SERIES FINALE, PART 2: The Emperor of the Ring, and the King of his Heart

As he ran and the rain poured down on him, he tried to call Dan on his phone, but they weren't going through. Dan must be in the apartment, he surely wasn't out in the middle of this rain, specially knowing how much he hated the feeling he always got from the cold water from the storms. Sure, he didn't mind a cold shower, but funny enough he always drew the line at rain. He needed to find him, confess everything, and find out if he felt the same. He already had the "no", even if he didn't wanted it, so what else was there to lose besides his sanity?

He ran. He was pushing people, pushing signs and he didn't care for the traffic: all he wanted was Dan. Inspired by Namwook's words, he practiced on the way, trying to find the perfect words to tell him, but he has never been good with them.

"Dan, I like... I like... Fuck." He complained. Words were Daehyun's strength, not his. Should he tell him about what he thought when they met? What he felt? Well, sure, he had to tell him how he felt, but how? How to put into words something he can't explain at all? Dan made him feel a lot of things, and even if he had the need to share it, the idea of using the wrong words was killing him softly.

Once he reached the apartment complex, he groaned softly. Why did he had to live in the penthouse? He's a superstar, for sure, a champion and only deserved the best, but at that moment he was regretting it so much. He ran inside the building, ignoring the receptionist and security guard in the entrance when they called out to him: he had more important things to deal with than whatever they needed. The elevator ride lasted what it seemed was a century, tapping on the floor with his foot while he was trying to calm his anxiety down. It wasn't too late yet, right? Dan must be at home, he must be waiting for him as always, but what if he wasn't? Why wouldn't he pick up the phone? He kept on calling, over and over, but no one answered. He couldn't have blocked him, right? Or maybe he took it serious... No! He was at home, waiting for him... right?

"Dan!" He hollered as soon as he burst into the apartment. Quiet. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the rain hitting on the huge windows in his house. "Dan! Come here, I need to tell you something!" He screamed, running to the empty living room.

He obsessively checked the kitchen, pool, gym, the rooms, the closet, and the bathrooms: he was alone again in that apartment. No, no, no, no, no. He checked again on Dan's room, see at least if his things were there as he completely missed that small detail the first time he checked for being so focused in finding him there, or if he already left forever. Bursting again, he looked at the perfectly made bed; nothing weird, Dan always made his bed like that since he moved in. He opened the drawers violently, finding his clothes there; everything was still there, but that brought another question: Where is Dan? He called him again, waiting for an answer and soon enough he got it.

"Dan! Where are you?"

"I... was about to ask the same to you..."

"I'm at the apartment, we need to talk."

"We... we do." Dan sniffed. "It's just that I don't know where I am, sir..."

"What do you... what do you mean you don't know? You've lived here your whole life, Dan." He sighed. "What do you see around you?"

"It started raining and... I think I ended up in Banpo Bridge."

"Stay there, I'm on my way. And cover your head."

Jaekyung ran outside the apartment after hanging up the phone. Banpo Bridge. That wasn't that far, but in the complete opposite direction of where he went when he first left the apartment. The streets were cleared out from pedestrians as the rain got heavier, and he wasn't planning on leaving Dan in the rain any longer. He went as fast as possible to the garage of the building, feeling the anxiety running all over his body as he was reaching the door handle.

What if it didn't mattered? What if Dan actually liked Daehyun all along? What if, even if he said the right thing, Dan's heart was closed to him the same way he closed himself for years? Maybe he's delusional, maybe he's hoping for a miracle that Dan might look at him the same way he saw those old paintings in the art museum. He's a 20-something year old man, not a kid anymore. He can deal with a "no" coming out of Dan's lips... can he? He turned on his McLaren, and ran it to the street on direction to the bridge.

The rain had gotten worse in those few minutes he spent from his apartment to the car, and he could only hope Dan had found some shelter at least until he arrived. His back was hurting for how constrained he had it, he didn't even realized when he had all his muscles fighting for their life in his search for Dan. He tried calling him again as he was getting closer to the bridge, but now his calls weren't going through. What was happening? The streets were covered in rain, the tourists were running to shelter as the other seoulites just kept their way, covered by their raincoats or umbrellas. He slowed down his car, looking for Dan in between the people that were leaving the bridge. He called over and over and over, but he was just sent straight to voicemail time after time. He was starting to get desperate for an answer when he finally saw him, standing next to a wall trying to cover himself from the rain. He needed to do something, he needed to act as soon as possible. It shouldn't be that late yet, right? He parked his car on the sidewalk, turned on the blinking lights and didn't even bother on taking his umbrella as he started sprinting towards Dan, who was trying to not get his neck and head wet with the cold rain water. Dan, by the other hand, only saw a foggy figure running his way, naturally starting to run; he didn't wanted to get mugged.

"Dan! It's me, you idiot!" Jaekyung complained, running behind him. "Why weren't you answering?"

"Mr. Joo!" He stopped on his tracks, now looking at the man in front of him. "My... my phone ran out of battery. There's a storm coming, we need to go!"

"No! I need to tell you something!" Replied Jaekyung, knowing it was time. He had to tell him all of what he practiced.

Some cars were passing by, but it seemed like the rain was getting heavier with each minute that passed. The brunette was looking at him from his position: the fighter's hair may be sort of protected by the cap in his head, but said cap was already dripping wet and so was his shirt. His shoes? Definitely ruined with all the rain and puddles he was walking over to reach out at him. Cars were passing, the rain was falling and the few people left on the streets were running to hide from the rain, but for him it seemed like they were by themselves; the only people in Seoul crazy enough to be under the rain in said conditions. The rain was covering them as if it was a blanket, a protection from the judgmental eyes of others who wouldn't see them as something correct, but as of that moment neither the doctor nor the fighter cared.

"Then speak..."

And now it was the fighter who was speechless, looking at Dan as the rain was making them walking fountains. Everything he practiced when he was coming to him had left him alone immediately, dry inside his mind at the contrary of his outside. He opened his mouth, looking at Dan, but the words were not coming out.

"Look, sir. If you want me to move out now that I've sealed my debt, I'll do it, really, just let me stay a day or two so I can pick my stuff..."

"I... I'm sorry for how I talked to you in the penthouse, I..." Jaekyung complained, with his brain and the words completely messing him up. He looked at the doctor below him, who was just staring at him. That stare just got him more nervous, with his anxiety kicking in. "Agh, fuck it! I don't want you to leave, Dan!"

Jaekyung looked at him with attention, hoping he didn't scared him. Dan had been longer in the rain than him: a rose-colored stain crossed his cheeks and nose for the exposition to the cold water, his light gray jacket (that he bought because the other one got burnt "by accident") was now colored in a darker gray, and his hands seemed shaky for a reason, perhaps the cold.

"Then what do you want?" Dan shivered a bit, hugging himself.

"First, I want to know why you didn't left when you knew you had paid off your debt." Jaekyung looked at him in the eyes.

Dan sighed, still looking at him in the eyes.

"I... couldn't leave."

"You don't have a chain around your neck, you don't owe me money anymore. What stopped you?"

"I didn't wanted to leave, Jaekyung. I..." Dan gulped "I..."

"Do you like Daehyun?" Jaekyung interrupted him, looking at the doctor straight into his eyes.

Dan was shocked, to say the least. Daehyun was a close friend, and so was Yoongu; both of them have been with him since day one, almost like Coach Namwook had been. Of course, he was fond of him, but only because he was one of the few friends he had.

"He's my friend, but my heart is not his."

"Then who?"

Dan looked at him straight in the eyes and tried to catch his breath, not because he was running but because not even his diaphragm could push the words out of his throat.

"You said you wanted to tell me something. So say it, and then I'll say it."

Dan was right in front of him, and even if they were alone, he felt as if he was being watched by thousands of eyes. Feeling as if he was alone in the octane ring: no opponent, no referee, no judges, no coaches, no Dan. Just the audience, watching him in the waiting to see him fall down just so they could say they were there when he did. His whole life he was taught he should excel at everything he did, so why can't he just tell him that he loved him? That he wished nothing but to wake up next to him, kiss him and for his only workout consisting on making love to him? He loved Kim Dan, so why can't he just find the right words to tell him? He looked at him into his eyes, thinking of the first time he found them and that ever since that moment they haven't left his mind. That moment in the gym after knocking out one of his teammates, when he thought Dan was a guest and was so ready to scare him off. He looked hot and cute, in a way he never thought someone could be. He was attractive in such a way that he knew he had to have him, no matter how many men Dan could've had under his belt, even if at first he had the personality of a sheet of paper. This doctor had cured him in so many ways, both in the outside and inside of him, and he feared of never giving him what he needed, but all he knew is he wanted to be the one to do it. Those pretty eyes had knocked him down bad, not a single punch, kick or insult had ever taken over him the way Dan has. He never thought he would act out of love, do things out of love: he used to only act for pleasure and instant gratification; for praise and his own interests.

Jaekyung wouldn't have ever guessed that those honey-colored eyes would make him run blocks under the rain just to find them again, and hope to the skies they were looking for him too.

And here they are, one in front of the other, dripping wet but not a single word being said in the moment. He wasn't a words person, he only acted, and as of now he's was fucking terrified of saying the wrong thing, and losing his only shot he had. So he did the only thing he could do.

He placed his hands in the doctor's face, cupping it, and without a care in the world he pressed his lips against Dan's. Covered in rain, he closed his eyes to let himself enjoy the moment, waiting for Dan to either push him away or pull him closer.

But Dan didn't do anything. At least when they had sex Dan kissed him back, but right now he's not even moving his lips. He separated a couple of seconds later, opening his eyes to see his face, mortified. Dan had his eyes wide open, staring straight at Jaekyung as the taller one was moving back. His mouth was slightly opened in the surprise of being kissed while fully dressed, in the middle of the street, under the rain. Dan placed his hands on top of Jaekyung's, who were still in his face, and grabbed them. In a soft motion, he started to put them down, still staring at the fighter's eyes. Jaekyung was keeping the best poker face he could under this apparent rejection, but Dan's still moving, and he wouldn't act until he was finished.

Dan placed Jae's hands in front of them, still holding on to them tightly as he looked in his eyes. He gulped softly, feeling his eyes filling up with tears as the warmth in his lips after being kissed was going down with the raindrops that were falling on his face.

"The only reason I stayed was you..."

That's the only thing Dan said before his lips found Jaekyung's again, finally relaxing his hands. He closed his eyes, standing in tiptoes as Jaekyung cupped his face again, warming his cheeks with his hands. He hugged him tightly, taking his hands down towards his back and softly caressed it as the rain still covered them. But he wasn't thinking about the rain at that moment: he only thought of how Jaekyung was standing in front of him, kissing him, and for a moment time stopped completely. He could feel it in the air, hear it in the raindrops as if they were clapping for them.

Despite the flaws they each had, despite the miscommunication, despite the pain, despite the tears and despite what anyone else could and would say about them, at this moment none of it mattered. Dan wasn't sure when Joo Jaekyung realized he loved Kim Dan, but the doctor was sure of one thing:

He loved Joo Jaekyung, and Joo Jaekyung loved him back.