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alfredosauce50 · 6 months ago

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One more night

[Boxer! Denmark x reader] 12

Word count: 4, 500 Rating: PG The reader is referred to as she/her.

One More Night - 12 Finale Part I

The town’s event center wasn’t so big that it could hold a convention, but every few years, it would host a boxing tournament that called on amateurs and fresh professionals from all over the country.

“What do you think you’re gonna do after you graduate?” Gilbert asked, opening the glass door.

“I’m pretty sure we talked about this before,” Mathias answered, though he wasn’t deterred in the least.

“Oh, yeah, I remember.” The albino pondered before saying this all in one breath. “You’re gonna get a green card, and I’m gonna head back to Germany because I clearly haven’t thought this through.”

“I mean, I still gotta figure out how to do that.” The boxer tried to lighten the blow.

As they walked down the hall, they went past posters of previous champions.

They were all photos of the killer blows that decided the match, moments before, during, and after, or them holding up the belt in a blaze of sweat and glory. They radiated the same magnetic energy as he did, but that was only something the people around him could notice and gravitate towards.

“What’s there to figure out? Just get (F/N) to marry you and you’re basically all set,” Gilbert said casually, getting a weird look from Mathias. “I’m only saying that because I have that much faith in you two.”

“Yeah, well, she’s only twenty-one,” The man frowned, his expression eventually morphing to a thoughtful one. “Even then, I’d want our marriage to be a lot more special than one of convenience.”

“But you’re set on moving to the US, aren’t you?”

“For boxing, yeah.”

“But not for her? Because I know for a fact you’d still come here if you didn’t have boxing going for you.”

“True.”

He made it to the sign-up table just outside the arena he’d be fighting in, which had a pop-up banner next to it. After greeting one of the event organizers, the boxer bent over to squiggle down his name and signature.

“Just talk to her about it. She’s not gonna be on your case for asking about something that important.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Think about it this way. You guys have been talking about living together, but not about your papers?”

“I think I get your point, Gil.”

“Had to be sure, because you don’t have a track record for being the best listener.”

“Okay, fine,” The blonde relented, albeit a little heatedly. He couldn’t deny such a defining trait of his character, but it was still a sore subject nonetheless. “I’m just worried about pushing her again.”

“That’s what talking is for,” Gilbert assured, unable to keep his smirk at bay as he sewed this in almost seamlessly. “Or maybe you’re just that used to getting your way that a conversation is beyond you.”

Mathias rolled his eyes and walked off.

“Yeesh. I was just kidding.”

“It’s fine.” They made it out of the event center in a comfortable silence, and the boxer only broke it when he noticed his friend going in the same direction as him. “Hey, isn’t your apartment that way?”

“Yeah, but Amy wanted me to make some Fanta cake for her.”

“Hm,” Mathias paused. “What’s the occasion?”

When he got back to your apartment, it was completely dark. Maybe that should’ve clued him in on what was going on, but it didn’t occur to him until after he turned on the lights, revealing you, Amy, and Allen.

“Surprise!”

You held up an apple cake, having been hiding in the dining room with them all along. The dessert had two little Danish flags sticking out of the top, and while it clicked, his eyes went wider by the second.

“Wow,” He frowned at first, overcome with emotion. There were even a few balloons with ‘good luck!’ and ‘you got this!’ hovering over the table attached to a baby blue weigh. “You guys did all this for me?”

“You thought we were gonna let all of this blow over without doing anything for you?” You questioned, and judging from the small expectant smile he wore, he must have. “What kind of friends would we be?”

“Thank you.” He hugged you and peppered your face with kisses. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, Mat.” You kissed him back.

“Just one last hurrah before you’re off to the races.” Amy added, handing him a card. Much like the one she made for her brother, it had cutouts of his face all over the front in a warm mess of glitter and stickers.

“How did you even get all these photos?” He gawked, opening it with sheer awe. “I love it!”

Just when he thought his smile couldn’t get any wider, he started reading all the nice messages inside. A lot of thought had been put into this celebration, and he was still surprised that it was all done for him.

“Hey, I was wondering what you were passing around in class!” He blurted, glancing up at the albino.

“And you didn’t suspect a thing.”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“And I said I was coming over to make Fanta cake,” Gilbert whispered to Amy, much to her glee.

Everyone gathered around the table to cut and eat the traditional Danish dessert. While you all dug into your slices, each of you had a chance to talk about Mathias, be it a funny story or a dumb one.

“Well, that night he came over, but he didn’t bring any clothes with him,” You explained, stifling a laughing fit as you stared at Allen’s unsuspecting expression. “So I let him borrow your underwear.”

“You what?” His eyes flew open, aghast.

“I’m sorry, Al. It was a bit of an emergency.”

He shook his head anyway, turning away in a mix of disappointment and betrayal.

“I feel violated.”

After a few hours of endless talking and laughing, it was just Mathias left on the table. While he stared at the leftover apple cake and Danish flags that lay flat on the plate, he could only think of one thing.

“Can I talk to you about something?” He lifted his gaze to you.

“Sure.” You were in the kitchen washing up plates while everyone else lazed around the living room in a food coma. Without looking at him, you sensed him join your side. “What is it?”

“You know how I’m graduating next year?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you help me with my application for a green card? We can get into the details later.”

“Of course, Mat.” You took his shoulder. The way you smiled at him was so reassuring, it made him feel silly that he even worried in the first place. “I’ll be your sponsor. We’ll get that sorted together.”

“Hey.” He nudged you with his head. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It was far from a proposal, but coming to the States for good — just as you expected him to — left him jumping on the inside. Gilbert had been right all along, though he should’ve just trusted you from the start.

Meanwhile, said albino was playing with Bob’s toy cars on the ground, and the toddler in question was rummaging through his book bag. The twins, on the other hand, were relaxing on the couch.

“Check out this drawing I did.” Allen held up his sketchbook to Amy, showing off his doodle. It wasn’t any less violent than the one he showed you, but at least his artistic ability didn’t exceed a twelve-year-old’s.

“Maybe you should sell that at Barnes and Unstable.” She murmured.

“Real funny, Ames.”

“I don’t think Facebook Marketplace would do it this time round.” She scampered away while shielding herself from a pillow flung at her. “And I’ve seen some weird shit listed there.”

“Screw you,” He bent down to his nephew on the floor. Scooping him up with both arms, he got him to drop Gilbert’s pencil case in a clatter. “I’m gonna hang out with Bob.”

“Whatever. I was about to feed him, anyway.”

“And you’re coming with me to Copenhagen to meet my parents,” Mathias added with a wink.

“I think it’s high time I did.” You agreed.

“What, you don’t wanna meet them?”

“No, it’s just what if I’m not what they’re expecting?”

Amy walked into the kitchen, pulling out a rack she left Bob’s things to air dry on. Allen bounced him while she made a new bottle for him. Being right behind you, they couldn’t help overhearing you two.

“What do you mean?” Mathias frowned.

“Well, I am just a high school graduate.”

“So are we.” The twins added.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do in the future.”

Allen and Amy exchanged concerned looks. It wasn’t so much the indirect jab that provoked that reaction, but something else entirely. You could put them on a pedestal for doing even less, and yet, here you were.

“So what? You’re only twenty-one!”

“And you’re twenty-two!”

“Listen, you’ve been doing everything you can, and you’re great at it. Moving out is a pretty big deal.”

“I know, Mat. And I’m not trying to argue with you, I just wanna be able to impress them somehow.”

“I guess this is a universal thing after all,” Allen spaced out, eyes going unfocused. He would’ve sworn he was the only one who could ever say these things out loud, but apparently not. “Not feeling good enough.”

“Tell me about it.” Amy poured some hot water into a bottle, then measured out a scoop of formula.

“In that case, I think I’ve got it all figured out.”

“Have you, now?”

“You will! They’re the last people in the world to be uptight about stuff like that,” Mathias assured you. “And besides, I’ve always had help from them, but you guys have been on your own for a while now.”

“I guess you’re right,” You lit up, letting him pull you in for a sideways hug. “Thanks for saying that.”

“Yeah, just meet his parents—you’re a peach! They’ll be all over you,” Amy swayed you encouragingly, getting your smile to widen more than it already had. “And if not, Mathias wasn’t meant for you anyway.”

“Hey!”

“And besides, I think they’ll be a lot more impressed that you can handle him above all else.”

“Has anybody told you that you can be really mean?”

Of all the things she said, that rang the truest. Mathias sometimes did too much for his own good, but old habits died hard. He didn’t owe anybody anything, and yet, he wanted his boxing to set everything straight.

Scared of my own image Scared of my own immaturity Scared of my own ceiling Scared I’ll die of uncertainty

“I have a feeling this is gonna be a regular thing,” Allen watched you trot down the stairs to the apartment’s patio, only ever stopping to look back at him. “If you two ever fight, just know you can always crash here.”

“Of course,” You beamed. “And I’ll take the couch this time.”

“I’m sure I could make some room for you,” He put jokingly. You both stared at each other, eyes creasing in the most tender smiles a person could muster, and in a silence that spoke more than not. “C’mere.”

He beckoned you over with an upward tilt of the head, and sure enough, you went to him.

“We all gotta grow up eventually.” He wrapped his arms around you, pinning your head with his chin. Then, he closed his eyes, letting himself relax into the hug. “But you keep me young, you know that?”

“You’re only twenty-two, Allen.”

“Ain’t that a tragedy?”

You pulled away to peer up at him strangely, and there it was. That toothy grin that could smile through anything. It was a look you loved and hated on him all the same, because it just suited him so damn well.

“You’re an idiot for thinking I won’t miss you, because I will, and more than you know.” You teared up.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” He sighed, pulling you into a protective hug. You squeezed him so hard that it was almost uncomfortable, but he never would’ve made a fuss about it. “You’re so emotional, sometimes.”

“You’re one to talk.” You grumbled.

“I know,” He cracked another smile.

As much as it pained him to accept where his life was heading, to a whole lot of nothing, it was for the best. He could start over with a clean slate, and without you always there to hold his head above water.

“But just let me have my moment.”

Fear might be the death of me Fear leads to anxiety Don’t know what’s inside of me

“So what was it that you figured out?” Amy walked out to the patio now that you and Mathias were gone. She wasn’t the type to be sentimental like her brother, who practically lived in the past.

“We can never love ourselves the way other people love us,” He explained in a faint murmur, glancing up at her. “They just see something in us that we don’t. So we’re never really whole without each other.”

“As bright as you are,” She shook her head, taken aback. “You just don’t like to think sometimes.”

“Love you too.”

“But when you do, the world makes a little more sense.”

“Is that your way of saying you love me?” Allen grinned, getting Amy to roll her eyes. But he saw the smile curling at her lips, which goaded him on more than anything. “Alright, alright, bring it in.”

Don’t forget abou-bou-bou-bou-bout me Don’t forget abou-bou-bou-bou-bout me Even when I doubt you I’m no good without you

You and Mathias arrived at the local bus stop and sat on the bench. As nice as that party was, it gave you a lot to think about. And that was what you did, falling uncharacteristically silent in the process.

“Are you okay?” He turned his head to you.

“Yes,” You answered. “It’s just really happening.”

As excited as you were to embrace everything headed your way, leaving your old life would be just as difficult. Not seeing Amy, Allen, and Bob every day would be the hardest change of them all.

“Hey, I get it.” He softened his gaze. “Change is scary.”

“I never thought I’d hear you say that.” You replied.

“Want me to say it again?” He grinned back, much to your amusement. You didn’t say anything more, letting him fill the silence. And he didn’t let you down. “I’m afraid of change, but what I’m afraid of even more is not changing at all.”

For someone who acted so much on emotion, it never ceased to amaze you how eloquent Mathias could be. He braved the truth like no other, fiercely unafraid of the light because he burned even brighter than that.

“Maybe I needed someone to remind me of that,” You leaned into him. “So, thank you.”

“This will be great, I promise,” Mathias made a cute face as he caught you with his arm, so anybody could tell he’d been dying to say this for a while, now. “You’ll get to see me every day.”

“Don’t know if I’ll be prepared for that, actually.” You narrowed your eyes.

“Oh, yeah?”

You two ended up chasing each other back to his apartment. For someone so heavy, he was surprisingly fast. Trying to catch up to him was the hardest workout you’ve ever done.

Not that he even had the patience to wait for you, because he’d run right back to take your hand.

When he got outside his door, he pinned you up against it and kissed you like he was hungry. He didn’t even bother taking you inside first because putting his mouth on yours was infinitely more important. So for the next ten minutes, he tongued you down in the hallway without a care in the world.

Now that you would always be within arm’s reach, you were right to worry about handling his insatiable appetite. He was deliberate in proving that point, hell, he even got off to it. He would make up for all the time lost, every last minute that escaped him when he could’ve spent it with you.

“Let’s keep this, this, and get rid of that.” Mathias tossed a black T-shirt onto his bed.

After you walked into his bedroom and saw all his things strewn over his desk and chair, he thought cleaning up would be the next best thing. Knowing him, you just went along with it.

“Why? This is nice.” You frowned, picking it up to inspect the back and front.

“It’s a bit tight so I don’t like the way it feels.” He continued to rummage through his closet.

“Hm,” You gave it a quick fold before putting it aside. “Allen might like this.”

Mathias closed a drawer and came up behind you.

“Maybe this’ll get him to stop moping about his underwear.”

“You think so?” He hummed.

“Yeah, but I didn’t come here to clean your room with you,” You told him, getting him to flash a sheepish expression. “This is the part where I give you a pep talk, but I think you have all the pep you need.”

“Yeah?” He lit up.

“But good luck. And whatever happens in the ring, I’m not going anywhere.” You squeezed his hands. It was your way of telling him that he’d already won, now that you would be staying with him indefinitely.

As a result, the winnings weren’t that important in retrospect to what he originally wanted them for.

But now that the opportunity presented itself, taking them still seemed like the only way to do right by you. To do right by all of you. So he didn’t plan on stopping until he floated straight to the top, second to none.

After six months of painstaking preparation came the first day of the tournament. You and Amy took a day off work for it, Gilbert skipped his classes, and Allen brought Bob along in a baby carrier.

Funnily enough, the neighborhood seemed to get the memo because half the stores were closed.

“Boxing is a pretty big deal around here, huh?” The albino mused.

“Ever wonder why Mat chose his university?” You asked, drawing attention to the vibrant atmosphere on the streets. Business may have halted, but that meant more people were out and about during the day, chattering together as they headed to the local event center. “This place is a real boxing town.”

“Mat really does have it all figured out, doesn’t he?” Gilbert murmured, recalling the conversation he had just yesterday. When he first met the Dane, he thought he was a bit all over the place, and he still was, really, but for the things he cared about, he always went that extra mile. “Sounds like Mat.”

“For what he’s interested in, anyway. Everything else, not so much.”

“Hm.”

“Maybe we should try and convert him to baseball,” Amy commented, earning a grin from her brother, who could absolutely get behind that suggestion. “Think he could go pro with that?”

“Yeah, if he even bothers showing up to baseball Fridays.” You mumbled.

“Guess it’s not very popular in Europe.” She added.

“Nope.” Gilbert popped.

After getting some snacks and drinks at the canteen, the four of you made your way to the arena. When you all ambled to your seats, it was already packed. The persistent chatter of the crowd filled your ears in a dull roar, and if that wasn’t already loud enough, it was sure to amplify when the actual fight came around.

“There’s sixteen boxers, and that gets halved every day,” You eyed the tournament brackets, which was mostly empty for now. “Losers get booted, and the winner advances to the next round.”

“Okay, so he just has to win four times in a row,” Gilbert commented after doing the math in his head, which prompted Allen to start counting on his fingers. “Shouldn’t be too hard for Mat, right?”

“Right.” You repeated, not completely bought by the chances. Either way, you were too nervous to keep talking now that Mathias appeared from a side door in his white boxing robe. “Look! Here he comes.”

There was a slow eruption of cheering as the two contestants made their way to the ring. One, a local amateur, and the other, a young student from Denmark well on his way to making ripples in the boxing industry. The four of you straightened up and peered around to get a better view. After shedding that outer layer to reveal his rippling body underneath, you all had the same, collective reaction. Shock and awe, down to a T.

“Damn.” Allen mouthed.

You’ve seen his body go through numerous changes throughout the year, but none quite compared to what he looked like now. After cutting down some fat, his muscles were practically bulging out of his skin. And as he bounced on the spot, so did his pecs. It wasn’t as tasteless as it sounded, noticing the fruits of his labor all these months, though his impressive physique wasn’t what brought you all here today.

“Good luck to whoever’s fighting him,” Amy remarked.

It was what he could do with it.

The starting bell rang three times, indicating the start of the match. The two boxers came together in the center of the ring and began circling each other. Then, they threw a couple of practice swings at each other.

It was like watching a pair of wild dogs, raising their hackles in a warning growl before landing a bite. Because in the next few seconds, one of them would. But they were more like a wolf than anything.

Mathias was the first to snap, jabbing at their face for two loud ‘bams’ before bringing his arm around for a mean left hook. His opponent dropped to their feet and evaded that last attack, then sprung up again.

Just like that, their stalemate ended in a brutal tussle.

They swung at Mathias, decking him across the jaw. Spit flew from his mouth, and in his brief lapse of attention, they punched his face three times. Blood came out of his nose, making for a grotesque sight.

And the crowd ate it up in an excited roar.

“Come on, Mat!” You shouted.

While his opponent kept whaling on him, the Dane packed his fists in front of his face. He hid behind them until they burnt out, and when he removed them, he gave a bloody grin as if to go, you don’t have me yet.

Drawing his arm back, he smashed his glove right between his opponent’s eyes. The punch happened so fast, it couldn’t be evaded, and it was packed with so much power, it flung their head back like a speed bag.

He didn’t stop there, pounding them in solid jabs like a jackhammer. When they tried to get back at him in a clumsy swing, he bobbed down to the side to dodge. Then, he got up to do it all over again.

Mathias was a speed demon, and combined with his impeccable anticipation, he predicted many of the punches thrown at him. It was in his eyes, sharp and fixed on his opponent like he’d entered a trance.

And nothing could break him out of it. His hyperfocus was like a spell, letting him do all that most people couldn’t. There were only two things that could activate it: you and boxing. But together?

He was an unstoppable force.

And with his ox-like stamina, he wasn’t giving up anytime soon. Not even while he kept up his lightning-fast speed, nor his explosive punches that could rattle the brain in the skull that came in the way of his fists.

When he was done, he’d pull them back to his face and go back to bouncing on his feet. It was the nastiest of surprises, his style at its prime. The peek-a-boo style, and he would mow down other contestants with it.

After the match, everyone gathered at the local diner to celebrate. Your group sat at a round booth, but even that couldn’t deter Mathias’s friends from flocking around him to congratulate him on the landslide win.

They were like his disciples, but then again, he’d always had that effect on people.

“Give it up for the boxing Jesus.” Amy held up her milkshake.

“Yeah!” Gilbert seconded with a milkstache.

“Thanks, guys.” Mathias laughed, peering around the table and at all the faces beaming at him.

Nothing could beat a feeling like this, being seen by all his loved ones. It was the closest he could get to being invincible because when everyone believed in him, he had the drive to do anything.

“But this is only the first round. It’ll only get tougher from here on out.”

“Like that has ever stopped you,” You said, charmed by his humility. His cheeks went red, and even more so with what you said next. “But we really missed seeing you in the ring, Mat. And you killed it out there.”

“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint,” He grinned, eyes twinkling. “So thanks for watching me.”

“I’ll always watch you whether you win or not.”

Now that it came to this, it wasn’t just your attention he always craved.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how many times he failed, you would still be there for him. Some untouchable version of him existed in your mind, and if he ever doubted himself, you wouldn’t.

That was something Allen understood all too well, but he had to let you go.

Don’t forget abou-bou-bou-bou-bout me Don’t forget abou-bou-bou-bou-bout me Even when I doubt you

I’m no good without you

“Hey,” Allen said, stopping the Dane out on the street.

Even if he had to force these words out and say it when there was no one around to hear it, he fought himself to, because he wouldn’t be able to live it down if he held out on him. So he waited for everyone to leave the diner — you included — before he let it slip.

“You’re the best of all of us.”

Mathias was caught off guard at first, but the more he listened, the clearer everything became.

“And I just wanted to remind you that we’re all counting on you.”

They were the last two people to end up as friends, but life dealt them an unexpected hand. Even if it took so much as hell freezing over Allen to realize this, there were infinitely bigger things than personal grudges.

“So take her to the moon for me.” Allen grinned.

You, Amy, and Bob were the infinitely bigger things. His world and everything that could ever matter to him. Even if he couldn’t do what you all needed him to do now, he would come back one day.

But at least for the next few days, it was up to Mathias.

Next chapter: Coming soon

Tag-list: @sunnysssol @chaeesposts @archive-of-bones @chickenpecks @my2phetaliaheadcanons @sport-lova14 @narratatornyanko

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