Work Text:
In hindsight, he probably should've expected it to become reality, no matter how much he wished it wouldn't come to it.
It felt like a cruel twist of fate to have the happiness following winning the biggest tournament in their discipline be ripped away from him just a week later. The chances of it happening once were low already, but now that it happened again, twice in a row now, was just too much.
Losing Wooje last season broke something in him, even though he would never admit it out loud. It almost felt like the last piece of innocence he's been holding on to was ripped away from him the moment Wooje walked out of their office's door for the final time.
He told himself that it's fine, that it's just the way things go and the fact that they've all been together for so long was already a great achievement in itself.
And things got easier, when Hyeonjoon hyung joined them. He brought so much warmth with himself, was a great company and quickly became a cherished friend he never knew he needed in his life. He helped him stitch together the broken pieces that rattled in his chest by just being himself, so he was incredibly relieved when he heard that the man was saying with their team for another year.
That happiness was too short lived though, because not even an hour later, one of their managers added a new person to the group chat they used to keep track of their schedules.
And that was something he couldn't deal with just yet.
He knew it was not the kid's fault, he'd be stupid to think so. God, he genuinely liked him, from what he could tell about the few times they interacted in the past.
But he was also hurt.
And thankfully, they were on a break now and he had time to deal with it and get back to normal before the season started.
Except, his usual distractions didn't work this time.
He tried everything he could think of. He went to the gym, recorded a backlog of videos for his channel, met up with friends, locked himself in a room to play some stupid game for fifteen hours straight and even had a heart to heart with Sanghyeok hyung.
But his chest still hurt.
He knew that he was being a bit too dramatic and Minhyung leaving was not the end of the world. They'd still be friends, they'd still hang out and see each other often.
It's just… He never expected that the one leaving would be him. But he had every right to.
It just didn't change the fact that it felt so incredibly unfair.
Still, he tried his best.
And it worked, for the most part.
Except for the days when they had full team schedules and he looked down the row of chairs only to see a new face there, or when they played a pre-made lobby with their rookies in an attempt to warm up and the one destroying bot lane along Minseok was not Minhyung like it used to be.
Today, he felt particularly unsettled.
Minhyung sent them a picture of himself settling into his new room and just like that he got reminded of how unfair it all was.
So, to the gym he ran to tire himself out, hoping to stop thinking for once.
His head always felt a little floaty after a good workout, so he usually only saved them for late into the night.
The way back home was never really something he paid much attention to — he just let himself wander the neighbourhood until he reached the building his company rented out for them.
He moved on autopilot, typing in the code to open the front door, then walking a few steps before stopping in front of the elevator. When the doors slid open, he walked in, not bothering to look up. It was way too late for anybody else to be in the lobby anyway, especially in the middle of the off season.
So you can't really blame him for jumping up in surprise when someone suddenly appeared by his side, brushing his shoulder on their way in. Hyunjoon looked up in alarm, his thoughts still a little hazy but he relaxed as soon as he recognised the who exactly was the person standing next to him.
"Out late again?" Jihoon asked in a way of a greeting, sending him a charming smile.
Hyunjoon nodded, distracted and tried to will his brain to cooperate in thinking up a reply. They stood there in silence for a few moments, the doors to the elevator still wide open, waiting for someone to finally press a button.
"Hyunjoon-ah? You good?" Jihoon's voice was tinged with something akin to worry, having noticed how distracted the jungler looked.
"Yeah, sorry," Hyunjoon shook his head a little, as if would help. "Just a bit of a post workout brain fog," he blinked a few times and rolled his shoulders back before he finally met Jihoon's gaze. "Sorry," he laughed awkwardly.
"No, no," Jihoon reassured him quickly. "I can just mind my own business and let you be."
That was… tempting. But was getting rid of another potential distraction a good idea — he wasn't quite sure. So he made one last attempt at shaking that fog away and turned to face Jihoon, trying to keep the conversation going.
"So, how have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." That was as good as anything for a start. Casual, safe, nothing he hadn't done a million times before.
"Busy with getting myself yelled at in training, I guess," Jihoon replied, pointing to his freshly shaved hair and, oh, how did he miss that.
"You look stupid," was what slipped out as soon as he opened his mouth and it was safe to admit that the ground swallowing him up sounded like a great idea just about now.
"Thanks," Jihoon laughed. At least he didn't feel offended. "Charming as always."
"Sorry," Hyunjoon groaned and let his back fall against the cold mirror of the elevator.
"How did Minseok and Wooje survive last year?" Jihoon mused out loud. "There's so much extra work that I feel like I need more hours in a day to get anything done. And the season hasn't even started yet."
Hyunjoon tensed up again, hearing Jihoon mention the upcoming start of the season. Another reminder that things will be so different now. Another reminder that he was not ready to face the reality even after a few weeks have already passed.
"Wow, you're really not handling this off season well, are you?" Jihoon said, his voice morphing into something just a little bit softer, more careful.
Hyunjoon nodded weakly, not having the strength to keep pretending any longer. What was the point to do so anyway? Anyone could see that he wasn't quite himself, that the easy confidence he carried himself with most of the time was just subdued as of late.
"Sorry," he repeated for what felt like the millionth time. "I'm still getting used to…" he trailed off, not sure how to explain what he was feeling.
"It's okay." Jihoon was quick to reassure him. "I get it. Well, maybe not fully but you know… Been there, kind of…"
It would be an understatement to say that things got awkward very quickly. Thankfully, the ride up was almost over and Hyunjoon couldn't wait to just get off and wallow in self pity some more.
He bolted as soon as the door opened and was just about to disappear around the corner when Jihoon took a few steps towards him.
"Hey, Hyunjoon-ah?" he called out after him. "Are you going to bed or do you want to hang out for a bit?"
It was… weird. They never did that. Most of the people around him were good friends with Jihoon but he himself never really considered them to be anything more than acquaintances. Still, now that the question was out in the open, it didn't feel like a bad idea.
"You know what? Sure, why not," he shrugged. "Give me a few minutes though? I need to go take a shower and then I can come over?"
Jihoon nodded his head and his easy smile turned into something more mischievous.
"Or you could just shower at mine," he offered, the challenge clear in his voice.
Hyunjoon just scoffed and and flipped him off good-naturedly. "Whatever. Be there in fifteen," he said and disappeared into his room.
"So, why the sudden invite?" Hyunjoon asked, later in the night when they finished a round of TFT.
They were sitting on the bed next to each other with a bag of snacks laying open between them and it was surprising to Hyunjoon how comfortable he felt. Maybe it's because they've existed in the same circle for so long and it was only natural that they would orbit towards each other one day. Still, he was grateful for the invite. It was not something he'd expected but it was welcome either way.
"You looked quite miserable there," Jihoon said with a shrug. "Thought a distraction would help. And honestly? I was a bit bored," he laughed quietly, relaxing against the backrest.
"Oh, so you're just using me for your entertainment now?" Hyunjoon shot back but there was no bite in his words.
"Maybe?" Jihoon said, smirking in response.
"Fair enough," Hyunjoon shoot his head. "Hyeonjoon hyung said that you're a little shit sometimes."
"More often than not, I'm afraid," he grinned back and it finally got a genuine laugh out of Hyunjoon. He was having more fun with this than he'd ever expected to.
They played one more round and Hyunjoon got absolutely destroyed by Jihoon, which wasn't all that surprising if he was being honest. He whined and pouted, saying how unfair it was that he was taking advantage of the fragile state he was in right now but Jihoon didn't let himself be swayed.
"I keep forgetting how cute you can be when you're not acting all cocky on stage," Jihoon said finally, letting his phone fall on the bed with a quiet thump.
"Excuse me?" Hyunjoon blinked, surprised at the turn in his voice.
"Oh come on, we both know that you love the attention. Love it when people lose their minds when you sling that jacket off and wink at them," Jihoon continued, looking at Hyunjoon pointedly.
"Shut up," he said, feeling his cheeks warm up in response to the teasing.
"Shy now?" There it was, another cheeky grin that made Hyunjoon question all of the decisions he made ever since entering the elevator this evening.
He could feel where it was all heading and it was a surprising development. Surprising, but welcome anyway.
"What are we even doing?" Hyunjoon asked, breaking the silence and searching Jihoon's eyes for an answer. They were slightly darker than usual, tinged with curiosity.
"Taking your mind off the heavy shit?" He tried, meeting his gaze head on. "Is it working?"
"Maybe," Hyunjoon said slowly because it was, in fact, working and he was interested in whatever Jihoon seemed to have to offer.
Something flashed in Jihoon's eyes as they locked in on Hyunjoon's frame. His gaze swept over him, making him shiver in anticipation.
This wasn't unheard of. Players falling into weird situationships with each other just to take the edge off, no strings attached. They'd have some fun and go their separate ways right after. He did it himself a few times too. Even back when Minhyung was—
No. He was not thinking about that right now.
"So what do you have in mind?" he asked instead, bracing himself for what's to come.
"I'm so glad you asked," Jihoon grinned at him as he moved from where he was sitting against the back rest. He plucked Hyunjoon's phone out of his hands and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, bringing him close enough that their breaths mixed. "Let's see," he said, eyes dropping to his lips momentarily, before he suddenly stood up as if nothing ever happened.
Hyunjoon was rooted in place, stuck in the same position Jihoon held him in just a moment before. His heart was beating fast in anticipation, making him feel lightheaded for an entirely different reason.
He was watching as Jihoon moved around the room, rummaging through the drawers, looking for something but taking his time with it. Hyunjoon wanted to speak up, tell him to hurry up and just do anything he wanted but he stayed in place, waiting.
"Let's have some fun, shall we?" Jihoon said when he pulled a dark piece of fabric from deep within one of the drawers, letting it dangle from his fingers tauntingly. "Your mind is running at a million miles per hour so let's change that, hm?"
"Okay?" Hyunjoon found himself agreeing. "What do you want me to do?"
Jihoon laughed at that, the sound bouncing off the walls warmly. "You know, I expected you to fight me a little on this. It's a nice surprise though," he smiled and moved closer to the bed.
"You want me to throw a fit or what?" Hyunjoon asked. "Don't really have it in me today, I'm afraid."
"Cute," Jihoon said under his breath and grabbed the hem of Hyunjoon's shirt with both of his hands. "Show me the progress from when you did that photo shoot?"
"I've been slacking off last year," Hyunjoon mumbled quietly but didn't stop him.
"As if," Jihoon shook his head, watching the skin that got revealed when he lifted the shirt up. He let it fall somewhere on the floor and ran his fingers through Hyunjoon's tousled hair. "Quite a view," he smiled, then lifted the fabric he brought earlier off the bed.
Hyunjoon watched the dark material with interest.
"I think this might help you focus," Jihoon said. "Let me?" he asked, to which Hyunjoon just nodded. The fabric was quickly tied around the jungler's eyes, taking away vision and making him shudder at the sudden loss of a sense he relied on so heavily.
A moment passed and Jihoon moved with precision he always displayed whenever they met of the rift. His knees dug hard into the mattress on both sides of Hyunjoon's hips, not touching, but close enough for Hyunjoon to feel the heat of his body. Then, a curious hand traced a path from the jungler's cheek, stopping briefly at his full lips, before continuing down until it stopped right in the centre of his chest.
Jihoon pushed down, making Hyunjoon rest against the pillows, while he leaned down, lips pressing against the younger man's ear, and whispered: "Tell me if it's too much and we'll stop immediately."
There wasn't much of a response — just a hitch of a breath and a barely there nod of a head. Jihoon smiled to himself, satisfied with how well Hyunjoon seemed to listen to him so far, and pressed a quick kiss to his jaw, before getting off the bed entirely.
"Stay there," he said, before Hyunjoon could react.
He wasn't planning to go very far. Just enough to disorient Hyunjoon so he wouldn't know where exactly he was.
Jihoon knew that he was playing with fire here, considering how fragile a part of Hyunjoon seemed today. But he still wanted to make him wait, even just a little longer, and get his imagination going. Make him think of something more pleasant.
It was a fine line he was toying with. One wrong move and things could go really wrong really fast. So he made sure to make his steps just a tad louder than they normally were as he moved around the room, opening a few drawers just for the effect, never once letting Hyunjoon out of his sight.
He was happy with the reactions. He could see that Hyunjoon was trying his best not to move from where he left him but he still struggled, as if bound by some invisible strings. Just a few minutes in and he was already close to whimpering.
Perfect, Jihoon though to himself, I'm going to have so much fun with him.
"Let's see," he said out loud, noticing the shiver that ran through Hyunjoon's body. "What do we do with you, hmm? What's going through that head of yours now?"
Hyunjoon opened his mouth but was quick to bite his lips before any sound came out. Jihoon noticed how worked up he already was — the grey sweatpants not doing much in the way of hiding his growing erection. "Don't be shy now, sweetheart," he said and Hyunjoon finally let himself speak.
"I don't know," he said weakly. "Anything."
Jihoon chuckled and moved a few steps closer, stopping at the foot of the bed, towering over Hyunjoon who was none the wiser. He had something in mind and wanted to have a good spot to watch.
"Then get your hand in there and get yourself hard for me," Jihoon said and watched as Hyunjoon spit on his hand and it made its way into his sweatpants. He could see him teasing himself at first before his hand closed into a fist and started moving in that unmistakable motion.
It didn't take long before the sweet sounds started slipping out of Hyunjoon's mouth, the more he worked himself up. The pants were getting louder and his hips started to move frantically, trying to find more friction.
Jihoon observed him closely, waiting for when he got close enough to the edge, before he caught his hand with his own. "Enough for now," he said, earning himself a moan full of disappointment.
And yet, despite being so close, Hyunjoon didn't fight him on that either — just took his hand out of his sweatpants and waited, his breath still a bit uneven.
Jihoon's fingers travelled through the expanse of Hyunjoon's defined stomach, pressing and scratching the skin here and there, smiling whenever he arched back to chase after the touch. His reactions felt very rewarding — each pause in between touches making the anticipation ramp up, earning a surprised gasp whenever Jihoon's fingers landed on a spot Hyunjoon didn't expect them too.
Slowly, he pathed down, stopping only when he reached his waistband. Hyunjoon lifted his hips wordlessly when Jihoon started pulling the rest of his clothes off.
"You're shaking," Jihoon said with a smile, noticing Hyunjoon struggling against himself. "Cute," he added, wrapping his fingers around Hyunjoon's cock.
He stroked him slowly, almost teasingly, the touch light, not enough to bring the overwhelming pleasure just yet.
Jihoon enjoyed watching Hyunjoon's reactions more that he'd care to admit. There was something almost addicting in having him spread out naked on his bed, laying there almost boneless and just taking what Jihoon was giving him.
"Just let yourself relax, I've got you," Jihoon whispered before picking up the pace. He tightened his grip and watched as Hyunjoon got closer to falling apart.
He wasn't planning to let him though, not yet.
Jihoon switched to teasing the head of his cock, playing with the wetness that gathered there. Hyunjoon was almost on the edge with how tense his body was becoming again, as if just a few more touches would be enough to make him come.
He didn't get to, because as soon as it became apparent, Jihoon took away his hand, letting it rest on Hyunjoon's thigh. So close to where he wanted him most, but not enough to tip over the edge with the pressure now fully gone.
"No, no, no, no," Hyunjoon said, his voice resembling a whimper. "Please." He was trembling now, hands flying, trying to find Jihoon and bring him closer.
Noticing his unease, Jihoon leaned down. "Relax," he whispered, tracing his cheek with his fingers, waiting for him to calm down.
It took a moment but Hyunjoon finally nodded, leaning into the tender touch. "Can you take it off?" he asked, pointing at he blindfold.
Jihoon complied right away. He untied the knots carefully, making sure not to pull on his hair too hard. When it finally slipped off, he smiled gently and said a quick: "Hi there," before he drew his lips in for a quick kiss.
Hyunjoon's eyes were glazed with tears that threatened to spill over. He was still shaking but his lips stretched into a small smile that mirrored Jihoon's own.
"You're doing so well. Can you take one more?" he asked eventually. His thumb was now back on Hyunjoon's chest, playing with the hardened bud but not pressing too far just yet.
Hyunjoon hesitated and drew a deep breath in, before he shook his head. "Too much," he said quietly, a tear finally spilling and rolling down his cheek.
"Okay sweetheart," Jihoon smiled and pressed another kiss to his lips. "No more teasing, I promise. Just relax and let me do this."
Jihoon moved down, letting his warm breath ghost over Hyunjoon's hip before he pressed some more kisses there. His lips travelled down, until he reached his cock.
He wrapped his lips around it and did as he promised. No teasing, no playing around, just a steady pressure and the over encompassing warmth as he worked Hyunjoon back to the edge. He didn't need much, not after what they already did. His orgasm was brewing, quelled for but a brief moment, yet still threatening to pull Hyunjoon under at any second.
Jihoon's hand touched where his mouth couldn't reach. He worked efficiently, not drawing the moment out any longer than necessary. He knew that Hyunjoon was almost there, that it wouldn't take long for him to come. He wanted to see him close his eyes, arch his back upwards and just let go, fall apart just so Jihoon could be there to pick him right back up again.
And he did.
He held Hyunjoon as he came. He wrapped his arms around him as he trembled, coming down from the high. He held him as he melted against the mattress, raked his fingers through his hair, waiting patiently for him to come back to himself.
When Hyunjoon finally opened his eyes again, they held something new in them — something soft, warm, thankful, even.
A few more seconds passed, maybe even minutes, before Hyunjoon finally spoke: "Do you want me to…" he trailed off, eyes dropping below Jihoon's waist.
He just shook his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Hyunjoon's mouth. "Don't worry about that. You look like you'll fall asleep any moment now."
"Is this okay? If I don't—?" he asked again, unsure.
Jihoon just laughed quietly and kissed him, properly this time.
"Don't worry," he repeated and wrapped Hyunjoon in a warm hug, tangling their legs together. He was still pressing against his thigh but didn't feel the need to do anything about it. Seeing Hyunjoon finally fully relaxed was enough for him. Anything else could wait. "Feeling a bit better?"
Hyunjoon let out an awkward laugh but drew Jihoon even closer to himself. "I think so. Pretty weird therapy session if you ask me, but I won't complain. I owe you one though," he added as an afterthought.
"I'll get back to you on that when someone pulls the rug from under my feet one day," Jihoon replied easily, making them both laugh again.
When he woke up in the morning, it was to the surprising discovery that breathing felt a little easier. This, and that comfort comes from unexpected places sometimes.