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“TK, I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Carlos pouts.
When TK had first mentioned going ice skating once the weather cooled down, Carlos didn’t think much of it. In fact, he figured it was just TK talking and it was something they would never actually do, like visit California or go skydiving.
Yet they had made it all the way to the ice rink and now Carlos could only watch as TK laced up his skates while he held his rented pair by their laces.
“Carlos, it’s going to be so much fun. I promise.”
“Says the person who has their own pair of skates. Why do you even have your own anyway? You live in Texas now, remember?”
“Well, I used to skate all the time when I lived in New York,” he smirks. “I actually skated in a few competitions.”
Carlos feels betrayed. How could TK not have mentioned this before now? Meanwhile, he’s never even stepped foot on the ice and in all honesty, he never planned to.
He shakes his head. “Nope, we’re definitely not doing this. Take your skates off, we’re going home.”
“Carlos…”
“No, TK. I’ve never been ice skating before and frankly, I don’t want to get shown up by you on my first time”
Now it was TK’s turn to pout. “Please? I promise I won’t do anything too crazy. We’ll just take it slow, go around the rink a few times. And we don’t have to stay long, okay?”
Carlos sighs. He wants to fight TK on this more, but how could he say “no” to the pleading face of the man he loves so much?
“Fine,” he huffs and sits down. Only once he puts on his skate on his foot does he realize he had no clue how to lace them up.
Lucky for him, TK notices and without saying anything, kneels down and begins the delicate process of tying them up, not too tight.
When TK finishes and smiles up at him, Carlos feels like he could melt on the spot if it weren’t so cold out today. Great weather for ice skating, he figures. But when he already is not feeling it, it somehow only makes him more annoyed.
TK grabs his hands and pulls him up so Carlos is shakingly balancing on the blades of his skates.
A grin breaks out on TK’s face. “You’re doing great, Now are you ready to get on the ice?”
“I didn’t think I had a choice.”
TK winks at him and leads him over to the edge of the rink. He easily steps over the edge and doesn’t fumble at all as his legs adjust to the slippery surface.
“Carlos,” TK coaxes him, but Carlos can’t move from his steady position on the side.
They lock eyes, TK giving him those puppy dog eyes that he knows Carlos can’t resist.
“Okay, okay,” he says, cautiously placing one foot on the ice and reaching out for TK’s hands. TK holds onto him as he places the other foot up and glides onto the ice.
“See you’re doing great already!”
“I can’t move,” Carlos deadpans, much to TK’s enjoyment.
“It’s okay, just let me help,” TK replies as he begins to skate backwards and slowly pulls Carlos along the ice.
Carlos tries not to think about it too much. He closes his eyes, trying to focus on anything but the fact that he could fall at any moment.
“It’s more enjoyable if you open your eyes.”
“Your sarcasm is not helping right now,” Carlos says, opening his eyes just a sliver to make sure he wasn’t about to crash into the side. Not that he doesn’t trust TK, that is. But also, how else can he be sure?
“Carlos please just open your eyes,” TK pleads.
Carlos obliges and locks eyes with TK, falling into a delicate rhythm as TK continues to pull him for their second lap around the rink.
“You’re doing great, baby.”
“Please don’t patronize me.”
TK cocks his head. “I’m not. Really, I think you’re doing so well. Almost ready for me to let go, maybe?”
“No,” Carlos quickly replies.
“Okay, how about I just let go of one hand and we can hold hands, skating together side-by-side?”
“I don’t know…”
“It’ll be fine, trust me,” TK gives him a smile and a squeeze of the hand before letting go of his left hand and skating around to his right side. “See, you’re fine.”
“Yeah, I don’t feel fine.”
“Just follow my rhythm, okay? Right, left, right, left…”
TK smiles and they fall into a comfortable silence. Carlos focuses his attention on TK’s movement. Eventually he does figure it out, finding it quite easy actually, as long as they continue to go slow.
“I knew you would get the hang of it,” TK says, breaking the silence.
“Yeah,” he nervously chuckles.
“Do you want to try skating on your own?”
“Um, I don’t know…”
If you would have asked Carlos an hour ago, or even 30 minutes ago, he would have said a flat out “no.” But now that he’s fallen into the rhythm TK was talking about, he’s actually having a nice time. Possibly even enough to take the next step.
“You don’t have to. But if you want to try, I will be right here.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? As in you want to try?”
The look in TK’s eyes makes it impossible for Carlos to find the courage to say “no.” So he nods his head and TK smiles.
This man was going to be the death of Carlos Reyes.
Reluctantly, he lets go of TK’s hand and is immediately met with the wobbiliness of relying solely on the thin blades of his skates for balance. But he takes a deep breath and tries to continue the rhythm he had found just moments before.
“You got it,” TK encourages.
Carlos can’t decide if the encouragement is working or if he’d rather slap the other man.
He knows that while he is technically doing it, he’s also going extremely slow, as indicated by the little kids that must have lapped him three times already. But he tries not to think about that too much.
What he does notice though is that TK has to be itching to go ahead of him. Not that TK is doing anything that explicitly says that, but he must be, right?
“You can go ahead if you want,” he offers.
“I’m fine skating with you, Carlos. This is supposed to be a date after all,” TK smiles.
“I know. But I don’t mind if you do want to show off a little bit.”
“Are you sure? I thought you didn’t want to get shown up during your first time…”
Carlos knows TK is just teasing but he forgot he had even said that. And if he’s being honest, he actually kind of wants to see just how good his boyfriend is at skating. “Please, I want to see.”
“If you insist,” TK smirks and skates away, gracefully gliding across the ice.
The way he moves on the surface astonishes Carlos. It’s almost like he doesn’t have to think about it; he and the skates are one. And when he skates towards the middle and jumps, landing perfectly on his skates, almost as if he never even left the ground, Carlos feels an immense bubble of pride building in his chest.
That’s his boyfriend that everyone is staring at in awe as he majestically glides across the ice rink.
He is so lost in the tranquility of watching TK effortlessly skate around the rink that he loses the rhythm he had found earlier. Suddenly he’s all too aware of the fact that he has no control over his movement and finds himself struggling to maintain his upright position.
He catches TK’s eye and he notices the other man start to skate towards him, but it’s too late. Carlos is going down.
He falls face down onto the cold ice.
TK skates up next to him and kneels down, worry painted all over his face. “Are you okay?”
Carlos nods, pushing himself into a seated position, ignoring the protest in his joints.
“Are you sure? Nothing feels broken?”
“Yeah, can you just help me up?” Carlos asks, feeling the blush rise in his cheeks as people stare at him while they skate by. This is embarrassing enough. His only priority right now is to get off the ice.
“Of course,” TK extends his hand, pulling Carlos up. He wraps his arm around Carlos, and wordlessly guides him across the rink. When they reach solid ground he leads him over to the bench where they first put on their skates.
“Now can you tell me the truth,” TK says, kneeling in front of Carlos. “Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere. But I’m fine, nothing is broken. Just sore. And embarrassed.”
When they get back home, TK insists on examining him fully despite Carlos' insistence that he’s fine.
Okay, maybe he’s not actually fine if the blossoming colors in various places over his body were any indication. The worst one by far is the beautiful purple and blue bruise forming on this torso that he noticed when TK had him take off his shirt.
Honestly, he didn’t think he fell that hard but his aching body tells another story. Who knew ice was that hard?
After TK determines that his injuries aren’t bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, Carlos settles on the sofa and graciously accepts the ice pack TK hands him.
TK grabs the remote and turns on the TV. “Any Netflix preferences?”
“I don’t care,” Carlos snaps. He doesn’t necessarily mean to, but in his defense, he was in pain due to injuries from an activity he didn't even want to do in the first place.
“Carlos…”
“I’m sorry, just put on whatever.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I’m just a little embarrassed that’s all.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed, baby. It was your first time and you were doing really well.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t even want to go ice skating TK,” Carlos sighs. He doesn’t really want TK to feel bad about it. It wasn’t really the other man’s fault; it was a good idea for a date. Just not something Carlos wanted to do. And it definitely did not help that the night ended with bruises covering what feels like his entire body.
“I know. I’m sorry I pushed you to do something you weren’t comfortable with.”
“It’s okay,” Carlos says. He knows he shouldn’t let TK off that easy, but he can’t help it. Not when the other man clearly feels so bad.
“Did you at least have a little fun?”
“I did have fun watching you skate.”
“Really?” TK perks up.
“Yeah, you’re very good,” Carlos smiles when he notices TK starting to blush. “Maybe next time I could just stay outside on the side of the rink and watch you skate?”
“Or, I could give you lessons?”
Carlos can only groan.