Work Text:
Yu Wenzhou wore too many layers. Huang Shaotian refused to voice this thought out loud, but he was completely certain that he was right in this observation. On any given day, Yu Wenzhou would be wearing at least two layers if not more. No one else in Blue Rain went this overboard with their layers, it was just his captain. Huang Shaotian thought that he should do something about this. After all, Yu Wenzhou had very nice arms and a very nice solid chest, if not as built as Han Wenqing, and the fact that he was hiding it from the world was a travesty. He would be doing the world a public service if he revealed what his captain was hiding under his many layers! In actual fact, no one but Huang Shaotian was bothered by the number of layers that Yu Wenzhou wore, not one person but Blue Rain’s vice-captain actually paid attention to how many shirts he was wearing. Huang Shaotian just wanted to ogle his captain more easily.
He got his opportunity fairly quickly as Yu Wenzhou left for his semi-regular tactician meetings where Ye Xiu riled the other three up, prompting them to protest his teasing in their own quiet way. Huang Shaotian had once tagged along and managed to get himself banned when he threw a barrage of heated trash talk at Ye Xiu after he’d made a sly insinuation about Yu Wenzhou’s tactics. Despite the ban, the soft, sweet smile that he’d spotted playing across his captain’s lips made the entire ordeal worth it, even if Ye Xiu cracked an imaginary whip at him. Huang Shaotian was certain that Yu Wenzhou’s smile could outshine the sun but that was far too mushy to admit out loud. Much easier to do what he was doing and simply ogle his captain from afar.
It was easy to break into Yu Wenzhou’s room. Well, it should have been easy to break into Yu Wenzhou’s room, after all, he was visiting his friends, Huang Shaotian knew his door code from years of friendship, it should have been easy. And it would have been easy if Huang Shaotian and his many bags containing too small shirts hadn’t happened to bump into one of his teammates.
Fortunately, it was Zheng Xuan and while he raised one eyebrow at the sight, he didn’t bother questioning what was happening, having seen much weirder things than Huang Shaotian breaking into Yu Wenzhou’s room with shirts. Like the time Huang Shaotian had sat in Yu Wenzhou’s lap and was fed oranges, or the time he’d knelt at his captain’s feet to beg off training. Blue Rain had become very desensitised to the antics of their leadership team and to get involved would be, as Zheng Xuan would put it: Stressful.
Successfully dodging the bullet of answering why he was breaking into Yu Wenzhou’s room, Huang Shaotian slipped in before anyone else could catch him. Hopefully, Zheng Xuan would forget about everything soon enough, but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. He made a beeline for the wardrobe and drawers, opening them to find dozens of loose-fitting t-shirts and long-sleeved jackets. All of which would soon be squirreled away in his room, forcing his captain to wear the replacement t-shirts, which were all much more form fitting and Huang Shaotian smiled proudly as he set to work, muttering to himself all the while.
“Why does captain even have this many jackets, it’s not even that cold, and I get cold but even I don’t own as many jackets as Wenzhou does, he has so many that he could make a tent out of them with all this fabric, he could make a huge three person tent just out of his jackets alone.” Shaotian then moved on to criticising his captain’s choice of shirts. “And he is always wearing a loose t-shirt, we’re all forced to do running and strength training to make sure we’re all healthy and captain has a very nice chest, I’ve seen it, but he still wears all these layers and he doesn’t just wear the layers, he wears the layers loose as well, what a waste of all that time spent training, this is going to be good for me- for him.” Huang Shaotian nodded in satisfaction as the long and loose clothing disappeared into the bags and he slipped out of the room and back to his own.
The bags filled with the stolen clothing vanished into his own wardrobe, which was such an unorganised mess compared to Yu Wenzhou’s that no one would ever be able to find the clothing without his help or at least two days of searching and Huang Shaotian stretched out leisurely on his bed, letting his imagination run wild about what would happen when his captain was forced to wear the tight clothing. A dreamy sigh escaped his lips and he drifted off into a well-deserved nap after a morning of plotting, scheming and heists.
Meanwhile, Yu Wenzhou was smiling politely as he listened to Ye Xiu tease Zhang Xinjie. It was very clear to anyone who had eyes that Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing had been trying to seduce Tyranny’s vice-captain for months without much success. Though Yu Wenzhou supposed he couldn’t comment as his attempts to seduce his own vice-captain were not going well. Xiao Shiqin was pushing his glasses up his nose, clearly trying to distract himself from the way Ye Xiu was sliding his arm around Zhang Xinjie’s shoulders, offering a bright smile when the other gave him a look. Yu Wenzhou had a moment of revelation as he realised that this was likely how the rest of his teammates felt watching him and Huang Shaotian, mild fascination and slight horror. He wondered if he should comment on the unfurling drama but before he could, Ye Xiu pressed a kiss to Zhang Xinjie’s cheek and ignoring the flustered spluttering, turned to Yu Wenzhou.
“What are you doing to Huang Shaotian, usually his messages are filled with demands for a PK but this is all he’s been sending me recently.” Yu Wenzhou leant forward to peer at the screen and once he read the messages, his lips curled up into a smug smirk.
Huang Shaotian: I don’t know what to do Ye Xiu!
Huang Shaotian: He keeps brushing against me! And touching me! He placed his finger against my lips to get me to be quiet yesterday!
Huang Shaotian: And he won’t stop smiling at me! And it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners!
Huang Shaotian: Whenever he swallows, he tilts his head back, showing off his neck, I watch his throat and then he looks right at me! I think he really can read minds!
Xiao Shiqin wondered when the tactical sessions had devolved into gossiping about each other’s love lives. He wondered if Zhang Xinjie would pull the meeting back on track, but he seemed too busy having a silent breakdown where he was sitting, cycling through going bright red then white then back to red, refusing to meet Ye Xiu’s knowing gaze. And Yu Wenzhou looked far too smug when he read the messages that indicated that his vice-captain was suffering.
“I noticed that Shaotian can be goaded into action and I wanted to be certain of his feelings before I revealed my own.”
“A true tactician-“ Xiao Shiqin was cut off by Ye Xiu’s scoff, drawing their attention.
“Lies, you like watching him squirm!” The dangerous curl to Yu Wenzhou’s lips had something swooping in Xiao Shiqin’s stomach and he didn’t even have feelings for Blue Rain’s captain so he couldn’t imagine the suffering it inflicted on Huang Shaotian.
“That too.” The strangled sound that Zhang Xinjie let out when Ye Xiu tugged the other closer to him had the other two shooting him a concerned look, they’d never heard the other sound so undignified, Ye Xiu, being the most shameless of them all, merely patted his hand gently as he continued to speak, ignoring the way Tyranny’s vice-captain’s face flared to a brighter red.
“And if Shaotian isn’t goaded into action?” Yu Wenzhou shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
“I’ll take matters into my own hands.” The slight threat in his words was soon dissipated by Ye Xiu offering a jab.
“Slow as they are.” This turned the conversation back to Glory, much to Xiao Shiqin’s relief. He was learning things about his fellow pro players that he would have been very happy never knowing.
“At least it’s over now.” He thought to himself, unfortunately, with Huang Shaotian’s antics, it’d only just begun.
Yu Wenzhou looked at the contents of his wardrobe with confusion written across his face, staring at the utter lack of any jackets other than his Blue Rain uniform. The only things that he seemed to own now were a variety of t-shirts and when he put them on his confusion only grew. He knew the size he bought his clothes, big enough that they were loose-fitting but these seemed a few sizes too small from the way the fabric clung to his torso and he sighed, realising that if he didn’t want to miss breakfast he’d have to figure out what happened to his clothes later.
Huang Shaotian was choking. Song Xiao was smacking him on the back, helping him dislodge the chunk of toast that had just lodged itself halfway down his throat until his wheezing died down. He was actually thankful for the incident as he could pass off his beet red face as a side effect from his choking episode, and not because Yu Wenzhou had walked into the cafeteria wearing a skin-tight t-shirt. For once he could see every contour of his chest, the way his muscles shifted under his skin, the flex of his arms-! Huang Shaotian startled when his glass of water was pressed into his hand and he glanced over to see Song Xiao aiming a deadpan stare at him.
“You seem thirsty.” Huang Shaotian felt his mouth drop open but before he could protest Song Xiao drained his drink like it was a shot before disappearing out the door, leaving Huang Shaotian to stare dreamily at Yu Wenzhou across the room.
Halfway into training, Huang Shaotian wondered if he’d made a mistake. He’d miscalculated just how distracting it was to see Yu Wenzhou’s torso on display throughout training and the tactical discussions. He was well-aware that his teammates were busy laughing at him, sniggering as he choked on nothing when Yu Wenzhou stretched his arms above his head, causing his t-shirt to rise up, exposing a strip of skin and Huang Shaotian walked Troubling Rain right off a cliff. Yu Wenzhou raised an eyebrow at him, and his vice-captain flushed a brilliant red colour, embarrassment strong enough that Yu Wenzhou didn’t bother to push any further.
Yu Wenzhou was having a wonderful time. Huang Shaotian was the most flustered he’d ever seen him and from his reaction, Yu Wenzhou was nearly certain that his vice-captain was responsible for his lack of clothes. However, he didn’t mind as Huang Shaotian’s plan had clearly backfired if his constant flushing and embarrassment was any indication. Yu Wenzhou felt a smug smile creep across his lips as he trained with his team, if there was something he always enjoyed, it was having the upper hand, and in this moment, he had the advantage over Huang Shaotian.
The moment training was over Blue Rain watched as their vice-captain went running out of the room, bright red and nearly tripped over his own feet. When Yu Wenzhou smirked and steepled his fingers like a supervillain, the rest of Blue Rain emptied out of the room, not willing to stick around when their captain looked like he was planning someone’s demise.
“RIP Huang Shaotian.” They all thought to themselves, hoping that the soundproofing between the rooms held up.
The vice-captain in question was currently slamming his head into his pillow, regretting his desire for eye candy as it had clearly backfired on him in the worst possible way in that he could not get anything done without thinking about Yu Wenzhou. Nothing at all. His eyes kept straying over to his captain, he’d get caught, his cheeks would burn red and then he’d pretend he was staring at something else. It’d repeated like clockwork the entire day and now he was worked up, embarrassed and fully aware that his teammates would be mocking him about this miscalculation for months. Huang Shaotian flopped onto his back with a groan, eyes squeezed shut as if that would help him erase the memories of the day. It didn’t but he soon slipped off into a light nap.
Yu Wenzhou was in front of him with a wall behind him, Huang Shaotian pinned between the two with no way to escape. His captain had a look in his eyes that Huang Shaotian didn’t recognise but it had heat pooling in his stomach as his captain tilted his head to the side, smile on his lips. Huang Shaotian swallowed under the scrutiny, unsure of what to do, especially as he was far too distracted by the way Yu Wenzhou’s shirt was clinging to his skin. His captain leant in close, warm breath ghosting over his ear, causing a shudder to run down his spine.
“Were you the one who replaced all my clothes?” Huang Shaotian did mean to give an answer, but he was too busy trying not to swallow his tongue and favoured spluttering pathetically, face bright red while Yu Wenzhou smiled, waiting for an answer. When he didn’t get one, he tilted up his vice-captain’s face, forcing the other to look him in the eyes, voice still soft and coaxing.
“Shaotian, did you replace my clothes?” Despite the quiet tone of his voice, there was a slight hint of warning in his tone, voice slipping into a command rather than a coax and Huang Shaotian responded as he usually did when his captain brought out that voice.
“Yes, I just thought it would be funny and-!” His voice abruptly cut off when Yu Wenzhou pressed his lips against Huang Shaotian’s and Blue Rain’s vice-captain pressed eagerly into the embrace, letting out a soft whine, hands sliding to grip at his captain’s shoulders, gasping as he felt the other’s tongue pressing into his mouth-
Huang Shaotian jerked out of his dream with a gasp before he promptly rolled over and started screaming incoherently into his pillow, knowing he’d brought this on himself, but this failed to reassure him. It was time to seek advice. He stopped trying to suffocate himself in with his pillow in favour of grabbing his phone and messaging the one person who might not judge him too harshly for this.
Huang Shaotian: I’ve made a mistake.
Ye Xiu: Why do I think this is going to be about Yu Wenzhou?
Huang Shaotian: It is.
Ye Xiu: :eyeroll: I’m at Tyranny, you’ll have to come to me.
Huang Shaotian: Still trying to catch your tactician? Poor old Ye, unable to come up with a solid enough plan to get Zhang Xinjie to date him, old Han is a striker, shouldn’t he have just charged forward without a plan? Did you think you needed a plan and have found that Zhang Xinjie just avoids all of them? Do you think you could actually capture him without having to outsmart him?
Ye Xiu: Do you want my help or not?
When Huang Shaotian arrived at Tyranny he flopped down dramatically onto Ye Xiu’s lap, already wailing about his predicament without bothering to greet his friend, or anyone else in the room. Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie glanced up from where they were sitting, Zhang Xinjie’s finger still pointed at a diagram. His eyes narrowed sharply, but he was soon distracted by his captain’s hand covering his own, tracing a different shape over the diagram. Ye Xiu sent his boyfriend a quick grin before giving Huang Shaotian his full attention.
“- and I just wanted to stare at captain’s chest, he always does the exercises he’s supposed to but he always wears such loose-fitting shirts, it’s a waste of his effort, there’s no point to that at all! So I replaced all his shirts with smaller ones and stole all his jackets but now I can’t concentrate in training, I keep staring at captain and he keeps smiling at me and I think this was a bad idea and I don’t know what to do to fix it!” Ye Xiu stared at his friend in silence, unsure of what to say while Zhang Xinjie broke the silence that had fallen.
“You stole Yu Wenzhou’s clothes and it backfired?” There was a slight smile playing at his lips, amusement dancing in his eyes and both Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing got distracted for a long moment before Huang Shaotian’s voice pierced the air.
“Yes! It was a terrible decision and I made a mistake, would one of you master tacticians help me now? I can’t confess to captain, he’ll put me on extra training for two months and put okra back on the menu, I’ve been good for so long, he finally took it off the menu and I don’t want to have to eat it again, it’s so slimy and I start to slide around! You two are supposed to be tactical geniuses, help me!” Zhang Xinjie offered him a deadpan stare before he turned back to his notebook, voice soft and clearly for Han Wenqing alone.
“Mm, I helped you Shaotian, look.” The shorter player glanced up, eyes focusing on the screen in front of him and when his brain registered what was being displayed, his screech of betrayal was loud enough to make everyone in the room flinch.
Ye Xiu: Shaotian is the one who stole your clothes.
Yu Wenzhou: I thought so. Is he with you?
Ye Xiu: He came for advice.
Yu Wenzhou: Would you send him back? I need to talk to him.
“YE XIU!!” In the back of their minds, everyone was impressed at the sheer volume Huang Shaotian managed to reach, despite knowing him for years and being on the receiving end of his trash talk multiple times, they’re still surprised by how loud he gets. Before they can process the screeched words, Glory’s chatterbox is already continuing. “How could you betray me like this!” Ye Xiu’s shrug is unrepentant.
“You whine endlessly about how you’ve never had an opportunity to confess, here’s a perfect opportunity to tell your captain how much you like him and then you can complain to him about how pretty he is.” Huang Shaotian gaped at the older man, still clinging to his indignation.
“What if he doesn’t feel the same way?” Huang Shaotian is protesting as Ye Xiu begins to bodily manhandle him towards the door.
“He does, go talk to him.” Huang Shaotian is well-aware he’s lost this argument but never let it be said that he doesn’t get the last word.
“You just want me to leave because you’re trying to seduce Zhang Xinjie.” He darts out of the door before the other two can murder him, but he still catches the flush that spreads across Tyranny’s vice-captain’s cheeks and it’s enough to make him feel that he’s got one over on Ye Xiu.
Yu Wenzhou stands the moment Huang Shaotian walks into his room, feeling a smirk overtake his face when his vice-captain went pale at the sight of him. Huang Shaotian’s eyes were already calculating as he began to talk, watching Yu Wenzhou closely, searching for the right cues to find the right words to talk himself out of trouble. It was something he was well-versed in but it also rarely yielded results, Huang Shaotian was an optimist though, putting his trust in it again.
“Ah captain, you got Ye Xiu’s message I see, I just wanted to see what you looked like in a tighter t-shirt, you always wear such loose-fitting shirts, I thought that a tighter one would suit you. I was right, it does suit you but I should have asked first right? That’s why you wanted to talk to me? I’ll go train as my punishment right now-“ Before he could escape, Yu Wenzhou caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks and turning him so he was forced to meet his captain’s eyes.
“This is like my dream,” flickered through Huang Shaotian’s mind before he swore at himself for remembering that at this moment. He couldn’t stop the way his eyes were drawn to his captain’s lips, watching the way they shaped around the words, forgetting that he was supposed to be paying attention.
“-right Shaotian?” He startles back to reality and because there’s only one thing on his brain, it’s the first thing that slips out.
“Please kiss me.” His eyes go wide at the words and he opens his mouth to- Huang Shaotian isn’t quite sure what he’s planning to say but he doesn’t have to say anything when Yu Wenzhou tilts his face up gently and kisses him. Huang Shaotian pulled his captain closer, revelling in the kiss, pressing the other as close to him as he can, chasing the kiss when Yu Wenzhou pulled away to lead them to the bed. Huang Shaotian took the opportunity to tuck his face into his captain’s neck, settling comfortably once he’d achieved his goal.
“I really like you Wenzhou.” The words tickle at Yu Wenzhou’s throat and make his cheeks flush with happiness.
“I really like you too Shaotian.”
“I promise I’ll return your clothes tomorrow.” Yu Wenzhou hummed thoughtfully, his tone casual.
“I think I’ll keep wearing the new shirts, I like them and you should work on staying focused, good training.” Huang Shaotian buried his face into his boyfriend’s neck with a whine, knowing that this was probably his punishment but at the very least- “And okra will be added to menu again, you don’t eat enough vegetables.” Huang Shaotian summoned his best pout but his boyfriend remained unmoved, pressed a kiss to his forehead before removing his glasses and settling down for a nap.
Huang Shaotian was startled out of his thoughts by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He glances at his boyfriend, but Yu Wenzhou was still fast asleep, breathing deep and even. He manages to fish to his phone out of his pocket with one hand and open up the attachment of a photo of Ye Xiu pressing a kiss to Zhang Xinjie’s cheek while Han Wenqing has his arm wrapped around his vice-captain’s waist. Huang Shaotian had never seen Zhang Xinjie look so flustered and he has to hold back his laughter at the caption.
Ye Xiu: We captured our tactician, did you?
Ye Xiu smiles at his phone, the picture of Huang Shaotian with a bright grin on his face while Yu Wenzhou, clearly asleep, presses himself against the other. It may have taken the other two months, but like him and his two boyfriends, they got there eventually and from Huang Shaotian’s clear delight, the journey was worth it. A sentiment he could agree with, Ye Xiu thought to himself as he tucked himself more securely against his own partners, pleased smile on his own lips. All five were warm and content.