A/N: It's been a long while since I've updated this. Sorry about that!
I've decided that I really like the idea of Saeran actually calling Saeyoung Hyung. I understand the others would have different ways to call each other too, but I'll leave to just the brothers for now.
It was so cute to realize that Saeran called his brother Hyung even in the game. Even when he was Unknown.
I can't really go back here on ff to change all of it. Sorry!
Other news is that I've actually got a plot planned in my head for more of this story. I'm considering having the pov change once in a while to Yuna, but please let me know what you think about that. I don't want it to be too jarring.
Then again, maybe I won't. I'll think on it.
Also I really wish I could add the RFA emojis.
Yoosung: So what was it like meeting Seven, Yuna?
Yuna: Fun! Seven's cute and funny just like I expected. :3
Yuna: Though he pretended to be Five at first.
You: ?!
You: Cute?
Yuna: Yes, cute. ;3
You: A compliment!
500: …
Yuna: What's with the emoji, Five? Jealous? ;3c
500: No.
Yuna: You're cute too!
500: Thank you.
Yoosung: Yeah, Five is cute!
You: Lolololol Yeong-un, your face is as red as your hair!
500: ...Shut up.
Yoosung: At least Five doesn't bully me T-T
Yoosung:That's why I like him better.
Yoosung:Oh! Yuna, what is Rika's apartment like?
You: She can't tell you where it is, dude.
Yoosung: I know that! Even if I think it's unfair…
Yuna: It's okay. I can't really touch much in here, so it's a little suffocating.
Yuna: But since I have to go out a lot to help Zen, it's fine.
Yuna: Not being able to touch anything just makes me more curious, though…
You: Don't do it lol
You: You'll set off the bomb.
Yoosung: Bomb?!
500: She'll set off an alarm first.
Yuna: That just makes it more tempting. Would I hear the alarm?
You: omg yuna don't open the drawers.
500: Seriously, don't do it. :(
Yuna: I'm kidding. I'm not going to risk setting off the security system.
Yoosung: Is there really a bomb there? ;n;
You: Yuna IS da bomb
Yuna: OH YEAH
You: BA BA BA BAM!
Yuna: That actually reminds me
Yuna: R-E-C-O-M-M-E-N-D-A-T-I-O-N-S plz~
Yoosung: Lol she's really on it
500: It's good to see that ^^
Yoosung: I actually do have someone I can recommend!
500: Oh...Yoosung wait
500: Before you start…
500: Hyung, we have to leave.
You: What?
You: Oh.
Yuna: Really? Already? :(
Yuna: You weren't even here that long…
500: Sorry, Yuna.
You: Yeah, he's right, we g2g.
You: Work is calling.
Yuna: You're always working. Tell them you're busy with us~
You: lol wish I could can u imagine?
500: That wouldn't end well.
Yoosung:They're pretty strict, aren't they?
Yoosung:After all, you're hackers.
500: That's part of it…
500: Anyway, I'll take my leave first.
500: We probably won't be back for a couple of days.
Yoosung: A couple of days? But you just got back!
500: I know…
You: We're slaves;; what can we do?
500: Good night Yuna...Yoosung…
Yuna: Bye!
Yoosung: Be safe!
[500 has left the chatroom!]
You: I don't wanna goooooooo
Yuna: T-T Don't go…
You: I'm being abducted!
You: Can't...stay…!
Yuna: NO! THE ALIENS GOT HIM!
You: fhjdal;sjfsdakakkakiis
Yuna: RIP, God Seven T-T
[You have left the chatroom!]
Saeyoung groaned loudly as he rolled off of his bed and to his feet. Saeran had already exited the bedroom to go get his contact lenses to wear instead. Neither brother wanted to go to go to the temporary base, but they had to do the job. The fact that it even required two informers over just one just showed how big of a job it was.
"Why did we accept?" Saeyoung asked. "Those guys are assholes."
"For the money." Saeran responded glumly. He was half-hearted in his movements as he put in his contact lenses and brushed his hair. Saeyoung had already packed up some of his clothing as well as the materials he thought that he might need on the job. At least it wouldn't be neither his nor Saeran's job to infiltrate the building. They could stay behind and keep an eye on the systems.
"...You should have just let me go alone." Saeyoung climbed to his feet and pulled on his tactical vest over the top of his clothing. His playfulness from the chatroom fell away from him like a jacket, discarded to be put on again at a later time. Saeran exited the bathroom to pick up his own vest and pull it on. Saeyoung put up his hood to block out his shock of red hair. "It's not like I can't handle it." Probably, he didn't add.
Saeran heard it anyway and shot him a frown. "I can handle it too."
"You know that's not why I don't want you to go."
Saeran sighed. "I know I have history with them...but they should at least be mature...right?"
Saeyoung scoffed. When was anybody in the agency actually mature? Saeyoung was just angrier that he had been punished for fighting back the last time he had saw them.
He could still remember how Saeran had looked when the men had tasered him for the fun of it. Saeyoung had seen red faster than anything else before as he had tackled them and laid into them. He had managed to bloody up one of their faces before he had been slammed to the floor and tasered as well. Vanderwood had been the one to break them all up, but Saeyoung and Saeran had suffered for it as the agency separated the brothers for two weeks and threw them both into cold chambers, blindfolded and naked with little food or water.
Saeyoung swallowed against the memory of it had tortured Saeran for no reason but for the knowledge that it enraged Saeyoung. The agency was a shit hole, but they couldn't do much worse than what they had suffered through with their mother. A few weeks without food or water and locked in the darkness was barely anything.
"You should've just let me take the job. You did just get back from a long one. You should focus on the party." He suggested, brought of his memories as the brothers carried their duffel bags to the trunk of one of Saeyoung's cars.
"It's fine. I'm used to it." Saeran climbed into the passenger seat and waited for Saeyoung to get behind the wheel before adding, "Besides...I think we should both distance ourselves a bit."
Saeyoung was silent as he backed the car out of the garage and drove off down the street. He didn't need to respond to his brother because Saeyoung knew that he was right. The both of them were too deep. They weren't supposed to be close to any of the RFA members. They didn't know what would happen in the future.
"...Is that your decision, then?" He asked after a long time. "Do you want to leave the RFA when we leave the agency?"
Saeran gazed down at his hands. "I don't want to leave the RFA. But...what choice do we have?"
Saeyoung didn't know.
"The agency could go after them if we stay. But I don't want to leave either."
"Then we need to thoroughly take down the agency. Completely expose them." This was a conversation they had run through on more than one occasion. It sent chills through Saeyoung's body. He had to remind himself that there weren't any bugs in his car so that the agency could hear them. He checked them daily.
"...Yes."
"If we do, though, we're going to be exposed as well."
"I'm...less worried about our father finding us and more worried about Vanderwood." Saeran glanced at his brother. "Have you thought about what we should do with him?"
"Vanderwood is easy." Saeyoung mused. "He doesn't want to die anymore than any of us. If we took down the agency completely, then he would be freed as well."
"But what if he turns on us?"
"Then we do what we need."
"Does that involve leaving?"
"I…" He hesitated, then frowned. "I don't know, Saeran-ah."
He imagined leaving now like he had done in the past. Abandoning his life and friends with only V and his brother as his contacts. He would never see Yoosung, or Zen, or Yuna ever again. He and Saeran would disappear from the map to live alone somewhere completely anonymously. Away from the risk of their father or any vengeful agents or from abuse. Just the two of them, finally happy.
His heart ached in his chest at never going to another RFA party. He could still hear Yuna's laugh in his ears. He recalled the look of longing in his brother's face the last time the two of them had hung out with Yoosung.
[You have entered the chatroom!]
Yuna: Seven! 3
You: Heeeeello~
Yuna: Are you and Five home safe?
You: lol ya it was al fine. nothin to worry bout.
Yuna: Where is Five?
You: don't worry about him
You: He'll probly be here soon.
You: hw is the party goin?
Yuna: It's going well!
Yuna: I already emailed a couple of guests and have some people in mind.
Yuna: You missed V popping by briefly.
You: Oh. I missed him.
Yuna: He couldn't stay very long.
You: ye I saw the chat
Yuna: I've missed you! It's only been a couple days
Yuna: but I've been suuuuper bored without you to play with!
You: ya?
Yuna: Yeah!
Yuna: …
Yuna: Are you okay, Seven?
Yuna: You seem quiet…
You: I'm fine.
Yuna: You're making a lot more typos than usual
You: i'm typin w/ 1 hand.
You: brok my thumb
Yuna: What? How? Are you okay?
You: Yeong-un is lookin at it
[500 has entered the chatroom!]
Yuna: Yeong-un! You're safe!
500: Hello
Yuna: Seven said he broke a finger?
500: Yeah...It should be fine.
You: It's a bit hard to type...worried about my job.
Yuna: Can you still hack though?
You: I can still use my toes.
Yuna: Your toes?!
You: ya
Yuna: Is that all that's bothering you?
Yuna: What happened?
500: We can't go into details about it…
500: We just...had a bit of trouble.
You: unnecessary trouble
Yuna: It's okay if you don't go into details! I'm here to listen :3
You: We already said we cant talk about it.
500: Hyung…
You: Yeong-un, you should rest.
500: You're hurt worse than me. I'm fine.
Yuna: I want to make you feel better, Luciel.
You: God...I already said I'm fine.
500: Yuna, he's not in a good mood…
Yuna: I get that and that's okay!
You: we cant talk about how our coworkers are trash
You: n how they would probly kill us if they could
You: n how they r bullies
You: n how next time i see them im gonna make sur they never work with us again
500: Hyung.
500: You should put the phone down and go sleep. You haven't slept the past few nights.
Yuna: You don't have to shut him down.
Yuna: What about those guys, Luciel?
Yuna: Can I help you at all?
You: ...
You: You're probably right, Yeong-un.
You: I'm going to sleep.
Yuna: wait
[You have left the chatroom!]
"Hyung." Saeran gently grabbed Saeyoung's phone and pulled it from his grip. Saeyoung allowed him, still steaming with his own anger. He couldn't help having lost control in the chatroom. He needed to be better than that, though. He couldn't lose his cool like that.
But he couldn't help his fury as it reignited at the sight of the bruises darkening Saeran's skin. His nose was still red and swollen from when it had been broken during the fight. As soon as "teammates" had broken Saeyoung's thumb, Saeran had jumped at them and started swinging. If their team leader hadn't been against the petty fighting and had ratted them out to the boss, Saeyoung was sure that he and his brother would be missing from the RFA for longer than a couple of days.
"It's bullshit!" Saeyoung spat as he ran an exhausted and shaking hand over his face. He hated the scrape of the bandage binding up his thumb, but he couldn't do anything about it. The knuckles on his hands were still swollen as well. Everything ached. "What is it about us that makes people want to beat our damn faces in? I'm tired of it!"
"I know." Saeran agreed.
"This is the last time." Saeyoung swore, voice dropping. He took the ice pack from the table and carefully pressed it to Saeran's nose. "I won't let anybody hurt you like this again, Saeran-ah."
"You don't always have to defend me, Hyung." Saeran responded softly, taking a hold of the ice pack for himself to hold it. "I can protect myself now."
"I'm your brother." He met Saeran's eyes. "I'll always protect you, and you'll always protect me, right?"
Saeran's eyes softened. "Yeah."
"Besides," he quickly changed his tone as he shot him a wry grin. His mouth hurt from the split lip he had, "you were pretty quick to jump Kim's ass fast enough, hahaha!" His heart was lightening a bit. His anger wasn't burning as hot, although it still hovered there in his chest quickening his heart rate.
"He broke your finger." Saeran's voice darkened, glaring at Saeyoung's thumb.
"Exactly. Looking out for each other just like always." Just like they had promised when they had both entered the agency.
The brothers fell silent to allow the moment to sink in. Saeyoung thought once again about his choice to have Saeran join the agency too. How different his life would be if his brother hadn't been beside him throughout the training in the agency. If Saeyoung hadn't let Saeran also read the hacking books with him because two minds earning money had been better than one. Saeyoung didn't know if he would be better or worse off if Saeran had been left to Rika and V's care. He tried not to think about it often even though it continued to invade his mind.
Saeyoung's phone vibrating from next to them startled them both out of their thoughts. Yuna's adorable icon lit up the screen. Saeyoung's mouth tightened before he ignored the call. Saeran said nothing but stood up with a small wince.
"I should go home." He said. "And you should rest."
"You should stay the night here so you can get some sleep too." Saeyoung protested. "You're dead on your feet too."
Saeran shrugged a bit. "I need to go home sometime this month. It's been too long since I've been there. And I think I have a contact for Yuna there."
Saeyoung's phone began to ring again. Again he ignored it. He put the phone in his pocket. "I still don't like that place." He grumped. The both of them had been granted two separate bases to stay at even though both brothers tended to sleep at Saeyoung's house more. It was better protected and had much better security, plus Vanderwood couldn't access it as easily. But Saeran still had his own apartment that he stayed at too. Saeyoung rarely went over there.
"It's alright."
"It's too unprotected. You can't put hardly any security measures there."
"You've told me before, Hyung."
"Just bring your plants over here." Saeyoung said as his phone once again went off in his pocket. "That's the only reason you go back anyway."
Saeran scoffed and gathered his bag onto his good shoulder. He still looked haggard as all hell. "You don't have any windows here. They would die."
"I can't believe you love your plants more than me!"
"Good bye , Hyung." Saeran waved as he walked towards the garage door. "Get some sleep please."
"Yeah," Saeyoung waved back, "you too."
Once his brother was gone Saeyoung made his way over to the computer room and turned on the feed for Rika's apartment. Surprisingly enough Saeyoung could see Yuna purposely lingering in front of the camera with a stubborn set to her face as she brought her phone to her ear. He groaned as his phone went off again. She really wasn't going to stop calling him, would she?
Reluctantly he picked up the phone, letting his head thump onto the desk. "Yuna…"
"I knew you would pick up eventually." Yuna said instead of a greeting, only sounding a smidge smug. "Most people do. I didn't think you would fall asleep too fast."
"I can't talk about it." He told her in a stony voice before she could ask the question she clearly wanted to. He turned his head so he could continue to monitor the feed. Against his will, his heart lightened to see her. She was beautiful today too with her hair in a loose thick braid that hung over her shoulder. He wondered if she would let him braid her hair sometime.
"That's fine. I get it." She sighed, looking sad but understanding. "I can...kind of guess what happened based on what you said. But you and Yeong-un are okay, right?"
Saeyoung wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep to her voice, but he didn't want to stop looking at her. His eyes stung from having stared at computer screens for days with a lack of sleep. "We're fine."
"Okay. That's good. Um...Do you want me to tell you what's happened while you were gone? Since we can't talk about your work."
"I'm probably going to pass out soon, to be honest."
"Just make some noises to let me know you're still awake and listening." She laughed. "And when you stop doing that, I'll assume you're asleep." Saeyoung hummed, eyes closing. "Are you at least in your bed?"
"Mm-mm."
"Come on, God Seven~" She teased. "At least lay down in your bed~ Go go go go go!"
Saeyoung did as she commanded with great displeasure, but the feeling of his bed against his sore body had him groaning in pleasure. "Holy shit...I've missed my beeeeeed~"
Yuna didn't respond right away, but Saeyoung heard her breathing. After a moment she cleared her throat and asked, "Are you comfortable then? I'll tell you about how the party is going."
"Jus' a sec." He muttered and scrambled out of his jeans and over shirt so he was left in his boxers and an undershirt. "Okay...go."
He fell asleep far too quickly to even remember what happened past the mention of Zen.