Work Text:
The quietness in a small streaming room is disturbed with sounds of mouse and keyboard buttons being pressed rapidly. Minhyung straitens his posture and focuses his attention on the screen again as he sees his champion respawn. He checks the vision in the jungle and sees the enemy team taking a baron, so he teleports nearby and makes his way to the pit to try and prevent the game from completely slipping out of his team's control.
"Come on, please... Ah!" The AD carry purses his lips as he fails to land another basic attack on the enemy jungler and throws himself back in the chair, helplessly watching his Kai'Sa becoming stunned, the screen turning grey just a moment later. The forty seconds death timer spells the end of this match as the enemy team marches in his base five members strong, destroying the last two towers and his allies alongside them, with nexus soon following as Minhyung can do nothing but sit back and watch.
He sighs deeply in frustration and exits the match before the "defeat" logo can even appear on the screen, not even bothering to look at the stats and score he received. He closes the post match screen and moves away from the table in the chair, lifting his arms to stretch and then sliding back down again. He stares on an opposite wall absentmindedly with a barrage of thoughts overtaking his mind in an instant. The thoughts that make his heart race in his chest and his hands shake a little. He desperately tried to shut them down by burying himself in matches earlier, but that only made the problem more obvious, sharpening the invisible knife that was mentally cutting his insides.
Minhyung didn't want to admit it, but for the first time it what feels like forever he felt insecure. In himself, his surroundings, and maybe even his future. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head in a futile attempt to get the unpleasant memories out of his mind. Yes, he grew used to being hated over the several years of his career, but that didn't mean it hurt less. It was very painful still, giving everything you got, trying your very best every single second and getting backslash in return, promoting his mind to be filled with thoughts akin to I'm not good enough and if only I could do better, if only I didn't make that mistake.
Minhyung runs his hand through his hair and glances at a clock hanging on the opposite wall. The night is long upon him, but he knows sleep won't come anyway. Maybe just another match. Just another game on a champion he doesn't usually play. This time it will be different, this time he will do everything right for sure, just one more time...
Just as he thinks about getting up straight in the chair again to move it back to the table his plans are interrupted by a foreign sound outside. It takes Minhyung a second to come back to reality from the depth of his mind and realize that what he heard was a knock on the door, leaving him confused. Who would come to his streaming room at three in the morning?
"Yes?" He calls out calmly, careful to not disturb the quiet atmosphere of the small space but also being loud enough for whoever is behind the entrance to hear him. The handle turns and Minhyung fixes his posture in an instant. But his body goes back to being relaxed the very moment he sees who the late night intruder actually is.
"Hey." Minseok shuts the door behind himself and looks across the room, instantly creating eye contact between the two.
"Hey, why are you here so late? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Minhyung inquires as he watches his loved one make his way across the room, cutting the distance between them.
"I could ask you the same question." Minseok smiles faintly as he looks his partner in the eyes. "I mean I can leave if you want me to."
"No..." Ad carry lifts himself from the back of the chair to make the distance between them even smaller. "No, that's not what I meant."
"Well, good." Minseok becomes visibly more joyful, his expression changing from uncertainty to happiness, a smile blooming on his lips. "Then I think you'd be happy to know that I'm checking on you like a good boyfriend I am."
"How did you know I'm not sleeping?" Minhyung leans forward, his eyes lighting up just a little when he feels the hand of his support touch his hair lightly. Instead of answering, Minseok glances at a still working PC buzzing on the table nearby, where the game still remained open. "Oh..."
"I actually came here to call you upstairs. Leave it all for tomorrow, we can always practice more in the morning." Minseok's unoccupied arm reaches Minhyung's, lifting it up from the latter's lap and intertwining their fingers. Support's chest fills with a warm feeling he can't quite put in words when he feels his partner's larger palm cover his smaller one almost completely. "Come on, please? We can sleep together in my bed." He pleads, pulling Minhyung lightly, wanting him to get up. But the AD carry stays still, only shaking his head.
"No Minseokie, you go ahead and have a good night sleep." He glances at their intertwined hands before hesitantly breaking the connection. "I'll stay and practice a little more so I can be better next time we play together."
Before Minseok can answer something, Minhyung leans forward, brushing his cheek against his partner's stomach, closing his eyes for a fleeing moment of relaxation. "You did so good today, you were incredible. I need to work more to catch up to you. I'll perform better next time, I'll be more reliable, I promise..." He adds, voice dropping to a whisper, words sounding more like Minhyung was saying them to himself rather than trying to be heard by his boyfriend.
"Minhyung."
The serious and firm tone in Minseok's voice makes the AD carry leave his momentary comfort bubble and look up to lock eyes with his partner. He is ready to face a judging expression, but what he sees instead makes his heart skip a bit. His boyfriend's eyes are filled with concern, a sharp exhale escapes his lips before he recomposes himself, furrowing his brows slightly. He lifts both of his arms to cup Minhyung's cheeks, brushing them with thumbs softly before adding.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Minhyung instinctively leans into the pleasant touch of warm fingers on his face, enjoying the way soft tips trace the contour of his lips. He inhales to say something but only manages to start the sentence.
"I need to..." He says before being cut off as Minseok puts a finger on his mouth, silencing him.
"Minhyung." Support removes his hand from his partner's lips after ensuring that he has the full attention and his next words will be heard. "You don't have to do all of this. Don't torture yourself. None of this is your fault, you don't have to prove anything."
Minhyung looks up at his boyfriend with hints of uncertainty still present on his face. He wants to believe what he just heard, especially when the reassurance comes from a person he shares a very special bond with, whom he loves and trusts wholeheartedly. But he just can't. Can't stop the negative thoughts from invading his inner world again, can't help but feel like there's still so much he has to do.
"But I..." He starts before burying his face in Minseok's chest, his next words muffled against the soft fabric of support's coat. "I want to be good for you. To become the best AD carry for the best support. To become the best..." He pauses and inhales deeply before finishing. "Partner for you."
Of course those last words can be interpreted as nothing more than AD carry wishing to always perform in synergy with his support, but Minseok isn't a fool. He knows exactly what definition they take when spoken between him and his boyfriend. He sighs and runs his hand through Minhyung's hair, hugging his broad shoulders with another, pulling him closer.
"So you think I'm the best support, hm?" Minseok doesn't hear an answer but feels Minhyung nodding against his chest in a silent conformation. "And what if that support told you that he can only be the best thanks to being next to the best AD carry ever?"
After hearing those words Minhyung moves away slightly and lifts his gaze up, looking at his partner's face again as if seeking assurance that he heard everything correctly. Minseok smiles faintly and bends down until his forehead almost comes in touch with his boyfriend's.
"Remember the promise we made to each other?" Minseok asks, his voice dropping to a whisper as he brings Minhyung's hand to his lips and leaves a feather kiss on every finger, lingering on the one where a wedding ring could appear one day, tracing it's length with the tips of his smaller finger pads before looking back at his partner's face, locking close eye contact.
"That after we both retire we will build a life together?" Minhyung answers in a similarly quiet manner, afraid to break the unseen fragile connection surrounding the two partners at the moment.
"Mhm." Minseok moves even closer to bring their foreheads together, both partners feeling each other's breath on their lips. "And the best support has still has two years of career ahead of him. So he would really prefer if the world's best AD carry would always stay by his side, you know? So they can keep being the best together. The best bot duo, and partners, too."
Minhyung smiles before he knows it. He pecks on the soft lips in front of him. "You can be so sweet sometimes, Minseokie." He laughs quietly, feeling his boyfriend lightly push on one of his shoulders.
"I'm trying to be romantic here, you know." Minseok frowns demonstratively but can't stop the corners of his lips from going up as he watches his loved one finally relax, finally letting go of a looming burden of self doubt. "But I really mean it." Support adds in a more serious manner. "Minhyung, you don't to keep proving anything to anyone. You are so incredible, so hard working, so talented... And people who need to know it already do."
Minhyung stands up and locks his boyfriend in a tight hug, wrapping around his smaller body like a warm coat. "Thank you." He whisperes, hiding his face in the curve of Minseok's neck. "Thank you, Minseokie, it means a lot to me."
Minseok embraces his partner back and they stand in silence for a while, the outside world fading into nothingness, time stopping for the both of them as they relish in each other's warmth and gentle touches. The comforting silence is broken by a sound of a new message coming from the still working computer. Both partners pull away slightly and look at the screen in a sync motion, trying to read the message appearing on the side of the client window.
Hide on bush
Hey Minhyung
A round of tft?
Loser buys breakfast tomorrow
Both partners stare on the screen in silence for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
"Ah, this guy, really..." Minhyung smirks.
"I think it's his way to check on you. You know how he is." Minseok shrugs his shoulders, playfully pushing onto his partner's back as the latter leans over the table, reaching for the keyboard. "You can't be serious."
"Don't worry, I'm just turning it off." Minhyung reassures as he grabs the mouse and makes a few movements resulting in the screen going black. He turns to his boyfriend and reaches to pat his short hair. "Let's go? I can reply to him on my phone when we get to your room."
Minseok's eyes light up as he hears those words. He grabs his partner's hand, intertwining their fingers again, as both of them exist the room, light smiles on their faces. Minhyung feels the tight grip on his hand chasing his burdens away completely as they make their way throughout the hallways to spend the rest of the night in each other's reassuring presence.
Everything will be alright.