James ducked a swipe and darted forward. Teddy skipped away with a grin, his glove clad fists hovering before his face.

"Come on," he taunted, eyes gleaming. It made him look wild when matched with the crimson dyed tips of his mousy brown hair.

James bounced on the spot and bared his teeth. Teddy snorted at that.

The room seemed to fade until it was nothing but the ring they stood in, James, and his opponent. He grunted, starting forward once more.

They exchanged blows. James blocked a sloppy cross and countered with an uppercut. Teddy rolled with the hit and landed two blows to James's side. James feinted left then jabbed again, this time catching Teddy's jaw.

"Nice one," Teddy said as they parted to catch their breath.

"Don't condescend," James replied. He dragged his arm across his forehead to wipe the sweat from it.

Teddy laughed, then surged forward. James bobbed and weaved, catching the blows that landed on his arms and gloves until he tired, failed to duck fast enough, and one snuck around and whacked the side of his head.

He shook his head to clear it and backed away. Teddy followed, not letting up his attack, battering at his arms. James was cornered, the cool plastic of the corner pad sticking to the sweaty skin of his back.

"Yield," he growled, leaning his arms on the rope of the ring and sucking in great lungfuls of air. His heart was thudding in his chest and his entire body ached.

Teddy immediately straightened and dropped his hands, but he didn't step away. He was panting, at least. James was proud that Teddy was showing some exertion. Three months ago, the bastard hadn't even broken a sweat when he'd first beaten James.

"Good job, gorgeous," Teddy said. "We'll make a boxer of you yet."

James rolled his eyes and sagged again the pad, exhausted. "Haven't you got better things to do than flirt with me?"

For once, a serious expression crossed into Teddy's gaze. "No," he said. "Not unless you want to get dinner with me."

James paused in the middle of ripping the strap of his boxing glove free with his mouth.

"Mpfh?" he said, then dropped the strip from his teeth. "What?"

Teddy bounced from one foot to the other, a manic grin upon his face.

"You, me, dinner: a date?" he said. "Come on, you must know I fancy you."

James knew that he must be a sight, jaw gaping and eyes wide.

"No, I don't," he said. "What? You fancy me?"

He looked around. The gym was mostly empty. Those that were still there were absorbed in their own workouts; no one was watching them. This wasn't a prank, or a laugh, or…

"You're serious," James said.

A wry smile curled in the corner of Teddy's lips.

"Yeah, Uncle Harry reckoned you didn't know. I just thought you did. I don't normally teach newbies how to box at my gym, you know. Not even family."

James felt his heart begin to race for a whole other reason than the exercise.

"You're serious," he said again. He didn't bother trying to hide the delight that he felt. "Yes. Yes to the dinner, yes to the date - to all of it."

"Yeah?" Teddy said. He was grinning, eyes twinkling.

James wrapped Teddy in a hug, hating how ungainly the boxing gloves made the movement.

"Of course. I didn't take up boxing because I wanted to learn to box, after all," he said. He drew back. "But that doesn't mean I don't love it."

By the soft look in Teddy's eyes, James figured Teddy might have guessed something like that already.

"Come on, then," Teddy said. "Let's get showered and go."

Assignment #5 Dark Charms Task 4 - Write about someone sweeping someone else off their feet. Alt. Write a boxer!AU

Word Count: 625