Oasis

It don't matter what you say
I know I could never face
Someone that could sound like you

Against the bleeding cityscape, the world melts into nothing but neon lights through the windscreen, the bustling city traffic ear-piercingly muted. Youngjae stares out blankly at the surroundings, a little more at ease as compared to the previous time he'd been sitting in his car. A part of him wonders once more how he'd gotten here when he'd lived the usual routine of nine to five for these lengthy, repetitive years. All he knew was work and Minki during that period of time and he both loathed and thanked the incessant paranoia nipping at his skin. It was because of his meticulous caution, after all, that he walked home to Minki every day and got the last laugh amidst the foolish alphas running the damn company.

Had God not cursed him with his heat on the very day he was working, he might have gotten away scott-free. Sure, he may be deluding himself, but perhaps he could have made certain arrangements to accomodate his future heats. He could simply apply for a periodic one-week leave from work and wait out his heat. Even if that sounds wholly implausible—he would immediately dismissed upon making such a request—he could have found a way out for himself, in any case. But the moment his heat struck during work, God dug a grave specially for him and mercilessly shoved him down into the landfill.

Still, would it really matter if he had his first ever heat at work or elsewhere? He'd still have to deal with his heats coming during work.

Nothing ever seems to go right for Youngjae, but he's long been accustomed to the ways of the world. In spite of everything thrown at him, he clawed his way up to this point with his bare hands. If Jung Daehyun thinks he has Youngjae wrapped around his finger and can demolish him with an easy snap, he had better think twice. Youngjae has been torn down enough times to know he craves grinding his feet into the heads of pathetic, automatically superior Alphas more so than anything else, and this entrenched yearning will rip him apart till he finds a satisfying way to redress his inequity.

The ride is not too long, utter silence unbreakable. Daehyun seems to be dwelling on something, lips folded tightly and gaze unfaltering on the road. Youngjae wonders honestly how long he'll have to be stuck in Daehyun's plans. It's blatant Daehyun isn't telling him the full story. Why does he need to still check up on Heechul when the caretaker is around? And what did he mean that his mother was not hostile towards his father, yet was not "okay" with him?

Sure, he may not need to know about these details, but he can't let his guard down knowing Daehyun has withheld some information from him. He may be... civil, but it doesn't change the fact that Jung Daehyun cannot be trusted. Just the obvious power difference in their relationship, further pulled by the leverage Daehyun has over him, is already key cause for him to be on his toes at all times.

He still can't believe Minki had the cheek to invite Daehyun into the house when he was showering. Daehyun could have easily overpowered and taken advantage of Minki with them being alone. Sometimes, Youngjae wonders what exactly he needs to drill it into Minki's head that being so foolishly optimistic only makes him vulnerable. To prance around so carelessly with some misguided Cinderella complex, Youngjae can only hope Minki will be fortunate enough to settle down with a decent Alpha on his first try. What did Minki hope to achieve in being polite and mannerful? Does he think Daehyun will spare them if they're courteous towards him? Daehyun already has enough subordinates to bow and grovel before him.

The most important thing right now is to settle this affair once and for all. Daehyun gave him an opening to redeem himself through his mother, but Youngjae still needs a safety net to guarantee that if their arrangement is ever over, Daehyun will not out him. He did some research in his own time and it seems like the public isn't aware that the wife of the famed Jung Yunho suffers from dementia and a severe aversion towards Alphas. He'd seen several articles from a decade ago questioning why Heechul attended less and less in public events over the years but the controversy quickly died out, what with Jung Yunho himself fading out of the business scene as his three sons took over his empire.

Would video proof of Heechul be enough to assure his safety? Youngjae isn't sure what move to make, in truth. If Daehyun is being nice now and keeping his word out of mercy and cheap generosity, to push Daehyun's limits would be equivalent to death. He may be overexaggerating his use to Daehyun, after all. Daehyun had claimed it was not optimal for him to seek Omega outsiders and Youngjae knows very well where he is coming from. Families like the Jungs who stands at the highest rung of the social ladder can collapse into the landfill with simply one scandal. If rumours went about that some nobody Omega was involved with none other than Jung Daehyun, it would spell immense trouble. What Omega would not want to get embroiled in such a delectable controversy like that if he could profit so much more off the doom of Jung Daehyun? 

Still, Youngjae doesn't understand why Daehyun can't hire a legal substitute whenever Heechul's assigned caretaker is not around. From what he's seen, if a stranger like him can be accepted by Heechul, it wouldn't be too hard for Daehyun to seek a replacement Omega that Heechul would comply with. It's likely that the caretaker is an Omega which is why he's absent nowThe sitter must be someone special to Heechul or the rest of the family for the Jungs to insist on keeping him within their employment.

Even if he has dirt on the renowned Jung family, it makes no difference if Daehyun has the capabilities to silence him before he even spreads word out. He could just be shooting himself in the foot.

There's more to this than what meets the eye. Daehyun may believe it slipped Youngjae's scrutiny but Youngjae hasn't forgotten about the rest of Daehyun's family. Why does this whole affair seem more of a discreet arrangement between just them two, rather than Youngjae and the entire Jung family? Shouldn't the family tree share the responsibility of taking care of Heechul rather than leaving it all to the youngest son? Sure, Youngjae may delude himself into believing Daehyun kept the deal under wraps for his sake, wanting to protect his identity, but things simply do not add up. Daehyun's father and his two other alpha brothers are wholly left out of the equation.

Anyway... it's wrong to blackmail them using Heechul's photos. Heechul is innocent. Youngjae melts into a frustrated grimace and he momentarily shuts his eyes. Perhaps Minki is beginning to rub off on him. For now, Youngjae can ascertain he is safe, and his main goal will be to have Heechul favour him. Since Daehyun evidently cares a great deal for his mother, Youngjae just has to win Heechul over to keep Daehyun quiet.

As they cruise down a narrow road along the b street lights and lavish terraces, the scenery dies out into a vast expanse of empty land and the disgustingly wealthy, able to frolick in such tamed meadows and impeccably sliced grass blades while the hoi polloi are cramped in urban high-rise shoebox apartments. Daehyun stops the car in the driveway and surveys the scenery cautiously.

Just then, a familiar figure bolts out the front door, Youngjae immediately recognising Yongguk's lanky profile in the murky nightfall. Yongguk bows swiftly as the two exit the car, the secretary flashing a small smile to the Omega.

"Mr. Jung, the house is cleared," Yongguk informs. Daehyun sends him a quick nod as Youngjae follows him in, the juxtaposition of utter darkness and seething lights excruciatingly jarring. The Jung household is prim and proper as usual, as if the place is bleached and whitewashed every minute of the day, filthy footsteps of onyx leather shoes and pretentious laughter scrubbed out from porcelain.

Once again, Daehyun leads Youngjae down the brightly lit hallway etched with intricate patterns into the wallpaper. The paintings hung up on the wall are almost generically sophisticated and Youngjae turns his attention back to the familiar room at the very end. They slow to a stop as Daehyun noticeably hesitates for a moment, before he gestures for Yongguk to come over.

"Mr. Kim," Yongguk starts, knocking lightly on the door. Silence stands still against the separation between the three and the man cooped up in his room, Yongguk pressing his lips together and slowly trying once more.

"Mr. Kim, someone would like to see you," Yongguk says gently. Again, there is not a hint of a reply, unnerving Youngjae quite a bit. Yongguk glances back to Daehyun who nods after a pregnant pause.

"I'm opening the door now, Mr. Kim," Yongguk informs, turning the door knob with an excruciating caution, seemingly afraid to make even a decibel of noise. The door creaks open thinly and reveals a dimly lit interior, drenched in blurs of darkness against the cutting corners and a sole tungsten night light bleeding amber over the bed.

Heechul is lying on the mattress, frail form inert against the velvet blue sheets. He feebly veers his head over and Daehyun instinctively takes a step forward, breathing, "Mother-"

"Don't..." Heechul croaks, rasp straining against his windpipe. "Don't come near me." His glassy irises flicker away for a moment before something seems to catch his attention, Heechul pivoting back with much difficulty and latching his eyes on the Omega shrouded behind the two figures.

Heechul bats his lashes against his haggard cheeks weakly, parting his lips as the wretched fatigue gnawing at his bones glint with a slight astonishment. He attempts to speak, mouth falling open and shutting several times as he lifts his arm agonisingly. Youngjae gingerly steps past Daehyun and approaches Heechul carefully, uncertainly kneeling by the gaunt Omega's bedside.

"...It's you," Heechul mumbles, his stare sweeping over Youngjae's face before it darts to Daehyun and Yongguk. Knowing their presences are unwelcomed, Yongguk bows and shuts the door quietly behind them.

With the nightfall backed against the perimetre of the room, the room is eerily dark, the sole light source tinting Heechul's skin with a queer orange. Just then, Heechul melts into a small, amiable smile, chapped lips tearing against brittle teeth.

Guilt instantly swarms Youngjae as his fingers curl, gazing at the emaciated man laid out before him. How could he have considered manipulating Heechul to guarantee his own safety? He is already suffering.

"Who are you?" Heechul wheezes, noticeably much calmer than usual. Their first meeting had been rather chaotic as Heechul was absolutely frenzied, spluttering over his words and showing just how garbled his train of thought was. Today, however, he does not burst into any sudden, jarring spiels, simply regarding the man beside him quietly.

Youngjae deliberates for a moment, wondering if Heechul had truly forgotten his name. He can seize the opportunity to offer an alias so as to safeguard his identity, but if Heechul does remember, he'll be outright lying straight to the man's face.

"My name... is Youngjae." The young Omega observes as Heechul chuckles lightly, rolling his head back to peer absentmindedly at the ceiling.

"I know that..." His voice shrivels into a hacking cough, alarming Youngjae for a split second. "I want to know who you are."

Quietness permeates the night air of chirping cicadas and skinned wind, Youngjae flitting his lashes. He presses his lips together as he debates on what to say. How will he tell Heechul the strange relationship Youngjae shares with his son, renowned AXS corporate head Jung Daehyun?

"You said my dear Himchanie sent you, but you... are always with them," his voice noticeably burns into a stark resentment, the strain going as fast as it comes. Heechul slowly bats his lashes against the blue-black underneath his eyes, gaze trained relentlessly on the ceiling. "My Himchan would never let them come near you..."

Youngjae keeps mum, Heechul emanating a shaky sigh. Silence stacks against the four suffocating pillars, the auburn lighting blending into darkness and only serving to cramp the perimetre of the room.

"Alphas are monsters..." Heechul whispers in a broken rasp, stare finally flickering down to meet Youngjae's eyes. "Stay away from them."

The words strike a pertinent cord within Youngjae's windpipe, the young Omega delving his gaze into Heechul's glassy irises. Heechul's jaundiced skin stretches over his thin, protruding knuckles, his fingers convulsing slightly as he takes in a deep breath.

"I... have suffered for many years in this house," Heechul wheezes, brink of his words strained against a hinting despondency. He gulps thickly and shuts his eyes. "But I guess... this is karma. For what I did to him."

Once again, stillness engulfs the room, leaving Youngjae to ponder on a response. Should he speak or should he simply keep quiet? Clenching his hands lightly, he softly speaks up, "...Who, Mr. Kim?"

Heechul blinks slowly, lethargy clawing on to the fibre of his skin. Time seems to slow down in a room where the nightfall is drenching and a man with too many wrinkles into his skin lays still, leaving the outside world to rush past in a blur.

"He," Heechul exhales weakly. "He who was loved, while I was not. I... was foolish." He abruptly chokes on his words, hissing as though he'd been stung with melted iron and gasping for breath. Youngjae frantically rises but Heechul puts out a hand, falling back like a rag doll into the pillow.

"Why..." Heechul strains, inhaling choppily as he eventually settles down his breathing. "Why... did I want love from a monster like that?" The mood dampens pertinently as grief shimmers against Heechul's bloodshot eyes, his eyes darting over to his desk. He angles his chin pointedly towards the array of conch shells strewn across the display chest, fervently churning out incoherent noises.

Youngjae quickly heads for the chest, eyeing the display cabinet with dozens of conch shells arranged against each other. Juxtaposed against the sea-like atmosphere of the room, the pristine multitude seems almost ethereal, as though the entire room is a still frame sliced out of a moment. Youngjae gingerly retrieves one from the drawer and hands it over to Heechul, the feeble Omega nearly dropping the ornament.

Heechul bring it to his ear and shuts his eyes, his laboured breathing simmering into a tranquil quietness and leaving only the whirr of the air-conditioning in place. 

Minutes pass. Heechul's brittle exhales cracks the extended wordlessness. He deteriorates into a thin, listless smile as he presses the conch shell closer to his ear.

"You can hear... the ocean in here," Heechul whispers, fingers slipping over the shell's ridges. Its spiral is splattered with an awry black, trails faded along the honey brown swirls.

It takes the silhouette of ocean waves and thirty minutes of sandy breathing for Heechul to fall asleep, his hand falling limp as the shell plops by his side. Youngjae quietly takes the conch shell and places it on the bedside table in case Heechul needs it later. He remains sitting by Heechul's side for a long while before rising, carefully padding to the door.

As the door thinly creaks open, Youngjae's eyes land on Daehyun standing in the corridor, the latter's head immediately whipping over. Youngjae instinctively puts a finger to his lips as Daehyun paces over gingerly, footsteps tapping inaudibly into the polished floor.

Youngjae steps aside and warily regards Daehyun as the Alpha steps in, gazing down silently at his mother. There's an uncharacteristic softness to his countenance, what with the intimidation and no-nonsense mindset chiselled into his sharp, bleak eyes and absent smile. Daehyun gets onto his knees and kneels by his mother's bedside, simply observing his mother for a long while without spilling a single word.

He finally lowers his gaze and glances over to the CD player on the bedside table. He prods a few buttons and a slow song brews in the stillness, swaying along with the intruding breeze. It's a familiar folk song, the velvety voice waltzing across the quietness.

My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
My Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

The words simmer out from the speakers as Daehyun stands, once more peering silently at his sleeping mother. The resonance of plucked violin strings settles comfortably, Heechul's words still gurgling in the ba