Chapter Text
Exer watched him closely. He watched the boy with golden hair, the way his body flowed along with the music as if it was pumping in his blood. He moved so gracefully and took all the attention away from other people on the rink. That included Exer himself, so he decided to stop his training and watch in complete awe. Good thing Exer was training alone and not with his coach, or he would have been yelled at by now.
Suddenly, the boy stopped skating, frustrated for seemingly no reason. He started skating towards the gate, so Exer followed.
“Hey, um, I just wanted to say how good your skating was then!" Exer smiled at the boy, who was now off the rink and putting the guards on his skates. He looked up, pushing his hair out of his face.
“Oh, thank you!” the boy smiled back and started to walk away.
“Wait!” Exer said, a little too loudly. “Um… what was your name, by the way? Is this your usual rink? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” The boy turned around.
“It’s David. David Miller. And yeah, this is my usual rink.” He continues to walk, so Exer exits the rink and puts his skate guards on, following David.
“Do you have a coach? I mean, you obviously have a coach if you skate like that! But does she teach here?” He hoped he wasn’t annoying David too much, but the boy was so damn intriguing!
“My coach is Cynthia Adkins. She teaches a few classes for beginners. Maybe you know her from them?” It was obvious that David didn’t say this to be rude, but Exer was taken aback.
“Actually, she's my coach too!” Exer snapped back. “And I do competitive skating, by the way. Been skating since I was 7.”
David’s eyes lit up, obviously more interested in Exer now. “Really? Isn’t Cynthia a sweetheart? Also, are you gonna do that pair skating competition that’s coming up?”
“Oh, I didn’t know there was one?” Before Exer could say more, a man started yelling at David to hurry up.
“Sorry, that’s my dad, I gotta go now. I’ll see you around!” He smiled and waved, slung his gym bag over his shoulder and walked over to the entrance of the building where his dad was standing.
Exer frowned and decided to end his training session early, he was already off the ice anyway. He pulled his skates off, put them in his bag, and slipped on his comfortable sneakers, sighing in relief. Breaking in a pair of skates hurts like crazy! He put on his puffer jacket and braced himself for the November chill as he walked out of the building and over to his car.
~~~
David groaned and rolled over to turn off his alarm clock which read 5 a.m. He sluggishly hopped out of bed and started his morning stretching routine. Reach to the sky, touch the floor, twist side to side… He would do his full stretching routine before training. He got into the outfit he had set out the night before and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
David didn’t particularly enjoy waking up early, but his dad forced him to. He would usually spend about 4 hours every day doing on-ice training, either by himself or with his coach, and another 6 hours off-ice. Off-ice training included intense stretching routines, intense workouts, going for long runs, and doing spins and jumps in the garage until he felt sick. Adding to that, he did ballet classes once a week. He didn't go to school because he simply didn't have the time to. His dad claimed that he homeschooled him, however, David felt that he never really learnt anything besides new skating routines.
Harsh coughing, produced by the insane amounts of hairspray David was putting on, echoed through the otherwise silent house. His house always seemed too quiet. There was no laughter or comfort.
He hated it.
David messed with his hair to ensure it had enough volume, and once he felt satisfied, he grabbed his bag full of gear and rushed downstairs. His dad was in the kitchen, drinking coffee with a permanent scowl.
“Are you ready to go?” He questioned.
“Yup, just let me grab an energy bar…” David rummaged through the cupboard to find his favourite snack and took a bite.
“Okay, ready." He said, mouth full of food. As he walked outside, David noticed the sky was still dark, but there didn't seem to be a star in sight. He got into the car, his dad following. There was an uncomfortable quietness, so David decided to strike up a conversation.
“Cynthia is putting me with a partner today. Y’know, for the pair skating competition?”
“That’s nice. I hope she puts you with a pretty girl. That’ll make things easier for you!” William, his father, let out a chuckle.
“Haha, yeah…” David managed a smile and decided that looking out the window was a better option than talking. Thankfully, they soon came to the ice rink. He thanked his dad for dropping him off and walked inside the building.
Cynthia showed up about an hour after David. By then he had already fully warmed up. He laced up his skates and followed her onto the ice, full of energy.
“Hi, Cynthia! Did you sleep well?” He beamed at her widely.
“I slept wonderfully, David, thank you for asking! I assume that you’re already warmed up?”
David nodded and did a spin for good measure.
“Wonderful, I guess we can start practising your routine now. Can you start by doing a double lutz for me?” She smiled and pulled out a small notebook and pen to take notes on David’s technique.
David huffed and grudgingly skated away, performing the double lutz, landing well. He sarcastically put his arms up and skated back to Cynthia. He put his hands on his hips and peered down at her notes.
“What was that arm thing about?” She asked, still looking down and writing.
“Well…” He hesitated.
“Well?”
“Well, have you decided who I’m going with for the pair skating competition?”
Cynthia sighed, looking up at him with sympathy. David’s mood was instantly pulled down, and he started wringing his hands, a nervous stim he often did.
“I’m sorry buddy, I know you were looking forward to this.” She reached up, as he was much taller than her, and put her hand on his shoulder.
“It’s not just that, you know what my dad is like… he wants me to do every competition available.” He leaned into her touch, slightly hunching down for her. Cynthia suddenly perked up and flipped through her notebook.
“What’s wrong?” David asked, standing up straighter now. His dad always told him to have good posture and ‘show off his elegant body.’
“There is someone I could put you with, but they haven’t signed up for the competition, and-“ She stopped. David furrowed his eyebrows, confused.
“And, I’m not sure if they’ll… how do I put this? I’m not sure if they’ll be a good match for you.”
“Why’s that?”
“That’s because they’re a boy.”
David’s expression went from confused, to shocked, and then back to confused.
“Wait, how’s that going to work? Is that even allowed?”
“That’s what I’m concerned about, too,” Cynthia said. “But what I was thinking is that you could fill the role that the girl usually does. You are taller than him, but he’s a lot stronger, so he would be able to pick you up easier.”
He considered it, looking up at the roof, and nodded at Cynthia as an indication for her to keep going.
“I can ask the people who are hosting the competition if two boys can participate, too. How does that sound?” She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“I think… that we should give it a go.” He gave her a slightly worried smile.
“I’ll make sure this works out, buddy. I’ll go give him a call.”
~~~
Exer found himself at the rink again, which was rare for a Sunday morning. Sundays were usually his day to recover and relax, so it was a bit of a surprise when his dad came into his room at 6:30 a.m., telling him his coach was on the phone.
Waiting in the foyer was Cynthia, standing with a tall, blond boy.
“Oh, it’s you!” Exer exclaimed, smiling. The boy grinned back, then looked at Cynthia.
“I see you two know each other!”
“Oh, yeah, we actually met yesterday… I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I ever got your name?” David seemed a bit embarrassed to say this.
“Oh, don’t worry about it! You were in a rush! It’s Exer, by the way.” The boy held out his hand, which David gladly took to shake. They stared at each other for a second before David quickly pulled his hand away.
“Um, so, what’s all this about?” Exer laughed and turned his attention to Cynthia.
“Well, Exer, David here signed up for the partners skating competition, but I couldn’t find an appropriate match, so…” She looked up at David, who raised his eyebrows.
“So, I was wondering if you wanted to be his skating partner.”
The words were spat out quickly, and as David had earlier, Exer pulled a confused expression. Before he could say anything, Cynthia blurted out,
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask the people hosting the event if this is allowed. Everything is under control."
The two boys glanced at each other with awkward smiles.
“Okay, let’s do it!" Exer declared, his smile widening.
~~~
David and Exer found themselves in the small gym connected to the rink. They stood silently, as Cynthia was busy writing the routine in her notebook. Exer sighed and decided to warm up, sitting on the floor and reaching for his feet. David watched the way Exer seemed so peaceful going through his stretches. A peace he never felt. Realising he probably looked creepy staring, David walked over to Cynthia and peered down at what she was writing.
“David, stop leaning over me when I’m writing!”
She looked up at him, and he grinned innocently.
“Are you nervous?” She asked, just quietly enough so Exer wouldn’t hear.
“N-no, it’s not that! Just eager, is all! Are you ready?” He said to distract her from how he felt.
“Yes, we can start now. I guess I'll figure out the rest of the routine another time. Okay, Exer, are you ready?”
Exer lifted his head from a straddle split and quickly stood up, nodding. David glanced at him before quickly pulling his eyes away again when he noticed Exer was staring back.
"Alright, boys, this is how we’ll start…” She pulled Exer over to where she was standing and positioned his arms so they were in the air, his left one slightly bent.
“Okay, now David…” She pulled him over too, in front of Exer, muttering to herself.
“Can you hunch over for me and put your arms in en bas?” He did as she said. “Make sure your head is down and your spine is more curved.”
Cynthia stepped back and took a long, good look at them. She hummed.
“No, this won’t work... Exer, can you please put your left hand on David’s waist and stick your right one out to the side?"
Exer gently placed his hand on David’s waist. His hands were soft. David felt his face turning red and, in his mind, thanked Cynthia for putting him in his hunched position.
“Okay, Exer, can you turn your head the same way your arm is facing?” She stepped back again, nodding.
“Perfect. I’m going to take a photo of you two, okay? Just so I remember what position to put you in.” She pulled up the camera that hung from her neck and took a couple of photos from different angles. When she was finally done, David snapped up from his position and moved out of Exer’s touch, hoping his face wasn't still red.
Looking back at Exer, David noticed him still staring at him. To try and ignore him, he bent over and touched the floor, then thought about how stupid he probably looked. He sighed and walked over to the window that looked down at the ice.
“Hey, uh, David?”
David turned around and saw Exer walking towards him. He felt his cheeks heating up again.
“Hi!” He said, a little too happily.
Exer frowned for a second but smiled back.
“I just wanted to ask if you were all right. You seem upset. It’s not because of me, is it?”
“What? No, it's not because of you! Ignore me! I’m just a bit tired is all.” He let out one of his awkward laughs and smiled.
“Yeah, well, I guess you were here a lot earlier than me. Maybe you shouldn’t be training if you’re tired, though?”
“Oh, I always get up super early. Figure skating is kind of my life!” David laughed uncomfortably and tucked a bit of hair behind his hair. His heart hurt, and he didn’t know why.
“Come on, guys, let’s get on with it!” Cynthia said loudly.
Exer walked back over to the centre of the gym, glancing back at David and giving him a smile.
~~~
Once they had gone through the general idea of the routine, Cynthia allowed the two to leave. Exer packed up his things and slung his bag over his shoulder. David was still packing up the insane amount of equipment he owned.
“Bye, David.” He stood up and began to leave.
“Oh, Bye Exer!” David finally zipped up his bag. “Actually, I’m leaving now too.” They walked outside and waved at eachother as they parted ways, but Exer noticed that David wasn’t walking towards a car but rather towards the footpath.
“Wait, David!” He yelled out, and the blonde boy turned around, confused. Exer ran up to him.
“You aren’t walking home, are you?” He asked, concerned.
“Oh… well, my dad dropped me off, but he’ll probably get mad if I make him come get me, so…” His words trailed off as he shrugged.
“No, man! It’s cold, do you want a lift?” Exer pointed with his thumb to his flashy car, smirking. David hesitated, but something about Exer was so welcoming that he couldn’t seem to refuse.
“Okay, sweet, thank you!” He followed Exer, who got into the driver’s seat. David stood in front of the door, staring at him.
“Are you gonna get in?"
“Oh, right, sorry!” He hopped into the passenger seat, and Exer turned on the car, reversing out of the parking spot and onto the road. Neither of them said anything until Exer piped up.
“Sorry, where do you live?” He asked.
“You just have to turn left down this street, and I’ll tell you which one my house is.”
Exer kept driving until they reached the house. David hopped out, grabbing his bag from the back seat. They gave each other another awkward yet soft smile.
“Thanks again. I’ll see you at the next training session, I guess.” He waved. Exer watched him walk towards the door of his house, waiting until he was inside before driving away.
His mind was clouded with thoughts. Something about David was off, or maybe he was overthinking it. He probably was, they had just met, after all. It was obvious that the whole competition meant a lot to him.
He pulled into the driveway of his own house, gathered his things and walked inside. He saw his dad sitting on the couch, engrossed in the daily newspaper, so he tried to sneak past him.
“Good afternoon, Exer. Not going to say hi to me?” Exer stopped in his tracks and turned around, huffing with defeat.
“Hi, dad.” He gave a sarcastic grin and turned around again.
“Ah, ah, ah! Come on, Exer. Tell me how the skating went!”
Exer groaned, chucked his bag on the floor and flopped down on the couch.
“It was okay…”
“Just okay?”
“Yeah, well… I'm doing this pair skating competition which is why I was called in so early. And I’m glad that I’m doing it, don’t get me wrong, it’s just… the boy I’m doing it with, he’s just… I don’t know. He’s odd.”
“So, you’re pair skating with a boy?” His dad asked after a slight pause. The expression on his face wasn’t judgemental, just confused. Exactly how he had been himself that morning.
“Yeah… Cynthia couldn’t find any girl skaters to go with him, and I think he really wanted to do it, so she called me in.”
“And you said this boy was odd?”
“He’s not odd, really, but things are just awkward between us, and he kept going all funny. Maybe we just need to warm up to each other.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” His dad looked down at his watch. “You know what else sounds like a good idea? Getting some rest. You were at the rink for hours.”
Exer stood up, stretched, and went to pick up his stuff. Just talking to his dad made the cloud in his mind disappear.
“Thanks dad, I might come out for dinner if I’m not asleep by then.” His laugh was stifled by a yawn.
~~~
Tears fell over David’s face. He was curled up in a ball on his bed, still in his cold skating clothes. His dad had yelled at him for a magnitude of reasons, but mainly because of Exer. He had told him how embarrassed he was that other people would see his son skating with another boy, and he threatened to pull him out of the competition.
David knew he wouldn’t, of course. He had said that many times before. He also knew that his father had far too much pride to take him out of a competition, especially one that could potentially take him to a national level.
Still, it scared him when he lashed out because he never knew when he would get violent. He usually wouldn't, and would instead yell at him to go to his room, or to leave the house. Other times, though, he had hit him, like the time when he 'only got bronze.' He had pulled him into the changing room, placed a hard, red smack across his face, and told him to try harder.
He had been 10.
Or like when he had been training but ended up talking to a boy on the rink for just a few minutes. His dad noticed and told David to come over to him. His dad quickly yanked his hair, yelling at him about the cost of training and the competition that was happening in a few weeks. The worst part was that everyone watched.
He had been 14.
Over time, David learned how to avoid getting hit. He learnt to work his ass off and win every single competition. He learnt to ignore anyone who talked to him who wasn't Cynthia. He learnt to never, ever express how he truly felt.
He wanted to tell his father that he never asked to go with a boy, it’s just what Cynthia did. But he knew how dangerous it was to say that, so he shut his mouth and let his dad yell at him.
He hoped that Exer wouldn't be disappointed with him if they didn’t make it. He could only deal with one person doing that.