A Business Pleasure

Chapter 24: Trigger

Sorry this took so long but an important part took place in the middle of a bedroom scene so it took me ages to work out how to censor it 🙈

Bold in story as usual instructs when to flip over to 'AaD Smut for my stories' thankyou 🥰🥰

Declan lashed out with another powerful punch and Ant deflected it once again, the two of them dancing around each other, exchanging punches and blocks and trying to see who would connect first. Philip had turned it into a sort of game, but was a little partial towards Dec considering the man had just recently started training with them, no matter how long he had done martial arts and had purposely sparred with Ant before to tire him out a little. Ant also had the advantage of being able to put a great amount of distance between them in a second in a way that was supposed to tire out the opponent and by the look of fatigue Dec had, it was working.

"Declan, you know what he's doing, don't follow him! He'll tire himself out!" Philip called out as Ant backed away once again.

"Stop giving my tactics away!" Ant yelled back, getting a little annoyed as Dec's punches got a little too close for comfort. He knew that the only reason they hadn't connected as of yet was because Dec was afraid of hurting him, not wanting to rouse up bad memories. As much as Ant appreciated the thought, he really wished that Dec would stop thinking that he was going to suddenly decide that he was no better than Jared and ditch him. He thought that Dec considered him mentally strong enough to not get influenced by Jared's taunts, but apparently he was wrong.

"Will you just hit me so that he'll stop?" Ant hissed quietly, dodging another punch, "I'm getting tired!"

Dec hesitated again, pausing for a moment and Ant, tired from the long day, slammed his palm against his unprotected chest, winning the duel and knocking the wind out of him.

Dec gasped for breath as he heard Philip sigh and head back in the house, but he felt the process ease as Ant crouched next to him and rubbed his back soothingly, murmuring soft words and telling him to just take deep breaths. Dec felt the pressure ease after a short while and had to admit, that as painful as those blows had seemed while watching, they hurt ten times worse. He wondered how Philip had survived both palms, let alone one.

"You were winning that match, you know," Ant sighed, "I was tired and you could have easily hit me."

"I know," The smaller man took another breath and let it out slowly, shifting to sit down comfortably on the grass.

"Then why didn't you?" Ant settled back as well, "This is training, Dec, you can't just hope that all your opponents will tire out like that-"

"I won't hit you," Dec interrupted, his voice tense, "So please stop asking me to."

"For God's sake, why not?!"

"Are you serious?" Dec looked incredulous, "How can you even think I'm capable of hurting you?!"

"Oh Decky...." Ant shook his head, but there was a small smile on his lips, "I've told you several times: this is sparring. You're supposed to hit your opponent!"

"And I've already told you I won't!" Dec scowled, "I don't care what you say, I'm not going to hit you!"

Ant didn't respond, but rather just looked at him with a thoughtful expression that unsettled Dec because it didn't match that mischievous gleam his eyes had taken on. Before he could say anything, his head suddenly snapped to the right and pain blossomed from the left side of his jaw like he had collided with a wall.

"OW!" Dec gasped, his hand automatically coming up to cradle his now bruised jaw, "You hit me?!"

"Yup," Ant responded simply, "Now return the favor." He tilted his head slightly to give Dec a clear shot at his jaw. Dec hesitantly raised his hand and for a moment Ant thought he was actually going to hit him, but Dec sighed and dropped his fist to his lap, looking down at it.