Work Text:
Alcohol is a privilege. Lu Yue’s father’s words seemed particularly poignant when he was surrounded by JK’s undoubtedly drunk players. He’d been tempted, so tempted to join his teammates in drinking, but one look at JK’s captain’s face had him changing his mind.
The captain wanted revenge. And if there was one thing being raised as a Luo had taught Yue, never get drunk in front of the enemy. The enemy could be anything from a disgraced in-law to a business tycoon you didn’t trust – the answer was the same – alcohol was a privilege to partake with those you trust and only those you trust.
Which is why the two “Alcoholic” beverages in front of him weren’t going to make him lose his head if he inevitably found himself in a position where honor forced him to ‘drink’. And given the way the sorry excuse for a player was going – it would be soon.
“The mighty Chessman is too good to drink with us?”
Xiao Rui answered, “I’m afraid Chessman wasn’t feeling well and so he turned in early.”
That was a lie. One Yue knew for a fact. His brother had stepped out for a meeting, one Yue was lucky enough not to have to deal with, as the younger son (and not as mature as his brother), he didn’t have the responsibilities that kept his ge up at night. Still, Yue wasn’t entirely sure that Rui knew he was lying. For all Yue knew that was the excuse Cheng had used to slip out without consequence.
There were going to be consequences. He knew it before the captain even opened his mouth to claim insult.
It went downhill from there. Rui, bless his heart, wasn’t the most diplomatic of managers and he assumed he was dealing with pro gamers like the team members from ZGDX. Men who, at the end of the day, were good people.
Xiao Rui wasn’t. Other clubs weren’t as particular as Cheng when it came to finding teammates. His brother vetted everyone who got close to him, there were many talented gamers, but it took more than just talent to let you enter the ZGDX’s sphere. Even Yue had been given the hard stare when he’d first joined and a barely disguised lecture. The implication was obvious, Yue would get his shot, because he was Cheng’s brother and talented, but if his actions hurt what Cheng had built – Cheng wouldn’t save him.
Yue paused, wondering if Rui could dig himself out of the hole he had dug – By trying to imply the teams were evenly matched when in fact ZGDX had done exactly what Yue had known they would. Crush them. Yue doubted he’d been the only one to walk away with a satisfied smile, and he hadn’t even played in the game.
Rui opened his mouth again, and Yue forced himself to his feet before even more damage could be done. He let himself rise steadily, because after all he wasn’t ‘drunk’ yet. Before he held out his glass in a toast. “On behalf of ZGDX, and more importantly in this instant, my brother since he can’t be here – I’ll toast you.” He didn’t bother saying it was a sign of respect. It wasn’t. Yue gave them none. However, he did for Rui and more importantly his team and for them he’d raise his glass to the men sitting opposite of him and do damage control. He kept his eyes focused on their team leader even as he downed his drink in challenge or submission, he wasn’t sure.
It wouldn’t work – he could feel the insult they were ready to give, ready to take. They wanted a target; they wanted someone they could come at. Very well. Yue could take that fall.
“No, that toast wasn’t good enough, was it?” He said before they could say anything. “Let’s try that again.” He grabbed the two bottles closest to him, a quick glance telling him that they were in fact the ones the barkeep had given him specifically (with a huge grin on his face for the tip he’d left him to keep the ‘alcohol’ coming and more importantly buying his silence) before he dumped both into one large container he could use as a mug.
He shook off Ming’s well-meaning hand, knowing that if he actually was drinking alcohol, it would be pivotal to actually stop him, but he wasn’t so it didn’t matter. He held the large beverage to his lips and drank.
It was disgusting. Whichever flavors were combined should not be. At least with alcohol you got a buzz when you mixed awful flavors – this, this was a horrible concoction with none of the perks. Still, he refused to hesitate, instead he kept swallowing over and over feeling his lungs squeeze as he tipped the final dregs down his throat.
His team called his name in horror but the clapping from the JKs told him for now at least, he’d diverted disaster. Cheng owed him for this. For his revenge Yue would trade in Cheng’s yogurt drinks for whatever he’d just swallowed.
Now for the acting, he slammed his empty drink onto the table and swayed falling down with Ming’s hand guiding him. He kept his focus on JK, but realized his first instincts were indeed correct. They wouldn’t cause any more problems at the bar tonight.
***
After the bar was a different story.
Instinct had him following the team. He’d waved off his own, laughingly telling them he needed fresh air after everything and bless them, they hadn’t pressed. He’d let JK wander out ahead of him. Letting them feel the comfort of being alone before he slowly and ‘drunkenly’ got close.
Let himself hear what they were saying.
“Who does ZDGX think they are?” Time slowed and Yue knew two distinct choices were before him. With the anger and hate behind the words spoken in drunken anger his family, his team, were in danger.
“Every one of them is acting so proud.” What would Sicheng do? He thought in a panic. His brother would protect his team – there was no doubt about that, but Yue by no stretch of the imagination was his older, intimidating, slipper-wielding brother. He was just Lu Yue, Yue who sent his mother incriminating photos whenever he could.
His fingers flew to his phone yanking it out and flying through the programs until he found the one he needed.
First the SOS message to his family – they’d get it and instantly know something was wrong. It would catch his mother and father in Beijing – more importantly it would catch Sicheng who should be finished his meeting by now and hopefully would book it back to their hotel.
He was a pro gamer, and his fingers were nimble as he switched windows and hit the button he wanted. The button that could save his team from the violence waiting to spill around them. The live stream started, catching the words “But he still dared to stand there clamoring.”
He was grateful his settings muted the voices of the hundreds, no thousands who were logging into his feed. He could feel himself shaking as he set it on the doorknob behind him with a quick look to ensure it was recording before spinning back towards the bathroom.
With rising horror Yue struggled to comprehend the words being said. Break their hands. JK wanted to break his team’s hands. “Don’t hurt the second young master Lu.” Yue swallowed wondering why being spared seemed worse than being included.
“Wait, why not cripple the Lu kid’s hands too?”
“If we touch anyone from the Lu family it’ll be trouble for us.” Yue let out his breath slowly, for a second bemused rather than horrified they didn’t see him, standing practically in front of their faces as they exited the bathroom. Clearly, they were still under the influence. Still, it wouldn’t save them from their actions. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, he wouldn’t let them hurt his team.
Relief his phone was livestreaming gave way to panic. He didn’t know where his friends were right now. More… he didn’t know where JK’s friends were. Could knowing about the livestream be enough to get them to call it off? He had to try.
“You’re not wrong.” He said clearly, watching as the men spun to look at him. “If you touch anyone from my family you will be in trouble. But why you think we’d spare you, when you threaten those under our protection is something I don’t understand. Call off the hit you put on my people.”
For a second they just looked at him and he could see their jungler struggling to comprehend through his inebriated state what Yue was saying. Their captain didn’t have that problem.
“Lu Yue.”
“Me.” Two things were apparent. The livestream wasn’t going to be enough, and this was going to hurt; it was going to hurt a lot. Yue knew how to fight. His parents had ensured Sicheng and Yue could do more than just defend themselves (they were from an extremely wealthy and powerful family after all, and more then a few people wanted them to conveniently die), but it wasn’t a secret that Yue hated bruises and always had.
“What makes you think you can do anything about it?” The captain was plastered, Yue thought dryly otherwise he’d realize that his two statements didn’t align.
Slowly Yue reached sideways, grabbing the phone and showing the livestream still running. It was too much for JK to hope Yue’s phone hadn’t caught the audio. They hadn’t exactly been quiet in their threats and as a Lu, Yue had the best speaker and microphone money could buy.
Shock and horror looked at him, as the JK players computed their fall from grace. There was no saving this, no neat little PR stunt or press release that could unwind the damage they had done mercilessly to their careers.
But Yue couldn’t let himself give the first blow. After all, the cameras were rolling. Any move he made would be analyzed and torn apart.
The top took a step towards Yue, “Don’t be an idiot.” Yue growled. “You’re already facing prison and a lifetime ban. Don’t make assault another thing for my lawyers to bury you under. Call your friends off.” There. If that didn’t make the case for self defense his lawyers didn’t deserve the money they were paid.
Hurriedly Yue tossed his phone onto the ground behind him as JK’s captain finally lost his head and charged him. Yes, he thought. This was going to hurt.
It was their drunken state that started this mess, and it was what saved him. He blocked their captain’s hit to his face even as he aimed a low kick to the side of his knee, over balancing the older man before locking him in place with one foot before he leveled a second more forceful kick into the side of the knee joint, he heard the sickening crunch he was looking for even as the wind got knocked out of him from their top’s erratic fist.
Yue forced himself to pivot despite the lack of air, arms raised around his head blocking, one, two, three hits before the forth swing swung wide. He slammed the butt of his palm into the top’s inner elbow joint numbing it and striking hard at the man’s unprotected throat in the next second. He dropped like a stone, gagging and clutching his throat.
“Yue!” Ming’s voice, his teammate’s voice who had no clue the horror that was planned for him. JK’s jungler turned, abandoning Yue and running towards Ming who must have entered the corridor when everyone was distracted. It was revenge. If he couldn’t get Yue, he’d destroy Ming. Gentle Ming who was ruthless on a computer, but who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“Ming! Run!” Yue dove after the attacking man, cursing in his head as Ming didn’t run. Didn’t do anything but look on with horror at the scene before him. Instinctively Ming’s hands rose, clumsily blocking the raging man’s fist and then Yue was there.
He jumped on Ming’s assailant, bringing the jungler to the ground with him. Limbs locking around the bigger man with a grappler’s hold.
“Yue! What have you done?” Yue blinked incredulously up at him. What had he done? What had JK done was the better question.
“Yue! Let him go, you’re drunk! You’re all drunk.” Right, Yue thought. The last time Ming saw Yue, he thought he’d swallowed about a gallon of alcohol.
“I’m not drunk Ming.” He said as steady as he could when he had a thrashing man in his arms. “Get security. My brother’s on his way.”
At least he had better be, because if Sicheng had ignored him after insisting on Yue taking precautions, he’d help his mother set his brother up on blind dates every week from now until Cheng was thirty.
“I don’t – they’re here. Someone must have heard something.” Yue almost smirked at Ming’s relief, but given his physical position of being wrapped around the jungler’s body like a pretzel it wouldn’t help the situation.
“Let go. I’m security. Let go.” The man standing above him was understandably flustered staring down at Yue as if he was the problem.
“Gladly,” Yue said calmly, not moving an inch. “Ensure he doesn’t go after my teammate,” he gestured at Ming who was still gaping at him, “and I will.”
Ming and the guard exchanged looks, “He’s drunk,” Ming confided. “He drank an insane amount of alcohol less than an hour ago.”
“I – ”
“Please,” Yue interrupted as calmly as he could, “If I drank that much alcohol, I’d be unconscious right now. I’m sober. He, however, is not. I’ll let him go, but Ming stand behind” He squinted trying to read the name tag at the odd angle, “Su Ping. Their captain called friends to break your wrist tonight.”
Ming gasped, automatically taking a step back and holding his weak right wrist allowing Yue to slowly release his hold. The jungler coughed curling up in a ball as if Yue had actually hurt him (which he hadn’t, it was the fist to the throat and the wrenched knee that had taken the real damage). He rolled seamlessly to his feet. Shaking out his hands to relieve their tension.
He nodded to Su Ping before he turned striding closer to his first victims and his phone, still streaming away. The number of people on it beat his current record and then some, even though all they would have been able to see was the ceiling at this point. They would have heard the fight though.
“Show’s over.” Yue said calmly shutting down the app. He wanted to scream; he wanted to cry. None of this was what he wanted. He didn’t even know if what he had done was right. Should he have waited? Should he have fought? He looked at Ming still standing by the jungler and Su Ping even as more security officers swarmed JK’s other players. One wheezing through a bruised larynx while the captain clutched his knee in acute pain.
He could feel his body trembling with leftover adrenaline, and he hesitated, not sure what to do next. He trusted his brother to lock down the rest of their teammates – ensuring they were safely in their suite until the danger had passed. Which meant Ming, Ming was his responsibility.
The dinging of the elevator snapped his attention to the opening doors. Framed in angry, yet controlled glory, stood his brother. Amber eyes sweeping the scene as he strode out towards them.
All at once Yue was six years old again and the only thing he needed and wanted was his brother. He flew down the hallway past Ming, past Su Ping \and barreled into the arms that Cheng barely opened in time. He clung to his brother’s taller frame. Face buried in his neck in a move distinctly not practiced by a Lu.
He could hear his mother’s words “A Lu never shows an unguarded emotion in public.” But he couldn’t bring himself to care. Couldn’t bring himself to pull away from his tyrannical brother. Because if Sicheng was here – then it would all turn out alright.
“I didn’t know what to do,” He whispered. “They have someone who’s going to destroy our team.”
Cheng’s arms tightened around him for an instant, “I heard. The team’s safe. I ordered everyone on lockdown. Ming must have come looking to you – thinking that you wouldn’t get the summons.”
Yue pulled back and Cheng let go, “I didn’t know what to do.” He said again, just as quietly. He’d broken Lu family rules tonight. There would be no hiding the fact that he hadn’t actually gotten drunk. Everyone in the future would know that just because it looked like a Lu was drinking, didn’t mean they were. Two, he’d shown Sicheng and he could fight. They had carefully crafted a competent image – not a fighting one, and that was now ruined. Finally, Yue’s personal image was harmless. His brother was the chess master, he was the loveable pawn. A pawn would not and could not do what he’d done tonight.
Tonight, he’d betrayed family secrets he swore he’d take to the grave. Worse he didn’t regret it. His team was a part of his family, and he had to protect them.
“Yue,” Cheng said just as softly, “You protected what’s ours. The rest, the rest doesn’t matter – and I’ll handle it. Just know,” Cheng hesitated for a moment and Yue’s breath caught, suddenly feeling every bruise, he had taken. “Just know that whatever happens tonight – I’m proud of you.”
He couldn’t breathe, and this time it was for a completely different reason. His brother ignored the commotion around them. Instead, Cheng gave his complete attention to Yue. “I mean it. Yes, tonight will have consequences, but I will protect you. I promise.”
Yue’s hands clenched into fists, before he released them. He had taken his moment to be weak, but now, now with his brother by his side, he could face the storm he’d created (directed?).
After all, Yue was a Lu, and a Lu protected their own.