Archive of Our Own ^beta

The year of a pro player was usually what you could describe as a mess and a half. For one, it started around November, when the contacts were being finalised, instead of January, as any normal person in the world would say. Truth is, when you find yourself spending almost every waking hour either in game or in meetings revolving around said game, you'd often forget what life outside of work is like.

So, if all the years in the pro scene taught him anything, it was that the weirdest time of them all was the off season and the short break between splits. The restlessness that wrapped around all of them like a blanket often made them do stupid shit. Like a 2 am run around the city's bars if search for the best shot possible, as it happened this time.

They bumped into each other in the kitchen, both looking to grab some food. One thing led to another and they found themselves in a secluded corner of a nearby restaurant, stuffing their faces with fried chicken and chugging down beer. It wasn't all that different from what they normally did, at least the late night dinner part. But then they overheard someone talking about a new shot bar that opened in the neighbourhood, claiming they have the best shots in the world. They thought it would be a good idea to check it out.

And maybe it was. At least at first. The shots were actually really good, don't get him wrong. But then the competitiveness kicked in and the fateful line was dropped:

"Let's make a bet."

It was as easy as that. A game they've played countless times by now. The rules were simple - the one who finds them the best shots wins. What could go wrong?

They hit a bar after a bar, choosing the options with the most hilarious names on the shot menu. The hours passed as they moved from one hole in the wall to another, laughing at stupid jokes and enjoying the quietness of the night. Neither of them was much of a drinker but the liquor did its job. A familiar easiness swept over them as they made their way back to the dorm, stopping shortly at a convenience store to grab extra snacks and some beer. The night was something neither of them dared to let go of just yet.

So, when it was finally time to go back to their rooms, both hesitated when the elevator stopped. The easiness was suddenly replaced by something heavier but that too, passed as soon as their eyes met. A finger pressed a button on the panel and up they went. Keys jingled, a door opened, a can was cracked open and soon they sat side by side on the bed, wrapped in comfortable silence once more.

The words from before seemed to have left them somewhere along the way. The silence was a new development. Gone were the endless teasing and laughs. In the comfort of the room the two simply existed. Time passed but all there was between them were the faint rattling of cans as they sipped on the beer.

***

"Hyunjoon-ah."

A beat.

"You know how I actually hate the breaks?"

A hum.

"This one wasn't all that bad."

A laugh.

"That means I won, doesn't it?"

"I never said that. I bet you don't even remember half of the shots we had today."

"You're so wrong, hyung. But to celebrate your not all that bad break I won't argue with you on that one, at least for now"

They both shared a laugh at that, knowing full well that the unsettled bet won't stay unsettled for long. That just wasn't the case with them. Hasn't been since day one.

"Hyung."

A hum.

"I had a lot of fun tonight."

A beat.

"I missed how easy it can be."

Hyeonjoon was about to take another sip of the beer but the simple sentence made him stop.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Another moment passed during which Hyunjoon seemed to search for the right words.

"I took a lot for granted, back when I was just starting out," he replied after a while. "There was someone I used to go out with and would do this whenever I got some time off. Run around the city, pretend we're in this bubble and the world outside doesn't exist. Something about today just reminded me of how easy those nights were."

"Yeah? Sounds like a good memory," Hyeonjoon smiled.

"It was. It is," Hyunjoon sighed and downed the rest of the beer. His head fell against the headboard with a thud and he closed his eyes. "Sometimes I just miss it. It's not like I'm not over the break up or anything. It was just nice to have that safety net to fall back on whenever the season got too much."

It was unlike them to get so personal. They lived in chaos, not vulnerability. But something about this moment felt too significant and Hyeonjoon couldn't bring himself to break it. Instead, he let his head fall on Hyunjoon's shoulder and patted his thigh lightly, encouraging him to keep going.

"So, what happened?"

"She got tired of waiting. You live within the same city but it's like you're in two different time zones most of the time. I don't blame her. You know how it is sometimes, getting sucked into long solo queue sessions just to take a quick nap and get back to scrims a few hours later. We've all done it at some point. It's not like I tried to work things out properly either. I just feel like people outside the scene will never truly get it."

Hyeonjoon couldn't help but laugh at the last part.

"It's not like dating someone in the scene is all sunshines and rainbows either, you know," he said, shaking his head.

The next thing he knew, the body next to him moved abruptly with a shocked gasp. Hyeonjoon almost spilled what was left of his beer but a steady hand managed to catch the can at the last moment. Looking up, he was met with two eyes brimming with curiosity.

"You dated someone within the LCK?" Hyunjoon asked incredulously.

"Don't act like you didn't know already," he replied, sending a pointed look directed at the younger.

He was expecting an awkward chuckle or a good natured laugh at the pure ridiculousness of his earlier dating endeavours. What he saw was a gentle smile instead. Oh, so he really has no idea.

"You've been teammates with Minseok for years. I can't believe you never heard anything," he groaned in frustration. Up until now, he was pretty sure everyone within their closest circle already knew. He never really had to talk about it before, people had just been made aware before he even had to get to that.

"Come on, tell me. I just went all sappy on you, I deserve some good gossip," Hyunjoon tugged at his hand demandingly, though there was no real heat behind his words.

"This is ridiculous," he scoffed and finished his beer. He took a moment to put the mess of his thoughts into something that would make sense but was stopped by a gentle squeeze of his knee.

"Hyung, you know you don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"It's not a big deal. I'm just surprised you didn't know, since we have so many mutual friends," he laughed again.

"I feel like I've always been watching you from the distance. I honestly didn't know much about you before you joined. People mentioned you quite often but it was usually about how nice you are. Somehow you were never really part of the hot gossip these shitheads scream about all the time," Hyunjoon shrugged his shoulders.

"It was another player, we used to be on a the same team and—"

"Zeka?" Hyunjoon nearly shouted. "That'd would explain all those stupid nicknames you have for each other," he pouted.

Hyeonjoon was surprised, but before he could reply, his hand moved on its own and his fingers flicked at Hyunjoon's chin.

"Jealous much?" he couldn't help but stir up the flames a little. "But no, not Geonwoo. Maybe it could have turned into something more, had we had more time. But it doesn't really matter anymore."

Hyunjoon nodded reluctantly.

"Who, then?"

"Jihoon," he answered easily. Hyunjoon's eyes widened in surprise but he didn't say anything. "It was a long time ago. Happened too early, developed way too fast and then came crashing down on our faces before we knew it. Not that it was bad, we just didn't know what we were getting ourselves into."

"That somehow makes sense," came a soft reply. "There's always this weird air between you, whenever you two bump into each other."

Hyeonjoon couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"It was a weird fallout. And then I changed teams and we never really had a chance to talk everything through. There's no bad blood or anything, we just went our separate ways."

Silence fell between them again, broken only by the rustle of sheets, as they shifted on the bed. Hyeonjoon was surprised at how easy it was to talk about these parts of his life that he's kept carefully guarded for so long. For what feels like years now he's put his all into his career, trying to become the best. Yet, on nights like this, the suppressed feelings seemed to keep reaching out for him, as if to show him that it's okay to try again.

He finally dared to glance back up and was met with a dangerous glint in Hyunjoon's eyes.

"But there was something with Zeka, wasn't there?" he pressed on.

That one question was enough to dispel the melancholic fog that came over him earlier. Hyeonjoon rolled his eyes and poked Hyunjoon on the side.

"If you can call a few nights of working out the post-win adrenaline something, then there might have been," he replied with a cheeky grin. "Winning Summer sure had its extra benefits," he added after a beat, watching Hyunjoon's expression.

He wasn't sure if it was the drinks they had, or the result of months of the push and pull they subjected themselves to, but the question made him feel more brave, so he moved a little closer and asked one of his own.

"Want to share what you and Minhyeong got up to at the Worlds after party instead?"

It might have been a low blow, as this piece of information wasn't really meant to reach him, but blame Minseok and his gossiping habit. Truth is, ever since he first heard the rumour, months before they even met, the mental image just wouldn't leave his mind. The reaction was exactly what he was looking for though, as Hyunjoon's cheeks blushed slightly and he averted his gaze in embarrassment.

"How do you even know about it? I didn't need the reminder," he groaned and flopped face first on the bed.

Hyeonjoon laughed at the dramatics and patted his arm in reassurance. Before he could drag him up again, Hyunjoon's head shot up and a wicked grin appeared on his face.

"He's a good kisser though. Almost made me forget my own name," he said and winked for a good measure. "Jealous much?"

"Of you or of him?" he shot back and stood up, both laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Hyeonjoon made his way to the plastic bag they left on the desk and grabbed two more beers. Then he sat back down and joined Hyunjoon, both leaning shoulder to shoulder against the headrest, the distance between them gone once more.

"I've always had the feeling we'd get along," Hyunjoon admitted quietly after a while. "I was a bit worried at first, with how the year started out but I'm glad I wasn't wrong."

A smile crept up Hyeonjoon's face. There it was again, the usually hidden softness he grew to admire about the younger man. He loved these rare moments when the walls they built around themselves started going down. It's been happening more often lately and Hyeonjoon knew that it meant something more for the both of them but neither felt the need to voice it out. It was obvious, but toeing the line was more fun that he'd ever care to admit.

In an unconscious motion, his hand moved to Hyunjoon's shoulder, drawing him just a little bit closer. The younger complied, resting more of his weight on Hyeonjoon, closing his eyes and letting his free hand fall on his hyung's knee. After a short while, Hyeonjoon felt the hand making its way up and down, delicately caressing his thigh. His breath hitched but he said nothing, selfishly hoping for the moment to last longer. They stayed like this for a while, slowly sipping on their drinks, both lost in their own thoughts but fully aware of the tension between them rising.

"So, has Minseok ever share Minhyeong with you again after Worlds?" he asked, not able to stop himself.

"What's got you so curious? Looking to join them? I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Hyunjoon snickered, but pressed himself just a tad more firmly into Hyeonjoon's side. "They offered, but I wasn't all that interested. Would've felt too much like a third wheel, I think. We were all pissed drunk that night and we only made out but I could swear Minseok's eyes were drilling holes in my back all the time. Like one wrong move and he'd snap my head right off," he finished with a laugh.

"Or maybe he was just waiting for his turn," Hyeonjoon replied, feeling the younger shiver slightly, as his fingers moved slowly down his arm, his hand finally finding its place on Hyunjoon's waist.

"Unlikely," he replied, voice shaking a little.

"That's not what I got from his retelling of the situation," he chuckled but let the topic drop.

Hyunjoon's hand curiously inched closed to his inner thigh, the touch more firm but not enough to cross the line, as if he was still hesitating.

"Hyung, why am I the only one getting grilled here?" he finally huffed in frustration.

"No one's stopping you from asking," Hyeonjoon replied, hooking one of his fingers under the hem of Hyunjoon's hoodie. The bare skin felt soft and incredibly warm, almost screaming at him to reach up even higher.

"I'm at a disadvantage here, I told you I know nothing," he said with yet another pout.

"Well, there's Jihoon and Geonwoo, nothing else worth sharing, to be honest," he chuckled and took another sip, waiting for the questions to come.

"Tell me about that thing with Zeka, then," came a request after a short while.

"It really isn't anything exciting, if that's what you're getting at," he replied, squeezing Hyunjoon's bare waist reassuringly. "We won a big game, we were both buzzing with too much energy from the adrenaline rush and ended up falling in bed together. It happened a few more times after that and then it all fizzled out once the season ended, end of story."

"Just like that?" Hyunjoon shifted, leaning more into the touch.

"Just like that," he hummed.

"Boring," Hyunjoon huffed and brought the can to his lips. Hyeonjoon's eyes followed, watching him take a gulp.

"Well, I'm not the one going around and kissing a teammate who's already in a committed relationship," he snickered.

Hyunjoon's cheeks flushed again, body freezing up, hand resting motionlessly on his hyung's thigh.

"Relax," he said softly, tracing Hyunjoon's ribs with his thumb. "I'm just kidding. I just stopped seeking out relationships after Jihoon. The Geonwoo thing was just a spur of the moment development."

Hyunjoon turned his head and caught his gaze, raising his eyebrows in what felt like a challenge. A silent understanding passed between them then, their eyes softening, matching grins appear on their faces.

"I'm never living that down, am I?" Hyunjoon laughed and downed the rest of his beer. He took the already empty can from Hyeonjoon's hand and put them aside on the bedside table.

Hyeonjoon observed his every move, watching as he turned around briefly. There was a split second when Hyunjoon's shoulders tensed up again and he exhaled audibly, as if to collect himself. Then, a single word left his lips.

"Hyung."

His reply came immediately.

"Come here, Hyunjoon-ah."

He wasn't sure which one of them moved first. In all but seconds Hyunjoon was leaning over him, one of his knees digging into the mattress in between his thighs, fingers making a mess out of his hair. His own hands found their way back to the soft skin of Hyunjoon's waist, pulling him ever so closer. Their lips met in a hungry kiss, one they've been yearning for but never reached for. Lips met, hands roamed and teeth tugged for more.

They separated only when they needed to finally catch their breath. Hyunjoon slowly pulled away, breathing heavily but a smile tugged at his swollen lips. Hyeonjoon leaned further into the backrest, one of his hands resting on the younger man's hip.

They looked at each other again and shared a quiet laugh full of fondness. Hyunjoon shifted from his knees and rested on his side, wrapping his arm around his hyung's waist, face hidden in the soft cotton covering his collarbone.

"I was starting to think I've deluded myself into thinking there's something going on here," he said, voice slightly muffled.

"Shut up and let me breathe," Hyeonjoon laughed, moving one of his hands up and tangling his fingers into Hyunjoon's hair.

They stayed like this for a moment, wrapped around each other, waiting for their heartbeats to settle down. When the heat of the moment finally passed, Hyeonjoon tugged at Hyunjoon's hair and leaned down for another kiss. Slower, more deliberate, one that conveyed all that was left unsaid. After a while, Hyunjoon bit at his lower lip lightly and grinned.

"Well, that was a fun development, wouldn't you say, hyung?" he said, sitting up but not straying too far either. "Caught your breath alright, or do you still need a moment?"

The air around them was light, yet buzzing with the excitement from before. Hyeonjoon rolled his eyes and pinched the younger man's leg. His eyes roamed up, taking in just how affected Hyunjoon was by their earlier make out session. His hair was all tousled up, his clothes looked no better, but the best part of it all was the smile tugging at his lips.

"Be right back, alright?" Hyunjoon smiled softly, slowly getting up from the bed and making his way towards the bathroom, looking back every step or so, as if he couldn't help himself.

It was mad, how easy and right it felt. Hyeonjoon felt the familiar tug at his heart and smiled to himself. He dragged himself out of the bed and stared to clear up the leftover cans. He hang around the desk, thinking about what would come next, when the bathroom door opened again and a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Want another one?" he asked to stall for time. He didn't want to push too hard, unsure of where exactly they stand now.

"Not really, but go ahead if you want," came a voice from behind, followed by a press of soft lips on the sensitive area just behind his ear.

"Yeah, I'm not sure either," he said and turned around. He was met with Hyunjoon's shy smile and felt the awkwardness slip away. "What now? Because I don't want to push you into anything you wouldn't want."

"We could go back and see where it goes?" Hyunjoon replied, tugging at his hand. "Unless your mind is still on our dear bot duo, that is," he added cheekily, taking a step back towards the bed.

Hyeonjoon rolled his eyes, not taking to the obvious bait, but still followed. He caught his jungler in another kiss and they quickly found themselves in a mess of limbs again.

All caution was gone. The touches were firmer, hands got more curious and the hoodie and shirt they were wearing hit the floor in no time. Their glasses laid long forgotten on the bedside table.

It was nearing morning by now, the lightening sky painting their bodies in soft hues of daylight. The quiet room was now filled with gasps that kept leaving their mouth. Their bodies inched closer, until there was no more space left between them. With their legs tangled, they pressed against each other, and a sweet sound that Hyeonjoon was secretly waiting for finally left Hyunjoon's lips.

"Hyung," he broke away with a moan, breathing heavily. "I—," he started but found it hard to form a coherent thought.

"It's okay, Hyunjoon-ah. Just tell me what you want," he said and kissed his temple. His hands rested on the younger man's lower back, thumbs drawing comforting circles in the dimples there. "Take your time."

"Fuck. You're going to drive me crazy," he laughed quietly and shifted to get some space between them. Hyeonjoon followed and sat beside him, hand falling on the younger man's knee.

"I'm down to just about anything, it's up to you, okay?" he squeezed him lightly.

"I just— Fuck," he closed his eyes, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "I'm obviously fine with going further, if you couldn't tell already," he huffed, scratching his neck.

"What's the problem, then? Because this is giving mixed signals and we're not doing that," Hyeonjoon raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"It's just— I've never gone any further with a man and I'm getting the jitters, okay?" he laughed, already feeling more at ease.

"You're so stupid sometimes, you know?" Hyeonjoon shook his head and leaned forward to capture his lips in another kiss.

Things escalated quickly and Hyeonjoon found himself on his back once again, with Hyunjoon towering over him, supported on his arms and knees. Their hands, so far moving relatively safely around their torsos grew more comfortable with time, exploring new areas still hidden under the clothes.

Hyunjoon's hand found its way back to his hyung's thigh and slipped up, fingers accidentally brushing against the hard bulge in between them. The unexpected touch tore a moan of out both of them, curious fingers exploring further and further, tracing the outline of his hard length.

Hyeonjoon, spurred on by the initiative of the younger man, let one of his hands wander under the waistband of his sweats, slipping a finger under the lower hem of his underwear, tracing the soft skin under it. Hyunjoon shuddered and broke the kiss with a wet sound.

"Too much?" Hyeonjoon asked, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"No," he exhaled. "I just don't think I'm ready for that today," he chuckled, embarrassed.

"That's okay. Thank you for telling me," he kissed him again. Hyeonjoon moved his hands back to the underside of his thighs and sat them both up. "Let's try another way. Here's how I see it. I can blow you, we can keep touching, go back to kissing or just stop entirely. Or you could fuck me instead. Any of that sounds good?"

Hyunjoon stared at him with wide eyes as he listened down their options. His breath caught at the last one and Hyeonjoon smiled knowingly.

"Think we might have a winner," he laughed.

"Hyung, stop," Hyunjoon whined but smiled anyway. "I'd like that, yeah."

"Good, I'll just need you to take your time, alright? It's been a while," he moved and started to take the rest of his clothes off. Hyunjoon watched, eyes darkened, as each piece of clothing hit the floor, taking him in.

"Bottom drawer, go," Hyeonjoon urged him on and the younger man finally broke out of the stupor.

The easiness returned after that. The prep took a while but Hyunjoon was secretly grateful for that. Watching his hyung open up for him and hearing all of the sounds he made helped bring his confidence back. It was a beautiful sight, one he was sure he wouldn't forget for a long time.

They were both starting to get impatient. Their hands went back to roaming, more insisting with each touch, the kisses grew deeper, making them breathless but neither dared to lean away. Hyunjoon's fingers moved more confidently, heeding the instructions Hyeonjoon gave him earlier, looking for that one spot that would make him break and cry out in pleasure. There it was, just a moment later, the most perfect sound that Hyunjoon swore he'd ever heard.

They lost themselves in the feeling until Hyeonjoon's hand grabbed at the younger man's wrist, telling him to stop.

"Good job baby," the pet name slipped out of his lips, making Hyunjoon shudder. "Good to go," he added, his fingers making their way back under the waistband of his joggers.

The younger man didn't stop him this time, letting the final pieces of clothing fall to the floor, leaving them both bare and eager to move again. Hyeonjoon's fingers fumbled with the plastic wrapper, impatience slowly taking over, as he tried to get them ready. A pillow made its way under his lower back and finally, Hyunjoon slipped in.

The sensation of the slow drag of their bodies took over everything else. Time stopped to exist. Nothing else mattered, except for the two of them. They shared a look once Hyunjoon bottomed out, both laughing quietly and melting into each other. A nod of Hyeonjoon's head and the pace picked up.

It was a long time coming. The tension that's been building between them over the past few months finally exploded. A fleeting thought passed through Hyeonjoon's head that it, somehow, went down exactly as it should have. It felt as easy as breathing, no extra words necessary.

They basked in each other, their bodies pressed together, as the room filled with more gasps and occasional moans.

The aftermath was as easy as the build up. Cleaned up and wrapped in the sheets, they laid almost on top of each other, fingers entwined, not wanting to let go even now. The conversation and jokes returned, interrupted by kisses every now and then, until their eyelids finally grew heavy with sleep.

***

When they woke up, the sun was already starting to set again, basking their naked bodies in the soft, golden glow.

"Hey hyung," Hyunjoon finally broke the silence, voice still hoarse. "I still win. You owe me coffee and a repeat on our next break. Deal?"

Hyunjoon hit him with a pillow he found next to the bed, both laughing heartily, as easy as that.

"Shut up, you menace."

And if a cup of fresh coffee with a selection of their favourite pastries found its way to Hyunjoon's streaming room the next time they were in the office, that was only for them to know.

And maybe for the rest of the team to gossip about.