Archive of Our Own ^beta

Bodies tangled together on the sheets, soft noises hung around the air, cold touches but burning desires.

Rush of waves crawling its way through the heart, thumping loudly against the ribcage. It nearly melts, skin burning from the sight as he exhales heavily. They continue to tremble beneath the chill floating around the air, hitting their skin each move.

Tenderness met with pain, it all felt familiar and odd. Gi-hun spilling a moan out of his throat, strands of hair standing up as In-ho sinks his teeth on his neck. He craved for the red liquid pouring out as it leaves a mark.

"In-ho-" he instantly whined, his fist clenching on the sheets underneath, searching for something to hold onto.

His mind swirled in excitement, letting his fantasies consume him. His iris softens and he lets out a defeated sigh, hearing his name flowing to the tip of Gi-hun's tongue was enough to rearrange his brain.

Affection isn't new for him but it feels new, it's been a long time since his body sought for physical contact. He quivered from the fresh start, allowing himself to drown in his own emotions.

Sharing the same body heat overflowed warmth, satisfying In-ho's hunger. The intense moment carries on, their own world from beyond bound to get destroyed but that didn't matter, the damage has already been done.

He looks over his shoulder, his uniform sitting on the edge of the bed. Heavy pants expands in the room, a brief smile before reaching for it. Without a warning, he covers up Gi-hun's body with the coat, urging him to wear it.

In-ho snatches the gloves next, sliding them carefully on his long and thin fingers. He cursed under his breath, blush rapidly spreading across his face as he gawks at the figure below him.

Gi-hun's lips were swollen, he was flushed, and on his back on the bed with his clothes on. He had the urge to dive back in, the flavor coming back to his tastebuds.

After flashing Gi-hun a smile, their mouths meet again, like it was destined to fit. It wasn't soft, it wasn't harsh either, just the perfect phase. He needed this, not out of pleasure but to seek for warmth, In-ho consumed every sound that escaped Gi-hun's throat—it was addicting to hear.

"Ah,,," feathers of kisses pressed onto his neck, a faint melody of muffled moans playing in In-ho's ear.

The mattress felt too deep, like it's about to swallow him whole. In-ho felt vulnerable, pleasant, and nervous at the same time. Drops of sweat dripped down his arms, despite the numbness of the cold—he's wearing a sleeveless top too.

It doesn't make sense, days ago a fierce flame settled within' his stomach as everything else crumbled apart. He felt the fury rushing into his veins as Gi-hun practically fell to despair, the players trapped in a dark corner, "innocent" humans begging to be released from the place. In-ho overshadowed every players ground—they are truly blinded by greed and selfishness, that's what humans are.

He was able to tear Gi-hun's mind apart, sending him into a state of pure agony. In-ho remembered that shattered look on Gi-hun's face when that blue button casted upon Young-il's face for the first time. He even gave a smirk, satisfied from the reaction he expected.

His own pair of eyes witnessed endless torture, each individual falling to the pit of misery then death. The thought of torture didn't bother him in the slightest, years of isolation in a place where it reeked of blood and wounds—he eventually got used to it.

Those traumatic memories suddenly came reeling back in, crawling beneath the layers of his brain. His head throbs as he remembered the past, blaring wails that shook the entire room, splashes of fresh blood, furious ghosts haunting him down.

Wasting all his sanity, testing his morals, each players throat met with a sharp blade pierced right through their neck. Determination and love swept in In-ho's blood, not hesitant to save her.

He could never get rid of the noise of the horrible event, how his bank was full of cash but now useless as her hand turned cold, now faced with death. Her delicate figure lying on the hospital bed sent a shiver down his spine, his entire world ended right there.

It's like grief crushed him, spiraling all his thoughts until he took a dark path—completely stripping away his faith in humanity. They're all filled with greed, not a single empathy to spare towards others.

That's why when Gi-hun first joined the games, he was certainly surprised. Each interaction, there's goodness within' him. Sure he has a reckless nature, has lists of flaws, a terrible son and father, but somehow his faith in humanity remains strong.

He even took it too far, eager to return to the games to break the cycle. He never saw someone so rebellious and stubborn before, it drove In-ho almost insane. Sometimes, it was hard to deal with him as the frontman, but as Young-il he handled him well.

The power that he had rose a new feeling for In-ho. Back then, every single thing towered over him, making him feel small and unguarded. But there's something strange about Gi-hun that desired him to test him, to analyze him, to ruin him.

However, the empty sensation kicked in instead, punching him right in the gut as the pain bolted upwards. He achieved his victory but the sense of vulnerability grew again, so was it really worth it?

Gi-hun broke down, not being able to maintain the confidence before he joined the second game. He watched his journey from afar, his first visit in the games, his life shattering to pieces, his plan to save everyone, and to stop the games for good.

If he's the winner in this situation then why does he feel nothing?

Gi-hun lies on the frontman's bed, no noise bouncing on the walls, just the stillness of the moment. The frontman's uniform drapes loosely on Gi-hun's figure, his dull eyes locking straight onto In-ho's glassy pupils, almost leaking tears off his.

In-ho finds him intriguing, almost too intriguing.

"You're too fragile, Gi-hun," a soft breath, suddenly heat surges in between their bodies, heart rate increasing by each second.

He pins Gi-hun's hands down with force, towering over his worn out body. He makes no move of escaping, just staring up at In-ho with a blank expression.

The dim light from above casted a minimal glow, slightly lighting up Gi-hun's features. He noticed his dark circles toning down, his prominent cheek bones, and his blood shot eyes. He looked unreal, like he didn't belong in this world.

"Why do you keep saying that,,," he responded with a monotonous tone. Perhaps, it wasn't a question, more like an urgent statement mixed with irritation.

"Simple, you're here now, someone I crushed in an instant," their intertwined fingers tightened, not leaving a space in between their palms. It was purely cold at first then the warmth surged in, flowing in their blood, rushing up to their faces.

"I never surrendered to you," he faintly bites back, his tone now mixed with flames. Just by observing him, he looked mentally and physically drained, all his motivation, determination, and hope scattering everywhere.

"You're here right now."

Their souls were bound to meet again, an invisible string keeping them attached. They're most likely two sides of the same coin—both similar yet there are aspects of differences. How Gi-hun uplifts his faith while In-ho's vanished, maybe there's a possible glimpse of hope that Gi-hun could spark?

Hope, torture, grief, despair, and misery, the both of them experienced all of it in their life, there's those bits of understanding that surrounded them.

Dead silence again, no response from the man below him, simply just Gi-hun's eyes directing to his side to avoid locking contact with In-ho.

Did shame rushed back to him?

"I just find you so intriguing." In-ho whispers, barely audible, somehow Gi-hun's ears picked it up as his ears turn red.

He removes the glove wrapping around his hand then In-ho brings up his wrist, his breath hovering over his skin. He averts his eyes, focused entirely on his hand alone while everything switches to a blur. In-ho lightly brushes his lips against the back of his hand, kissing it gently as admiration takes over.

Everything else felt overwhelming for In-ho, handling the games, concealing his identity by joining as a player, watching as the present unravels, finally hitting the bottom of a pit as the void starts to creep in, all cracked piece by piece.

He can't truly grasp the reality of it all, how everything went downhill. His wild eyes hunting down Gi-hun's like a prey, something about this stirred a tingle inside In-ho, electricity bolting to his heart as it plays a rough rhythm.

Desire is dangerous to walk on, morphed with desperation and misery, once the rope snaps it will instantly send you down to a long hole, making you face the consequences. In-ho paid little attention to it, that's not what's happening so it's easy to put it aside for now. There's a bigger picture to cherish at this time, fluttering In-ho's heart.

He presses Gi-hun's hand with kisses, lips clashing on each finger with a pop. He furrows his brows as his vision captures Gi-hun's face again. He sighs and securely wraps his arms around Gi-hun's head, hoping that Gi-hun will finally pause to appreciate the heavy atmosphere that lingered.

Limbs suddenly frozen, unable to move as the tranquility drifts again. He buries himself deeper onto Gi-hun, perfectly slotting himself against his body. He inhales the sweet aroma from Gi-hun's scent, paired with the smell of his own clothes.

He's so desperate.

His thoughts are too loud.

"I-Im sorry," he promptly apologized, tears wielding in the corner of his eyes. Gi-hun's surprise awakens, widening his eyes as he slowly raises his shaky hands, not knowing where to place them. Then, he traces his left hand on In-ho's thigh, instinctively gripping it for comfort.

Physical affection is hard to convey, especially with the years of isolation. It's like In-ho forgot how to ask properly, to ask Gi-hun he just wants to keep him close as the world tumbles down. They lay there entangled, drawing Gi-hun closer to his chest as he rests on him.

They don't move a muscle, letting the knot twist in their stomachs. Gi-hun's breath went unsteady, now reciprocating the hug with hesitant moves. It's a time to savor the moment, because once time passes, regret will show up.