Chapter Text
The Arseni household has never seen a day of peace, not with three children with three different persona living under the same roof. No one would believe this house is the residence of the famous and the most dangerous mafia leader- Vassily Arseni. He has earned quite a name in his country - his name became his country's identity. The chaos was inevitable when he had two sons of his own, God blessed him . Not one but two healthy offspring of his own to carry his legacy, he was really god's favourite child.
Over the years he could feel the difference between his children - his older son Thee was empathetic, soft and devoted but his younger one- menace , loud and basically his carbon copy. Both his sons were seen as threat to the outer world so he didn't miss a day to train them accordingly. He wanted his children to be more fierce and stronger than him as every parent would want for their child. Thee was just 8 years old when his enemy targeted his child when he wasn't in the city, the day he got the news he created havoc in the enemies territory but the fear of losing his child to anything made his spirit tremble. He has never lost a day in this game that he plays everyday but the thought of his children being a pawn ate him alive everyday.
One day while he was petroling his city to check the ongoing business and trades on the streets he saw a young Asian boy guarding a little girl with his body. He was shielding the girl with his own skinny body but his eyes spoke louder to him. He ordered his driver to take him to the crowd circled around that little boy. The little boy roared and threw some coins at a shopkeeper and claimed that the little girl didn't steal anything and even if she did, he'll pay on behalf of her. The crowd around was laughing and enjoying the scene when the shopkeeper lodged a plain stick on the boy's body. He started beating the young boy but the boy didn't move an inch ,still properly shielding the little girl. The boy's bravery moved his heart , he moved out of the car and walked over to the crowd. The mass seeing him started whispering and some even moved out of his way due to fear , he ordered the unaware shopkeeper to stop. Everyone around was stunned, they were seeing him out in the broad light in flesh instead of reading news of his terrorism. He could hear his own breathing over the silence. He threw a bundle of money to the shopkeeper and ordered him to get lost. The crowd got the message and moved slowly away from where the mafia stood. The young boy looked at him worried but stoic in his stance.
Vassily- what's your name?
Boy- Mok
Vassily- where do you live?
Boy- nearby orphanage
Vassily- come , take me there.
The boy and the little girl quietly followed him to his car and they were already at the orphanage the boy mentioned in mere seconds. Something about the boy has moved him, he could see his younger self in him so he made up his mind to do something unexpected. He adopted him.
Vassily- from today , You are a part of Arseni. You'll come with me to my home, you'll meet my sons- Thee and Rome. You owe nothing to me but your loyalty towards Thee.
Mok- sir?
Vassily- you'll understand. Come
Vassily entered his villa holding the younger boy's hand guiding him in. His sons came running to him excited to see their father but stopped midway confused, he already knew the reason. His younger son spoke without hesitation to cure his curiosity
Rome- Dad , who's this?
Vassily - Mok
Rome repeated his name as a whisper, he then came close to the boy to look properly at him. He saw a slim boy with a chiseled face and scars evidently new on his skin. He has a faded scar near his eye while his eyes were really small and cute , he was as tall as him but definitely a lot slimmer. A minute passed by without anyone saying anything, just Rome looking at the boy's appearance but the boy's eyes didn't even look at him once instead they were focused on his brother Thee.
Vassily - Mok these are my son , Thee and Rome. You'll now live here as a member of Arseni. You'll learn everything my sons are learning and are going to train with them.
Mok- Yes sir
Rome- sir? Is he a servant, dad?
Vassily- no he is not. He's here to live his life alongside you as your brother / friend whatever you want to treat him as, it's up to you.
Thee- You randomly brought a boy to our house?
Vassily - he's a good kid. Make him feel welcome , son.
Mok looked over Rome to the taller boy there, he was definitely older than him in age too so he walked the distance between them and extended his hand
Mok- I'm Mok
Thee looked a little surprised with the sudden action but he faked a smile and shook his hand
Thee - welcome Mok. I'm Thee , over there is my younger brother Rome
Rome was expecting an introduction too but Mok didn't even turn towards him to acknowledge him. His father instructed the maid to take Mok to his assigned room to freshen up . After he was out of sight, his father told them how he met Mok and why he decided to bring a boy to their home. Listening to the story , Thee looked a little sad while Rome only got more curious. Vassily told the boys Mok will live in their home from now on and will train alongside them every day. They didn't show him any reaction, his sons just took that as an order and didn't dwell on it further.
Mok was surprised to see the size of the room he got assigned, he never got anything of his own in the orphanage but here a stranger has given him a place to live , eat and rest without anything in return. He walked over to the closet which already was filled with some casual and some fancy clothes of his size. He then walked over to the washroom, took a bath and changed his clothes to the new one provided there. He couldn't believe that now he has his own place, as he was thinking to himself - the maid knocked on the door to call him for dinner. He quickly dashed over to the dining hall to not appear out of the place. The boys he saw earlier were already seated beside their father , he awkwardly moved and sat in the seat beside Thee.
Thee- what's your age Mok?
Mok- I'm 10 sir
Thee- Don't call me sir. You're not a servant here , just call me Thee. You're of the same age as Rome over here , I'm 15
Mok- ok
Rome- you can call me Rome too.
The sudden voice made him look at the younger son properly, earlier he was so close to him that he didn't dare to look at his face so he focused on the floor instead.
Mok - ok
The whole dinner went by too quickly because of the shared chatter and stories between the family. Mok could feel how loved both brothers were by their father, their father listened to the boys stories fondly without interrupting them once. If Mok isn't wrong, he could say he figured out the boys characters based on their stories alone. Thee talked about nature, his hobbies and some shows he saw earlier while all Rome talked about the fights he engaged in the following week. After having dinner , Thee asked him to join him for a walk around the house . As he was about to nod his head, the younger one spoke abruptly
Rome- I'll show him. Brother, let me show him the house.
Mok looked over to see how energetic he sounded but he remembered how Vassily mentioned Thee to him when he was taking him to their home
Mok- I'll go with Thee
Thee smirked playfully at Rome who huffed loudly listening to Mok's response. Rome saw Mok follow his brother out of his sight. He was confused as to why the new boy took a sudden liking to his older boring brother. He obviously loves his brother very much but their interests force them to be apart most of the time. His brother loves to waste his time watching daily soap opera while he loves to spend his time with his friends running around. He got annoyed and ran up to his room . Vassily followed Thee and Mok and saw Mok indulging in his son's interests keenly. He saw how he actively listened to everything his son was saying , he has never seen Thee with any friends around. He has never seen Thee talking to anyone else other than Rome , he was more interested in spending his time alone. Maybe he really made the right decision taking Mok to their house, as Thee came around to him with Mok - he sent Thee to his room to sleep.
Vassily - Mok , you have to stay with Thee as his shield. My son is just too soft with everyone so I need you to be his shadow from now on.
Mok- Ok sir
From that day , Mok was always around Thee to learn about his hobbies and interests. Not only as his duty but he genuinely liked being with him around even though he had to sit hours watching soap operas with him but he didn't mind. The only thing he didn't know to deal with in his new surroundings was Rome. He still couldn't figure out the boy his age , he was always moody and annoyed but still insisted on tagging along with them . After two weeks of being there , Rome finally talked to him instead of watching him from far
Rome - why do you avoid me?
Mok- I don't avoid you
Rome - i always see you follow my brother around like a lost child
Mok- I'm a lost child
Rome went quiet listening to his answer , he shouldn't have replied to him like that so he looked over to see his changed expression. Livin' together, he got to know how one can figure Rome just only by his expressions
Rome- you're the same age as me , shouldn't you play with me? Why do you go and play with my brother?
Mok- Thee is mostly alone so it's better to be with him. You have your friends with you, I don't like being around many people
As Rome was about to say something, his older brother walked in interrupting their chat
Thee- are you here to disturb Mok? Go play with your friends
Mok- it's okay. We were just talking
Rome left the room annoyed, to be honest since he came here , Rome has always been irritated around him- so he tries to be non chalant about it.
Thee- leave him be. Anyways my birthday is in 2 days and my parents called my school friends over for a party without even asking me. You have to be present Mok
Mok- birthday? I don't have anything to give you Thee
Thee- just be there okay. I don't even consider them friends but for the sake of my parents I'll try to enjoy
Mok- okay
The whole house was decorated with flowers and ribbon for Thee's special day, in the noon time many kids with their parents started to gather around the large hall. Mok was instructed by Thee to dress nicely and tag along with him to the hall so he chose a brown shirt with a black vest and normal beige pants and sprinted down to join the gathering. As he was going down , Rome saw him near the stairs
Rome- huh what are you wearing?
Mok- is it not normal?
Rome - i mean,why are you so dressed up
Mok- it's for your brother's birthday and You are dressed up too
Rome- whatever
Rome went down the stairs leading to the grand hall decorated with flowers and balloons all over . Mok waited for Thee near the stairs, after minute Thee finally joined him
Thee - why didn't you come to my room ? Next time , just come and wait there
Mok- okay
As Thee walked into the hall , the people started singing the birthday song for him and a grand cake was brought in front of him. As he was about to blow the candle , he was pushed aside by force which made him stumble to the carpet. Bang. Everyone screamed and started running around hearing the sound of the firing, Thee looked back and saw Mok lying down on the ground wounded. It was Mok who pushed him and took the bullet , he crawled up to him to see Mok was unconscious but was bleeding heavily from his shoulder. The wound on his shoulder was covered with red liquid gushing out of it but Mok. Soon the staff came and hoisted Mok's body and ran to his room. His father and mother stopped him from following them, the day he was supposed to enjoy became the day he wished didn't exist. Soon the attacker was caught when he was fleeing the grounds and was dealt with then and there. He heard his father ordering the guards to shoot him after torturing him but he didn't interfere because he deserved it for doing this to his only friend. His father ordered his bodyguards to lock Rome and him in a room shielding them for more safety and for the first time he saw terror in Rome's eyes. Rome was sitting on the bed with his eyes red , maybe he cried, Thee wasn't sure so he went to sit beside him. As Rome felt the mattress dip, he hugged his brother tightly who Sat next to him. The tears he was holding back finally found a way out , his body started shaking in the arms of his brother
Thee- I'm ok ,Rome. Mok will be too, don't worry
That didn't stop the tears that decided to flow from Rome's eyes as this was the first time they have experienced danger this close to them. Vassily entered the room and sighed seeing his sons holding each other, even as a gangster nothing prepares you for the feeling you experience when your own child is in danger
Thee- how's Mok? Is he alright? I want to see him Dad. Take me to him
Vassily- he's stable now, he's still not awake yet . The doctor has given him medicines to ease the pain so let him rest for now.
After a whole day and night , Thee and Rome followed their Dad to Mok's room - he was lying on his bed unaware of their presence at all.
Vassily- Mok , look who's here to see you
Mok opened his eyes listening to the sound of the voice . The wound on his shoulder didn't let him move his upper body at all
Thee- Mok.... You saved me ? Are you in pain?? Why did you do that??
Mok- I.. am.... Ok
Seeing Mok stutter in his speech finally broke Thee down in front of him. He started weeping seeing his friend in this condition, Mok saw the genuine worry on Thee's face up close clearly indicating he meant something to him. He remembered how his body reacted faster than his brain to guard Thee , nothing else came to his mind other than to keep Thee safe at that moment.
Vassily- Mok, you saved my son's life. You're really a wonder. Get well soon kid
The past few days Thee and Rome lived in constant worry over a kid who became an important part of their life unexpectedly but the situation made them realise how casual it became having Mok around. Thee couldn't eat for the whole day which surprised Rome , he thought his brother doesn't care about any other person that much but seeing him in this state shocked him. Rome heart burned for unknown reason maybe jealousy that his brother got someone who really would get a bullet for him but it ached more at the thought of Mok lying unconscious on his bed instead of following his brother. When his Dad told them to come meet Mok, he rushed to his side to just see the glimpse of him for reasons unknown to him.
Vassily- Rome , come talk to him
Rome came near the bed but couldn't find the words to speak, his own mouth betrayed him as it was unable to form words. Mok catched his eyes and somehow he smiled at him
Mok- I'm.....ok
Seeing Mok smile in pain was the worst thing he witnessed in his short life. Mok somehow managed to read his face and gave him assurance. He felt his heart ache seeing him like this. He looked at him a little longer but still couldn't speak a word
Thee- we'll let you rest ,Mok. Please get well soon
A month passed since the incident ,Mok was back to his daily routine which was following Thee and to learn to live in his new household. No one really talks about the incident but he can see how affected everyone was , how tense their eyes get seeing the remnant scar on his body of that night. That night proved him he wasn't alone now, he has this family who took him in and treats him like it's own.
Nothing really changed for him for a month until Thee announced they are going back to their school as the summer vacations ended. He was to join Rome as they are the same age and Thee would only meet him at lunch, he got anxious thinking about it as since the incident Rome has made every attempt to not be in his line of sight. He remembered seeing Rome when he opened his eyes after being unconscious for a day, he remembered Rome looked like he wanted a lot to say but he didn't. He agreed going to school as he liked the idea of being educated as Thee talked highly about educated individuals and he wanted to become someone liked by Thee.
He got ready wearing the school uniform and marched downstairs to join Rome and Thee. He knew they were supposed to be living their the whole session so he already had his bag packed.
Thee- excited?
Mok- yes
Rome - we'll be in same class
Mok- hm
The car stopped in front of them and all three hopped on their seats bidding goodbye to the parents. The ride to the school was quiet as they all were internally grieving for leaving their home , Mok looked at Thee who was pset since they left the house so he understood not to disturb him.
When they reached the school, it was Thee who broke the ice
Thee- Mok you'll be in the same classroom with Rome and maybe you'll be assigned to the same room as him. Tell me if you don't want to
Mok- it's ok
Rome - what do you mean by that , brother?
Thee- oh please. You know. I'm serious Mok, if he tries anything funny, just come find me
Rome - come let's find our room Mok otherwise he'll poison your mind against me
Being in school was the easiest thing Mok experienced in his life , the whole day he followed the routine given to him by the school itself and then went to bed without worrying for the next day. The only challenging thing there was living with Rome, the hot headed prince of the Arseni family who was quite famous in the school for his manor and mischief. Rome had his fair share of friends but it became a problem when Mok tried to make one so Mok tried to be as alone as possible. His reasoning being he's a member of Arseni so people will trick him to reveal their family secrets, he didn't want to be a trouble so he just let Rome's behaviour slide and spent his day mostly alone or with Rome himself.
He attends the class then goes to the library to pass his extra time and then to his room to catch up on his work. He occasionally finds Thee on the premise but it was really difficult to be with a senior, the gap in their age really sucks now. Time went by quickly for a year until it was Thee's graduation and Mok decided he didn't want to continue his schooling and wanted to be home schooled. Rome wasn't happy about it but wished the same
Thee- Mok , didn't you enjoy the school?
Mok- I did but I can study at home too. I heard you're applying for a private college
Thee- because father wants me to follow him in his path but I also want to study business so I'll attend the classes from home.
Mok- I'll do that too
Thee- you're really something.
And so according to his wishes , he was homeschooled along with Rome who for unknown reasons wanted to do the same.
( Two years later)
It was Thee's 18th birthday but the house didn't lit up as it used to because after that incident Thee refuses to celebrate his birthday. His father told him according to the tradition he's supposed to choose his own bodyguard which is an essential key to a mafia life. He was in a dilemma as he didn't have the heart to refuse his father. Rome heard about the tradition and was happy to see his brother accepting his true legacy while Mok didn't understand the need of anyone else when Vassily brought him in this household to serve Thee , no one knows that but him. When the family was having dinner together, Thee asked about his father how to choose a confidant whom he can trust with his life. His father just smiled softly at him as he was about to answer , his eyes darted towards Mok who for the first time since he came here dared to lift his hand to speak
Mok- can't I be Thee's bodyguard?
Thee- you're my friend, Mok
Rome- you're joking?
Mok - I'll train myself to be strong enough to protect Thee , sir
Vassily suddenly remembered the day he brought Mok to his house and the words he spoke to him hit his mind. He almost forgot the purpose of bringing Mok to his family but the child he brought didn't. Having Mok felt like having a family member now , he almost forgot that he maybe still treats himself as an outsider
Vassily- You're a part of our family now Mok. It's my fault if I made you feel like you have to prove that to us
Mok- family protects each other right? I'll protect Thee with my life . I don't think there's anyone more suitable for this
Vassily was stunned to hear a kid speak this confidently to him, it's rare for even grown ups to form sentences in front of him let alone a child. He looked at his children who were more than just confused,
Thee- Again, You are my friend. Mok.
Mok- I can be both
Rome huffed annoyed after Mok finished talking. Mok glanced at his direction and saw him making a displeased face , he is now immune to Rome's subtitled face but it's always a fun sight to watch so he lets his eyes wander for a second or two.
Vassily- well i cannot argue with that. If you want to, you'll be trained from now to see if you're capable of it. Thee will join you in the training so you both can look forward to that now
Rome- what about me?
Vassily- well ofcourse you can join them Rome.
The dinner ended with Thee having his father to himself for the night as his father doesn't come home often , he was spoiled with endless stories and raid his father faced while he was away from them. On the other side , Mok let himself be followed by Rome to the garden behind the mansion for a walk
Rome- I don't understand your obsession with my brother
Mok- it's not obsession
Rome- what is it? Tell me ?
Mok-you heard him , I'm his friend
Rome- since the day you came here , you've been following him like a dog
Mok- like you follow me?
Rome went still , he was just curious why his brother got close to an outsider so fast. He was certain it was just curiosity, he started keeping a watch on Mok to understand what made him closer to Thee but he couldn't.
Rome- i don't follow you. I just wanted to keep a watch on someone who wanted to be close to my brother
Mok- it's been years. I don't have any ill-intent towards your brother
Rome- I don't think a family member should be put out for a position of a bodyguard
Mok turned for a fraction of second towards Rome but Rome caught the change in his expression
Mok- family?
Rome- Aren't you a Arseni now? Just like Dad said , you're a part of the family
Mok could feel his heart warming , the way Rome so casually let him know that he was considered as their own pushed something inside him. For the first time in his life , someone made him feel like he belonged to something. Rome saw the stoic face that Mok wore crumbled into something soft , he let his eyes stare like it could disappear any second and it did , the subtle slip of emotion on Mok's face made his heart flutter as it was something he didn't wintess earlier
Mok- Goodnight
Mok strided across the lawn to go to his room away from Rome and Rome let him. He didn't understand why Mok always seem guarded even when his whole family has always treated him warmly . He only break his character when he's with Thee and that irritated Rome more than it should.
Days passed and the training begun with Mok and Thee with professionals teaching them for hours , the training was exceptionally hard on them as their lives depended on each other. He knew his father's life is in danger every second he breathed and now he's experiencing how is it to live as a mafia. He began to understand he was not cut out for his life but still gave his all seeing Rome and Mok beside him. Both seemed naturally gifted , both had strong determination and tough personality which made them equal in terms of strength and wits. A month passed with three of them training like soldiers and his dad ocassionally tested them all to see their progress, Mok and Thee were observed together and he knows Mok let him win everytime in front of their father to polish his pride. Rome watched but didn't say anything so he let it slide
Thee - Dad is going to know one day . What will you do then?
Mok- it's easier this way. He'll let us suffer until he see you win . It's between us so it's okay
Thee- Rome knows . I can tell he know
Mok- he's never been a problem
Thee- I'll let you believe that
Thee went to his room to rest but Mok continued practicing alone to see how far his body supports him until he heard someone come in the door
Rome - still going ?
Mok- yes
Rome - you don't need to though
Mok- why?
Rome- isn't rest also a part of health? You think you're not a human ?
Mok- why are you here?
Rome- why can't I be here?
Mok stopped and exhaled a breath, Rome always tried to push his boundary, answering question with a question always test his patience and he knows Rome knew it too. Rome smirked sensing the shift in Mok
Rome- why do you let him win everytime? It makes you look weak.
Mok- it doesn't matter how I look.
Moke was drenched in sweat so he decided to take his upper shift off as he frailed his arm up to remove it, he heard Rome speaking
Rome- WHAT ARE YOU DOING ??
MOK- huh?
Rome- why are you taking your Shirt off
Mok- it's soaked in sweat
Rome- so? Don't you have your room for that?
Mok- it's just us here anyway
Rome saw Mok take off his shirt after giving him a what's your problem look , he couldn't tear his eyes away from Mok's body as the sweat made his skin glow while the scar hidden was clearly visible now. He was reminded of the incident which they never spoke of again , Mok's body clearly showed signs of his hardwork as his muscles popped up all in right angles. Seeing Rome stare, Mok spoke up again
Mok- Rome?
Rome- hm? Um that scar didn't heal properly
Mok- it won't go away , you know
Rome- hm
Mok- you're staring
Rome- huh? Please.
Rome started breathing heavy as he was caught staring , he didn't know what to answer when Mok so blatantly question his every move
Mok- it doesn't hurt.
Rome- i didn't ask.what makes you think I care ?
Mok was startled but he didn't let the moment of discomfort stay on his face for long.
Mok- You don't?
Rome saw the visible hurt on Mok's face, that made his heart leap from his chest ,he let his mouth run again before even without thinking what to say . Now he's trapped in this conversation with no way out
Rome-I do.
Mok lips curved slightly which felt like a smile and Rome felt his stomach flipping, what was even happening? In his thirteen years of life he never felt something quite like it , before even processing the situation he jogged out of there leaving Mok confused.
Mok- Coming and going whenever he wants huh
Mok didn't give another thought to Rome as his sudden mood swings are now at peak. One second he looks at Mok like he's going to skin him alive and the next second he tries to hide and run as far away as possible. It was better to focus on himself rather than trying to understand Rome so he did exactly that.
The very next day as he was heading to Thee's room to remind him of their training, he was surprised to learn that they got a day off today. That was unusual, he waited for Thee to explain but he didn't instead he held his wrist and dragged him down the stairs. Mok let himself carried away by Thee where he saw Rome dressed up so early in the morning like he was having a party to himself. His guess was right , proved by Thee the next second
Thee-Happy birthday, brother
Mok- birthday?
Thee- it's Rome's birthday
Mok- I couldn't tell. Why isn't the house decorated?
Rome - what? You want me to celebrate my birthday even after what happened to you last time? Are you serious?
Mok-but it has nothing to do with you.I mean they have increased security all around here , it won't happen again
Rome- nothing to do with me? Did you really just say that to me?