Chapter Eleven

Tongue Tied

“Welcome to the main team, Seungcheol”

Seungcheol’s work hard are paid off, he makes it to the main team as an understudy even before november starts. He’s the only first year to make it, and Yifan is extremely happy to hear the news –He’s a big fan of Pledis basketball team- he wants to tell Jeonghan, but Seungcheol thought he must be really busy at the moment.

The rest of the days were spent with preparing for the game. He never meets Jeonghan again after Tuesday because he has extra classes. He only talks to him through phone at night, but as much as he wants to keep talking to Jeonghan,Seungcheol knows Jeonghan must be really exhausted after a long day of answering questions for the rest of the week.

Tzuyu comes every day, and he’s grateful, because practice can be really frustrating sometimes, especially with the pressure of being one of the best teams, and Tzuyu is there, giving him a mental support like she always does. A little thing Seungcheol doesn’t know, Jeonghan is there too, watching him by the door. Even if that means he has to sacrifice his only break time between his preparation, but Jeonghan is there, behind the crowds. And every time Seungcheol scores point, he will glance at Tzuyu, making the crowds whisper how sweet the couple is. Sweet. And every time, Jeonghan will step away from the court without being noticed.

The preparation is driving everybody nuts, they have to solve amount of questions enough for the whole semester. Jihoon and him are the only first year to be the representation. Jeonghan can stand the pressure, but Jihoon is unexpectedly being a kid now and then, whining about the extra classes and sulking about the ridiculous questions. “Let’s end it here, senior, we had enough trials already”
Senior Namjoon agreed, he dismisses the class earlier than usual but reminds them to keep study hard for the competition even if tomorrow is their last weekend.

Jeonghan wants to check on the gym again, but Tzuyu may be still there, he doesn’t have the courage to face Tzuyu, not after he makes Seungcheol cheat behind her. But nothing he can do to stop his feeling towards Sungcheol, Seungcheol is still hers, and Jeonghan is just an outsider who wants a bite of Seungcheol. Jeonghan is aware of the fact too.

There’re doubt and guilt, Can they really ignore those things? Can they really push away rationality? . Jeonghan is the first one to find the answer, that they can’t and they shouldn’t either. 'Tzuyu and Seungcheol' is the perfect picture. Jeonghan is aware of that as well, yet he doesn’t want to admit it, Seungcheol and him cannot be defined with a word, but it’s their feeling that matters. Jeonghan’s heart tells him so.

But the brain cells of his keep telling him otherwise, without any reason, he doesn’t try harder to meet Seungcheol, he just stands by the door of the gym, taking a glimpse of Seungcheol. If Seungcheol doesn’t call him, he won’t call Seungcheol back. He misses Seungcheol, so much his chest hurts. The formulas on his text books are nowhere getting inside his head and all he thinks about is the tall boy. Again, Jeonghan knows he has to restrain himself from being greedy.

And so, a week passed just like that, with Jeonghan missing Seungcheol, and Seungcheol wondering about Jeonghan.

~~~

“I miss you already” Jeonghan laughs, a little too loud that Jihoon looks up to ask him, whispering “Who?”

“Taehyung” Jeonghan whispers back -not sure why he does that- and Jihoon reads his textbooks back.

“I’m just going away for a week,Taehyung.we can always talk on the phone”

Jeonghan can hear a sigh from the other line “But you’ll be busy, there’s no way you will even pick the call. It’s frustrating because i want to watch you guys but it’s 405 kilometers away from here and my brother will only take me next Saturday for the basketball’s final- if our school can even make it”

“Hey, have a little faith on our team” Taehyung mumbles ‘whatever’

“You’ll be there by Saturday, right?”

“Yeah, guess so, if my dear big brother Baekhyun keeps his promise to take me there. Really, it’s getting boring without you guys here”

Jeonghan smiles, “Thanks,Taehyung”

“For?”

“For the call and everything” Silence
“Allright, let’s end the drama, gotta go help mom’s cooking. See ya,Jeonghan! Kick their asses for me! And send Jihoon my hugs and kisses”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, totally judging the four dimensional person talking to Jeonghan just now. “His high spirit irks me the most”

The dorm is huge, Jeonghan can’t help to gape at he building, three stories with five bunk beds in each room. He lost counts how many rooms he had pass by. “This is crazy, we even have a tv in our room”

“I’ll get the top bunk!” Jun hops on the ladder. “We have enough beds for ourselves guys”

Namjoon says. Jeonghan takes the furthest lower bunk near the wall away from the window, he doesn’t like the morning sun anyway. Four of them choose top bunks and only him and Senior Namjoon choose the lower. The girls of the team get their own room.

“Allright, who wants to walk around the dorm?” Jeonghan ends up alone in the room. He doesn’t feel like walking around after six hours on the road, he still can feel his breakfast hanging somewhere in his throat. It’s three in the afternoon, Their sports program should be here by now. He takes out the phone, but then hesitating for a good twenty minutes.

It’s just a call, it won’t hurt. He just needs to hear if Seungcheol’s arrived, yeah, he only wants to know how’s the team’s doing.

The number you’re calling cannot be reached, please try again later

Jeonghan curses under his breath and throws the phone somewhere on the bed. The second tick slower than usual, he’s been pacing back and forth, read his textbooks, arranged his belongings, and by the time he checks the clock, it’s only four thirty. He glances again at his phone that lying still in silence.

.

He grabs his jacket and his phone and locks the door. It’s not good, it’s making him restless.
He walks around aimlessly, the other schools teams are here as well. The sun is down, and he is still wondering why he can’t get through Seungcheol. The other kids had returned to the room. He heard that the sports even participants are still in the gym for a briefing before tomorrow games, Seungcheol will be there for sure. But No, he won’t go there. It’s too embarrassing if Seungcheol knows he’s actually missing him.

“I’m ba-"

“Hey, you’re back” it is obvious Seungcheol had already gone through the awkward phase in puberty where his voice will crack and alternate between awkward high notes and embarrassing low mumbles. He had reached the comfortable time of “my voice sure is nice on your ears, isn’t it”, and Jeonghan resents it. Just a bit. Because his own voice cracks on occasion, and that is doubly annoying since his sister and Taehyung keep laughing about it. Taeyong too, though he at least is more discreet about it.

Jeonghan closes the door behind his back, looking around the room, just in case he enters the wrong room. But Jihoon’s smiling Pikachu’s pajama pants is here, so there’s no way of mistaking it. It’s his room .

“What are you doing in here?!”

“Oh, we just finished the briefing before i meet your senior in the hallway, i guess everybody wants to take a bath immediately, so thought i could borrow your room since i can’t take all this sweats” Seungcheol waves his shirt, clearly damp from the sweats. Jeonghan is loathe to admit that it is nice a nice sight, having Seungcheol here after few days, but he is, in general, very loathe to admit much of anything.

“Jeonghan” Seungcheol hums, his tone mildly surprised but undeniably pleased, as he sat down and – Holy in Lord- it is only now that Jeonghan takes notice of how little Seungcheol is wearing.

Only swimming trunks.

The rest of Seungcheol is just very aesthetically pleasing skins, slightly tan and smooth-looking, and probably the cause of death of a very confused fifteen-year-old like himself.

“Whe-re are the others?”

Jeonghan tries to look everywhere else but Seungcheol. The other boy looks amused at the reaction, it’s a normal thing for boys to even in front of each others, making fun of each other’s size and others vulgar things. But Jeonghan is different, Seungcheol wonders if Jeonghan actually ever touch himself, or talks about personal matters like this to someone else. Right. Jeonghan doesn’t have any male family that can help him, not even a very close friend to talk about it. –Seungcheol really glad he has a brother even though he can be a ert bastard who make fun of him-. “They’re having dinner first”
He stands up and walks closer, Jeonghan curses and prays.

Don’t come closer.

“Jeonghan, look at me” Seungcheol breathes, both arms suddenly cage him beside his head, back leaning towards the wall.

“Jeonghan” Seungcheol repeats, making Jeonghan stops just close enough that he can feel Seungcheol’s breath on his lips, close enough to see the sparkles of gold in Seungcheol’s eyes, enough that he can sit and count every one of Seungcheol’s eyelashes. Jeonghan never be more aware of the boy’s knee between his thighs.

“Seungcheol” Jeonghan murmures back. He is sure his heart is stop beating now and then continues “Can i kiss you?”

“Are you sure you want to? ” really? You’re asking? Jeonghan wants to bury himself alive because this is so damn awkward and embarrassing as . Couldn’t he just say yes or pretends like he never ask?

Jeonghan wants to say no and pretend it’s just a joke himself, but in complete honesty, Jeonghan had never been more sure of anything in his life than he is right now, wanting to kiss Seungcheol. Saying no will be a lie. And lying is a sin.

“Yes”

Seungcheol titles his head and leans in further, pausing just barely an inch to let Jeonghan makes the final move, and Jeonghan does, suddenly his lips are on Seungcheol’s.

This is bad,

Jeonghan pulls away, but Seungcheol leans in and captures them again, not wanting it to end just yet.

The kiss turns rough, the soft pecks changes into a hungry tugs. Jeonghan can feel Seungcheol rushing the pace and Jeonghan has to steady himself not to sit on Seungcheol’s knee. A single moan escapes between their kiss, and Seungcheol smirks against his lips, he takes the chance to dive in Jeonghan’s cave, intertwining their tongue in a harmony. This is not happening. Jeonghan closes his eyes shut, this is weird. But he let Seungcheol does whatever he wants. He grips Seungcheols arms tighter, and finally Seungcheol pulls away slowly, making a single string of saliva between thir lips.

Jeonghan can breathe again.

“I don’t like it” Jeonghan wipes the his lips.

“Liar” Seungcheol leans in again but Jeonghan looks away. Seungcheol doesn’t give up, he pecks his ear instead, Jeonghan flinches, hitting Seungcheol.

“That’s even weirder, i don’t like it either”

“You will later” Seungcheol pulls Jeonghan face closer with his hand, repeating the same kiss that makes Jeonghan’s legs wakened. It finally happens, his groins hit Seungcheol’s knee and Jeonghan gasps, titling his head aside. Seungcheol roams his fingers on Jeonghan’s soft grey hairs, slowly pulling the head backward so he can taste Jeonghan’s neck. “What-”

Seungcheol doesn’t stop, his other hand is busy roaming Jeonghan’s side. In the other hand, Jeonghan is desperately clutching to Seungcheol’s torso to support himself.

“It’s okay, you can relax, Jeonghan” Jeonghan doesn’t want to relax, it’s getting too much for him to handle and his jeans suddenly feel tighter. No, this is getting worse.

“It feels weird.” Jeonghan has to muffle his own scream when suddenly Seungcheol hand slips on the waist of his jeans and s his crotch through his underpants. No.no.no

Seungcheol smirks again as Jeonghan suddenly holds his breath when Seungcheol nibbles the spot behind his ear. Jeonghan is still struggling to release himself, but Seungcheol is nowhere around his match, and Seungcheol that for sure. His pace is slowing and Jeonghan groans, all this watching with Taehyung is pay off. He does the other wise and Jeonghan‘s eyes flicker . .

Jeonghan’s breath back on steady, his lips bruises red and the sweats trick down his temple. Beautiful, beautiful Jeonghan. “Are you okay? How are you feeling” Jeonghan pushes Seungcheol.

“This is my favorite underpants”

Seungcheol laughs hard. “That’s what you’re thinking?” Jeonghan looks down at his jeans, it’s gonna take a hard effort to clean it up.

“Seungcheol- Umm..are you..that..”

Seungcheol follows Jeonghan’s shy gaze. “Ah, i guess i get excited myself, sorry” He laughs nervously,

“Do you need me to..help?”

He smiles softly, sliding his thumb on Jeonghan’s red cheeks. “It’s okay, i know you’re not ready” Jeonghan looks down again, yeah. All this thing is too new and too sudden for him at once.

“Can i borrow the bathroom first?”

He nods and Seungcheol bumps their foreheads together. “Let’s take it slowly, okay?”

What should he do? This is the worst,

~~~

“, i messed that one question” Jihoon looks frustrated. Of course Jeonghan and the rest of the team believe that Jihoon can get to the next round for sure, but he’s not contented by the question he can’t answer. “It’s just one question, don’t worry” Namjoon cheers him up, but Jihoon still pouting to himself.

“Do you guys want to eat something before we watch the basketball game?”

Jeonghan glances at his watch, 13.50. The basketball match is going to start in ten minutes, if he can go to the gym within five minutes, he can meet Seungcheol before the game. “I need to meet someone first”

“Is that so? then, let’s meet there later”

Jeonghan nods.

Seungcheol is still in the changing room, tying his shoelaces on the floor. Even though he’s not the starter player, he wants to make sure he’s ready when the coach calls him in. He reads the message from his family and from Tzuyu once again before slamming his locker’s door tight.

From Mom
Sweety, good luck with the game. Mom loves you,do your best

From Big Bro
Hey, don’t push yourself too hard or you might get a after the game end hahaha

From Tzuyu
Win the game,handsome, i love you,always

“Allright, let’s go” The captain of the team, Jongin instructs them.

Jeonghan is there, standing across their room’s door, hair tied in a loose ponytail. Seungcheol remembers when he ran through them yesterday, smooth and silky. He is glad the captain allows him to meet Jeonghan first, he also reminds Seungcheol to be in the court before the game start. Seungcheol says yes and pulls Jeonghan back to the empty changing room.

He smashes himself to the long haired boy, intertwining their fingers while his lips roam on the other boy’s. Jeonghan accepts the kiss calmly this time, he doesn’t try to push Seungcheol away. It’s really funny because he kissed Jeonghan this past two days more than he ever kissed anyone –except his family- all these times.

He kissed Jeonghan once when he went out the bathroom –Jeonghan had changed his pants by that time- and once when Jeonghan came out of the bathroom –He was slapped, probably because he suddenly jumped on Jeonghan and made him surprised- and one more time after having dinner in the cafeteria –they were really late and probably the last students to have dinner, Jeonghan blames Seungcheol for that all the way back to the room- . He doesn’t want to be an , but kissing Jeonghan may be one of his new hobbies now. His lips are like a drug Seungcheol can never get bored of. Ever.

Jeonghan is still not used with the unhygienic kiss-Jeonghan really named the kiss with that name-, Seungcheol doesn’t want to scare Jeonghan either, so it’s always the usual kiss, lips on lips, sometimes longer and deeper, but nothing more than that.

“How was the test?” Seungcheol breaks away.

“Who do you think i am?” Jeonghan playfully replies. Seungcheol only chuckles.

“Yeah, right. You’re the almighty Yoon Jeonghan, it must’ve come easy for you”

Jeonghan laughs. “Well, it’s just the preliminary, it won’t be funny if i failed it”

“Big head nerd” Seungcheol rolls his eyes. Jeonghan laughs harder “Your game is starting soon, you should go”

“Yeah”

Jeonghan steps closer, putting his hands on Seungcheol’s chest.

“Don’t get hurt”

~~~

It’s easy, with the team beside him. They easily sits on the top of the classification even though their main competitor is still chasing behind. The captain trusts him to lead some quarters in the games. Seungcheol is confident , he’s on his best condition, and the team is impressed with him. They are sure Seungcheol will be doing a very good job as the next captain.

In the other hand, Jeonghan is depressed, with every kisses and touches Seungcheol gives him, he’s getting more and more restless. Every time Seungcheol comes to his room with his can-i-borrow-your-bathroom excuse –and every time, Seungcheol knows Namjoon , being his very kind senior he is, absolutely will say ‘go ahead’-, Jeonghan can only hold his breath. Because Seungcheol can always finds an opportunity to sneak a kiss behind his friend’s back or simply to squeeze his .

That ert.

Jeonghan has to put his guard up when it’s suddenly only him and Seungcheol in the room, one time, Seungcheol does the exact thing they did the day before. Another day, Seungcheol pushes him into the bathroom with him, and one other day, Seungcheol slips his hand inside Jeonghan’s pants when Jihoon is sleeping and the other guys going out for a late night snack. –Jeonghan was furious and didn’t go to watch his game the next day-

But Seungcheol comes and apologize, and Jeonghan swears Seungcheol knows he can never get angry at the puppy eye’s thing Seungcheol does. As much as Jeonghan despises Seungcheol’s crazy behavior, he understands Seungcheol is frustrated –and - because of the game. What people see from Seungcheol is a hella good player who tries harder than anyone else on the court. But what Jeonghan sees is an insecure fifteen –Seungcheol insists almost sixteen- years old boy who is insecure and scared of failure and disappointing the others. Jeonghan knows it’s his time, to be the one who stands by Seungcheol’s side.

Yes, only him, and Seungcheol.

With much struggles and sleepless night, Jeonghan and his team finally goes to the final. He is so damn tired and Jihoon is complaining about the difficulty level of the questions. Of course it’s getting higher, they’re reaching the final.

“It’s your final” Jeonghan nods “Are you nervous?”Seungcheol continues.

“I don’t know, my heart’s thumping hard and all i think about is how to win this, rather than nervous, i think i’m excited”

“I know you can do it, and our school’s team too, even though the regular program and sports program doesn’t really go along well but we believe you guys will win this” Jeonghan laughs at Seungcheol’s words. Those two programs are like the opposite of each other, but Jeonghan knows what Seungcheol means. Even though he doesn’t like the arrogant sport program’s kids –Seungcheol is one of them-, he believes they can win the game as much as they believe their team will come out as the final winner.

“You still have semi final today, right?”

Seungcheol frowns “I want to watch your final, but our match is at the same time”

“I want to watch yours too” Jeonghan mumbles quietly, but Seungcheol can still hear it. He inches his fingers to touch with Jeonghan’s. “I’ll do my best so you can watch the final”

“Let’s do our best” Jeonghan smiles.

~~~

Jeonghan wants to cry, they finally win the championship. All their hard works come to a beautiful end, Jeonghan is glad. By the time he reaches the gym, Jeonghan can only stand still, frozen at the scene,

Seungcheol is lying on the floor.

The game gets suspended for a moment, but Seungcheol stands up again with much difficulty. He can see Seungcheol tries to convince his teammates that he’s all right when Seungcheol is clearly in pain, but he regains his calm composure back as he shoots the two foul points for his team.

Jeonghan is so proud of Seungcheol.

They win, and head to the final. Seungcheol looks so happy.

Seungcheol is drenched on sweats, but Jeonghan doesn’t care. He squeezes the boy tighter. Seungcheol smiles, he keeps his promise to make the team to the final. It’s both of them again, in the empty changing room.

“I thought you hate unhygienic skin ship”

Jeonghan doesn’t say a word, he leans his forehead against the crook of Seungcheol’s neck. “I thought you’re hurt”

Seungcheol puts his hands around Jeonghan’s shoulder, patting him lightly to tell him, he’s fine. “Sorry”

Jeonghan looks up, he’s so close to Seungcheol. All he needs to do is stand on his toes and kisses him. And that’s what exactly Jeonghan does.

Seungcheol lifts Jeonghan’s legs which he naturally wraps around the other boy. This may sounds crazy, and Seungcheol feels really bad to do this in a changing room full of smell of sweats. But Jeonghan doesn’t mind, he’s not a sassy princess, he’s a boy, such things never be a bother

Seungcheol pushes Jeonghan’s back on the wall. He can’t help to feel his legs shaking, he just played a game for Christ’s sake-Luckily it’s only half of the game or else he’s gonna collapse from supporting Jeonghan’s weight-. Their lips are wet, Seungcheol chuckles and Jeonghan glares, he knows what’s on Seungcheol’s mind for sure –Where’s the hygiene crazed Jeonghan go?- .

Well, he doesn’t mind.

Both Jeonghan and Seungcheol know, if they don’t stop, they may not be able to hold on their sanity, yet they keep going. Tongue tied in a crazy mess of lust and desire. For one stupid second, Seungcheol wishes human can breathe through his back like a whale, because then they can kiss as long as they want to. He can feel Jeonghan slowing the pace, almost out of breath, as much as Seungcheol hates it, he also needs the air . He once said that maroon looks good on Jeonghan, but , he never know that it looks even better especially on Jeonghan’s lips.

“We should probably stop” Jeonghan chuckles, dropping himself on the floor. His legs are shaky, but he can still stand. Seungcheol wants to proceed, of course he is. He wants to make a mess of Jeonghan. But if he rushes things, he is scared Jeonghan will hate him and it may seems to be ungrateful when Jeonghan can finally open up himself for him.

They still have a long way to go but Seungcheol can wait.

Even if that means he has to bear the torture of a everytime he’s with Jeonghan, at least he knows he’s healthy, right?

~~~

I know.

I'm ready, you can beat  me up now guys. 

With shame and tears

Deerchoding T_T

Ps: have you listen to Jungkook and rapmon's  cover of 'Fools'? The tears won't stop T_T and I'm still dying from the feels I'll update again a little later if I come back to life (waving hand)