[FF] One on One
Title: One on One
Characters/Pairings: KrisYeol
Genre: UniversityBasketball!AU, Fluff, Crack
Rating: PG-15 (for implied sex)
Summary: 4520 words. Kris and Chanyeol are rival basketball players from two rival universities. Outside the court though, is of a different story.
Translations**: Vietnamese | Russian
Cheers of the crowd echo in the packed arena; the thundering sound of bass drums trying to outdo each other adds to an extra rush of the atmosphere's adrenaline. The squeaks of rubber shoes and the thumps of the ball dribbling against the wooden floor are almost faint but Kris still hears everything clearly amidst the chaos. Because this is not just an ordinary basketball game - this is Kris Wu's battlefield.
He quickly glances at the scoreboard, 78-80; their team is down by two with less than 24 seconds in the game remaining. He feels the sweat trickling down his forehead, but he does not acknowledge the fatigue of non-stop playing seeping into him as he focuses his attention back to the battlefield.
A shorter guy in green shoots and misses; Kris quickly spots this and detaches himself from another player in green, almost at par with his height but inches shorter, who is guarding him. He makes his way to the front court and jumps ahead of everyone else. He gets the ball off the rebound and secures it tightly with his huge palms, his feet landing steadily on the ground.
A time out is called.
Half of the stadium, the crowd in blue waving royal blue balloons gets wilder and cheers go even louder. The team in blue gets the ball possession - they have a golden opportunity to tie the game and go to an overtime play, or maybe even win with a three point play.
The clock of the final quarter of the game pauses at 9 seconds.
It is just another classic Blue vs. Green championship game in the Intercollegiate Basketball League of Korea or IBLK between two sworn rival universities: the Blue Assassins of the East against the Green Hunters of the West.
Kris exhales in temporary relief as he reaches out for a bottle of Gatorade and gulps half of it in one shot. Xiumin, the substitute guard who only went to play for a couple of minutes in quarter three, throws a towel over his head and mutters a "Nice rebound Kris!" He gives him a high-five.
Getting some 'pats of encouragement' a.k.a. butt slaps from his teammates and remarks of 'good jobs' and 'well-dones,' Kris knows that he need not settle for a good job, if he can deliver a better job by taking home the championship trophy for the university.
The coach gathers them altogether and while looking at his players with passion in his eyes, speaks, "I could see you guys are already at your limit. Finish it with this play, or lose our chance at winning this. With your current condition, we cannot afford to go overtime."
"Kris," Coach Choi points him out, drawing sketches to his small basketball court-patterned white board, "I want you to shoot a three-pointer. Watch out for Park, because that kid will most probably be sticking to you like glue. Tao, go screen Park for Kris but don't let Kim get out of your sight, it could be tricky."
Kris, although too humble to admit it, is what people labeled as Blue Assassins' star player, one of the few college basketball superstars in the intercollegiate league. With his close to professional basketball skills adding up with his good looks and well-built body, not only he is popular within their university, but even to schools inside and outside the league as well. If things go as planned, he might even be taking home the MVP title once the league is over.
Kris trusts his shooting skills and Kris trusts his teammates even more. But there is an uneasy feeling of butterflies in his stomach he can't deny.
"Alright coach, I got it."
Because if the Blue Assassins have Kris Wu, the Green Hunters have Park Chanyeol.
***
Kris receives a call that turns out to be an invitation to a party from an old friend from high school. It has been a while since he last went out, not considering dinner and movie nights with his teammates, so Kris thinks about it for a moment. He still has training until five in the afternoon, but tomorrow is Sunday, he can probably afford a day with a hangover and the coaching staff won't even notice.
As the start of the league is quickly approaching, training has been quite uptight for everyone in the Blue Assassins. But as much as he loves basketball, he also needs a break every now and then. “So screw it,” he thinks. He needs this.
He goes home straight to his condo unit after practice, quickly taking a shower and then looking through his closet for a getup. He settles with a fitted white button-up polo top and a skinny pair of ripped black jeans. With a few strokes of styling wax on his hair and taking one final look of himself in the mirror, satisfied, he grabs his necessary car keys, mobile phone, and wallet, before he drives himself to the venue, a bar located in the center of the city.
This is where he first meets Park Chanyeol.
Call it the cliché meeting for two not-so-sober people in parties when Chanyeol accidentally bumps in to him and spills the beer he is holding with one hand to Kris' perfect white polo.
"Oh shi--" Kris curses, looking down to his wet polo shirt, where droplets of beer are dripping down to his crotch area. Scrunching his eyebrows into an annoyed bitch face, he fusses more over the accident; his mind is already buzzing with the night's alcohol.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, I didn't-- "
Kris hears an apology coming from a deep manly voice. He just throws more curses, not bothering to look up to face the offender, until the other takes out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket and starts wiping the damp area on Kris' chest.
"Please, let me help you with that," he whispers to Kris' ears almost inviting, and Kris feels the back of his neck shiver.
The lights in the bar are dim, only allowing a few rays of colors from the dancing lights that follow the beat of the music for Kris to momentarily study the person in front of him. Donning a short-sleeved black dress shirt with patterned metallic gold ornaments that highlights his body shape, and tight leather pants that accentuates the curve of his hips, he is tall, probably only a few centimeters shorter than Kris. His light brown hair is permed and has a pair of kohl-heavy round eyes that look like they speak on their own. Kris looks at those thin pink lips and wonders for a second how they would feel against his own.
Kris watches as the shorter, but still tall man's lips curve into a mischievous grin, brushing his handkerchief against Kris' chest, down to his stomach. He feels a second hand snaking its way to his behind and Kris watches the other bit his lips almost erotically as the hand with handkerchief gracefully snakes to his belt buckle and teasingly lingers to the wet area of his crotch.
Kris decides he can only take as much.
He pins the other against the wall, roughly claiming the other's lips like his own, tasting, feeling. It is intoxicating - Kris can taste alcohol, honey, and lime. Their tongues battle for dominance, with the opponent finally giving in, allowing himself to be fully claimed by Kris.
"You naughty criminal, if you tell me your name, I might just consider forgiving you," he moans.
"Park Chanyeol," the other answers, against Kris lips, briefly gasping for air.
"Park Chanyeol-ssi," Kris repeats, liking the way Chanyeol's name rolls out from his tongue, "Nice to meet you, I am Kris Wu."
"I know."
Kris raises an eyebrow before Chanyeol presses his lips to the taller one once more, this time more gently. "Let's just say everything is no accident."
Kris laughs and pulls the other closer by the waist, nails intentionally digging to Chanyeol's skin. "You are just begging to be punished."
***
He wakes up on a Sunday afternoon with a bad headache, the space beside him is lone and empty, as if there's not a hint of last night's activity. Outside, he can hear the sound of the vehicles passing by, the chattering of people on their way to their specific destinations. It’s probably noon time, Kris can tell with the glow of light filtered by his white window curtains.
There is a lingering scent of honey and lime in the air, and he can still taste it in his mouth.
He lazily sits up with heavy eyes and notices a glass of water and a capsule of Ibuprofen on his bedside table. Pinned under is a sticky note with neat handwriting in black ink that reads:
"Just in case I am not acquitted yet. - Park Chanyeol +82063-560-3867
."
Kris smiles.
***
The Intercollegiate Basketball League of Korea has already started when they meet for the second time.
It has been two months, but Kris still keeps thinking about those pink thin lips with the taste and similar scent of honey and lime - the perfect description of that guy called Park Chanyeol.
His one-night affairs, not that he has had a lot, he swears, have never bothered him as much as this one does. There is just something mysterious about Chanyeol that intrigues him and Kris hates not knowing.
The note Chanyeol left for him is neatly folded inside wallet, unsure of why he has never thrown it away, or even why he never called, as if an unspoken prediction that they will meet again someday.
It happens.
It comes to him in much astonishment when during the opening ceremony of IBLK he catches a familiar tall figure and with permed light brown hair, standing amongst the group of Green Hunters in a green and white varsity uniform.
Chanyeol catches Kris' act of staring and gets stunned for a moment, his eyes, this time without the heavy kohl, widening in surprise. Kris responds with an awkward smile and then promptly breaking their eye contact.
This is when Kris finally learns the truth about Chanyeol.
Park Chanyeol, the recently awarded Most Valuable Player of the high school counterpart of IBLK, an upcoming college freshman, a predicted star rookie who has been gaining so much attention with his extraordinary performance in high school basketball. With an influx of offers from different universities of IBLK coming to him to no surprise, the question as to which school he'll choose to play for to continue his career becomes the talk of the sports press for a while.
Later, he joins the home of the Green Hunters.
***
To: Park Chanyeol
Hi, I know it's been a while but can you come over? Unit 832, Diamond Regency Suites, just in case you forgot the address. - Kris Wu
He hesitates for a while before pressing the send button on his phone. He groans against his pillow, his mind is overflowing with a lot of unanswered questions.
He has just gotten home straight from the opening ceremonies after politely declining his teammate Tao's invitation to dine out with Xiumin. He has felt like he just wants to go home and sleep.
But he sees the sticky note neatly folded inside his wallet, the one Chanyeol has left for him two months ago and contemplates.
He tells himself he just wants answers to his questions.
But maybe, although he will not admit, he just wants to see Chanyeol. Touch Chanyeol. Taste Chanyeol.
His phone beeps and the message reads,
From: Park Chanyeol
I thought you'd never ask.
***
He jolts out of his bed when he hears the door bell ring, an hour later. Quickly looking at his bedside clock, it's already half past ten in the evening.
To be fairly honest about it, Kris doesn't really know what to expect. What happened between him and Chanyeol two months ago was undoubtedly and supposedly just a one-night stand between two drunk people.
So when Chanyeol greets him with a wide toothy grin, almost as if he's of a different persona as the naughty sex-hungry drunk person Kris has met in that party, carrying a plastic bag of what seems to be a few cans of beer and a box of pizza, Kris is almost dumb-founded.
"Hi Kris hyung!" Chanyeol grins widely, "I bought something to eat, just in case you haven't had dinner yet."
Kris watches as Chanyeol walks in, placing the beer and the pizza on the living room's centre table and then quickly settling himself on the couch, hugging a throw pillow to his chest. When Kris doesn't follow him a few moments later, Chanyeol looks back to see Kris scrunching his forehead, like a kid lost in the moment.
"What?" Chanyeol asks, the smile on his face still not fading and Kris just continues to stare blankly.
Kris hears a deep manly chuckle from the younger, as Chanyeol stands up and approaches him slowly.
"Oh." He puts an arm around Kris and places his lips softly against the taller one's lips. "I forgot."
***
"You never told me you play basketball," Kris mentions, just right after he slips back to his sweat pants, the wife beater he is wearing earlier long forgotten on the floor. He lies on his back, folding an arm and using his palm as pillow, staring blank at the wooden ceiling of his own room.
"Hyung," Chanyeol answers sleepily, sounding uninterested, as he shifts his position beside Kris so that his head rests to taller's bare chest. "Does it sound like I can casually bring it up in the middle of our session and moan while you fuck me hard in the ass, 'oh by the way, I play basketball too and I'm a big fan.'"
Kris snorts. "Point taken." His free hand travels to play with Chanyeol's light brown curls, feeling the strands in between his fingers. Chanyeol's bare body is warm, perfectly fitted against his own.
"And you never called me."
"I know," Kris breathes in, deep, Chanyeol can tell from the way Kris' chest rises and then falls, slowly.
He hears the sound of Kris' heartbeat more clearly when his eyes are closed -- the steady thumps, almost rhythmic.
"Chanyeol-ah?"
"What now?" Chanyeol whimpers, a bit displeased at the disturbance just as when Kris heartbeat is already forming a melodious song against his ears. He shifts to bury his face to the crook of the taller's neck, inhaling the sweet scent of the elder, wondering if this is the power of Kris' pheromones. "Are you also going to ask me why I didn't choose to play for your university? For the Blue side?"
"Yes," Kris admits.
Chanyeol slowly opens his heavy half-lidded eyes and looks up to see Kris' brown orbs looking straight to his own, to his soul. He swallows and exhales, "Is this about your school pride?"
"School pride?" Kris sneers. "Of all things Chanyeol, you think it's about school pride and the rivalry between my school and your school?"
"Maybe?"
Chanyeol finds it kind of nonsensical how the sight of Kris rolling his eyes is still attractive for his liking, and maybe cute - an adjective far unfitting to describe the man that brings all eight universities of IBLK swooning under his feet. Chanyeol reaches a finger to poke the elder's soft milky cheeks, probably just to spite him. "Because they offered me the best athletic scholarship package, silly."
"I would love to be your teammate though," Kris smirks.
"Oh yeah?"
"So I could fuck you all sweaty and needy in the locker room every after practice."
***
It may be vague to label the kind of relationship that they have. They have become sort of best friends, which is kind of ironic because inside the basketball court, they are nothing but rivals from two rival schools in the eyes of the public. They are always put up to match against each other, considering they play the same position and their skills are almost at par.
Outside the court though, they joke about things like how Chanyeol is still a midget compared to Kris, much to the annoyance of the younger because hell, if he is a midget, then just what is Joonmyun, Chanyeol's teammate that plays point guard, supposed to be? Chanyeol steals a piece of meat from Kris' plate while defending himself, 'because he is a growing man after all.' Kris just glares at him in return and tackles him to the ground.
The two year age-gap between them doesn't become a hindrance to find things that they like doing in common. If they were not practicing, they just locked themselves inside Kris' condo and play Warcraft, throwing playful curses at each other when the other attacks the other's unit. Chanyeol scowls and asks for a rematch when Kris brutally pwns his hero.
You can't exactly say that they are “together” in a romantic sense as well because yes, they do what things normal best friends don't. It's like a drug they can't stop doing - it is still undeniably, how things between them started. Lust.
But really, it's complicated and they never get to talk about it, as if afraid of this thing called “commitment.”
"Hyung, let's make a bet," Chanyeol says one night during his usual sleepovers at Kris' place after the second time their teams faced each other in the round two of the elimination games.
Kris looks at Chanyeol over his bowl of steaming ramen. He eyes at the pout on Chanyeol's lips, still looking sulky upon losing against Kris in the game statistics.
"What bet?" He asks, chewing on the noodles in his mouth, while he supports his chin with his palm, an elbow propped against the table. He looks at Chanyeol in all interest.
"If ever our teams get into the championships and my team wins, I want a wish granted." Chanyeol swallows, rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans.
"And what kind of wish would that be?"
"You'll know when my team wins."
"Fine. But if I win, you'll have to show me your apartment," Kris declares.
"No!" Chanyeol gasps, scandalized at what seemingly looks to him like the most absurd request he ever got from Kris.
"Just take it or leave it." Kris shrugs. "You won't ever take me there."
And somehow the fear of loss in Kris' tone works on Chanyeol so the younger sighs in defeat. "Alright."
Kris sticks his tongue out at the younger. "You don't even know if your team will make it to the championship round this year. At least my team has already secured our semi-finals slot already."
Chanyeol punches Kris' arm. "Fuck you and your almighty school pride."
Kris beams playfully with his perfect white teeth, "Just saying," before digging in to his ramen again.
***
The whistle blows and the clock starts running again. Everyone is on their feet and the Blue Assassins have nine seconds to pull the play off.
Just like Coach Choi predicted, Chanyeol goes all-out physical contact against Kris, although it is sportsman-like enough for the referees not to call out a foul. Kris heartbeat accelerates faster, eyeing a confident grin on Chanyeol face before the younger turns his back against him, still on a defense position, looking towards where the ball is passed around.
Kris mentally scolds himself as he regains focus; this is his battlefield and he will not let any form of distraction get into him, let alone bow down to the enemy until the war is over. So he fakes a sharp detaching movement to his left and when the tall Hunter took the bait, he slips out smoothly of Chanyeol's defense to his right.
Tao eyes this as an opportunity to screen Chanyeol; Kris runs down to the three point line wherein the other guard, Lay, quickly passes him the ball, and with two seconds on the clock remaining, Kris shoots an open three.
The ball hits the rim.
Two seconds in the clock. It bounces.
It shoots.
The buzzer signaling the end of the game plays and the crowd in blue gets crazier, jumping up and down at the victory.
81-80. The Blue Assassins wins the 2012 IBLK championship.
The louder sound of the drums erupts and echoes throughout the arena; the united chant of the crowd in blue is music to all the Assassins ears.
His teammates start to tackle him, some playfully hitting his behind, others ruffling his hair and even raising him up the air while chanting "Kris Wu! Kris Wu!" He laughs along just as he spots Chanyeol looking at him with a sad smile on his face.
"Good game," Chanyeol mouths and Kris is just left staring at the back of the younger man retreating into the dugout.
***
Kris doesn't hear from Chanyeol for the whole week that follows.
He tries contacting the younger, even leaving him voice messages when the automated voice prompt says the number is unattended or out of coverage. He has been waiting for a call back, but he gets nothing as a reply.
He starts getting worried and has considered asking Chanyeol's teammates, probably the point guard Baekhyun, whom Chanyeol talks about often and refers to as his closest friend in the team. But really, he doubts Chanyeol has told anyone about their relationship, whatever it is that they have, not most especially to his teammates who hates his wholeness just by being Kris Wu, that damned Blue Assassin who scored the buzzer beater, anyway.
Kris gets busy in the following days as the community of the Blue Assassins - with its faculty, staff, students, supporters and alumni, throws a huge-scale party as a salute to another year of basketball pride and glory. It comes to a much deserved bonus that Kris gets the year's Most Valuable Player title.
It is already past midnight when Chanyeol has decided to come in unannounced. With a spare key he stole from the elder's key organizer, he unlocks and pushes the door to Kris' condo unit open.
He goes straight to where Kris' bedroom is, already too much familiar with the place, and takes a peek at the taller figure sprawled on the bed, asleep. Chanyeol crawls in and tucks himself under the blanket, draping an arm to the elder's waist, searching for comfort as he hugs him tightly.
Kris stirs as he feels the warmth against his body. He knows this touch too well; the scent too familiar. He takes a deep breath and buries himself in the light brown curls of the other's hair.
"Tao?" He murmurs.
Chanyeol slaps Kris' chest lightly and pouts, "Idiot."
With both eyes still closed, Kris laughs softly. "Where have you been, Chanyeol-ah?"
"Away. Thinking."
"Really?" Kris opens an eye and looks down at the beautiful man beside him. "And what have you been thinking of?"
Chanyeol hesitates before answering, "Us."
"And?"
"Hyung?"
"Mmm?"
Chanyeol clears his throat, "C-can I be selfish and still have my wish granted? Even if our team didn't win?"
"You know well how selfless I am when it comes to you," Kris grins, thinking about that one time he deleted Chanyeol's Temple Run application in his phone because he had surpassed his own high score.
"You are definitely thinking about your Temple Run scheme, aren't you?" Chanyeol whimpers like a kid needy for attention. "I am trying to be serious here."
"Okay," Kris stops sniggering mentally. "I'm all ears."
"I-- I want us to be official."
It's a good thing that the only source of light in Kris room is a small lamp in the far corner of his room because Chanyeol can feel his face blushing profusely. "Like you know, boyfriend-boyfriend. Not just best friend-fuck buddy, or whatever."
Kris smiles even wider, closes his eyes and hugs Chanyeol even tighter in his arms, "You need not win a bet to make me agree, silly kid."
Before Chanyeol falls asleep, he hears Kris' faint whisper of "I love you."
***
"Just let me in!" Kris pushes his way to penetrate Chanyeol defense, arms spread wide blocking the door of his own room in his apartment.
"No!"
"You lost the deal!"
"You only mentioned apartment! Not my room!"
But Kris is taller and stronger, in just a bit more force of pushing and a little cheating by tickling Chanyeol's exposed sides, he successfully brakes into the younger's defense, mindlessly yelling and complaining to an imaginary referee a 'foul play.'
Kris' jaw drops on the floor and Chanyeol buries his face on to his palms, trying to hide the blush that is creeping in to his face.
Posters of Kris from a few endorsement deals he has managed to land over, including magazine cutouts from a few modeling gigs, and even pin-ups from what seemingly are the types of magazine only high school girls would buy, cover the walls of Chanyeol's room.
"Wow."
"What."
Kris turns around and grins at the younger. "You already mentioned you're a fan, but I never knew you were this obsessed."
"Shut up."
Kris is just about to intrude a little bit more by jumping into the younger's bed when something in particular catches his attention. Just above Chanyeol's headboard, an autographed blue basketball jersey is pinned on the wall so that the embossed name and the jersey number is displayed - Wu, 14. He stares for it for a second as he recognizes the signature in black marker ink as his own penmanship.
"We've met before?" Kris asks, amazed looking back at Chanyeol with wide eyes.
Chanyeol nods, "You were just a rookie that time. I was in my third year in high school when my dad brought me along to watch one of your games, because you see, my dad is actually a big fan of the rivalry. He's not from any of the two schools but he likes it. When the game was over, you saw me in the parking lot wearing your jersey and smiled at me. I kind of freaked out but in the end, I gathered my courage to get it signed by you and you were polite enough to do so."
Kris fakes a gasp, "You're that kid?!"
"Don't call me a kid," Chanyeol frowns but then his eyes light up. "You remember?"
"I actually I don't," Kris smugs.
"I hate you," Chanyeol frowns again.
"Oh you love me."
"I guess I do."
"And guess what, it's another fan-celebrity story that comes true."
Chanyeol gets pulled in for a kiss.
***
A Really Short Epilogue:
Kris receives a phone call from the coaching staff that tells him he's going to participate in the pool of selected professional and amateur basketball players to form a national team that will compete against other countries in Asia.
"Who else from IBLK is going to be there?"
"There's you and the two other from this year's Mythical Five. And oh, that rookie of the year, Park Chanyeol from the Green Hunters."
Kris can't help but grin mischievously.
Looks like after-practice locker room sex is going to happen after all.
***
A/N: Now that I'm reading it again, why does the ending feel a bit rushed? OTL But oh well, I love the Twin Towers, so uh, I hope you like this mediocre addition to the lack of KrisYeol in the world too?
Although this is not exactly the rivals!au prompt I had in mind (I like love-hate stories but obviously this one isn't), this is at least putting their heights to a good use. I mean, yay hot hot KrisYeol basketball players! Eeeep~ lol And yes, 4520 words, okay; this is like the longest and the closest thing to smut I've ever written. I think I enjoyed writing the basketball part a little more than necessary, hoho. Thanks to le childhood anime Slam Dunk for my basketball knowledge, I have no regrets.
I also apologize for the unnecessary inside jokes (which you won't even identify as jokes if you aren't an insider, hence, 'inside' jokes) but I'll give you credits if you did notice, but I doubt unless you live in my country.
And oh! Thank you to Clara mara_ciro for the beta. She doesn't really ship KrisYeol but she loves me more (and this prompt lol) anyway. I will try to write you a BaekYeol or a SeKaiHan someday. I guess this is also dedicated to Nina, my KrisYeol shipping buddy. Yay KrisYeol.
**Recently, One on One has been translated to Vietnamese and Russian IM STILL CRYIN ksldjklaskdlf To blackpea31 and lookkids17, thank you!!