Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Ichirou! Don't take too long in the shower! Breakfast's ready!"

The fatherly voice, though muffled by the bathroom walls, was still loud enough for the young fighter to hear. It was a hot, sunny Sunday. At seven in the morning, Miyata was getting ready for one more day of training. It wasn't common for Ichirou to take long washing, but in the last few days, he had discovered something gruesome about himself. He always thought it was best to release his sexual tension before heading to the gym. The performance was clearly better when he wasn't pent up. Being interested solely in boxing all his life didn't give Miyata a chance to figure out his love life or even his sexual preferences. The girls' screams and flowers he got in the matches were always welcome, even though those gestures had never sparked an impulse to chase a partner. Last Friday, when Miyata was stroking himself, he struggled to find a triggering motive that would lead him to climax. Brainstorming through his insecurities and duties for the day, that guy came up in his mind: Makunouchi fucking Ippo. If he could, he would fight him every other week. He would never forgive himself if he fell behind him, losing track of Ippo's development into a boxing prodigy. The competitive spirit that burned inside Miyata's core inadvertently caused him to increase his hand speed. "Stupid Ippo," he grunted, "I won't let you win next time, I swear!" He was panting and using his free hand to support his body against the wet tile wall.

 That feeling alone wasn't enough. Desperate for more stimuli, Miyata crawled out of the shower, leaving puddles wherever he crept. His hands ran across the counter and around the sink. He grabbed his pocket hairbrush and fell to his knees. The best entry position was with his ass all the way up, and he knew that by instinct. His sportsman's physique, added to the usual resilience, allowed Ichirou to masturbate and ram the hairbrush's handle inside his hole with incredible speed and strength. Any sane person would spend a decent amount of lube before sticking anything in their anus. However, Miyata was enjoying the roughness, the impending urge to force his body into accepting the foreign object. The skin around his ring burned like fire, his insides twitched to the pressure. "Damn you, Ippo...! Aargh!" He shouted, exploding into pleasure and shooting the floor with his cream. After coming, his mind became unclouded, and only then he realised what he had done. His father shouted again, scolding him for being late. Ichirou cleaned up after his mess, making sure not to leave traces of his deed. He had toast with grape jam for breakfast and a banana smoothie with vitamins and supplements. Miyata Senior and his son left home on foot and jogged to the gym together. 

As the younger one gained distance from his old man, he couldn't help but ponder on his feelings for Makunouchi. He never wanted to be his friend, much less his enemy. All he thought about was defeating him fair and square, impressing him and proving his superiority. Maybe the ring wasn't the only place he wanted to do that. Miyata had a new resolution, which he would go to great lengths to achieve: he swore to take Ippo into bed and dominate him, manoeuvre his body as he wished. Nothing could keep Ichirou from achieving supreme pleasure. 

The Kamogawa Gym featherweight champion was doing his usual punch bag training, minding his own business. During the pause for water, Ippo caught a glimpse of a person wearing a hoodie outside the gym through the window. Who on Earth would have that on when it was so hot? The guy was observing the dynamite puncher too much and then vanished. Ippo followed him, ignoring Takamura's grumbles rushing him to get back inside. Turning on the corner of the block there was a whistle calling him. The guy had put his hoodie down and greeted: "Yo, Makunouchi." As expected, Ippo ran in his direction, like a labrador retriever, all smiley and jumpy, while calling him back: "Miyata-kun! Long time no see!" The spiked hair one stopped before getting too close, imagining how distressed he would be if hugged. Ichirou wasn't the one to talk in riddles, so he began his approach.

"I want you to go to a place with me."

Ippo was hyped, at first. "Miyata-kun is inviting me to hang out?"

The nemesis shrugged and smirked. "Sort of."

Ippo cleaned the sweat from his forehead with his shirt, exposing his abdomen. Miyata silently appreciated his ripped body. "Where do you want us to go?"

It shouldn't have to be so hard to make a sexual proposition to someone, but their statuses and differences could bring some trouble. Also, Miyata had no idea how Ippo would react. "Before I tell you, you have to promise, if it's not your cup of tea, that you will forget about it and never tell a soul."

"Miyata-kuuun," the champion playfully cried, "What's that with the secret?"

Ichirou didn't soften his expression. "You have to swear on your mother's life."

One does not simply bring up their mothers into a conversation unless they mean serious business. "Okay. I swear."

"I want you to go to a love hotel with me." Saying it was the easiest part, but hearing the response...

"EEEEHH?!?! A LOVE HOTEL?!?!" Ippo was in utter shock, and his holler attracted the attention of by-passers in the street.

Miyata tensed all the muscles on his face, then pushed Makunouchi into a gap for more privacy and pressed him against the stony wall, closing in the distance between them. "Seriously, you...! Don't go out screaming like that!"

"But... Miyata-kun, this kind of thing, I don't know if... Actually, I have never... Uhm..."

Ichirou leaned his head down, hiding his face. "You're hopeless, Makunouchi. Even in a situation like this, you never say 'no' first." He said after a gentle, ironic laugh. "I don't want us to be a couple or any of that crap. It's just a stupid kink my sick brain came up with. I can't believe I got this far." Miyata slammed the wall, startling Ippo, who calmly listened while his brain went cuckoo with all that information. The Kawahara Gym athlete then turned away and began to walk, trying to return to his routine. "I'm sorry." Miyata finally came to his senses, wondering what the fuck was wrong with him.

Ippo suddenly thought about how difficult it was for him to get a date. He was conscious that his looks weren't the best. His clumsy personality never scored him a lucky time like, ever. The last time he fell for a girl, that being Kumi-chan, he screwed up by dissing her older brother, Mashiba Ryo, right in front of her. Who could have imagined that his greatest rival, Miyata Ichirou, had that kind of interest in him? Once Ippo realised he was not against it, or on second thought, that he had always been drawn to Miyata, in one way or another, he made a decision. The champion sprinted towards the other boxer, out in the open. "Miyata-kun, wait!!"

Miyata's eyes shrunk to the sound of Ippo's voice. There was no way that bastard decided to accept such a ludicrous proposition. He was scratching the back of his neck, as he sought Ichirou's attention: "We have never acted normal around each other, right? Making promises such as: 'I wanna see you at the finals, so you better win'... There was always something off about it, ya'know?" 

"Makunouchi..." Drops of cold sweat trickled down Miyata's neck, as he maintained an expression of surprise on his face.

"When you lost the fight against Mashiba, I punched the vending machine so hard I broke it. When I was fighting Mashiba, all I could think about was avenging Miyata-kun and getting Myata-kun's honour back. It's not normal caring about you this much. So, I guess it makes sense, doing it with Miyata-kun." Ippo finished his monologue with a polite reverence and cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. 

Ichirou wasn't expecting a full-blown confession. He was only looking forward to satisfying his fantasy and demonstrating power over Ippo, not discussing a relationship. He guessed that was the Makunouchi way of doing things. Miyata was blushing too, even though he would hate it if Ippo noticed. "Ri-right," he stammered. "Get your stuff at Kamogawa's and meet me at the train station near the flower shop."

"HAI!" Shouted Ippo, who ran like a cheetah back to the gym. Could it be that he was excited about this adventure? Miyata's hands were shaking. Hell, it was also his first time, so he was allowed to feel nervous.

Ippo reappeared at the gym. Takamura scolded him so fiercely that the whole facility would hear: "Where do you think you're going, Ippo?! You aren't done with today's training yet! What's up witcha?"

Not affected by his desperation, Ippo reverenced him and apologised: "I'm sorry for leaving early today! I'll train twice as hard tomorrow, I promise! See you later!" 

Kimura, who was sparring with a teammate, dangled over the ropes, curious. "What the hell happened to him?"

Aoki, who was working on the speed bag, interrupted his activity and suggested: "Maybe he's going on a date or somethin'?"

Takamura blurted out a maniac's laugh. "Ippo doesn't even know how to talk to girls! Who would be crazy enough to go out with him? She'd have to be blind, at least!" The whole gym laughed their asses off.

"Why doesn't Aoki play his divination cards? Maybe we'll know something!" Suggested Kimura.

A circle full of young men was formed to witness what revelation the cards would bring to the table. As the soba cook drew each piece out, his semblance would become more intense. By the time he got the final card, he was crying: "Ippo abandoned his training today because he is having sex!" The whole gym went down in havoc. Takamura had a runny nose when he proclaimed: "I can't believe Ippo will finally ram his rocket!! How does he do it? Where did he get her?! Does it say, Aoki?"

The fortune teller examined the cards again. "It says... It's someone we know." Everybody else began to boo Aoki all of a sudden, and then returned to their affairs with the sport. Nobody gave him credit for his word. Takamura kicked and knocked his friend down, infuriated: "BAKAYAROU! You made us waste time with your gimmicks! I always forget that your previsions are all wrong in the end."

"BUT YOU GUYS ASKED ME TO READ THE CARDS!!"

Attention passengers, your train to Yachiyomidorioka will arrive at the station in 30 seconds. Please stand behind the yellow lines. The current time is 6 hours and 25 minutes. 

If Miyata wasn't so reserved, he would be jaw-dropped to see Ippo join him on the platform carrying flowers, but he only parted his lips in surprise. They were about eight champagne-coloured roses accompanied by some snapdragons, protected by a transparent wrapping plastic. They entered the train and sat side by side. It wasn't too full. Miyata avoided making eye contact, while Ippo was anxious. "Mi... Miyata-kun, these are for you." Every time he spoke his name so formally and carefully, Ichirou's heart skipped a beat. He grabbed the bouquet and kept it on his lap, after saying: "Domo." Ippo was gripping the fabric of his trousers during the whole trip. The love hotel was a ten-story-high building, with a fancy façade and neon letters. The champion hesitated to go in.

"Miyata-kun! What if they turn us down? Are you sure we're supposed to go inside?"

"You can go home if you want to. I'm not making you follow me."

Ippo felt challenged, trying to regain the motivation which brought him there in the first place. At the front desk, Miyata instructed him to hide his name on the ID card. They just had to know if the couple was eighteen or older, which was the case. The elevator ascended to the fifth floor, and the duo entered their apartment. Both Ippo and Miyata didn't expect to find such luxury in a room. The floor and the walls were velvet red and there was a sweet-scented incense smell in the air. They left their backpacks near the door and sat together on the round bed. The mattress felt extra floppy. Ichirou was just as anxious as his chosen partner. He knew the other part would never initiate the kiss. Ippo's face was forcefully turned to the side, in order to receive a wet, tonguey, kiss. He thought he would at least get a warning before it began. 

"Miyata-kun! That was... My first..."

"Hop into the shower and wash your parts. I will go after you."

"Hai," Ippo promptly responded. He rose quickly and headed to the bathroom.

Ichirou smiled proudly. He was in charge of the situation and Makunouchi was obeying him like a dog. When Ippo was done, he sat on the bed, wearing a robe, and waited for Miyata. He had no idea of what to expect or how that sex thing would go. Gritting his teeth out of impatience, Ippo began to investigate the drawers of the nightstands by the bedsides. He found all sorts of things, from handcuffs to whips and gags. He took a Kama Sutra book and flipped the pages, curious about the complex positions they portrayed. Imagining himself in the place of the characters in the artworks made his cock twitch, threatening to show its potential. Miyata was drying his hair with a smaller towel when he entered the bedroom. Ippo was startled, so he threw the book up, which ended up falling back onto the bed.

 Ichirou cracked a grin. "Getting to know the place?"

"Miyata-kun, you seem to have done this before, so be gentle."

Going over the edge into the bed, Miyata cleared things up. "It's my first time too, Makunouchi, but I have been planning this the whole day, what to do. I want," he gulped, shaking slightly, "I want you inside me."

“Ehh?!” Ippo was unable to process his rival’s straightforwardness, but his cock surely reacted to the fact he was Ichirou’s object of desire, and began to grow inside his briefs. 

“Please tell me you carry condoms with you.” Miyata was attentive to Ippo’s body. His seduction game seemed to be working. He ran to his gym bag, looking for the packets. 

“The guys put some in my wallet as a joke. I never thought I would use it.”

Ichirou pulled a string of six condoms out of Ippo’s stuff. He didn’t believe what he was reading: “Extra large?” 

“Miyata-kun, please don’t make fun of me like Takamura and the others do,” wept the other boy, with his gigantic phallus popping through his intimate clothes. Miyata squeezed the packets in his hand. He was mesmerised. The hairbrush handle did a spectacular job that morning, so he imagined he would achieve his greatest milestone if he could swallow that girth with his ass. He jumped back into bed and quickly urged Ippo into stripping everything off. When it was Miyata’s turn to remove his robe, the champion ate him with his eyes. “Miyata-kun looks amazing!” Unlike Makunouchi’s brute and compact build, Ichirou’s muscles and body structure must have been designed by the gods. He was aligned and elegant. His dick was average-sized, though as perfect as the ones that stuck in and out the women in Takamura’s tapes. 

Miyata tumbled over Ippo to make out with him. Enough of staring,  time for action. First they had to practise their kissing technique. Who would win that round? Ichirou’s incredible tongue jabs or Ippo’s precise mouth movements? The first one to gasp for air would be the loser. They both paused at the same time. The second round was all about their hand work. Miyata surprised Makunouchi with a hip dance added to the solo stroke, but he forgot his adversary had the advantage. His length overpowered the opponent’s, causing him to doubt his training up until then. Ichirou used his last resource to take control of the match: the mouth clinch. Ippo felt like his dick was being vacuumed, due to the pressure applied by Miyata’s lips. His orgasm was building up in strong hiccups, but Ichirou didn’t let him reach it. “Not yet, you moron,” he said, tightening Ippo’s member with his fist. “Miyata-kun, you’re too mean!”

It was time for what Miyata was expecting the most. Both him and Ippo were rock hard and ready for the main act. A condom dressed Ippo’s cock. Miyata used the other guy’s shoulders for support and descended his bottom onto the thick rod beside him. Ippo panicked when their bodies faced resistance to each other: “It’s impossible, Miyata-kun! It wasn’t made for this!”

“Shut up,” coughed Ichirou, trying to focus, working his way down. He fingered himself in the bathroom, warming up for the event. If only he knew what was in store for him. The muscles of his opening painfully stretched, with the aid of the lubed rubber on Makunouchi’s instrument. Each squat made Ippo’s soul leave his body. “You’ll break it in half!” This time he didn’t even bother to answer, and covered the champion’s mouth. Ippo tried not to take his eyes off Miayata’s face. He looked so satisfied, so elated. He was even crying. Out of impulse, Ippo grabbed his partner’s buttocks and pushed his hips upwards, penetrating to the base of his cock. Miyata let out a  high-pitched moan. He was glad Ippo finally decided to do something instead of leaving all the work to him, but his pride spoke louder. He wouldn’t let Ippo win that last round. “Touch the front,” he ordered, and Makunouchi gladly obeyed. They were almost at the pinnacle of their pleasures. Miyata wrapped his palms and fingers around Ippo’s neck and squeezed it mildly, while pounding his bottom down on the gullible man. They moaned even louder, in their own way. Miyata sounded like he was having an asthma attack and Ippo grunted through the pressure against his throat. Ichirou released three gushes of cum on the champion’s chest. At the same time Ippo also came. When he relaxed, he nearly fell asleep on top of the body he had just used and abused.

“Miyata-kun… Stop squeezing…” Ippo was seconds from passing out.

“Oh fuck,” Miyata released him at once and hit himself in the head. His thumbs left purple marks on Ippo’s neck. “Can you breathe?”

He smiled in relief, but still couldn’t move an inch. Ichirou hopped off of him and moved to the side of the bed. “Miyata-kun, I feel like I was knocked out, I can’t even raise an arm,” admitted Ippo, who couldn’t keep up with his own respiration. It was everything Miyata needed to feed his subconscious. He was done. Get yourself cleaned, pack your things, leave the money and just. Fucking. Leave. Then he heard his name being called the most innocent way possible: “Is Miyata-kun alright?”

 Ippo’s sweet voice shattered him. “I will get wet tissues to clean you up. Stay there.” Ichirou rose and headed to the bathroom, limping a bit. The used condom was tied and tossed in the trash bin. As his chest was being rubbed, Miyata had a worried look. He could have been strangled to the point of needing medical assistance. “I’m okay,” assured Ippo. “And I think you were quite impressive. What you did… It must have hurt a lot.”

Ichirou huffed. “I wouldn’t be a fighter if I couldn’t tolerate pain.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I had fun, okay?” He had to say, in order to make Ippo stop feeling sorry.

“Does it mean you’re my… My BOIFURENDO now?” Makunouchi puckered up and twiddled his fingers together. 

“Your What? Where did this idea come from?!” Miyata was glad to see him moving again, but he couldn’t take it much longer. Being lovey-dovey with him wasn’t in his plans. However, his heart was this much from being won over.

“I have to take responsibility-”

“Do not treat me like a girl,” Miyata interrupted him.

“I won’t!” Ippo voiced, determined. “I take Miyata-kun very seriously in boxing and I want to take Miyata-kun seriously in this too.”

Ichirou blushed violently. Ippo finally caught him off-guard.  “I don’t care what you call it, as long as we can keep doing this. I’ll get you a pager, so we don’t mess up with each other’s training schedule.”

“Miyata-kuun, I feel bad for you getting expensive things for me.” Ippo was already putting his shoes on, though sluggishly.

Miyata was really gonna go but something was holding him. “If we were to fight again, would you hold back, now that we have, you know…?”

“I imagine you would hate it if I did that.” Ippo knew him well enough by then.

A content smile cracked Miyata’s stiffness. “Good. If I notice you going soft on me in the ring, you can forget we’ve ever done this.”

“HAI!” Ippo screamed with passion.

Back at the train station, the clock striked 11. The two young men didn’t notice they had been together for so long inside that room. They were soon to separate ways, getting different trains to return home. Miyata’s body felt heavy. As his ride approached, he said his farewells: “Listen, Makunouchi. Thank you for always treating me like a normal person, instead of a spoiled pro boxer’s son.”

His  modesty put a hearty smile on Ippo’s face. The doors opened and Ichirou walked in, carrying his gym bag and the flowers he got. The wagon was not completely empty. Ippo ran to see him off the platform: “Thank you for today, Miyata-kun! Take care of your body! A-AISHITERU!”

Miyata banged his fist against the train doors, burning in embarrassment, while some people chuckled in the back: “AHO! DON’T SAY THAT IN PUBLIC!”

The underground tunnel blackened the city lights through the train’s windows. Ichirou sat down, and scratched his head, holding the roses firmly on his lap. Makunouchi, boku mo aishiteru.

Chapter Text

It was 4 am. Ichirou jumped out of bed, covered in sweat. Two days prior, he had his first time in bed with somebody. This somebody was Makunouchi Ippo. That night, after the train ride back home, the young boxer arranged the flowers in a crystal vase, smiling faintly, completely unlike him. The next morning, Miyata Senior noticed the fragrant bouquet and brushed against his son’s shoulder.  

“Somebody’s got fans, huh? Perhaps more than a fan."

Ichirou gulped. It all hit him like a punch to the stomach. What if he finds out? It’s Ippo, to make things even worse. 

“Where have you been last night?”

When the eighteen-year-old lifted his head towards his dad, his eyes were almost watering. He didn’t want to say, but he also didn’t want to lie. 

“I finished breakfast. I’m going out to run.”

“Ichirou…”

Even though the older one tried to grab a hold of his shoulders, Ichirou slipped out of the embrace attempt and began his march. With the afterglow of sex gone, he could feel some discomfort as his body moved, and it gave him mixed feelings. Pride, guilt, desire, and repulse. He wondered how Makunouchi was doing on his end. He thought about the marks of his fingers around Ippo’s neck and hoped he had a good excuse for that.

Present time.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GOT INTO A FIGHT?!?!” Takamura’s screams alarmed the whole gym and the boxers practising there. 

“... keep it down...” Pleaded Ippo, in a useless attempt. 

“We all thought you got a date”, said Kimura, being direct with the topic. “Please tell us, how you got those bruises on your neck.”

“I… Well… Was hitting on a girl… And things got complicated.”

“Don’t tell me…” Meddled in Aoki, “that it was Kumi-chan!”

Nor did Takamura or the other guys wait for Ippo’s confirmation. They already assumed how things went. “You let Mashiba Ryo do this to you to defend his sister? Ippo… This is so fucked up.”

“You got it all wrong! Actually… Ah.” Then, the champion saw him, Miyata. He vanished again, before anyone noticed him. Ippo tried his best to be excused and ran after the other man.

“Miyata-kun?” He called, turning the corner, in a sweet, shy manner.

“Mashiba Ryo squeezed your neck? That’s what you told them?” Ichirou was displeased. “You could have said you got robbed and didn’t react because the man was armed, some shit like that.”

“I didn’t say any of that, they just made it up!” Ippo was desperate to be believed.

“Well shit. Now the damage is done. Take this for being such an idiot.” Miyata grabbed him and punched him in the stomach twice.

Even though Ippo’s belly muscles were already toned and prepared for any kind of blow, he wasn’t expecting that attitude from the boy he had sex with. Both punches went in. Ippo heaved.

“Miyata-kun! What have I done wrong this time?”

“You’re just stupid. Fuckin’ stupid.” Ichirou stopped punching and grabbed Ippo by his back, while they locked their gazes onto each other.

“Did something happen?” Ippo’s voice was so gentle, and he sounded so worried. He just got punched, wasn’t treated nicely, and yet, he wanted to know about the other part.

Ichirou grabbed Ippo’s head, dug his fingers into his spiky hair, and started to kiss him hard.

Makunouchi enjoyed the hot kisses, yet knew something was off. 

“Hey, Miyata-kun… You can tell me if there’s something bothering you,” said Ippo, giving space for his mouth to speak.

Ichirou kept silent and moved off from the embrace. After some time without saying anything, screams could be heard, calling for Ippo. It was, of course, Takamura. 

“I’ll page you,” promised Miyata, putting the device in Ippo's pocket.

Makunouchi was bolder: “Ah, my mother will work the whole weekend, in her boat. You could come home and we could, you know…”

Ichirou finally broke character and laughed. “Look at you, taking initiative.”

Makunouchi swallowed and spoke firmer: “I want to make love to Miyata-kun.”

Ichirou froze in his spot, and his face got red. What had happened to the Makunouchi who couldn’t decide whether he went left or right? Oh yeah, he said he loved me. I didn’t say it but I thought the same.

“I’ll be there,” he confirmed. “Now, go back before someone sees us.”

Upon leaving, Miyata could hear Takamura questioning Ippo. “...what was it that you were doing?...”

“Uh, nothing.”

“I swear to God, if you are looking for trouble…”

“I am not!! I’m dating, I’m seeing a person, OKAY?!” - Once again, the whole gym stopped to stare, and gathered around Ippo. - And I’m not telling who it is, so knock it off!!”

Aaaaaaaah…. Disappointed moans were heard.

Is it Kumi-chan, Mashiba’s sister? 

“NO.”

Saturday morning came. Ippo waved goodbye to his mother and entered his house again. There were dishes to wash, his bedroom was a mess… What should he prepare for a meal? The more time he spent panicking, the longer he took to get it done.

By 4 in the afternoon, Ippo decided to do some ropework outside, while he waited for Ichirou. The other boy came by jogging, wearing a fancy dark blue tracksuit. He always looked good in those.

“Did you get my message? I said I would be late.”

Ippo got embarrassed. “I forgot to check it, sorry.”

Ichirou was about to make a negative remark, but he noticed again the marks which still persisted on that neck, and gave up. He felt guilty about that and for punching him earlier too.

“Miyata-kun. Would you like to run with me around the docks? I wanna show you around. People tend to know me, but maybe not you, so it’s fine.”

Ichirou wanted to smile, genuinely so, but it seemed like his face had forgotten how to. The two top fighters enjoyed their time moving along with the dawn of the Sun. Ippo was shining as if he was a star himself, for he was happy with the date so far. He was feeling at ease with Miyata’s company, without needing to talk about matches or competition between them. They sat down like a couple by the end of a ramp, with dusk setting in and some lights of fishing boats flickering like stars.

“Have you lived your whole life in this place?”

“Yep! I like it very much. Has a nice view, people are always smiling and helping each other.”

“I had to travel a lot to see my dad fight”.

“Must have been nice.”

“It wasn’t. I saw him meet the end of his career. You already know the story.”

Ippo indeed knew it. He wanted to cheer Miyata up. He also became anxious to sit by his side and feel him so close. Silence reigned, awkwardly so.

“If you wanna kiss me, do it already, Makunouchi.”

“C-can I…?”

“Don’t ask. Just do it.”

Ippo approached tenderly but hesitated. “I don’t want it to be bad, Miyata-kun.”

“Seriously, you!” Ichirou grabbed his face and filled him with licks and suckles, until Ippo got dizzy.

Miyata then was kissed back. Not frantically like he did. Not like a maniac. Not like a desperado. He was kissed like a lover would be, touched like a flower would be. Ippo ran a hand through his hair and rested on his waist with the other. He slowly opened his mouth to feel the Ichirou’s lips open up and moisture his. Their tongues wrestled at first, then met the right pace to satisfy their desires. Miyata was the one dizzy then.

“You’re not a bad kisser, put that in your head.”

Ippo smiled with his lips and his eyes. He then stood up and offered Ichirou his palm. “Let’s get inside.”

Miyata couldn’t avoid thinking how sweet Ippo was to him, all the time. This guy really has feelings for me, huh. And yet he was surprised to find the kotatsu table made, as if there was dinner to be served. 

“Miyata-kun, can you wait until the gohan is ready?” Asked Ippo, turning on the cooker. 

“Sure.”

The boiling noises from the cooker filled the place, as they struggled to find a topic of conversation. There was natto as a side dish and some sloppy cuts of tuna sashimi. Ichirou smirked at that. “You really like me, don’t you. You even prepared food for me.”

Ippo blushed hard and nearly dropped the plates and chopsticks. “I did only a little so I don’t ruin your diet…”

“How thoughtful.” Miyata thanked and leaned in to kiss the corner of Ippo’s mouth. He took his cutlery from the guy’s hands and served his share.

Once the rice was cooked, they quickly put a portion on their bowls and cracked an egg each on it.

“Don’t you find the tuna amazing? It’s fresher than from the market.”

“If only I could eat more…” Miyata opened his tracksuit and lifted his undershirt up to his chest, exposing his stomach. He looked quite off guard. Ippo ate him with his eyes. He was fidgeting.

“Uh, Miyata-kun…”

He noticed Ippo’s restlessness. “You wanna head to bed already?”

The guy just nodded and rose up. His room wasn’t fancy at all, but it could serve the purpose. 

“I don’t have a bed, I hope you don’t mind doing it on the futon.”

Miyata noticed the extra sheet on the mattress and the condoms and tissues by its side. He thought everything through. He quickly removed his top clothing and kissed Ippo again. “You’re a bastard when you’re in love. That’s why I am too.”

Now locked up in an embrace, both young men crumbled slowly down into the futon, making haste to remove all of their troublesome fabrics. With accelerated breathing, they pulled up their impending erected members. Miyata sat between Makunouchi’s thighs, drawing in close enough to make their bottoms touch. They jerked each other off to warm up. When Ippo felt things moving too fast, he sat up to caress and kiss Ichirou’s body, treating it like the Holy Graal. He tried things he didn’t get to the first time, like sucking Miyata’s nipples. 

“Oh, fuck… Ah…” Ichirou wasn’t expecting the pleasurable feeling, added to the stimulus from jerking. He didn’t know how, but Ippo had gotten so good at love making in such little time. 

“I love the sounds you make, Miyata-kun.”

“Shut up and keep sucking, I’m gonna cum.”

Ippo heeded and moved his hand faster, while sucking Ichirou’s nipple harder. Ippo’s back was hugged with force, and scratched as he pleased his partner. It felt amazing giving that to him, and also having nails against his own skin. Miyata got wobbly after orgasm, but he knew that was only the beginning. 

“Mind if I lie you down?” Ippo spoke softly, slightly bothering the other guy. He was too weak to act up still. 

From what Miyata could read, Ippo was planning to fuck him already. “Wait. I have yet to prepare myself. I could suck you while I do it.”

What a delightful idea, though it was hard to focus on swallowing such a huge dick and fingering oneself at the same time. Ippo didn’t know why, but it seemed like Ichirou was struggling.

“Miyata-kun. Can I help in any way?”

“It will take just a bit longer.”

Ippo opened a condom from the packet and stuck two fingers in it, before poking the entrance. Miyata’s digits also joined, and they worked together to enlarge the hole for proper use. Ippo found that so hot his cock was about to explode from the ache. 

“Miyata-kun… I need to… Can’t wait any longer,” anxiously announced Ippo.

“This should be enough,” replied Miyata, taking a deep breath. That was some tough work.

They resumed kissing and caressing, as Ippo grabbed another condom to dress his rod. Ichirou trembled a bit with anticipation. The size was still… Impressive.

“Wanna try sitting on it again?” Suggested Ippo, already in position.

So they did. Ichirou slowly descended and felt his hole stretch painfully, yet satisfyingly. He growled and began to sweat. Now knowing what to expect, Ippo wasn’t afraid. His dick would not break in half, and Miyata was doing great so far. Instead of choking Ippo, Ichirou exchanged reassuring looks with him, and kissing when the pressure was too much to bear. Little by little, their movements became smoother, easier, faster. The groans became louder, as Ippo was able to get deeper into Miyata. Ippo, however, wanted more closeness, and a more comfortable position for both of them. Makunouchi rolled his lover to the side, and embraced him by his back. 

“Wha-What are you doing?” Ichirou was startled. 

“I love you, Miyata-kun. I want us to enjoy this,” Ippo said, re-entering him at last, fitting within the gentle and muscular curve of Ichirou’s buttocks.

“Oh! Uhm!” He couldn’t speak, because Ippo locked lips with him again, and didn’t let go, until they both came.

The pair had little time to rest and ponder their actions. Miyata quickly rose, asking where the shower was. Ippo was worried about cleaning up his room and putting the dirty sheets in the washing machine.

“I liked it better this time, Makunouchi,” Miyata felt he had to comment, as he came back from the bathroom, freshened up. 

“Well, thanks. I guess.” Ippo blushed slightly. 

“Page me whenever your mum is out. Let’s do it here from now on.”

“Hai, you say the words, Miyata-kun.”

“Silly.” Miyata complained, but approached Ippo for a goodbye kiss.

Chapter Text

“Miyata-kun, is this really a good idea?”

Ippo and his boyfriend were both ready and wearing boxing gear. It was evening and quiet at Kawahara Gym. That was a boxing date. Ippo was clearly reluctant, but what wouldn’t he do for Ichirou?! 

Miyata, on the other end, just wanted the satisfaction of meeting his rival in the ring again. “Okay, let’s set up some rules”.

Ippo gulped. 

“We get to warm up first through shadowing, then we spar. We do 5 rounds.”

“FI-FIVE?!? Miyata-kun, if you wanna do that much we’d better get a real match done.”

“I’m not doing only one round.” He pouted. “And you can forget our hotel thing later.”

Ippo spend a long time thinking. “Two?”

Ichirou clenched his fists at his direction. “Three. My last offer.”

Aw, sweet toxic love.

The shadowing session only made both of them more anxious. Their styles, the complete opposite from each other, became more and more refined. Ippo had butterflies in his stomach from so much anxiety. It wasn’t easy for Ichirou as well. He wondered whether he should let it all out or play it safe, even though he had said so many times for Ippo to take him seriously in the ring.

Round One. They moved a lot and tested waters. Light punches, dodging… They were basically showing off their new skills. But then, Ippo found a perfect opportunity to sneak a cross punch. Yet, he made his hand stop mere inches from Miyata’s nose. The hesitation pissed the out-boxer to the core. End of Round One.

“What the actual fuck?!? Why did you hold back?”

“I don’t know what got into me.”

Miyata knew exactly what got into him. “You had second thoughts, didn’t you? You promised me.”

“But you were playing around too, Miyata-kun”.

Ippo talking back at someone wasn’t something he usually did, which surprised his boyfriend.

“I… I was still warming up”, Ichirou stuttered. He was also guilty.

No holding back anymore.

Round Two. Miyata was definitely irritated and changed his fighting style a bit. He took more chances and hit Ippo a few times, mostly in his sides. Ippo treaded carefully and kept his guard up. All he needed was one chance, the perfect opportunity, like he missed before. Miayata might have slipped, missing his step, because he saw an open space. It was too late when Ippo noticed he fell into a trap. His powerful cross blow didn’t reach Ichirou. A counter punch went flying, getting right on Makunouchi’s right eye. End of Round Two.

“You have 10 seconds to get up from the floor, Makunouchi,” Ichirou said smiling. 

Ippo got back up, but he reckoned he suffered great damage. That would turn into a black eye. “That was mean, Miyata-kun.”

“I remember someone saying that my moves could be seen.” Miyata was really enjoying that.

“I’ll get you next time.”

Round Three. Their last sparring round was just as intense as the second one. Ippo was risking more by not letting Miyata move around much, closing in the space he had. As a consequence, his punches lost power. It was a stretch, because they still hurt. Slowly, Ippo found space for combinations that struck face and body at random, confusing Miyata a bit, because Ippo tended to use the Dempsey Roll by that point. The lack of predictability worked in Ippo’s favour, and then finally gave him what he was looking for. Miyata struck his face again, but Ippo used his famous liver shot. Ichirou felt like vomiting due to the force of the punch. Then an uppercut in the gut to finish the job. The bell rang before Ippo could go for his face too. End of Round Three.

It was difficult to say who won. Miyata swore that if they had gone through 5 rounds, he would have won by points. And Ippo thought a knockout would be at hand. It didn’t matter. They were happy. Ichirou was giggling even, even though it hurt everytime he did so. On the way to the love hotel, they stopped by a pharmacy to buy snacks, cool packs and first aid products.

 From inside their booked room, the two fighters phoned each parent to let them know they wouldn’ be at home until morning. They weren’t planning to let them know about their secret like, ever. It was something they talked about before the sparring. 

They wouldn’t accept us.

They would make fun of us.

They wouldn’t want to be around us.

Those fears were mainly Miyata’s worries. Ippo couldn’t decide. He somehow believed that if they had true friends, if their family really loved them, the romance they had would persevere. 

For the first time they shared the shower, there was plenty of teasing and kissing. Their boners rose, asking for more. Ippo considered raw dogging Ichirou right there, but he imagined it would hurt too much without preparation. After that, already on the bed, they tended to each other’s wounds. 

“Really sorry about your eye”, said Miyata, caressing his face right after. “I was so pissed.” He proceeded to plaster small cool patches around the affected area. 

“What are you planning?” Ippo wasn’t expecting Ichirou to go down on him. “Miyata-kun, you don’t have to… Ah… Man, this is so… Ah…”

Ichirou had an expression of pride on his face. He was in a good mood.

“You came a lot.” Miyata spoke, with a full mouth. He calmly grabbed tissues to spit in and clean after his deed.

Blushing, Ippo sought out his face to kiss his lips. “Teach me, Miyata-kun. I’ve never done it to you before.”

“Why don’t you just copy what I do? It’s not that hard.”

“Really,” pondered Ippo, looking Ichirou’s hard member. “Lie back, I wanna make you feel good too.”

Miyata did as told and relaxed against the bed. He was having a great night. “Hey, just don’t bite my dick off, alright?”

As expected, Makunouchi’s tenderness was also present in the way he licked and sucked. Always the fast learner, he applied the pressure he often felt when Miyata had him in his mouth. Ichirou swooned lengthily and held the other boy’s hair, guiding his head into bobbing it the perfect rhythm. Suddenly, after a few more gentle moans, his hand let go, but that didn’t stop Ippo for a while. 

“Is this the way you like it, Miyata-kun?” There was no answer. “Miyata-kun? Oh. He fell asleep.” Ippo ceased the touch and covered both himself and Miyata with sheets to relax for a couple of hours.

The bruises didn't go unnoticed by Miyata Senior, the next day. His son was not able to train. “How could you have a sparring session with someone completely by yourself?!? Have you gone mad? Not to mention, you have been acting strange lately. Don’t let it affect your dream. Please.”

His words got to Ichirou. Was he risking too much for his desires? For Ippo?

When going out to buy some boxing supplies, Miyata Senior met Makunouchi, by chance. He was purchasing some new gloves. He caught a piece of conversation about a wild sparring session he had with the cashier of the store. Ichirou’s dad and Ippo bumped into one another. The black eye and swollen cheek were screaming. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. Yoshio wanted to ask, he wanted to stop Ippo and make him talk, but the younger man had already ran past him. How painful it was  to know his son had secrets and didn’t trust his own old man to share them. Ippo never came across someone who would accept an invitation to a secret sparring session so… Why? How? The questions ate Miyata Senior alive for a couple of days, until he finally got to  ask:

“Son, do you want me to arrange an official fight with Makunouchi Ippo?”

Miyata was mostly in shock. It was his goal… Though recently, and after the sparring, he began to have doubts.

“I… Uhm… for when?”

“I have to think. It’s just that you seem so interested in him lately.”

Ichirou hiccuped and got up abruptly. His father hoped he would finally say something substantial.

“C-Can I think about it? I’m on my way out.”

“Where do you go every weekend, Ichirou? You get me worried every time.”

Miyata didn’t answer. He was unable to. He got his bag and left his dad hanging once again.

Makunouchi Hiroko had a tough night at her boat. She spent hours maneuvering it cautiously. The fishermen aboard and her were caught in surprise by a storm. High waves rocked the vehicle. She had to take a detour and wait until the storm passed, so she could finally return to town. It was the crack of dawn when she finally ported and everyone was safe. She couldn’t wait until she saw her son again. Lately he hadn’t been able to help much, but she just knew how happy Ippo had become. She had a hunch there was a girl involved somewhere, but the signs betrayed her. By her phone, a certain number was constantly opened in the phonebook: Miyata. She guessed Ippo was planning to go fight him. Hiroko understood it that way, but what she saw that morning changed her views drastically.

5 am. Hiroko silently unlocked her home and entered, leaving her fishing gear in the huge deposit on the side of the house. She began to get breakfast ingredients ready. The menu was omuraisu. She cut the carrots, broccoli, bamboo sprouts, eringi mushrooms and ham. The rice cooker needed a cleanup before usage again. There were double the quantity of dirty dishes in the washer. Hiroko got anxious. Ippo is not expecting me to come back this early. I should check, just to make sure… My silly thoughts. Ippo would never…. Bring someone home.

Hiroko had to cover her mouth not to shout. She had slid her son’s door open barely, but she could see them perfectly. There was another man, of Ippo’s age, tangled in his embrace, with a leg and an arm over his body. She was frozen, unable to think or move, but after seeing Ippo’s face so relaxed, and his expression so light and happy, something changed inside Hiroko. It was impossible not to accept them, impossible not to understand and feel happy for her son and whoever that other guy was. She moved quietly back to the kitchen and decided to make her visitor a bento box. 

The sounds of spoons and pans clacking woke Ichirou first. He opened his eyes and was confused. Are we not alone? Makunouchi Okaasan? He untangled himself off Ippo, who wouldn’t bother and kept asleep. Shit, shit, shit. Miyata dressed himself in a hurry, only to find out that his suspicions were correct. Ippo’s mother had arrived, way earlier than expected. He could see her from the hallway, and his respiration became fast paced. He was panicking. 

“Good morning,” she said, turning the omuraisu in the frying pan. “There was a storm at sea and I had to return before schedule. I didn’t mean to surprise you two. Would you like something to eat? You must be hungry.”

Ichirou had no idea on how to respond. He didn’t even sit down. “I… Uh… I have to go.”

Hiroko was placing the food in a takeout box when she finally looked at his face and recognised: “It’s Miyata, right?” That was another shock. Wasn’t he the person Ippo wanted to defeat the most?

“Y-yes.” Ichirou’s legs trembled, as he set a foot out the door. 

“Wait, please, have breakfast with us. Ippo will wake soon.” She insisted,  but he wasn’t ready to accept gestures of kindness yet, he was terrified.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“At least take some food with you.” Hiroko followed him outside, with the bento in hands. “I’m not mad at you. You’re welcome here anytime, okay?”

“Thank you… I just really… Have to go.”

Her words were not getting through. Miyata just speeded up away from there. He spent so much time afraid of people finding it out, that a reaction like the one Ippo’s mother had was just as scary as being straight up rejected. It was suffocating! Hiroko really had the best intentions in mind when she picked up the phone, and pressed the numbers Ippo used to so many times, later that morning. It was about 7 am then. Miyata Yoshio woke up with the sound of the ringing. He was nervous, and he hoped it was his son, who didn’t show up the previous night. The voice wasn’t the one he was expecting.

“Am I speaking to Miyata’s family?”

“Yes, this is Yoshio, Ichirou’s father. Is he in trouble?” The man was definitely concerned.

“No, no, not at all!” Hiroko quickly explained. “I’m Ippo’s mother. I really needed to talk to you. I would like to ask… If you knew about them?”

It was like a tight knot had formed in Miyata Senior’s head. “Knew what about them?”

“It seems like, they’re seeing each other. Dating, I mean.”

The ex-professional boxer began to cough, choking on the air he breathed. “What did you say? H-how could that be? They’re both boys!”

Hiroko had to turn this over into something positive, or else Miyata would be in danger.

“I found them this morning, sleeping, as I came back from my fishing boat. They looked so… Peaceful. I’ve never seen my son my like this. Please don’t be mad at him. I bet he just wants to be happy.”

It was true that Ichirou had also become different, excited about lots of things, but he wouldn’t share it with his father. Well, now he finally found the reason why.

“Thanks for telling me, Makunouchi-san. It’s very hard to process what this all means. He has a lot of explaining to do.”

“But don’t be angry at him, I beg you.He seemed so afraid this morning.”

Miyata Senior took a deep breath. “Haah. How could I. He’s my son. I love him. I just want him to not lose sight of what he has always trained to become.”

“Maybe… He also needs this…” Hiroko paused mid-sentence. “I just wanted to let you know. Maybe I can call again later?”

“Fine by me. Thank you once more.”

Chapter Text

Ippo stretched in his bed, oblivious of everything that went on earlier, when he was still asleep. It seemed like he had forgotten Miyata had spent the night. Ippo was so happy. Ichirou was more and more comfortable near him and accepting of his lovey-dovey antics. On the outside he might be tough, but he also wanted someone to be gentle with him and treat him good. He spent his whole life up until then holding on and being strong. With his lover, he could be vulnerable, he could be sweet, he could be something more than a living legacy of boxing.

Ippo went to the bathroom first, and found a white tank top hanging over the shower drapes. He held onto it and breathed in. “Ah, Miyata-kun smells so good. Oh, yeah. Where is he? Miyata-k… KAASAN?”

Hiroko looked at Ippo smiling with her lips and eyes. “Good morning, son. Looking for something?” She expected him to come clean, and maybe give him a push.

“I… Ah… Actually…”

“He’s not here anymore.”

The champion froze in his spot.

“Please, sit down, Ippo. We need to talk.”

He swallowed hard as he kneeled down. It felt as if he did something really wrong and was about to be lectured. That would be the first time his mother got really, really mad at him. I am no longer a good boy, he immediately thought. His mom proceeded to explain how she discovered his secret, and the way Miyata left in a hurry, even when she tried to tell him it was alright, that she wasn’t judging him or anything.

“Then I called Miyata-san and-”

Ippo choked on his tea.

“Ippo!?! Are you okay?”

Recovering slowly, he replied: “He’ll kill me!”

“I’m sure he won’t. And I made sure he will talk to Ichirou-kun in a gentle way.”

“For some reason, I feel like he won’t take this easily, Miyata-kun, I mean.”

Hiroko wanted to lighten up the mood and also gather more information.

“Uhm, and here I thought how long it would take until you found someone.” Ippo blushed and she kept on. “But I thought you were interested in girls… You had a major crush on Nanako-chan when you were 10.”

“Kaasan! Don’t just bring up these things out of the blue.” Ippo’s face only got a deep shade of red.

Ichirou couldn’t tell if he was sweating from running or nervousness. When he finally arrived home, Yoshio was already waiting, with arms crossed, in the living room. This time he wouldn’t slip away.

“Why didn’t you tell me you sparred Makunouchi?”

For a moment, Ichirou believed that was all he knew.

“I thought you wouldn’t approve of it.”

“That’s one of the things I don’t approve of lately.” The conversation suddenly took a turn, surprising the younger man. “You going out overnight, sneaking in the morning… Missing training…”

“Can’t I have a life of my own sometimes?” Ichirou reasoned. “I don’t have to live and breathe thinking about you twenty-four hours a day and seven days in a week.”

“I get it, I get it. It’s only that… not knowing where you are… I didn’t expect…”

“I’ve been training with Ippo, father.” Well, that was mostly true. They did lots of running and rope work together.

“That’s not all you do together, is it? His mother has called me and told me a few things.”

Miyata felt like his heart had stopped beating. His chest felt tight, and the panic returned stronger than before.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were gay? And why Ippo, of ALL PEOPLE?!?”

“How do you think I feel? Can you imagine how hard it is for me to reach those conclusions myself?”

Miyata Senior had no idea it was like that for him. “I just wanted to understand this better. I don’t want to get distracted by something you will regret later. You have to focus on your dream!”

“It is what it is. And maybe I have other dreams too, not just boxing!” Everytime he had to stand up for himself, Miyata’s voice broke even more.

“Okay, but another guy? That guy?”

“I don’t have to discuss my personal feelings with you.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Yoshio’s voice grew like a lion’s roar.

“Do YOU?!?” Shouted Ichirou. “Fuck! I can’t do this, I can’t.”

Miyata Senior was taken aback by the swearing. That boy never cursed at his own old man before. He made a mistake by questioning him. He should have followed what Hiroko-san said. He should have been gentler. As his mind spiraled, his son turned away and ran out the door. “ICHIROU”, he called, but he was nowhere else to be seen when looking around the streets. A loud thunder could be heard in the distance. It was the storm of the previous night, coming from the sea. 

It began to pour when Hiroko called again. Ippo sat close to his mother, trying to guess what each reaction she had meant. By all means, it didn’t seem  like it was going good. Ippo’s chest ached, as he anxiously waited to hear from the other side. The way his mom looked at him was already alarming. She had a forced smile and took his hands, so the both of them remained calm. 

“Oh Ippo, I’m so sorry. They ended up fighting. Ichirou-kun is gone.”

“Gone?! Where to?” Ippo got up at once.

“Miyata-san doesn’t know, he simply vanished.” Hiroko’s eyes trembled from worry. 

“We have to find him! I don’t want him doing anything stupid.”

“Ippo…” His mother placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You really like him, don’t you?”

“I love him, mom,” Ippo affirmed, and she kept her jaw from dropping. Makunouchi put on proper clothes, fisherman rainboots and raincoat.

The search began firstly around his house and shop, near the docks. Miyata could have chosen to come back after the confrontation with his father. Ippo looked in every corner, went around his block a few times, as if waiting. It was no use. Miyata didn’t return. Ippo thought of it as a bad sign. Would he give up their relationship in order not to hurt? Would he set Ippo aside to go back to his stoic self, a person that doesn’t show his emotions and thinks only about his career? He would suffer so much, now that he finally found balance. Meanwhile, Miyata Senior focused his search around the Kawahara Gym and usual places where he trained and ran. He even asked locals but no one knew a thing, which was really frustrating. At the gym, it was really difficult to expose that they had a fall out, without including the reasons behind it. He wouldn’t want to expose Ichirou to anyone. Ippo, on the other hand, would hate to lie to his friends. Would he tell them, if it was necessary? So he hit the Kamogawa gym, after a couple of hours running down the canal, unlucky to find his lover.

“Ippo? You didn’t show up this morning,” noticed Kimura. “Is everything o- Hey, you look as pale as a sheet. Did something happen?”

“Uh, can you, Aoki and Takamura follow me to the deposit? It’s important.” Ippo had to be really careful with his words there.

The trio followed him downstairs, glancing at each other anxiously. What on Earth could be so important? 

All four guys crammed into the storage where cleaning materials were, each one of them found a spot to lean against with, and Takamura sat on a cupboard, with arms crossed. “Spit it out, Ippo. Why did you drag us here?”

Makunouchi took a deep breath before he opened up. “It’s Miyata-kun. He’s disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Questioned Aoki. “Like, missing?”

“Yeah. He and his dad fought.”

“Oh man…That’s bad.” Kimura also worried.

“I can’t imagine them fighting over anything…” Aoki pondered. 

That’s when Takamura, who was just observing at this point, decided to speak. 

“Exactly. This is all very weird. They would never fight over anything that I can imagine, and I KNOW Miyata. Since when have you been this close, Ippo? Huh?!”

Ippo felt like he was swallowing a block of ice. “It’s… Well…”

Aoki, a bit oblivious of how serious the situation was, decided to crack a joke. “If I didn’t know you any better, I would say you’re dating.”

The three friends laughed loudly and hard, but soon stopped, when Ippo didn’t laugh with them, and turned red like a strawberry, looking away from them.

“WAIT,” Aoki continued. “You’re not actually dating Miyata? Are you?”

Ippo couldn’t defend himself from something that was true.

Takamura came in, noticing Ippo’s reactions. “And if you and Miyata are a couple, it means… YOU GUYS ARE… HOMOS?!?!”

Then, suddenly all of them shut up. A scary silence settled in. Not even Ippo had thought about what that implied, ever since he and Miyata got involved, maybe because it didn’t matter. Putting a label on their relationship or identities was something only people on the outside would do. To Ippo, nding Miyata was priority. He stuck out his chest and got brave.

“If that makes you feel better, call it whatever you like. Gay, homo, faggot. This is not a joke. Miyata-kun needs us right now, before he does something he regrets! I don’t know if any of you understand but… I love him.”

Hearing a thing such as I love him , completely changed the atmosphere. It was embarrassing, but at least it looked like all three guys regretted a bit of their messing around.

“Ippo, man, we were just joking, okay? We would never be mean to you or Miyata. You’re our friends,” explained Kimura.

“Yeah, we’re just a bit surprised, that’s all.” Aoki added.

But Takamura still didn’t say anything, and that was super scary.

“Takamura-san?”

He rose from the cupboard, looking decided. “Let’s go find him. If he goes away like that, how can I expect to bully the two of you?!?”

Ippo blushed and gave him a faint smile. He could count on his friends. Takamura knew Miyata longer than anyone there, so he had a plan in mind. Just by the side of Korakuen Hall, where the boxing matches happened, there was a huge public garden, where tourists often went, but back when Miyata was little, it was a common spot for he and his dad to hang out. The park was huge, and Takamura was sure Ichirou could be found there somewhere. Now the rain was really thick. Ippo put his raincoat hoodie over his head. The group was divided the following way: Kimura would search south, Aoki east, Takamura north, and Ippo west of Korakuen Garden. Everyone listened to Takamura’s explanation and important structures of the place for better guidance, like lanterns, memorials and bridges. 

High grass covered the section where Ippo walked to. A thin current of water crossed the way. Those were the remains of an aqueduct that existed in the area before it became a park. Looking forward, a wooden house shaped memorial guarded steep and stony steps from the old trail. Ippo swerved left, where trees covered the passage to the west of Korakuen Garden. It looked like a tiny forest, as the champion walked. The trees cleared and there was the Engetsukyou Bridge in front of him. A perfect arch made of stone, veiling a swampy creek underneath it. In the middle of the way stood Ippo’s greatest obstacle at the moment: Miyata Senior.

They spotted each other quite quickly. Ippo had decided. He walked closer, and positioned himself in front of the older man, who had a huge transparent umbrella. “Miyata-san…” He greeted and took a bow. 

“Not here. Let’s talk in the shelter near the bathroom area.”

They walked into a clearing in the woods past the bridge; it was a cemented open area with the said shelter in the center. There were some benches too, luckily, but neither of the men sat down. They were too anxious for that. Miyata Senior closed his umbrella, while Ippo lowered his wet hoodie. 

“You’re also looking for Ichirou, right?” Yoshio began. He had a saddened, disappointed look.

Ippo nodded and swallowed dry. He didn’t know how to start the conversation. “I’m sorry, Miyata-san, that you have found out this way. I wish I could have told you properly.” He apologised, bowing down exaggeratedly.

“And why didn’t you?” Yoshio wasn’t a man to beat around the bush.

“Miyata-kun insisted we kept this a secret. He was terrified of anyone finding out and making less of him.”

That sounded like his son, alright. It felt as if that young man, the reason for so much headache in the past; he was in fact the romantic partner of his Ichirou. 

“This feels much more real now. Haah…” The middle aged man sighed. He was tense.

Even though it was hard to find the words, he wanted to stand for himself and Miyata, but also show respect and prove his good intentions. Not an easy task to do.

“Knowing Miyata-kun, he wasn’t able to say much or explain, right? He doesn’t share his frustrations with me either, but I can see through him when he’s at the edge.”

Yoshio raised an eyebrow. “He said he had other dreams too - that it was hard enough for him being what he is… What you guys are… And I think this will get in the way of his career.”

“Miyata-kun doesn’t want his career to be affected by definitions and personal issues, as I see it. His main dream is still boxing, but I believe he also wants to be happy in different ways. I know this might scare you, but we can’t change these things about people.”

Miyata Senior was impressed with Ippo’s confidence and wisdom. He was really ready to defend Ichirou. “What if it does affect his skill? What are you doing for him that is so appealing? Why did he choose you?”

Ippo could sense desperation in the man’s inquiries. He wouldn’t be able to answer in every single detail, though he could provide a statement that would suffice and silence the fears Miyata Senior had.

“I think the fact we were born to be rivals sparked another interest… We’re both stubborn, passionate about fighting, and we are always looking into bringing out the best out of each other when we compete. We respect and complete one another. I know you are worried, but you have to trust me. Just trust me right now. I want to make Miyata-kun smile more. 

Yoshio could feel his knees go weak. He had never heard anyone talk with so much devotion for his Ichirou. Maybe he was judging Ippo wrongly, looking at him from under a bad light. It didn’t mean he approved him or the relationship, but it was something better than rejection.

“I will try, Makunouchi-kun. I will try to trust you. Now, let’s find Ichirou!”

Chapter Text

Miyata was shivering, alone, sitting on a bench under a canopy of trees. They weren’t able to protect him from the downpour though, the wind pushed the drops of rain directly into him, and now he was freezing cold. He was feeling too troubled to even move and look for somewhere warmer. Flashbacks of memorable moments he lived with Ippo ran through his mind. Their first time meeting at the ring; when Ippo was still inexperienced but already strong willed. The promises they made to meet as rivals in the finals of their first championship, all the little glances and help they exchanged and the way they pushed each other forward, the endless admiration. Memories from when they became a couple also surfaced. Ippo’s silly confessions, when Miyata initiated the kiss at the love hotel, having sex at Ippo’s house… The warmth of his kisses on a hot day of summer… Everything blurred inside and caused tears to fall. Ichirou thought it was all over, so he buried his face into his hands.

Just when the cold was becoming too much to bear, wet steps into puddles could be heard. “I think I can see him right here, Miyata-san!”

That voice was unmistakably recognisable. Makunouchi Ippo. And yet, another voice was heard with his. “Where?!”

Miyata rose once his father’s figure appeared in the frame. The middle-aged man dropped his umbrella at once and ran towards him. His embrace held no judgement, no anger, no rigid feelings. All he wanted was his dear son back. “Ichirou, I was so worried.” He accepted the hug and closed his eyes for a little while. “I won’t pretend I understand, because I don’t, but I will try. I love you.” Miyata never heard his father talk like that. He was glad, but couldn’t say anything to him yet. As they broke their hug. Ichirou saw Ippo, waiting, unsure of what to do. He gave Miyata-san’s umbrella back and walked towards his lover. He seemed angry, and even punched his shoulder. He didn’t hit that hard, but hard enough to make a statement. “What are you doing here?!”

“I got scared, Miyata-kun. What if you disappeared from me?” His answer was direct and simple, just like himself.

“Makunouchi I…” Miyata couldn’t say much with his dad watching. “Thank you.”

 They also hugged, in an intense, manly, but intimate manner. Miyata’s nose breathed in Ippo’s neck, who jumped back and said: “You’re soaked! And cold! Let’s get you home.”  Yoshio was patient; he didn’t understand, but he tolerated their closeness anyway, noticing how important that was to Ichirou.

A bath was drawn in the Miyata household. It felt all very weird to Ippo, sharing space and being bare with both Miyata-kun and his father present. It was all very silent too, apart from Miyata Senior’s thoughts. Why is he so casually washing my son’s back? What the hell is that monster dangling between his legs?!? Not my Ichirou, please.

“Alright, since I didn’t wet myself much, I didn’t need to take a long shower. I will get dry and dress up, then wait outside.” Announced Ippo. “Excuse me, Miyata-san, Miyata-kun.

Yoshio was very impressed with Makunouchi’s manners too. He was always so polite.

When Ippo was observing all the trophies and belts hanged from Miyata Senior, Ichirou also appeared, now fresh and warm. He said hello by touching shoulders with Ippo.

“So you found his wall,” said Miyata, a bit shy. 

“It’s impressive! Wow! I can see why you look up to him so much.” Ippo’s excitement was surely encouraging. “You are already achieving great things too.” He also pointed to Miyata’s wall.

“My father says you should dinner with us. We have extra food tonight, so don’t worry.”

The two young man set the table and waited. At a certain point, Ichirou reached for Ippo’s hand. He was nervous. Ippo tried to lighten up his mood, by kissing his cheek, but clearly, that wasn’t enough for Ichirou. He moved his chair closer and leaned onto his boyfriend, beseeching more lip to lip action to calm his nerves. Makunouchi was sweet and let him have his way, enjoying the moment together. Suddenly, they heard someone clearing their throat loudly as they entered the dining room to join at the table. Miyata quickly recomposed himself and moved his chair a little further from Ippo’s. “Gomennyou,” he apologised, blushing and also fearful.

Ippo also was desperate for deliverance: “Miyata-san, I’m so sorry.”

The parent was quite uncomfortable, but not at the point of being angry at them. What was there to do? Stop them from being lovers? He swore Makunouchi Hiroko he would try a different approach. He couldn’t address what he saw directly, but he thought giving them a break was the best course of action in that moment. “I phoned your mother, Makunouchi-kun. She said it was okay for you to spend the night here, due to the rain.”

“Whoa, I appreciate that, Miyata-san”. Ippo got up only to take a bow in thankfulness. “I’d take anything such as a sofa.”

“She also sends regards to Ichirou. She’s glad you’re fine. And I think you own her an apology later.”

“Yes, father.” Ichirou bowed his head, feeling shame for the situation he caused.

Yoshio, apart from the awkward silence, was very observant for the rest of the evening. How talkative his son was around the other fighter, how his energy felt lighter. They washed dishes together, put blankets on the sofa, watched some TV… He was truly, undoubtedly happy with Ippo. To the point of provoking jealousy even. After shaking his head to put his thoughts back together again, he spoke to them once more:

“Alright, find him some pyjamas, and let’s go to bed. We all had a tough day.” 

He had so many questions… Though he thought it was best to leave them aside from the time being. They already had too much on their plate and the last thing he wanted was put more stress into the situation and overwhelm Ichirou again. What he needed wasn’t the care of his father, but likely the warmth of his lover. That feeling alone Yoshio could relate, though it lived in a distant past he had. It was tough, thinking about all those things. His wife left him after he was defeated by Randy Boy Junior while he was still at hospital recovering, never to see her again. He wondered, even though he knew it wasn’t the truth, if Ichirou had a leaning to homosexuality because of that. He was aware, but he had that misleading thought anyway.

“Oyasuminasai, Ichirou, and Makunouchi-kun”.

As Miyata also went to bed he whispered to Ippo: “That sofa is not so comfortable, if you know what I mean.”

Ippo took long to connect the dots. Hey, the cushions are not so bad, why did he… Unless…! Should I go over there? Shouldn’t I? Miyata-san will be so displeased if he knows!”

Ichirou was already sleeping, when the sound of footsteps and the dark silhouette of somebody made the light over his face flicker, thus waking him up. “ Miyata-kun. It’s me. ” He made space in bed so Ippo could slip in the covers together with him. “You came.” They kissed a few times, then cuddled to feel each other better. It was soothing, and it made Ichirou feel safe. 

“I thought I’d lost you today.” Ippo said.

“Humm… You won’t be free of me that easily.”

Ippo took a deep breath and thought about his friends, who were also looking for Miyata at the Korakuen Park in the heavy rain. 

“Did you notice Takamura and the other guys watching when we left?”

“Yes.” Miyata sighed. “Did you make them look for me too?”

“I did, sorry.” Ippo swallowed dry.

“Why are you apologising?” Ichirou had a theory or two. “You told them, didn’t you?”

“They weren’t mad at us I swear.”

Now Miyata had another reason for a headache. Not only his dad and Ippo’s mom knew, but also three extra and unexpected people. All the privacy he wanted was no longer. 

“Miyata-kun. We can trust them.”

Ichirou hummed in annoyance. “We don’t have any other choice now do we.”

The next day, at the Kamogawa Gym, Aoki greeted Ippo with an arm around his neck.

“Oh look what the cat dragged in! Our little loverboy!”

“Aoki-san, please, keep it down!” Ippo tried not to shout, and whispered through his teeth. 

Kimura held his sandbag to say hello. “We saw you guys leave yesterday, but we thought it was better not interrupt.”

“Hey, that’s very considerate of you all”, Ippo breathed a little easier, but raised an eyebrow to Takamura, who did not approach yet. He noticed when he arrived, but he chose to practise with other friends of his. “Why is Takamura-san not here yet?”

“Actually, it was his idea not to step in when you and Miyata Senior arrived. He sensed it was going to be alright just the both of you with Miyata.” Kimura added. 

“Maybe he’s just thinking this over, man.” Aoki guessed. “If I were you, I would enjoy it while he is not messing with you.”

“That’s alright,” Ippo smiled, while putting on his boxing gloves. “I’m glad for your guys’ help. Let’s get something to eat one of these days. I’ll pay a round of drinks.”

A few days later, the gathering finally happened at Shiraishi Café. It was filled with the sound of clinking plates, chatter, and laughter. Luckily, it wasn’t a spot known among boxing fans. The TV’s were streaming either baseball or bowling. At a table against the huge glass façade sat the trio Takamura, Aoki, Kimura and Ippo. They all dressed like gang members wearing rocker jeans trousers and leather jackets, with cigars in hands. Ippo was wearing a linen blouse together with neat tan cotton pants. No one had ever seen him wear something like that before.

“Did Miyata make you wear these, huh?” Teased Takamura. Everybody was waiting for Ichirou to arrive.

“I was with him when I bought it, but he didn’t make me.”

Aoki and Kimura held in a laughter. “Ippo… I never thought you dating a guy would be this fun…” Aoki commented.

“Oh, there he is.” Kimura spotted Miyata and waved with the others. “Over here!”

Takamura thought it was hilarious that Miyata was wearing the same kind of pants Ippo was, only on a different colour: grey. He paired it with a blazer, looking like the rich boy he was. As Miyata approached, drinks and fries, and other finger-foods were already being served. Even though with a mouth full of food and beer, Takamura had already began his relentless tirade:

“Now that I see it, you lovebirds really look gay!”

“Shh, keep it down, would ya?” Pleaded Ippo.

Miyata parted his lips, a bit surprised. “Is this why we’re here? To listen to him?”

Kimura tried putting a cold cloth on the situation. “Actually, we want to hear from you… Is everything alright? I mean, Ippo’s mom and your dad… Are they okay with you being…?” The word didn’t come out.

“Homos, you mean.” Takamura had no brakes in his tongue.

Ignoring the last manifestation, Ippo decided to answer. “Miyata-san is taking his time, and my okaasan is from another world. She was kind from the first moment she saw us.”

“She saw what, exactly?” Aoki wanted to know.

Miyata gave Ippo a nudge on the shoulder, so he minded his words. “Uuh…She saw Miyata-kun leaving the shop.”

“Oooh, so you guys are like… Already doing… That.” Aoki confirmed, and reached the palm of his hand over to Takamura, who paid him some money.

“Wait… You are betting?!?” Ippo couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“That’s so predictable,” also commented Ichirou, keeping his cool while sipping the beer. 

“You should see what else we are betting on, like, for instance, who’s in charge? That’s what we all want to know.” Takamura leaned in really close to the couple, as if he could tell what role each of them played just by looking at them. Ippo’s face was extremely red, and Miyata began to fidget with his legs, visibly uncomfortable with the question. 

“It’s gotta be Miyata! He’s so controlling and serious!” Risked Aoki. “Ippo doesn’t have it in him to take the lead.”

“Yep, but you have to remember. Ippo here has got E-NOR-MOUS potential.” Takamura burst in laughter after saying that.

“What the hell, is this conversation really necessary?” Now Miyata was the one talking, since Ippo was too flustered to say anything.

Kimura lowered his head and attempted to calm down their energy. “Just ignore their provokation, we are just excited to see you together and happy.”

“Riiight”, scoffed Miyata, with crossed arms.

“How did this all happen, anyway? How did you get together?”

“Well,” Ippo started with a long pause. “Miyata-kun was the one to actually ask me out first.”

Ooooooh!?

“Where did he take you?”

Miyata gave Ippo another nudge, as if telling him not to bring up the love hotel. For the love of God.

“A restaurant…?” He lied.

“Aaw, who would’ve thought Miyata here is the romantic type!” Aoki was excited to hear their story.

“It was Ippo who bought flowers,” added Miyata, finishing his mug.

Takamura, who had it shut to smoke, was actually listening and analysing their answers, only to give them another hard time. “Umph! Something tells me this is not it. You guys keep checking and looking at each other to give the best answers! It seems all fake! I don’t actually believe in this restaurant crap.”

Ippo was mortified. How the heck could he tell? 

Miyata held his breath.

“I think you two went straight to bed for the good old game of hiding-the-sausage!” 

His talk got some people turning their heads, as Takamura gestured with his fingers and his hips.

“Takamura-san!! Can you really stop that?!?” Ippo pleaded, desperately waving his hands.

Ichirou smirked amidst the chaos. He wasn’t exactly happy with the teasing, but he could feel that he was among people that he could trust and would stand by him in times of trouble. 

“Makunouchi.”

Ippo immediately retracted his arms and paid full attention to his boyfriend. 

“It’s getting late. We should go.”

“Whaaat?!? You have barely stayed!”

“Where are the lovebirds going now?” asked Aoki. “I must go see my girl too. Tomiko is waiting for me.”

Takamura and Kimura stayed for a last round of drinks. 

“We should all rent a karaoke room next”, suggested Kimura.

“That would be great!! I have never seen Miyata at a karaoke before!” Takamura excitedly remarked.

Ichirou said he would think about it. Ippo and him left the cafeteria and took a breather outside. The streets were empty enough.

“That wasn’t bad, was it?” asked Ippo, finally grabbing the other guy’s hand.

“It was fine,” replied Miyata, a bit affected by the chaotic vibe. “I just wanted to get out of there and have a real date.”

They briefly touched heads and kept walking through the dark night. Ippo felt a quiet happiness settle over him. With the buzz of the café fading behind them, he finally turned to Miyata, who squeezed his hand a little tighter. “I guess we’re gonna be alright,” he said,  with a faint warmth in his voice. He looked back over his shoulder at the café, and for a moment, Ippo caught a glimpse of something soft in his expression, as though he, too, was thinking of how important these friends had become.

Chapter Text

Miyata and Ippo had just gotten to their usual love hotel after a hard day of training. They met at the reception within minutes apart of each other. 

“As you are regular clients, we left a gift in your bedroom”.

The boys looked at each other with a bit of suspicion and cautiously entered the room.

“There is a plastic bottle on the bed, Miyata-kun”, curiously stated Ippo.

Ichirou rushed to get it and read the information text. “Medical lubricant”.

They stared at each other’s eyes with anxiety, as their blood began to flow faster and hotter.

“So, how do we use that?” It wasn’t like Ippo didn’t know it, but he much preferred that Miyata spell it out for him. He thought it was sexy.

Ichirou smirked and was blushing a little. “It supposedly helps sliding in easier… With or without a condom.”

Ippo hugged him from behind, lacing his arms around his waist, and sniffing the back of his ears like a piglet. “I really wanna do Miyata-kun without it!”

“Perv”, Ichirou attempted to force Ippo’s arms out, but his strength disappeared as his arousal became present.

“Oh, someone here likes the idea.”

“Go shower,” ordered Miyata, but Ippo pulled him together.

“Not without you” Ippo was now kissing his ears and neck, making way to the bathroom. 

The national champion was sure being rough that day. He’s just too excited. Oh, is he going to suck me here, in the shower?

“You are doing this really well,” praised Ichirou, using a hand to grab Ippo’s soaked hair. He felt like he was melting, and could lose balance at any time. Makunouchi had a passionate rhythm, he wanted to make Miyata cum at any cost. When Ichirou finally did, his self slid down the glass, drooling, until he sat on the shower floor. Ippo giggled like a happy kid.

 Once their bath time was over, Makunouchi kept dragging his body around, almost like in a dance. “You’re too inspired for my taste”, said a spent Miyata, crawling the bed. 

“But we’re not done yet!” Ippo reminded him, with the lube bottle in hand. “Now, how do we use this?”

“Never tried one.”

Ippo playfully squeezed the bottle and the gel-like substance stayed still on his hand. It didn’t spill like water did. He smeared it on his palms, and it became slippery, but not sticky. Miyata gave him his hand to try it out too. Between glances, they calculated the next step.

“You’re tired, aren’t you, Miyata-kun? Let me take care of you, you won’t have to bother moving at all.”

“Hmph”, Ichirou kneeled in bed, put his head down on a pillow and offered his bottom to the other man. They shared complete trust in one another.

Ippo lubed his fingers and began to work on relaxing Miyata’s entrance. The sensation was incredibly comfortable, even though it felt a bit cold. Ippo curled his middle digit and inserted another one, pushing his flesh around, pressing his sweet spot. 

“Makunouchi… Please.”

That was the cue Ippo needed. He proceeded to slick his member as best as he could. Then, he positioned himself and held on Miyata’s hips for support. Right from the first thrust it already felt incredible. It went all the way in with only a few tries. Ippo was fucking Miyata harder than usually did, and moaned loudly, while his lover heaved, shook and was at the point of losing consciousness, cumming again and again, until there no juice left in him. Ippo finished on the other’s back. Miyata let go and just lied flat on the bed, exhausted, but profoundly satisfied.

“We need to buy more of these bottles, Miyata-kun. We may finish this one tonight.”

The pillow muffled the sound of Ichirou’s voice when he replied, with a sore throat: “Please give me a break…”

~~~~~~~

Ippo and Miyata exchanged warm glances before entering the karaoke room where everyone was already. Aoki and Kimura were singing Speed , by Buck-Tick, to break the ice

“Hey, are you guys drunk already? I thought you were going to wait until the group was complete!”

“We were waiting, but you two were taking too long doing Lord knows what…” Kimura blurted out, making Takamura cackle. 

Miyata ordered drinks for both him and his boyfriend, and said hello to Tomiko, the only girl in the room. She also warmed up by singing a classic and sweet tune by Mariya Takeuchi, named Majibito de Utawasete

Aoki rose to kiss her hands. “Your voice is perfect, pudding. Let’s make a duo next.”

Everyone giggled at the nickname and took a place to talk, eat and drink before the next song.  As their glasses and plate got empty, Takamura became energetic, ready to display an intense version of his usual demeanour. 

“Alright, boys!” Takamura shouted, raising his beer mug high. “Let’s see who’s the king of karaoke tonight!”

“Ippo, are you ready for this?” Kimura grinned, flipping through the song list. “Don’t embarrass yourself in front of your boyfriend.”

Ippo’s face flushed red, and he stammered. “Wh-why would I embarrass myself?”

Ichirou nudged him so he could go. “You’ll be okay.” In fact, he was silently dying to see Ippo embarrass himself for him. 

Tomiko interfered, excited to see someone sing soon: “Are we gonna keep talking or someone is really going to sing?”

“If you guys insist…” Kimura grabbed the microphone and flipped quickly through the songlist. His choice was Linda Linda by The Blue Hearts. It was a song everyone was familiar with and nobody, apart from Miyata, could hold their voices to the high-energy of the track chosen. 

“Wow, that was great, Kimura-san”, praised Ippo. 

“Huh? Are you crazy? He didn’t do it right.” Takamura said. “I will show you all how a real show is made! And I will need our loverboy here to help me.” He then pulled the shorter one to his side, before he could even protest.

“Why me?!?” Ippo complained when a second microphone was shoved onto his chest.

“Just follow my lead”, winked Takamura, pressing the numbers of the song he chose: Weekend, by X Japan.

Their voices blended well together, although Takamura was trying too hard to imitate X Japan’s vocalist, Toshi, and neither he or Ippo were that skilled. The best part was the passionate performance they delivered. Miyata smiled when a breathless Ippo returned. “Well done.”, he praised. Both of them were getting drunk and comfortable enough to put an arm around each other, which didn’t go unnoticed by Aoki.

“Look at them both!”

Tomiko smiled at them, then pulled her boyfriend by his ear. “I also think they’re cute, but now let’s sing something!”

The song they picked was B-Blue by Boøwy. It matched an adorable couple like Masaru and Tomiko. The cheerful rocky melody made the group tap their feet and swing their heads. They even held hands by the end of the song and got plenty of applause. 

Upon exiting the “stage”, Aoki handed the mic straight to Miayata. “Let’s not forget our main event: Miyata Ichirou! We really want to know what you’re made of.”

Swayed by his drunkenness, although not looking like it, he accepted the challenge, much to Ippo’s surprise. While looking for the perfect song, Ichirou had some explanation to do. “I listen mostly to what my dad likes, so… The ones I roughly know the lyrics to… They are a bit odd, in comparison to what you guys like.”

“Oh, we’re so ready, Miyata!” Cheered Kimura.

Instead of the up beat rock n’ roll everyone was taking their chances at, a slow melody played, with rich strings and keyboard sounds filling the room. Ichirou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was like an angel had entered and started to sing. Everything was quiet, and only Iihi Tabidachi by Yamaguchi Momoe existed at that moment. 

At a certain point Tomiko whispered to Ippo: “Damn, he’s good”, but Makunouchi didn’t listen, he was too busy admiring his lover, swayed by the wonderful, graceful singing voice he had. He wouldn’t have noticed, when the only times he heard him let it out was in bed. Even Takamura, who was loudly munching on snacks and commenting on every slip up had paused to listen. When the song ended he interrupted the bliss of the moment, of course.

“Well, that was gay.”

Ichirou frowned.

“Takamura-san!” Ippo shouted.

“Fine. FINE. We all feel humiliated. But it was hella gay.”

Ippo had sparkly eyes when Miyata looked his way. “I wish Miyata-kun sang another one! That was so good!”

“Don’t push it.”

“By the way,” Takamura interrupted again. “There is something really important that we must discuss!”

Miyata predicted the worst.

“Who’s throwing the punches between the sheets… And who’s taking it!”

Aoki joined the fun and pulled his wallet out. “When we bet that you two were already getting some action, I won. I’m ready to win again!”

“Masaru!” Tomiko was in shock. “Boys, you don’t have to answer…”

“Now, even I wanna see who wins.” Fueled Kimura. “C’mon Ippo, spill it!

Influenced by a few too many drinks, Ippo erupted like a volcano and his voice exploded: "It’s me okay?! I’m top!”

Ichirou got so red, he couldn’t believe it. “You didn’t just…”

The room was silent for a couple of seconds before laughter and cheering flushed in.

“HAAAH! I KNEW IT. GIMME BACK MY MONEY, AOKI!” Takamura yelled.

Tomiko, with cheeks flushed from both laughter and embarrassment, tried to bring some semblance of decorum. “You boys are impossible! Ippo-kun, Miyata-kun, you don’t have to entertain this nonsense anymore.”

But the damage was already done. Aoki reluctantly fished bills from the wallet, grumbling. “I still don’t believe it. Miyata’s always acting like the boss. How did this even happen?”

“You guys made my night.” Kimura was cleaning his tears.

Miyata, reactionless, locked his gaze with Ippo. He was red as a beat and pouting. “I don’t know what got into me, Miyata-kun, please forgive me.”

“...Strike.” Mumbled Ichirou.

“W-What…?”

“Sex strike.” He mumbled louder.

Oooooooh!!! The whole group echoed.

Takamura nearly fell out of his seat, clutching his stomach as he howled with laughter. “A sex strike ? Oh man, Miyata, you’re killing me here! That’s the best thing I’ve heard!”

Kimura leaned against Aoki for support as he laughed uncontrollably. “What a move, Miyata! You’ve got him right where you want him now.”

Ippo, still flushed and completely flustered, waved his hands defensively. “Wait, wait! Miyata-kun, you don’t mean that, right? You’re just joking… right?”

Miyata tilted his head. “Am I?”

Aoki, fanning himself dramatically, took the opportunity to pile on. “Man, Ippo, you’re in trouble. How are you gonna survive without your nightly ‘training sessions’?”

“You guys shut your trap, too.”

“Oh my God, he’s serious”, cried Ippo.

“Let us not bother them any longer,” Tomiko said, stepping in. “This is none of our business.”

“Thanks, Tomiko-san.” Appreciated Ippo, feeling desolated. “Miyata-kun, please forgive me.” 

Ichirou was clearly affected by the alcohol he consumed, and smirked at Makunouchi. “Only if you sing another song. And you gotta sing it good, you hear me?!” 

“Man, Miyata, you’re mean, but I am loving every second of this!” Commented Takamura, recovering from his hollering. “OI, IPPO! SING AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!”

He swallowed hard and grabbed the microphone from his boyfriend. He carefully looked in the book. “I will sing a classic about ports and coastal cities… Minatomachi Burusu. ”

There is not one person in Japan that doesn’t know this song, though knowing is not simple enough. It is particularly hard to hit all the notes. Ippo grasped the challenge and began to sing along the soundtrack. When he was done, there was sweat running down his face. He worked hard not to do a bad job.

“Come on… It was good for such a difficult song.” Tomiko was trying to help his cause, and hit Aoki with her elbow, so he also said something positive.

“Yeah… I think we all exaggerated a while back. I say Ippo deserves some credit for his effort. Kimura?”

“Aye. I say cancel the strike.”

“You have guts, champ, I’ll give you that.” Takamura also praised. “But I doubt it will be enough for Miyata. He is a man of high standards.”

The next morning, at Kamogawa gym, Genji-san was giving a hard time to everybody for exaggerating on drinks.

“I don’t care what you say, you drink, you sweat, that’s the rule here!”

Even Ippo was dizzy from too many push ups.

Miyata came by for a shy visit. He didn’t look hungover. Maybe he was a stronger drinker than the rest. He asked for Kimura, Takamura and Aoki. The three of them trudged toward him outside. 

“Oh look, if it isn’t Makunouchi’s pillow prince!” Kimura smiled, with open arms.

Ichirou greeted him with a blow in his ribs - so strong that he lost his breath.

“Hey, you don’t have to be like that! We’re just joking!” Aoki tried to reason, but he too fell a victim of Miyata’s wrath, and and puked on the sidewalk with the belly shot he got.

“So, you’re a power bottom, huh?” Takamura was confident Miyata wouldn’t try to get him. Their height and weight differences places them in categories completely far apart.

Ichirou wasn’t afraid and surprised Takamura with an uppercut. He tried to avoid it, but it grazed his chin, therefore making him lose balance for a while. 

“Don’t ever talk to me like that. Any of you. You don’t understand. And If someone else finds out, I’ll make sure you guys don’t walk for days.”

“Alright, Miyata! We get it! Don’t hurt us, damn!”

On Genji-san’s request, Ippo went outside to check where the three morons had gone to. He was surprised to find his lover and his friends - who where in a deplorable state.

“Ouch”, commented Ippo.

“As for you…” Ichirou pointed at him and mumbled with his lips, so only Ippo could hear: “Tomorrow, my place.”

Makunouchi couldn’t contain his happiness and made a cute face, while trying to move his friends back into the gym.

Chapter Text

A month had passed. Both Miyata and Ippo have won their latest professional fights. They gave each other several weeks off to practise and focus on the matches, which happened in the same week. Ippo and his friends were there together to cheer for Ichirou, and finally two days later, Yoshio and his son came by to watch Makunouchi on the night of the event. He had scored a knockout once again. The doting father praised his boy.

“I didn’t say anything before because I wanted you to rest properly. I am proud that you finished your fight with a technical knockout. You surprised me.”

The timing was certainly interesting to Ichirou. Training with Ippo had influenced him into being more versatile.

“Did waiting for Makunouchi to come out from his dressing room influence any of your words?”

Miyata Senior gasped. He knew how much Ichirou longed for acceptance. “You can tell him the dinner with Hiroko-san at our place is set for the next weekend.” A smile made itself present across the young fighter’s face. “I know you will be fishing a day before, so I thought it will be the best opportunity.”

Ichirou briefly leaned his head against his dad’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

As the doors flew open, they met Takamura, Kimura and Aoki - who were loudly commenting on Ippo’s victory. The champion himself walked right behind them. He seemed fine, apart from the battered face. “Congratulations, Makunouchi-kun. Great fight.” Said Yoshio, also eyeing the other men around.

“ARIGATOU, MIYATA-SAN!” Ippo bowed down fiercely.

“I’ll leave Ichirou to celebrate with you and the others. Boys…” He also quickly moved his head to greet them and left.

Kimura felt an electric current as Miyata Senior turned away. “Do you think he knows that we know?”

“Probably, yeah” Aoki mumbled.

But Takamura didn’t want a sad mood to settle in: “WHO’S READY TO DRINK? I AM!”

Ippo and Miyata finally got closer. They held in their urge to hug or demonstrate any sign of affection, since they were among the other guys. “Sorry…” whispered Ippo.

“C’mon cupcakes! We ain’t got time to waste!” Called Takamura.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Don’t you think your mother will hear us?” Miyata was whispering, upon accompanying Ippo inside his house.

“Chill. We’re getting up early to go fishing, remember? You gotta be here somehow.” Ippo was all smiles, hugging his boyfriend and taking him to his bedroom.

Miyata was trying to avoid any advances, conscious of Hiroko’s presence near them. “If we do it, I doubt it we’re being able to get up early.”

“Just a little bit, Miyata-kun, pretty please!” Ippo slid his room door shut. 

“Man, if I suck your dick will you be satisfied?” 

Makunouchi whimpered and held his face with both hands, making a cute face. 

“I knew it, lie down.”

Ichirou went down on him in earnest. 

“Miyata-kun is making such lewd sounds, I love it.”

The giver hummed with the cock in his mouth, getting head pats as encouragement.

“I wonder, how can I make Miyata-kun feel good too. Should I rub one out for you? Oh, but that alone won’t be enough, will it? Turn around for me, Miyata-kun.”

“Will you shut up and concentrate? Ah.” Miyata suddenly had his trousers pulled down. 

Ippo kissed his butt and teased his hole with a finger. “Today I feel like doing something I have never done. Don’t worry. It will keep my mouth busy.”

His cheeks were stretched apart to expose him even more. The gentle and ticklish feel of the champion’s tongue on Ichirou’s entrance made him shiver. It was difficult for Miyata to be silent when his ass was eaten like that. Ippo used his index to make his partner relax, then he fucked his hole with his tongue, giving the other guy a dry orgasm.

“Fuck… Makunouchi… Where did you get this idea from?”

Ippo hid his face inside the sheets.

“Maybe I stole a magazine from Takamura’s place?”

Miyata chuckled. “Naughty.”

Both young men woke up with thumps at the door. “Ippo, time to get ready!”

 Ichirou opened one eye to peek outside the window. It was still dark, so he fell asleep again. Ippo quickly rose up and went to the bathroom for a quick rinse. He changed into fishing clothes and attempted to wake up his partner. “Miyata-kun, we’re going to be late.”

Miyata hummed and turned to the other side on the futon, but Ippo poked him and kissed his neck gently. “Come on, Miyata-kun”. The latter seemed to be efficient. Hiroko caught a glimpse of Ichirou getting inside the bathroom, walking like a zombie. She realised he had spent the night and smiled softly. Things seemed to have been going well between the boys. She was finishing rolled omelettes for breakfast and Ippo helped prepare the three bento boxes for the trip. He was in good spirits and the reason why was… Well, pretty obvious, and changed into fishing gear as well.

“Ichirou-kun looks good as a fisherman”, complimented Hiroko. 

Ippo looked at him as if he was a model. Miyata slipped a comment, saying “stop” with his lips. He wasn’t feeling comfortable with the flirtatious atmosphere in front of the mother-in-law. The boat was loaded with fishing rods, bait, buckets, and ice. They departed at sunrise. Miyata dozed off a few times until the boat began to rock with the waves, heading to open sea. 

“Miyata-kun, you should hold on to something!”

“Uhm”, agreed Ichirou, trying to find a handle or a bar. “Thanks.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

“No… Just not used to this.”

“Alright. Tell me if you need anything.”

Hiroko overheard them from the boat helm and tried reassuring Miyata. “Ichirou-kun, it will be fun once we reach the spot and start fishing! Just hang on a little longer.”

As they anchored near a quiet spot, the water beneath them shimmered like liquid glass. Ippo excitedly pulled out the fishing rods and handed one to Miyata. Hiroko unpacked a small cooler with bait and explained the setup. Ippo explained how to hook the worms and sardines onto the hook.

“Careful, it is very sharp.”

“I think I got it.”

Hiroko smiled at them, watching how much chemistry they had and how easily they got along. Miyata had the best fishing teacher he could ask, his own boyfriend. The Makunouchi matriarch was the first one to catch a fish: a huge seabass. It went straight into the ice. “This one will taste great marinated in miso,” she pointed out. Naturally, following her, Ippo caught his first fish, a good sized red goatfish. Hiroko have also prepared this kind before. The tender white sashimi that nearly melted in their mouths. It took a couple of hours until Ichirou’s rod finally got tugged by something. Ippo was right behind him, coaching on how to reel the line without snapping it. The fish didn’t put much of a fight. Miyata was a bit disappointed to have catched a mere horse mackerel. 

“Don’t give up yet boys, we have the whole day!” Encouraged Hiroko.

Lunch was fun, as Ippo and his mom told several fishing stories to Miyata. He was grinning and attentive to the conversation. He was enjoying the moment, feeling he was among a real family. Somehow, it was like Ippo could read his mind.

“If Miyata-san could join us someday…That would be nice.”

Ichirou blushed slightly. “I don’t think he cares about fishing.”

“It’s not about just fishing after all, is it?” Hiroko noticed. “I understand you are nervous about the dinner tomorrow evening, but it will be fine. Yesterday I phoned Yoshio-san and we talked for a long time.”

Miyata was actually surprised. It seemed like the parents were also bonding. Was it a good sign?

Ippo felt a bit hot. He had a constant fear of disappointing Miyata Senior. “I hope he’s not mad me anymore.”

Hiroko was concerned. “What could you have possibly done?”

“Forget it.” Ichirou rushed in. He didn’t want Ippo to accidentally expose about the night they did it in his room and the noises were a little too much. “Everything is fine, Makunouchi-san.”

Back to fishing, Ippo and Miyata were beginning to feel overwhelmed by the afternoon sun, watching over their rods for any suspicious movement. Hiroko decided to prepare them some glasses of lemonade to cool off. She disappeared into the cabin, leaving Ippo and Ichirou alone. The quiet lapping of the waves and the gentle rock of the boat created an intimate moment. Ippo leaned closer. His voice was soft. “You’re really getting the hang of it, Miyata-kun.”

Ichirou glanced at him. His usual stoicism gave way to something kinder. “Only because you’re here”, he said, before leaning in to kiss Ippo. It started off with a few pecks, but they got excited and moved closer to one another. They held each other’s faces and their kissing got more intense by the minute. They had already slowed down when Hiroko came back with the refreshments, still, she got a good view of their actions. 

“Oh.”

Startled, they quickly broke apart.

“Mother!”

“Makunouchi-san, I… We… Sorry.”

She was not mad at all. “Hey, there’s nothing to be sorry about. It makes me happy to see you so comfortable. Couples should get along well.”

It was no use. Both boys turned as red as tomatoes.

“Thanks for the lemonade, okaasan.”

“Sure,” she winked. “I will give you boys some privacy. Just don’t forget about the fishes, okay?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ippo adjusted the sleeves of his cotton shirt for what felt like the hundredth time, glancing nervously at his mother. He left suit jacket home, or else it would be too much. Hiroko, in her neatly pressed tunic dress, carried the covered dish with elegance. They looked ready to attend a formal banquet rather than a family dinner.

When Ichirou opened the door, he wavered slightly at the sight of them. “You’re… dressed up,” he commented. His brow quirked ever so subtly.

Ippo scratched the back of his neck, letting out a nervous laugh. “I thought it’d be better to be on the safe side.”

Ichirou stepped aside to let them in, with a faint smile playing on his lips. “You look fine. No need to be nervous, you’ve been here a couple of times. Come in.”

Hiroko’s eyes widened as she took in the decor. The walls were lined with framed newspaper articles of boxing matches, championship belts… Her gaze lingered on a particularly dramatic photo of Yoshio delivering a knockout punch. “This house…” she murmured, leaning closer to Ippo. “It’s like a boxing museum.” 

“There is also a wall for Miyata-kun, look.” Ippo pointed and took her closer to look at it.

“Dad’s in the kitchen,” Ichirou said, gesturing for them to follow.

The dining table was immaculately arranged with carefully chosen plates and chopsticks. A large bowl of potato salad and a steaming pot of rice rested on the sideboard. Yoshio cleaned his hands with a towel and bowed politely. “Thank you for coming.”

Hiroko bowed deeply in return. “Thank you for having us. We brought some dishes as well.” She uncovered the tray to reveal the glistening miso-marinated seabass and expertly arranged horse mackerel sashimi.

“Looks delicious,” Yoshio remarked, his gaze briefly flickering to Ichirou. There was a faint warmth in his eyes as he added, “You two went all out.”

Ippo felt his cheeks flush. “Ah, it was mostly okaasan…”

Ichirou helped setting the trays from the guests and they all sat down and got ready to eat. The atmosphere felt surprisingly welcoming despite the weight of the occasion. And yet, as Ippo glanced at the stern-faced Yoshio, he couldn’t help but wonder: would this dinner go smoothly, or were they about to step into dangerous waters?

“This seabass is excellent,” Yoshio commented after taking a bite, nodding approvingly at Hiroko.

“Thank you,” Hiroko replied, her voice warm. “It’s one of Ippo’s favorites, so we thought it’d be a good choice.”

“Miyata-san, I really enjoy the salad too”, Ippo also commented, with honesty, although Yoshio felt as if he just wanted to flatter him.

“The fishing trip yesterday was nice”, Ichirou said, with an unusual smile. “You could join us next time, if you want to, father. It would be nice to do something different, outside the gym.”

For a moment, Yoshio’s serious façade faltered, and something warm flickered in his eyes. “That does sound… enjoyable. I’m glad you two had fun.” He paused and his gaze shifted briefly to Hiroko. “It means a lot to me that you’re spending time together. Like family.”

Hiroko, sensing the shift in atmosphere, leaned forward slightly. “It’s wonderful that you get along so well. But I have to ask—” she glanced between the two young men— “how do you balance your personalities? You seem very different.”

Miyata and Ippo immediately blushed. Yoshio nodded in agreement. His attention focused on his son. “I’ve wondered that myself. Ippo’s so… lively, and you, Ichirou, can be a bit… rigid.”

Miyata didn’t have it in him to elaborate much. “I suppose that’s true… Ippo’s clumsiness and sense of humour can be, uh, a relief, sometimes.”

Ippo appreciated the compliment. “Miyata-kun is very determined and focused, and that has often helped me, when I lack confidence.”

Yoshio’s expression softened further, and he gave a slight hum of approval. Hiroko, being a proud mother, added with a smile, “I can see how much you care for each other. It’s in the little things.” She took a deep breath, preparing to change topics.

Yoshio and her exchanged glances. They have talked on the phone before and they were ready to approach a very delicate topic. 

“Since we are talking relationships…” the doting father began. “We also have to talk about responsibility.”

Ichirou’s back stiffened, and his eyes darted to his father. It didn’t take long for him to piece together where this was going. “Oh, no…” he murmured under his breath, his expression caught between dread and resignation.

Ippo blinked, glancing at his boyfriend. “What is it, Miyata-kun?”

Yoshio’s gaze didn’t waver. “Are you two using protection?”

Ippo still looked lost, his brows furrowing in confusion. “Protection? Like… helmets when we spar?”

Hiroko’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she pressed on with maternal determination. “No, Ippo,” she said gently. “We mean… If you boys are using condoms.”

The words hung in the air like a well-aimed uppercut. Ichirou pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, “Oh, for the love of—”

Meanwhile, Ippo’s face transformed from confusion to a deep, fiery red. His chopsticks clattered to the table as his voice rose. “C-C-C-CONDOMS?! Wh-Wh-Why are we talking about…?! Well, I do… I MEANT WE! We do use them… certainly most of the time!"

“Most of the time?” Both Yoshio and Hiroko asked in unison.

Ichirou facepalmed, trying to find a way to remedy what was just said. “He misspoke! He meant always. Didn’t you?” The question came out his gritted teeth.

Ippo was already feeling the pressure of overexposing his intimate practises with Miyata and slumped his head over the table. “I’m sorry. I got nervous and didn’t say it right…”

“Which means always… Right Ippo?” His mother was trying to help his case. 

The champion couldn’t look at anyone in the eye, specially his boyfriend and mumbled: “Yes, always.”

Yoshio made an effort to ignore the worst of his thoughts and impulses. What a terrible way to find out things about his own son. “Well, we trust that you both are being careful. This conversation is not supposed to be this difficult we’re all adults here.”

“Y-yeah”, agreed Miyata, a bit calmer. 

“I don’t feel adult at this moment”, mumbled Ippo, still having a hard time, punishing himself for what he said.

As the meal wound down, and the earlier awkwardness about safety faded into the background, Yoshio cleared his throat, leaning back slightly in his chair. His gaze shifted between Ippo and Ichirou, a flicker of concern evident in his eyes.

“There’s one more thing we would like to bring up,” Hiroko started. The boys braced themselves. “Miyata-san told me there have been some rumours going around.”

“Actually, some tv shows and news articles are talking about the possibility of a pro fight between you two. The tone is more serious than just a silly gossip, you know? And I remember, ever since I saw Ippo for the first time, that Ichirou’s goal was to face him in the ring, with the whole world watching.”

“That was what I thought too.” Ippo became serious. “Miyata-kun has always been the reason I wanted to get better.”

“And how are you feeling about that now, Ippo?” His mother said, then she placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing the difficulty of the topic.

“I wouldn’t hold back and you know it.” Ichirou simply said. “It’s not that I want it to happen, but if it can’t be avoided, I will give it my all.”

“You don’t want it to happen?” Ippo was surprised. “I admit it will be hard for me to take a break and focus on defeating you. I also know I need to get stronger, both mentally and physically. If taking a break from seeing each other helps me and makes me a better fighter, then… I’ll try. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Ichirou’s jaw tightened, but his voice was calm when he responded. “You’ve never disappointed me. Not once. If this happens, we’ll deal with it.”

Hiroko was worried. “I am sorry, I don’t even watch Ippo’s fights, I can’t bear it. I just want to say, I hope you can maintain the love you found in each other. I hope a match doesn’t spoil it.”

Yoshio was overall very pleased with the mindset of both fighters. “You two have just proven to be more mature than I anticipated. I am sure you two will make it right. You have something precious outside the spotlights.”

The room fell into a contemplative silence, broken only by the faint clink of dishes being washed. All four of them helped clearing the table and cleaning up. Ichirou dried the plates and cutlery together with Ippo. They occasionally brushed against each other, in a gesture of tenderness, since they couldn’t kiss. Ichirou wanted to ease him about the topic they discussed last.

“Hey, don’t worry about us fighting now. We can talk about that another day.”

“Thank you, Miyata-kun. I didn’t think it could be happening so soon. I was so anxious before and now…”

“Shh.” 

“Thanks.”

Yoshio and Hiroko watched them and exchanged looks, silently agreeing: whatever lay ahead, these two would have to find their own way.

Chapter Text

Ever since the family dinner, Yoshio Miyata had a restless mind. He had been worried about his son’s health, or should he say, his son’s body. It was still difficult to accept, even though he didn’t dislike Ippo anymore. Ok, his personality was something else, but that didn’t mean Yoshio hated him… Actually, most of the time, he secretly admired and envied Makunouchi. How could that young man be so clumsy and so talented at the same time. How could he be so cringey and yet so strong and resilient? Maybe that’s the charm, Miyata Senior thought.

And now there was the ex-boxer, pretending to read his newspaper, waiting for his song to join him in the living room. The younger one was on his way to meet the boyfriend. They had been together for seven months already. 

“Ichirou.” The father called him and cleared his throat, as it dried when he got ready to approach a complicated matter. “Care to sit with me for a minute?”

Miyata was no fool. He sensed something embarrassing coming. “I bet this is about Ippo and I.”

“You guessed it right.”

“Toosan, I appreciate it that you’re worried, really, but don’t you think you’re paying too much attention to this?”

“I just want to make sure you’re being treated respectfully.”

“What do you mean?” Ichirou knew his old man still had trust issues with Ippo, but decided to listen to the request anyway.

“Why don’t you pay a doctor a visit?” Miyata made an effort to sound as gentle as he could. “Just to make sure you’re okay.”

“Huh. What kind of doctor do you have in mind?”

“Which one do you think you need? Men’s health, urologist, gastroenterologist…”

“Men’s health should be okay,” interrupted Miyata, before his dad went any further with suggestions.

“I will set an appointment for you.”

“Th-thanks.”

They shared a long time of silence.

“Well, I have to go,” Miyata got up and headed to the door.

“Ichirou.” Yoshio called once again.

“Yeah?”

“Say hello to him for me.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Miyata went to the Kamogawa Gym to meet with Ippo. As he waited outside, he was found by old Genji-san.  

“Humm… you’ve been coming here a lot lately. Fancying coming back?”

Miyata lost the way with his words before he could reply properly. “Ah, no… I’m happy where I am.”

“You and the brat are spending time practising together, I heard.”

“That’s right.”

“You gotta make up your mind, kid. Do you want to fight him or just keep playing with him?”

As if he was saved, Ippo appeared, fresh with the shower he had just taken. “MIYATA-KUN! You’re here already!” The sound of his excitement was deafening. Even Genji-san could barely tolerate it. 

“KOZO! Quit the screamin’, I ain’t deaf yet!”

The pair left and just as they gained some distance, Miyata expressed his gratitude. “Good timing. He was making lots of questions.”

“Why? DO YOU THINK HE KNOWS?!?” Ippo promised he wouldn’t tell anyone else, so the thought of his trainer knowing was nerve wrecking. 

“He might connect the dots sooner or later.”

“I hope not.” After a quiet moment, Ippo put an arm around Miyata’s neck. “To the Arcade, right?”

The noisy cacophony enveloped the couple as they got to the crowded Arcade. The smell of buttered popcorn and burnt sugar of cotton candy was overwhelming. They bought special coins for machines and other attractions alike and stood still for a while, deciding where to go first. 

“Oh, oh! Street Fighter II ! Over there, Miyata-kun!” Ippo beamed, already dragging Miyata by the wrist.

They chose their characters very carefully. Miyata, the true believer of boxing as a supreme art, had to choose Balrog. Ippo, moved by his passion for the main characters, ended up choosing Ken. Of course, the game was taken way more seriously than it should be, triggering the competitive spirit in both fighters. Even though Balrog’s punches were stronger and connected one into the other, Ken was more versatile. Also, it was very difficult to dodge all the unexpected hadouken and shoryuken. Makunouchi had won.

“I can’t believe you’re this good.”

“Been practising with Takamura-san”

“Hah. Let’s see if you can handle Virtua Race.” Miyata pointed to the side-by-side seats with steering wheels.

“Hey, I’m not the one doing driving lessons!” Ippo pouted.

“Come on. You have to try it at least.”

Miyata helped Ippo selecting the easy driving mode, while he would go with manual gear. The track chosen was called “Acropolis”. The race began, and Miyata’s precision showed once again. While Ippo’s car wobbled and careened into the corners of the screen, Ichirou took tight turns and shaved seconds off his time with expert maneuvering.

“Not fair,” complained Ippo.

Next, they found a double basketball shooting challenge, where each took turns at the hoop. The timer ticked down as both sunk shot after shot. 

“Time!” The announcer called. Both scores lit up the screen.

“A draw?” Ippo said, surprised.

“Hmph. Looks like your chaos matched my technique,” Miyata replied with a shrug, though the faintest smile tugged at his lips.

Finally, Ippo pulled Miyata toward the photo booth, an attraction tucked into the corner of the arcade.

“Why this?” Miyata asked, skeptical.

“For memories! Come on!” Ippo grabbed him, shoving a few coins into the slot.

Inside, the cramped booth forced them shoulder to shoulder. The screen counted down, prompting them to strike poses. At the first flash they froze. 

“Smile!” Ippo said, throwing up a peace sign. Miyata smirked. Flash.

“Okay, now something goofy!” Ippo squished his cheek against Miyata’s.

“Enough—” Miyata’s protest was cut off by the flash.

As the final countdown began, Ippo turned to Miyata. His cheeks were super red.

“Nobody can see us in here,” Ippo whispered.

“That’s true.” Ichirou bit his thumb, as the last countdown started. He leaned in and kissed Ippo, as the last photo snapped. 

“Oh my, isn’t it hot in here?” Ippo pulled his shirt to ventilate.

“You’d better not get too excited.”

When they stepped out, Ippo’s face was a deeper shade of crimson than before. Miyata, always composed, handed him the photo strip.

“Keep it. You’re the sentimental one.”

“Thanks, Miyata-kun,” Ippo said, holding the photos close.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ Sweet Home , released three years ago, suspense and horror. Haunted House being investigated,” Miyata repeated after a newspaper ad. “That’s the film they’re putting on the drive in cinema? And you want me to join and watch?”

“Please, Miyata-kun! You’re the only one who still didn’t confirm! I really want us to go together…” Ippo puckered up and had irresistible puppy eyes.

“Fine, fine. Only ‘cause you asked. But don’t be scared on me, I won’t protect you from the ghosts.”

Ippo celebrated and hugged Miyata.

Cars were scattered across the lot, with couples and friends readying themselves for a night of horror. The main feature was about to begin, and Takamura was already making his opinions known.

“Man, that actress who plays Asuka—smokin’ hot! I don’t care if she’s fighting ghosts; I’d let her haunt me anytime,” Takamura said, leaning back in the passenger seat of Kimura’s car, his feet resting on the dashboard.

“Could you at least not drool in my car?” Kimura shot back, gripping the steering wheel. “I just had it cleaned!”

Aoki and Tomiko, who were riding the back seats, pulled beach chairs from the trunk and a couple of beers to enjoy the film with a better view. Meanwhile, Miyata drove into the lot with Ippo in the passenger seat, with an uncharacteristically proud smile on his face. He’d just gotten his driver’s license and was eager to show off his newfound independence. 

As the group settled in, Takamura’s sharp eyes darted toward Miyata and Ippo. “Hey, you two!” he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. “You planning to watch the movie or each other?”

“Shut up, Takamura,” Miyata muttered. His face reddened.

The movie began, and the haunting strains of the score filled the night air. The group exchanged jokes and commentary during the opening scenes, but as the suspense built, the chatter died down. Ippo leaned closer to Miyata, feigning bravery but occasionally flinching at the eerie visuals.

“You’re shaking, Makunouchi,” Miyata whispered.

“I’m not!” Ippo was gripping the edge of his seat.

“Can I help in any way?”

“Just hold me.”

Takamura saw how close they had gotten and didn’t let the moment pass, making Aoki and Kimura laugh with him. “Too scary for the lassies?”

Inside their car, Ippo buried his face in his hands. “Why do they have to be like this?”

“Because they’re children,” Miyata replied dryly. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye he leaned closer to Ippo. “If it’s a show they want, let’s give them one. C’mere, you. And don’t listen to them, alright?”

“M-Miyata-kun!” Ippo whispered, then his face got even redder.

While the evil shadows of the Mamiya Mansion pursued Asuka through the hallway and she screamed in horror inside the screen, Miyata captured Ippo’s lips with his own in a long, tongue melting, confident kiss. The sudden display earned a chorus of reactions from their friends: Aoki’s exaggerated gagging noises, Kimura’s groan of disbelief, and Takamura’s loud, mock cheering.

“Oi, what’s going on back there?” he called out loudly, squinting his eyes to see better. “Look at them go!”

“Damn, Miyata’s got moves!” Commented Aoki.

Miyata, without breaking the kiss, casually raised his middle finger in the general direction of Kimura’s car. This, of course, only made the group laugh harder.

Tomiko, shaking her head, muttered, “You guys are such kids. Leave them alone already.”

Back in the car, Ippo pulled back slightly, his face a bright shade of crimson. “You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” Miyata interrupted. “Besides, they’re going to tease us no matter what.”

Ippo couldn’t help but laugh nervously and settled back into his seat. Miyata slipped an arm casually around his shoulders, as if daring anyone to say anything more. 

By the time the credits rolled, the group was laughing and chatting, commenting on their favourite parts of the movie.

 “You know,” Takamura said, slapping Ippo on the back, “you guys are lucky to have me. Your relationship would be so boring without my expert commentary.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep believing that,” Miyata was annoyed, though his expression was light. It was a new milestone. Now he and Ippo could be a little bit closer when among friends.

Ippo was still embarrassed. “This was a terrible idea. Next time I’m watching a film from home.”

Chapter Text

Ippo happily entered Kamogawa gym in the morning. Everyone eyed him as if they knew something he didn’t. He felt his neck skin crawl. His coach’s assistant, Yagi, greeted Ippo with the brightest smile on his face. He urged Ippo to follow him to the office. “You’re not gonna believe this, kid. The day has finally come!”

“What are you talking about, Yagi-san?” Ippo innocently asked, as he sat down on a chair, in front of the TV. 

Kamogawa Genji was serious. “This might be your biggest challenge yet, kozo”, he said, as he inserted the tape in the player and pressed the button.

A video of the latest OPBF match, where Miyata was defending his belt, was shown. 

“Oh, am I fighting this guy? Has he recovered from his loss already?” Ippo didn’t understand.

“Actually, kid. You’re fighting your pal Miyata Ichirou himself. I’ve already called Yoshio and everybody’s on accord. This is your dream coming true.” Kamogawa placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look how refined his fighting style has become. We need to find a strategy to counter that.”

“Wait,” Ippo’s heart began to race. “You said Miyata-kun agreed too?”

“Ippo-kun.” Yagi called. “Do you realise how important this is? Both you and Ichirou-kun will be competing for two belts at the same time! Whoever wins will not only be acclaimed the best in Japan, but also the best in all East Asia! Think about it!”

“Y-yeah, that sounds… Great. Uhm, I need to go and… Do my rope work.” 

Neither Yagi-san nor Kamogawa Genji understood why Ippo wasn’t excited about the news. It was Ippo’s dream, after all. He waited years for that fight. He would be happy about it, if it wasn’t for the fact that Ichirou didn’t talk it through with him first. Ippo’s friends came to check on him as soon as he reappeared, wrapping his hands.

“Yo, Ippo.” Aoki was the first to say something. “Did the old man tell you already? He made us swear not to talk to you before!”

“Ah, yeah, he told me I am fighting Miyata-kun.”

“You’re not hyped about it?” Intervened Kimura, cleaning the sweat from his face with a towel.

“Well, I don’t have a word to describe it, it’s just that…”

“He didn’t ask you first, right?” Takamura barged in, directly. “You were caught by surprise, basically.”

“Takamura-san, what should I do?” Ippo was almost shocked, to be honest.

“Do I look like a love counselor? Go and talk to him properly, what else?”

After training, Ippo didn’t jog, he ran towards Miyata’s house. Quite breathless, he rang. Yoshio opened the door, surprised to see him. 

“Miyata-san, thanks for… Ah, the match. I have just-”

From the state Ippo was in, Miyata Senior could guess the kind of tension he was going through. He himself thought they planned this move together, but it seemed like it wasn’t the case. 

“He’s upstairs, brushing his teeth.”

Ippo rushed inside and climbed the stairs.

From inside the bathroom Miyata could hear the bumps of the hard steps.

“What in the world is going on… Huh, Makunouchi?”

He quickly closed the door behind him and rinsed his mouth.

Ippo sat on the bed and began to fidget with his fingers. “Why?”

“Why what.” Ichirou leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Genji-san and Yagi-san informed me about our match. I thought we would, you know, think this over carefully.”

“But we did, did we not?”

“Why are you standing there and not sitting here with me, this is weird.”

“Haah”, sighed Miyata, moving and joining his side. “Someone had to make the move. Kamogawa Sensei called and made the proposal. I said ‘yes’ and that was it.”

Ippo kept his head down. His fingers were restlessly twisting together. “I just… I guess I wanted to hear it from you first.”

Ichirou touched him with his shoulder, then after a long pause, he also took his hand. “You knew this day would come.”

“Gosh, we’re crazy, Miyata-kun. Both our belts are at stake.”

“I’ve said it before but I will repeat it. I won’t hold back.”

“I won’t either,” said Ippo, raising his fist into the air.

There was another long pause and the tension rose between them. They were supposed to take a break from each other now that the date was set. Those would be long three months. 

“Ugh, so… This might be the last time we see each other before the fight.” Ippo restarted the conversation.

“Yeah, and?” Miyata squeezed his hand tighter, already knowing what to expect.

“I was thinking, we could go somewhere where we can enjoy ourselves…”

Ichirou sighed and stole a kiss from Ippo. “Love hotel?”

“Uh-huh”.

“Like, right now?”

“Right now.”

Ichirou packed a couple of changes of clothes and his card. Downstairs, Yoshio was already watching the latest Ippo fight tapes. A strange atmosphere settled in. “Going anywhere?”

“Ah-I don’t know when I’ll be back,” uttered Ichirou, blushing.

It felt gloomy when they finally entered their room at the facility. The afternoon light was dimming and it was silent. Ichirou nudged Ippo. “Come on, quit sulking.”

“I’m not! I’m just thinking how I should do you.”

“I’m waiting.” Miyata provoked, unbuttoning his shirt.

Makunouchi got rid of his own shirt and trousers too, before he crawled towards his lover. Ichirou’s lips were sweet, so sweet it was impossible to not kiss and press them really hard. They wanted to remember that feeling for a long time. Miyata held Ippo in his arms and they stayed like that for a while, until the shorter one turned his head to latch on Ichirou’s nipple. 

“Take it all off. I wanna make you cum.”

Usually, it was Miyata who called the shots, but he was enjoying Ippo’s angry and confident version. His nubs were sucked and he was jerked until he got his climax. Then, it was his turn to return the favor. They changed positions so Ichirou could suck his man’s cock. He did it slowly, as if enjoying the flavour of Ippo’s skin. Makunouchi, on the other hand, didn’t stay still. He stretched his arm to reach the lube and coated his fingers with it. While being sucked in earnest, He caressed and poked Miyata’s butt.

“Do it.” He paused and said.

It was hard to concentrate on the blowjob while being worked from behind, Ichirou figured. He started to shake. Ippo held him and whispered:

“Can I fuck you like a girl today?”

The dirty words coming from Makunouchi’s mouth made Miyata even more excited. He usually avoided missionary or being anywhere under Ippo, but that evening was not an ordinary one. Ippo straddled him, opened his legs and and placed his bottom in position, against his knees.

“Is this alright, Miyata-kun?”

Ichirou pulled him into a kiss, allowing him inside. The pressure was so much he nearly cried and came at the same time. It felt good to be a little vulnerable. Ippo started off penetrating him slowly, from the tip to the base. He was shaking too. Once both got used to the feeling, Ippo’s thrusts became faster and reached deeper. One hit after the other. Miyata’s voice never sounded so desperate, and so feminine.

“I love the sounds you make, Miyata-kun!”

Ichirou was unable to answer. He grabbed harder onto Ippo and kept moaning, being fucked to the core. Following their deed, they shared the bathtub to relax. They couldn’t say anything to each other and just touched each other’s feet with their own under the water. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miyata’s strategy for the fight was often centered in his diet habits first. To be able to fight in the same weight category as Ippo the first thing he had to do was sweat and thin up. With less weight he could move faster and score more points. It would be difficult to endure damage if Ippo got him good just like when they sparred. However, Makunouchi didn’t notice when Miyata began mimicking some of his in-boxing moves, granting him an advantage and a faster result. Ichirou had become the most versatile fighter of the Pacific League in the blink of an eye. Yoshio was pleased with his son’s ability to detach emotionally and focus on beating his opponent. His confidence and focus were incredibly inspiring.

Meanwhile on Ippo’s end… Things didn’t look too good. He had been a nervous wreck throughout the first month of preparations. Although he tried to pretend, Kamogawa Genji was no fool. The usual sharpness was missing. His footwork was a fraction slower. His reaction time was dulled. Not to mention the supernaturally powerful punches, where did they go?!?

The coach knew something was off. “Kozo. Let’s go out for a run. Let me get my scooter. You’re as good as nothing inside this gym today, again.”

Ippo sulked. That was too mean, but it was the truth. He needed to let it out, he owed explanations to his coach, or else Miyata would humiliate him in the ring. Even though breathless from running after Genji’s scooter, he made up his mind and began to speak:

“Sensei… I need to tell you something…”

“Run faster, I can’t hear you.”

“I said… I need to tell you-”

“What?!”

Ippo caught up. “We’re a couple.”

“Who?” 

“Mi-Miyata and I.”

The scooter screeched its tires and stopped all of a sudden. Ippo ran past it and collided against a lamp post, falling backwards, like a fool.

“Did you hit your head too hard?!?”

“No.” Ippo got up and touched his forehead. A bump was forming. 

Kamogawa’s jaw visibly tensed. His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, bore into Ippo’s soul. Slowly, he exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temples as if fighting off a growing headache.

“Haaah… Goddammit.” He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

Ippo flinched. “You’re mad.”

“No shit, I’m mad!” Genji voiced, rough. “Let’s go back to the gym!”

Upon returning, Genji locked his office with Ippo and Yagi-san inside. They needed to discuss the matter. 

“Please don’t tell anyone else…”

“Oi! Can you believe this, Yagi? This genius here and Ichirou have been fooling around behind my back all this time! Now it makes sense, all those unannounced visits!”

Yagi’s reaction wasn’t as feral as Genji’s. First, he scratched his head then gently smirked. “Well, coach, if it was supposed to be a secret, I don’t think he was doing a great job hiding it.”

Kamogawa shot him a glare. “And what the hell do you mean by that?”

Yagi scratched his cheek. “I, uh… Might’ve accidentally seen something in Ippo’s locker the other day.”

Ippo’s guts churned. “Huh?! What did you see?”

Yagi grinned. “A photo booth picture. You and Miyata-kun. Real cozy. And I do mean real cozy.” He made a kissing motion with his fingers.

Ippo’s face turned red in an instant. “Y-Yagi-san!! Why were you looking in my locker?!”

“It was open! And the picture was just sitting there, staring at me! Not my fault you’re careless, kid.”

Kamogawa groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Unbelievable…”

“Miyata-kun will kill me…”

Genji slammed the desk. “Fighting the way you are now, he surely will! We need to find a way to toughen you up.”

“And we need to find a training partner that knows Miyata's weaknesses well”, Yagi complemented, before he and Genji exchanged looks. It seemed like both of them knew exactly the kind of training partner Ippo needed.

Ippo stood outside the Mashiba residence, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His hands were balled into nervous fists as he stared at the door. He had jogged here straight from training, and the nervous energy in his legs still hadn’t settled. He knew this was a long shot - asking Mashiba Ryo to train with him. First, they were rivals once. Second, Mashiba is known for not needing nor offering favours. And third, Ippo might accidentally hurt his sister’s feelings a while ago. There must be something Ippo could bargain for. I don’t like this guy, he was the one to hurt and beat Miyata-kun in a match… But, because he is so rough, he is perfect to train me.

The bell of the small apartment rang. A female voice could be heard in the back and approaching: “Be right there!”

The door opened. The girl stammered. “I-Ippo-kun?”

“Hi, Kumi-chan.” He straightened up awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry for showing up out of nowhere.”

She blinked, then smiled softly. "No, it's fine. I just wasn’t expecting you." After a pause she continued, blushing a little. She guessed he was going to ask her out. She wasn’t against it, in fact, she was kind of expecting that to happen. “What did you come here for, uhm?”

His answer made her smile drop. “Uh, actually, I need to talk to your brother… Is he home?”

At that moment, an angry voice cut through from inside the apartment. “Kumi! Who is it?”

She answered as she invited him inside. “It’s Ippo-kun. I’m serving him tea.”

A heavy sound of footsteps cut the silence as Kumi went to the kitchen. The door to Mashiba’s room opened and revealed the man. He seemed bulkier than before. Of course, he was now a lightweight fighter, a class above Ippo and Miyata. It was unlike him, but he waited until the first sip of tea to be taken, so he could ask.

“The hell do you want?"

“I’m afraid you already know I have a match with Miyata-kun coming up.”

“And?” He dryly replied, irritated already.

"I want to train with you, Mashiba-san." Ippo drank more of his tea.

Mashiba’s brow twitched. Then he scoffed. "No."

“Can you at least listen to me?”

“You don't just show up at my place and ask for favors. Go find someone else to help you.”

Ippo thought about giving up. He felt like a clown, but then, he had a moment of enlightenment. “How did it feel, Mashiba-san?”

“What?”

“How did it feel to beat him?”

Mashiba’s expression darkened as he let out an evil grin. It was a feeling he hadn’t been familiar with lately. As Ippo tried to get up, defeated, Ryo raised his hand, as if telling him to stay still. Makunouchi could feel the air blowing from his ex-rival’s nostrils.

“That cocky little bastard deserved it.”

Ippo held it with all his might, the urge to defend his boyfriend. He was there to listen. 

“That privileged playboy, who thinks he is the hero of boxing. He got it good.”

Kumi watched Ippo carefully. She had seen this look before—the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was determined, the tight press of his lips when he was struggling with something inside. It was familiar. Yet, something was different this time.He wasn’t just training for a fight. He was chasing something—or someone. She had wanted to ask him… if he still thought about her. If there was ever a moment he regretted not pursuing what had been left unspoken between them. Now, standing in front of him, she understood. Whatever she had once hoped for—whatever tiny dream she had kept in the back of her heart—was already out of reach.

It was difficult to play that game, but Ippo followed with his plan. “You’re the only person I know who has defeated him.”

Mashiba hummed, then he grunted. "Tch. And what do I get out of this?"

Makunouchi hadn’t thought about that part. He might as well have nothing to give back. “Well, you get to see Miyata lose again.”

That idea seemed to please Ryo, but he needed more. “You realise I am in a different class now, right? You are aware that you will be my punchbag for a while, right?”

Those words hurt even though the training hadn’t begun yet. “Does that mean you accept?”

Mashiba knew about the crazy adoration Ippo had for his next opponent. He was curious to know what changed. What was he willing to lose in order to win.

“Be at the gym tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thank you, Mashiba-san!!” Ippo celebrated.

Kumi gave him a small smile. "Good luck, Ippo-kun."

"Thanks, Kumi-chan. I’ll do my best!"

As the door shut behind them, Mashiba leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.

Miyata, huh?

This might actually be fun.

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning inside the Toho Gym, where Mashiba trained. Yagi accompanied Ippo for that meeting. The staff at the gym were humbled and honoured to have a star like Ippo on the grounds. Mashiba was impatient, as Ippo put on his helmet.

“C’mon, I haven’t got all day. Get in here.”

Ippo was already sweating—not from exertion, but from anxiety. His body was ready, but his mind was still grappling with the fact that Mashiba had actually agreed to train him. He had defeated him before, it shouldn’t be that difficult.

“Let me get one thing clear,” Mashiba spoke again, “Your chances against Miyata are very slim. So my job here is to make you last a bit longer before he puts you down.”

Ippo should have felt completely discouraged. Mashiba seemed to be over their fight and into the whole training thing. He only wanted one more piece of Miyata and maybe test his development since he lost to Ippo. 

Ippo settled into his stance. He knew better than to rush in blindly, especially against a guy with arms like whips. He circled carefully, watching Mashiba’s flicker jab already twitching to life. Ippo exhaled sharply and lunged forward with a quick one-two—only for Mashiba’s flicker jab to snap through the air like a viper, smacking against his guard. The speed and reach were absurd. The first jab knocked Ippo back a step, the second forced him to reset completely.

Ippo gritted his teeth. That jab…

Mashiba didn’t let up. He stayed just outside Ippo’s range, flicker jabs keeping him at bay. It was the exact same frustration Miyata must’ve felt in their match years ago, and the same frustration Ippo felt in the Rookie King Finals. Mashiba had improved his strength and technique.

“See, this is the problem,” Mashiba muttered, keeping his jabs consistent. “You’re too used to people playing fair. But Miyata’s not just a counterpuncher—he’s a technician. He’s gonna lure you in, control the fight, and pick you apart before you even realize what happened.”

Ippo tried to push forward, attempting to weave past the barrage of jabs, but Mashiba adjusted his timing effortlessly, snapping another jab straight into his cheek.

“Dammit—” Ippo stumbled back.

Mashiba exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. “You’re still thinking too much. That’s exactly how he wants you.”

Ippo wiped his cheek. “Then what should I do?”

Mashina sighed. “His biggest flaw is also his strongest weapon. While he is busy preparing his counter with the right arm, his guard on the left side is unstable. He relies too much on his footwork to get out of danger instead of properly blocking.”

Ippo pondered and visited his own memories. “B-but, you didn’t exploit that.”

Ryo grinned devilishly, remembering the advantage he took from Ichirou that fateful night. It was getting on Ippo’s nerves, but he resisted. “Miyata fights clean. Too clean. If you push his buttons and piss him off, he will make mistakes.He doesn’t expect you to do this kind of thing.”

“Won’t I be too exposed if I do that? I need to defend myself.”

Yagi stepped in from the corner, and also shared his opinion on the matter. “Hey didn’t Miyata learn how to switch from out-boxing to in-boxing to adapt? You should learn a thing or two about out-boxing too Ippo. It will get him by surprise!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ichirou was sitting by the aquarium in the Naha airport, in Okinawa, where his training camp would be for the following month. Yoshio came back after finding a cab to take them to their lodging. They rented a small house by a main road, with a breathtaking view to the ocean. It wasn’t very near to where the boxing gym was, but it was good because Ichirou would sweat away those remaining kilograms by running to the location constantly.

The coastal breeze was warm. The young man took in the view slowly and he thought about his boyfriend. Could he still call him his boyfriend at that point? 

“Son, is everything alright?” Yoshio knew what he was thinking about, only by looking in his eyes. He wished he could say something appropriate, but his focus was completely on that fight. He could only hope Ichirou and Ippo were mature enough to deal with things after their clash.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go to the gym.”

It wasn’t flashy—just a ring, a few punching bags, and a floor scuffed by years of hard training. Fighters moved in the background, but the real presence in the room was Shimabukuro Iwao himself. He was short—far shorter than Miyata expected. But every inch of him was packed with thick, hardened muscle. His neck was thick, his arms like cannonballs, and his stance was rooted like a stone pillar. A man built for power. His punches were said to be terrifying. 

Shimabukuro sized up Miyata, then scoffed. “Tch. So you’re the famous featherweight who’s supposed to have a glass jaw.”

The provocation was a reference to his second sparring session with Makunouchi, years before. It seemed like Iwao also did his research. Miyata didn’t feel triggered, just surprised. “I want to train my resistance,” he plainly stated.

Shimabukuro smirked and scratched his head. “Do you really want to get punched by me, huh? You sure you ain’t lost?”

“I need to be able to withstand body blows.” Ichirou’s certainty made Iwao’s eyes sparkle. 

“So let’s go then.”

Miyata warmed up and then entered the ring. He could already feel his body lighter than before. Each time he skipped it felt like he could fly.”

Ichirou wasn’t expecting Shimabukuro to come at him so unexpectedly, without testing, without studying his stance. He was absolutely sure he would get what he was after. Iwao’s low stance allowed him to destroy Miyata’s guard quickly, making his elbows slip upwards, creating space for a powerful shot at his ribs. Miyata couldn’t believe his force. He didn’t remember Ippo punching someone that hard like, ever. At the same time he was sure that he had found the perfect training partner, he was concerned whether his technique would be enough to beat Makunouchi.

“Our height differences will force you to find new angles so you can hit me. Until you find those angles the victory is mine. I am not expecting to last long, however. You are a quick learner and I have lost against Ippo.”

“You gave him a hard time though. I need to learn how to make him breathless, like you did, and then I can win.” Ichirou’s voice carried urgency and determination.

“That’s the spirit. You will avenge Okinawa for us, Miyata-kun.”

“Hit me again, Shimabukuro-san!”

They kept sparring for a while. Iwao was pleased as their training went on. “You gotta make Makunouchi doubt himself. The moment he slows down, that’s when you go for the kill.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the remaining month passed, the press was onto both fighters every other day. Both on papers and on TV, news reports about their training popped up. Yoshio didn’t remember the last time it was so overwhelming. And Ippo didn’t think of himself as a star but it was so difficult not to make bad statements. It was like he was trying to talk to Miyata through the headliners. IF I WIN IT’S BECAUSE MIYATA-KUN INSPIRED ME. Ichirou hated that, so he responded: I WILL CRUSH MAKUNOUCHI. Ippo was baffled. Even though he was learning a secret trick from Mashiba, he never thought he would actually come to the point of using it. However, with latest statements, something was changing in his mind. 

It was the night before the match when Ichirou got a suspicious message through his pager. Meet me at Korakuen Park. You know where. Heading there now. 

Ippo was standing next to the bench where Miyata was found the day he went missing. He ran his hand along the stony surface and smiled, remembering. When they hugged, that night, it was really special. Ippo was startled by the sound of footsteps behind him. 

"You actually came," Ippo said. His voice was softer than usual.

Miyata exhaled through his nose. "You asked me to."

Ippo nodded, then shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just… I didn’t want to go into tomorrow pretending like none of this mattered."

Miyata arched his brow. "None of what?"

Ippo hesitated. Then, with a lopsided, almost shy smile, he said, "You know what I mean."

Miyata didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze upward, watching the stars. “Are you reading the articles? Shit’s gone crazy over us.”

“I’ve read some of them, yeah.” Ippo sensed Ichirou was trying to run away from the topic. He spoke again, quieter this time. "...After everything, do you think we—" He stopped, shifting nervously. "I mean, after tomorrow, is it possible that we can still—"

Miyata felt it before he even saw it—the hesitation, the quiet yearning. Without thinking, he reached out first. Fingertips brushed against fingertips. Ippo stilled. Then, cautiously, he curled his fingers around Miyata’s. He didn’t pull away. The touch was warm, solid. Too familiar. Too distant.

"...Is it possible to still date you?" Ippo finally asked. His voice was barely above a whisper.

"...I don’t know," Miyata admitted. It was the only honest answer he could give.

Ippo’s fingers twitched in his grip, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he gave a small squeeze—just enough to tell him he understood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiroko gave Miyata Senior a call the morning of the match. The two parents were also disputing something. 

“What an adventure this was, Miyata-san. I even miss Ichirou coming over and fishing with us.”

Yoshio sighed. “I never thought I would say this, Makunouchi-san, but I think Ippo-kun was a good influence for Ichirou. I am impressed with my son’s resolve. He hasn’t faltered.”

“Oh really? Ippo has been sad, from what I can see and nervous for the event tonight.” Hiroko looked over to check if her boy was listening.

“Do you think they will try to reconnect?”

“It’s totally on them to decide, I believe. But if they do, I don’t think they will ever part again.”

ROUND ZERO

The crowd moved in masses toward Nippon Budokan Stadium. The double belt challenge attracted a bigger audience. Miyata and Ippo could hear the chatter and the noise from inside their changing rooms. Genji-san sat with his champion and laid the truths bare:

“Kozo. I cannot imagine what you must be feeling right now. I know it’s gonna be easy but that guy on the other side is not your lover tonight, let alone your friend. Tonight he’s your rival again and if you let your feelings overflow, he’s gonna come after you like a predator. Miyata’s sturdy when it comes to inner thoughts. He can fight through them like a machine, but not you kid. You cannot ignore what you have inside.”

“That’s my flaw, right sensei? I’ve trained so much to let go of those doubts.”

“A flaw and also a strength. You make better judgement of situations. Miyata is so sure he is going to win, but we’re gonna stick to the plan like Mashiba told you.”

The most recent paper analysis all favoured Miyata in comparison to Ippo.

Meanwhile, in Ichirou’s dressing room:

“Dad, I’m ready. Tape my gloves.”

Yoshio did so, but he was still thinking about what Hiroko told him on the phone. He didn’t want to distract his son at the moment, but he knew Ichirou and Ippo met briefly the night before. Miyata Senior couldn’t help but worry. Ichirou was too calm. However, that was the moment he was always waiting for. Retaliation.

“Remember to corner him against the ropes whenever he gets too confident. Don’t give him space. If he starts striking too much, remember you are ready for this, Shimabukuro taught you well.”

Happening at the seats: with Takamura, Kimura, Aoki and Tomiko.

Everyone in the group was either shaking their legs, fidgeting or biting their nails. Even Takamura, who usually behaved during fights couldn’t hide the fact that he was sweating. He trained both Ippo and Ichirou and passed his knowledge. He was also a part of the elements who had finally made this match possible.

Kimura noticed how nervous his friend was, clenching his teeth. “Hey Takamura, do you think the papers are right? Do you think Miyata’s technique is superior to Ippo’s resolve? Aoki and Tomiko are cheering for our little guy here.”

“It’s obvious how Miyata has grown superior, that's not even the question. I’m wondering if they can endure this mentally, both of them.”

“So, in that case, I think Miyata will have the victory,” Kimura promptly responded. “He is way tougher than Ippo for that. I bet he trained and got even tougher for the fight.”

“Are you mad?!” Aoki manifested at their side. “You guys gotta believe in Ippo! You saw how miserable he got everytime he left the gym he and Mashiba sparred!”

“Uh, that’s the problem.” Takamura replied, clinical. “It’s even hard to believe he beat Mashiba one day, and the despicable guy himself told Ippo he didn’t have a chance, he would only endure a bit longer.”

Makunouchi and Miyata were so focused by the time they entered the ring that they felt like their ears were completely covered. They didn’t hear the roar of the audience or the presentations by the event’s host. They could only hear their own breath, and they could look at each other, like two male tigers fighting for territory, blood thirsty.

Chapter Text

Combat rules: 

The fight will last 12 rounds

No knockdown limits

The referee is the only one who can stop the fight

Round One

Ippo and Miyata approached each other at the referee’s command, fists bumping briefly before returning to their corners. The referee reiterated the rules, and both fighters gave a single nod.

Ding!

They met in the center without hesitation. Ippo kept his guard tight, reading Miyata’s movement, but every time their gloves touched, Miyata was already measuring, calculating. The crowd settled in, expecting a slow start—until Miyata bared his fangs.

A sharp one-two snapped Ippo’s head to the side, forcing him back. Another strike grazed his cheek.

“Relax, relax! Dodge him!” Genji’s voice cut through the crowd noise.

Ippo adjusted, weaving to avoid the next volley, but his lack of counterattacks left him open for a vicious body shot. The impact sent a tremor through his core. His step faltered.

A collective gasp rippled through the arena.

Takamura sat motionless, arms folded. Aoki let out a strangled “Yabai, yabai.” Beside him, Kimura exhaled sharply. “I told you guys…”

Tomiko, unimpressed, rolled her eyes. “It’s just the first round.”

Miyata pulled back, observing. Was it too easy? Or was he baiting Ippo into something worse? He reset, feinting, testing the distance again. Ippo adjusted, circling. Then, with a burst of determination, he lunged—an uppercut tearing through the air.

Miss.

Ding!

Red corner

“Kozo,” called Genji-san, as Ippo sat down. Yagi was swift with the ice packs on his shoulders. “What do you think?”

“He’s not countering”.

“Because you’re not attacking! Now it’s not the time to be nervous, come on. Don’t let him take control of the match. Use your jabs to control his range.”

Blue corner

“He’s shitting his pants, father.”

“Don’t waste your energy,” Yoshio warned. “Wait for the reaction—then put him back in his place.”

Miyata nodded, slipping his mouthpiece back in.

Round Two

The bell rang. This time, Makunouchi had more attitude than in the first round. He attempted to swarm Miyata, and he could see the out-boxer’s moves perfectly. However, as Ippo tried to connect his punches, Ichirou clinched and broke his rhythm. The whole process restarted and followed like it did before. Miyata measured his distance and threw bodyshots. With 30 seconds left, Makunouchi finally reacted, and used jabs to control the situation. An opportunity appeared and he was also able to connect some strong hooks. Miyata took them and was still standing up. 

Ding!

Red corner

“That’s a little better, kid, but we need more!” Kamogawa praised, massaging Ippo’s back.

“Sensei, I hit him twice and he didn’t even flinch!”

“I know, but you need to keep it up. Hit harder! You gotta believe in yourself, this is what you gotta do!”

Blue corner

The gym assistant applied ice to Ichirou’s face and sides. The young man was breathing deeply. He couldn’t believe himself he was standing up after those surprise hooks.

“That’s it son. The training paid off. It’s time to get back at him and score some points. He’s gonna hit you a bit and test you, but you will resist.”

“He sees me, but he’s got little to no confidence, pathetic. I’ll get him.”

Round Three

Full of energy, Miyata seemed to have Ippo right where he wanted. He struck more and more, and Makunouchi was forced to keep moving and dodging so he wasn’t hit as much. 

Takamura was the most impatient while watching, so greeted his teeth and tapped his foot. He couldn’t sit down.

Tomiko looked behind her and saw some familiar faces. “Aren’t those Kumi-chan and her brother?”

“Oh, they came here to watch! Wild!” Aoki reacted, holding hands with his girlfriend.

Kimura purred and scratched his own head. “I wonder what he’s thinking about.”

Ippo pressed in, closing the distance. Then, in an instant, he dropped low and fired a left hook—a devastating liver shot.

Miyata’s breath hitched. He clinched, forcing a break, but the damage was done.

The moment they reset, Ippo stepped forward—only to eat a perfectly timed counter to the nose. The crack of impact rang through the stadium.

But Ippo stood firm.

Ding!

Red corner

“Kid. Listen to me,” Kamogawa was very serious. Yagi took care of his body while the conversation happened. “He’s eating you alive out there. He knows you are not believing in yourself now and he’s taking advantage of it. We need the old Ippo, the one that put Sendou down twice.”

“And Mashiba’s strategy, sensei?” Ippo asked, still breathless.

“Give Miyata a little taste of that. Let’s see how he reacts.”

Blue corner

“Good job, he’s starting to feel it,” Yoshio remarked. “Aim for the face when his guard weakens. Don’t be afraid to clinch more too, you need energy to keep getting those shots and deliver more punches.”

“Understood.” Ichirou was seemingly calm, but he looked at Ippo while he was resting and suddenly felt something weird in his core. He was asking himself if that whole thing was really necessary after all.

Round Four

When Ippo rose to meet Ichirou’s gaze, something shifted. His stance, his breathing—subtle, but different. There was a flicker of resolve that hadn’t been there before.

Miyata noticed. He smirked.

Ding!

They closed in. Miyata took control of the distance as expected, maintaining his rhythm—sharp, precise jabs, his footwork light and controlled. Ippo, however, wasn’t attacking outright. He moved, observed, and tested.

Then he flicked his lead hand forward in an exaggerated motion—a flicker jab.

Miyata’s eyes narrowed.

Ippo did it again, snapping his wrist at the last second like Mashiba’s infamous whip-like strikes. It wasn’t a real attack, just an insult.

Miyata’s jaw tightened. You bastard…

He didn’t react immediately. He wouldn’t fall for something so obvious. Instead, he remained patient, sticking to his style, with light counters and controlled bursts of movement.

Ippo kept at it, flicking his hand, weaving his upper body like Mashiba. More and more, he chipped away at Miyata’s pride.

The crowd began murmuring, uncertain.

“What’s he doing…?” Kimura muttered.

Takamura grinned. “Hah. That cheeky little punk.”

Miyata’s fist shot forward. A clean hit—except Ippo had been waiting for it. He slipped, countered with a jab of his own, and stepped back before Miyata could reset.

For the rest of the round, their scores remained dead even. Ippo was still getting tagged, but he was no longer a passive target. By the final ten seconds, he had succeeded in frustrating Miyata just enough.

The bell rang. Ding!

Red corner

Ippo dropped onto the stool, breathing hard, sweat rolling down his face. Kamogawa pressed an ice pack against his shoulder, watching him carefully.

“So how did that feel?”

“He's still landing too much.”

Kamogawa didn’t answer right away. Yagi dabbed a cut near Ippo’s brow. The old coach finally spoke.

“Keep your head clear. Mess with him, then use the secret trick you learned. He won’t know what hit him.”

Blue Corner

Miyata sat still, controlling his breath as his father worked swiftly. The sting of ice on his ribs barely registered.

“That was different,” Yoshio finally said.

Miyata exhaled, eyes sharp. “He’s trying things.”

Yoshio didn’t comment on it further. The assistant wiped the sweat from Miyata’s chest, and Yoshio fixed his son’s mouthpiece.

“Don’t let him set the pace,” was all he said before stepping back.

Miyata rolled his shoulders and stood up.

Round Five

Right from the start, Ippo provoked Miyata with fake flickers again. Ichirou didn’t know why he kept doing that but it didn’t scare him, only got him angrier. He approached and threw a punch to Makunouchi’s face. When he was about to land it something scraped through his left hand, which was on guard, and got his cheek first. Miyata moved backwards to avoid being hit again. What the heck? How did he get me? 

Miyata narrowed his eyes, resetting his stance, but Ippo was already pressing forward. The feints continued—wrist flicks, subtle shifts in weight, the kind of movements that shouldn’t belong to him. But they weren’t true flickers, nor were they random. Miyata threw a sharp counter to break through, aiming for Ippo’s temple. But just as his fist extended, Ippo ducked under and slammed a left hook into his ribs. A clean shot.

A ripple of shock went through the crowd as Miyata gritted his teeth, stepping back instinctively. He barely had time to reset before another right hook grazed his chin. His balance wavered and he wobbled, making the crowd roar in surprise. The referee stopped Ippo and began the count for Miyata.

Damn it, how did he?

Ippo had a serious face. It wasn’t just determination. His moves became completely confusing and he kept pressing, hitting Ichirou when he least expected - his defense failing each time more. The bell rang, ending the round.

Red Corner

“That’s more like it, kozo!” Genji praised. “And it looks like he didn’t see that you changed your stance.”

Ippo was a bit relieved and had some water, with the help of Yagi.

“What if they figure it out?”

“Listen up here, don’t be predictable and victory will be yours! You can make Miyata fall, but you gotta stop with the pity thing right now! I want you to punch him as hard as you can! It’s now or never!”

Blue Corner

Ichirou sat down and began to swear. His dad applied ice to his body to control the damage. 

“What the fuck did he do? How?”

“You didn’t notice, huh. He changed his stance into a southpaw on some occasions, and it confused you.”

“That’s his secret tactic then.”

“He will try to use it often from now on, watch yourself. You’re doing good. He will tire soon and you can put him down.”

Deep inside, there was something changing inside Ichirou. He began having some intrusive thoughts of giving up, that the whole event was a mistake. It was something he worked so hard for, and his brain was chipping away the wall he built to protect himself emotionally.

Round Six

Ippo moved in again, but this time, something was different. His stance shifted—his feet light, shoulders looser.  Miyata tensed, anticipating a straight punch—but at the last second, Ippo sank low again and shot forward like a bullet. Miyata barely dodged, but as he pivoted away, Ippo switched stances mid-step, pressing forward from a new angle. The crowd gasped.

Takamura leaned forward in his seat. “Hoh… Ippo’s playing around now.”

Aoki’s mouth hung open. “Oi, is Ippo… switching stances? He doesn’t do that.”

Kimura rubbed his chin. “He’s getting unpredictable. Miyata’s trying to read him, but it’s not working.”

Miyata grit his teeth as he tried to regain control of the rhythm. Every time Ippo feinted or shifted, his movements didn’t match his usual patterns. His stance wasn’t just fluctuating—it was breaking apart any clear openings Miyata could exploit. And worst of all, he was landing punches.

A grazing left to the ribs. A sharp right to the guard. A near-miss uppercut. Miyata exhaled sharply, focusing. Enough of this.

Ippo pressed forward again, dipping into another feint—but this time, Miyata didn’t hesitate. The moment Ippo stepped in, Miyata exploded forward, firing a precise counter straight down the middle. His glove smashed against Ippo’s cheek, snapping his head back.

The impact sent Ippo’s feet staggering out of rhythm before his body tilted—then, with a harsh thud, he collapsed onto the canvas. 

Yoshio barely reacted, his arms crossed. “Good.”

But Ippo was already stirring. He rolled his shoulders, shaking his head clear. By the count of five, he was already getting up. By seven, he was standing firm. The referee checked him over. His eyes were sharp, focused. He nodded. “I’m good.”

The fight continued. Makunouchi charged again, as if nothing had happened to him, and this time, he got Miyata’s nose. 

Ding!

Red Corner

Ippo dropped down on the stool, feeling not so great. “Sensei, I’m sorry.”

“ABOUT WHAT?” Kamogawa erupted. “You got knocked down, okay, not great, but it was because you are being more aggressive, that’s what we want! I am pretty sure you got him a nosebleed. Keep pressing. You’re almost there!”

Yagi knelt beside them, patting Ippo’s shoulder. “You’re moving well. You threw him off completely, but Miyata’s still Miyata—he’ll catch you slipping if you get careless.”

Ippo took deep breaths, sweat rolling down his temple. His muscles ached from the fall, but his body still felt light, responsive.

“Finish the job. Finish the job.”

Blue Corner

Ichirou’s nose was indeed bleeding. The match physician approached and watched the cutman work. He asked if Miyata was okay, to which he simply nodded. They had one minute to make the bleeding stop.

“You got him clean, son. Well done.”

“But it wasn’t enough.” Ichirou clicked his tongue, looking away. His hands tightened into fists over his knees. “He shouldn’t have gotten back up that quickly…”

Yoshio was concerned too. 

 “He’s moving too freely now, so you have to shut him down. You don’t need to predict his moves, just control.”

“Dad.” When Ichirou called, Miyata Senior knew it, by looking in his son’s eyes. He was doubting. He had been holding on and being strong for so long.

“You can do this. I’m so proud of you.”

They gave each other a short hug before the referee called. 

Round Seven

Miyata stepped forward with renewed focus, his father's words still echoing in his mind. Control him. Stop playing his game. He reasserted his rhythm, dictating the exchanges. His footwork was sharp, his counters more precise. Ippo still pressed forward, but Miyata met him with crisp straights, forcing him to slow down. A jab snapped into Ippo’s forehead. A sharp one-two to his guard knocked him back a step. Yoshio's coaching was working. 

Just as Miyata caught another opening and committed to a counter, Ippo twisted his body mid-motion, dropping lower than expected. Instead of throwing a straight, his right fist burrowed deep into Miyata’s midsection. The pain was instant and unbearable. Miyata’s breath caught—no, it vanished . His ribs gave way under the force, a sickening crack echoing beneath the crowd’s roars. His mouth opened, but no air came in. His legs seized up, refusing to respond. Ippo didn’t hesitate. The moment he saw Miyata falter, he launched forward. His fist crashed directly into Miyata’s already swollen nose. A wet crunch was heard and blood gushed from his nostrils as he fell.

The referee quickly put himself between the fighters and observed for a few seconds. He saw Miyata struggling to breathe and his nose completely crooked. He made a sign with his arms, letting everyone know the fight was over.

“Send an ambulance right now!”

Journalists and photographers surged toward the ring, cameras flashing, voices shouting over each other. They clamored for the perfect shot—Makunouchi Ippo, the new OPBF and Japan Champion, standing victorious while his opponent lied unmoving on the canvas.

Yoshio wasted no time. He and the assistant slipped between the chaos, kneeling beside Miyata’s unconscious form. His son’s face was a swollen mess, his breathing labored. Without hesitation, they lifted him carefully, moving swiftly toward the exit. The last thing Yoshio wanted was for Ichirou to be gawked at like some broken spectacle.

Ippo saw them leaving. His feet moved on their own—he had to follow. But before he could take a step, Yagi grabbed his shoulder, holding him back.

“Ippo.” Yagi’s voice was firm but gentle. “You’re the champion now.”

Ippo blinked, his mind still clouded by the final exchange. But then Yagi lifted his wrist, raising his fist into the air for everyone to see.

The crowd roared. The realization finally struck him.

He had won.

A microphone was shoved in front of his face. A broadcaster, breathless with excitement, called his name.

“Makunouchi! You’ve just defeated Miyata Ichirou and claimed both belts! What do you have to say about this moment?”

Ippo inhaled sharply. His eyes flickered toward the path where Miyata had been carried away.

“I…” His voice wavered, then steadied. “I owe everything to Miyata-kun. If it weren’t for him, I never would’ve been able to win.”

The broadcaster and the crowd were puzzled by his answer.

“What do you mean?”

Makunouchi couldn’t think straight, he just let the words flow. “Ever since the beginning, Miyata-kun was the one that motivated me the most. There is a lot I can’t say, but I just wanted to thank him for the most challenging match I have ever gone through. I really don’t feel like the OPBF belongs to me… It’s like I can’t really take it from him.” 

Kamogawa pinched Ippo, making him end the answer abruptly. 

Upon finally reaching his dressing room, Makunouchi couldn’t wait. He ran towards Miyata’s own dressing room. There was only Yoshio there. It was like he knew Ippo was going to show up.

“Where-?”

“You broke his nose and very much possibly his ribs too.”

Ippo hiccuped. He was about to cry. “I’m sorry.”

“And what the hell were you talking about up there? Take pride in what you achieved, and don’t humiliate Ichirou any longer.” Miyata Senior took his coat and then left. 

Ippo remained still, pondering on what all of that meant. He got what he always wanted, at the cost of something beautiful he had.

Chapter Text

The analgesics were finally taking effect, and Ichirou was no longer miserable in that hospital bed. He slept for long hours, his dad fell asleep by his side. His mind was still processing that fight. With a painful stretch of an arm he snatched the TV controller and found the sports channel. The reporters and critics were analysing his fight with Ippo, which took place the day before. They dissected every bit with slow motion replay takes. Now Ichirou could see in detail. Makunouchi was terrified. 

That was the worst first round I’ve ever seen from Makunouchi. He’s so confident. I don’t know what had gotten into him.

Oh, but how he changed in the course of the fight! Let’s remember that Miyata is his long-time rival! Maybe that messed up with his mind a little bit. 

Hey, wasn’t it touching when Makunouchi dedicated his victory to Miyata himself?

Check out again the moment Ippo struck and literally ruined Miyata, here it is. 

We’ll soon have news from the hospital on his condition, so stay tuned.

The TV was abruptly turned off. It was Yoshio, who pulled the cable out of the energy socket. “I’m not gonna let you watch this or read anything. Focus on getting better.”

“What was he thinking…” Ichirou mumbled in his breath. 

“What did you say, son?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just angry.”

Miyata Senior sat on the bed and gave his boy a head pat. “I’m not ashamed of you. You did your best. We just weren’t able to predict Ippo’s change of behaviour and resolve.”

A week later and it still hurt to breathe. Having broken ribs really sucked. But the doctors fixed his nose with surgery. His face was swollen, but soon he would be as good as new. Just when Ichirou thought he was finally going to be alone - with no nurses and no father in sight, there was a sharp knock at the door. Takamura barged in.

"Yo, Miyata!" he greeted, carrying a bouquet of colourful tulips, wrapped in a silver plastic, and tied with a ribbon. Something really off character from his visitor. “You look like shit.”

Miyata sighed. “Thanks.”

Takamura placed them onto the nightstand and pulled a chair for himself.  Ichirou couldn’t stop looking at the flowers, so he raised an eyebrow. Takamura cleared his throat. “So, how’s our fallen prince feeling?”

“I’ve been better. It will take a while for my ribs to recover.”

“Still can’t get your mind off the fight?” Takamura sprawled, like he owned that room. “Or is it that you’re thinking about something else?”

Miyata frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Takamura smirked. “C’mon, you know what I mean.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Makunouchi.”

“Are you here to talk about that idiot?” 

Takamura giggled then suddenly pulled a serious look. “He broke your bones and then dedicated the fight to you, in front of the whole world.”

“I really don’t want to talk about him and his shitty gestures”. 

“Pfft. You don’t even believe that.” Takamura crossed his arms. “I saw the fight. I saw the way you two looked at each other in there. It was way too personal.”

Miyata turned his head away from his friend. It was a sensitive topic. He wasn’t ready to address it or think about Ippo for the time being.

Mamoru made his way to the door but paused before opening it. “Oh, by the way—those flowers?” He shot Miyata a smirk over his shoulder. “They’re from your biggest fan.”

“What?” Miyata was trying to piece it together.

 “Didn’t have the guts to do it himself.”

Miyata stared at the flowers and his heartbeat quietly quickened. Takamura left, but he made everything stir up inside the young boxer. His pager beeped from inside his locker. He slowly got up and dragged himself off the bed. He reached for his bag and took a look into the device. There was a single word in the message: Sorry.

Ichirou placed a hand over his face. He thought a migraine could start at any moment. The word coward escaped his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The days after Ippo’s triumph should have been the happiest of his life. He had done it—won the match that had haunted his dreams since he first stepped into the ring. His name was in the papers, his face on television, and the gym erupted in cheers every time he walked through the door. The first few weeks, he kept himself busy. Training, running, pushing himself harder than ever—anything to stop his mind from lingering on the empty space where Miyata used to be. The routine was familiar, the sweat comforting. But Miyata was gone. Out of reach. 

A couple of months have gone by. Girls flirted with him now. It wasn’t something he was used to—cashiers giggling when they handed back his change, reporters smiling a little too warmly after interviews. Dinner with his mom was the same as ever—warm, full of love—but he could tell she noticed something was off. Takamura, Kimura, and Aoki had their own ways of handling his mood. It was until one day the trio had the best idea ever: a cruise ship. Ippo provided the money and let them handle things, since he was not sure of how to do it himself. Makunouchi had never left Japan. He expected that would be the case soon, in case he got international challengers after his belt.

The trip was set. The ship would leave Tokyo and make stops at Taipei, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and then Thailand as their final destination. Hiroko also supported Ippo in going on vacation. She was tired of seeing him sulking all day after training, feeling like something was missing. The double champion packed his luggage and was driven by Kimura to the port. Ippo didn’t notice - he was too aloof, but there was something odd about the way his dear friend talked.

After they said their goodbyes and thanks, Ippo went aboard and took a moment to appreciate the view from the tall ship. With a gentle smile on his face, he directed himself towards the reception to get his room keys. The staff looked mildly confused, looked at his registration papers again and cleared him. They never told him that his were extra keys. As Ippo unlocked his door, he took a view of a shirt hung over a chair. As the door opened, more and more became prominent the frame of bags and a suitcase by the foot of the bed. Have they sent me to the wrong room? Ippo checked the number by the door again. It was correct.

Bravely, he opened it fully, only to reveal Miyata Ichirou, sitting on the full size bed, which he thought was all his.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Miyata said, barely believing his eyes.

Ippo stepped inside hesitantly, glancing at the neatly folded shirt over the chair, so he could just avoid looking in Ichirou’s eyes. “Uh… I think they put me in the wrong room.”

Miyata stretched his hands, impatient. “Let me see your registration papers.” Ippo gave them to him, and waited. “Nope. This is your room too, same number as mine.”

Makunouchi’s face was starting to burn. “So, you also let Takamura handle things because you were ‘too tense’ and you could ‘use help from friends’?”

“Fuck. They really set us up. Unbelievable.” Miyata could kick something if he could. Out of them both, he should be the one to predict something like that was bound to happen.

Ippo let out a slow breath. “Should we… talk to reception?”

Miyata shot him a dry look. “On a sold-out cruise? You really think they’ve got a spare room just lying around?”

Ippo hesitated. “…Oh.”

Miyata shook his head, muttering something under his breath. He hadn’t seen Ippo in months, and this wasn’t exactly how he’d imagined their first meeting. Well, he hadn’t really imagined it at all—didn’t let himself. But now Ippo was standing there, looking awkward as hell.

“Guess that means we’re stuck,” Ippo said, voice quieter this time.

Miyata exhaled sharply through his nose. “Seems that way.”

“I… I can take as much as the floor, so you don’t have to share the bed.” Ippo was starting to panic. “I don't want to cause you any trouble.”

“Makunouchi. Stop.” Miyata gave him time to breathe. “Man up. We share the bed, no big deal.”

Miyata wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, but there was no other way. The ship left, and for the whole day Ippo avoided Miyata or entering the room much, because he would be there reading. The only time they met for the first three days was at the gym, but they did not talk or stood too close to each other. At night, sharing the bed was a silent torture. Both young men yearned for each other, but they were just too afraid to talk it over. Little by little, those unspoken rules they have set were making them miserable. 

Then, the ship arrived in Taipei. It would stay docked from morning until sunset. Miyata got up first and threw his pillow at Ippo.

“Mi-Miyata-kun! What was that for?!”

“Get properly dressed. We’re sightseeing.”

“But I thought…”

“Doesn’t matter what you think. We both paid for the trip, so we should make it worth our while. And I don’t want you getting lost or missing the boat.”

“You sure about this?” Ippo asked, quickening his step to match Miyata’s. “I mean, we haven’t exactly been—”

Miyata shot him a side glance. “We’re not talking about that.”

Ippo swallowed whatever was left of his sentence. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Their first stop was Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, a scenic boardwalk with a stunning view of the Lover’s Bridge stretching across the water. The area was lively, lined with small seafood restaurants and souvenir shops. 

Miyata leaned against the railing, eyes fixed on the horizon. “You ever been outside Japan before?”

“No,” Ippo admitted, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. “This is my first time.”

Miyata let out a small smirk. “You were never the type to chase things outside your comfort zone.”

Ippo didn’t know whether that was an insult or not. But he didn’t argue. He simply turned his gaze to the waves.

Their next stop was Yehliu Geopark, famous for its strange rock formations carved by years of sea erosion. Tourists crowded around the Queen’s Head, the park’s most iconic natural sculpture, snapping photos from every angle.

Ippo stretched his arms above his head, inhaling the fresh ocean air. “This place is pretty cool.”

Miyata adjusted the strap of his bag, glancing at Ippo from the corner of his eye. “You say that like you expected otherwise.”

“No, it’s just—” Ippo scratched his cheek. “I didn’t think we’d be doing this together.”

Miyata clicked his tongue. “It’s just sightseeing.”

Back to the ship, Ippo sat at a small table near the railing, staring at the condensation on his untouched glass of water. He had spent the whole afternoon thinking about it—how the day in Taipei had been the closest thing to normal between them since the trip started. How he wanted, more than anything, to just talk. With a deep breath, he stood and made his way to where Miyata leaned against the railing on the upper deck, staring out at the sea. 

“Hey,” Ippo started, hesitating before rubbing the back of his neck. “Wanna grab a drink?”

Miyata didn’t look at him. “No.”

Ippo blinked. “Not even one?”

“I pass.”

He was a wall. After a beat of silence, Ippo turned and left. Hours later, Ippo stumbled back to their cabin. His face was flushed and his body was warm from the alcohol coursing through his veins. He had lost count of how many margaritas he drank—three? Four? It didn’t matter. He was still thinking about Miyata, about the damn wall between them that he couldn’t break through. Ichirou was sitting on the bed, with a nearly empty bottle of wine in his hand. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top. Drinking that much made him feel hot. 

He took another deep gulp straight from the bottle before lazily resting it on the nightstand. “What.”

Ippo wobbled slightly before joining sitting by his side. “Didn’t wanna drink with me, but you’re here chugging a whole bottle by yourself?”

“Spare me.”

Ippo studied him for a moment, his own head still buzzing. “You okay?”

Miyata scoffed. “You’re the one who looks like a mess.”

“I’m fine,” Ippo muttered, rubbing his temples. “Just… was thinking too much.”

Miyata exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I was angry. Still am. A bit.”

Makunouchi’s eyelids lowered gently. He desired Ichirou. He couldn’t take that nonsense any longer. “And what do we do now?”

“What do you have in mind?” Miyata provoked, nudging Ippo with his shoulder. He also missed him, but was too stubborn. The wine was just serving as a mere catalyst.

Ippo raised his hand close to the other man’s face. “Do you mind if I touch you?”

Ichirou closed his eyes and leaned his head towards Ippo’s hand, letting his fingers trail his cheekbone, then dug into his hair. He hummed while Ippo caressed his head.

“Miyata-kun, can I kiss you?”

He hummed again and moved his head positively.

Makunouchi did not lose time and pressed his lips against Miyata’s. They finally relaxed and let it flow. Soon their tongues were dancing too, even though slowly. They broke the kiss to breathe and check each other’s reactions.

“Does your nose hurt?”

“No… Touch me more…” Asked Miyata, before giving a peck on Ippo’s neck.

Makunouchi shivered and captured his lover’s lips once more. Ichirou grabbed him by the shirt and descended, lying them both on the bed. The more they made out the more agitated they became. Then, another pause. Ippo looked down. Miyata had an erection and blushed when Ippo looked in his eyes after finding out.

“Miyata-kun, unbutton your shirt for me.”

Without hesitation, he did so and caressed Ippo’s hair while he sucked his nipples. 

“And your sides, do they hurt?” Ippo questioned, straddling the body beside him.

“Sometimes. Ah~”

The champion was kissing the skin over the healing bones of Ichirou’s ribs, making him swoon. He had been very sensitive there lately. Ippo’s mouth descended with morosity. He was teasing. Miyata’s boner only got angrier with the gesture.

“Please, Makunouchi!”

“You sure?” 

Miyata shook his head. A single tear dropped from his eye. Ippo pulled down his briefs and set free the aching cock. Ippo gave it a gentle kiss before licking the tip. His hair was grabbed and he received little nudges as encouragement and guidance. Ippo’s mouth was perfectly warm, his lips pressed, soaking the cock and taking almost all its length. Miyata hiccuped and moaned loudly to the sweet feeling he was given. 

Makunouchi got up and went quickly to the sink to spit out the cum. “You came a lot. Have you been pent up?”

Ichirou blushed and said nothing.

“We don’t have to go all the way tonight, just saying.”

For some reason, Miyata seemed disappointed, then he parted his lips. “You must be kidding.”

“We don’t have lube or condoms!”

“So what?”

Ippo’s cheeks were flushed red. “Mi-miyata kun!! We cannot! It will hurt.”

“We just need to prepare slowly and…”

Drunk Miyata was surely dangerous. Ippo put his lover on all fours, gently. Then, began eating his ass to make him relax. A finger went in. Soon another. Ichirou panted and grabbed the sheets. Ippo paused and used a bit more tongue. They had all the time in the world. 

“Can you take a third finger?”

“Yeah…”

Makunouchi was as gentle as he could be, massaging the flesh of his partner’s  entrance.

“I think it’s enough… You ready?”

“Can’t wait any longer.”

They did as much as they could, with care and constant eye contact. It was indeed painful, but both of them wanted it. They spent the night with tears of lustful throe and joy, only to fall asleep on top of each other, after a hot session of raw sex. Hours later, in the morning, there was a hustle on the bed. Ichirou was trying to move Ippo to the side and attempted to get up, without success. He moaned in pain, waking up the other man beside him.

“Miyata-kun?”

“Everything hurts…”

“You mean your head or your-”

“I said everything!”

Ippo phoned the lobby and asked for breakfast to be delivered to the room. It was a perfect day to spend in bed, just catching up, and making more amends. They had a lot to talk about. 

“Are you staying in the featherweight class?”

Ichirou breathed hard at that question. “I can’t anymore, can I? I don’t ever wanna fight you again.”

“You will have to face Mashiba then, he is in the lightweight division.”

“So be it. I will have a lot more strength than I do now.”

A gentle moment of silence filled the air, while eating a sweet dish to finish off their meal. They kissed. Again. And again.

Chapter Text

Hiroko had been ending a meeting with her fishing associate when the phone rang. She knew it was her son, she could feel it. 

“Hello?”

Is this Makunouchi-san?

“Ippo! How I have missed you.”

I missed you too mom, how are you holding up? Is it too much work?

“Don’t you worry about me, son. I got an intern to help me now.”

Wow, that’s good news. I am relieved you are not doing everything on your own…

“Where are you now?”

Cambodia. It’s pretty nice here. Didn’t think I’d be able to call you. Listen, I gotta tell you something.

Hiroko braced herself. “Yes…?”

It’s about Miyata-kun. He, uh, he’s here. We were kind of, uhm, set up by our friends.

“Oh, is that so?” She wished Ippo could see her smile. She was expecting him to confirm her hunch. She knew her boy.

We’re back together, okaasan. I wanted to let you know.

“That’s wonderful news, Ippo! I’ve always thought you two were cute.”

Mom… He was blushing.

“Please, invite him over once you’re in Japan, okay?”

Th-Thank you, I will. I have to finish the call. Just let me ask you one thing.

“Anything, Ippo.”

Miyata-kun will call Yoshio-san and tell the news himself, so don’t talk to him yet.

“Oh, sure, no problem. Can you call again soon?”

Yeah, I can. Talk to you another day, alright? Love you.

Miyata had his back against the phone booth outside. He heard a little of the conversation. It seemed it all went well. Both him and Makunouchi were wearing similar clothes. Tank tops with denim shorts knee height. One could say they acquired the same clothing taste back when they first started seeing each other more frequently.

“She reacted well. She even wants you to come over once we’re back.”

“Good.” Miyata took a deep breath.

“Are you nervous?” Sensed Ippo.

“Perhaps. I don’t know how much he is going to hate this.”

Ippo scratched the back of his neck, and made way for Ichirou to pass and make his call. “Well, you could be worrying for nothing. He’s your dad, he cares about you.”

“I know…” This time, his voice sounded more mellow. He took a few more breaths and dialed the numbers.

The phone rang three times at the Miyata’s family home before it picked up.

“Miyata Yoshio speaking.”

Dad…?

“Ichirou. You finally called. How’s the trip so far?” 

It’s been nice. I’m in Cambodia now.

“You’ll be in Thailand too, right?”

Yeah, the trip will end there. I’ll go see friends and spend a couple of days before the flight back to Japan.

“That sounds like a good plan.”

There’s something else… I need to tell you…

“And what would that be, Ichirou?”

Makunouchi and I… We talked and worked things out. Don’t be mad.

“I see.” There was a long pause. Yoshio cleared his throat and breathed slowly. “Just let me ask you one thing: are you sure this is what you want?”

Miyata looked over his shoulder. Ippo was a bit further from him, sitting next to an old man feeding pigeons and seagulls in the plaza. He had that silly smile on his face. It was irritatingly cute.

Yeah. I am sure.

“So follow through with it. Take it seriously.”

I will, dad.

“Good. We need to prepare you for the lightweight division as soon as possible.”

Miyata hung up the phone and stood still for a moment. Ippo looked up from the bench, his eyes meeting Miyata's with quiet expectation. He didn’t say anything, just gave a small nod, as if to ask “Are you okay?”

Miyata walked over, sat beside him. “It’s done,” he murmured.

Ippo's hand twitched, instinctively wanting to reach out, but he curled it into a fist against his thigh. “Was it bad?”

Miyata shook his head. “No. He… He asked if I was sure. I told him I was.”

A pause. They both looked out across the plaza. The old man who had been feeding birds was gone now, leaving behind only scattered crumbs and flapping wings.

“I think,” Miyata added after a moment, “he understands more than I gave him credit for.”

“That’s good.” Ippo smiled again—gentle, a little proud. “Really good. How about we go out now?”

The couple spent their morning at the Phsar Leu Market. It was so crowded. A mess of people, motorcycles, merchants… The aisles were busy and difficult to walk through, but there was so much to see. Fresh carrot and orange juice, huge papayas and pineapples. Pungent smell of fish and local music going on wherever they went. Inside the dome there were even hair salons and a foot spa, which they decided to try. Ichirou and Ippo could not hold hands, or exchange public affection, so they just exchanged looks and brushed against each other sometimes. They enjoyed some closeness when taking a tuk-tuk ride to the Wat Leu Temple. The driver said it was the highest point of Sihanoukville city, for the name also meant ‘higher temple’. There were about 60 monks who took care of the place, keeping it clean and neat. 

Upon arriving, the two young men had to climb a long set of stairs. Up there they found a group of children kicking their sandals, as if they were playing football. They laughed a bit. One thing that surprised them though were the absurd quantity of monkeys. They ran and jumped freely around the place. The kids warned not to bother or touch them though. Monkeys scratch and bite. The temple itself was adorned with golden spires, intricate carvings of mythological creatures and colorful murals depicting scenes from Buddhist lore. They heard a guide saying the shape of the roof had a welcoming message to everyone who visited, like the shape of two hands together. The area around was so green the air felt fresh and the nature noises were soothing. In several spots Miyata and Makunouchi could get a glimpse of the city and the sea. It made the moment very special. Someone helped and took a picture of them.

They came back to the beach area and spent the rest of the afternoon there, waiting for the sunset and the right time to return to the ship. The stars began to shimmer and some clouds hovered across the sky. The cruise passengers all took time to take in the special view from above. The couple found it easier to sneak into their room with the empty aisles before them. 

“My legs feel sore from walking and climbing,” commented Ippo, rubbing his shins. 

“Ah, mine too.”

“Our next stop is…?”

“Thailand. The final destination.” Ichirou took a deep breath. “I remember you told me you have a hotel reservation. I was wondering if… Maybe you could stay with me at a friend’s house?”

“Of course!” Makunouchi didn’t have to think twice. “I’ll cancel it the minute we get there. Can you tell me more about this friend of yours?”

Miyata’s face flushed with the warm and bittersweet memories from his time in Thailand. “He was the only person who would talk to me in the boxing gym there, I kind of forced it but in the end we became friends. His name is Payao. He’s a good sparring partner if you are interested.”

“Why are you smirking? Anything I should know?” Ippo tapped his shoulder and provoked.

“When I was there, it was the first time I thought of you as a friend. After that I got angry and realised I wanted to have you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Payao was waiting outside a tiny car. He saw the huge cruise ship port in Pattaya, his city, and watched carefully as all passengers walked down the ramp. When Miyata saw him, he was accompanied by someone else. His face was oddly familiar.

“S̄wạs̄dī”, greeted Ichirou, with unusual contentment.

“You still remember, huh” provoked Payao. When they shook hands, he studied the second man’s face again. “He’s with you?”

Then Ippo removed his sunglasses and reached out to Payao too. “I heard good things about you.”

Miyata introduced them. “Payao, Makunouchi Ippo, and Makunouchi, Payao”.

“WAIT. HOLD ON.”

Payao’s reaction was priceless. He froze, raised his pointer toward the man he had just shaken hands with and asked: “that Makunouchi Ippo?”

“Yes.” Miyata promptly answered.

“The famous Japanese fighter? The one who beat… you?”

“I guess that’s me.” Ippo blushed.

“And you’re friends?”

The lovers looked at each other. Unsure of how to approach the situation. 

Ichirou took the reins. “Something like that.”

It took a while before the Thai young man regained his ability to drive. 

“Chana will be over the moon with this. But first, lunch!”

Payao took them to a local restaurant he knew and had been with Miyata before. During their meal, he couldn’t stop wondering why Ippo was giving such suggestive looks and being too touchy with Ichirou. He scratched his cheek but didn’t know what was going on. There was something weird in the atmosphere. On the other hand, neither of the boys could tell they were behaving any different. Maybe spending so much time together made me lose the sense of awareness. Ippo rose and went to the washroom, leaving Ichirou and Payao alone.

“This Makunouchi Ippo. He’s a bit weird, don’t you think?” Payao leaned his head side to side. “He can’t take his eyes off of you.”

“He’s always been like that, though.” Miyata said, getting another spoonful of food.

“But not you. You’re smiling. Last time you didn’t even know how to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s nothing…” Payao tried to let go, but only irritated Ichirou and Payao knew better to piss him off.

“You will tell me now or I’ll make you regret it.”

That was when Ippo returned and heard the sentence. “Whoa, what’s going on?”

The Thai young man covered his head. “Are you two together or something?”

This came to them as a shock. They were being too obvious. 

“This is not a problem at all here though! So don’t fret! It's a Thai custom to respect everyone’s nature.”

“In that case, we are together”, Ippo confirmed, observing his boyfriend’s reactions.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” Ichirou apologised to Payao.

Chana came running to greet Miyata when they arrived at the host's home. He jumped and hugged him by the waist. “MIYATA!” 

Ichirou nearly fell back with the impact. He ruffled the ten-year-old boy’s hair. “You grew up a lot. Your brother was telling me earlier that you are participating in junior boxing competitions.”

“Yes! Just like you did!” He paused and eyed Ippo, not realising at first who he was, but he was familiar, somehow. “Are you okay? I heard you got hurt pretty bad in the last fight…I hate Makunouchi.” He looked at Ippo again, when the man himself got closer. “Uhm… Is that?!”

Ichirou’s mind was in knots. What logic was there in bringing his arch enemy of boxing to a trip to Thailand with him? How would Chana react if he knew? No, I cannot tell him. He’s just a kid.

Ippo smiled through the criticism. He realised Miyata was his hero. “I didn’t break him, I promise he’s okay now.”

“Makunouchi, this is Chana. Chana, this is my annoying friend from Japan, Makunouchi Ippo.” Miyata introduced.

“So that’s really him!” Chana was surprised. “I still don’t like what you did, mister.”

“Why don’t we get inside? My parents want to meet you guys too!” Rushed Payao.

“S̄wạs̄dī, Th̀ān læa Nāy h̄ỵing”.

Payao and Chana’s parents were pleased with the greetings in Thai. Ippo tried to repeat the words and bowed respectfully. They spoke nothing of Japanese, and Ichirou knew a thing or two. Thin mattresses were set side to side in the living room for the guests. They whispered and exchanged glances while unpacking their stuff, which didn’t go unnoticed. Later, there was dinner. The smell of chicken, curry and jasmine rice was making Ippo nearly faint. Miyata chuckled. Chana had barely touched his food, watching Miyata with quiet intensity. The adults chatted in Thai, mostly with Payao translating bits and pieces.

Miyata helped Ippo serve. At one point, Ippo scooped a piece of chicken onto Miyata’s plate and nudged him, whispering something that made him snort under his breath. Payao’s mother, a soft-eyed woman with silver in her hair, leaned close to her husband and said something with a smile. The father nodded, glanced at the boys, then at Payao, and asked a question in Thai. Everyone at the table quieted. Payao blushed slightly and responded quickly. There was a short exchange, then the parents chuckled warmly and nodded toward the couple. 

Chana seemingly had an outburst and left the table. “But... but Miyata can’t—he’s... He’s not like that.”

Puzzled, Ichirou asked Payao to explain. 

“Mom and dad asked about you two… I told the truth. They are congratulating you for being together and extended their blessings.”

Ippo was worried about the kid. “And what about Chana?”

“I think he is disappointed. I’ll go talk to him.”

Miyata cleaned the corners of his mouth. “No. I’ll go.”

The door was slightly ajar. Miyata knocked softly once.

“Chana. It’s me.”

No answer. He waited a few seconds, then gently pushed the door open. Chana was curled up on one of the mats with his arms crossed under his head, facing the wall. His small shoulders were tense. Miyata stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“You weren’t supposed to know about it, I’m sorry.”

“You were my hero.”

“I still can be. Who I get involved with doesn’t matter when it comes to boxing.”

“It doesn’t?” Chana slowly rolled over, eyes a little puffy, but not angry.

“I still work hard the same way. I have always fought the same way.”

“So, why did you lose to him? Was it because you liked him?” 

Miyata took a deep breath. “I lost because he was better that day. I trained hard. I fought with everything I had. I just wasn’t enough. That’s the truth.”

Chana rubbed his eyes, a bit calmer. “I’m sorry.” 

Miyata smiled gently at him. “You were just in shock. Try not to worry. I will move up class and defeat whoever is in my way.” 

“Yeah, you’d better do!”

The tension from the previous evening dissolved gradually. By breakfast, Chana was quieter than usual but sat beside Miyata without hesitation. The family treated the boys no differently—warm, loud, and full of questions about Japan. Later that afternoon, after some rest and tea under the shade of a jackfruit tree, Ippo tugged at Miyata’s sleeve and suggested they walk through the local market. “Just for fun,” he said, grinning. Miyata, grateful for the calm, agreed. They wandered through the colorful stalls filled with dried fruits, fabrics, and fragrant incense, letting the rhythm of normal life lull their steps. But as they turned a corner near the end of the street, Ippo stopped dead in his tracks, staring into a modest glass-front jewelry shop—and Miyata immediately felt his heartbeat climb. Ippo didn’t even ask. He went inside.

“Makunouchi? What are you…?”

“I just wanna look at some rings, c’mon.”

“Some what?!?” Ichirou reluctantly entered, but his goal was to drag his lover out of there.

While Ippo romantically looked at the options, a clerk tried to assist, speaking in Thai. Ippo pointed and gestured,  trying to make himself understood.

“Miyata-kun. Can you try to tell her that I’m asking you to marry me so we need to try those on?

“Have you LOST IT completely?? We can’t get married in Japan! Besides, how sure are you that we can find a place and move out? Have you looked at the prices of apartments lately? And one more thing…”

He only shut up when the clerk gently took his hand and slid the silver ring onto his finger. Ichirou stiffened like he'd been struck, lips parted mid-lecture. All the reasons he’d been rambling—legal impossibility, moving costs, career uncertainty—collapsed beneath the soft weight of silver. Across from him, Ippo smiled wide and childlike, already fumbling through his wallet. The last of his travel money, gone in seconds, without a second thought. 

Miyata felt something snap in his chest—quiet, like a knot giving way. He looked at his own hand, still outstretched, trembling slightly. Was this really happening? Was it allowed to feel this good?

He was still dazed when they stepped back onto the street, hand-in-hand in silence for a while. Then Ippo pulled at his arm again, softly this time. “Come with me,” he said, not explaining. They walked until the market noise faded behind them, climbing a hill that overlooked the sea. At the top stood a small temple. It was quiet, weathered, forgotten by most tourists. An old stone Buddha lined the altar, watching over lotus flowers and incense trays. No monks. No crowd. Just the two of them. 

Ippo knelt first, motioning for Ichirou to join him. He did, unsure. “I don’t know how to do this, but all I know is that I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my days.”

Miyata’s jaw dropped slightly. He also wanted to say something. “I… want to be brave with you. I thought I would be better off alone until you showed I didn’t have to be. I love you, Ippo.”

Surprised at having his first name called out for the first time, Ippo grabbed his hands and kissed him. “Me too. I…Chi…Rou.” They both blushed. It was stupidly cute.

They made their way back to Payao’s home, fingers still interlaced. The rings on their hands felt like small, warm promises, glowing faintly with the last light of day. At the door, they hesitated. Ippo bit his lip and nudged Ichirou with his shoulder. “Should we tell them?”

Miyata let out a long breath through his nose. “They’ll figure it out eventually. Better we say it ourselves.”

The couple didn’t have to wait long. Payao noticed the rings right away. “I take my eyes off of you for a day and you get married!”

He took the boys’ hands and showed them to his mom and dad. Excited cheering and sweet prayers were spoken. “They are happy you have blessed this home with love”, Payao translated. Chana peeked from a corner before entering the room. He shyly congratulated them. 

The final days in Thailand passed with a calm, bittersweet rhythm. Ippo sparred with Payao under the open-air gym roof, sweat gleaming on their backs as they laughed between rounds. Chana insisted on having a turn too. Miyata sat at the side, still nursing his ribs, shouting gentle corrections with a small smile he rarely used. Evenings were slow and warm. Dinner with the family, soft rain tapping the roof, the occasional tug of Miyata’s hand under the table. They spoke less, choosing comfort in silence. Their new rings stayed mostly hidden. 

On the night before their flight, the two sat outside beneath a buzzing porch light. “We’ll tell Takamura and the others first, right?” Ippo asked, eyes tracing a trail of ants on the railing.

Miyata nodded in agreement. “It’s my dad that worries me.”

Ippo swallowed dry. “We don’t have to say anything right away. I mean, not right when we land.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ippo and Miyata’s training resumed normally once they were back in Japan. Doctors have allowed light exercises and jogging for Ichirou, but he was already pushing his limit, as usual. Makunouchi was informed about his next rival and first defense of the OPBF belt. He passed down his national belt to the champion Sendou, who swore to catch him.

“What is it, Kozo?” Coach Kamogawa asked, raising an eyebrow as he spotted both Ippo and Miyata hovering at the entrance. The usual crowd followed the featherweight phenomenon inside.

“What are you all doing here instead of training?” barked the coach.

Takamura stretched with a yawn. “Somebody said there was an announcement.”

Aoki pointed at the couple. “Yeah, those two are acting weird. Like, even more than usual. Suspiciously happy.”

Ippo cleared his throat. “Actually… uh… we do have something to tell you.”

Miyata, who had been quiet, shoved his hands in his pockets. He gave Ippo a glance that said “Now or never.”

Without another word, both of them raised their left hands.

The matching silver rings gleamed under the fluorescent light.

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?” Aoki screeched, nearly falling backward over a chair.

Kimura’s jaw hit the floor. “Wait wait wait—what the hell is that?! Are you two…?”

Takamura took two steps forward, eyes narrowing at the rings. “No way. Don’t tell me—did you actually get married!?”

“Well, not officially… We just got the rings and prayed at a temple.” Explained Miyata, kicking the floor.

Coach Kamogawa squinted at the rings. “Hmph. So you finally stopped dancing around it.”

Yagi smiled quietly. “Congratulations, both of you.”

Takamura suddenly lunged forward and put them both in a painful headlock. They struggled, laughing, until Aoki and Kimura joined in the group hug—chaotic and noisy as ever.

And in the middle of it all, Miyata leaned just slightly into Ippo’s side. It felt like home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ippo sat on a small wooden stool near the bow, elbows resting on his knees, with his fishing rod nestled between them. Beside him, Miyata leaned against the railing, one arm occasionally brushing his fiancé’s shoulder. They’d barely caught a thing. Not that either of them really cared.

Further back, Hiroko expertly gutted some of the catches she and Yoshio had made. “You raised him well,” he said, quietly.

Hiroko laughed. “They both turned out great.”

“Ichirou had to grow up fast after his mother left.”

“You two put on armour to protect yourselves.” Hiroko wisely said. “I’m glad this is starting to become a thing of the past.”

“We all lost something here, but thanks to this… Companionship. This feeling they share… I never thought I’d say this, but today, for the first time in years, I feel relaxed. My son is finally smiling.”

Hiroko poured him some tea, glad that Yoshio finally opened up. “I hope we keep having days like this one.”

Ippo was squirming with nervous energy. Ichirou was placing both rings on their fingers.

“I’m serious,” Ippo said under his breath. “What if your dad throws me off the boat?”

“He won’t.”

“I won’t what?” Miyata Senior asked. “You keep whispering to each other and looking at me.”

“Crap, why don’t we tell them another day? Next year sounds good, don’t you think?” Ippo panicked.

“Tell us what, honey?” Hiroko also joined the conversation.

Miyata facepalmed, and then the ring was visible. 

“On your left hand…”

Ippo held his left hand high too. “S-Surprise?”

Hiroko was the first to realise what was going on. “You two got married? AH, that’s wonderful news!” 

Miyata blushed and scratched his head. He didn’t know he would feel like so anxious. “Kind of? We can’t officially… We just- Uhm, there was this temple we prayed in Thailand… Then we spoke some vows…”

“Thailand?! But that was weeks ago!” Yoshio burst. “You have barely gotten back together. You shouldn’t make decisions like those on a whim. Where are you moving out to? Buying an apartment is very expensive nowadays.”

“Sorry Miyata-san, we didn’t mean to hide this from you.” Ippo bowed to apologise. “It will take a while before we find a place, things still won’t change for now…”

“Yoshio-san. Look at them. They’re happy. We’re gonna be alright.” Hiroko commented.

The man had to massage his temples.

“Dad…? Are you okay with this?” Ichirou inquired, worried.

“Sure, of course… I just wasn’t expecting any of this. Gosh I’m so glad you can’t have children.”

Everyone burst out laughing—Hiroko nearly dropped her tea, Ippo turned a deep red, and Ichirou just groaned, covering his face. They sat in company silence for a while. The kind that only comes when all the secrets are out, when the nerves have settled, and there’s nothing left to prove. Ichirou smiled softly, watching his found family joke and bicker while pulling the fishing lines in. He hadn’t expected life to unfold like this. But somehow, with Ippo beside him, everything was in their right place.

Chapter Text

The highway hummed gently under the wheels of Miyata’s car. In the passenger seat, Ippo was half-asleep, slouched with his head tilted toward the window. His hair fluttered from the breeze sneaking in through the open crack.

“Don’t sleep,” Miyata said without taking his eyes off the road. “We still need to talk about the second house.”

“I’m listening,” Ippo yawned. “Sort of.”

They’d spent the day driving from one small town to another—touring houses nestled at the edges of quiet roads, some near wooded hills, others by rice fields or train tracks. None of them had been perfect, but all of them had been something they never thought they’d look at seriously before.

“I liked the one with the blue roof,” Ippo finally said. “It smelled like tatami and lemons.”

“It had mold under the sink,” Miyata replied.

“Still... it felt like it had a soul.”

Ichirou smirked at the phrase. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “You just liked the neighbor's dog.”

“And you didn’t?” Ippo challenged, cracking one eye open. “It followed you around the yard.”

“I’m not buying a house because of a dog.”

A moment of silence passed, and then Ippo sat up straighter. “So… are we really doing this? Leaving Tokyo?”

“Wait,” Miyata said.

He pulled the car to a stop at a small mirant—an old rest area with a faded wooden fence and a battered map stand. From here, Tokyo sprawled out like a dream, all made of steel and windows reflecting the morning sun. Unexpectedly, Ichirou jumped on Ippo’s lap, pressing him against the seat. 

“What if someone sees us?!?” 

“On a Monday morning? In this empty stop?”

Makunouchi came to a realisation when his face and neck were pecked and sucked. 

“You didn’t choose to go out here just for house hunting, right? You had something else in mind.” 

“No shit, Sherlock.” Miyata reached the glove box and fetched a condom packet and a tiny lube container.

“So we’re not leaving Tokyo?” Ippo hasn't caught up with the mood yet, while Ichirou seemed very much needy.

“No, we’re not. Can you focus? We haven’t done it in weeks.”

Makunouchi smirked and captured his lover ‘s lips. “I think I can get hard.”

“I’ll help. Let’s get in the back.”

The small car presented a real challenge. They pushed both front seats forward. After much fumbling and attempts to find the right position, Ippo was well sucked and ready to fuck. Ichirou was prepped with care and intensity, to accommodate the long seen hard member of the other guy.  He didn’t fret nor tremble, he was much used to it. More, he loved every inch of it inside him. The moans and hard breathing fueled Ippo to keep going. Moving sideways wasn’t the most comfortable way to do it, but watching Miyata’s reactions and moans every time he entered him, he couldn’t stop. The car was shaking. If someone, or the police patrol, passed by them and decided to check... Their careers would be at risk. That thought alone made Ippo go even faster. With the deed done and fluids cleaned (yes, Miyata thought of that too), it was impossible to drive straight back home. 

Ichirou lied on his fiancé’s lap and pulled him for more kisses. 

“You ruined me.”

“I’m so sorry. I got carried away.” Ippo squeezed him.

“I don't mean that way. I got more than I bargained for.” Miyata was contemplative and accepting of the caress. “And you… You have always been head over heels for me.”

“Well I… Yeah… I just needed a push.”

There were no more words needed. The way they looked at each other said everything. Promises made without speaking. A future was quietly forming between their intertwined hands.