Chapter Text
Gyuvin sighed into his greasy pizza. Nothing hit quite like the taste of empty calories after a soccer match. He ate quietly as he watched two of his teammates argue over which one of them scored more points during the game.
“You can’t count that! Hunter actually scored the goal!” Yujin argued.
Gunwook slammed his hands on the table, loud enough to startle Gyuvin, who was already watching his movements. He silently apologized to the other customers, feeling their heated gazes on the three.
“Bullshit, you counted a goal for yourself that Dohoon actually scored!” Gunwook replied, baffled by Yujin’s reasoning.
Yujin scoffed. “You mean the goal that Dohoon stole from me?! He said that he knew we were competing and purposely targeted me. This is not fair!”
“This is not fair~” Gunwook mocked the youngest in a tone much too high to accurately portray him, but it was funny nonetheless. “Not my fault you didn’t conspire with the other guys to block me from scoring. All is fair in love and war, bitch.”
“You’re the bitch, bitch,” Yujin retorted.
“Woahhh, big boy using big boy words,” Gunwook said in mock surprise.
“Can y’all shut up, disrespectfully,” Gyuvin groaned into his hands. He had enough of feeling like a burden to the others at the pizza shop.
“What’s got you in such a mood, princess?” Gunwook asked as he whipped his head around to Gyuvin. Yujin mirrored his expression in what oddly felt like a silent understanding between the two to put their past beef behind them to irritate Gyuvin.
“Well,” Gyuvin thought for a moment, why was he in such a sour mood? Yes, he was annoyed at his friends’ etiquette, but that wasn’t the root cause.
And then it hit him, the small thing that had been bothering him since the dramatic ending of the game, the one where Gyuvin scored the winning goal with 2 seconds left on the clock. It was a bit embarrassing to admit to the other guys, though.
“Well?” Gunwook prompted him, resting his chin on his hand.
“I was sad that Ricky wasn’t there today. He missed my big finish!” Gyuvin sighed over-dramatically to those on the outside, but frankly, it wasn’t dramatic enough for him on the inside.
At that, Yujin groaned while Gunwook clapped his hands in victory. “Pay up, Yujin, I told you he’d find a way to bring up Ricky!”
Did they really… “Did you really bet on me talking about Ricky tonight?” Gyuvin asked, scandalized.
“Of course we did. I’m just surprised it took you so long to bring him up, you always find a way to talk about him,” Gunwook said.
“Well yeah, he is my best friend and has been for years!” He defended himself.
“I’ve also known him as long as you have. Do you see me acting like I'm in a melodrama anytime I’m without him?” Yujin asked.
Gyuvin wanted to claim that it was different. Ricky and him had a deeper connection. But if he said that, the allegations would start again, and he was much too irritated for—
“Are you sure you don’t have a thing for him?” Gunwook asked, only half-joking.
“For the last time, I’m straight!”
“As straight as this breadstick,” Yujin deadpanned, as he held up a very peculiarly shaped ‘stick’. It almost looked like the number 3.
All arguments went out the window as the three studied the breadstick for a moment. Then, they dissolved into giggles.
“What the fuck is this?” Gunwook asked through his laughter. He grabbed the stick from Yujin’s hand in awe. “It’s impressive how curvy they made this stick.”
“It’s got more curves than me!” Gyuvin helpfully supplied, notably the least curvy guy they know.
“It’s not that hard…for a breadstick…to accomplish that,” Gunwook struggled out through his laughter.
Gyuvin screeched at that, which was finally enough to get them kicked out of the establishment.
The very next day, Gyuvin found himself cuddled up next to Ricky, both half-watching the bad k-drama that they had committed to watching together back when the plot was actually good. At least there were only two episodes left.
He sighed and laid his head on Ricky’s shoulder. If the drama wasn’t going to get any better, he’d fall asleep. At least Ricky was wearing a soft sweater that smelled like his fancy cologne.
“Tough day?” Ricky questioned.
“Nah. I just. I missed this. It’s been a few weeks since just the two of us have hung out,” Gyuvin sighed. It was the truth, since soccer season was nearing a close for Gyuvin and basketball season was about to start for Ricky; they barely would see each other even if they were roommates. The last time Gyuvin had seen Ricky for more than five minutes was three days ago, when Ricky was rinsing his dishes while Gyuvin ate a quick pre-practice meal. Gyuvin would at least see his third roommate, Gunwook, during practice, but it wasn’t the same as when the three played Mario Kart in the living room back in August.
Ricky patted Gyuvin’s head with his free hand. “Yeah, we should make more of an effort to hangout wherever your season is done.”
“How intense will your season be this year? You’re a starter now, right?” Gyuvin asked as he watched Ricky give in and start playing on his phone, the show being long forgotten in the background by both of them.
“It’ll be intense, but I can give you most of my free time. Easy classes this semester,” Ricky said, pausing his Block Blast to read a text that appeared.
Gyuvin tried not to snoop, but when he saw the sender, he couldn’t help but ask, “You still talk to Jiwoong?”
Jiwoong was an enigma to Gyuvin. He had never met the guy, but he heard all about him last year. Back when they were freshmen, while Gyuvin was seeing a girl from his English class, he noticed Ricky started getting distant. He would be in the dorm less, sneaking back in late at night. Eventually, Gyuvin gave in to his curiosity, and forced Ricky to explain himself. That’s when Ricky came out to him as gay and announced that he was seeing some guy.
Gyuvin was happy for him, supporting this relationship. Because, of course, his best friend finally found love!
Well, Gyuvin thought it was something like that. But no, apparently Ricky was only friends with benefits with the guy. That guy was Jiwoong.
They eventually stopped seeing each other, amicably, as summer approached, both ready to find something new. Which is why Gyuvin was shocked to see that they still texted, October of the next semester.
Ricky froze like a deer in headlights. He hated talking about Jiwoong with Gyuvin for some reason. Ok, maybe the reason was that Gyuvin would voice his disapproval any time Jiwoong was brought up. For good reason though!
“Was I not supposed to still talk to Jiwoong?” Ricky finally said, cautiously. He set his phone down in favor of looking directly towards Gyuvin.
Gyuvin suddenly felt a little embarrassed. “Well, I just thought that you broke off your… situation with him a few months ago,” Gyuvin said, cringing internally when he couldn’t even find the words to describe their relationship.
Ricky hummed in response. “We did stop fucking, but we are still friends,” he shrugged, as if that was self explanatory.
Warmth came to Gyuvin’s ears as he heard the word ‘fucking’. He finally sat up and pushed Ricky’s shoulder lightly, with a groan. “Gross, I don’t want to think of you ‘fucking’ anyone.”
“You asked!” Ricky replied with his hands up in surrender.
“So… Just friends? Like you don’t even kiss anymore?” Gyuvin couldn’t explain rationally why he was so curious about his best friend’s relationship with Jiwoong, but he had to get answers, no matter how awkward it felt. He knew that the answer was probably no, anyway.
The response had Gyuvin in shock.
“Oh come on now, I kiss most of my friends,” Ricky laughed at the innocent question.
Gyuvin gasped, suddenly offended. “You don’t kiss me!” Not that he’d want to kiss Ricky. No, because Gyuvin was straight. Straighter than the breadstick from dinner the night before. He wasn’t offended that they don’t kiss, just offended that he’d never been given the option.
“Hence why I said ‘most of my friends.’ I kiss friends when I’m drunk at our queer org’s parties,” Ricky clarified.
Gyuvin felt left out. FOMO, if you will. He wasn’t part of the queer club—because he’s straight—but if all his friends were kissing each other at them, then the poor guy was getting left in the dust. They all had a deeper friendship because of some booze. Wait, was that insinuating that Gyuvin thought that kissing was a platonic thing that he himself wanted?
“So you hate me,” Gyuvin whined, a bit overdramatic for the situation.
Time froze for a second, when Ricky stilled next to him. Gyuvin felt his heated gaze on his own lips. “…Do you want me to kiss you?” Ricky questioned, carefully.
Gyuvin looked down at Ricky’s lips. Imagining what it’d be like to kiss a guy. Weird. It’d be weird. “No thanks,” he said, shoving Ricky away from him on the couch, allowing him to breathe again.
Ricky laughed, dissipating any previous tension in the room. Wait, there was tension? “I figured you’d say that.”
“So…” awkward. Gyuvin could not believe he was about to bring up Jiwoong again. “Does Jiwoong go to the parties?”
“Afraid so,” Ricky winked at Gyuvin, who was a few feet away from him after the shove.
Gyuvin sat in contemplation. Did he really want Ricky to go to another party with Jiwoong? What if they started… Seeing each other again… What if Ricky got his heart broken by the guy?! “When is the next party?” Gyuvin finally asked, after a few moments of silence. Of course, aside from the show in the background, long forgotten. It might have gotten to the credits already.
Ricky squinted at Gyuvin’s question. “Why do you ask?”
Fuck it, he needed to go to the next party. “Do they allow allies in attendance?” Gyuvin asked the million dollar question.
Ricky rolled his eyes at the question. “Why are you so obsessed with Jiwoong?”
Gyuvin lowered his eyes, suddenly very focused on the seam on the couch that his finger was grazing. “Well, I’m worried that he’s not good for you. I mean, what if you get your heart broken?”
Ricky sighed and stood up from the couch, signaling that their hangout was over. “I’m going to a party tomorrow at 10. The theme is white lies if you feel so inclined to attend.” He seemed annoyed.
That was an easy theme to follow last minute, so Gyuvin had to go to the party now. See what friends get kissed and all. “Well, thank you for the information. I’ll store it up here,” Gyuvin said, pointing to his head.
“Good. Keep it stored,” Ricky said as he slammed his bedroom door shut.
“Good talk,” Gyuvin said, throwing finger guns to the air that was previously filled with Ricky. Was he really going to a party that was in no shape or form supposed to be for him, because of his dislike for Jiwoong? This was a new low for Gyuvin.