With the medicine starting to take effect, I soon felt drowsy. Jay wanted to stay by my side, but I didn't allow it because I didn't want him to catch the flu. I told him that if I rested, I would feel better, and we wouldn't have to sleep in separate rooms. With that, Jay agreed to leave, saying he would hang out with Fei and return around eight o'clock. I reminded him to wear a mask when he came back.
After Jay left, I fell asleep. When I woke up, the room was dark, and Jay, wearing a mask, was sitting by the bed.
"Dan, how are you feeling?"
"A little better," I answered sleepily. "But I still feel dizzy. What time is it?"
"It's half past eight."
"I think we should sleep in separate rooms tonight," I said. Jay immediately frowned. I explained, "It's not because I don't want to be with you, but I don't want you to catch the flu. You need to train and compete."
Jay took off his mask and said in a sad tone, "If I don't sleep with you, I'll have nightmares. If I don't get enough rest, I won't be able to train or compete properly." He paused for a moment and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Dan, I don't want to have nightmares."
Alright, I gave in.
"But if you catch the flu…"
"I won't catch the flu. I'm strong."
"Alright."
"Can I hug you?"
"You can."
As soon as I gave permission, Jay immediately came over and hugged me tightly without letting go.
"Aren't you feeling hot?"
"Yeah," Jay replied. "Do you need me to wipe your body with a towel?"
"If you can bring me a wet towel, that would be nice."
"Jay will do it."
"No, I can do it myself."
"Are you sure?"
I nodded in response. Jay released his embrace and left the room. He returned with a towel and a small bucket of water. He placed it beside the bed.
"Jay will wait outside. If you need anything, call me."
"Thank you."
Jay left and closed the door. I cleaned myself up and changed clothes without difficulty because my condition wasn't too bad. Once I was done, I called Jay. He came in and took the bucket of water. I took another pill. While waiting for it to take effect, we chatted. Jay hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"About what you said earlier…" I stopped when he suddenly kissed my cheek.
"Not allowed?"
"Allowed, but at least let me know first."
"Can I kiss you on the cheek?"
"Sure," I replied softly before Jay gave me a big kiss on my cheek. Then he pressed his nose against my neck and rubbed it. I tensed up. "That tickles."
"Dan smells good."
"Enough." Not because it tickled, but because I felt embarrassed. When he stopped, I returned to the previous topic. "About what you said regarding being asked to lose a match, what did Ryan say?"
Jay had told me before that someone had offered him a large sum of money to lose a match because he had never lost since his debut.
"Coach didn't accept it. He said he didn't care how much money they offered."
"That sounds like him," I commented. Ryan's goal was to make Jay a world champion before he retired. Besides, offering money to lose a match was an insult.
Jay said he didn't care.
"Have you confirmed the match in Japan next month?"
"Not yet."
"Confirm it. I have free time now, and I can go with you."
Jay nodded. "Yeah."
The only reason Jay rarely competed abroad was that he didn't want to be far from me. But now that I had time, I could go anywhere with him.
"You'll go anywhere with me?"
"Of course."
"For how long?"
"Huh?"
"How much longer can Dan always be with Jay? You said you wanted to find a new job. If you get a job, you won't have time."
"...Hm," I fell silent for a moment. "I think I have an idea."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The next morning, I felt much better, almost recovered. Jay agreed to go train. Fei went to school, and Tiger went to the office. Mom, Nao, and I stayed home as usual. After cleaning the house, we sat on the sofa to watch a movie. I took the opportunity to share the idea I had been thinking about all night.
"I don't think I want to be a teacher or a child caregiver anymore."
Mom and Nao looked at me with curiosity.
"It's a full-time job. Even though I feel lighter and happier, I don't have much free time. Jay doesn't want to compete far from me if I don't go with him," I began explaining. "Both Ryan and Uncle Jerd want me to convince him, but I can't. He won't budge."
"That's not surprising," Nao said. "For Jayden, being with Dan is the most important thing."
"Like Tiger, who never strays far from home," Mom added with a nod. "My children just happen to find loving partners. How does that happen?"
"I'm thinking of writing study guidebooks, exam prep books, or online courses. If I write, I can do it from anywhere. That way, I can go with him wherever he goes," I shared my idea. "What do you think, Mom and Nao?"
"I think you really love Jayden," Nao smiled. "If you agree, why would I object? Couples always try to be together whenever possible. Besides, you'll be working independently, don't worry. You're great at making summaries; your notes were popular in class. I'm sure you'll succeed." He gave a thumbs-up in approval.
"Mom, what do you think?" I asked.
"If you think it's good, I agree too," she answered without hesitation, just as I expected.
"Yeah, he really loves him," Nao added jokingly. "You wanted to be a teacher because you love kids. You've fulfilled your dream, but only with one child. Wherever he goes, you follow."
I couldn't hold back my laughter at Nao's remark. "Yeah, I love him."
Nao laughed and returned to the topic. "What level of content will you create? Elementary, middle, or high school?"
"High school is what I know best," I replied. I had tutored privately and made many summaries for friends at that level. I still remembered some of the material. "I'll start with high school. I need to review and refresh my knowledge."
"I sold my old books by weight," Nao said. "Let's buy new ones."
"Now?"
"Yes, we should do it now, or we might not get around to it later." Nao raised his hand enthusiastically. We went to the mall to buy books and supplies. Nao also insisted on buying a new phone. By the time we returned, the car was packed with purchases. With Nao's encouragement, I felt motivated. I started reading high school books. As I was engrossed, Jay suddenly came home. I got up to open my bedroom door when I heard his voice.
Jay smiled. "Thank you."
"Nao said couples always want to be together," I said, and Jay immediately hugged me. I hugged him back, and we stayed like that for a while. We looked at each other, I leaned in, and Jay tilted his face toward me. I closed my eyes, and our lips met. Jay parted his lips slightly, and I followed suit. His warm tongue slowly entered, and I accepted it. Our tongues touched. Jay pulled me closer. I broke the kiss, out of breath. This was the first time I had kissed like this, and I felt overwhelmed.
Unconsciously, I touched my damp lips with my hand.
"I love you, Dan."
I immediately looked at him, surprised by his confession. "I love you too."
"Thank you for everything you do for me."
"Anything I do, I always do for you."
Hearing that, Jay smiled again and hugged me tightly before kissing me once more. I wasn't prepared for such a long kiss. I felt my strength draining, my legs growing weak, so Jay lifted me up.
He deepened the kiss, occasionally nibbling my lips gently and playing with his tongue. He wasn't rushing, but I couldn't breathe. My mind went blank. I weakly pounded his shoulder, and he finally broke the kiss. My heart was pounding, my face was burning, and my stomach felt strange. I hid my face—probably already red—against his shoulder.
"How did you learn to do that?" I asked softly, still in his arms.
"I looked it up."
"Just that?"
"If Dan lets me practice more, I can get even better."
"T-that's… enough," I mumbled. He couldn't be good at everything, especially not this. I wasn't ready.