Chapter Text
It was on the subway where Mark met him. Three a.m. was nearing as he was making his way to use the last subway train of the night. Working at a nightclub and bar made it hard to catch a cab after close. And he was only lucky enough to reach the subway in time every night because it was so close. If not, Mark would be forced to walk all the way home which would take quite a bit of time. Sadly, he barely could afford the subway much less where he lives back home. Cause you see, his wonderful, I hope you know I’m using sarcasm here, father--
He’s such a lovely man that put him and Mark in debt. Mark’s mother didn’t want anything to do with Mark after finding her a new man and decided to send Mark from America and to his father who was not happy seeing Mark on his doorstep all those years ago. Now, Mark’s father wasn’t always like this. He used to be a respectful man with wealth and high dreams and a successful business but he got into drugs. Huge scandals that not only lost him his wife that now lives in America taking most of his money, but now he has nothing. Living in the scums and had gotten quite the debt by frequenting this night club/bar in the heart of the city each night. He was gonna end up in jail because of his outstanding debt and well, you know, he needs drugs and women to survive right? So when Mark arrived on his doorstep at the younge age of thirteen, his father saw use of him. He would put him to work so he could live at his ‘home’ and ‘eat’ his food. If you would call some stale bread and maybe peanut butter from time to time a home cooked meal. But Mark didn’t have a choice. He was underage. His father legally owned him until he turned eighteen but unfortunately even then, his father’s debt was now his debt whether his father remained alive or not as his father signed his life away with one simple contract. Making the night club/bar owner of him like he was just some piece of property. But don’t worry, the lovely establishment has rules they must follow so Mark was lucky enough to not have to sell his body...yet. They couldn’t put him on the floor like that until the age of eighteen so he still had some time to prepare himself. Instead he would learn how to make drinks, bring out food and clean off tables and rooms. And let me tell you, picking up used condoms was not fun nor will we get into the mystery liquids that tend to appear in the spare bedrooms after use.
Mark worked grueling hours, forced to go from school and straight to this night club/bar until the early morning where he rode the subway home and had a few hours to sleep before his day repeated over. Now you would think after almost five years, Mark would’ve gotten enough money to pay off his father’s debt or at least put a huge chunk in it right? Wrong. Because his father is such a wonderful father, he keeps going back to the club and the owner will let him because who wouldn’t want to hold onto such a young beautiful omega he can use to bring in more profit! So yes, go ahead, keep racking up the debt bill. We’ll put it on your tab. And Mark doesn’t get to see that money. The owner is kind enough to give him exact subway fare only so he can see Mark tomorrow of course and maybe if he cries or begs, the owner will give him a free meal to eat so he doesn’t starve. Fair right?
Now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be able to handle all this. After one year I would’ve given up. I would’ve ran away from home. Or I would’ve become such a different person. Would’ve hated the world I lived in. But sweet ole Mark, he was so so sweet. Still so pure and innocent. Still staying through it all as his father was his family. He wanted to help his father. Wanted to make someone proud. To be somebody. He was so quiet and shy. So lost and broken but he kept going for some reason. Searching for something that he isn’t sure of. Pushing himself through the constant hell in hopes of one day things will get better. Cause they can’t always be this bad right?
And if we’re being honest here, Mark thought he could’ve changed things before he turned eighteen. Maybe get his father out of his funk. You know, something. But it’s been almost five years and Mark is scared. He doesn’t want to turn eighteen now. Before, he thought once he was eighteen he could leave and be on his own. Make something of himself. But the night club/bar isn’t gonna let him go and once he hits the age of adult, he’s gonna have to go on the floor. He’s gonna have to sell his body and he’s terrified of that. He’s seen how some of the men are. Some refuse to stop. Some are violent. Extremely rough. Some won’t even use condoms. Some wanna use drugs. Some omegas have ended up dead. Some ended up killing themselves. Some have ended up pregnant or sold off to the alpha that bids the highest price. It’s illegal. This whole damn establishment is shady. Run by even shadier men but yet it still stands tall and proud. People talk about it like it’s amazing. All because famous and rich people come here. It’s all kept secret from the public. If anyone spoke about it, they ended up dead or ridden of all their fame and money. If you work here, you have to sign a contract that voids anything you say or get as proof of it being a horrible place. And a lot of people that come to work here, don’t realize the danger of simply walking past the front doors until it’s already too late. Cause once you’re in...you’re stuck there. There is no happy ending. There is no just quitting. They’ll only let you go with a price. Everything always has to have a price.
Mark is millions in debt and it’s not even his fault. And at this point the cost of his freedom has been the only thing filling his mind lately. There were no other dreams or hobbies. Nothing he looked forward to other than what it would be like if things had been different. If he could be free. If his Mom never sent him off over here. Like why was he born? Just for this? This was his purpose?
The lights flickered and Mark’s attention was taken away from his thoughts as he looked up in the underground station at the lights flickering before righting themselves and going back to normal. Power shortage maybe? At least they didn’t go completely out and left him in pitch darkness cause it was already creepy enough being in this subway station when it’s all deserted. Sometimes when he rides the subway they’ll be ten people max but most of the time it’s one or two here and there or it’s just him. And Mark hated walking alone in the dark. Hated being surrounded by it ever since he was little. He used to not be able to sleep unless he had a night light nearby but since moving here, he’s been forced to sleep in the darkness cause they could barely afford the power bill as is.
Gripping the handle of his shoulder bag, Mark looks back down from the ceiling when he notices something out of the corner of his eye. There’s another person standing nearby now. Was he there before? When? He swore he had been alone. Could they have walked down the stairwell that fast? I mean, he was lost in thought earlier.
Mark tries to not think too much into it. He’s tired as well to boot, so really he just wants to hurry up and go home to try and get some much needed sleep. Still, he can’t help but glance toward the other person’s way. They were tall, wearing a suited attire but more laid back. Sleeves were rolled up, the suit jacket hanging off the male’s one broad shoulder and the few top buttons undone. His free hand rested in the pocket of his slacks and his stature was lazy and yet still so powerful. Demanding attention from his aura alone but Mark couldn’t get a good look at his face from this angle. He looked rich but Mark’s not one to judge. He is curious though to wander why a male like him seemed to be riding this subway. He’s never seen him before. Maybe his car broke down or something.
The man takes his hand out of his pocket to run through his raven hair, showing off the rings adoring his fingers. Mark admits this man is really handsome already from his body structure alone. Just look at the muscles on his arms! He must have a solid chest and abs too he bets.
The male starts to look his way and Mark’s breath hitches before he’s quick to duck his head to stop staring. He’s going beet red from shyness and bowing slightly to already apologize if the male gets onto him. But the male doesn’t say anything. Silence just filling the empty station before the subway starts to pull in. It dings as the doors open and the intercom voice announces the last ride for the night. The male enters from the next subway car down as Mark gets into his own.
It’s not long until the subway takes off and Mark is left alone again. Sitting by himself as he curls around his shoulder bag. His mind going back as he counts how many days until he’s gonna be turning eighteen. He only has a few months to go…
By the time he gets off at his station, he expects to see the male get off too because they never stopped until now. But as soon as he steps off, no one else does. And when he watches the subway cars go by, he doesn’t see the male in any of them.
Did he imagine him? Man he needs sleep…
But it wasn’t his imagination. It wasn’t from lack of sleep. Or maybe he’s losing his mind and has some mental illness because he sees that male every night now. At the same time. When the clock strikes three in the morning and the subway train is about to arrive. And it’s getting quite concerning with the lights flickering so much but hey maybe they can’t afford the power bill either. Who knows. But Mark is more distracted by this mysterious male. Where does he come from? Where is he going? How come he sees him get on but not when he gets off? Each night he gets more and more curious but he’s too shy to get closer and find out. Afraid to open his mouth and ask questions. What if the guy really isn’t real? He’d just make it worse by talking to himself. But he looks real. His aura feels real. And the guy reacts to him. He knows he’s staring and will turn to look at him but Mark will duck his head down and his heart will hammer away in his chest at the thought of locking eyes. This male was obviously an alpha and older. An adult and Mark is just a seventeen year old about to turn eighteen and still too innocent for this world. He should just stick to himself.
But then one night, like two months in, when the doors open and the male steps in, he sees something shiny on the ground. It was one of the male’s rings! He moves instinctively to pick it up, holding the fancy ring in his hands when he hears the signal for the last subway about to leave. Panicking that he’s gonna miss his ride, he hurries into the same subway car that the male went into. The doors shut behind him and Mark breathes out a sigh of relief that he made it in time until he remembered the male. Eyes snapping back open, Mark’s heart beats faster as he can already feel a heated gaze on him. His bright blue eyes locked with dark ones. Ones like an onyx that were wild and dangerous. His sharp handsome features drawing him in more with those eyes not wavering once. The male standing so close, towering over him and twice his size,
“I-I um...here,” Mark stutters before reaching out his hand and showing the ring he picked up,
“Y-You dropped it.”
The male tilts his head to the side amused as he looks down to take in the ring. A ring worth thousands that Mark could’ve easily taken and pawned it. And yet here he was being so kind to a stranger and trying to give it back.
“You keep it,” the male tells him.
Oh.
Mark is taken aback by not only what he said but by the voice that came out when he said it. It was deep and soothing. Sending pleasant tingles down his spine and was already craving to hear more of it. That thought makes him blush and grow shy, especially under his heated gaze.
“U-Um...really? I-I never got a g-gift before…”
Mark pulls his arm back and holds his hand close to his chest as he eyes the ring. It was small for the male’s hands so it must’ve fit on his pinky but for Mark it was big and would probably only fit his thumb.
“Not even for your birthday?”
Mark shakes his head and the male goes quiet and just stares. It makes Mark’s heart skyrocket and blush more before the male finally talks,
“Then consider it like a birthday gift. Do what you want with it.”
Mark perks up at that, “My eighteenth birthday is actually in a couple of months,” he lets out in awe before he beams up at the stranger with a closed eye smile.
But when he gets no reply after a couple of seconds, he opens his eyes and finds the stranger isn’t there anymore.
Um---
Frowning in confusion, he looks around the subway car until he notices the little doors that lead you into the next subway car that holds the stranger and he was facing away from him. Wasn’t he just--
But before Mark can think too much into it, the intercom comes on announcing the stop he needs to get off on and he rushes to pull the line above. When he turns to look again, the stranger is completely gone and soon the subway is stopping and the doors open.
He must be dreaming this because he arrived at his stop so fast and now the stranger just vanished?
But the weight of the ring still in his hands reminded him that it had to be real…
Since that day, Mark has worn the ring as a necklace and hidden under his clothes. He feared his father seeing it and stealing it or anyone else for that matter and wanted to keep it close. It was special to him. Someone being nice to him and giving him something. Sadly though, the stranger hadn’t returned for a while now. It’s been weeks and Mark’s eighteenth birthday would be approaching soon. Seems someone else knew that as the guy must’ve overheard it from one of his coworkers. The really creepy guy that made him highly uncomfortable. That would come a lot. Since he first started years ago. He would countlessly try to get with Mark, saying he’d pay a pretty price for such a pretty thing like him. But he was still underage then and the guy would be denied every time. The establishment told him he had to wait for Mark to turn of age and then he could have whatever he liked. And he already knows it’s been set up. The man paid a high price to be the first one to have him once he turned eighteen. And now that guy would sit in the bar area and watch him. Just waiting. Undressing him with his eyes. Following him around the building. Mark had voiced his concerns one time but no one cared. Mr. Walsh was a high paying customer. The middle aged man coming here for years and that he’s not going against the rules. That he’s been patiently waiting and there’s nothing wrong with just looking.
But that looking has become super stalkerish. To the point, he’d be there the moment Mark arrived and stayed to the moment he left. Slowly getting closer and closer until he would sit right in front of him. Would be right behind him. And the night he followed him into the bathroom, Mark had enough. He was terrified of this man and his nightmares were coming true when he was heading toward the subway station. He swore he could hear footsteps behind him but when he turned, no one would be there But then as he was going under the head lamps from above, he could see the shadows of their feet. Could hear the footsteps growing louder. He took off, running. Already he had been late getting off because of that creepy man. He couldn’t get much done and trying to dodge him put him behind. He also went out a different way and took a different path just in case but it seemed the guy finally caught on and was trailing him. He didn’t know what to do. Who would he call with his phone? The police? They wouldn’t do a thing to Mr. Walsh. In fact, they’d probably hand him over to him personally. His father could care less. Was probably already home passed out from either alcohol or drugs. He had no one. And no one was around. Just him, the darkness and some lights that are already going out because it’s so late and they’re set to a timer.
It feels like a horror film. His only option of escape is getting to the subway in time so he runs as fast as he can. Surely Mr. Walsh wouldn’t run after him. Right?
Thump
Thump
Thump
Mark didn’t want to chance it as he takes in the subway sign above the entrance. He books it down the stairwell and fumbles in his pocket for the fee. His hands are shaking so bad as he stops to pay the toll. Dropping the change on the ground.
No, no, no!
He only has exact so it takes away precious time he already doesn’t have but finally he manages to put in the change and get his ticket slip before going through the metal bars and takes off again. He swears he can hear footsteps. Like laughter too. But they sound so close by even though when he turns to look behind him, he finds no one. He’s just scaring himself but his gut tells him to keep going. That he can’t stop until he’s on the subway. He reaches another stairwell that leads down, the standing clock already after three. He can make it. He can still make it!
He can hear the dinging of the doors as he reaches the bottom steps. Can hear his footsteps echoing in the station from how fast he’s going. As he rounds the stairwell, he sees the doors of the subway are open as the intercom is announcing it’s last call.
Come on, come on, come on!
Mark bites his lower lip, the adrenaline pushing him. The doors are starting to close but Mark manages to slip through at the last second. Turning as the doors close shut and goes wide eyed as he sees Mr. Walsh stands right there on the other side of the door. A smirk on his face. It’s wicked, a glint in his eye that he enjoyed the chase and would get his prize in the end.
The subway starts to move and Mark’s legs finally give out when he no longer sees Mr. Walsh. He slumps to the ground panting and shaking before he instinctively reaches up to touch the ring. He takes the necklace out of his shirt and holds the ring tightly in his hands. Eyes squeezed shut as he tries to calm himself.
It’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok…
There’s a hard jerk to the subway car, startling Mark. His eyes open to find the lights inside the subway flickering.
It’s fine. This happens. It’s ok.
He tries to stand back up, using the railing to help him when he hears a noise from the other subway car. He turns to his left, toward the end of the subway and gasps when he sees Mr. Walsh is on the subway with him.
How? When? He’s coming this way!
The lights are flickering constantly now, Mark clutching the ring tightly as he’s so scared. He needs to get away. He wants help. But where can he go? What should he do? He can’t help but think to the stranger from before. The one who gave him this ring. He seemed so nice. He seemed like he was unstoppable, so powerful. He wished he could help him. He wished he was here.
Please…
The lights start to go out one by one the closer Mr. Walsh got toward the door. Setting pure fear into Mark as he swears Mr. Walsh’s eyes were blood red. That he could see an even darker aura surrounding him.
He needs to move now. He should go to the front of the subway. To the conductor. Anything was better than just standing here awaiting his doom!
He forces himself to move, using the railing to propel him forward as he takes off again. His own breathing and heartbeat is loud in his ears. Coldness surrounding him as he swears he can see his own breath. This has to be some nightmare. It has to be. There's no way---
It’s there up ahead in the next car that Mark sees him. Sees the stranger from before. He’s here! He’s on the subway with him!
Hope forms and he clutches to it, racing toward safety as he throws open the door and shuts it fast behind him. He doesn’t wait to stand by it as he gets close to the stranger but not too close. He doesn’t want to seem rude or upset the man so he picks two rows down to sit near him. His heart won’t calm down though. His breathing is still rough as he keeps looking toward the door. Expecting to see Mr. Walsh there any moment. Clutching the ring and his bag desperately before he hears a noise coming from the other car. It sounds like scraping. The door handle jingling and Mark can’t help it. He moves even closer to the stranger. Sitting across from him. He’s shaking so bad. Biting back the whimper. The lights in the car flicker dangerously and Mark worries he may not be safe here---
But then a foot brushes against his. A leg stretching out in the small car and touches against his own leg. Mark instantly calms as he feels this strange warmth start to wrap around him. From his foot first before slowly rising up his leg, up, up, up like a comforting hug. And Mark clings to it, welcoming it as he reaches out shakily, head lifting to look up at the stranger. Those wild and dangerous eyes meeting his. Drawing him in more and more as his hand hesitates in the air. The lights flickering around them when the stranger speaks,
“Dye me with you…”
What?
The male reaches out, hand hovering next to Mark’s, fingers about to brush as Mark’s heart is about to burst out of his ribcage. As he feels that strong aura all around him. Mark’s hand twitching and their fingers touch---
Mark jerks up abruptly from his slumped over position. Breathing loud and eyes wide as he looks around in a panic until hands steady him and he’s looking up at the conductor.
“You alright kid? I said this is your stop right?”
The conductor sounds just as tired as he feels. Wait...he’s on the subway...so he was dreaming again? What about Mr. Walsh? The stranger--
“Kid, I don’t know why you go home so late but you should really learn to get some more rest, ok? Had me worried there for a second when you wouldn’t even budge. Thought you were dead or something. Now, come on, let’s go. We both need to get home.”
Mark nods, absentmindedly grabbing his things as he stumbles a bit before getting off the subway. He’s a mess. Still torn up from the dream. The cold air doing little to affect his burning body.
It’s not until Mark is heading inside his rundown home and setting his things down that the necklace swings forward before the ring lands back against his collarbone.
He enters his room, shutting the door behind him and going over to the mirror, hands already reaching up to pull out his necklace and the ring that is there. Mark frowns as he notices something different. The small round orb in the middle that used to be a dark pitch black...it has little dots of bright blue now. Not mixed in but like it was splattered on there. It just made him have more questions. But his head hurt. His body felt weak and he needed to lay down. He’ll just have to worry about it in the morning...or well in a few hours…
Still no answers since he woke up, Mark has bigger things to worry about like the fact that he only has days before his birthday now. Mr. Walsh is no doubt gonna be there at the building and Mark doesn’t want to face him. Even more is that when Mark had mentioned to some of the coworkers about the mysterious stranger they all laughed and thought Mark was cute and that he should write a book or fanfiction describing a dream guy like that. Mark of course left out the part about being given the ring but he believed firmly that he wasn’t imagining things. The stranger was real. Why he hasn’t seen him since and only in that one dream last night, he doesn’t know but the male was real. And he wished he could see him again. Wanting him to save him from Mr. Walsh.
But he couldn’t hide any longer. School was long since over and now he was nearing the building of the nightclub and bar. Swallowing down the bile that threatens to rise, Mark tries to calm his beating heart by reminding himself this was his fate. He had to repay his father’s debt. He had to be a good son. He had to face reality that he couldn’t avoid this forever.
His hand trembles as he reaches for the door knob. As he enters the building and finds the security there giving him an acknowledging nod. Mark is polite and says hello even though he knows the security never replies. He just keeps walking, trying to pretend this is like every other day. But he finds that’s going to be impossible for the moment he enters the lobby he finds the owner of the bar there waiting,
“Mark, go get dressed now, you already have a customer waiting.”
A customer? What? But like they’re not even open yet. There’s still hours before they let people in. Before the bar is even open.
Mark stands there like a deer in headlights. What if it was Mr. Walsh. What if the owner didn’t mind a few days before his eighteenth birthday and decided to let him have his way now?
“Did you not hear me? Get moving! Mr. Lim will not be kept waiting any longer!”
Mr. Lim? Who was that? He’s never heard of that name before.
The owner pushes him toward the back, directing him personally toward the employee lounge for Mark to hurry up and use the lockers and get dressed in one of the dressing rooms. Mark follows orders on autopilot as he gets into his waiter’s outfit while his mind reels.
He would just be getting the guys drinks right? Maybe some food? He wasn’t serving serving him, was he?
Oh god, his nerves and anxiety were really going now. He feels like he might throw up. In fact he will if he walks into that room and finds out it’s more than just serving drinks and food.
It didn’t help that Mr. Lim booked the private suite on the top floor. This building was tall like a hotel with the bar and club on the bottom main floor and one above before the rest were rooms and places for gambling and what not. Mark isn’t sure completely because he’s not allowed on most floors without clearance. So when he finds he’s actually gonna be on one of the top floors for the first time ever, he’s panicking inside. His whole body is weak. His legs feel like jelly as he stands in the elevator with one of the security guards. The owner tells him before that he’s not to screw this up and to do everything this man asks for or they’ll be hell to pay. Mark just nodded dumbly just to get away from the owner’s wrath but now he’s starting to think he’d rather deal with that than go to room seven.
The elevator has long since stopped but Mark hasn’t gotten out yet, not until the guard gives him a push against his back and Mark now stands alone in the hallway. His heart is already beating fast and it doesn’t help that some of the lights flicker briefly. Fast too like if you blinked, you never would’ve noticed it. But Mark did. He’s been noticing lights flickering a lot lately. Maybe he’s bad luck. A bad omen? Like a black cat or something. Unlucky to be born in this world and to live like this.
Mark takes one step at a time. His anxiety is getting worse but he knows if he stands still any longer it’s only going to get worse. He just needs to get this over with. Maybe Mr. Lim will be better than Mr. Walsh. Hell, anyone would be better than that creepy man.
Before Mark knows it, he’s standing outside room seven. Hand reaching out toward the door. Mark closes his eyes as he enters the key card into the slot. It makes a noise that tells him he can enter and starts to open the door.
Thump
Thump
Thump
The door swings open and he takes a step into the room before closing the door behind him. His back facing the guest as he doesn’t want to look just yet.
Brace yourself. Just breathe. It’ll all be ok. It’ll be--
“No need to be so scared little one.”
Mark’s eyes snap open in shock before he’s turning fast, reacting to that deep soothing voice. Bright blue eyes taking in those dark, wild and dangerous ones as the stranger smirks while being in a laid back position on the couch,
“I came to save the day, no?”
Mr. Lim turned out to be the stranger…