Winter Hearts

Eye on the Ball

Leo continued.

"I don't think she knows it was me. She might think it was Ken. Or you."

Hongbin felt relieved that his initial estimation of Siana was true. 

He realised that she would likely think it was Ken from his behaviour when he met her. It dawned on him that Leo might be jealous of Ken too, as well as relieved that he was not the only suspect.

Hongbin looked at his hyung. There were many more levels to his predicament than Hongbin had realised.

"Hyung, Ken might come on strong, but he'a always playing, you know that."

Leo nodded, looking unconvinced.

"Think of it from her point of view. Would she be more comfortable with me, or with Ken?"

Hongbin looked at Siana again. She was laughing with the boys, avoiding their tickles and rough-housing. She looked carefree and happy. Then he looked at Leo and saw the true colours of his worries. 

Leo didn't feel he could give her that, and had ended up proving the same. Of all things, he wasn't carefree and silly like Ken, or her cousins. Well, at least not to her.

"Hyung, you got off on the wrong foot. You're the real baby of the group, everybody knows that." 

Leo looked at him disparagingly, making him laugh.

"Crabby ahjussi on the outside, gooey pudding on the inside." Hongbin batted his eyes at Leo.

They were interrupted by Panos, who shouted for them to come play. Yanni and his brother waved as they went off together, done for the day. Leo steeled himself with a deep breath as he stood up, and Hongbin patted him on the back, chatting idly about being out of practise. They approached the courts and split into two groups, Leo and Panos on one team and Siana and Hongbin on another.

They were surprised to find Siana and Panos didn't pull their punches, they went all out to score and were quite competitive with each other. Leo liked that. He didn't like holding back when it came to games. There was no purpose to sports for him unless it was to do his best.

Random play that wasn't for a warmup bored him - which explained his predilection for team games. Achieving something based on teamwork and collaboration was a feat that couldn't be matched by the display of pure physical prowess or speed in solo sports. Being able to use his physical talents for the benefit of others and as a team, suited him very much as he knew when to lead and when to support. He enjoyed being able to depend on his team too, knowing that they rose or fell as one. Perhaps it was a need to shine without having to bear total responsibility for the outcome that comforted him. Perhaps it was knowing that people had his back. Perhaps it was just a love of the game.

He found being in an idol group was very similar. 

Each member contributed something that the others couldn't, whether it be from ability or even from personality or character. The dynamics of the group were very important, and he couldn't imagine Vixx working with even a single member less. 

He wondered how other groups who had replaced or lost members adjusted to their new situation. They must have come to view it as more of a business arrangement. Just work. 

He felt that if Vixx couldn't continue as one, then it wouldn't be Vixx anymore.

He knew Hongbin was a better and more fluid player than he was, but he and Panos had height on their side, as long as they didn't lose the ball to the other team during an offense. He had seen a little of what Siana and Panos could do, but he was unfamiliar with them and didn't want to underestimate their abilities.

He played hard, him and Panos gaining a lead right from the beginning. Leo was behind Panos when he saw Hongbin tying to smile at Siana for encouragement, but she was already staring down Panos as she went for the ball. The determination in her eyes was real, and he could see Panos steeling himself to go for it too. He tried to lay up a shot, but Siana was keeping a tight defense, so he turned to pass to Leo, who was ready to receive the ball.

As he did so, she shadowed the ball, intending to follow it as it went to Leo, because Hongbin was still on the other side of her, too far away to defend. Panos, who had not realised that Leo was too far to his left, had turned right, and had to overcompensate to make sure the ball went to Leo. He lost his balance, and took a long step to keep his footing.

Siana went flying over his suddenly outstretched leg, tripping over it and falling headlong into Leo's outstretched arms. She tried to twist out of the way at the last moment, but before they knew it, she had slammed into him, the ball bouncing away.

Leo, whose eye was on the ball, didn't realise the force with which she hit him, and couldn't brace himself fast enough. As they fell sideways, he wrapped his arms around her tight and twisted so that he would take the full force of the impact as they hit the ground.

Time seemed to draw out in a long moment as he felt the air rush past his ears and the ground seemingly coming up to body slam him. She fell bodily on him, her ponytail whipping against his face and neck.

He groaned, winded so hard he saw stars. 

The air left his lungs and seemed to create a vacuum in there, making it hard for him to take a new breath. Thankfully she didn't crack her head against his, but she might as well have, as the jolt from impact seemed to rattle his brain.

As the dust settled, he dimly saw Hongbin and Panos come up to them in a rush and look down in concern. He could hear them asking them if they were alright, but he couldn't quite make out the words.

He blinked his eyes, trying to get them into focus. By the time his vision cleared, he could see Hongbin stifling a smirk, and Panos looking down at Siana with mock disdain.

He realised he still had his arms tightly clasped around Siana's arms and waist, and she was lying right on top of him on her side, her head cradled in his chest. He released her, and she slid off onto her back, trapping his arm under her neck.

He heard Hongbin tut-tutting as Panos said in a ruminative tone, "That looks like a foul, in my opinion. For shame, Siana."

"Excessive blocking and severe contact. I didn't think you would resort to that, hyung," Hongbin muttered in Korean, shaking his head.

Leo looked down at Siana lying along the length of the side of his body, whose face was flushed as she opened her eyes. She twisted out of his half-embrace, lifting her head up to look at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.