Beyond the Sky

"Oh, he's fine. Don't mind him!" Gi-hun chimed in with a sunny smile after swallowing past his food. "He's always so clumsy. You should see him at home." Patting him on the hand, Gi-hun raised a brow at him. "Isn't that right, jagiya?"

"Uh-huh." In-ho gritted his teeth, massaging his knee with his free hand. "Clumsy me."

The waitress glanced between them, then gave a nervous chuckle.

"Well, if you don't need anything else…" She trailed off, uncertain.

"We'll actually take the check now," Gi-hun said, staring pointedly at In-ho.

Sighing, he nodded in agreement, and the waitress didn't waste any time escaping.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Gi-hun laid into him.

"Lying to me about being in the killer kids games at all is not quite the same as assuming a fake identity in order to get close to me, lying about leading the killer kids games on top of everything else, and then killing my best friend!" Gi-hun whisper-shrieked. "Don't you think?!"

And because In-ho was apparently a glutton for punishment, he pouted at Gi-hun.

"I thought you said I was your best friend." That earned him a pinch on the hand. "Ow!"

"I could just strangle you!"

"By all means," In-ho challenged, "do it then."

"No, I take it back. You sound way too excited." Shaking his head, Gi-hun rolled his eyes with an almost fond quirk to his lips. "I should have known."

Wait. What?

"What's that supposed to mean?" he sputtered.

"Heh, don't act coy." Gi-hun snorted. "If you're anything like the In-ho I know, then you've been known to get more than a little excited when I hurt you."

In spite of himself, heat rushed to In-ho's face, but of course there was no hiding it from the man across from him.

Taking a sip of his drink, he hummed in delight. "Actually, now that I think about it, I hope that my In-ho manages to somehow win your Gi-hun over while we sort all this out. I know from experience that he would show him a good time."

It was almost unnerving how quickly Gi-hun picked apart his reactions at times. A single glance at his face was seemingly all he needed in order to know what he was thinking. No matter how hard In-ho tried to conceal his emotions behind a neutral expression, Gi-hun dug them out to the surface with a brutal efficiency.

"Jealous?" he taunted, resting his chin in his hands. "And of yourself, no less? How adorable."

In-ho smirked. "'How pathetic,' you mean."

Gi-hun shrugged.

"Your words, not mine. Point being is that you don't have to worry. He'll take very good care of him, I'm sure."

He wanted to dangle that possibility over In-ho? Fine.

Two can play at that game.

With Gi-hun's long legs stretched out underneath the table, In-ho didn't have to move far.

Gi-hun's eyes widened when he felt In-ho press his ankle against his, slowly teasing his foot up and down along his calf while he spoke.

"And who will take care of you in the meantime?"

In-ho leaned in, his head cocked to the side. Because to this Gi-hun, In-ho's reality was but a far, distant dream. He was untouched by the games and will continue to be. So much of his struggles were all but wiped away by In-ho's support and his winnings, and that colored his perspective. It made him more impulsive, more like the Gi-hun In-ho had only read about in his file, the one before the games, only… happier.

In part because of him.

In-ho could use that to his advantage.

If ever they became certain his Gi-hun wasn't coming back, then he could forge a future with this one instead.

All that mattered to In-ho at that point was that he was alive and well.

Now, he just had to play his cards right.

Ducking his head, he decided to bring a little bit of Young-il to the surface, turn up the charm, if only for a moment. To gauge Gi-hun's reaction.

He was good at detecting more blatant lies from In-ho, but sprinkle in a dash of the truth, and where did that leave him?

"I know that I can't possibly make up for all of the ways I've wronged you here," he stated, looking up at him from underneath his eyelashes, "but I am trying to atone for my actions in the only way I know how. Until we figure things out, I am yours in whatever way you need me, Gi-hun, and I assure you." Parting his lips, he lowered his voice into a husky whisper. "I am just as capable of taking care of you and your needs as your In-ho is."

Taken aback, Gi-hun gaped at him, his gaze flitting down towards In-ho's lips for a split second before snapping back up to meet his eyes, caught in the act.

Gotcha.

Snapping himself out of his daze, Gi-hun jumped up to his feet.

"Nope!" He barely managed to catch his chair before it toppled onto the floor, righting it as he rambled on. "Nope, nope, nope. That is trouble. You—" Eyes narrowed, Gi-hun pointed at him, ignoring any attention he was drawing to himself. "You are trouble, and you definitely haven't earned that privilege. At all!"

In-ho fought back a smirk. "'Privilege'?"

"Damn right. I know my worth. I know what I said," he huffed. In record time, Gi-hun patted himself down, found his pack of cigarettes, then held his hand out to In-ho expectedly. "Give me your lighter."

"Anything for you."

"Stop that," he scolded. "You're being weird."

"I'm being nice," In-ho corrected, pulling out his lighter as he was told. Of course, as he handed it over, he couldn't resist teasing him some more, grazing his fingers along the inside of Gi-hun's wrist. "And the offer is always open."

"Yet my legs remain closed," Gi-hun said, cold as ice. "Settle the bill. I'll see you outside."

"Yes, sir," In-ho answered, admiring the curve of his ass as he stormed off towards the exit.