rustle | exo: lead me wild (to your dark roads)

lead me wild (to your dark roads)
— fem!Baekhyun/Chen. NC-17. 13900 words.
— Kim Jongdae steals Baekhyun's thunder by aiming the shuttlecock square on her nose. Baekhyun swears upon her grave to steal her pride back (and maybe something else). Badminton AU. (Warnings: underage drinking, underage but consensual sex, brief mentions of death in the family)
— Written for

sncj_reversebb 2014! Originally posted HERE. Also available on Livejournal and AO3. Many, many thanks to F and C for the hand-holding, cheer-leading, and for being there to bounce ideas off of. You two are the best. :) For some music, listen to Snow Patrol's Headlights on dark roads and Engines.

In the qualifying match for the badminton club try-outs, Baekhyun takes a ball to her nose.

The damage isn't serious – just humiliation and a short bout of dizziness, and Baekhyun's nose turning into an annoyingly bright shade of red. The cork of the shuttlecock isn't hard enough to break her nose, anyway, even after applying that much force on the ball. There's also the dull pain in her ass, but even that isn't enough to still the tossing and turning in her stomach, the lurching sensation that sets in when she sees her opponent's suppressed grin on the other side of the court. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to," her opponent says, and Baekhyun tries her best, her very best, to not growl at her and proceed to yanking at her pretty little pony tail.

"It's fine," Baekhyun answers after a while. She pinches the bridge of her nose, then says, "Let's continue the match."

Her opponent mumbles a string of apologies for the last time, then turns on her heel to return to the receiving box of the court. Baekhyun picks up the shuttle from the ground and takes a deep breath. Three more points to seal the deal, three more points to get back at this bitch and land a singles position in the badminton team. So she crouches low, brings the shuttle close to face of her racket, then releases the shuttle from her fingers.

She flicks her wrist forward. She can see her opponent's annoying smile just beyond the net. Let's see who will be smiling three points after.

It turns out that taking a hit to your nose does more to your play than just making your nose red. Baekhyun loses a bit of her balance and misses a few easy shots. Her opponent capitalizes on these openings to fire one quick shot after the other. Baekhyun doesn't blame her – exploiting these little cracks in the play are what athletes live for, after all. This girl's wristwork is something to marvel at, but Baekhyun doesn't make the game easy for her. She manages to bring the game to a nice 28-28 before eventually losing 30-28.

"Great game," the captain, Lu Han, says, then throws hand towels at both of them. She's also acting coach this year, after the team's coach moved to Seoul to train a different team. "You should get your nose checked, Baekhyun. Although you do look cute with your pretty red nose."

Baekhyun grimaces and uses the opportunity to smack Lu Han on the ass with her racket. "Thank you for your concern, captain."

"Oooh, this one's got an attitude." Lu Han chuckles. To Joonmyun, the vice captain, she says, "I like her already! Can we keep her?"

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing," her opponent says. She gives Baekhyun a toothy smile and stretches out one hand. "Kim Jongdae. It was a pleasure playing against you."

It better be, Baekhyun wants to say, but instead she smiles right back, albeit a bit tight at the corners. Her hands are still shaking from the long match, but she gives Jongdae's hand a light squeeze, anyway. It was a fair loss – Jongdae didn't pull any nasty tricks from her sleeve – so Baekhyun will accept it even if she's already picturing how Jongdae would look with her face shoved down the floor, pony tail loose, hair a complete mess. She'd add a mental image of her racket bent in the middle to add salt to the wound, but she's never been a fan of racket abuse. After a while, she finds her voice again. "Same. Pleasure," she says in response. She withdraws her hand and shakes her arms.

"Need help with that?" Jongdae asks. Baekhyun looks to her side, eyebrows furrowed a little, and shakes her head. "Hey, I won't bite. I just beat you but that doesn't mean I'll massacre you."

"Yeah, rub it in," she mumbles without meaning to, so she takes a few steps forward, inching away from Jongdae. She gives her arms a light squeeze and massages her hands before heading to the benches for a briefing on tomorrow's training schedule. She doesn't look over her shoulder to see if Jongdae has already gone elsewhere or is still thinking of offering help. She keeps her eyes on the path ahead, on her goal.

She bumps off 'snagging the singles spot' from the top of the list and adds a new item – beat the crap out of Kim Jongdae in every match. Taking her out with a hit to the nose is the icing on the cake.

Being a freshman in Daegu High means a relatively lighter academic load than the others. Lu Han and Joonmyun, the captain and vice captain of the team, are almost always in a hurry to leave practice, citing cram school and homework and other captain-vice captain things as a reason. Minseok, another one of their seniors, stays just a bit longer, but for the most part the freshmen get the courts to themselves as soon as six in the evening hits. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are playing against each other, practicing their footwork and fixing Chanyeol's weak backhand. Some of the rotating regulars are also present, but Baekhyun doesn't pay much attention to them – the courts already feel cramped with only seven players training in them, as it is.

On court number five, Baekhyun works on her backhand with the shuttle machine, turning the session into an agility training. She alternates between hitting forehands and backhands, and tries to aim for the corners whenever she can. The few shuttles she misses taking to the corners, she hits with a drop shot. She misses the last one, the shuttle only grazing the tape of the net before tumbling back into Baekhyun's side of the court.

"Nice form," comes a voice from behind. Baekhyun gets the strange urge to sidestep to her right and have Jongdae take the shuttle to her face.

She bends her knees and moves to the other side of the court to turn the machine off. "Thanks," she replies once the whirring has died down. "Been trying to fix my backhand footwork. Joonmyun-unnie says I'll twist my ankle if I don't step my right leg to the left."

Jongdae chuckles. She's positioned at the service box now, picking up one of the shuttles Baekhyun used for practice earlier. "Yeah, pretty much. Take it from me." She draws her right arm back, then drops the shuttlecock in front of her in a forehand serve. Baekhyun bounces on her feet completely on impulse, catching the shuttle just a few centimeters shy of the sweet spot of her racket. The shuttle curves up, a nice lift to the back of the court, and Jongdae only laughs when she misses the smash.

"I mean yeah, take it from me. Half-assed my footwork before and I ended up sitting out the entire tournament."

Baekhyun tries to imagine Jongdae on her knees, screaming for help, tears in her eyes and all. She can feel the tips of her fingers tingling and ignores the lurching sensation in her stomach. She tries to frown but the laughter inside her tickles her lips. "Wow. Must've been hard," she mumbles in the most neutral tone she can summon. She takes another shuttle, raises it in front of her. Jongdae nods. "You used to play for your school?"

A sharp sound of the cork of the shuttle hitting the racket then they're running around the court again, quick on their feet. Baekhyun can feel a dull ache in her thighs, her calves, but then she hasn't stretched properly before this game. Stroke training won't be enough to condition the body for a match, albeit playful, especially against Kim Jongdae. The sting of her red nose still haunts Baekhyun at least a week after try-outs have passed. Chanyeol still teases her about it, and Baekhyun's default reaction is, And look who's in doubles now? Chanyeol will shut up and Kyungsoo will try to give her a consoling pat on the back, then flash a thumbs-up at Jongdae. Perfect doubles partnership right there.

Doubles isn't that bad. It just doesn't carry the same prestige as playing singles does. In doubles, there's someone to pick up after your shit. The shotmaking of one is also the glory of the other. It isn't like in singles where you have to be hyperaware of everything – the bounce of the shuttle off the racket, the screech of the rubber shoes, the stretch of the arm that betrays the form of the rest of your opponent's body when doing a feint – because you're on your own. Your good shot, your glory. Your miss, your stupidity. Baekhyun isn't so keen on lugging someone around and being lugged around. It's not a nice feeling, to be at someone's mercy or to be a burden.

"Yeah, back in primary school. I was still in Seoul then." Jongdae chokes somewhere in the middle as she slides closer to the net from taking a shot to the baseline, flicking her wrist a little to the left in an easy forehand. Baekhyun chases the shuttle, then hits it in a lift high enough for Jongdae to not even think of returning it. "Thought it was just a small thing so I played a few more games. Then I froze in my spot at match point against some kid from whatever school. Hurt like a bitch, my ankle. Most frustrating loss of my life."

Baekhyun shivers. The laughter in her throat slinks back down. "Okay. I'll definitely take the stance more seriously now."

Jongdae looks up at her, lips pressed together, then erupts into a peal of laughter. "Hey, chill! I was just kidding!"

"What the fuck?" Baekhyun exclaims, an eyebrow cocked. She has half the mind to turn the machine on the watch Jongdae get assaulted by one shuttlecock after another, but she stays rooted on her spot, one hand on her waist, the other still holding her racket. Jongdae's defenseless and it's the perfect time to aim a forehand to her face, the bridge of her nose, where it hurts the most, but Baekhyun's a sport. She won't exploit her teammate's weakness in the face of laughter. Byun Baekhyun doesn't get even; she gets ahead.

"Okay, I was just kidding that I was kidding," Jongdae confesses after a while. She's got tears in her eyes now, the corners of her lips curled up in a pretty little smile. "I was serious, I did get injured–"

Baekhyun squints. "What do you mean you were kidding that you were kidding–"

Jongdae cackles, falls on her back. Baekhyun picks up a shuttlecock and throws it at Jongdae. The ball lands on her forehead and Jongdae doesn't even hiccup, keeps laughing her ass off until she catches her breath again. "You are the worst," Baekhyun says after, loud enough for Jongdae to hear above the jarring sound of her laughter, and Jongdae starts giggling again as they pick up the fallen shuttles, buries her face in the small of Baekhyun's back when the laughter surging up her throat becomes too much to handle.

Lu Han comes up with the weirdest match ups when she's nose deep into her textbook, juggling academics and club practice on court. Joonmyun takes a peek over her shoulder and steals the book from her, shuts it closed and lays it down beside her before ushering her to the court, racket in tow. There's collective chuckling two courts away, and Lu Han only says loud enough for everyone to hear, "Park and Do versus Byun and Kim!"

Kyungsoo snorts, then nudges Baekhyun in her side. "You and your favorite playing doubles. What are the odds," she comments, then runs off before Baekhyun can even attempt to ruffle her neatly combed hair.

Jongdae slides next to Baekhyun, bumping their hips together as she says, "So, partner, any idea how we can beat the two up?"

Two things: first, Jongdae can leave it to Baekhyun. She knows Kyungsoo's playing style well enough that she can play against Kyungsoo with her eyes closed and with her left hand. They've been playing badminton for the longest time – since they were, what, six or seven? Still too young to be running around in a court at least ten times their size? They never went to the same school prior to Daegu High, but they moved around the same community, played the same small tournaments when they were still in primary school. Kyungsoo's style is mostly the same from when they've first played each other, only more refined now. Trickier and better, more difficult to read. Chanyeol, meanwhile, she met when the two played alongside each other against Baekhyun's team. They'd won the second doubles match then, a nice, easy victory over Daehyun Primary School, 22-20. Together, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol's playing style have very little holes; apart, they're half of each other on court, each other's best take.

Second: they should just do their best. The reality is that even with all the preparation and strategy-building, this is a 50-50 game. Talent and training are only one part of victory; the other half, all players leave to luck.

"Just do your thing and I'll do mine," Baekhyun answers after a while. Jongdae hands her the racket and she takes it in one swift motion. The tension in her hand feels nice, sends a warm sensation up her arm.

It's been a while since she's last played Kyungsoo and Chanyeol as a unit – nearly a year, give or take, in the last match of her primary school life. It was the only time she was put in doubles, and rightfully so – she was shit at doubles, laughable at best. She's already accepted that. Either she doesn't let the person at the forecourt make any shots at all, just make her stand there as a feint strategy or a blocker, or she doesn't play at all.

"Which part of doubles being a pair thing is hard to understand?"

Baekhyun exhales loudly and rolls her eyes. "Doubles is not my thing," she confesses. Jongdae has both eyebrows raised, a corner of her lips quirked up like she's judging her for her playing preference. "So, piece of advice? Let's just play this like how we'd play a singles match."

"Take the forecourt," Jongdae says, then gives Baekhyun a light pat on the ass. The warmth of Jongdae's hand leaves a mark through the thin material of her shorts' fabric. "I'll cover you from behind."

"Was that a pick up line?" Baekhyun asks over her shoulder. Jongdae only sticks out her tongue in response and stretches in her side of the half court. Baekhyun tries to imagine the many ways she can pull Jongdae's tongue out of her mouth and see her writhe in pain, but then she cringes not too long after. Her threshold for pain is high only when it comes to sports-related injuries.

Playing doubles with Jongdae turns out to be a relative ease. She does let Baekhyun do her thing, doesn't get in the way when Baekhyun goes for shots well within her reach, but aim a drive to the back of the court and she'll be ready to return it with a backhand down the line. Hard angles at the corners aren't even much of a challenge for Jongdae – she brushes them off with a scoff and keeps the ball alive with a lift to the back. Even Chanyeol, with all her height, finds it difficult to hit the high ball with the sharp dive it takes. Jongdae is an excellent shot-maker, patient enough to wait for the best time to strike. She isn't anything like Baekhyun who will run after every shuttle she sees, who will dive to the floor to keep the ball alive and hope that she'd flicked her wrist forward just enough to make the shuttle tumble over to the other side.

"Keep it up," Jongdae whispers when they pass each other, changing service courts. Their rackets clash in the middle and Jongdae curves her arm a little, patting Baekhyun on the ass with her racket.

Baekhyun crouches low in front, meeting Kyungsoo's gaze head on. "You look like you're actually having fun," Kyungsoo comments. A flash of something in Kyungsoo's features – amusement or shock or maybe a bit of both, Baekhyun's can't be sure – and then it's gone. Kyungsoo's bouncing on her feet, moving away to take the high serve and aim a drive between Jongdae's feet..

"Hey, you almost got me there!"Jongdae yells. Kyungsoo raises a v-sign but doesn't apologize. Baekhyun looks over her shoulder, giving Jongdae a curt nod like she's telling her, you make her pay for her wrongdoings, Jongdae. Remind Do Kyungsoo who she's up against right now. Jongdae gives her a wink and whispers, "Let's kick their ass?"

Baekhyun chuckles and tightens her grip on her racket. She bends her knees again, leans forward, and nods. "We're gonna beat their sorry ass to the pulp."

The biggest surprise isn't the Park-Do doubles team winning the practice match; it's that Baekhyun and Jongdae managed to push the match to forty grueling minutes of play and actually had a fighting chance.

"Not bad," is all that Lu Han says, clapping slowly and giving the players a pat on the back. Her match with Joonmyun had ended twenty minutes after the doubles match began, and the two spent the rest of time for club practice watching Baekhyun's doubles match. "Jongdae, you better fix grip. Too loose," she says now, making grabby hands in the air. "And I will cut off that finger if you switch to a penhold grip. This is not table tennis."

"It's a bigger table tennis without the table," Joonmyun teases. Lu Han looks to her side, eyes narrowed, and Joonmyun just beams at her before turning to Jongdae. "But I will cut off your finger if you do that again. You'll injure your index finger if you hold your racket that way."

Baekhyun snorts. Kyungsoo nudges her in her side but gives her a pat on the back as if saying, let's cackle later. Pocket your laugh in front of the oldies for the time being.

Jongdae looks to her side, at Baekhyun, and Baekhyun bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from sticking her tongue out at Jongdae. "I'm getting her as my practice buddy forever, until I get a hang of it," Jongdae says – no, more like demands – and, surprisingly, Joonmyun and Lu Han only shrug, saying at the same time, whatever gets the job done. Baekhyun raises both hands in the air and screams favoritism! Jongdae grabs her by the back of her collar and drags her to court number five.

"I'm putting you in doubles if you start acting like a princess, Baekhyun," is Lu Han's last threat. "Injustice!" is Baekhyun's cry of defeat.

Jongdae is mostly silent the entire time she practices her smash grip. She grunts when she switches to the penhold, noticing only when the shuttle makes contact with the face of the racket. She shakes her head when she the ball hits the frame after a split-second of hesitation. If in tennis you can allow yourself a second of respite or time to think, in badminton, you just can't. Measuring breaths isn't even a leisure you can take. Never second-guess yourself, let your body act on its own accord. So Jongdae keeps asking for a lift, eyes consciously flitting from the shuttle to her grip on the racket and back again.

"Use your thumb as a guide," Baekhyun calls out from the other side of the court. Jongdae raises her left thumb, pointing up, and yells right back, "Don't worry about me!"

Worrying– What exactly are you thinking? Baekhyun mumbles, then releases the shuttle before hitting it with a high forehand serve. In front of her, Jongdae takes her position, the L of her left hand framing the shuttle for a perfect shot.

Jongdae's thumb points to the right face of the racket. Baekhyun smiles when the sound of a perfect bounce resonates throughout the court.

Being Jongdae's practice buddy means spending half the time being on your toes, ready for when she pulls you to the court she's playing on, and spending the other half minding your own business, pretending you're not studying her movement and her strokes. Baekhyun doesn't have qualms against it, but she does make it a point to elbow Jongdae in the gut when Jongdae interrupts her practice, twists her elbow until Jongdae is yelping in pain. Serves you right, she wants to say, but the way Jongdae's nose is scrunched is a good enough payback for being a pain in the ass. So Baekhyun indulges her, pinches her nose when Jongdae wraps her arms around her waist and looks up at her with adoring eyes, saying, "Please?"

Baekhyun leans back, eyebrows furrowed, the corners of her lips pulled down in a frown. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she says, hits Jongdae on the ass with her racket for good measure. "Get going, come on!"

Jongdae looks over her shoulder, catches her bottom lip between her teeth, cocks her head. The sunlight hits her perfectly like this, softens the hard angles of her cheeks and her jaw. Baekhyun's breath hitches, but she holds Jongdae's gaze. It's a test – a test to see who will back down first, who will give up and give in, and Baekhyun won't surrender just yet.

A blink, and then the soft look on Jongdae's features is gone, replaced with her signature smirk and the gentle sway of her pony tail. "Don't go easy on me!" Jongdae calls out from the other side of the court. Baekhyun turns her racket around, holds it like a riffle. Three shots, all to Jongdae's chest. Jongdae falls back, bumping against the wall and letting out a tiny ow in response.

Jongdae turns up early on a Monday, hours before classes begin. Baekhyun's hitting a few more strokes to the other side of the court when she catches Jongdae's amused laughter a few feet away. "I guess I'm not the only workaholic, huh?" Jongdae says, and Baekhyun pays no attention to her, simply assumes the receiving position as she anticipates the next flurry of shuttles from the training machine.

She can make out Jongdae's figure from a corner of her eye now. Decked in a threadbare shirt and really short training shorts, Jongdae looks nothing like the same athlete Baekhyun had faced in the try-outs, the girl brimming with confidence, fame and talent in the stretch of her body. She's wearing her hair down, the tips just barely grazing her collarbones. The hairstyle suits her, sort of softens the angles of her face and the shadows of her cheeks. There's a stray strand of hair along the bridge of her nose, one she attempts to blow at, but to no avail. Jongdae only succeeds in making funny faces while trying to get the stray hair off her face.

Baekhyun takes three shuttles to the face, but manages to hit the fourth straight to the triangle. "Focus," Jongdae says, voice lilting, and gives Baekhyun's ass a light tap on her way to the court beside Baekhyun's own.

Training alongside Jongdae is sort of… exhilarating. The way Jongdae puts all of her focus and effort on a single shot, the light flick of the wrist that sends the shuttle rushing to the ground in a drive, the way Jongdae assumes a smash stance, then pushes the shuttle forward with the slightest movement of the racket – Jongdae isn't just a player. She's an artist. She waltzes around the court, sliding to reach difficult shots and angles, then resurfaces from a stretch all too quickly, back on both feet, prepared to take another difficult shot. No, Jongdae isn't a magician on court – she is the trick, the magic shot. She's the drive that hits you square between your eyes, on the tip of your nose. And Baekhyun is all for tricks and flashy shots.

So Baekhyun takes a deep breath, pushes herself harder. She hits one ball after another, practicing different stances even if she's just up against a machine. Whatever Jongdae does, she swears to do better. She needs to keep up, get even, then get ahead. It's not an option to fall behind.

"Wanna do a couple of matches?" Jongdae asks now, around twenty minutes after she's begun her own training. Baekhyun shrugs, words dripping down her face like sweat, and helps Jongdae move the machine on the other side of the court.

Training opposite Jongdae is a challenge. All the wonder Baekhyun had watching Jongdae play has now been drowned out by the desire to shove Jongdae's face down on the floor, disarm her for a couple of seconds just so they can end a rally in under fifteen strokes. "You're fucking crazy!" Baekhyun yells, and Jongdae only chuckles, lips curving up in a smile. That one, too, is grounds for wanting to hit Jongdae on the face – that smile of hers is annoying, criminal.

"Just think of it this way–" Jongdae pulls her right arm back, eyes focused on the ball. Her eyebrows are furrowed and she's worrying her bottom lip while waiting for the shuttle to come down at the optimal height – for a smash? a drive? Baekhyun shakes her head, wills herself to focus on the shuttle, instead. "You're helping me avoid finger injuries. I'd rather get those in a different way."

Baekhyun counters the smash with another smash, and then it's another rally, a battle of power and wrist strength, a test who can find an opening quicker than the other. Baekhyun takes a step back, waits until the shuttle is about a foot above her head before hitting it in a drive. Jongdae lets out a pitchy groan and Baekhyun raises her hands in the air, twirling on the ball of one foot.

"Oh yeah? How?" Baekhyun remembers to ask once she's come down from the high.

Jongdae cocks both eyebrows, lips quirking in accord. Her cheeks take on a light flush, pretty on her skin. "You really wanna find out?"

Baekhyun sucks in her bottom lip, reconsidering, then leans back with a loud exhale. "Whatever. We have class in an hour," she says. Her hands are shaking. She can't play in this condition. "We better start cooling down."

Jongdae furrows her eyebrows for a while, and then replies, "Okay. Suit yourself."

Only before they close the locker room does Jongdae give Baekhyun a clue of what she means – she grabs Baekhyun by the wrist, pulls her close until their foreheads are pressed together, their noses bumping. "What–" Baekhyun asks, but her words are cut off by the smooth slide of Jongdae's hand around her waist, by Jongdae backing her against a wall and slotting her leg between Baekhyun's own. Baekhyun drops her bags on the floor, leans back until her neck is exposed. Jongdae moves closer, tracing the curve of Baekhyun's face with her fingers, her touch soft, almost tentative. Her eyes are fixed on the tip of Baekhyun's nose, the mole just north of her top lip, the tiny crack on her bottom lip from where she bites it too much. Baekhyun feels Jongdae's fingers, cold, almost numbing, settling on the base of her throat, and she swallows against them, gaze flitting down for a brief moment before meeting Jongdae's heated gaze again. She darts out her tongue, swipes it along her bottom lip, and Jongdae only follows the motion with her gaze. It all happens in a rush, and Baekhyun isn't sure if it's because she's still cold from her showed that she's shivering or if it's from Jongdae's heated touch, her pretty fingers, her misbehaving hands.

A loud gulp, and then Jongdae's pulling away, straightening her clothes. She picks up Baekhyun's bags and holds them out in front of Baekhyun, saying, "Let's go?"

Baekhyun stays leaned against the wall a little longer then gets back to her feet when she feels her legs again. Her lips feel dry from the lack of warmth, and there's a dull ache in her jaw. It might be from the strain of the early morning training or her sleep that's hardly restful. It's not from Jongdae's body pressed against hers, hot and heavy.

Classes pass by in a blur. The lurching sensation in her stomach hasn't calmed yet. Every part of her that Jongdae had touched stings.

The problem with Jongdae is that she's so damn touchy, always touching someone on the back of the hand, arm, neck, chin tucked on someone's shoulder. Her latest achievement is managing to keep her arms looped around Kyungsoo's waist throughout the briefing session, while Lu Han gives them their match assignments for the upcoming tournament. "I was wondering why there was something heavy on my shoulder," Kyungsoo mutters once she realizes that Jongdae nuzzling her cheek, then elbows Jongdae in the gut. Jongdae stutters back in her steps, stepping on the tips of Baekhyun's toes. Baekhyun does the most unattractive cry of pain and Jongdae falls into her arms, back pressed to Baekhyun's chest.

"Thanks, savior," Jongdae whispers, reaching up with her right hand until she has her fingers fisted at Baekhyun's nape. Jongdae's close, too close, close enough that Baekhyun notices how long Jongdae's eyelashes are, or how Jongdae always has her top lip jutted out. Her eyes land on the curl of Jongdae's lips and her breath hitches, and she tightens her hold on Jongdae, and the small smile on Jongdae's lips blooms into a grin.

"Cut it out, lovebirds," Chanyeol calls out a few feet away. Jongdae's entire body goes rigid, and the grip on Baekhyun's hair tightens. Baekhyun winces a little. "Couldn't save it for the locker rooms?"

"Not on my sacred grounds, please, " Lu Han says, groaning. Beside her, Joonmyun chuckles.

Jongdae straightens up, then, turning around so that they're face to face. Her hand is cold, fingers splayed on Baekhyun's tummy. Baekhyun shivers without meaning to, but it's a good shiver. Jongdae doesn't have to know that. "Later?"

Baekhyun takes a step back but Jongdae pulls her back in, yanking her closer by the shirt. "What do you mean later?"

Something twinkles in Jongdae's eyes, accompanied by the upward curl of the lip. "Practice match later, dummy." She gives Baekhyun's tummy a light pinch, then says, "What did you think?"

Of Jongdae's pretty lips, of the way her bangs fall over her eyes, shielding the glimmer in them from the rest of the world. Of Jongdae's slender fingers, unfurling on Baekhyun's nape. Of Jongdae's gaze on Baekhyun's lips, focused and heated, and the way she worries her bottom lip as if in an attempt to keep herself from doing exactly that to Baekhyun's own. "What did you think," Baekhyun says, instead, then pries herself from Jongdae's grasp. Jongdae is unrelenting.

"Loser buys the other tteokbokki?" Jongdae says, then. Her eyes are sharp, challenging.

Baekhyun chuckles then takes a step back. This time, Jongdae unclenches her fist, pulls away with an easy smile. "Prepare to empty your wallet, Kim."

Not surprisingly, Baekhyun takes down Jongdae in an hour, 28-26 26-24 28-26.

The entire team begs to tag along for tteokbokki, but Baekhyun dismisses them, saying, "C'mon, let me enjoy my revenge!" Chanyeol had reminded her to take pictures of a red-nosed Jongdae, while Kyungsoo whispered, I think she's allergic to crabs. Not that I'm telling you to do something, y'know. Joonmyun seems to have caught on, convincing Lu Han to let off the athletes earlier than the usual since some have been doing extra sessions in the morning. Miracle of miracles, Lu Han relents, and Jongdae mumbles something about having to find a peaceful enough place to hang out at. Baekhyun worries about hagwon for a moment until she remembers that her Friday classes have been rescheduled to a double session tomorrow. It's the perfect set up – Friday night isn't when people hang out by a food cart after all, especially in these parts of Daegu. Stuffing oneself with tteokbokki and different kinds of jeon isn't exactly the worst way to spend Friday night.

"We could've split the first plate, you know," Baekhyun says now, albeit having already wiped out the entire dish. Jongdae has long finished her share, munching on all sorts of jeon now. She's taken a liking to ganjeon, even asking for a second order of just those. "You really eat this much?"

Jongdae shrugs, then pops a small piece of ganjeon between her lips. "Only on special occasions."

Baekhyun snorts. "You consider a loss 'special'?" She chuckles, orders another plate of tteokbokki but holds it off after a while, looking to her side to get Jongdae's approval. Jongdae gives her a light nod as a 'go' and soft laughter. "Wow, I didn't think you'd be that weird."

"There are special losses," Jongdae says, then, and snatches one hot piece of tteok from the plate. She seethes when she sinks her teeth into the rice cake, the heat of the food making her shiver. Baekhyun doesn't even try to hold back the laughter threatening to fall from her lips. "Such as this. And you."

Baekhyun looks up, accidentally bites on the tteok too hard. The other half slips from her lips, dragging the hot gochujang down her skin.

Jongdae's quick to save, though – she lunges, curls one hand around Baekhyun's nape and cranes her neck a little to catch the other half of the tteok between her teeth. Baekhyun takes in a shaky breath. They probably look stupid right now, pressed too close for teammates hanging out by a food cart, only a piece of rice cake keeping their lips apart. She can feel the Jongdae's chapped lip on her skin, moving ever so slightly against her chin. She can feel the heavy thumping in her chest, nails digging into her skin as she balls her hands into fists. She can feel the beating in Jongdae's chest falling in step with hers, like they both understand the gravity of the situation, who they are, what they can be. The tteok slips between Jongdae's lips and Jongdae pulls away, lips red from the heat. She reaches out, runs her thumb along Baekhyun's chin where the sauce has dripped. Baekhyun hasn't looked away, not yet, but how can she when Jongdae has the same thumb caught between her lips now, sucking on the remnants of the sauce, licking it off?

"Sorry about that," Jongdae mumbles. She turns to the lady at the cart, asks for ice cold water, then looks back at Baekhyun. "You still have– Um–"

Baekhyun grabs Jongdae by the wrist, rooting her in place, and traces the curve of Jongdae's face before cupping her cheek. She wipes the small smidgen of gochujang off a corner of Jongdae's lips, licks the side of her thumb, tasting the spiciness of the sauce and the sweetness of Jongdae's lips. It's a good mix, the battle between the flavors, Jongdae's cold fingers on her nape, Jongdae's hot lips on her skin.

"It's good," Baekhyun whispers. Her eyes are drawn to Jongdae's mouth, its wicked curves and contours, the curl at the corners. "The tteokbokki's great."

"The best," Jongdae says in agreement. Jongdae nods, takes one whole piece of tteok, and sucks it in in one fluid motion. The movement of her tongue on her lips is quick, like a whip. Baekhyun can spend a lifetime memorizing this trick, so she keeps her eyes on Jongdae for fear of missing a detail.

One fine practice day, Baekhyun confesses to Kyungsoo in confidence, "This thing's driving me crazy."

"The badminton thing?" Kyungsoo asks at first, completely caught up in their play. Kyungsoo's trying to ease herself into playing singles after Chanyeol stretched her hamstring just yesterday. "I know. Practice has been crazy lately. Heard Lu Han-unnie panicking in the lockers earlier, said she might have to jumble the match assignments." Kyungsoo hits a smash, and Baekhyun takes quick back steps, eyes still trained on the ball. "I haven't played singles competitively in a while. They might have to put you in a team with me, worst case."

Baekhyun scoffs loud enough for Kyungsoo to hear, but Kyungsoo only chuckles at Baekhyun's display of disapproval. "I'd like to see them try."

"Or maybe you'd like to be paired up with someone else–" One step back, then Kyungsoo hits a nice, sharp drive to the back of the court. She does a small fist pump, arm pressed close to her side. "How's that coming along, by the way?"

Baekhyun crouches and reaches for the shuttle and tosses it at Kyungsoo's side of the court. "Befriending the enemy, you mean?"

"Oh, so you suck face with the enemy now." Baekhyun cocks an eyebrow just noticeable enough for Kyungsoo to capitalize on. "Y'know, I was just joking. But since you're reacting that way–"

"I did not suck face with the enemy!" Baekhyun takes one of the stray shuttles and throws it in Kyungsoo's direction. She misses by an inch, when Kyungsoo does a pirouette and a curtsy when she ends. "Don't put things in my mouth!"

"Yeah, just tteokbokki," Kyungsoo replies, chuckling as she takes her position on the other end of the court.

Baekhyun makes it her mission for the day to beat Kyungsoo's sorry ass in singles, but in the end she gets paired off with Jongdae when Lu Han sets them up against Kyungsoo and Minseok. The eventual victor will take the first doubles match against Woonam a few days from now, and while Baekhyun doesn't want to be relegated to doubles, she doesn't sit well with defeat. So she walks up to Jongdae, whispers in her ear, "Kyungsoo hates going for deep shots. Aim 'em at her feet," and Jongdae makes this small, satisfied sound at the back of her throat as she leans back to meet Baekhyun in the eye.

"You really want to play doubles with me in the tourney?"

Baekhyun rolls her eyes. "Don't be silly. I just don't like losing."

"Of course," Jongdae whispers. The grin on her lips hasn't eased yet. It's infectious. "Of course, you don't."

It's Baekhyun who fires the winning shot to Kyungsoo's feet, a nice, clean backhand drive that has Minseok screeching on court and Kyungsoo pointing an accusing finger at her after. "Foul play!" Kyungsoo says, voice cracking when it peaks, and Baekhyun just keeps the smug smile on her lips even as Jongdae snakes an arm around her shoulder, canines peeking, cheek pressed against Baekhyun's own.

Chanyeol looks like a mess when she shows up for the weekend practice. "Your presence isn't needed here," is Kyungsoo's greeting, but Chanyeol traps her in a headlock anyway, nuzzles the crown of her head. Kyungsoo grimaces because, "I'm still sweaty from practice!", but Chanyeol doesn't seem to mind. Jongdae chuckles at the doubles pair and ruffles Baekhyun's hair when she passes her, but seethes in a low tone just before she takes another step forward.

"You okay?" Baekhyun asks, looking over her shoulder. Jongdae doesn't answer, just stands still, a scowl pulling her lips apart. The classic curl at the corner of her lips is gone, replaced by a downward tug. "Hey, what's–" Baekhyun rests a hand on Jongdae's shoulder and turns her around.

Jongdae has her fist open, fingers curled a little. The small movement of the index finger is almost unnoticeable, but Jongdae tries moving it again and that's when Baekhyun lets her vision refocus. The section just below the joint of Jongdae's index finger is a light red unlike the rest of her fingers. Her arm gives a tiny jerk when she tries to bend her finger, and Jongdae seethes again. "Hey, can I see that?" Baekhyun says now, taking Jongdae hand in hers, palm to the back of Jongdae's hand.

She can feel the tremble of Jongdae's fingers, the tension in her arms. "It's nothing. I'll be fine in a few hours," Jongdae says, lips now quirked up in a smile just a little. There's still an invisible downward force pulling the other side down. "Hey, you can let go now."

"Shut up. Let's get this checked. You might not be able to–"

"I said–" Jongdae yanks her hand away, just a hint of a wince in the way she scrunches her nose lightly. "I'll be fine. So don't worry about it."

Baekhyun looks over her shoulder, at their other teammates slowly closing in on them. She summons her best smile and waves them off. "I'm doing this for the team, not for–"

"Of course," Jongdae says, and then she's walking away, footsteps heavy and right arm hanging limp in her side. The lack of a warm presence beside Baekhyun makes her feel a bit uneasy.

Practice ends just a few minutes shy of sunset. Lu Han, Joonmyun, and Minseok head off to hagwon, promising the team to a couple of boxes of pizza once the study season tides over. Chanyeol stays behind, identifying the holes of Kyungsoo's play and trying to work a good offensive strategy to go with Minseok's defensive style of play. Baekhyun and Jongdae try to work it out with Kyungsoo, as well, but Baekhyun gives a flat-out 'no' when Jongdae asks for another light match. "You're telling me what's up with your hand first," Baekhyun demands, "and if the situation sits well with me then we're going to play."

Jongdae scoffs. She holds out her playing hand, anyway. The swelling is gone and the skin is back to its normal color. "Who are you, my mom?"

Baekhyun hovers, hesitating. She frowns. "Your doubles partner," she grumbles after a while. She takes Jongdae's hand, moving closer, then tries to bend the index finger. "How does this feel?"

"Like hell," Jongdae groans. Her eyes snap closed at the movement, and Baekhyun feels the tension in Jongdae's muscles. "I may or may not have strained it while I was doing smash practice–"

"Your fucking grip, Kim Jongdae, I swear–" Baekhyun growls at her and Jongdae simply smiles in return, canines peeking. She can still see the strain at the corners of Jongdae's lips, though, the pain coursing through her veins when Baekhyun straightens the finger, then folds it again. "How?"

"I took a few heavy balls?"

"I will cut off your hand–" Baekhyun puts Jongdae's hand down gently, careful not to press too hard on her index finger. "And fix that stupid grip of yours–"

Jongdae lets slip a light chuckle. There's a peculiar twinkle in her eyes, like moments ago she hadn't felt the pain in her finger, or that she couldn't clench her playing hand at all halfway through practice. It's weird, for the most part, Jongdae's ability to bounce back like it's nobody's business, but it's a nice trait to have for an athlete. Don't let the bad balls bring you down, Lu Han always says. Just focus on making each shot after that good, better. Jongdae's shaking her arm now, like she's willing blood to rush back to her hand. If her tale about getting an ankle injury way back is true then she's no stranger to intense pain. So this is a Jongdae who has risen from the ashes – better, brighter, prepared to take more hits and rise again if she so falls.

"Y'know, I'm liking this display of concern," Jongdae singsongs now. Baekhyun's lips hang parted for a moment, and then she's taking a step back, pulling away. The corners of Jongdae's lips curl up, and there's the same girl she met back in try-outs, the girl who aimed a clean forehand to her nose. The sight of her smile offers an odd form of relief. "I guess that's what doubles does to people, huh?"

Baekhyun doesn't answer, simply crosses her arms in front of her. "You are not doing smashes until the tournament date," she says in her most neutral tone, but too late – Jongdae has already latched onto her, arms wrapped around her waist, chin tucked on her shoulder. The fit isn't weird, but it isn't the best either. She's only briefly concerned that she's sweaty and she probably smells like sweat and shit, but Jongdae doesn't seem to mind. Her injured finger is curled loosely. She wiggles it in front of Baekhyun and chuckles.

"You'll take the smashes for me?" Jongdae asks, voice low, almost dropping to a whisper. Her breath is hot on the back of Baekhyun's ear. Her voice is so sickeningly sweet. It only makes sense for Baekhyun's insides to turn.

"Only because you're my partner," Baekhyun retorts. She doesn't flinch away when Jongdae presses a soft kiss to the underside of her jaw. If she ever leans into the touch, it's not because Jongdae is warm. It's because she doesn't have any other option. "Nothing more."

The Friday before the tournament, Baekhyun and Jongdae stay behind to run through formations they can use for their match. Each and every single match is important, but setting the tempo for the team is the very thing that makes doubles two a key win. Lose the match and the doubles one pair feels the pressure to clinch the win in two easy sets, in the quickest way possible. Win it and everybody benefits, spirits on high as they face the succeeding matches. "Remember, we're playing to have fun," Joonmyun had said before the team dispersed, but everyone knew very well that Lu Han was expecting them to win. It's not just a matter of defending Daegu High's back-to-back championship title; it's also proving to the seniors that these kids, these rookies that they've invested time and effort in are good enough to pass on whatever they've learned to Daegu High's next pillars of hope.

"So yeah, 'no pressure'," Jongdae says in her best imitation of Joonmyun. Baekhyun snorts louder than she shoulder, and she presses the back of her hand to her lips as soon as she comes around. "But eh, I don't think any player would like to lose. I hate losing."

Baekhyun nods, careful not to shake her head too much. The long hours have already taken their toll on her, and right now the lines of the court seem blurred in her vision. She plops down on the floor then lies on her back. The cool sensation that crawls under her skin makes her shiver. Lu Han will kill her if she sees Baekhyun doing this.

"We all play to win," she mumbles after a while. She recalls every practice match she's played here in Daegu High, every twist of the torso and the ankle, every lunge just to return hard-angled shots. Every win against Minseok and Joonmyun and Lu Han in singles, every loss to the Park-Do pair in doubles. Every match against Jongdae that ends up in a tie because really, nobody completely wins against Kim Jongdae. Two points up against Jongdae means Jongdae will work harder, push Baekhyun to her limits all the more. Two points behind and Jongdae will tease her, challenge her until they're standing on the same ground.

"I play for the experience," Jongdae says. Her voice is clearer now, and Baekhyun feels a wave of heat draw closer. When she teases one eye open, she finds Jongdae just a few spaces away, eyes fixed on her. "For the rush and for the discipline. And, well…" Her voice drifts off and she chuckles, breaking the thin sheet of white noise around them.

Baekhyun opens both eyes now, focuses her gaze on Jongdae. "I play to continue what my oppa can't anymore," Jongdae finishes. There's a wistful smile in the twist of the mouth. "It's the least I could do after all he's done for me."

Jongdae takes a deep breath. Baekhyun shifts a little, then turns to lie on her side. A smile ghosts Jongdae's lips when Baekhyun gives her tummy a light poke, then teases a bigger smile out of her when she draws her finger up, tries to pull up one corner of her mouth. Baekhyun doesn't say anything, only sighs and breathes through her noise. All the words at the back of her throat, always threatening to fall from her lips at the onset on Jongdae saying anything – they hide in the smallest cracks in Baekhyun's system. Her throat feels heavy and tight and Jongdae hasn't spoken yet, hasn't continued from where she's left off. Her eyes haven't left Baekhyun's own, though, like she's trying to say nothing and something and everything all at the same time.

Baekhyun reaches for Jongdae's hands, runs her thumb along the knuckles. "I'm sure he's proud of you," she says after a while, when Jongdae moves closer, leans forward until their foreheads touch and Jongdae nudges her. "I mean, you're a great player from, I dunno, a family of badminton greats? And–" Baekhyun worries her bottom lip, tries to turn to the other direction but Jongdae cups her cheek with her hand, soft and warm. "I'm not good at this consoling thing, I'm sorry–"

"My parents were tennis players, not badminton players," Jongdae answers, chuckling. She gives Baekhyun's cheek a light pinch. "And Jongdeok-oppa was supposed to be part of the badminton team representing Korea in the Olympics but then he… had to quit the team, work for the two of us because our parents died."

"Oh," Baekhyun whispers. "I'm… sorry."

Jongdae shrugs. "It's… it's been a while. We're over it. I'm over it." Jongdae takes a deep breath and a wider smile pulls at the corners of her lips up, softens the shadows on her face. "It sorta did us good, I guess? Oppa and I were never close until that happened. We didn't have a choice," she explains. She gives Baekhyun's cheek another light pinch, and Baekhyun groans now, juts her bottom lip out. "It was just the two of us left and, well, I figured this – badminton – is something I could do to… at least live my brother's dream."

"I thought these things only happen in telenovelas," is the only thing Baekhyun ever finds the courage to say. Jongdae jabs her in the gut, but she feels no pain. She groans for effect, nonetheless, wails as she goes on about how Jongdae's the worst person ever, how she's ruining the moment, how she can possibly be joking because she's done this before and maybe Baekhyun's a bit too trusting, and–

"Baekhyun, stop rambling," Jongdae says, chuckling. Baekhyun purses her lips in response, sticks her tongue out. Jongdae's shoulders are shaking, and her cheeks are pulled all the way up, and her eyes are turning into slits and she's too close, the heat of her breath tickling Baekhyun's skin, and–

"Baekhyun?" Jongdae asks, voice lilting. There it is again, the light jut of her upper lip, the curl of the corners of her lips. Jongdae's eyes are half mast and her gaze flits from Baekhyun's eyes to her mouth, the mole just above her top lip, the way she worries her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

Jongdae laughs a little, breathless, and leans closer. She can smell the faint scent of sweat and strawberries and mint. Jongdae's lips are chapped, some of the cracks lined with a faint blue. She needs to forego the bubble gum.

"Shut up."

Baekhyun grumbles. "I'm not saying anything."

"I said," Jongdae says, patience thinning but voice still curling at the last syllable, "Shut up."

Shut up means the light press of their lips against each other, chapped, callous. It means the trail Jongdae's fingers, cold and trembling, trace, a cool line from Baekhyun's cheek down to her collarbones. It means Baekhyun taking a deep breath, taking a leap of faith and tilting her head a little until her lips fall open, wanting and willing. It means Jongdae motioning for her to lie on her back, hands gentle on Baekhyun's shoulders, careful. Jongdae straddles her, one leg between her own, and eases her tongue between Baekhyun's lips, teasing the corners a little then dipping inside when Baekhyun lets out a throaty moan. Jongdae claims every inch of her mouth – teeth grazing her bottom lip, then sucking on the top lip, tongue tracing along the back of Baekhyun's teeth then tickling the cavern of her mouth. Baekhyun doesn't know what to do with her hands, snakes them up Jongdae's back then traces the contour of it as she slides her hands to the front. She can feel the movement in Jongdae's stomach, her shallow breathing as Jongdae deepens the kiss, every hitch of her breath when Baekhyun answers in kind, trapping Jongdae's bottom lip between her own and sucking long and hard.

Jongdae pulls away after a while, chest heaving. Baekhyun cranes her neck, presses staccato kisses along the column of Jongdae's throat, licking a stripe along her collarbone. She nips on the button of Jongdae's shirt and sucks marks on chest, slowly mapping her way down with steady kisses on Jongdae's warm skin.

"Ow," Jongdae whispers, then cocks her head in the direction of her right arm. Baekhyun chuckles, and snakes her arms around Jongdae's waist, guides her as she pulls her down slowly.

"Is this part of chemistry building?" Baekhyun asks, teasing.

Jongdae answers with a lick along the underside of her jaw, a light suck on the sensitive skin. Baekhyun doesn't wait for another string of answers, doesn't miss a beat, and hoists Jondgae up until their lips find a perfect fit, until their bodies align.

It's not the first match Baekhyun has every played against anyone with a chance to bring the team closer to the championship at stake. She's had more than enough experience in real competitions, already has a number of titles under her belt. She knows well enough the pressure that comes with following a winning streak or trying to pull a team out of misery with a nice, easy win. But this– This feels different, somehow, like she's starting over and she's scouring the ground, seeking approval from people. Today, she stands on court with another person, shares the same small space that feels much bigger than it should be. Outside, people are cheering for their teams. A streamer that says DAEGU HIGH SCHOOL in big, bold letters glares at her in a bright shade of green.

Lu Han clasps a hand on her shoulder and ruffles Jongdae's hair. "Win it, kids," she says, voice so soft she could've been whispering anything. Beside her, Joonmyun gives her a thumbs up.

Baekhyun's already halfway out the door when she feels a force reeling her back in, tugging at her shirt in a tight fist. "What–" she growl when she falls back, but all that answers her is the awkward press of Jongdae's lips on the corner of her mouth, Jongdae's free hand snaking around her waist, turning her around. There are a few chants behind them, Joonmyun muttering, ah, hormonal teenagers, and, when Baekhyun pulls away, she gives Jongdae a searching look. "What the fuck?"

"For good luck," Jongdae whispers. She traces her fingers along the curve of Baekhyun's cheek, gives it a light pinch, then presses one last light kiss on her top lip. "Hey, I said good luck, not to stun you. C'mon, we've got a team to beat!"

Baekhyun takes in a shaky breath, lips trembling. She bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from grinning. "Don't slow me down!"

They're up against Woonam today, the team that placed 3rd a year ago in the rankings. Daegu High bested them by taking the last singles victory and went on to take the championship, beating Youngsong in the finals in the same fashion. It was the biggest news in Daegu's local sports publication, the biggest shock of the year. The team that fell into a five-year-long slump rose from the ashes and went on to win the championships. Lu Han, Joonmyun, and Minseok were heralded as Daegu High's sports saviors. They'd never looked back ever since.

Lu Han's looking at a triple crown this year, and the first step is to get through this sneaky team whose dirty tactics have snagged them too many victories.

"Unnie said we should be careful with that girl who's always smiling," Jongdae whispers in Baekhyun's ear. Baekhyun nods, tucks her stray hair behind her ears, then clamps her fingers on the strings of her racket. They certainly don't seem like the cheating type, Woonam's Huang and Zhang. Zhang's supposed to be a senior, someone Lu Han has faced in the past in a singles match, and Huang is Woonam's new star player according to some accounts. "They're both Chinese, if I remember correctly? Had gymnastics training for the Olympics so you could just imagine–"

"How doomed we are," Baekhyun finishes, huffing. She looks at Jongdae with a defeated smile. "Why are we doing this again?"

Jongdae reaches out, hand hovering Baekhyun's cheek like she means to caress her skin, but instead she rests it on Baekhyun's shoulders. "Because we're crazy," she whispers. The umpire calls them to the net for the coin toss, but they remain rooted in their spot. "And because we're looking for action," Jongdae ends, winking.

"No flirting during a match," Baekhyun mumbles when she passes Jongdae by. Deliberately, she bumps her shoulders into Jongdae, and Jongdae scowls in acknowledgement. "Don't take the smashes and drives, okay?"

"Yes, mom," Jongdae singsongs. Baekhyun hits her with her racket on the ass, but doesn't deny Jongdae of the laughter that spills from her lips.

Woonam gets the opening serve. It isn't a loss, really – it's actually a good way to read their opponent's playing style at the onset. Zhang serves, a nice, low curve that sends the shuttle just tumbling over the net, and Jongdae lunges, going for a lift. Too easy, Baekhyun thinks – returning with a lift is always risky when done from near the net because it gives the opponent the opportunity to smash to the back or aim a nice drive at the corners. Taking a deep breath, she bends her knees, prepared to take a heavy ball at the back. Zhang isn't moving, but she ducks to make way for Huang's shot. Elbows pointing out, left arm drawn back – this is probably a smash, but there's a slim chance that she can go for a feint and do a drop shot.

Baekhyun snorts. No need to worry about that when Jongdae's near the net. She's one of the best net players the game has ever seen; Jongdae won't let a shot this easy get past her.

Huang goes for a smash, though, and Baekhyun counters with another smash. Huang doesn't give her time to breathe, aims a heavier ball to the other side of the court, and then it's a smash rally from there. Only the first point of the first set and Baekhyun's already sweating a lot, a sliver trickling down the curve of her face. Because we're looking for action, Jongdae's words ring in her ear, and she aims a drive shot to Zhang's feet.

Zhang takes a few steps back, gives the shuttle a lift to the left side of the court. Baekhyun's far back, muscles still feeling the strain after the rally, but Jongdae's there for the save, sliding to the left to fire a backhand drive to the back.

"Fuck that first point!" Jongdae hangs her head low, knees bent as she catches her breathing. She's got a crazy smile on her lips, though, confidence in the way she snaps her spine straight, lifts her chin and faces the opponent. Baekhyun tosses the shuttle in her direction, and Jongdae gives her a little wink when she catches the shuttle with her racket.

Baekhyun isn't really expecting the match with Woonam to be a walk in the park, but it can't be this easy. Woonam's defenses are too lax, like both players are so focused on hitting at the corners and just making sure every shot gets in. Blocking is important, and more often than not defense is the best offense. She's learned this from Minseok who's patient enough to keep returning shots and wait until Lu Han loses patience and starts going all out aggressive with her shot-making. While it's not something she's grown accustomed to, losing to a similar style of play just gets to you sometimes, makes you more wary of people who play defensively.

Jongdae's flexible enough to cover both the defense and offense part of their play, but Baekhyun made a promise. And Byun Baekhyun never breaks her promises.

It's one drive and smash after another, Woonam going all-out on offense and Jongdae minimizing the lifts so that Woonam can't set up on them. Daegu High sets a record high lead at seven points, pulling away at 19-12 after Jongdae fakes a smash and goes for a drop shot, instead. "Your grip," Baekhyun whispers when they switch service boxes, then picks up the shuttle with her racket. "That was a close call."

"Seal it with an ace. Pretty sure they've already caught on about the no smashes thing," Jongdae says. There's a small frown pulling down at the corners of her lips. "How's your arm holding up?"

"I'm good," Baekhyun assures her. "Think you can spare a few smashes in the second set? Ten max, so we don't have to stretch past 21?"

Jongdae switches her racket to her left and gives Baekhyun a thumbs-up. Her hand is as steady as a rod.

Woonam scores three more points before Daegu High clinches the first set victory at 21-15. Zhang misses a drive, the shuttle catching on tape of the net and falling back to their side of the court. Jongdae lets out a loud exhale as the umpire awards them the point and gives them the first set. One more set, twenty-one points until they triumph against Woonam. Twenty grueling minutes of play and hard work, one doubles team to conquer defeat.

Baekhyun takes the opening serve for the set. She'd picked up a few serving tricks from Kyungsoo during training – a forehand serve that packs a lot of spin, but has the risk of curving up too high and landing outside the service box. "It's a tricky shot if you don't practice it much," Kyungsoo had explained then, executing the serve at least thrice, in quick succession, before Baekhyun's eyes. The curve the ball takes is a nice, wide arc, and the ball lands either just near the receiving player's feet or behind her. "I don't know how this fares against taller players, but it's worth a shot," Kyungsoo had even added. "Just remember–"

To keep the face of your racket facing slightly downwards, Baekhyun finishes in her head. She assumes her place in the service box, feet in a nice 30-degree angle. She twists her torso and drops the shuttle, waits for it to drop a few good inches before hitting it with her racket. She can feel the tension in the strings, creeping up the throat of the racket and all the way to her arm as she gives it a sideward slice. She hears the faint gasp to her left, sees Zhang's eyes widen on the other side of the net as the shuttle travels a nice, steep curve, then lands behind Zhang, near the back of the doubles court.

"That was close," Jongdae mumbles. Baekhyun sticks out her tongue a little and switches service courts, determined to earn another point with an ace.

The real problem with Woonam's players, it seems, is that they have no fixed playing style. In the first half of the second set, they switch to hyperdefensive play, returning shots with careful lifts and going for longer rallies than the usual. Jongdae's itching to end the rally with a smash or an overhead drive, Baekhyun knows it, sees it in the way her drop shots begin to pack more punch after every shot. At 12-all, ten minutes after the match started, Jongdae smashes the ball to the back, the shuttle landing on the tape of the doubles court.

"Fucking close," Jongdae whispers under breath, eyes closed. She wipes sweat off her forehead with her wristband. Her arm isn't shaking, not yet, but Baekhyun approaches anyway, rests a hand on Jongdae's shoulder.

"How's that finger feeling?"

Jongdae shrugs. "Could be better, but I'll survive."

Baekhyun kicks her lightly in the calf as Woonam's Zhang picks up the shuttle from the floor. "I'm going to kick you if you injure yourself."

"At least we'll win!"

"Jongdae."

"Baekhyun–" Jongdae interrupts, eyes locked onto hers. Their rackets clash in the middle now, the heads interlocked. The slide of the frames makes the worst, the most ear-piercing sound, but Baekhyun feels the tension in her shoulders ease a little, a familiar warmth rolling down her stomach. "If I wanted to kick myself out of the game, I'd have done three smashes a point a long time ago. During the first set. And then taken a couple of shots that you'd sloppily returned." There's a familiar smile on Jongdae's lips now, much like the one Baekhyun saw months back, on the other side of court, through the tiny holes of the net. "So relax, do your thing and let me do mine." She winks, then withdraws her racket, patting Baekhyun's hair with it. "And then we can do other things later."

Baekhyun snorts, scoffs, giggles. "You have the worst pick up lines even during a match."

Jongdae turns on her heel and blows her a small kiss before walking away. "You like it, though."

You like me.

The second set reaches a deciding 29-all after Woonam's Huang aims a drive shot just inches away from Jongdae's left foot. "Foul play!" Jongdae mumbles loud enough for Baekhyun to hear, and she only shakes her head in response. The worst trick Woonam has pulled on them is a shot to Jongdae's stomach, and then another to Baekhyun's left arm. No dull ache nor stinging pain yet, so Baekhyun supposes it's fine. Nothing they can use against Woonam or something that'll lead to the umpire awarding penalty points to them.

Baekhyun doesn't care anymore. At this stage, nothing else matters but to clinch this point in a nice, clean service ace, or a drop shot so close to the net that their opponents won't even think of running after the shuttle anymore. But then this is Woonam – Woonam who has gotten back up from a seven-point deficit, Woonam who has fought back break point opportunities for Daegu High and has countered with skillfully executed shots to the corners.

"Stay at the far back if you're planning to do the serve," Jongdae tells Baekhyun before Baekhyun moves back to her service box. "Less risk of the curve ball landing outside."

"Thanks, babe," Baekhyun mumbles. Jongdae leans back a little, eyes wide, cheeks flush. "And oh, can I– Just one favor."

Jongdae cocks her head. Her tiny pony tail swings to the side, a gentle bob that matches the small smile on her lips.

Baekhyun grins. "Get reckless."

Jongdae cackles, breaking out into a toothy grin. Baekhyun has never seen a prettier smile in her life.

Baekhyun shuffles her feet before assuming serving stance, feet in a 30-degree angle and racket face turned to the left. With a deep breath, she releases the shuttle, watches as it draws closer to the ground. She silences all the voices in her head, focuses only on the bounce of the shuttle off the racket, the screech of their rubber shoes, Woonam's return. Zhang manages to reach the ball in time, countering with a smash to the back. Baekhyun slides to her left, smashing right back, and Huang is quick to answer with another. It's a long, endless rally, the bounce of the shuttle off the strings becoming a melody Baekhyun finds herself humming to. It's a fast-paced one, typical of a dance song, something Jongdae would probably be blasting off her earphones during practice.

And then the bridge where the tempo slows down, a moment of respite – she sees Zhang stutter in her footsteps. Baekhyun aims a drive near Zhang's feet. Unwilling to back down, Zhang counters with a lift.

Baekhyun grins. To Jongdae, she says, "All yours!"

She moves to the front, well away from Jongdae's area of movement, and bends low. She can hear the screech of Jongdae's rubber shoes, Jongdae's faint and smug chuckle. She can hear the thumping in her ribcage, the heavy beating, the chorus. A sharp screech and she holds her breath – she looks over her shoulder, at Jongdae jumping off the ground, one knee pointing up, one foot pointing down. She's like a bird finally taking flight, poised for a long journey in the skies, poised for victory.

Jongdae's eyes glimmer in the court's white lights. She draws her right arm back, elbow pointing out, the shuttle a few good inches above her.

Baekhyun chuckles. Jongdae's thumb points up to the right face of the racket.

When Baekhyun turns back to look at Zhang, she sees the shuttle fly past her and hit the tape of the doubles court. Jongdae's soft landing at the back, then the sound of the buzzer.

"Daegu High wins, 30-29!"

Kyungsoo and Minseok bag their second doubles victory after an hour and a half of play, 30-29 26-24. Chanyeol waves her Daegu High banners wildly in the air when they win the match, and denies crying when Joonmyun emerges victorious from her singles two match. "I love this team!" is Lu Han's only contribution to the sob fest that takes place when they huddle on court, sweat-stained and drunk on their post-victory high. That, and convincing Joonmyun to buy samgyupsal for everyone. "Nope, no drinking," Lu Han reminds them, though, and there's collective groaning before Joonmyun offers her place for the celebration.

It's a ten-minute walk to Joonmyun's place, fifteen if you're dealing with sore limbs and post-match high. Chanyeol's giggly in her wheelchair and Kyungsoo has a soft smile on her lips as she wheels Chanyeol forward, pausing once in a while to chat with Baekhyun and Jongdae. Minseok, when excited, talks about the old badminton team's victories, all those times Lu Han fell on her butt whenever she went for impossible shots. Joonmyun just laughs along. Lu Han doesn't even bother retaliating – she has long given up on trying to keep the two from talking about her dark past.

Baekhyun slides up next to Jongdae, bumps their shoulders against each other. "You told your oppa already?" she asks, and Jongdae flashes her phone at her. She leans back a little, the bright light piercing her eyes, and she giggles when she sees my little baby girl is all grown up, I'm so proud of you at the very end of the message thread.

"Little baby girl, mhmm?" she teases. Jongdae's eyes grow wide, and the next thing Baekhyun knows Jongdae's slapping her back, hooking an arm around her own, laughter muffled in the crook of her neck.

Even without the influence of alcohol, Jongdae's already generous with touches. Make her take six, seven shots of soju, though, and she'll latch onto the person nearest to her, climb onto her lap and make herself comfortable there. Tonight's victim is Baekhyun who has already had an ample number of shots – she'd lost count after Jongdae's face fell forward, finding a perfect fit in the slope of her neck. "Soju smells like fucking acetone," Jongdae mumbles now, lips warm and wet on Baekhyun's skin. Baekhyun shivers all over, even more when Jongdae shifts in her position and sits properly on her lap, chest to chest, face-to-face.

"You're drunk," Baekhyun slurs to the best of her ability. Jongdae chuckles, leans close until their foreheads touch. "You smell like acetone."

Jongdae hums, laughs, fucking giggles. Baekhyun's vision is already hazy but she can make out the tinge of pink on Jongdae's cheeks, the way Jongdae nips and nips and nips on her bottom lip. "Wanna know if I taste like it?"

Baekhyun gulps, oxygen suddenly shooting up her system, filling her lungs. Some of the drunkenness she'd had earlier dissipates when she swallows hard against Jongdae's fingers that are tracing the column of her neck. She looks around them – Joonmyun and Lu Han have excused themselves thirty minutes ago and it looks like they're not returning anytime soon. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have already passed out, with Kyungsoo's head on Chanyeol's lap and Chanyeol's fingers in Kyungsoo's hair. Minseok's supposedly dancing her ass off on the table but she's nowhere to be found now, and Baekhyun's mildly concerned about Minseok's safety, only a little because Jongdae's licking the underside of her jaw and sucking marks on her skin.

Baekhyun chuckles. "You're not giving me a choice now, are you?"

Jongdae pulls away, looks up at her through heavy-lidded eyes. Her lips are too red and plump and damn inviting. Baekhyun takes a deep breath. "Is this… okay with you?" Jongdae asks, then. Her hands drop to Baekhyun's hips. "We don't have to do this if you don't–"

"Shut up," Baekhyun says, leaning in to claim Jongdae's lips. Jongdae's hands ball into fists in Baekhyun's shirt, and Baekhyun coaxes Jongdae's mouth open with a gentle nip on her bottom lip, a light kiss on the corners of her mouth. "I want this. I want you."

Jongdae hiccups, lips parting, and Baekhyun uses this as an opportunity to slip her tongue inside, teasing as she licks the back of Jongdae's teeth lightly. Jongdae repays her in kind, snaking her hands beneath Baekhyun's shirt, pulling it up until they have to break the kiss. Baekhyun pulls her shirt over her head and Jongdae does the same, chuckling when Baekhyun dips her head to plant kisses along the column of Jongdae's neck. Salt and sweat and alcohol explode at the tip of Baekhyun's tongue as she licks the expanse of skin, sucks tiny marks, working her way down until she reaches the dip of Jongdae's breasts. She nuzzles them with her cheeks and Jongdae's nails dig into her skin.

"Joonmyun-unnie will kill us tomorrow," Jongdae whispers. She moves them around, then pushes Baekhyun down on the couch before leaning back in to claim her lips in a kiss.

Baekhyun is already reckless as it is, but have alcohol coursing through her system and she turns into a skydiver so eager to freefall. Jongdae straddles her, one leg between her own, and she groans when she feels Jongdae's knee brush against her crotch. She snakes her arms around Jongdae, pulls her closer until she can cup Jongdae's breast, thumb running along her nipple through the cloth. Jongdae's body gives a tiny jerk, knee rubbing against Baekhyun's crotch all the more, and Baekhyun's laughter gets caught in a gasp.

"May I?" she asks, hooking two fingers on Jongdae's bra strap. Jongdae nods, chest heaving, and Baekhyun pulls up the band at the back, helping Jongdae slip off her sportsbra. Baekhyun takes a shaky breath as she marvels at the swell of Jongdae's chest, her gentle curves, the soft, sultry smile at the corners of Jongdae's lips as Jongdae rubs her knee against Baekhyun's crotch, sitting on her legs as she slips both hand under Baekhyun's sportsbra.

"You do your own thing–"

"And I do mine," Jongdae finishes, helping Baekhyun pull the sportsbra over her head. A soft chuckle, then Jongdae dips her head again, taking one of Baekhyun's nipples between her lips and giving it a light suck.

Baekhyun lets out a throaty moan as Jongdae's free hand comes to cup her other breast, thumb rubbing in slow, dizzying circles. Baekhyun's mind is a mess – she's a mess – and she grips Jongdae by the hips tight as Jongdae works her nipples, sucking and nipping until Baekhyun's out of breath. She tugs at the band of Jongdae's shorts and underwear, tugs them down to the best of her ability even with the distraction of Jongdae's lip. She slips her hand between Jongdae's legs, cupping her crotch, and Jongdae lets out a strangled gasp against her skin. Baekhyun shivers at the warmth of Jongdae's breath, at the way Jongdae's thighs tremble around her hand. "Go," Jongdae whispers – more like breathes – against her nipple, and Baekhyun licks the shell of Jongdae's ear as she dips two fingers further south, rubbing on Jongdae's clit.

"Fuck–" Jongdae buries her face between Baekhyun's breasts, hands scrambling for purchase. She gives Baekhyun's ass a squeeze, cups Baekhyun's crotch, and Baekhyun feels warmth travel south, making her thighs tremble. Baekhyun's stops short, oversensitive and too aware of Jongdae's body pressed against hers, flush and wanting and willing. She rubs her thumb on Jongdae's clit and Jongdae seeks revenge, dips her hand inside Baekhyun's shorts haphazardly and rubs circles on Baekhyun's cunt.

"You're the–" Baekhyun chokes on her words as Jongdae dips two fingers inside, spreading her labia open. She's already wet, too worked up, and damn, Jongdae sure is good with her fingers. Jongdae moves slowly, a gentle, torturous rub on her clit, and Baekhyun moans. "You are the fucking worst, I swear–"

Jongdae chuckles. "Your body says otherwise."

Baekhyun copies Jongdae, then slides her fingers up and down, rubbing against Jongdae's sensitive skin. "I've always been better at body language, anyway."

But it's not a question of who does which better anymore but a question of synchronization, chemistry on court and off court, teamwork and working towards a common goal. Jongdae rolls her hips, fucking against Baekhyun's hand, and Baekhyun lifts her hips, craving friction and contact. It's a game of push and pull and pull closer, their limbs moving on instinct like they were always meant to know every slope and curve and dip of each other's bodies, the way they move, the way they fit. Baekhyun thrusts two fingers inside Jongdae and Jongdae lets out a choked scream, face falling forward until their foreheads touch. Jongdae's hair is a mess and she's wrecked and she's beautiful, and she's whispering, Baekhyun, Baekhyun Baek–hyun– like a prayer. Baekhyun curls her fingers inside Jongdae and Jongdae comes, spilling all over her hand, hips still moving like she's emptying herself onto Baekhyun's hand, surrendering everything that she is. Baekhyun pulls out her fingers when Jongdae's body gives another tiny jerk, thighs trembling, clamped around Baekhyun's hand.

"What's the score?" Jongdae whispers, chuckling. She dips her head, meeting Baekhyun's lips in a kiss.

"Two fucking sets to love," Baekhyun murmurs against Jongdae's lips. The slow-forming smile tugging the corners of Jongdae's mouth is contagious. Baekhyun doesn't mind yielding and losing this one match, not at all.

Chanyeol's well enough to participate in the next slew of practices the following week. Kyungsoo insists on pairing up with Minseok for doubles, saying she's finally found someone whose style complements hers, and Chanyeol groans before marching off. "Fine, I'll just play doubles. I was doing so well without you back then, anyway," Chanyeol says, sticking her tongue out at Kyungsoo. Fifteen minutes in and Kyungsoo takes the side opposite Chanyeol's on court, plays a light match against her to ease her back into the swing of things.

Baekhyun shakes her head and calls out, "You are so whipped!" Kyungsoo hits a drive to Chanyeol's foot, then sticks her middle finger up at Baekhyun.

"Very," Jongdae says in agreement, sliding next to Baekhyun. She tucks her chin on Baekhyun's shoulder. "Aren't you glad you're not playing doubles with Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun snorts. "I'd never play doubles with Chanyeol, even if my life depended on it."

"Hmm. Strong words." Jongdae hums. She snakes her hand around Baekhyun's waist, pulling Baekhyun close until they're chest to back, Jongdae's lips flush on the underside of Baekhyun's jaw. "Or maybe you'd… never play doubles unless you were forced to."

Baekhyun chuckles and turns around so that they're facing each other. There's a tiny crease in the way Jongdae furrows her eyebrows, a soft pout in the way she purses her lips. She reaches up and presses down on the small groove with her thumb. "Oh really?"

It's been a week since Baekhyun played on the same side of the court with Jongdae, a week since they gave doubles a shot and actually won a match for the team. It wasn't so bad; in fact, Baekhyun might actually come to be flexible enough to play doubles from time to time. She doesn't know what to make of the sinking sensation in her stomach everytime Jongdae reaches up to ruffle her hair before a match just yet. Or the adrenaline that courses through her veins whenever she sees Jongdae execute one beautiful forehand after another, either. She has a word for it, slowly creeping to the tip of her tongue, waiting for a clumsy enunciation, and the only thing keeping her from blurting it out is the distance between them, six long inches of breathing space.

"You tell me, Byun Baekhyun," Jongdae replies. The corners of her lips are quirked up now, and her eyes are focused, challenging. The battle's long been won, Baekhyun wants to say, but Jongdae isn't about easy wins. So she presses a finger to the tip of Jongdae's nose, slides it down the dip of Jongdae's mouth until Jongdae wraps her lips around Baekhyun's finger.

"I hate playing doubles," Baekhyun says, snorting. Jongdae snaps her lips closed. Baekhyun's finger slips off with a dull pop. "But there's this annoying girl who just won't stop trying to get me to play doubles with her."

"She must be pretty good, y'know." Jongdae wiggles her eyebrows. "If she managed to convince you."

Baekhyun shrugs. "Nah. But she's cute," she whispers. "And I like cute. A lot."

Lu Han's calling their names now, match assignments, everyone, come on!, and Baekhyun knows they have to turn on their heels and heed Lu Han's call, but Jongdae's looking at her, grinning up at her. Jongdae's eyes are twinkling with something Baekhyun can't quite place yet, and there's a cold, numbing sensation at the pit of Baekhyun's stomach, and Jongdae's got her hands fisted in Baekhyun's shirt, pulling her close. And Jongdae is kissing her – the tip of her nose, her top lip, bottom lip, the corners of her mouth. And Jongdae is kissing her in broad daylight, in front of the team, and she's smiling into the kiss, and she's kissing Jongdae back.

"And for the record," Jongdae says when she pulls away, breathless, "I really hate playing doubles."

Baekhyun snorts, cackles, yanks at Jongdae's pony tail because it's the next best thing to kissing Jongdae. She pinches Jongdae's nose, flicks at the tip and sticks out her tongue, left hand wrapped around her racket and right hand looped with Jongdae's own. The fit is something she'll have to get used to, but it isn't farfetched. If she was able to bring her sorry ass to team up with her rival turned friend turned something more, then anything is possible. Everything is possible. Worst case scenario, Jongdae will weasel her way into Baekhyun's game, mess with her mind, hold her hand until Baekhyun learns to fucking deal with it.

Baekhyun looks at the fit of their hands and laughs at herself. She never stood a chance.

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