#frontmen

This is some art from my fic The Winners Take it All on AO3

It’s a post cannon fic where Gi-hun is the sole survivor of the 33th edition and the Frontman make a deal with him. Train under him as a future co-Frontman or he will kill his dear friend Young-il.

"Daddah help pwease!" - you're afraid to get off the slide on the jungle gym, and Daddah - aka - Nam-Gyu has to save you, while Thanos captures this family moment as a livestream for his fans. Only, Nam-Gyu is reminded , of one of the deadly games of the Squid Games… and has a panic attack when he looks down at the playground floor.

TW: Flashback, Anxiety, Panic Attack, Strong Language Kind of, Thanos x Nam-Gyu, Idiots in Love, Fear

The courage you had , just when Appa (Thanos) encouraged you to climb the jungle gym and slide down the slide all by yourself – because at almost 3 years old, you're a big girl and cool – and the daughter of the best rapper in all of Korea and you're cool, yeah… you believed Appa and ran as fast as you could with your flashing shoes (those sneakers that flash at the edges for kids when you walk or run) to the stairs whose steps would lead to the toddler slide.

You had to cross a small bridge. The structure was maybe five meters above the ground. Not high enough to be seriously injured in the event of a fall (there were enough safety elements on the sides of the slide) – and you had watched closely as the other children before you (before Appa's influence that you would be just as cool as him) played on the jungle gym and slid down the slide.

Now that you're standing in front of the slide and looking down, you're no longer sure…you don't want to slide anymore…it looks dangerous and not like fun.

Uncertainly, you take a few steps back, away from the beginning of the slide, and fear spreads through you.

"Appa! No slide!" - you call out to Thanos, who was sitting with Nam-Gyu on a nearby park bench, on his cell phone.

"You can do it! The legend Thanos believes in you, Princess!" - Thanos said, unimpressed, and just gave him a thumbs-up.

But this gesture and the words didn't make you brave at the moment…you didn't want this anymore. NO.

And so you shake your head tearfully and fall onto your backside, tears welling up in your eyes, and you look at Nam-Gyu. Daddah.

"Daddah! Help pwease!" - you call in Nam-Gyu's direction, and the club promoter sighs once, but then sets off to rescue you from the nasty slide…after trying to persuade you to give your fear a kick in the ass because…just like that.

But of course, that didn't work, and now Nam-Gyu is squeezing his way up the small staircase to lure you to him…or at least trying to.

"Okay - come here. Daddah´s here just come to me and i pick you up and you don´t have to go down the slide"

From your seated position, you watched as Nam-Gyu crouched down and held out both hands to you. A gesture that would normally have made you run towards him immediately.

Normally.

"Live of the Internet is your Legend Thanos - capturing this Moment of fucking Family Fluff - take a LOOK at that!"

Thanos's hushed voice and the announcement that he'd just casually created an Instagram livestream for his fans to share the totally sweet moment of you and Nam-Gyu with the world didn't bother either of you…well, you didn't break eye contact with Nam-Gyu and you're used to Appa sometimes speaking in that loud, chaotic Korean-English voice when he's making videos. Nam-Gyu just gave Thanos a nonverbal signal to stop the bullshit…but who was Thanos to listen to the words of his partner and the best club promoter in all of Seoul?

" Daddah…arm....up....up" - you whimper, raising your arms up… a sign that you're so scared you don't even dare to meet your Daddah a little… something that makes Nam-Gyu's heart break slightly.

"Okay, Daddah will come for you… and then your Appa Thanos will get a kick in the ass for that idea", - Nam-Gyu mutters, moving slowly forward. It's no problem for him to walk upright across the small bridge until… until he looks down.

And stands frozen, his gaze fixed downward.

His heart rate increases… panic rises within him as he looks down at the abyss, and reality and traumatic memories seem to merge before his eyes.

… the panicked screams of the other players echo muffled to him. One step too far to the right across that bridge and it would be over. Nam-Gyu had done well in the past games…despite the loss…he had struggled so fucking hard with Thanos being killed…in the men's restroom. It still hurt to think of the chaotic man who had made his heart race, and not just because of the drugs.

A loud gunshot behind him made Nam-Gyu flinch, and his right hand opened…the chain slipped from his hands and flew over the edge of the bridge.

"Fuck no!" - Nam-Gyu cursed when he realized what had happened and knelt down on the ground, his trembling hands gripping the edge, looking down into the abyss…he couldn't see the chain from up above, but it broke his heart again.

The chain was the last thing he had of Thanos. Once again, Nam-Gyu regretted never fully confessing his feelings to the rapper, but fuck…he clearly had feelings for Thanos. And now…now he had lost the chain…that…fuck…that was the end of him…he needed the chain…it…it was almost like a lucky charm…almost as if Thanos were still with him, saying…come on, my brother, together we'll win this shit and become famous and rich, yeah!

But Thanos was gone…the chain was lost and….Nam-Gyu had a panic attack at this renewed realization…why had Thanos taken it away from him? Why couldn't he just protect the last memento himself…now it was gone and….

"Player 124. Refusal to end the game will result in immediate disqualification!"

The Triangle guard's voice reached Nam-Gyu only muffled, as he stared up with pure fear in his eyes and…what was that? Had the guard just made a secret hand sign with his right glove that only Thanos and Nam-Gyu had invented on the first night of partying at the club…could…could this be a coincidence?

With shaky legs and a sniffle, Nam-Gyu stood up and continued the game.

The sweet win and the realization after winning the Squid Games this year , was, that Thanos not only survied and chilled in the VIP Lounge, but he also paid the Guard to give Nam-Gyu this sign....a push in the right direction to not give up and cross the Bridge safe and sound.....

But in this Moment Nam-Gyu felt like he was back in the Games ones more. He couldn´t breath, he coulnd´t think and he couldn´t comfort your sad crying.

As if in a trance and controlled by pure fear, Nam-Gyu sank to his knees in the middle of the small bridge, his gaze averted from you and also from the words of Thanos, who had now lowered his phone and paused the live stream. Nam-Gyu looked to his left. It was so high and so damn scary. Where was that chain? What was happening here? Was that the smell of blood and panic in the air?

Thanos seemed to realize what was happening to Nam-Gyu, and because Thanos knew exactly what to do, the legend simply climbed up the slide onto the climbing frame, lifted you up in his arms with a "shhh, it's okay, Princess, come on, let's comfort Daddah with a big hug" and then squeezed onto the bridge next to Nam-Gyu to pull him into a hug and thus bring him out of his memory.

"We never have to go back to this place again, Nam-Gyu. We have each other… our daughter, a ton of money, and the internet loves us… you're not alone anymore, bro, do you hear?" - Thanos whispered softly to Nam-Gyu, who was trembling and seeking protection in the hug – with you somehow in the middle of it.

It was strange for you to see your daddah like that… but a comforting hug makes almost everything better.

"Daddah no cry… Appa safed… good job Appa," you said, patting Nam-Gyu's black head of hair a few times.

"You heard me, Nam-Gyu, I saved you both… you're safe with me. Safe…" Thanos repeated the words like a magical spell until both you… and Nam-Gyu calmed down.

"I'm so stupid to cry about something like that…"

"Don't give me such bullshit, what happened at the Games was crazy. If the VIPs hadn't saved my sexy ass, I wouldn't have been able to save what finally gave me light and hope again."

"You mean the drugs?"

"I'm talking about you, you intelligent being."

"I…was your light of hope…you never mentioned that."

"Brooo, you never mentioned that a bridge scare you sooo.... like that would take you so much…on you yeah...."

"I lost the chain back then and thought I'd lost you forever."

"Oh Nam-Su" - Thanos deliberately used the wrong name to confuse his partner a little before giving him a quick, reassuring kiss.

"Kiss Kiss…too!" - - you say, giving your Daddah and then your Appa a toddler kiss on the cheek, then clapping your hands. As if nothing had happened and you're just happy to be in this embrace now.

"And now…let's go get pizza…or burgers. I could almost eat a club promoter and a princess - I'm THAT hungry!" Thanos emphasized, and after making sure Nam Gyu was safely on his feet, he grabbed his hand to pull him behind him, while he held you a little tighter with his other hand and the three of you walked up the stairs of the jungle gym.

Safe.

Something…that neither Thanos nor Nam Gyu could ravage. They had survived the Games and built a new life together.

And both men would be willing to fight to preserve it.

No matter what it will cost.

Bernadette

You are my liberty

I celebrate the day