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It happens all the time.
He’s always there when it happens.
His ‘lucky charm’ in the form of his best friend being there when they were still in school and Sungchan was just trying out for the team and was nervous to the bone. He was there in the bleachers cheering him on even if it was cold outside and the tryouts lasted for at least two hours.
He was there when he got into the team, he was there when Sungchan needed extra support for his first game. He was there to hug him when he won and when he lost. He was there when his house won the cup and hugged him so tight telling him how proud he was, Sungchan almost forgot what he had even won.
Shotaro took his role as his lucky charm very seriously. He never failed to dress up for games and outscream everyone in his support. Even though Shotaro was a Hufflepuff and Sungchan a Ravenclaw.
But most importantly he was there even after they finished school.
He was there when Sungchan was scouted for the Montrose Magpies at nineteen and cheered him on just the same as when they were twelve.
And at the end of it all he’s still here when a twenty one year old Sungchan is pacing around their tent waiting for the semi finals to start. The bleachers are getting filled up with people in black and white to support Sungchan and others in bright flashing orange for the Chudley Cannons.
He’s never gotten this far and if he somehow messes up, doesn’t score enough points or even worse, gets hurt (which is a high possibility at this stage) and can’t even play anymore he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He’s done so much and it would be a shame if they didn’t pass to the finals. It’s been one of his dreams for years now.
“Chan will you stop that I’m going to get motion sickness.”
He stops and turns around to see his best friend, the best person in the world he should say.
“Sorry I’m just so nervous I think I might throw up.”
Shotaro makes a face and comes close to Sungchan to take his hands, “Then let’s do some breathing exercises.”
He starts breathing in slowly and exhaling the same. Sungchan tries to copy it while looking at his eyes.
He feels his heartbeat calm down and he wills himself to get it together. It’s just the semi finals he’ll be fine.
“See? Everything’s going to be okay.”, somehow Sungchan believes it more when it comes from Shotaro than himself.
“Match is starting in two minutes, let's go!”
Sungchan looks back at the announcer and then back at Shotaro who keeps smiling reassuringly at him.
“You’re going to do amazing, I know it.”
“I still require my good luck hug.”
Shotaro rolls his eyes but still opens his arms wide and lets himself be engulfed by Sungchan who takes the warmth in and is washed over by calm almost instantly.
“Sungchan, come on!”
They break from the hug and Sungchan grabs his broom as Shotaro waves enthusiastically and wishes him good luck one more time.
When Sungchan flies out into the pitch he’s met with hundreds of bright lights and no amount of time can make him used to them. His team does the choreographed intro with Sungchan performing a sloth grip roll into a starfish and stick. The motions practiced so many times he can do them in his sleep, the least of his worries really.
What gets him sweating is when the intros are done, everyone is back on the ground and the referee approaches the case with all the balls releasing them one by one.
Snitch first, he doesn’t even bother to look where it went. Bludgers next, he hopes his beaters will keep them as far away from him as possible.
Lastly the quaffle, the referee throws it in the air and Sungchan feels his legs tingle. At the sound of the whistle he’s already in the air blocking the enemy from getting to his teammate who is flying through the sky like a hot knife in butter.
He feels the person next to him try to push him away but Sungchan knows there’s probably a bludger nearby so he sharply moves up and away from him as he sees the bludger miss the person by half a broom.
He promised Shotaro he’d come back every game without a scratch and he did break that promise a few times. Quidditch at this point is more dangerous than in school and is very unpredictable. He’s got encounters with bludgers a few times but his coach told him it’s almost like an initiation to get hit by one so he isn’t fazed.
The crowd cheers and Sungchan looks over to see his team scored a point and sighs in relief as they at least have a small upper hand.
The Quaffle is thrown back into the game and Sungchan makes a move for it. He’s met with another Cannon player on his side, he knows if he catches the quaffle he’s just going to get pushed aside, so as soon as he sees the quaffle near enough he does a Finbourgh Flick with his broomstick and sends it to the farthest hoop. The quaffle flies out and the keeper mistakenly thinks Sungchan was aiming at the nearest hoop, flying out the way, the quaffle goes into one of the hoops and Sungchan feels relief all over as he just helped his team get even more ahead.
He closes his eyes and thinks about Shotaro and how proud he wants to make him.
The first thing Sungchan does after his teammate catches the snitch, the teams congratulate each other and their coach gives them the nice job, is find Shotaro patiently waiting for him where he left him. His teammates are around him celebrating the win but all Sungchan can think about is how happy he is to see Shotaro happy.
Sungchan nearly runs to him and hugs the boy so tight, lifting him up like he was the cup itself.
“I told you that you would be amazing!”
He sets Shotaro down and looks at him with a stupid smile on his face.
“Taro.”
“Yeah?”
“We made it to the finals.”, Shotaro smiles bright.
We because this is as much as Shotaro’s win as it is Sungchan’s. He might have not sat on a broom or score points, but the mental support Sungchan got just from his presence made him want to do his best. And he did. They’re going to finals and he’s only one more game away from his dream coming true.
Well, one of them at least.
His dream of winning the cup and him taking Shotaro out somewhere and not call it a friendly hang out but a date have the same position.
If you’d ask him when he realized his feelings he really wouldn’t know what to tell you, maybe it was when Shotaro hugged him after his first loss and made him feel like he still won. Maybe it was when he tried out for the Magpies and took Sungchan to celebrate when he got in, all his favorite dishes there with a movie playing in the background. None of them were watching it, too busy being caught up in each other to notice or pay attention to anything that wasn’t the other's voice. Maybe it was before all that, it doesn’t matter anyways. He knows how he feels now and can only hope Shotaro feels the same.
Now his teammates say he’s blind and his family has already asked him multiple times when is Shotaro coming to visit as his boyfriend but Sungchan isn’t stupid. He knows there’s something between them. He feels it every time they hug, every time they hang out alone and it gets quiet but never uncomfortable. He feels it when he comes back from a game and Shotaro never fails to be there.
Just like this time. Shotaro is there to celebrate with him at Sungchan’s house with takeout and some reality show playing where Shotaro is making them focus their attention on because Shotaro knows how he feels about finals which are in less than a week, he knows Sungchan might start overthinking so he just makes himself comfortable next to Sungchan, plays with his hand and makes comments about all the things he finds annoying in the show.
Sungchan blinks and he’s already in his robes and waiting for another call to come for them to line up. This time he has no energy or is in the state of mind to pace around, simply sitting down on the bench tuning his teammates out and focusing on a single voice.
“You’re going to be fine just like you have been so far.”
“It’s finals though, we’re against the Ballycastle Bats! Taro they won more than twenty seven times!”
“And you’ve won many games yourself, stop beating yourself up. You’ve done nothing but improve and I truly believe you can’t lose this.”
“How can you be so sure? I know I call you my lucky charm but that was before the finals hit.”
Shotaro frowns and before Sungchan can say anything else Shotaro is already sitting down with his arms crossed.
“Are you doubting my abilities, Jeong Sungchan?”
Sungchan sighs, “I don’t know what kind of hug you could give me right now that would calm me down Taro.”
“I could give you more.”
Sungchan feels himself come to a pause. His cheeks are probably red, guessing from the warmth.
“Who said it had to be a hug?”
Sungchan is stunned into place, what is he implying?
“Are you seriously doing this now? It’s finals, my teammates are around, it’s finals and did I mention it’s finals?”
Shotaro just rolls his eyes, “Your teammates thought we were dating when they first saw me cheer you on. I don’t think they’re a problem. And yeah, it’s finals, what better time is there?”
“A time where I’m not emotionally a wreck and on the verge of a nervous breakdown?”
“And a good luck kiss should fix that up for you!”
Sungchan gulps down the fear and asks,“Where?”
“Chan you know where. It’s not the first time either of us have thought it.”
“Yeah but it would be the first time actually doing it!”, at this point Sungchan is just a mess of limbs as he tries to make sense of what is going on.
“Chan calm down.”, Shotaro grabs his wrists and starts breathing slowly again, “You’re going to go out there, win this game, get that cup you’ve always wanted and I will be waiting here like I always am ready to say congrats.”
“I don’t think my nerves are going to let me.”
Before he can even blink Shotaro is closing the distance and gives Sungchan a quick peck. All of his previous thoughts completely vanish and are plagued by that split second.
“Did you just-”
“Kiss you because you were spiraling again? Yes.”
Sungchan feels the firecracker like tingle it left behind, craving more he leans back in and slots their lips again, this time longer than a peck. He leaves multiple small kisses as if afraid he’s going to feel his heart stop beating because Shotaro squeezed it too hard. When Shotaro pulls back he realizes there’s a voice behind him shouting there’s only five minutes left and all of his fears come back to him.
Shotaro seems to notice as he gives him another peck and another and another until Sungchan is smiling into the kisses.
“You’ll be fine Chan, I promise. My lucky charm magic is working hard right now. Just focus on the game and we’ll talk later.”
Sungchan smiles in agreement and hugs Shotaro one last time. He almost doesn’t let go if it wasn’t for Shotaro himself shooing him away to actually go play the game.
When Sungchan comes back with a cup in his hands, he is still there, just like he’s always been and always will be.