CHAMPION

Chapter 54 Kiss my Mitts

The days were busy and full, Jake had to be kept from the UK press conference because of what happened at the first one, so many people had brought the fight, and we're dying to see it, the producers were terrified of something tragic happening that would result in cancellation, so keeping Jake tucked away until fight night seemed like the best choice.

Jake and Logan were spending a lot of time together now, just waiting on their big night, because of basically being locked up together, they ended up talking more, it was just the two of them anyways...

"What are you gonna do when you win?" Logan questioned, he sat a little ways from Jake on the table, while Jake laid on the couch, hands behind his head, the two had been talking up a double win for each other since training camp started; But Logan was interested, to most people Jake seemed so simple, he loved being rich and being popular, but it made Logan curious about this fight, Jake had just been on tour, he would be making money for this fight, but nothing he couldn't already make selling his merch, yet he had sacrificed a lot for it...Why?

"I'm gonna celebrate, we're gonna all go out, then I'm gonna have a second celebration with Erika," Jake said grinning, "My boy..." Logan laughed, looking down for a bit, "You've put a lot of time into this though, you really hate Deji that much?" Logan half joked, Jake sat up a little now, seeming to ponder it.

"No, he's too beneath me to even really hate him," Jake answered, "I'll probably forget he's alive when I beat him, but I want to win, I have to," Jake continued his tone becoming a bit more serious, Jake was competitive, they both were, but Jake was always more worried with him image, was that why he "had to win".

"I know your gonna win Jake," Logan told him, his tone had subtle hint of encouragement and tenderness; When he wasn't stressed and hurting people, Logan saw a different side to his brother, he wasn't entirely sure of everything, but he knew for a fact Jake wanted to win a lot more then he did, if he lost, Logan knew he would go home and be okay, he wanted to come out on top, but he would be okay if he wasn't, it had happened before already, Jake was a different story...

Jake wasn't the most loved in the media,

he was okay with that,

He had fans who loved him, and he had a fat ego.

But Logan could see when Jake seemed to actually care about something and was affected by it even when others didn't see, or didn't recognize it as actual issues; Jake hurt when he fell on stage in front of millions, Jake hurt when he didn't get his Lamborghini coming all that way just to be told "no" and get embarrassed, Jake hurt when he had a break from Erika, Jake hurt when he was about to be a father, and when he had to come to terms with not getting the opportunity anymore...

He had been through a lot and was a mixed up person, he didn't show his real anything to people he didn't trust, Jake had been on a terrible path getting into smoking habits again, but he seemed to stop cold now. For someone like Jake it could have ruined him, he wasn't just doing it for fun, he did it for every emotion he had pent up, both of those would result in him slowly killing himself.

"I'm proud of you bro," Logan told him, Jake chuckled, "I haven't even won yet," He joked, Logan walked to him, looking down where Jake sat, "You have," Logan said sternly, Jake looked up a little confused,

"Besides all the fame and fortune, or whatever the media is saying- You should be proud of you too, and not just because of the money you've made," Logan explained, they looked at each other for a while, Logan was unsure if Jake just didn't care, or if he was gonna play dumb to avoid talking any deeper, they were close, but deep talks freaked Jake out.  

"I'll be proud when I win," Jake muttered looking away, that was the most vulnerable type of speaking he had heard from Jake in a while, for him to not boast again talking about how he would demolish Deji, or how he didn't care about anyone else's opinions besides his own, was amazing, Jake was changing, and most of it was thanks to Erika.

"Erika..." Logan mumbled out loud, "She's gonna be here for the fight tomorrow- I'm gonna tell her something when I win," Jake said a far off sound to his voice, "What?" Logan questioned, feeling anxiety flutter his stomach, Jake just shrugged getting up. "I'm going to bed," He said ignoring Logan's questions, "Good luck champ," He jokingly said leaving.

Logan cursed as soon as Jake's bedroom door closed, he couldn't avoid thinking about what Erika was possibly doing behind Jake's back, he didn't want to label her as someone who would...But he didn't want to keep it to himself when he could at least let Jake know, regardless of the friendship he and Erika had, Jake was his brother and he couldn't let him get hurt....

*I'm being paranoid just like Jake, I don't know anything for sure, right?* Logan questions as he sat on the couch, rubbing his hands down his face, Jake had been trying to clean his life up, he was so focused on doing good in his match- It just ate Logan up inside to think of Jake being hurt like that...He seemed so lost when he and Erika separated for a while.

"I can't keep thinking about Jake, I have my own fight too," Logan told himself standing up, he stretched looking at the time, it was game day tomorrow, he just hoped they would all leave with a win.

"I can't believe it...."

"I can't believe I just did that- What, what am I going to do?!!"