Running a hand over the back of his neck, his skin covered in a light sheen of sweat, JP let out a long, deep breath as he stared contently at his sparring partner. He’d spent the afternoon holed up in the gym – like he did most days – with one of his football teammates, the two of them switching back and forth, either one alternating between acting as punching bag for the other. Having tossed aside his gloves, the boy in front of him ditching the pads that had covered his hands moments before, JP grinned down at him, content with how he’d landed him on his ass. Reaching out a hand – caked in sweat as it was – and hoisting his friend back up onto his feet, he chuckled, shooting the boy a smug smile.
“I’m gonna hit the showers. See you at practice, Sullivan,” were the words that filled the air, and JP laughed, delighted with himself. Half the squad had egos you’d spot a mile away, and an admission of defeat was almost unheard of – even when you’d been knocked on your ass, your usually pristine hair hanging in low, sweaty tendrils that spilled out over your eyes.
“Aight, bro. Catch ya later fo’ round two, Denver!” JP called after the retreating figure, shooting a wink at a girl nearby whose attention he’d caught.
Beau often called him up on his cockiness – that arrogance that so often came with being a jock – but he shrugged it off for the most part. He liked to think he was equal amounts confident as he was humble. Sure, he got a kick out of winning, and he liked the gentle blush of a person’s cheeks when he flirted with them, but what was so wrong with that? He’d been way worse in high school – too sure of himself, haughty, and a bit of an ass. He’d learned from past mistakes. He liked to think that having people like Beau and Mike in his life had helped him grow, made him a better person, even if he got a little full of himself every now and again.
Swinging a towel over his shoulder, he made his way back to the reception, intent on grabbing his locker key so he could dispose of his shirt. He was soaked through with sweat, and he liked training without it anyway. And, fine, maybe the stares it earned him were a perk too. Leaning against the front desk near the entrance, he drummed his fingers into the woodwork, waiting to see just who was working today’s shift. He didn’t actually need to leave his locker key behind the desk – it was Cherry Grove, after all, and everyone was fairly reliable – but he liked using it as an excuse to chat (read: flirt) with the staff.
“Oooh, there he is,” JP noted, his attention caught. Out of all the people that had a tendency to work the desk, Alfie was his favourite. He was tiny, mousy haired, and could white-boy twerk for the entire East Coast. He had a penchant for Beyoncé, baking, and clambering onto JP’s back whenever the two of them ran into each other on campus, and JP got a real kick out of flirting with him. “I was here to get my key, but… y'kna, I think I found somethin’ better.”
Chuckling as Alfie smiled back at him, his cheeks a soft pink that accented his features perfectly, JP’s attention was soon drawn away from the cute boy as he heard a familiar voice sound nearby. Lips quirking into a smirk, JP spun on the spot, ready to find himself face-to-face with a very familiar redhead. He was pretty sure he’d know Kim’s voice in a crowd of thousands, so he wasn’t surprised to see her standing there, nor was it altogether odd to feel her prodding at his biceps – he had that effect on people.
“Y'kna, I been sayin’ that for years, an’ Beau thought I was nuts? Finally someone gets me,” JP grinned, following his words with a flirty wink.
He’d always enjoyed his back and forth with Kim through the time that he’d known her. She’d always been his baby sister’s best friend – not that he missed the jealous edge to Izzy’s tone whenever he mentioned it – but he and Kim got along great. With her on the cheer squad, too, they’d only gotten closer, and he enjoyed teasing her. They had a strictly platonic relationship, one where he could tease and flirt with her, and still know that there wasn’t anything there. No awkwardness, no juvenile crushes or potential heartbreak – or disgust, on Beau’s part. It was nice.
Letting the smile that was etched into his features drop, he adopted a more serious look, arching his eyebrow and scoffing at Kim’s words.
“Uh, please. Y'all really think you can handle all'a this?” he emphasised the latter end of the sentence, gesturing to himself with a quick wave. “You don’t got it in you, Kimmy P.”
Closing the tiny gap between them, his attention entirely diverted from Alfie now – who, he’d noticed, was now wearing a rather petulant pout that JP would have to make up for later – he ducked his head, softly butting their foreheads together, as though he were squaring up to a particularly menacing opponent. He knew Kim was a damn sight scarier than she looked, but he got a pretty good kick out of messing with her.
“Bro, i’m too hot to handle,” he quipped.
Kim rolled her eyes theatrically at his cockiness, folding her arms over her chest and settling into her hip in the picture of disapproval. She knew JP’s confidence wasn’t just for show - it went bone deep and he had a lot of experience to back it up. Football trophies, awards; just look at that body (Kim often did) and you could see that JP worked hard to be able to maintain his cool persona. He didn’t fake his personality and he didn’t fake the results it brought him either. Still, it never hurt to bring him back to Earth occasionally. Usually, Beau took that job with relish, but since she wasn’t here Kim was more than happy to step up to bat in her place.
“Honestly, Sullivan, I was being sarcastic.” She spread her fingers and waved them under his nose. “But if I had, you would have been paying to get this manicure fixed. Babysitting money doesn’t grow on trees, you know, and I’ve been keeping an eye on Beau for you for free.”
She allowed her jaw to drop in mock outrage, repurposing her hand to press against her chest.
“Oh, I know I can handle you. In fact, I have several times before. How is your wrist from last month?” Kim smirked as she referred to a sparring session where she’d managed to get the upper hand, twisting JP’s arm behind his back before he called out. “I noticed your throw at practice was a little... sloppy.”
She didn’t back down when he got into her space; she knew he was only messing and any menace was all put on her to make her laugh. She kept her own expression stony serious, although she allowed a twinkle to escape in her eye. She loved smack talk with JP because anything said would never go too far - they both knew each other’s boundaries and trusted each other to respect them without a second thought. Like with Ron and Beau, years of friendship meant that they could tease without anything hitting too deep or being held against them later.
When he knocked his forehead into hers, however, Kim couldn’t help but crack and let out a giggle. Not only was she a young woman with a crush who was putting his face very close to hers, naturally setting off the chain reaction of laughter along with a fluttering heartbeat, but the prolonged attempt to remain serious around JP had run its course. The pair of them were both too cheerful and upbeat to maintain bad attitudes with each other, so she let her smile come out. Plus the sight of JP, a head taller than her, stooping to get into her personal space must have been comical.
“I think I’ll manage you.” She patted his chest lightly, then pulled away so she could hitch her bag onto her shoulder. “Now, you stay here and flirt with receptionist like a good boy, and I’ll meet you on the mats when I’m changed. Coolio?”
She slapped his shoulder in a show of comradery as she passed him to get to the women’s changing rooms. She changed quickly, not only excited to spar with JP but also just to get up and going again after being benched for a few weeks. Before leaving to head out into the gym, she tested her weight on her ankle a couple of times, pleased when she didn’t feel a single twinge of pain. Having to sit out on cheering and training had been mind-numbingly agonising for her; she was hyped just to get back on that floor even if her break probably meant JP would have the upper hand.
“Alright, Sullivan.” Kim called as she found him at the mats. She circled a couple of times, rolling out her neck and shoulder joints to loosen them up as she eyed him. Before dropping into a fighting stance, she shot him a warm smile. “Hey - thanks for doing this with me.”
She raised her fists protectively to her face and bounced lightly from foot to foot. “Give me your best shot.”
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