PART 2: Can I ask you a question...?

A month. A whole month had passed since the match Jaekyung almost lost against The Butcher, and Dan couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his head. He has been different towards him since that day, almost like he was avoiding him: if he arrived to the gym he wouldn't look twice in his direction unless it was needed, at home he would often eat alone or not see him there until late at night when Dan was already in bed, ready for sleep, and whenever he woke up he was gone. It was almost like living with a ghost.

The doctor watched from afar, observing how Jaekyung hit the boxing bag with strength and determination. No sex, not a glance in his direction, he didn't even breathe when he was near Dan. Was there something wrong? Last time they were together he even took the blame for his bad performance in the cage and the fighter even reassured it wasn't his fault, but now he only talked to him as if he was only his physical therapist but... wasn't that what he wanted since the beginning? Why is it bothering him now that his wish became a reality? He hated being used like a sex doll all the time, but now that he was being fully ignored it didn't felt right. Why was Jaekyung suddenly ignoring him after two years in this situation? Did he considered his debt was fully paid now, or did he do something wrong last time? There were only a few who would know, one of them was busy in the phone and the other one was just finishing his training session. He looked at the other side of the gym, away from where Jaekyung was working out in the boxing bag and smiled within when he saw Daehyun prepping his protein shake. Maybe he had some answers, as he is the closest one to Jae in this gym after coach Namwook and himself. Dan started walking towards him, and greeted him amicably, starting to explain what was bothering his mind about the champion at the other side of the gym.

Jaekyung hadn't stopped looking at Dan, not even for a second. He saw him when he slept, when he was looking away, as long as he didn't noticed he was cool with it. But when he saw Dan walking towards his "friend", he couldn't help but look away. Now this was personal. He had tried to convince himself that he didn't care about Dan's personal life, but doing this, right in front of him? Really? All he wanted was for Dan to stay in his corner and not talk breather next to someone else, talk, listen, or see anyone that wasn't him, but he couldn't stop him. He hit the bag once again, angrily thinking. Has Dan been intimate with Daehyun for a long time? He only found out last month how close they were, so who knows how long they've been at it. He has never used a condom with Dan, should he start doing so? He clenched his teeth strongly, feeling them gnash against each other and hit the bag one more time, breaking it. He stood still in his spot breathing heavily, then looked at the bag on the floor and the swinging chain that used to hold it.

"Boy, how many have you broken this month? Next time you do that I'll have to talk with you!" stated coach Namwook, sick of calling over and over to the sports store for another bag that Jaekyung broke.

Jaekyung stayed silent, adjusting his fingerless gloves while trying to release some of his tension off of his body.  Coach Namwook was still screaming on his ear about another bag, as if money was ever a problem for the gym. Not listening to him, he looked over his shoulder, noticing Dan and Daehyun staring at him from their spot. Daehyun had half of a smile crossing his face, thinking Jaekyung was probably training as hard as always, but Dan's face was more of a worried one; he wasn't acting like himself. Just now, a six day streak of not tearing a boxing bag apart was broken. Dan looked at Daehyun.

"You see now? I know you're his friend, do you know if there's something bothering him?"

"I do see what you mean, Dan-hyung. But being honest, it's as easy to figure him out as it is to solve a crossword in a foreign language. He's a mystery sometimes..." Daehyun sighed, looking now at Dan after taking a sip of his shake. "I thought you two were close, I mean, you guys live together for the last, what? two years?."

"I know, but we don't talk unless it's a professional matter."  Dan murmured, looking away towards the almost empty gym.

They used to talk about non-work related things, though, from time to time. Jaekyung used to ask him about things that were natural to Dan the same way the sun is natural in the morning: how's the subway like, how is college like, how did he managed to survive in his old house before it was demolished to build a mall, in between other things that would be mostly about his past, before they met. Dan would never ask him about anything, mostly because he was scared of asking the wrong thing about his past, so he only asked about superficial stuff even if he wanted to know more about the legend before he was one. Like last year, when he accidentally asked about Jaekyung's father. Now, Jae is a terrifying being, that's for sure, but when he asked about his dad he saw a different type of beast in front of him. He had the eyes of a hurt tiger, who would attack anything and anyone to defend himself, no matter what or who was in the middle. That day was probably the only time Dan almost pissed himself just by being near him.

And the idea of asking again what was wrong, if he even wanted to listen to him... this was a recipe for disaster. There must've been a reason why Jae was ignoring him, and he was willing to accept that, but no intercourse? No intimacy after such a good time a month ago? And he wasn't just talking about the sex, it was about the night before the fight, when they were together in bed after doing it and they were just... talking. Jae wasn't a huge fan of the pillow talk, he was very clear about that the first time Dan tried it, six months after they met. As soon as he tried to talk, he was just sent to his room, any thoughts he had to share were disregarded by Jaekyung, who claimed that pillowtalk was only "a waste of time and saliva". So the fact Jae initiated a small conversation, cuddled with him without it being asked and had that gaze over his body and face where he felt naked to his soul was something weird, but at the same time it was the most amazing he has felt in a lifetime. He missed something he only tasted once, oddly enough.

Jae walked towards the showers, ready to leave the place as soon as he was out of the water. He wasn't planning to stay there for another second if that meant he had to see Daehyun and Dan lost in conversation at the other side of the gym, or hear coach Namwook complaining about the other boxing bag he broke, but over everything else he couldn't handle the idea of Dan and Daehyun being together, even less in front of him. What could they even talk about? Daehyun is as dumb as a rock, but Dan? Dan is smarter, that's for sure, and right now he's probably laughing at him with Daehyun. Making fun of the fact that he knew how he was conflicted with his feelings, he felt pity of him, he must think he is a dumbass who happened to make the mistake of involving his heart with his penis, and that was enough to laugh with Daehyun. He was probably bragging about having him eating from the palm of his hand without even thinking about it. Not the first time that happened.

Daehyun left shortly after he finished his shake, leaving Dan alone in the gym as coach Namwook left a couple of minutes later to deal in person with the whole bag incident. The brunette looked at the shower doors where Jaekyung had entered a couple of minutes earlier. The sound of the water falling down from the top into the drain traveled down his spine in that same motion, getting him nervous. He didn't like the showers at all, in fact, he spent most of his time away from them and only entered when necessary, or when Jaekyung wanted to have sex in them. And even if he wasn't happy with it, it was the moment to face The Emperor himself. His hands were trembling, and his legs were pacing the way to the shower room door. Before he could grab the handle, a dripping wet Jaekyung opened it first.

The eye contact at the moment was different than the one shared a month ago. Jae's eyes were inexpressive at the most, but serious in their core. Dan gulped softly, trying to find the words to even start talking, but his tongue was tied and his throat was dry. He opened his mouth to try, but nothing came out, just a small squeak product of his nervousness.

"What do you want?" asked Jae, looking at him straight to his eyes. He let his guard down a month ago, and now that he wasn't really sure if Dan was in it with Daehyun, he couldn't let him tear down his walls again.

"I... wanted to know if everything was okay. Sir."

"What?"

"Yes, I... I noticed that you've been, well... acting different lately."

"Different? I'm acting the same way I have ever since you met me."

"No you're not." Replied the doctor, taking a deep breath while he looked at him straight to his eyes. Jaekyung never liked to be contradicted, and Dan wasn't sure where he got the courage from, but he stood still in his spot, forcing himself to be confident. Those eyes would tear down any other person that wasnt him at that moment, but he needed to be strong.  "You've been acting different ever since the fight with The Butcher."

"Why do you even care? You never complained about it before, why is it any different now?"

"Because..."

"Come on, Doc." said the fighter in a condescending tone. "Speak now!"

"Because I liked what you did last time and now you're acting weird!"

Jaekyung looked at Dan. He... liked it? He quickly diminished any other thought, he would've loved it if it was Daehyun the one fucking him in the locker room, given that silly smile he had while looking at his phone. He never smiled at him like that; Dan only did it a few times when he paid the hospital bills for his late grandma, or after he started doing his breakfast in the morning, but he had never seen a bright smile towards him like the one he saw on his phone the last time. He smirked softly and quickly grabbed him by his forearm, taking him inside the shower room. Deep down, he knew what Dan wanted. He closed the door behind him, slammed Dan against it and cornered him.

"If you just wanted to fuck, you could've said so, instead of all this crap."

"But sir, wait, I...-"

Jaekyung didn't cared to wait for another word off of Dan's lips, taking his hand inside his pants and caressed his entrance, looking at the doctor's expressions while he did it. His cheeks were turning red, his eyes were a little watery, but it wasn't clear if it was because he was horny or if he was about to cry. Why should it matter? Dan surely didn't mind doing it in the showers again. He was only in it for the money, he never cared about him anyway...

He

Didn't

Cared

About

Him.

Jae looked at Dan as his fingers deepened inside of him, looking at the faces he made. He needed a condom, now that he was unsure if Dan was clean.

"We need a condom. I would send Potato for some but he left earlier today..."

"Why would we need one? You've never used... used one before." Whimpered Dan, looking at Jae straight into his eyes while he still fingered him.

"I guess I have to start doing it..." started the taller one, pressing even harder when Dan loudly moaned. "Since you're playing around..."

"Huh?"

"What? Do you really thought I, Joo Jaekyung, wouldn't notice?" He said, moving his fingers faster as he pressed Dan tighter to the door. "How you look at him, even if I still own you."

"Sir I... AH! I don't know what you're talking about." He whimpered, looking at Jae.

"Play the fool... you knowwhat you did..." he groaned softly, licked Dan's neck, and looked at him from hisposition. His rosy cheeks, his closed eyes, his heavy breathing, all of it wasmaking him think of different ways to sin. He moved his hand out of Dan thesame way the former had moved into his heart: without a warning. He looked at himstraight into his eyes, wondering when Dan would stop looking at him like that. "Go home, Kim Dan, and wait for me there."

Dan wasn't going to think twice about that, pulling up his pants as quick as possible. Once he left Jaekyung alone, the the fighter let out a big sigh, drying his hair with one of the towels. That damn doctor...

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