Work Text:
Yeonjun's brain felt numb after listening to the endless lecture. Don’t do this, don’t do that. It was easy to get distracted, he could focus on the heavy scent of musk and sweat that permeated the room or even the sticky warmth that stuck to his body, but instead, he chose to focus on the bright eyes beside him - it's not like he’ll follow the rules the employee was listing anyway.
Plus, he had more important things to worry about.
Beomgyu’s nodding suddenly came to a halt as the room began to dim and the small crowd in front of them dispersed, separating into little chunks and intermingling with each other.
Soon enough, the room was completely devoid of any real light, flashes of blue and purple every few seconds were the only reason why Yeonjun could see the grumpy face in front of him.
“Did you put on your knee pads?” Beomgyu raised an eyebrow in question.
“Yes.” Calm, praticied, perfect.
“Why am I having a hard time believing you, hyung?” The younger crosses his arms, pointedly staring into Yeonjun’s eyes, his cheeks sucked into his mouth with his face twisted in his iconic pout.
Yeonjun hummed in thought, “I’m not sure, why don’t you tell me, Gyu.” Soobin’s snickering echoed through the room with a few of Kai’s giggles alongside them. God, Yeonjun really can’t trust them to keep a straight face in any situation, even when it really matters.
With a sigh, Beomgyu began to yell out his commands, “Arms!” As if on instinct, Yeonjun’s hands flew out of his pants pockets, held up straight on both sides of his body, TSA pat-down ready. Beomgyu took a step closer, his face mere centimeters away from Yeonjun before he used his own hands, passing over the length of the older’s arm, stopping to prod around the area around his elbow to feel for a protective pad on both sides.
Pleased, Beomgyu licked his lips and looked down the length of Yeonjun’s body before speaking again, “Spread 'em.”
“We're in public Beomie,” Yeonjun smirked, biting his lip in thought, “not that I really mind.”
Rolling his eyes, Beomgyu used his right foot to kick Yeonjun’s feet apart and kept it there as he bent down, two hands trailing the meat of Yeonjun’s thigh down to his leg and back up. “Getting a little handsy there, huh?” Without answering, Beomgyu repeated the same motion on his other leg, pinching around his knee to double-check that Yeonjun actually was wearing the knee pads like he said he was. To be fair, with the frequency he's been getting injured lately and the amount of times he “forgets” to put them on, it made sense to double-check. In fact, it was almost endearing to him. Although, the lack of distance between Beomgyu’s face and Yeonjun’s crotch was gonna make that a little less cute.
“Gyu, I put them on. All of them, I mean it.”
“Sure you did,” Beomgyu rushes to stand up, dusting off the grime on his pants before he reaches towards the large vest covering Yeonjun’s chest, “but, it doesn’t hurt to double-check”. Beomgyu finicks around with the straps and padding around his shoulder, pulling them further up so they rest closer to his collarbones. His hands traveled down to Yeonjun’s sides, yanking on the dangling black stripes of fabric on either side until the vest was tight and snug against his waist.
The younger did a once over Yeonjun’s body, and once more just in case. “Perfect.” With a long smile spreading over his features and a soft sigh, Beomgyu threaded his arms between Yeonjun's, wrapping around his back and pulling him closer until their chests were flush against each other. “You listened for once, I’m impressed hyung.”
“I did,” he chuckles, “where's my reward?” Even though Yeonjun couldn’t see it for himself, he felt the taut muscles in his cheeks release all their tension and melt into a warm smile, perhaps even a grin, mirroring Beomgyu’s. Today was gonna be a great day, a perfect day. Nothing could possibly go wrong, the plan would go off without a hitch.
“I don’t know, let me think about it?” The wait wasn’t long with Beomgyu’s feather-light breath drawing closer to Yeonjun’s lips and his hands falling to the end of the older’s spine. It was red, blinding red, as Beomgyu stole the air from his lungs. Even though Yeonjun’s eyes were closed, he saw colorful blotches peppering the black void behind his lashes. He was so distracted, he didn’t even notice Beomgyu’s hands moving further down, palming at his ass and giving it a light squeeze. It was only after Beomgyu pushed off him, his right hand pressed firmly against the broad, empty light embedded into Yeonjun’s laser tag vest, that he realized something was amiss.
Crap, did he notice?
The younger’s lips were a vibrant shade of marron, bitten and bruised from excellent skill. The confused look on his face however — a pair of upturned eyebrows and rapidly blinking eyes — made Yeonjun worry.
“What is that?” Beomgyu questioned, his eyes flipping back and forth between Yeonjun's in search of answers, and a fast one at that.
“What is what?” He couldn’t look Beomgyu in the face, he'd be too obvious if he did and Beomgyu would figure everything out in an instant.
Beomgyu squinted his eyes in suspicion, “Oh, you know, that thing in your back pocket.”
“That? Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Yeonjun waved his hand, doing his best to quickly dismiss any ideas Beomgyu could have.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbles, “Okay, if it isn’t anything important, what’s the harm in telling little old me? You know, your wonderful, loving, trusting boyfriend.” Beomgyu's face scrunched up in a painfully fake smile, little crow's feet etched beside his eyes from the pressure.
“It’s just an extra knee pad. Like you said, just in case.” Yeonjun chuckled awkwardly.
“It felt a little too bulky and square to just be an extra pad, Yeonjun.”
Suddenly an arm slung around Yeonjun’s shoulders, and a tall frame pressed against his side, “That’s because he has gum in there too, right hyung?” Soobin’s calm voice reverberated into Yeonjun's ear. If he didn’t know Soobin so well to know all his tells, including an extra deep crater in his cheek, Yeonjun would have easily believed the soft yet authoritative voice. Unluckily for both of them, Beomgyu could pick up on the deceit in the tone flowing out of Soobin's mouth as well.
“I swear Soobin, if you guys are planning some nonsense again —” Beomgyu flipped his face away from the taller, addressing Yeonjun instead, “If he dared you to do something stupid again, I’ll end you” he jabbed his index finger in the center of Yeonjun’s chest, pushing into the fleshy part above his sternum, before continuing “and Soobin right after.” He stares daggers into both of them, to the point where a small part of Yeonjun is worried Beomgyu would actually follow through with his threat.
Drawing air through his nose, Beomgyu’s chest puffed up to three times its original size until it reached its capacity, and the carbon dioxide blubbered out his mouth like a dying balloon. “Can I have some?”
What he's gonna do now?
Suddenly, as if the heavens broke open, and a shimmering golden light shined down on him, his broad-shouldered savior came bumbling in. Kai, his one and only angel — well, maybe one of two, but don’t let Beomgyu know that, it’ll go to his head — pressed against the other side of his body not currently occupied by Soobin, layering his arm in the tangled mess of limbs covering Yeonjun’s shoulder. “I’m not sure you’d want one Beomgyu-hyung.” Kai's sweet voice almost sang the words.
“And why’s that?”
“Because it’s mint chocolate chip flavored. Hyung gave me one earlier, wanna smell?” Without waiting for a response, Kai unhinged his jaw and released a hot breath out his mouth. Beomgyu’s blank stare morphed into a face of disgust, with the heavy taste of mint even hitting Yeonjun’s eyes, making tears form at his waterline, even though the attack wasn’t even directed at him.
“Kai—” Beomgyu shuts his eyes, and takes a few steps backwards, “Gross!” he winces. Blinking the burning sensation away, Beomgyu reached up to rub his eye. “I would have believed you,” he groaned, “you didn’t have to do that!”
“Yeah, I know.” He giggles, “I just wanted to.”
Beomgyu’s jaw drops, his left eye twitching in disbelief. Unable to hold back, Soobin snorts with a laugh, trying and failing to tame it down when Beomgyu gives him the stink eye.
“I mean, why wouldn’t you believe me,” Kai placed both his palms against his cheeks and chin, the excessively cute blooming flower pose he has been obsessed with recently, “I’ve never lied to you Beomgyu-hyung.” His voice turned syrupy sweet, as he winked and a soft rumble ran up his throat. If it was possible, Yeonjun would have gotten diabetes from it.
Beomgyu smacked his forehead, dragging the hand down, pulling the skin of his cheeks and the skin under his eyelids to expose the veins of red, as he mumbled what was sure to be a fit of complaints and various curse words he didn’t want to say to Kai, directly at least. “Okay, yeah, sure. It’s gum, I believe you — for now. But if I find out it isn’t—”
“You’ll end us,” the three men said in unison, “we know.”
A series of lights flashed and rang throughout the room, announcing the game was starting. The hollow light on all their chests lit up, running through a range of colors until it finally settled on one. Looking down, just above his solar plexus, the bright hue of blue illuminated his features. To both his left and right, the same color shined in his peripheral.
The only problem was that the man in front of him had a red glow brimming from his chest. That doesn’t make any sense, they are all supposed to be on the same team. But, on the bright side, it at least makes getting caught a lot harder. All he needed was his master strategist —
And there, walking up behind Beomgyu was Taehyun, radiating the same red color from his vest.
“Taehyun-ah,” he squeaked.
Tossing an arm around Beomgyu’s shoulder, “I won’t go easy on you, hyung. You’re going down.” Taehyun’s features were straightlaced, a mask of complete seriousness.
Well, he was screwed.
Patting his neck, Soobin dropped his arm from around his shoulder, “We’ll go get the guns.” He tilted his head, signaling not only to Kai, but also to Taehyun to follow him.
The silence between them after the other three left was comfortable, and was easily filled. But Yeonjun would gladly stand beside Beomgyu for an eternity if he wanted, no question (except one) asked.
“We’re on opposite teams.” Beomgyu reached toward Yeonjun’s jaw, rubbing soft shapes into the space under his dark circles.
“We are,” Yeonjun replied, too lost in Beomgyu's eyes to care much about the fact they felt like the only thing shining in the darkness. His saving grace, the life vest that keeps him afloat when he can’t swim anymore after the world sucked the life out of him.
Beomgyu drew closer, his other hand tangling in Yeonjun's highlighted hair. “We’re totally gonna beat you.” He mumbled as he pressed a light kiss atop Yeonjun’s lip. It was simple and sweet. Just long enough for Yeonjun to feel the tangible weight press against him, and just short enough for him to want to beg for more. Calm, practiced, perfect. They have spent so much time together, that it feels as natural as breathing. They speak through their small actions. Through their kisses, where one wistfully asks, “Forever”, and with just as much longing the other answers, “Always”.
“We’ll see about that, Gyu.” Yeonjun chuckled into the other's mouth, his fingers finding their designated spot in between the crevice of Beomgyu’s waist.
“You guys are so gross.” Soobin huffed from behind them. The couple twisted their heads and bodies to look at their three friends, clutching one too many laser tag guns to be comfortable. “Yeonjun, I dare you to crush Beomgyu. Make sure he doesn’t win a single round. I need one day of no lovey-dovey-ness, please.” Soobin stuck his tongue out and pretended to gag.
Casually poking his tongue against his right cheek, Beomgyu uses his nails to pinch Yeonjun’s elbow.
“Ouch— what the hell Beomgyu!” Yeonjun jumped, dropping his hand from Beomgyu’s waist in lieu of rubbing the sore spot the younger just left on his body.
“I thought I said this is a dare-free zone. A dare-free day, in fact.”
“So why did you pinch me? I didn’t dare anyone!” Yeonjun groaned, still rubbing his skin.
“Because you let him dare you in the first place. You always let him actually.” Beomgyu crossed his arms, “Do I need to remind you of the last time he dared you to do something? Maybe you forgot the fact that your motorcycle is still in the shop, and your ankle just healed.” Beomgyu raised his eyebrows, forcing Yeonjun’s mouth to shut before he could retort back. It would be a losing battle; Beomgyu was right after all. The younger pulls the older’s arm towards him, pushing up the fabric of this white silk shirt up and exposing the skin underneath it, “And if you were wearing your elbow pads right, that wouldn’t have hurt at all, dummy.” His thumb grazed over the slightly red mark before he pulled the pad up so it rested properly against Yeonjun’s skin. With a soft exhale, Beomgyu worries his lip, “Sorry.”
Beomgyu’s eyes were slightly downcast, hiding away from the older’s gaze. He can see what appears to be a lingering sense of guilt in his eyes, after all these years together Yeonjun can pick up on the small things he missed at the start of their relationship. Sighing, Yeonjun pulls Beomgyu against his body and into a tight hug, “It’s fine Gyu, it didn’t actually hurt.” When the younger doesn't reply, Yeonjun pushes him back to look into his eyes.
The glum look was still pasted onto Beomgyu's face, so Yeonjun did the only thing he could — concocted a distraction. “How about this, what if we have a bet” Beomgyu glanced up to Yeonjun, not feeling particularly amused, “— not a dare, but a bet, they are very different, I’ll have you know —” even though Beomgyu rolled his eyes, it seemed to be working. So far so good.“Whichever team wins the match, gets to make the loser do anything they want.”
Bemgyu scoffed, faking an appalled look for such a ridiculous wager. But, Beomgyu has always been a betting man, and he loves taking his chances. Just like he did when a random guy pulled up beside him in a black helmet, roaring his engine to get his attention, and asked for his number out of the blue.
And just like that, he brought his hand out for Yeonjun to shake, “Deal.”
Score:
0 - 0
Yeonjun lied, and he lied straight through his teeth. You see, Yeonjun takes great pride in being an honest partner, never being one to hide things in his relationships. Trust is key, and he trusts Beomgyu with his life.
But one little white lie can’t hurt, right? In fact, Beomgyu had asked him to do it, daring him to in his bumbling drunk drawls. The mental gymnastics Yeonjun was going through to keep calm were getting to his head and making him feel dizzy.
Everything would end up fine.
“Hyung,” Soobin thrusts a heavy gun into Yeonjun’s chest, dragging him out of his daze, “Focus”. Yeonjun fumbled around, cradling the laser gun against his torso in confusion. “Clip it to your vest.” Soobin groaned, pointing to a stray piece of fabric hanging off his chest.
“Do you know if anyone else is joining our team?” Kai questioned as he adjusted his own vest. “I thought this place usually does five versus five matches so I was surprised when Taehyun-ah and Beomgyu-hyung ended up on the other team.”
Yeonjun rubbed his temple, “I don’t know why either.”
“If you guys were paying attention instead of drifting off into space, you’d know.” Soobin pinches the bridge of his nose before continuing, “I was literally tapping your arm for a full minute but you kept on staring into Beomgyu’s eyes.” Soobin sighed, “There was a problem with the number of people and they had to close early today, so they made smaller groups so the games would go faster.”
“Sure, okay, but what’s the new plan?” Kai questions.
Instead of answering, Yeonjun claws his finger into his hair, yanking and probably pulling out a couple of strands.
Wide-eyed Soobin scoffs, “You didn’t come with a plan B?”
“How was I supposed to predict we’d be on opposite teams? I didn’t even know that could happen.” Yeonjun whisper-yells.
“Idiot.”
Before Yeonjun’s whisper-yelling turned into just straight-up yelling, Kai quickly cut them off. “Calm down, we have time.” The youngest tries to keep an upbeat tone, but his worry bleeds through, tainting the sentiment and making Yeonjun’s anxiety shoot even further up the roof.
“We have thirty seconds, Kai-ah.” Soobin rolls his eyes, pointing to the bright timer ticking away the few seconds they had left.
“What!” How the hell is Yeonjun supposed to come up with a new plan so quickly? It took him ages to concoct the original one, hours and hours toiling away, piecing together and throwing away countless ideas. Everything is going to shit on a day it was absolutely not allowed to. Any other day would be fine, but not today. Today is supposed to be amazing, grandiose, perfect .
“Hyung!” Soobin places both of his hands on Yeonjun’s shoulder, digging his nails into his flesh to ground him, “Don’t panic. We don’t have time for that.”
Taking a deep breath in, he nods.
“Kai and I will do our best to help you. And no matter how competitive Taehyun is, he won’t ruin today.” Soobin stares deep into Yeonjun's eyes before groaning, “But he won’t make it easy either.”
“We just have to make sure we win the first round.” Kai adds, “It’ll act as a buffer for the second round.”
“We already have a higher chance at winning too. In case the round doesn’t end in three minutes, the team with more players alive wins the round.”
“We can figure the rest out as we go.” Soobin mumbles, pulling the other two to form a group huddle. “Let's go and fulfill lover boy’s dare.”
—
Even though it wasn’t the fairest strategy, the blue team had decided to split up and play hide and seek, waiting out time to safely secure the first and most vital point.
But of course, nothing can go right today and with less than two minutes left, Yeonjun hears various yelps and screams sound off to his right.
Bracing his gun closer to himself, Yeonjun whips through the endless corridors, turning left then right, and then right again like he was lost in a cornfield. He was out of breath as he rounded one last corner, finding Soobin hiding behind a barricade. Noticing him, the taller waves his hand and signals for him to get down.
Waddling in a strange squat, Yeonjun moved beside Soobin as loud beeps from the laser guns continued to round off. “What the hell happened to hiding?”
“I obviously tried that, but they grouped together. I had to stay on the defensive so we could still wait out the time.” Hearing the beeps stop, Soobin un-crouched from his position and spammed the trigger of his gun in the general area the light was coming from.
“Have you seen Kai?”
“No, I’ve been in this area the whole time.” Soobin quickly ducks again, and they switch potions so Yeonjun would be the one firing.
Taehyun comes back into the fray, popping his head up from behind a wall. The red glow emanating from his bright vest highlights his crazed eyes. Yeonjun sees his mouth moving, but it is too hard and too dark to read his lips.
Focusing his eyes, Yeonjun squints, and steadies his laser gun. He feels the adrenaline rushing through his veins as he locks his sights onto the center of his chest, taking advantage of Taehyun’s position.
A scratchy mike comes to life and loudly makes the first announcement of the game, “Player 1, red team, has lost a life. Fifty seconds remain.”
Almost like a vampire had sunken their teeth into him, the red color from Taehyun’s vest drains, and he is hidden in the dark lighting. With his supposed dying breath, Taehyun's voice echoes through the room, “Beomgyu, run for it!”
It doesn’t make any sense. Why would Taehyun, especially someone as smart as Taehyun, tell Beomgyu to flee the scene when the only way he would even have a chance at winning the round is by staying and hoping to draw Soobin and him out? Yeonjun doesn’t have much time to dwell on it when he notices a shadowy figure covered with a blurring red rush away.
Without thinking too much, Yeonjun stood up, using his hands to propel himself up and over the barrier they were hiding behind.
“Hyung,” Soobin calls as Yeonjun tries to chase after Beomgyu, “What if it’s a trap?”
Yeonjun stops dead in his tracks, considering the probability. Biting his lips, feeling the spontaneous rush coursing through him, Yeonjun uttered the only thing he can, the only thing he knows “Fuck it.”
He feels his heart stutter as he tries to follow after Beomgyu, it feels like he’s been going in circles after he took what seemed like his 5th right turn. “Beomgyu!” He sings, “Where’d you go?”
“Twenty seconds rema-” The announcer’s voice cut off, “Player 2, red team, has lost a life. Round one goes to the blue team.”
Yeonjun spins around, resting his palms against his knees, his back hunched over the rest of his body as he pants. Kai must have pulled through, although Yeonjun does wish he had caught up with Beomgyu.
He felt a little guilty, the way they were playing wasn’t exactly fair. It made him feel even worse when he thought about how the rest of the guys, even Taehyun to a certain extent, were going easier so it would be less difficult for Yeonjun.
But, he needs extra support.
It’ll all be worth it in the end, Yeonjun thinks.
Score:
1 - 0
The new plan going his way gave Yeonjun a false sense of security. One that could easily be exploited by a certain someone.
“Good job, Kai-ah.” Yeonjun raised his arm above his head as Kai slowly lifted his own to leave a soft slap against his rough palms.
“Yeah, you too?” says Kai, ending his sentence on an awkward high note.
“But,” Yeonjun grabs Kai’s hand and pulls it down with his own, “Waiting out the time, feels a little cheap. Today is supposed to be a great day, and not only do I want you guys to be here as support, but I also want you guys to have fun.”
The group quickly comes to a consensus, deciding to no longer play it safe and instead seek out the two other maniacs on the red team. Just like last time they all split up, hoping to cover more area.
Before Yeonjun turns at every corner, he checks both sides for any light or movement as if he is some sort of prim and proper pedestrian crossing the street. As he moves, he makes sure to keep his back toward the wall, trying to prevent any sneak attacks.
Out of nowhere, the announcer’s mic croaks to life, “Player 2, blue team, has lost a life.”
How did they get Kai without Yeonjun hearing anything?
He chews on his bottom lip, a sense of dread seeping under his skin.
As he rounds another corner, he turns his head to the left standing still with his laser pointed in the empty section, and swings it to the right.
Yeonjun nearly jumps out of his skin, stumbling backward.
Beomgyu does the same, a high-pitched squeak leaving his pink lips.
As fast as he can, Yeonjun pulls his gun up, his finger itching to pull the trigger.
“Wait, wait, wait!” He babbles, frantically gesturing and pleading, “Don’t shoot!”
“And why shouldn’t I?”
“Ummmm, because you love me?” Even Beomgyu cringes at his own response. Instead of answering, Yeonjun grips the laser gun even tighter making sure it is perfectly aimed on one of the tag zones. “Okay, okay, because my gun is jammed and it wouldn’t be a fair fight.”
Yeonjun thinks for a moment, before dropping his gun, letting it hang from the clip attached to this vest.
“Truce?,” Beomgyu awkwardly smiles, “for now at least?”
“Fine, for now.”
Beomgyu’s cheekbones raise with a soft grin as he locks his arms around Yeonjun's neck, pulling him toward his face. Ever so slowly, he takes small steps backward until his back hits a soft wall and Yeonjun is pressed firmly against his chest. Biting his lip, Beomgyu mumbles into Yeonjun’s ear, “You deserve another reward.” The younger’s eyes are hazy, swirling with emotion. “What does my hyung want?” The younger hums, “What treat does he deserve?”
He can feel the slight blush tinting the tops of his ears. Rather than saying it aloud, Yeonjun uses his index finger to gently tap his left cheek.
Beomgyu beams, pushing his face closer toward his, using his right hand to hook under Yeonjun’s jaw and turn his left cheek towards him. His lips are just a centimeter away, Yeonjun’s spine shivers when the heat and moisture from every exhale press against his skin, “Do you really think you deserve a reward when you tried to play a cheap trick on me Yeonjun-ah.” Beomgyu’s sweet and soft voice quickly turns bitter with venom. The younger grabs a few strains of his hair, and yanks, forcing his head up and to the right.
“Player 1, blue team, has lost a life.”
In his peripheral vision, he sees blobs of red peeking out from the opposite side of the corridor. Taehyun has his gun pointed towards him and lets the laser fly through the air.
Red hit Yeonjun straight in the chest, bleeding the blue straight from the core.
“Player 3, blue team, has lost a life. Round two goes to the red team.”
It slowly dawns on him, the way Beomgyu had maneuvered him into position, turning him just right for Taehyun to line up the perfect shot.
Beomgyu lays two quick pecks on either side of Yeonjun’s cheek. “Sorry, but you deserve it. Did you think Taehyun-ah and I wouldn’t figure out you were trying to win the first round by stalling?” It’s a rhetorical question, but Yeonjun still answers with a simple eye roll. “So sneaky,” the younger continued, “I needed to get my revenge.”
“Yeah,” Taehyun calls out from behind them, dragging Soobin along with him with a tight grasp on his wrist, “It’s not fun if you guys try to win like that.”
“Did they get you too?” Yeonjun questions.
“Not like that,” Soobin sneers, “but yeah, isn't that obvious?” He gestures to his colorless vest.
Using his elbow, Taehyun jabs into Soobin's ribs, “You don’t have to lie Soobin, it’s not something to be ashamed of.” He teases, “If you need, I can cover your mouth again to stop you from lying. You usually like it when Kai does it.”
Red crawls up Soobin’s chest, running up his throat, “No thanks.” He grumbles, moving further away from the younger.
“No more tricks, alright!” Beomgyu tries to redirect the topic, “It’ll be more fun to play like normal.”
Score:
1 - 1
As agreed upon, once the timer started, both teams met up in the cornucopia, lying at the heart of the maze.
“Let’s make this last round fair and square, no tricks or games,” Taehyun shouts. The laser gun in his hand dangles by his side, swaying left and right. Slowly, he brings it up, pointing directly into Yeonjun’s sternum, “ None .” He emphasizes with crinkled eyes and a lift of his brow.
Beside him, Beomgyu mirrors his teammate's movements, stepping forward and closing his right eye to aim, “You guys are done for!”
“Get down!” Kai shrieks.
A shower of light cascades around them, with Taehyun and Beomgyu’s laser raining down in a rapid fire. Yeonjun sees Soobin's broad body turn into a slightly smaller ball as he somersaults behind some cover, with Kai not far behind him.
But Yeonjun was too far. It probably isn’t the best idea to all be in the same place; they’d be sitting ducks just like Taehyun probably wanted.
Rather than trying to follow after them, Yeonjun moves to slighter higher ground, racing up a small ladder not meant for people his height. Scrunching his legs, he takes them two at a time till he reaches the apex. There he gets a semi-decent view, keeping his eyes on Beomgyu.
Even in the dark, Yeonjun can see Beomgyu’s deep smile, one that never seems to wash away. Affection bloom inside of him. No matter how far Yeonjun’s original plans had deviated, he was glad that everyone, especially Beomgyu, was having a good time. The excitement from the game had even distracted him from the confusing mix of fear, anxiety, and joy that was supposed to come after the end of this round. He’s glad that his friends get to be a part of this moment and memory, one that he hopes will bring even more excitement, and likely anxiety, to come. No matter what happens though, Yeonjun is even more happy that Beomgyu is enjoying himself. That’s all he could ask for.
Suddenly, a flash of red almost blinds Yeonjun. He shakes his head and moves away from the window-like opening.
“Hyung,” Beomgyu yells, “come down! I need to cash in on this bet.” More red flies through the opening. Pressing his body firmly against the wall, Yeonjun slowly peers over and sees Taehyun pushing closer and closer toward where Soobin and Kai were taking cover, while Beomgyu was focusing his attention on him.
When the blurry red lines lulled, Yeonjun pulled back in front of the opening, resting the gun on the edge like a sniper and pulling the trigger as fast as possible. With a loud curse, Beomgyu ran for cover, allowing him to focus his sights on Taehyun. But he was nowhere to be seen.
Did he already reach the barricade?
“Yeonjun-hyung!” Soobin cried out, “Get down, Taehyun is climbing up to you!”
Burning heat hummed to life; fear was consuming him. He couldn’t risk losing here and with the way Taehyun was talking earlier, he probably wouldn’t let Yeonjun go with ease. But that made it even more exhilarating.
In a moment of pure spontaneity, Yeonjun jumped down on the opposite side from where Taehyun was climbing to get to him. He had hoped to rely on his rusty parkour skills.
As he felt the cool breeze brushing against his skin, for a moment it felt like he was floating.
At least, until he came crashing down.
Almost as if in slow motion, he watched as his foot slid, contorting to look like it had stepped on itself. A burst of pain shocks his system. He almost bit through his lip trying to keep quiet.
But Yeonjun didn’t have time to dwell on it, he couldn’t.
It would ruin everything, dragging the whole day to a somber level. He couldn’t let that happen, especially not today of all today.
Yeonjun forced himself up, pushing through the limping and pain until he couldn’t feel it anymore. Bending his back, he rushes toward the barricade Kai and Soobin were hiding behind. But not before he took a quick look behind him, watching Taehyun's look of surprise when he reached the top only to see Yeonjun already on the ground.
“Hyung, quick!” Soobin urged, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Yeonjun joins his other two teammates, all three of them dying from exhaustion.
“What now?” Kai asks in between heavy breaths.
“You lose.” Beomgyu’s voice feels like it’s a hair away. Normally, he loved for Beomgyu’s voice to bounce around in between his ears, loving to hear when his voice was deep and raspy with exhaustion. But not in the context.
“Hyung, run!” Soobin pushed Yeonjun away, propelling him towards a path away. High off a mix of cortisol and adrenaline, Yeonjun doesn’t even think to argue and he speeds away. Luckily, he isn’t able to feel the pain from his ankle as he runs through the maze, reaching the home base of the blue team.
In a panic, Yeonjun quickly searches for a place to hide for the time being, his eyes locking onto an undisturbed corner.
Yeonjun can hear his heartbeat in his ear, drops of sweat rolling down his forehead. He presses his back against the wall, bringing his laser gun to his chest. He flinches when his gun buzzes in succession, and the voice of a moderator suddenly comes on, “Player 1, blue team, has lost a life. Player 1, red team, has lost a life. Player 2, blue team, has lost a life.”
How the hell did they eliminate Kai & Soobin so quickly? What was he gonna do without them?
Not even ten seconds later, a familiar voice pricks his ears, “Hyung,” Beomgyu’s voice echoes, “I know you're here.” Yeonjun can hear his footsteps draw closer, each thump-thump sending him spiraling over the edge. “Why don’t we finish this quickly,” the younger chuckles.
His ankle isn’t too bad, he can still walk on it. He’s walked, even ran, and jumped on a mangled ankle before. No biggie, no problem at all. Let’s just hope it stays that way.
Yennojun waits until Beomgyu’s pace slows down, hearing him mess around with his gun to find the button to reload before he swings out and readies his gun.
Beomgyu stares back, all smug and smoldering. The skin around his cheek juts out from his tongue. “Gotcha.”
The iconic standoff.
The only problem was that if Beomgyu did shoot, Yeonjun would have a difficult time dodging, or moving at all. And he had to dodge or else everything would be ruined.
“Did you know I got a power-up after I sacrificed a life in the first round,” Beomgyu chuckles, “My gun can shoot faster than yours hyung, give up.”
Kai never did say he got Beomgyu out, Yeonjun had just assumed.
The older rolls his eyes, “You’re bluffing.”
“Maybe if you paid attention to the rules, you’d know.”
If Yeonjun’s being honest, he can’t tell if Beomgyu was putting up a front. It is too dim to see his face, let alone the minute shifts of his features to see his tells.
He can’t risk it.
Spinning on his heel, Yeonjun sprints and zig-zags his way in the opposite direction, the sound of the laser hums going off behind him.
“You can try, but won’t be able to get away!” Beomgyu’s voice bounces off the walls and reverberates in his ears.
The closer Beomgyu gets, the faster Yeonjun tries to move, but the stinging zaps travel up his leg and the radiating, throbbing pain becoming unbearable. Soon enough, he begins to hobble. His movements are janky and awkward, and with Beomgyu’s right on his tail, Yeonjun isn't sure if he can escape.
With a final burst of energy, Yeonjun uses the heel of his foot to push himself forward.
A heavy screech rips from his lungs as he tumbles to the ground. He’s barely able to place his hands in front of himself to catch himself, “Fuck!”
The echoing footsteps behind him suddenly come to a halt, “Yeonjun!”
He sees Beomgyu drop his gun, the heavy plastic hanging by his side and hitting his hips as he rushes forward. Beomgyu’s eyes are wide, the whites reflecting back a mix of blue and purple from the few light sources illuminating the path to him. Tumbling forward, Beomgyu reaches him, frantically looking over his body.
Yeonjun’s nose scrunches up from trying to get the yelps of pain in control, but he can’t help letting out a seething hiss when Beomgyu’s finger grazes his ankle.
“Hyung, what happened?”
“Nothing.”
Beomgyu’s eyes harden with anger, sharp with a raging fire behind them, “ Yeonjun , don’t you dare lie to me right now.”
“It’s nothing, I can get up, I just tripped. Yeah- I just tripped.” Yeonjun uses his palms to lift himself and falls back down just as fast.
“Why does it seem like you’re trying to convince yourself, more than you’re trying to convince me?”
This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen this way
Yeonjun glances down at the floor, rich with patches of neon green, yellow, orange, and pink. When he first saw it, he grimaced. Just from the look of it, it seemed like people could have spilled radioactive waste along with one too many sticky sodas onto it. But he had been so excited, he didn’t care. He couldn’t wait in fact.
He feels pinpricks behind his eyes; this was supposed to be the perfect day. Heavy tears well up in his eyes and roll down his cheeks. A sense of worthlessness had planted itself into his chest, and the roots were so deep now it felt like he would never be able to remove the invasive species.
“Yeonjun,” Beomgyu whispers, confusion washing over his features. The younger grabs ahold of Yeonjun’s jaw, tracing the lines on his cheeks and whipping off the droplets that ran down his chin and nose. “What’s wrong? Does your ankle hurt?” Somehow Beomgyu just knows, like he always does. He gently picks up Yeonjun’s leg, resting it on his thigh and rolling up his pants to reveal a swelling bulb. It was hot red with hints of purple from the last time he had twisted it.
Sniffling, and doing his absolute best to hold back any more tears, he nods his head no. He wished it was something that simple. But no, this was an amalgamation of everything. He’s always done well, he is supposed to handle the pressure of being perfect, and he needs to handle it for at least one more day.
The dares, the stunts, everything was supposed to be his release, but he found he needed them less and less the more time he spent with Beomgyu.
Slowly, Yeonjun reaches behind himself, digging into the pocket Beomgyu was so curious about, and pulls out a small velvet box. It was a deep royal blue that must make it even harder to see in the dim light, but Beomgyu was able to anyway.
Yeonjun remembers the day he decided he wanted to propose to Beomgyu. The day he realized he wanted to be beside the other for the rest of his life.
It was a simple day. Yeonjun was resting his head on Beomgyu’s lap, while the younger one was tapping away on his phone screen with excess vigor. Cursing and groaning were the only noises Beomgyu made for hours, but not once did he complain about how wet the grass was or that he wanted to move closer to the shade so he could see the pixels of his game better. He just allowed Yeonjun to enjoy the soft, crisp breeze in peace. It was the most present and alive he had felt in ages doing something so normal and mundane. There was no pressure to perform, to catch the eyes and whims of others, and there was no desire to escape itching deep in Yeonjun’s bones. It was comfortable. A place he wanted to remain for the rest of his life if he could; attached to the man beneath him. With his loud remarks and pouty grins, Beomgyu had become someone who could push away the rocks that sat heavily on Yeonjun’s shoulder. Up until that point, only acts of defiance and danger could chip away and erode all the pressure that had built up. But Beomgyu was his natural cure.
Yeonjun doesn’t know how long Beomgyu stares at the box in his palm, but his stunned eyes don’t ever drift away from it, only his jaw slowly unhinges to drop even further.
In the distance, the mumble of white noise announces “Ten seconds remaining.” But Yeonjun doesn’t even notice, too focused on every small move Beomgyu makes as he waits for a response. The rise and fall of his chest, the way his tongue sticks out to wet his lips, his rapid blinking.
In hindsight, that's probably why he didn’t expect nor anticipate any sudden large movements.
Suddenly, Beomgyu quickly picks up his gun, not even needing to aim, and shoots his laser against the core of Yeonjun’s chest. The blue color quickly drains.
Game over.
Perfect plan failed.
Score:
1 - 2
Yeonjun tries to blink back his confusion as the lights turn back on, his eyes still stuck on the drained center resting just above his stomach.
Beomgyu pulls his face up, using his palms to push Yeonjun’s cheeks together. “I won, so you have to do whatever I want.” He pulls in closer, kissing just below Yeonjun’s eye where his mole lies. “And I want you to ask me. Ask me right now.” He pushes the box Yeonjun has in his hand back against the elder's sternum.
It’s a lot different than he imagined. He was supposed to be on his knees, a nervous yet confident smile resting on his cheeks, not tear-faced, with swollen red eyes, and a runny nose, sitting on the nasty cola-soaked carpet.
He wanted this day to be perfect, because Beomgyu deserves perfect, but Yeonjun alongside this whole day is far from it.
But, for once, he thinks that it's okay. Beomgyu is still here, clearing the stones from his path and removing the weight off his shoulders.
He is still here telling Yeonjun he doesn’t need perfection, he only needs him .
It washes over him once again. Yeonjun remembers why he fell in love with Beomgyu, why he had wanted to marry Beomgyu in the first place.
Clearing his throat, he begins, unfolding the cap of the box and showing the twisted gold band custom-made for Beomgyu’s ring finger, “When I first saw you I didn’t know how deeply I’d fall in love with you. You had this gleam in your eyes, and no matter what bullshit you had to deal with in the morning rush, you were unfazed. Driving up to you - although a bit creepy, as you have told me - was the best decision of my life.” Yeonjun sucks in a wet breath, already gearing up for more tears to fall, “You only laughed at some of my jokes, you only agreed with me when you wanted to. You never performed an act, and you inspired me to drop my own. To embrace failure, and weakness. To not rely on the adrenaline rush of my ‘crazy, stupid stunts’. You taught me that I don’t really need them to feel alive, to feel less robotic.” Yeonjun softly chuckles, “I only need you.”
Yeonjun bites his lips, tasting a hint of salt, “Beomgyu, I can’t describe how much you mean to me, but I know I don’t want to live without you.” He can feel his hands shaking, as he takes in one final deep breath, “Will you marry me?”
There is an air of silence as he waits for Beomgyu to respond and it feels like an entirety. Anxiety creeps up the longer and longer he waits.
“Yes.”
Beomgyu rushes forward to press his lips against Yeonjun’s in a soft kiss, cradling his face with such gentleness and care that his touch, it feels as light as a feather.
Relief flooded through his veins as he took in Beomgyu’s high cheeks and wide smile.
Perfect.
“Of course I will.” Beomgyu wines, his own eyes tearing up.
He moves his limp right hand towards Yeonjun, holding back some sniffles.
In a rush, Yeonjun picks the ring up from inside the velvet box, grabs a hold of Beomgyu’s hand, and slowly pushes the ring onto his finger. The sleek gold band suits his skin tone and fits like a glove. It looks so natural, that it might even look weird if he didn’t wear it.
“I love it.” Beomgyu extends his arm, staring at the shimmering metal and stone accents, before he glances back at Yeonjun, “I love you.” Beomgyu’s eyes crinkle and he looks so warm, so happy. Yeonjun captures it and immortalizes it. When his time comes and he has to walk in the museum of his life, passing by galleries and galleries of memories, he knows he will have a difficult time ever walking away from this one. He’d want to sit and stare, trailing the soft lines of Beomgyu’s mouth, the sharp angle of his jaw, and a beaming smile resting on his cheeks.
Suddenly, the younger man moves, wrapping his arms around Yeonjun’s neck and dragging him closer. He runs his finger through Yeonjun's hair, brushing out the knots, before he pulls back.
“You’re so stupid!” Beongyu roars, “You didn’t need all this to ask.” He glances down to where Yeonjun’s leg still rests on his thigh, “You could have asked me in a dumpster, after losing every single bet you have ever made and I would have said yes.”
Beomgyu’s hand drops its hold from Yeonjun’s hair and he travels down to trace the shape of the swelling on his ankle, “I don’t like it when you get hurt. It worries me.”
“I know,” Yeonjun reaches over, grabbing a hold of Beomgyu’s hand and drawing his attention back to him, “which is why I’ll drop it. No more dares, no more stunts.”
Beomgyu gently shakes his head, “No, Yeonjun, I would never do that. I would never ask that of you.”
Yeonjun’s eyebrows twist, bewilderment apparent on his face.
“It's a part of you, I never want to take that away from you.” Beomgyu continues, “I love all of you.” he sighs, “Yes, even your reckless, stupid, dumb side too.” Beomgyu presses a dusting of kisses across Yeonjun’s face. “Just, from now on,” he sighs, “especially if I’m gonna have to be legally bound to you, be more careful.” He grips Yeonjun’s cheeks once again and puts on the straightest face he could muster but it slowly turns into a pout, “Death do us part is supposed to last a long time, you know. I don’t want to be bitchless in my 40s.”
Giggles burst past Yeonjun’s lips; he just can’t help it. Beomgyu always finds a way to relieve the pressure and anxiety off his back.
“I mean it!” Beomgyu yells, “Or else I won’t marry you!”
“I know,” Yeonjun whispers, “I know.”
Beomgyu pushes his pinky in front of Yeonjun’s face, “Promise me.”
Swallowing the rest of his laughs, Yeonjun draws a large smile as he intertwines their fingers together, “I promise.”
With a deep sigh, Yeonjun draws closer and presses one last salt-laced kiss against Beomgyu’s lips, and silently asks, “Forever?”
He doesn’t have to wait long until he can feel the warm press of Beomgyu against him, responding in earnest, “Always”.
—
Even drunk out of his mind and through his blurry eyes, Beomgyu could pick Yeonjun out in a crowd of people. The bar is so full he has to slip through the crevices to reach him. He yanks at the elder’s arm, pulling him, and presses against his ear as if to whisper a secret. He accidentally yells instead, “You have no balls!”
“Gyu-” Yeonjun jerks away, using his fingers to press against his ear, trying to block out the screeching pain and remaining ringing. The feeling of tinnitus makes his brain fuzzy.
“You know for a fact that isn't true.” He groans back, “And you’re drunk. Let’s get you home, okay.” Yeonjun brings him closer and presses him against his chest.
“No!” Beomgyu yelps, grabbing the sides of Yeonjun's face so he would look straight into Beomgyu’s eyes. “Do I look drunk?” he slurres.
“Yes,” Yeonjun places his own palms over Beomgyu’s, “and you sound drunk too.”
“Well, I’m not.”
“Okay, you’re not.” Yeonjun resigns himself with a short sigh.
Beomgyu squints his eyes, digging his dull nails into the meat of Yeonjun's cheeks, “You have no balls.”
Beomgyu watches as Yeonjun takes a deep breath in, and slowly exhales. It felt like it took an eternity, “And why is that, Beomgyu.”
He scrunches up his face and begins to pout, “You do all these dares and these stupid stunts. Yet, you don’t have the balls to put a ring on this finger.” He vigorously shakes his right hand in disbelief, “Like, what’s the hold-up!” Beomgyu grumbles, continuing to complain under his breath.
Yeonjun binks and binks, and binks some more, trying to grapple with what Beomgyu had just said.
“Do I need to dare you to propose?”
“Beomgyu-”
“Cuz I will.” He grumbles, “I dare you to marry me. I dare you to propose to me.”
“Beomgyu, you’re drunk.”
“But I mean it.” He whines.
“What if you don’t?” Yeonjun whispers, in a soft voice. So quiet, Beomgyu almost didn’t hear him.
“Don’t you want to marry me?” Beomgyu's nose twitches, one of his telltale signs before the waterworks come running down his face.
With gentle eyes and even gentler thumb, Yeonjun gently wipes the heavy drops away as they start to run, “Of course I do. I’ve been wanting to for ages.”
“Then love me enough to ask.” Beomgyu mumbles, crossing his arm over his chest, “Love me enough to find out if I mean it.”
“Alright, alright.” Yeonjun smiles, “I’ll ask.” he sighs, “And soon.”
“Good.”
Updated Score*:
2 - 2