The Alpha in His Corner

Chapter 23

The sight of the river across the street caught Dan's eye as soon as they set foot outside the restaurant. When they had first arrived, it had looked so ordinary, but now that dark had fallen, the water shimmered and danced under the glow of the street lights.

Dan grabbed Jaekyung's arm and shook it, pointing excitedly. "Jaekyung, look!"

"What?" Jaekyung grunted, adjusting Dan's bag on his shoulder. Dan hadn't seen when he'd grabbed it, but he must have done so right before they left.

"The river!"

"What about it?" Jaekyung muttered, squinting in the direction Dan was pointing.

"Isn't it pretty?"

"It looks the same as it always does."

Dan bounced up and down on his heels. "Can we go look at it?"

"No."

Dan pouted up at the fighter, stepping closer and tilting his head back. "Please? Just for a second?"

Jaekyung faltered. "...Just for a second."

Dan beamed, then grabbed Jaekyung's arm and dragged him across the street to the walkway that hugged the river's edge. The closer they got to the water, the brighter it seemed to glow, as if the water itself was illuminant.

Feeling as giddy as a child, Dan dropped Jaekyung's arm and skipped closer.

"Hey, wait up," Jaekyung called.

Dan hopped up onto the low ledge that overlooked the water, spreading his arms for balance as he wobbled one foot after the other down its length.

"Dan," Jaekyung said sharply, dropping his bag and striding over. "Get down from there. You'll fall in and drown." His hands grabbed at Dan's waist to pull him back down to the sidewalk, but Dan clutched at his wrists and braced his heels on the ledge.

"No, it's fine!" Dan whined. "I was really good at this in elementary school. I never—hic!—I never fell in once!"

Jaekyung didn't seem impressed by these credentials. "Does this look like a fucking playground to you?" Heedless of Dan's resistance, he picked him up by his hips and set him down on the pavement, placing his large frame between Dan and the water.

Dan pouted and squirmed, but couldn't shake off Jaekyung's hold.

Jaekyung sighed. "You're really not how I pictured you being wasted, you know that?"

Dan glared up at him, huffing out a breath to blow a strand of hair away from his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jaekyung didn't answer immediately. The glare of the street light positioned right behind him made it difficult to see his expression. "I thought you'd be more..."

"Sleepy?" Dan blurted, leaning forward to try and make out the look on Jaekyung's face. He almost lost his balance and Jaekyung had to tighten his grip on his waist to keep him from falling. "Angry? Depressed?" He squinted up at the fighter suspiciously. "You thought I'd cry a bunch, didn't you?"

Jaekyung sighed again. He spun Dan around and started propelling him away from the river's edge, still holding his shoulders. "Nevermind." He stooped to grab Dan's bag off the ground as they passed by it.

Dan craned his head around as they walked, still trying to see Jaekyung's face. "What? Tell me!"

Jaekyung didn't respond. They reached the street and he waved down a taxi, then opened the door and started nudging Dan inside.

Dan grabbed the edge of the open door, clinging to it so he wouldn't be pushed inside the car. "I can't go in there!"

"Why the hell not?" Jaekyung said behind him.