had to part due to his schedule. You couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that ignited whenever his lips met yours when you prepped to part ways because you felt like a cheater and he was the last person on earth that deserved to be backstabbed after everything he did for you. Looking up from your puzzle you spot Johnny peering over at you mouthing words you are unable to make out with your airpods in as your hand comes up to take one out he reiterates.

“We’re gonna catch a movie later.” He says, not asking you but instead informing you.

“What if I don’t wanna go?” You counter.

His expression shows he’s taken aback as he plants his hands on his chest and parts his lips letting out a gasp.

“Did you just say you hate me and that I should die?”

Rolling your eyes and letting out a chuckle you shake your head at his melodramatic attitude. You didn’t mind going to catch a movie with him; you’d done it before and the night ended in him having to restrain himself from uttering another word since every syllable he uttered had you clutching your stomach in laughter.

“I’ll be ready.” You assure him.

“Thank god, Jaehyun, how boring of a roommate are you to have her doing a puzzle on a Saturday night?” He exclaims, flailing his arms around. Your eyes fall on him who is already staring at you with that sharp gaze that makes you wanna run to your room and never come out.

“Not my fault she doesn’t know how to hold a conversation.”

“Why would I want to hold a conversation with you?”

Your tone is sharp, matching your eyes that shoot daggers at him from across the room. It’s not that you aren’t aware of the fact that talking back only fuels the fire between the two of you but you refused to let him have the last word especially after the crap he pulled last time he got you alone. Did he not feel even an ounce of the guilt you felt for what he caused? Him and Mark have been friends way before the two of you lived together. So much for bro code.

“Afraid you might fuck around and like me?” He teases, tongue in cheek with his words while you feel the hair on your skin stand up and your nostrils flare in annoyance so much you nearly forget about Johnny who’s eyes dart between the two of you incessantly.

“Fuck off.” Your jaw clenches as you look at him with the looming urge to punch him in his beautiful face.

“If you guys are gonna fight, at least let me pop some corn.” Johnny quips, laughing at his own joke while you raise a questioning brow at him.

“No? Tough crowd.”

Deciding it’s best to step away for a bit you excuse yourself to your room with the excuse that you’ve left to get ready for the movie. Taking your time to pick out clothes after doing your makeup which you figure is a slight waste since you would be in the dark for the majority of the night but you were desperate to pass the time in your room and you ruled out starting another series on Netflix. Looking over yourself in the mirror you take your phone to glance over your notifications and they hold no substance until a ding sounds and your finger taps on the text message from Mark.

Mark <3: Missing you :(

Your heart swells and deflates at the words on your screen. Even though you did not act on your sudden attraction for Jaehyun you did only an ounce of what you could have to stop him from touching you the way he did but it was still wrong of you to think of another person while you were in a happy and healthy relationship.

You: Miss you too, bub.

Your fingers press send as a knock sounds at your door, startling you.

“Yeah?” You answer, rubbing your glossy lips with another coat of product.

“We’re ready when you are.” Jaehyun’s voice sounds from behind the door causing you to stiffen at the sound of it, hating yourself for wanting to feel his breath on your lips while he utters filthy words to you.

“Be out in a sec!”

You utter a ‘fuck’ under your breath hastily searching for your bag and trailing over to your door to whip it open before your face nearly collides with a chest but your hand squeezes the door knob for leverage and peers up at the face that belongs to the body you nearly crashed into. Your eyes are wide like a deer in headlights before you clear your throat to compose yourself.

“S-sorry I didn’t know you were still behind the door-”

His eyes trail over your attire making you gulp at the way he feels no need to be subtle.

“Can you chill? Seriously, you don’t have to be a fucking cunt all the time.” You spit, before shoving him to the side and turning the corner where you meet Johnny's line of sight, falling into a conversation quickly. His head tilts in resignation at your attitude, he concludes he deserved that one after pushing your buttons in front of Johnny.

“I call front seat.” You chirp when you walk out of the apartment towards Johnny’s truck, hopping in with the help of the ledge that juts out when you open the door of the vehicle. You’re pressing buttons on the radio to occupy yourself while you tune out the men’s voices in the minimal space of the vehicle. The room always felt ten times smaller when Jaehyun is present, somehow sucking the energy out of you through gestures even though his comments did bother you most of the time his aura is what ticked you off.

“You remember Diana?” Johnny’s voice pulls you out of your thoughts as you move your eyes from the radio to watch his smirking face.

“Yeah! We’ve only talked a few times but she baked me cookies for my birthday- why?”

You recall the timid girl that sat across from you in your English class occasionally asking you to get coffee and you were surprised to be approached since you were still coming out of your shell as well. She’s beautiful and you had some of the best conversations with her.

“I asked her out and she said yes.”

Your heart soars for your friend. It was easy for people to like him since he has the looks and personality everyone searches for but he never felt a deep connection with any girl he “dated”, meanwhile every girl he ever dated fell in love with him and he never stayed present long enough to catch them.

“She’s so sweet! You guys vibe?”

Jaehyun chimes in, poking at Johnny’s cheek from the backseat with a smirk.

“My boy’s in it for a good time.” He laughs, peering over at you with an indisputable look in his eye making you roll yours.

“Are you not emotionally drained making everything about sex? Where’s the fun in that?”

You couldn’t help but be bothered by his take on the subject. Sure you had your fair share of meaningless hook-ups but they all left you with that same feeling of emptiness and at your age now you only gave real relationships you feel would make you grow to be a better person with the whoever you ended up spending your life with.

“The fun is in the sex.” Answering like it is the most obvious thing in the world, his dimpled smile comes into view as he replies to your serious question and you are reminded why you despised him in the first place; no longer clouded by lust or the feeling to put all the energy you put into hating him into finding the good in him. You have seen all you needed to. The ride to the theater remains silent and you arrive, eyes looking up at the huge menu displayed on the wall behind the concession stand before your hand taps Johnny on the shoulder.

“I’m gonna run to the restroom.” He nods.

“Yeah, what do you want?” He gestures to the concessions.

Rummaging through your purse to hand him your credit card you scan your eyes over the menu.

“Uhh nachos and a medium pepsi.” You say while your hand is still held out waiting for his to take it. He grimaces at the sight of it.

“Take the card, Suh.” You go to grab his hand but he moves it from your vicinity, a frown forming upon your lips.

“I got it. Go.”

He flips you around, pushing you towards the restrooms before going to stand next to Jaehyun who’s waiting in line. You trail to the restroom and wash your hands hastily drying them before your eyes land on your face in the mirror. Right then your phone rings; the tone hits the walls of the restroom making it louder than you expect as your eyes read the name on the screen and your finger finds its path to the green button before you put it to your ear.

“Hey you.” You declare, adding a tinge of sultry to your voice nearly cringing when you depict it in your speech.

“Hey. How’s my favorite girl?” Mark’s voice fills your gut with butterflies and guilt all at once. The combination poisonous as it spreads to the top of your fucking skull.

“I’m alright. You done workin’?”

Your palm rubs against the counter to suppress the nerves his voice on the line induce.

“Yeah it got pretty slow so boss let me out early-”

His voice seems to fade out as the door of the restroom swings open and your neck looks up from your phone to the mirror to see who it is- expecting a stranger to walk in but Jaehyun’s eyes meet yours quickly as your lips form a thin line.

“What are you up to, baby?”

You hear the question and your senses feel like they have disconnected as he steps towards you, peering down at you while you look at the ceiling to maintain the loss of eye contact.

“Baby, you there?”

His neck cranes down, moving your hair out of the way purposely letting his fingertips graze the back of your neck.

“Y-yeah I’m actually at the theater.” You curse yourself for the way your neck automatically tilts at his touch, giving in while you struggle to remain aware of your boyfriend’s voice.

“Oh? You went alone?”

You nearly shake your head before you realize he can’t see you.

“No. I’m with Johnny and Jaehyun.” You exhale, nudging the man behind you with your elbow emitting a groan of agony from him.

“What are y’all gonna see?”

Jaehyun goes to lean on the tiled wall of the restroom, staring you down ambiguously.

“Johnny wanted me to come along so I just went along- I was actually working on a puzzle at home and now I’m in the restroom talking to you.” You ramble making your boyfriend chuckle.

“Cute. Tell the boys I say hello and let me know if you get home safe, alright?”

You hear the clicking of his car and come up with the conclusion he must be driving himself home from work now.

“Alright. Love you, bub.”

“Love you too, babe.”

The line cuts there as he hangs up and you let your hand fall from your ear, putting the phone away in your pocket. Jaehyun remains wordless with his arms crossed, jaw clenched for a reason you don’t know. Your brow raises as a way of saying ‘what was that?’

“The uh movie’s about to start.”

You nod, “I was just on my way out.”

The silence holds tension as you dry your damp palms on your jeans.

“Listen-I’m sorry, okay?-”

Your fingers fluff your hair out in the mirror idly while his eyes remain focused on you but you react in a way that shows you are not phased

“For what exactly? Making me feel guilty for feelings you have for me or being an asshole?” You spit shamelessly, recalling the way he spoke in the car.

“All of it. I shouldn’t intrude on what you and Mark have going on.” The look in his eyes shows sincerity, differing from the pompous attitude he held up in the car.

This is what you wanted so you nod; not adding or rejecting the words he says because it no longer matters. Not when you and his best friend are happily together and he cares for you much more than Jaehyun ever could because as he admitted in the car; lust is the only thing motivating him to feel anything for you. This condition was seamless, he’d leave you alone. This apology is now timelessly effective.

“Great. See ya out there.” Before he can say anything, you are out of his sight and he is left with the swinging sound of the door.

-

There’s a lot of things that come with being a girlfriend; a good one at that. There’s holding hands, gift-giving, and the occasional late-night phone conversations discussing what you would do the next time you met up with one another. Mark is one of the most affectionate people you’ve ever been with; attentive to your mood switches but never pestering you regarding the matter and when time permitted he’d fuck the absolute shit out of you. You were more than surprised with his performance given the way he usually came off gentle but you had come to find out that you judged so incorrectly.

You recall the first time it happened, laid on his bed and working on assignments since he insisted he felt most productive with you around and you obliged, taking your textbook over to his room, putting a good dent in your calculus homework until you heard him shuffling across the room to trail over to you with dark eyes, differing from the usual dark brown. His hand pushed your textbook closed, sliding it to the ground while your lips fell open in exasperation and his hand made its way to your thigh before you crane your neck up to look up from the book that was now splayed on the ground to peer up at him with a pout.

“What-”

Lips met yours and you immediately forgot about the textbook, letting your fingers tangle themselves in his bleached strands, moaning into his mouth giving the chance for his warm tongue to slide between your lips. You become aware of his hard-on rubbing your thigh, pulling away for a moment to look at him with curious eyes, a smirk decorating his slightly swollen lips.

“I don’t mean to be so straight forward but is it too early in our relationship for me to fuck you?”

Mark’s vulgar words ignite a heat in your tummy before it resides in between your legs as he presses himself between your legs.

“Nuh-uh.”

That’s all it takes for sounds of fabric tearing and you are trying to keep up with his rough kisses and quick hands that palm your breast through your shirt before he pulls it down to wrap his lips around your pert nipple and your lungs forget how to act while your back arches into his touch, forgetting how it felt to have someone pleasure you. His mouth meets yours in a searing kiss while his hands pull your white, lacey panties down before carelessly throwing them to the other side of the room and his lips trail kisses down to where you need the most attention, letting his warm breath meet your clit devoiding it of care as he sucks on the skin of your thighs surely leaving gifts for you to view later. Your whimpers are incessant as he continues his torture and his fingers brush down your slit making you shudder.

“Sensitive little thing aren’t you?”

“More please.” You plead.

His fingers rub against your entrance, coating your arousal evenly before slipping one inside of you emitting a sigh of relief from you while your back arches into his touch. It was too good that your hands found themselves going to grab at his wrist but his free hand caught them, smacking you away for you to seek shelter in the sheets around you. His lips press against your clit, softly kissing it while adding a finger to further the stretch, pumping them out at a quicker pace while the obscene sound of squelching meets the wall along with your mewls while you try not to moan too loudly. Your senses feel like they’re mushed as your vision blurs and your body vibrates as Mark hums against your pussy and before you can register it ecstasy thrums through you. Your teeth bite down on your index and you only realize when you open your eyes to peer down at your boyfriend who’s lip glistens with your release. He climbs up so his face is near yours again, your thumb gliding across his coated lips before you bring it to your mouth, giggling at nothing in particular while Mark’s gaze stays on your face. Your lips meet his for a moment before you move them down to his neck, licking and sucking at his tan skin while your hand goes to tug his length out of his shorts.  A sharp exhale from his lips encourages you to continue your movements as his skin heats up against yours and he pushes you away, pinning your wrists on either side of your head while you squeal at the swift motion but enjoy the firm grip he keeps on you.

“Tell me how bad you want me.” He whispers into your ear, letting the tip of his nose graze yours before sucking your bottom lip into his mouth.

Your hips rise to grind your center against his length and his body presses against you to halt your advances, feeling his bare length brush against you.

“Want you so bad.” You plead shamelessly.

Flipped onto your stomach in a split second you feel his tip glide across your slit deliciously before he slips himself into you without any warning and you feel like the air is too thin to breathe in, your mind foggy with pleasure as his hips set a sensual pace while your shallow gasps sound. Your head is buried into the pillow, muffling your sounds until you feel his hand hold your neck firmly while his other hand has its fingertips pressing into your waist.

“Wanna hear you.”

You grunt in response as his pace quickens and the obscene sounds of skin against skin hits the walls and his dick brushes your g-spot repeatedly making your eyes roll to the back of your head, pushing your ass up to him automatically giving into the heat you feel unfurl through your core. His hands never stop wandering as he accommodates you by gripping your upper arms to pull you against him all while his hard thrusts never falter. You were insane for ever doubting him for even a second, mentally apologizing for your fault; for even thinking of Jaehyun the way you did when you had something so good and healthy with Mark.

“M’ gonna cum.” You declare breathlessly, laying your head on Mark’s chest while he wraps an arm around you to keep your incapable body against him while his other hand goes to play with your clit forming stars in your vision.

“T-too good.”

A chuckle rumbles through his firm chest. “You’re not gonna take what I give you baby?”

The motherfucker knows you can’t respond while his cock is literally brushing your cervix.

“Want me to stop fucking you, hm?”

In fear of him halting his movements you muster words through your shallow pants.

“No! Please make me cum!”

His hands palm your breasts, adding to the stimulation and you swear you are on cloud nine when your vision goes out for a moment but it has no importance when the most brain-wracking orgasm thrums through you while he fucks you through it holding you tighter against him like he’s afraid you’ll disappear in thin air. Peppering gentle kisses on your neck, differing to the sins he committed on your body.

“Shit.” He says when he notices the wetness on his sheets. You come to, looking down at the moisture dripping down your thighs and the wet spots on the sheets, clenching around him in embarrassment.

“Fuck, I didn’t-” You began declaring an apology before his lips meet yours, straying soon after.

“That was so fucking hot.” He smiles, pressing his lips to yours again while his hands glide all over your sweaty body.

This is good. Things are good. You just had to learn how to ignore the looming thoughts of someone you swore could beat the standard your boyfriend reached.

-

Back at the shared apartment you mostly stayed in your room working on assignments that were not due for several weeks with the hopes of avoiding Jaehyun who became strangely cordial towards you with the reciprocation of that attitude from you. This new energy between you ignited a pain within you because his apology was sincere and he backed up his words with the way he interacted with you daily. Shutting your laptop closed, you pad your way to the kitchen for a drink of water, grabbing one from the fridge hastily before chugging down half the bottle. Shuffling is heard from down the hall making you turn to see where the sound is coming from to spot a head of wet hair that leads down a bare torso to a white towel obstructing your view of the rest of your roommate’s body; not that you had any reason to want to see any of it. Jaehyun is quick to enter his room, oblivious of your stunned figure standing in the kitchen losing your breath over the sight of him. Averting your gaze back to your water bottle, you sigh out in an attempt to clear your head. All this time you put all the frustration you had pent up for him towards hating him and it made sense then but now you were simply classified as a bitch if you were mean to him when he was so nice to you now. The door of his bedroom opens again making your neck turn towards the sound of his footsteps meeting his friendly grin with a similar expression.

“You alright?” He says with a quirked brow. You nod quickly, picking up your water as a poor way to mask your fidgeting.

“Just dehydrated is all.”

He frowns, placing his hand on your forehead checking your temperature.

“What are you-”

“Feel sick at all? I know with school starting and all it’s anxiety inducing.”

The Med student in him rears its head as he takes his hand away from your forehead and glances at you intently waiting for a response while you stand with your mouth agape thinking of a coherent sentence because he’s so attractive and you are such a bad person and such a bad girlfriend.

“I-I’m alright, really. It’s very sweet of you to check.” You chuckle as a toothy smile spreads across his face and you swear you see his eyes glimmer in the kitchen's lighting. He spares you another smile before darting his eyes to a spot behind you before his gaze meets yours again.

“I’m making us dinner tonight-”

Your eyes widen and your cheeks flush at the way his words come out and he notices the look on your face at the way the words could be interpreted after he swore he was changing phases with you. No amount of him being a jerk would make you fall for him like an idiot-plus you are dating his best friend. Jaehyun shakes his head, scoffing at his words that he wishes he could erase from the air as he clears his throat to utter an apology to you a soft palm slaps his arm playfully.

“No way, what are you making?- Can I help?” You perk enthusiastically, looking up at him with wide eyes. He recalls that look in your eyes from New Years as you looked up at Mark with hazy eyes in your vulnerable intoxicated state but now you are fully sober and there is nothing to blame it on other than the sheer fact that you had no idea what effect you have on him. You had no clue what he was willing to put on the line for you- for just a taste-

“Jaehyun?” You repeated as he stood frozen, glaring at you with his dark eyes that blink incessantly as he snaps out of it.

“Sorry- brain’s lagging from all the studying- but why don’t you go wash up and I’ll handle dinner.”

Your lips form a frown as you become vigilant of his usual aura becoming invisible- usually he seemed so certain in all of his actions with all of the smart comments he’d shoot at you when the possibility of being cordial was never presented. The scolding water hitting your skin in the shower makes the thoughts in your head run wild. Was it a bit masochistic to say you prefer the way things were before? What was there to even talk about with him now? Climate change or the way the economy was ready to fail us all? A groan rattles through you as you slide your bare body down the tiled wall of the shower. Hating him was much more fun than this. Finally ending your pathetic excuse of a pity party you dress yourself in an oversized pullover that definitely belonged to Mark along with shorts before padding out of the steamy bathroom with your damp curls sticking to the nape of your neck. It seems Jaehyun had everything set up for dinner prior to informing you about it since the table is already set with two plates that consist of generous portions. Setting the last utensil down he looks up at you with raised brows.

“There you are. Feeling better?”

You forget what he is referring to and think you have been caught and that he somehow heard your thoughts in the shower causing you to stand rigid with wide eyes as he tilts his head awaiting an answer.

“Oh yeah. All good. Food looks great, by the way.” Your feet pad over to the chair pulling it out before sitting down feeling eyes burn a hole through your form. He takes that as his cue to take a seat across from you who struggles to meet his eyes, a visible wince evident when you finally do.

“I hope it’s not too spicy.”

You shake your head at his words, cutting a piece of the chicken on your plate and popping it into your mouth, eyes widening at how good the food is.

“No way this is actually good.”

An offended gasp comes from him. “You’re surprised I can conjure up a decent meal?”

A chuckle comes from you, hand coming up to cover your mouth. “Honestly?”

His eyes form a squint along with the appearance of the craters in his cheeks. “That would be preferred.”

“Surprised is an understatement.” You jab playfully.

The tension seems to wither away as you fork away at the contents on your plate, finishing most of it before you lean back in your seat absentmindedly watching the way his jaw clenches when he chews before your eyes catch the veins in his larger hands and you don’t realize that he’s watching you gnaw on your index finger while you blatantly gawk at his hands-he swears he’s imagining the far away look on your face because although he is focusing on being better towards you that changes none of the desires he holds for you but he’s determined to stray away from the asshole you coined him as. It’s not until he goes to stand up that your eyes move up to look him in the eye.

“Let me help with the dishes.” You softly declare through your pouty lips and he swears his knees buckle at the sight of them. You’re quick on your feet when you rise from your chair, taking his plate from his hands to trail over to the sink with them, running warm water over the plates and you turn to find him bringing over the cups. You quietly thank him as you let the sponge scrub against the porcelain while his warmth radiates on to you as he stands near you. The only thing that can be heard is the water's movement while you rinse the silverware of the soapy substance before setting them on the rack to dry all while you try to ignore the feeling of his eyes burning into your skin. You turn your neck to meet his eyes. He sports a grin on his face as he just gazes at you in silence.

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Your damp hands forget about ever washing the dishes as your eyes blink multiple times and you are struggling to generate a response.

“Of course. Thanks for dinner.”

A silent nod is all he returns before he wishes you a goodnight, leaving you breathless as you soon hear the click of his shutting bedroom door.

THUD

The man's lifeless body fell at your feet, the gun still smoking as his lifeblood slowly drained out from the hole in the back of his head. You sighed and brushed the hair out of your face.

"Ugh now I need to replace him."  You complained to your right-hand man, Zhong Chenle. He nodded and clicked his tongue at the two thugs behind him. They lumbered up and dragged away the body of your ex-member, blood smearing across the ground.

"Aish...so annoying." You rubbed your temple with the barrel of the gun. "That's the second one this month. Am I losing my touch?" You threw a look at Chenle. He shook his head and came up to your side. "Noona." He whispered. "I think there may be a rat."

Your childhood best friend always knew exactly what to say to you. Which is one reason why he was your right hand man. Other than the fact that you trust him with your life, which in your line of business, that type of trust doesn't come by easily. Man was also a hell of a sniper.

"Can you call Mark in here now? I need him to find me another man. Oh! And don't let him or anyone else in Neo Zone know what you think. Between you and I and the other 5 Dreamies only." You asked of Chenle. He nodded and zipped his lips with a small smile.

You smiled softly back at him as he left the dark damp basement. Once he was gone, you sighed loudly and squatted down with your hands on your knees, tired. 

Putting your gun next to you, you hold your head in your hands and close your eyes. The death scene that happened a few minutes ago played behind your eyelids in vivid detail. No matter how many times you did it, it never got any easier.

You didn't get much time to rest before there was a knock on the door. You bolted upright, waiting expectantly.

First rule: Never show weakness to anyone. Especially to Mark.

Said man stepped into the dim light and looked at you. "You called, Boss?"

The light from upstairs created a glow around him showing off his presence. It was intimidating. Or would be to anyone else if you weren't the youngest mob boss in Underground Seoul history. He was yours to control. 

Yet every time you saw him you did have to admit he would make an amazing mob boss. He just had this thing about him.

"I need another soldier. I had an issue with the last one and he needed to be taken care of. Unfortunately, he will no longer be able to fulfill his job. It shouldn't be too hard, I know we have many new members waiting to get placed."  You explained while bending down to pick up your forgotten gun. Without changing his facial expression, Mark nodded, "I understand. I'll get on that right away. Anything else, Boss?"

"That is all."  You waved him away and walked past him, out of the dark basement and away from the suffocating metallic smell of iron that hung in the air.

Finally out in the light, you tried to will your goosebumps down after passing by the man. Ever since he joined your gang, you had a weird feeling about him. There was something you couldn't place your finger on. 

You knew you had to keep a close eye on him, so after he joined, he was quickly promoted to the third in charge, despite the many complaints from some of the other members in your gang.

You couldn't explain yet. No, there was still more you needed to figure out.

It felt like a complicated game of cat and mouse you were playing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

You walked into the kitchen, still trying to get the day’s previous scene out of your head. In the kitchen, Jaemin was preparing dinner. He noticed your presence without even turning around from the dish in front of him. “Ah Emmo, are you hungry?” He was making tteokbokki and kalbi.

You walked over and peaked over his shoulder. “Ohhh it smells good Jaemin.” He gave you a little side smile and continued cooking. “Oh Emmo can you call the others to dinner?” You nodded and went out of the kitchen to track the other boys down. 

You had a large gang, Neo Zone, but only the “Dreamies” as they were called, lived with you. The “Dreamies” were your closest confidants in the gang. No one knew where the name Dreamies came from but it stuck. Those 7 boys proved their loyalty to you time and time again, other than Mark, but he was a special case. 

Jaemin was one of the younger Dreamies but he was special to you in a different way than the rest of them. He was family but by actual blood. Jaemin was your nephew by your sister and her husband Jaehyun. When you took over the “family business” from your mom, who was the first female mob boss in Seoul’s Underground history, your sister wanted no part of it despite her strong exterior. As much as his mom disliked it, Jaemin was a mobster through and through so when he came of age, he moved in with you, his aunt. He had a special talent of being able to charm anyone and anything with his silver tongue which helped during negotiations and other matters. 

The “family business” was a legit business just slightly illegal. Your Neo Zone gang served as protection, especially to those who could pay the price. On the outside, they were a bodyguard service but further on the inside it got a bit more illegal with assassinations, hits, and spying to name a few services.  

The first Dreamie you found other than Jaemin was Chenle, who was cleaning his sniper rifle with such care, you’d think it was a living thing.

Chenle was your best friend from childhood. He always had a fixation with guns since he was little so your mom honed that into the person he was today, one of the deadliest snipers and hitmen in the Underground scene. 

 “Yah, Chenle. Jaemin says dinner is almost ready.” You watched him put the gun down with such care and sprung up from the couch. “Is it my turn to set the table?” He asked while heading towards the kitchen. “I think so. You and Jisung. I’ll go find him, you start setting up." You offered as he waved a hand above his shoulder in a thank you. Next Dreamie to find was Jisung, the baby of the 7. 

Jisung came into your life in an unexpected way. A few years ago, your gang was cleaning up a botched assassination when Jisung stumbled upon them. Normally, they never kept survivors because a dead man tell no tales but they didn’t hurt kids. 

So Jisung, the unwitting child he was, was brought back with them because he had seen too much. As it turned out, Jisung was an orphan and he took to the mob lifestyle pretty quickly. Since he was still young, your mom, homeschooled him so he could get a good education. When he wasn’t in class, he was out with the other members of the gang training and practicing. He was still too young to take out on some missions so he stayed home training. 

You, however, found him in his room finishing up his homework. “Jisung it’s dinnertime. Also it’s yours and Chenle’s turn to set the table.” Jisung looked up at you from his homework with his cute puppy dog smile. “Okay Noona, I will when I’m finished with this problem.” You smiled back at him and ruffled his hair like a proud older sister. He smiled as he continued his work. With 3 Dreamies found, that left 4 more. 

You continued through the house, searching for the other 4. You found 3 of the 4 in the living room. Renjun was drawing on his tablet, while Haechan and Jeno were yelling at each other while playing a video game. You leaned in the doorway, watching the chaos ensue in front of you. 

Haechan was getting increasingly louder as Jeno was beating him in the game. “Yah. YAH! YAHHHH!! QUIT KILLING ME!” Haechan screeched as Jeno laughed maniacally. Renjun looked up at them from his tablet screen and then noticed your presence. “Hi Noona, is it dinnertime?” He asked in his soft voice. You nodded. “Jaemin made tteokbokki and kalbi.” 

He smiled and put his tablet down on the coffee table. Renjun then stood up and walked over to the 2 screaming boys. Reeling back both hands, he swatted them on the back of the head. “Yah! It’s dinnertime!”

 Haechan and Jeno dropped their controllers and clutched the back of their heads. “OWW HYUNG!” They both cried out. Renjun just smirked and walked silently out of the living room.

Renjun was a different type of special in the group, the one you didn’t want to get angry. You liked to call him the “shadow” of your gang. He had this ability to go unnoticed in a crowded room and melt into the shadows. As he aged, he got increasingly more stealthy and silent to the point you couldn’t hear him until it was too late. This skill made him incredibly useful in their recon missions and assassinations when Chenle’s sniper skills weren’t needed. 

Jeno was the muscle of the Dreamies and used it to his advantage whenever he could. Haechan was the distracter of the group. When bait for a trap was needed, he was their man. You liked to compare Haechan to a snake. You could never get your hands on him since he was too slippery to catch. Man was also clever as hell, able to get out of any situation.  

The two boys passed by you, still holding their heads. They acknowledged you with a small smile and continued to bicker down the hallway as to who actually won the video game. You sighed and chuckled at their antics. Now there was only one Dreamie left. Mark. The only one you couldn’t figure out and who gave you goosebumps. 

You trusted the other 6 boys with your life since they were all family, blood or otherwise, but Mark was the odd one out. He got along well with everyone and the other Dreamies but you had an odd feeling about him. It was almost like he and you were fire and ice. You could never tell what he was thinking, his eyes were hard to read. 

You continued to wander the hallways until you heard a sound. It was coming from the training room. You opened up the door to the training room and there was Mark. He was boxing at one of the bags they had installed. You stood there for a minute watching him. He was a handsome individual with an average-looking physique that was actually quite powerful and nimble. Mark was the all- around talent in their group, doing a little bit of everything. No one really knew where he came from, he just showed up one day. 

You took a step into the training room, distracting Mark. He glared up at you from underneath the bangs plastered to his sweaty forehead. His bare chest was heaving with deep breaths as sweat dripped off him. His fists were crudely wrapped in cloth to pad them. “Wha-” Mark panted, “what do you need?”

 He lifted a fist and began to unravel the cloth. Turning his back to you to set the cloth down on a bench in the room, you were given a full view of his back. Mark could feel your gaze on him. 

“Liking what you see Y/N?” He was the only Dreamie who wouldn’t call you Noona, (or Emmo in Jaemin’s case). He did call you Boss but only in the presence of other Neo Zone members. He liked to reserve your real name for when you two were alone. Mark knew it got under your skin because you couldn’t figure out his angle with you. 

You snapped your gaze away from his shirtless torso and looked at the ground. “It’s dinnertime. Hurry up because everyone is waiting.” You then quickly turned around to leave. Mark caught your arm and pulled you towards him. “Hmm… they wouldn’t care if I was a few more minutes late.” He liked to tease you and then release you. You were trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse. You could feel he was the downfall of you but you wasn’t sure in what sense. 

You put your hands on his chest and pushed him away, luckily said chest was now clothed. “Dinner. Now.” You muttered, before gulping and booking it down the hall, putting as much distance between him and you as you could. Every time you were alone, electricity felt like it was running across your skin. You hated it. You were the boss not him yet as times it felt like he was controlling you. 

Back in the dining room, dinner was just like every other night, loud and full of laughter. You may be a ruthless mob but you were family who loved and cared for each other. Even Mark was laughing, throwing his head back. Times like this made your heart full. Mark met your gaze over the table and gave you a quick wink before diving back into whatever tale Haechan was exaggerating. You gritted your teeth and clenched your cup a bit tighter. You would find out what was his deal even if it was the last thing you did. 

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Months passed and jobs came in at a continuous stream, keeping you and your gang busy. Mark was becoming an integral part of your little set up and you couldn’t see him leaving anytime soon. After seeing this, you finally dropped your guard and approached him one day to tell him about this. 

“Mark.” You grabbed his shoulder while you were leaving a mission one day. He glanced over his shoulder at you. “Hmm?” His eyebrow lifting when he saw you voluntarily touching him. Electricity shot through your hand but you ignored it. 

“For the longest time I didn’t know what your deal was. I had this off feeling about you…” You took a breath to steel yourself, “but I think I can finally trust you. You’ve shown your loyalty to us and now I need to show mine to you.” You finished, your hand dropping off his shoulder as he turned toward you. 

He was smirking at you. Not what you expected. “I wondered how long it would take you.” He dropped his head a bit to look down at you, eyes turning dark. “You know Y/N,” Mark lifted an eyebrow again and got close to your ear, whispering, “you really should have trusted your gut.” 

Suddenly, the doors of the room you were in burst open and armed agents filed in, quickly and efficiently, blocking all the exits. As if you were electrocuted, you sprang back from Mark, hurt. “You! You were the rat!” You spat at him, eyes like daggers. 

Mark tipped his head back, laughing. “You were all very easy to manipulate. You’d think the notorious youngest mob boss in Underground Seoul history would be less trusting.” He smirked again at you and walked over to an agent. The agent stood straight and saluted him. “Captain Mark.” Mark bobbed his head in acknowledgment to the man and took the walkie talkie out of his hand. 

“Unit 127 to SM. I have the target cornered. Over.” He spoke into the radio. “SM to Unit 127, do you have sufficient backup? Over.” The radio chirped back at him. 

Mark threw a glance over to you, catching your eye and without breaking eye contact spoke back into the radio. “Unit 127 to SM, I think you may have sent too many actually. I can handle them on my own. Over.” He took his thumb off the button and waited for a response. You watched him, seething with rage. 

“SM to Unit 127, alright pulling backup. Over.” Mark nodded and handed the walkie talkie back to the man. The man yelled to the other agents. “You heard headquarters, fall back!” But before the men could move, shots were fired and all hell broke loose.

You dove behind an office desk in the room, your gun loaded and ready. The first shot sounded like it came from above. You smiled to yourself. “There’s Chenle.” He must have been watching you. That was Mark’s mistake. Did he really think you were all alone? 

You peeked up and saw the other Dreamies come in searching for you, touching their ears to listen to Chenle’s instructions as to where you were. You touched your own ear piece and spoke into your wrist where the mic was. “I’m hiding behind the desk guys. But watch out for Mark, he’s the rat.” The other boys made eye contact with you and nodded once, in understandance. They then broke off, picking off agents as they cleared an exit. 

You crept out from behind the desk, searching for Mark. He was yours.

 You caught sight of his jacket and took off after it. He led you on a chase down a hallway into another office. Trapped, he turned around, gun pointed at you. 

“I see it in you Mark.” You spoke, gun trained on the spot between his eyebrows. His face twisted in confusion. “What? What do you mean?” 

It was your turn to laugh. “The darkness in your eyes. The darkness each of us in this gang have. You know being in the special force isn’t enough for you. There’s too much evil in this world.” Mark’s eyes narrowed. 

“Oh I know. You and your gang are the evil.” He spat out. You laughed again, moving closer to him. “No, you have it wrong. That’s where we come in. We don’t have protocols to follow or to constrain us. We get the job done. I’ve seen you on these jobs with us. You love it. The freedom you are given to fully help people. If you like it so much you should accept it.” You took a step closer.

“If I just get close enough I could disarm him.” You thought to yourself, watching him. 

Mark gripped the gun harder, knuckles turning white. “I don’t want to hurt you Y/N. I mean, I did in the beginning but then as I spent more time with you and the other guys… I felt like I was family. I-i’ve never felt that with the special force…” His eyes softened and dropped to the ground, “We were treated more like weapons rather than people..” Mark’s voice got quieter and the arm holding his gun dropped some. 

You moved in even closer, his gun almost touching you. “Then join us. Permanently. As a part of our family.” He picked his head up and looked at you, fully. 

A shot rang out and his gun slipped from his fingers. Mark dropped to his knees but you caught him before he hit the ground, hugging him to you. The other 6 Dreamies stood in the doorway, Jeno still holding the gun used to shoot Mark. 

They rushed you making sure you were okay. “I’m fine guys but we need to get Mark back to the house and patch him up.” Haechan made a face. “Why Noona, he’s the rat. We need to dispose of him like a rat.” 

You shook your head, “No, I think he was being used. We’ll get more out of him once we are home.” 

Back at the house, you patched Mark up and they all waited for him to regain consciousness. He groggily opened up his eyes, wincing with every breath. 

“Easy, easy Mark. Jeno may look like all muscle but he’s got good aim too.” You helped him sit up and drink some water. 

The other boys just glared at him, waiting for him to speak. He looked at each of them. “I-i know. I need to explain.” He groaned, coughing some. “I was originally supposed to just infiltrate your gang and gain your trust to get information to bring you down but...but,” Mark takes a shaky breath. “I got more involved than I expected…” He looked over at you, “I-i fell in love with Y/N and then all of you started to feel like my brothers...like my family. I never had a real family or real love but here...here I felt that. I was going to call off the raid today and then go AWOL but I was too late…so I just went with it...” Mark hung his head in shame.  

The news came as a shock to all of you. The room was silent until Jisung was the first to speak up. “I forgive you hyung. I liked having you as a brother and I want to keep it that way.” Jisung glanced over at the other boys, trying to read their faces. 

Renjun rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… you are a pretty cool hyung.” The others murmured in agreeance. Mark lifted his head and cracked a smile at them. He then turned towards you, hopeful. “Is the offer of becoming family permanently still on the table?”