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Today is the day.
Dan realized it was probably the most stressful day in Joo Jaekyung's career when he saw even the chillest of the coaches tapping their restless legs against the floor. It has been a while since he accompanied the team to a tournament. He can't mess up today. Again.
Ever since his return to Team Black, the last few months had been purely blissful while still keeping him on edge. Working with the team felt nice, and Yoon-gu was probably the happiest little puppy at the gym which helped in keeping things light hearted amid this taxing period.
As for things between Jaekyung and him, something had definitely shifted. He wasn't gullible. And he started noticing it from the moment he stepped back into the penthouse he promised he would never return to. As he saw his dear grandma's mother-of-pearl cupboard resting peacefully in the corner of the guest room, he knew something about him was different. The Jaekyung he met a year ago would probably never entertain this sort of nuisance.
“I’ll teach you how to swim.” That caught Dan off-guard a few weeks ago. He didn’t want Jaekyung spending his only rest day doing something he probably didn’t want to, adding to the guilt. Dan cannot deny he was quite amused at the sight of Jaekyung blushing. Were his eyes playing on him? Did he actually make him blush? And why was he shy all of a sudden?
He can’t help but think about when Jaekyung put his lips on him, sucking gently on his neck as he cradled his head. And as greedy as it sounds of him, he wanted more. It had been ages since Dan and Jaekyung were intimate when both of them were completely sober. It took everything in him to push him away. He could not let Jaekyung toy with his heartstrings again. It meant nothing to him, after all.
But thoughts keep him up at night. Why was Jaekyung suddenly so thoughtful? Why did he respect Dan’s space? What was his reason for spending all his days off with Dan – taking him shopping for stuff he never asked for, taking him for a hike and making sure he matched with Dan’s pace, cooking him home-cooked meals as he recovered – Dan was confused. A little part of him started blooming again. The same one he shut ages ago when Jaekyung decided to refuse his gift in possibly the most harrowing way.
Yet the most surprising part of it all? In all these months, Jaekyung never once asked for sex. He had declined every time Dan thought Jaekyung was proposing something intimate.
And the reason why Dan was on the ball today was because the usual jinx routine did not take place the night before. He wonders what is going on in Jaekyung’s mind. If he loses today, it will probably be because of him, he thinks. Why could his body not recover like a normal person? Or was it because Jaekyung didn’t find him attractive anymore?
"Spray?"
Dan is pulled out of his string of thoughts when Jaekyung calls out for him. He is sitting on the examination couch next to the wall as he puts his boxing gloves on. The commotion in the tiny room was no less than that of a fish market as the entire Team Black chattered among themselves.
“S-Sorry, I wasn’t listening,” Dan apologises. He walks closer to him with his duffle bag, filled with all the supplies he could fit in it. The bag did not once leave his sight the entire night. There was no way he was slacking today. Yet, here he was, absentmindedly ignoring what Jaekyung just said.
“Could you spray some ointment on my shoulder?” His voice was calm yet stern.
Dan’s mind goes back to that time. Before he knows, the panic is already on its way. He’s hyperventilating. “Dan?”
“Sorry, y-yes,” He quickly takes the bottle out, and sprays some of it on his forearm, looking for any sort of unforeseen reaction. Jaekyung lets out an amused huff. “I’m starting to think if you’re the one who has the match tonight or me.”
Dan stills. It takes a while for him to realise Jaekyung is joking. “Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. If you don’t, I’ll push you into that boxing ring.” Dan closes his eyes and lets out a light chuckle. “You’re fine. I trust you.”
Trust. He has said that a few times now. It is still kind of unsettling for him because it was because of this same trust that led to things going downhill for both of them. Jaekyung might trust him but Dan? He still isn’t quite there with himself. What if he accidentally hurts him again? Dan would never be able to forgive himself.
“Five minutes!” Coach Namwook announces. The team wishes him words of encouragement and luck as they step out of the room. Jaekyung prefers to spend the last few minutes before the match by himself, going over the strategies to win against the opponent in his mind. As Dan starts to pack up and leave the room, Jaekyung gently holds his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
“Help me stretch?”
Dan does a few quick movements, making sure his muscles and joints don’t feel stiff. He holds the shoulder, moving it around as he inspects for any changes in the muscle tone. “Are my hands warm enough, Mr. Joo?”
Jaekyung had mentioned on different occasions how he disliked having cold hands touching him. But after his return, it had become a running joke between the two. He would purposefully jolt whenever Dan touched him with his colder than usual hands, which ended with Dan pouting and Jaekyung laughing at his face.
“Quite warm, actually. The jacket is doing its work. Suits you.” Dan looks down at the Team Black jacket, zipped up to his neck. He has never been more thankful to it for hiding his blushing neck. Jaekyung made sure Dan got the jacket that had the text ‘Joo Jaekyung’ in bold letters written on its back.
The digital timer on the clock reads one minute and fifteen seconds. Dan does not even realize his hands are shaking until Jaekyung gently holds his hands and rubs at his knuckles. “Any last words before I go, Doc?”
Jaekyung’s lips curve upwards. He knows the reason behind this smile. All the hours that went into his rehab and recovery. All the hours that went into training. His official return to the championship as he will soon step into the ring.
There’s another reason that Dan is still blissfully unaware of. “Doc?”
Least to say, Dan is overwhelmed. His hands in his, Jaekyung looking up at him with that expression he can’t fully understand. And dare if he says the air in France. The next thing he does is already beyond his control. And even before he knows it, he frees his left hand to hold Jaekyung’s face as he leans down to leave a chaste kiss on his left cheek.
He quickly leans up and oh boy, Jaekyung’s eyes are ready to pop out of his sockets, He takes a big gulp, trying to process if Dan actually did kiss him. Jaekyung looks at Dan with something so unreadable in his eyes that brings Dan out of whatever spirit that possessed him.
“That title is yours, Mr. Joo. Go win it.”
Dan sprints out of the room before the embarrassment engulfs him whole. Jaekyung, on the other hand, is still trying to process what just happened. His fingers touch the cheek where Dan kissed him, pupils still blown as he lets out the most boyish grin, swinging his feet on the couch.
There is a harsh knock on the door before Coach Namwook slams it open. He catches Jaekyung out-of-his-character, confused. “You’re ten seconds past the timer, where is your damn head?!”
Jaekyung shakes his expression off and sprints out of the room into the arena. Roars and cheers fill his ears as the adrenaline starts rushing in his body. He’s winning it.
He’s winning it for Dan.