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Dan whipped back around hearing a loud thud. Dan slowly stepped forward. “Sir?” his voice barely worked as he rounded the corner.
He dropped his bag and cake as he ran the short distance to the unconscious Jaekyung on the floor. “Sir!? Jaekyung! Wake up!” he shook him to get a response. He got nothing. Dan took his phone and called Namwook who was waiting for him in the parking area. “I need your help! It’s Jaekyung! He passed out on the floor!” he got a quick response and hung up.
Dan checked his pulse; it was slowly than it should be, but not truly alarming though. Looking at his hands, he tuned his hand over. His fingers were pruned. He looked at his face, his lips were dry and cracking, eyes sunken in. “Dehydration?” Mr. Joo was normally very good at keeping his fluid intake up. It made no sense.
The darkness around his eyes too. sleep deprivation. It was worse than he ever seen it. there was redness there too. eczema, allergies, blepharitis, dry eye, or environmental irritants? He never had any of those issues before.
The door opened suddenly, Namwook using his emergency card Jaekyung gave him years ago. “Dan?!”
“Around the corner.” Namwook hurried to the sound. “He is still out completely.” Namwook rounded the corner seeing them. “He is badly dehydrated.” Namwook kneeled down, taking Jaekyung’s hand in his hand.
“Jaekyung. I didn’t know your mental state was this bad. I thought after he woke up, you would snap out of it.” he said more to himself as he got on his phone. “Hello. Yes, emergency. Penthouse. Full work up.” Dan watched him but looked back at Jaekyung, who didn’t look any better.
Namwook took one of Jaekyung’s arms and worked him into a fireman carry. “I’m getting too old for this.” He grunted getting to his feet. “He has lost weight. Damnit Jaekyung! What the hell!” Namwook walked carefully to the back bedroom where there was more room.
Namwook transported him to the bed and it took everything he had to do it. “shouldn’t we take him to a hospital?”
“The doctor can do everything the hospital will do and faster. If he insists then yes.” Namwook sat down on the bed by him. “Did I push him too hard?” Namwook looked close to tears. “I saw his condition. He didn’t even want to go to that match. He looked like death and he was seriously close to losing it.”
“He . . . didn’t want to go to the match?” dan said like someone said two plus two equals green.
“Yeah. he didn’t leave the hospital or the E.R. waiting area the whole night. We tried but he refused.” Namwook looked at dan. “He was losing it. I never seen him like that before. He was covered in your blood, saying how he should have killed that doctor when he had the chance at the restaurant. I didn’t understand.” He remembered how haunted and stuck in his head Jaekyung was. They had to help him out of the chair to get to the cage. He wasn’t in the right state of mind. He never should have made Jaekyung fight in that condition. Junmin would be in jail anyways and king gym fighters would be wiped from the record. It was pointless to put him through that.
Dan looked at nothing when he responded. “I do.” Namwook titled his head. “We stopped at the restaurant. I forget which one. He had a great view. We were having a good time but he was looking at something and when I turned to look.” Dan paled a light. “It was the doctor. He was my superior at my hospital job. He was always sexually harassing me . . . asking or demanding my price for a night.” Namwook looked like he wanted the doctor dead more than before. “I dropped my drink and excused myself for a minute. When I came back Jaekyung was seconds from hitting him. I don’t know what the warden said to him but Jaekyung was really mad.”
Dan held his arm in a self-soothing gesture. “When we got back, he wanted to know how I knew him. It was hard but I told him about how he tried to attack me, how no hospital would look at my resume after I was fired the same night.”
“Wait. You say attack?” Namwook said despite knowing that the answer likely was but he had to make sure.
“Of a sexual nature. He tried to force me over a desk.” Dan shut his eyes hard to block out the memory. “If that nurse didn’t come in. . . . I don’t know if I could have fought him off. He was heavier then; I was in a stress position. I doubted he would have a change of heart.”
“Bastard.” One simple word summed him up perfectly.
A knocking filled the air and Dan went to get it, like he needed a break from this conversation. He didn’t run but hurried to the door but checked the system before opening it. the white coat startled him but it wasn’t the old warden. He took a breath and opened the door.
He looked surprised but delighted. “Ah! The little looker.” Dan titled his head, confused. “Yeah, I guess you won’t know.” Dan although confused, decided that could wait.
“He is in the bedroom. He looks badly Dehydration and looked like he hadn’t slept in a week.”
“Yes. Yes. Business first.” The doctor nodded and came in. with a quick flip off of his shoes, he headed to the master bedroom. Dan figured he been here enough to know the layout. He closed the door and followed after kicked off his shoes too.
Dan came back to the room seeing Namwook and the doctor lifting Jaekyung to remove the heavy coat. The coat was tossed to the floor behind them, dan took it to the walk-in closet knowing how Jaekyung hated clutter.
He placed it with the other winter gear. He noticed that all his coats were heavy duty. (it’s freezing out here.) (Not a fan on ice therapies.) Dan realized he hated the cold. He radiated heat but didn’t retain it seems.
Dan shook his head and went back to the bedroom. They had a i.V. setup already started. One looked like saline and one banana bag. Dan looked at it. he needed that? that tended to be used for Heavy alcohol consumption, Severe Malnutrition, Electrolyte Imbalances, or Extreme Dehydration. Was he extremely dehydrated? Or did he need more do to being an extreme athlete.
“I can tell you by look he hadn’t slept in a long while. Not even cat naps, I doubt he was eating anywhere near enough, and I can smell the red wine. That will dehydrate you faster.”
“You turd. When did you start drinking?”
Dan decided to answer the question if it helped Jaekyung get better faster. “Pass couple of weeks before I went to the hospital, then off and on since I came back that I know of.” Namwook looked at Dan when he said that and then back at Jaekyung.
“You went to the hospital?” the doctor asked and Dan felt embarrassment when he nodded. “Was he too rough on you?” Dan felt his face heat up.
He asked that in front of Namwook? Why did he do that?!
“He got attacked on the orders of Jaekyung’s last opponent.” Namwook said keeping his eyes on Jaekyung.
“Attacked?! Oh dear. Such bad sportsmanship. But why him?” the doctor jerked his head towards dan.
“They wanted to mental distract Jaekyung. It backfired. Jaekyung almost killed him in the ring in record time.” Namwook answered as he brushed the hair out of Jaekyung’s face. His fatherly side showing again.
The doctor shook his head. “The evils people do to get ahead.” The doctor put a couple of vitamin shots through his i.v. line. “There. that should perk him up. Rest is most important right now.
“Okay. I can hire a nurse to watch him.” Namwook took out his phone.
“Um . . . I can do it.” dan offered before Namwook told him phone what to look up.
Namwook looked at dan softly. “You are still recovering.”
“He got me to the hospital in time to save me. The least I can do if get him back on his feet.” Namwook opened his mouth, then closed it. he could see dan’s point. He wasn’t going to win. No wonder Jaekyung listened to him half the time. The calm logic was hard to fight.
“Okay doc dan. Just call if there is an issue and don’t hurt yourself.” Dan nodded.
“it’s decided then. I’ll stay until the I.V. is done.” The doctor said looking at his phone.
X)(X
The doctor finished his tea and broke down his equipment. “He should sleep through the night and some of the morning. Try to get him to eat and drink something. Preferable not wine.” Dan nodded as the doctor stepped out of the penthouse door. “You have my number now. call if you have questions or concerns.” Dan slowly closed it with a click and locked it.
He looked down at the piece of cake that Jaekyung got him. A little messed up from the drop but still perfectly edible. He wasn’t hungry right now though. So, he picked it up and went to place it in the fridge. He took off his coat and draped it over the kitchen stool for now as he headed back to the bedroom.
He never seen Jaekyung look . . . so small before. He was still huge but just felt small. Slowly and quietly, he came over to the side of the bed and sat down. He took hold of his hand and held it. “You didn’t leave the hospital. You didn’t do the jinx and you still won.” Part of him was happy but a small part felt himself rather useless. Like he wasn’t needed for the wins, then what good was he? He hated feeling useless.
Jaekyung groaned in his sleep. Not waking but trapped in a nightmare. Dan took a moment to understand before stroking Jaekyung’s cheek in order to calm him. “You are okay, it’s just a dream.” The soft touch caused Jaekyung to reach out and Dan found himself against Jaekyung’s chest. Laying on his good side with Jaekyung’s arms around him back and shoulders. “Okay. Just watch the injury.” Seeing he wasn’t pulling tighter, dan relaxed. “If this makes you feel better.”
Jaekyung seemed to calm but his grip never loosened. Despite it being early afternoon, dan decided a nap wouldn’t hurt. He was still recovering after all.
***
Dan woke to a darked room; the sun had set a while ago it seemed. They also shifted positions too. Dan was on his back and Jaekyung was using his shoulder like a pillow with one of his legs over one of his. Dan looked at his face. He looked so worn down but the doctor didn’t say he was sick. Namwook seemed to think it was mental.
He seen him sick once. It was similar but different. He looked . . . done. Just done. A feeling Dan understood too well. Then he would get up and do it all over again. (I saw his condition. He didn’t even want to go to that match. He looked like death and he was seriously close to losing it.) (if something did happen, would he truly care?)
The answer to his question then was yes. His condition was because he got hurt, almost killed.
It didn’t seem possible. It was just guilt . . . right?
Right?
***
Dan woke up again. he didn’t remember falling asleep. It was still dark outside and Jaekyung wasn’t next to him. He almost panicked when he heard the bathroom door open. Unsure why, but dan closed his eyes like he was still asleep. He laid still, waiting for the next thing to happened.
The bed dipped down and a blanket was thrown over him before arms carefully held him close. “I don’t want you to go . . . but I can’t ask you to stay. You got hurt so much this last year because of me. Some by my own hand, some by association. This last one almost killed you.”
Dan opened his eyes and he felt Jaekyung jerk in surprise. “The Ex-warden blamed me reporting him for his loss of his job, and reputation . . . a year later.” Dan took a breath at the ridiculousness of that. “He was given the opportunity by Junmin. But I think if he saw me alone somewhere, he could try to kill me with a brick or a rock. Anything really.” Dan reached up and smoothed the skin under his eye with his thumb gently. “He almost killed me yes but you saved me again. you got me to the hospital in time. The police know who he is and are searching for him. It’s only a matter of time before he is caught.”
Jaekyung didn’t say anything but leaned into Dan’s hand just a little before taking hold of it and kissed his palm. Dan felt his cheeks get warm. He never done that before. “I think we need to have a long talk. About everything.” Jaekyung said pressed that palm into his cheek.
“Okay.” Dan responded softly.
***
“So why was I banned from the gym?”
Jaekyung looked ashamed again for the hundredth time this conversation. “I . . . get jealous of the attention the other guys show you. I can’t stand it. never could.”
Dan shook his head. “They don’t like me like that.” Dan was a hundred percent sure on that fact.
“I know that here.” He pointed to his temple. “But I was only starting to understand what I was feeling at the time and I couldn’t take it. seeing them around you like that.” he felt like a child explaining all this.
The sound of a growling stomach was deafening and Jaekyung never felt so embarrassed. “When was the last time you ate something?” Dan asked rather concerned.
Jaekyung tried to think. This was Friday, right? “Noon-ish Wednesday.” He almost said it like a question more than a statement.
“What did you have?” what did he have? No idea. Something quick probably. Seeing the look on Jaekyung’s face, Dan had a sad looking smile on his. “Let us both eat something.” Jaekyung agreed. suddenly hungry for the first time in days.
***
Dan cooked something easy since he was still in recovery. Beef and mushroom rice porridge and streamed eggs with ginseng tea with honey and a glass of ice-cold water. For once they ate at the kitchen isle instead at the dining table. “You almost fell from there.” Jaekyung pointed above the dining table. “You were sleepwalking. This is when I found out the sleepwalking wasn’t alcohol related at all.”
“You mean I almost went over the railing?” Dan asked partly in disbelief.
“Yes. I woke up after a realistic dream and you weren’t in bed or the bathroom. I barely got hold of your arm and pulled you back over. How you didn’t get bruised from that . . . I don’t know.” Dan seemed to be calculating the fall and now liking the result. “It was my fault.” Dan looked at him confused. “It was the day I lost my tempter when Changmin was all over you and I had a temper tantum in the treatment room. I was yelling at myself later for losing it. I am so use to just letting it out and that’s not right to do.”
“that’s the second time Changmin was the catalysis.” The first time they had sex in the showers of the gym. He also knocked Jaekyung in the face and he was almost happy about getting knocked. “What is it about him?”
Dan had a point. Changmin was a flirt like Heesung. Plus . . . he was one of the good-looking ones in the gym. What if he was dan’s type? What if his personality clicks with him? “He reminds me of Heesung. He was known for having his fun, getting bored, and dumping them harshly. He broke up couples to date one of them and do the same thing. I’m an asshole but that’s something I don’t understand.”
“Him and Yoon-gu seem to be going strong.”
“Those two are dating?” Jaekyung asked slowly like he was speaking an unknown language.
“You don’t know?” even he knew and he was blind to this kind of thing.
Jaekyung thought about it. the trip to the seaside town, the gym visit after hours. “Holy shit. Those two are dating.” It wasn’t a question but He still was having a hard time getting his head around it. “This is the longest relationship Heesung ever had.” He still couldn’t get his head around it. “I don’t think to think about this.” The idea was giving him a headache. “Ask me something else.” He needed something to stop thinking about it.
Dan had one question but it might open a can of worms. “When did your feelings change?”
There was the question he still couldn’t answer. When they changed and went, he recognized it was two different things. “I . . . not sure. I . . .” he told a moment to collect his thoughts. “When I understood and when I felt it are two different things. The closest thing I had to compare it to was when I was six to sixteen and thought about being with my mother instead.” He looked at the food still on his plate. “But I was in love with the idea of a parent that loved me. The closest I got was my director’s mother that feed me, treated my wounds, taught me to read, and looked at me like I was something precious.” He was never going to call or think of Dan as a crybaby again because he wanted to cry now. “I lost her when I was ten. Old age. Peaceful in her sleep.” He didn’t cry then. He father would hit him more if it looked like he cried at all.
Dan finished his eggs before asking another question. “It was you, holding my hand in the hospital, apologizing over and over again . . . wasn’t it?” it was a question, a question he was sure the answer of.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you see me when I was awake?”
Jaekyung sighed a little. “The nurse had I was hampering recovery.”
Dan blinked in surprise. “She actually said that? that wasn’t very nice. Unless you were covering my mouth and nose or pulling out tubes. I don’t see how that’s true.” He watched Jaekyung’s eyes go dark as he recounted what happened before he was asked to leave the room. “Okay. I think I get it. I forget sometimes how big you are. I see it all the time so it’s become normal to me. But other people see you and think you are scary. Especially if you get a little excited like that. still not right though.” Dan sipped his tea. “You were scary at one time. It’s not the same now.” dan looked into his tea cup as his mind wandered. Who he met the first time to now felt like two different people.
Dan got up and got two forks with the cake from the fridge. “It got a little messed up but it’s still fine.” He opened the container and place of fork in front of him. “I bought a cake to celebrate your future victory. I wanted to share a piece with you and have a happy memory. But that happened.” Phantom pain kicked up on the side of his stomach over his scar was. He knew it wasn’t real but the mind was a powerful thing.
“And I bought one to celebrate your birthday. I had other things too but I dropped them instantly.” His mind replayed the site of dan laying in his own blood. How pale and cold he was. How the first thing he care about was being a burden to him and not being able to help with the jinx.
The jinx that wasn’t even real. He didn’t need it.
“I was going to make dinner and I got you a book from the same author you just finished reading.” Both of them took a small bite of cake as they thought about all this.
“I was going to apologize about when I snapped at you that night. You didn’t deserve that. I hated how that bastard just told the cameras about my past. I hate being reminded of it. I hate being reminded of the three feet of trash, dirty needles, dried blood on the floor. it’s interesting how he knew about my mother leaving but didn’t mention my father at all. I never told him about my mother. I never talked about it. even Ex-coach didn’t know she rejected me.”
“Rejected?” Dan whispered out not meaning to. He couldn’t understand how a parent rejects their child. Granted he never had one. He could see not being able to take care of him or something like that but just straight-out rejecting you child was something he couldn’t understand.
“Yeah. Told me to never call her number again and let’s go our separate ways.” Talking about this didn’t hurt like it used to. Compared to almost losing Dan, it wasn’t in the same ballpark. It barely hit anymore. “I would have killed for what you and your grandma have. Instead, I was left with my abusive, alcoholic, druggie, father.” He picked a strawberry off the top of the cake and chewed slowly.
The cake was polished off, along with the rest of the food. Dan mentioned laying back down after eating wasn’t good for the body, so Jaekyung suggested a movie instead. Dan rarely watched movies but wasn’t against them. “Is there something you want to see?” Jaekyung asked.
“No. just pick something.” He was more of a K-drama kind of guy but he could watch anything.
Jaekyung went to his watch later section and picked something the sounded like slice of life drama. He started it up and put on his glasses for the movie. Dan never would tell him but he looked great in glasses.
Halfway through, Jaekyung ended up falling asleep again. After taking off the glasses, Dan did a controlled fall and let him use his lap as a pillow. He watched the rest of the movie petting Jaekyung’s hair and neck almost mindlessly. It was a pretty good movie.
***
Jaekyung woke up as the light got into his eyes. He grunted like it pained him as he opened them. He remembered watching a movie not the falling asleep part. He forced himself up and realized he was using Dan’s legs as a pillow.
Dan’s head was resting against the back of the couch still completely dead to the world. Jaekyung slowly got all the way up and picked him up like one would a small child. Dan didn’t wake up during that, a testament to the trust he felt inside the penthouse. Maybe even around him. Something a year ago he would have mocked endlessly. Now the hugest compliment.
He took him back to the bedroom and back into bed. He too climbed into bed. He had no interest in training, food, or anything other than resting beside Dan right now. he slid his one arm behind Dan’s neck while curling into him. His other hand resting lightly on dan’s chest. He could feel the heartbeat on his fingertips. It was comforting.
He didn’t plan on it and his eyes closed again. his body deciding it wasn’t ready to stay awake yet. He didn’t fight it.
X)(X
Dan yawned silently and opened his eyes. He was back in the master bedroom. He didn’t remember moving back in here. Turning his head, he saw and felt Jaekyung against him. His area around his eyes looked better less red and puffy. He didn’t so close to crying anymore. He couldn’t imagine him crying but he recognized the redness under the eyes, seeing it so many times on his own face now that he got a good look at it.
The hand on his chest twitched in his sleep. Dan found himself reaching over to put his hand over it. craving the warmth he recognized that day. Dan almost hesitantly, lightly placed his hand over his. (I don’t want you to go . . . but I can’t ask you to stay) (you always say that but you have never been fine.)
Dan asked himself directly. If Jaekyung asked him to stay, would he?
Yes, but he wanted to work at the gym, he wanted to cook meals again, and . . . get wanted to sleep next to him again. next to that warmth he craved.
He put his other hand over his scar from the attack and surgery to save him. He still had half of the Dissolving stitches. And the healing scar was red and angry from blood flow trying to heal the area. He wondered if it was always going to look like that. how ugly would Jaekyung find it? he before seemed to love his stomach with kiss bruises and long caresses. He would find it now?
He survived something a lot of people wouldn’t. he was grateful but he was allowed to hate the aftermath someone else gave him.
Shifting broke that line of thought as he saw eyes open. “Damn. Can’t stay awake for nothing right now.”
“that’s understandable. You haven’t slept well for a while before all this. the doctor Namwook called put you on a banana bag and a saline bag due to your condition.”
Jaekyung gave a sound of acknowledgement and followed Dan’s arm with his eyes. Where his hand was. “Does it hurt?”
“There is an ache, it’s not horrible. It just . . . I’ve seen it without the bandage. It’s ugly and I need to change that bandage soon.” Jaekyung slowly sat up and moved off the bed. He walked around the bed until he was in front of dan with his hand out. Dan took it and he was helped to his feet. Jaekyung led him to the bedroom and put him on the counter.
Opening a drawer, he pulled out a well-stocked first aid kit. Jaekyung cleaned his hands before carefully lifting dan’s shirt. The scar was three inches long, right side of the belly button down close to where the hip starts. It was fresh, reddened with dark stitches, and yellowing around it from healing bruises. For something that almost killed him, it looked almost minor. He saw the blood, so he knew it wasn’t though.
Jaekyung wetted down a clean wash cloth and used the gentlest soap he had before softly dabbing the area to clean it but not cause any reopening or damage. Jaekyung then found his healing ointment and applied a thin layer to the area before covering it with a new bandage and taped it down. “There.”
Dan put his shirt down like he wanted to hide. “Thank you.”
Jaekyung couldn’t help himself and like a starving man, he kissed dan with one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his head. Dan’s hands hovered uncertain for a moment before he left them land on his sides and slowly slid them around to his back.
Jaekyung pulled back slightly. “it’s not that bad. After the stitches dissolve fully, some silicone gel or self-adhesive silicone sheets will minimize excessive collagen buildup. Reducing scarring greatly. Plus, there are treatments if necessary.” He kissed under dan’s ear before talking soft but low in it. “Besides, scars of marks of survivors. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Sir?” Dan breathed out.
“Jaekyung. You aren’t indebted to me anymore.” The fighter corrected almost tenderly.
“You said ‘I don’t want you to go but I can’t ask you to stay’, right?” he doubted he dreamed that but it was possible.
“Right,” Jaekyung said flatly like he was trying to keep all emotions out of his voice but it wasn’t strong as it almost shook.
“But . . . what if I want to stay?”
“Why would you wish that? you almost got- “
Dan covered his mouth with his hand. “We covered that already. The ex-warden would have taken any opportunity to get his revenge since he believes he did nothing wrong. when he did everything wrong. And Junmin is a lunatic that found people as crazy as he is. Now they are in blacklisted, wiped from the record, going to jail if they aren’t there yet already. The cops are look for the ex-warden. Everyone knows his face now. if he isn’t caught yet, he will be very soon. The loan sharks are gone and the ex-warden will be soon. That’s the only enemies I had.”
Dan moved some of Jaekyung’s hair to the side to mimic his more relaxed hair style. “Other than Junmin, had any other fighter or team acted that way before?”
The answer was no. the ‘butcher’ spit on him. was the second place of insane rivalries that were real and not played up for the cameras. He was rough on his team because he wanted to improve, outside the gym or cage he was almost emotionless. He was the most animated with dan. Good and bad. “See. No more lunatics.” Dan said with a smile.
“I’m worse than a lunatic.” All the shit he done in the beginning. He should be locked up.
“You are not.” Dan rested his head on Jaekyung’s shoulder. “You are a work in progress.” Jaekyung petted him a few times before making up his mind. He carefully picked Dan up and took him to the walk-in closet. He went to one of the dressing benches in front of his coats and found his newest team black one. The small black box still in the pocket.
“I was going to ask you . . . I wanted to give you the choice. Then all that happened.” Dan lifted his head with curious eyes. Jaekyung handed him the box and Dan slowly opened it. “I was going to apologize about snapping at you that day, give you the flowers, I got us a strawberry cake for your birthday, then I was going to ask you to stay with the promise I would never act the way I did before. I was having feelings I didn’t understand and I reverted to something I did understand. I understand a lot more of it now.” Dan looked at the rings in the box like he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “I half expected you to refuse and I would accept that after everything. But I needed to ask you, say my peace.” Then life turned on its head.
Dan pulled the white ring out and inspected it like it hold answers. It was beautiful, heavy but not too heavy, with sparkles. The other one was bigger, dark, but just as sparkly. A matching set of the black and light theme. Something about that made Dan’s eyes start to tear up.
He was never one for gifts. It made him feel like he owes the other something or he had to do something in return. But this felt different. It was a promise, a promise of new chapter and changing circumstances.
He looked up at Jaekyung seeing a look on his face of a man waiting for a sentencing. “I can stay?”
“Yes.”
“Can I come back to the gym?”
Jaekyung took a breath. “Yes. But you should heal a little more.”
Dan thought about that and it was reasonable. He still has stitches after all. “I think we both need to. Just not in the same way.” Dan’s one hand brushed the left side of Jaekyung chest, over his heart. The meaning for once was not lost on Jaekyung. He needed Dan just to function, at times acting like Dan didn’t survive his ordeal.
“We should go see Granny and at least say hi to the director.” Dan looked down at the ring in his hand. Taking the other ring out of the box and gently took Jaekyung’s left hand in his. Judging the size, he slid on Jaekyung’s ring finger. A perfect fit. Jaekyung took dan’s left hand, kissing the ring finger before taking the ring and sliding it slowly. Another perfect fit. “I would say pack for a longer stay but most of your clothes are waiting for you there.”
“Then you need a pack for an elongated stay then. I’ll make breakfast. Wait what happened to the cook you hired?” she should have tried to get him to drink something once in a while. Right?
“Her contract was a temporary one. It ended on new years.” Jaekyung lowered his head. “I hated her food. It tasted wrong.”
“Why did you find that so necessary to hire one?”
“You kept leaving before I woke up. The after time you almost when over the railing . . . it terrified me. I thought if you didn’t have to do that, you just stay until I woke up. Then I thought I couldn’t have both. Boxing and MMA saved me from becoming my father. I didn’t think I could let it go but . . .” Jaekyung looked Dan in the eyes. “That isn’t true. Boxing and MMA did save me but you saved me from myself. You made me look at the issues I tried to ignore.” He looked around the room. “I kind of hate this penthouse. It’s too big, too cold, a prison of my own design.”
“What do you want? To build your own house?”
“Yes. Just outside of Seoul. No sounds of the city, just calm and quiet. A huge kitchen with a walk-in pantry, home gym is a must, indoor pool, maybe a library with an Electric fireplace. No fire hazard kind of thing. Keep the old hostel as a vacation home or something.”
“You have enough books to open one.”
“I am going to read them all one day.” Dan softly gave a short laugh before resting his head on Jaekyung’s chest.
X)(X
After texting Namwook about going off grid for a while and shutting off his phone, he packed three suitcases. As Dan finished up breakfast. Using what ingredients that were getting close to the end of their life spans. There was a huge cooler for anything they were taking with them from the fridge or freezer.
They weren’t sure how long they would be gone. But one thing was sure. A new chapter started. No jinx, no debt, much less confusion. Jaekyung was more than a powerful fighter and he needed to find out what else he was. Dan was more than a debt-ridden, loyal grandson with a self-sacrificing streak. Together they were more than they thought they could be. Together, they would find out what.
X)(X
After setting up and getting dan’s things from the old man that kind enough to watch over them, they went to the light of hope. Jaekyung signed a couple hundred posters before going to grandma’s room. Both sitting on both sides of her. Both took one of her hands and held it with both of theirs. Grandma didn’t miss the matching rings. Her smile screamed ‘about time.’ Her time was short but finally her boys figured it out.
The old boxing director was wheeled to the door and the nurse asked if he could visit. Grandma was more than happy for the company. He too noticed the rings and shared a look with granny. the one track-mind muscle head and the self-sacrificing doc finally figured it out.
“Puppy. They said you got stabbed.” One of the coaches said that after Jaekyung walked out without taking his belt or anything. She had to be sedated when they said his name. there weren’t that many dans in Korea.
“Yeah. I did.”
“You should rest then.” Dan stood up and lifted his shirt.
“See, it’s healing nicely and Dissolvable stitches are half gone. In three months, my insides should be healed up too. As long as I don’t over do it. I will be okay.” Her eyes hated to see her boy hurt but was glad the worst was over.
She looked at Jaekyung with an adoring look. “You saved my boy. In more ways than one.”
“He saved me from myself. I call it even.”
His old coach smiled. Finally, the brutal kid was growing up. He found something more important that winning. He finally got it.
“Tomorrow, I bring honey glazed chicken wings and other foods for an indoor picnic. I already asked and they were fine with it. as long as they can have some too.”
“Your food is always the best.” She coughed a little starling both Jaekyung and Dan but she waved them down. “That is going to happen time to time boys. Best get used to it.”
_ - _ ***_ - _
Grandma lasted three more weeks before her body couldn’t take it anymore. Peacefully in her sleep. Her ashes were placed on the beach with a remembrance stone so she could watch the sunset she loved so much.
Dan took it hard as everyone knew he would. Jaekyung did everything to take care of him. The six-month-old white puppy the old man called Baba cuddled up with Dan when Jaekyung had to do a food shopping run or other errands.
The worse times were at night with his dreams. He would sit up in bed and try to cry silently. Jaekyung would wake up a minute later no matter what, curl him into his chest and let him cry as much as he needed. Once the tears were done, he would lay them both down again. letting dan take comfort in his warmth.
X)(X
Dan put flowers on the remembrance stone. He pulled his brown coat closer as the wind picked up. “We will be back after Jaekyung’s next match. He is doing much better now. I know you were worried.” Dan wiped a tear away. “He is thinking about moving out the penthouse and moving out of Soeul but stay close enough for shopping needs and such. He also thinking at retiring at thirty. I . . . wish you would be around to see it. I miss you grandma. I always well . . . but I’m . . . not alone anymore.” He took off his glove and rubbed his ring. “Watch over me.”
Jaekyung came up behind dan and put a Banana milk at the base of her stone. “Hello Granny. I have a new match soon. In April. We will be back and we will have a picnic again. we will tell you all about it.” Jaekyung kissed Dan’s forehead as he waited until dan was ready to leave. “don’t worry. We will take care of each other.”
X)(X
“You going back home for a while?” Old man Lee said. He liked having them here. Great for harvest season.
“I have a match in April. I got a little lazy.” The old man laughed. He seen him running in the snow and cold at six in the morning like clockwork. He turned to see Dan rubbing Boksoon’s tummy and chest and her loving every second of it.
Dan stood and bowed to Mr. Lee before handing to the car. Dan’s belongings in the backseat. “you boys be careful now.”
Jaekyung nodded and whistled. “Baba! Jagi! Let’s go.” The solid white pup and solid brown one jumped into the back seat. Once inside, Jaekyung shut the door. “See ya in a few months.” Mr. Lee nodded and waved as Jaekyung pulled out of the driveway.
Lee looked down at his dog. “Told you. I was holding those two for them. Glad they figured it out. Can’t ask for better friends than that.” he had a cheeky smile on. His faithful dog looked unimpressed.
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Might be part of the what if list after the chapter drops. I don’t think the chapter will go like this but that thud sound was kind of weird to me. I’ll change it later maybe.
all changed at the chapter was different enough.