Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The small boat glides over the waters with ease.

Haitham squints up ahead, despite the sailor's eagerness to swiftly get there. An island. Secluded. In the middle of the ocean. Where the grand competition will be held. He wears shorts and sandals. His shirt unbuttoned all the way down the middle from the heat, revealing his chest and abs. As he rests his sunglasses on the top of his head and crosses his arms, he wonders just what's in store for everyone.

Of course he signed a contract. Essentially selling his soul away, he can neither sue nor reveal too much in detail of the island's location, as well as other things, assuming people ask him for interviews after he gets eliminated. Haitham is no fool. He knows the probable odds; the statistical data of possibly winning. It's low. Too low, in fact. However half a billion mora is a tempting offer. It would drive anyone with a brain to salivate at the mouth, dying to satisfy their hunger for wealth. Haitham on the other simply wishes to retire from his job. Retiring at the young age of mid-to-late twenties wouldn't be so bad. He would never have to lift a finger ever again. Not worrying about anything — for the rest of his life. Lazing his days as he pleases.

It all sounds fine and dandy by him.

As long as nobody gets in his way. Of course, he'll make sure to win to achieve exactly that goal. The crown deserves to rest atop his pretty head.

The boat lands by the dock soon enough. Haitham had eyed around the boat in surveillance earlier when he got on. About four staff, as well as the main sailor captain. He doesn't know them, not that they're important. Although, the inkling feeling of knowing all the power rests in their hands to escape the island — well, that thought does gnaw at the back of his head for some time. It makes him suspicious; it should make anyone uncomfortable. Only for that feeling to be snuffed out by the image of half a billion mora.

And then he's fine again.

One of the staff members ties the rope to the dock's stable piece, and Haitham's able to remove his luggage while he's at it. Stepping onto pretty sand of firm and neat grains, and then eventually brick pavement roads large and wide enough to fit tens of flash mobs.

The island is much bigger than he originally thought. They were kind enough to build a small town by the shore, and two hotels side by side. The Alpha House and Omega House.

"You'll be staying here," one of the staff gestures forward, "make sure to check-in."

Half the staff go in while the other half separate. Hmm.

He's all alone now.

Haitham gives the grand tall hotel a good look, all the way to its gated rooftop. Must be at least twelve levels or stories tall. The Omega House just next door is the same.

"Hmm?" he thinks he hears a noise in the alleyway between both Houses.

As he peeks through the alley's iron gates, he notices there's a pool out back with foldable chairs to either sit or lay down on. But he sees no one back there from this angle. All the participants must still be either getting to the island in various boats, or they're probably checked into their rooms already. Haitham grabs his luggage and rolls along inside.

However, over the by the back of the hotel where the pool is, he would have noticed two men hiding if he bothered to check deeper.

"Shh," Wriothesley smiles as he's laying down completely on a beach bed chair, in nothing but his swim shorts, although part of his swim shorts hung lower in the front, "if you speak then everyone will see you in this state."

A smaller man sits naked in between Wriothesley's legs — over Wriothesley's crotch as a matter of fact — with Wriothesley's cock being balls deep in Lyney. Wriothesley's hand had covered Lyney's mouth earlier to prevent noise, and he doesn't remove it. Lyney nervously nods, noise muffled by Wriothesley's hand. Beginning to shift inside Lyney again.

"Good," Wriothesley says.

Removing his hand and resting them on Lyney's hips. Fucking harshly into Lyney's sweet, sweet hole that tightens ever so delightfully around his hairy cock.

Lyney pants and pants, being forced to bounce on him by such heavy thrusts. Lyney's losing himself. Eyes rolling to the back of his head as Wriothesley uses him. Cums in him so deep; Wriothesley's sexy moan makes Lyney's backside shiver against Wrio's chest. The knot swells inside Lyney's walls, and Lyney's jaw slacks. Eyes closing; as he's filled and locked in place with the bigger man. Lyney breathes a heavy sigh of relief, just as Wriothesley's eyes flutter in a lustful daze. Lyney smiles deviously.

"I satisfied your rut, alpha. As part of the deal, now you owe me. Understand?"

The sweaty alpha under him nods dumbly. Luckily there's no windows in the backside of the hotel, no one knows they're back here. It was off limits on the first day, but Wrio was begging for a swim. He always get antsy and needs to do something like exercise to calm his rut. It's not like he wanted his alpha pheromones to spread around either. Until he stumbled into Lyney, who was pouring something suspicious into the pool water. Wriothesley didn't ask questions.

Lyney had made a deal to shut him up.

"I said," Lyney cups Wriothesley's face harshly in his hand. "Do. You. Understand. Dumb. Alpha?"

Wriothesley hesitates. But nods after a second. It was a mutual agreement. They covered for each other.

"Yes."

He isn't sure what he got himself into.

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"Thank you for checking-in. You will be on the eighth floor. Each floor has its own personal lounge, feel free to look around," the woman behind the desk smiles.

She slides over a room key to Haitham.

He thanks her and grabs his stuff.

Haitham's walking through a hall and sees the elevator about to close; he begins speeding up towards it. A man from inside the elevator spots Haitham and puts his hand in-between the doors to prevent the elevator from closing fully.

"Thanks," Haitham makes it in, giving a small nod of acknowledgement.

The elevator doors close.

"What floor?" the man asks.

Haitham notices the guy had already pressed the seventh floor.

"Eighth."

"Oh nice, just one floor above mine," the dude presses the button, and they start going up.

All of a sudden the stranger extends his hand out with a grin.

"Wriothesley," he says his own name as an introduction.

Haitham looks down at his hand and shakes it strong and firm.

"Haitham."

Chapter Text

It was his own fault, really.

"Don't forget to take your suppressant pills," Wriothesley had told himself on the plane ride, and then reminded himself again on the boat.

He forgot.

Having packed all of his clothes in his hotel room he couldn't help but feel extra extra excitement tingling underneath his flesh. Like he couldn't shake it off. Wriothesley growled under his breath, a rumble in his chest, and fetched his suppressants quickly. It'd take about an hour for them to take full effect like they're supposed to.

He views himself in the closet's hanging tall mirror and takes off his shirt, throwing it in a corner somewhere and taking off his pants.

"Ughhh, yes," the weight of his hand stroking his cock at the edge of the bed accelerated further.

His breathing exacerbating; face slightly flush; he jacks himself off harder until he cums waves of white, shooting his load all over the mirror.

"Fuck." He cursed in embarrassment, hurriedly getting some towels to clean it off.

Even an orgasm didn't help. He needed an omega to help him with his rut. Yet all the omegas were in another totally different building. What rotten luck; it's almost as if the creators of this game show did it on purpose so people would break rules and sneak around. He figures contestants would eventually start breaking that rule, so he might as well break some rules early himself and get it over with. Not like it matters, and the cameras aren't around for the time-being of getting settled in to the hotels. That's more or less when he decided to sneak out into the pool area in the back of the Alpha House hotel.

He had been so careful too.

Making sure to avoid employees or being seen at all. Feeling like a weight is off his shoulders he grins at the thought of finally getting into that damn pool and taking an hour swim or so to cool off his rut. Pushing open the back doors to the pool area and— Wriothesley is no longer grinning, fading to a small small and a soon wide-eyed expression. He sees it. Wriothesley sees something he shouldn't have.

A smaller man kneeled down by the pool's edge. Most likely an omega.

What is he doing in the Alpha House's back pool area?

But more importantly. Why is he pouring a strange clear vial of liquid into the alphas' pool.

The omega's pleased with himself, finishing the last drop. Standing up and noticing Wriothesley standing there. It's too late, Wriothesley realizes, he can't pretend like he saw nothing; he can't even back out. The omega, which would identify himself as Lyney, approaches the alpha with a sadistic smile that comes out of no where.

A seemingly innocent omega. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"My." Lyney touches Wriothesley's buldge with a mere two fingers, forcing Wriothesley's eyelids to flutter. "Someone's happy."

"Why.. why are you—"

"Shhh," Lyney hushes him sweetly, placing a finger on Wriothesley's lips to stop him from talking. "I think I know a way in which we can help each other. Don't you think, alpha?"

Alpha.

Being called that by an omega made Wriothesley weak. It's like every man's dream — every alpha's kryptonite. Only Wriothesley never expected these circumstances.

Wriothesley flinches.

As Lyney has him by the balls. Figuratively and literally.

... and Wriothesley has never been more turned on in his life.

"Help me, alpha," Lyney's alluring lips enunciate slowly. He hums like honey. "And I'll help you satisfy your rut. Do. You. Agree?"

Wriothesley accepted without a word, whisking Lyney off his feet and having him sit on Wrio's lap right there by the poolside, where Wrio would begin fucking up into him. He didn't want Lyney making too much noise, so naturally he covered Lyney's mouth, and came inside Lyney.

Giving him his knot.

But as Wrio came down from his high, he felt Lyney squish his face in his smaller hand with such force, it almost hurt. Wriothesley looked Lyney straight on, an eerie chill shaking slightly down his spine. Lyney's once cheerful face disappeared in that single moment. And Wriothesley sees the truth behind the mask.

Lyney's eyes looked dead.

"Do. You. Understand. Dumb. Alpha?"

It sounded like a threat. But deep down Wriothesley knows if he were to expose him, Lyney would snitch on him back; and neither would have a chance at the money. Wriothesley refused to be kicked out of the competition before it ever started.

Wriothesley hesitates. But nods after a second. It was a mutual agreement. They covered for each other.

"Yes."

He isn't sure what he got himself into.

Lyney had hopped the metal gate around the pool after that. His agreement is all the omega needed, apparently. Wriothesley's rut had successfully disappeared, so at the very least he had been thankful for that. After feeling better he had decided to head back to his room, trying to not think about his encounter with Lyney too much.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close he notices another man jogging up to the elevator from the hall. Wriothesley halted the elevator for him.

Ah, a fresh face.

He must be one of the alpha contestants. Wriothesley met most of them already. He pushes the other alpha's floor and the elevator shakes before finally heading up to their floors.

"Wriothesley," he says his own name as an introduction, an obvious grin on his face.

He needs allies if he is going to make it far in the tournament. He's already made one frenemy. He hopes to not make anymore of those.

"Haitham," the man says, and his grip is firm and strong.

"It's nice to be acquainted with ya," Wrio says happily, not sensing a bad bone in this guy's body so far, "I heard there's a game room on each floor by the way, you should check it out. Not going to lie, it's pretty cool. Meet the other contestants while you're at it."

"Oh?" Haitham replies, then after a moment of seriously thinking talks again. "Alright, sure."

Wriothesley's room floor opened up first, and he begins walking out.

"I'll see you around."

He turns to leave but then suddenly remembers something important.

"Oh Haitham, by the way. Whatever you do, it's probably best not to swim in the pool for whatever reason."

"The pool? What do you mean."

"Just don't swim in it," Wrio shrugs anxiously, finding it hard to justify his reasoning, and she smiles, "it's a competition, you know? You have to be sharp. No distractions."

Haitham nods slowly.

"I suppose," he agrees slowly.

"Right, well, thank me later. I'll consider this as you owing me a favor later. See ya," Wrio walks off.

The elevator closes and it starts taking Haitham up to his floor.

Just as they had closed though he arched a brow.

"A favor? For that?"

Haitham thinks for a second why he could possibly owe Wriothesley a favor just by simply not going for a dip in the pool. But he can't come up with a possible explanation.

"What an odd guy."

After unpacking his luggage he did end up ordering a smoothie, strawberry banana by the way, which did taste good currently in his hand. He finds the game room soon enough on his floor and heads inside.

Seeing a wide room, bigger than any he's seen so far.

Old arcade machines on the walls. Billiards tables in the front center. Air hockey. Even a throw dart section.

Currently two men lean on a billiards table, a blond tall man wrapping his arms around the blue-haired man's. They hadn't even noticed Haitham entered. Haitham takes a sip of his smoothie and begins passing them, but not before overhearing a tad of their conversation.

"You hit the ball like this, Kaeya," a hint of a sultry smile in his voice, as he motions how to play the game, hitting the black ball in the center and strongly dispersing the rest of the balls.

Two of the game's striped balls succeeded.

The blue hair man giggles underneath the blond's grasp.

"You're really good at this, Dainsleif," he giggles underneath the man again.

Haitham sips his drink again and wanders over by the walls.

There's a man seated and steering a car wheel on one of the old race car machine games. He seems really into it, spinning the wheel harshly and having his body jerk with the wheel to the side.

"Ahhh!" he screams, avoiding car collisions inside the racing game, as Haitham observes from just behind the man over his shoulder.

The main car he's driving eventually crashes. And then ignites in a blazing inferno, causing a pileup of cars in the game, forever to burn.

You Lose!

The game obnoxiously alarms out loud.

"Fuck, man" the dude sighs, leaning back in the machine's chair.

"That's rough," Haitham sips his smoothie obnoxiously, until there's nothing left.

The guy in the chair physically jolts in a freight.

"Holy shit you scared me," he chuckles, grabbing hold of his heart. "You new here?"

"Just checked in," Haitham replies.

"Oh that figures!" the man beams. "I'm Tomo, by the way!"

"Haitham."

"I see you've already met the lovebirds over there," Tomo gestures with his eyes over to the billiards section.

Haitham glances over there for a second, taking another sip of his smoothie even though it's empty.

"Yeah, I sort of met them already."

He didn't.

"Have you met the other alphas already?"

"Hmm, kind of."

"Kind of? What's that supposed to mean."

"Well," Haitham begins counting on his fingers, "I met you. That's one. Dainsleif. Kaeya. Wriothesley. And.. that's about it."

"Oh I see," Tomo rubs his chin in thought. "You still haven't met all of them there's 25 alphas and 25 omegas. I wonder how the competition will dwindle us down in numbers. You aren't scared?"

Haitham shrugs casually.

"Not really. Just analyze your environment. Factor in the rules, and I should get far."

"I see..." Tomo's mouth is agape in amazement, followed by a chuckle. "You're very odd."

Somehow Haitham feels like that came up before today.

It doesn't matter though. Because there is one important thing he left out on purpose.

The most important aspect to winning a competition like this.. is knowing your opponents.

"You still haven't Pantalone, huh?" Tomo crosses his arms and leans back on the chair. "Mysterious guy. I brushed arms with him in the hallway. I suppose he's in his room though. Attractive looking dude but not much of a talker. And of course.. there's also Itto. You could say they're somewhat yin and yang. I pray you never meet him."

"Why is that?"

"Long story but basically I got trapped in the elevator with him two hours ago after he kept banging on the buttons impatiently with his fists. He's a very loud individual, and I'm just thankful to be alive with my ears intact."

Hmm.

Haitham supposes that will be useful information later. Tomo is already pouring out his heart to him too. Which makes Tomo and Haitham closer than Tomo and Itto. Haitham might want to take note to use this to his advantage as well.

"I hear some contestants are still arriving to the island. And based off what some people saying, the island's tourney might start sooner than we think."

"Speaking of island," Haitham says, "by any chance would you happen to know its coordinates on a map? Don't you think it's weird they deliberately hid its location from us?"

Tomo shrugs.

"Beats me. Though I suspect it's because it'll be harder to sue them without proof."

A correct assumption.

Haitham smiles, he was testing him. Tomo is smarter than he originally gave him credit for.

He'll be a perfect ally for when the time comes.

"I think you just might be right."