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Cregan hasn't been on the ice since his ankle injury.
It could be worse.
Everyone around him says that, except for Martyn, his blonde, figure-skating, adoptive brother. He works with a partner, some Redwyne girl. Her name starts with a 'J'. She's nice but doesn't get enough credit for dealing with his idiot brother.
Martyn is why he's here.
Back in the rink. Not officially. Not cleared to be on the ice. Still, Cregan's here, wondering what Martyn's surprise is. The chill is a welcoming feeling, spreading goosebumps over his skin. It's missing adrenaline, jostling against each other. The smack of sticks and talk that makes someone innocent weep.
He spots the blonde cruising against the ice, how he seems to glide effortlessly. As he walks, he drags the boot on the floor, leaning against the barrier. Martyn slides up to him through the barrier with a grin. A grin that means trouble. There have been way too many plots gone sideways with that grin. "Cregan!"
"You look good," he says.
The grin widens impossibly as he raises an eyebrow. "Tell that to Jess. But we aren't here to talk about me. I got someone for you to meet. I think you'd click very well,"
No. Oh, fucks sake, no. As Cregan sucks in a breath, he runs his hand down his face. Martyn has set on introducing him to random people. Men and women alike. "Marty," he says. "Marty, I told you,"
"Dude," Martyn says. "Come on, you're gonna love him. Hang on,"
As much as he would love to leave, Cregan stays put, shifting, watching the other skaters on the rink with a shred of yearning. The repeated sense of his injury could be worse fills him.
Martyn skates up with a man around his age, brunette, eyes brown and sparkling against the shitty, fluorescent lights. He's leaner and skinnier. He's a figure skater, he has to assume, but he knows guys on his team with the same build as him.
"This is Jace Velaryon, full name Jacaerys, but saying Jace is easier," Martyn says, gesturing to him. Cregan hears the name, knows his mom, and knows the family, but he can't help but feel captivated.
"And this," Martyn says, turning his attention to Jace, "Is Cregan Stark, my brother," He acts like it's a surprise, but when he was adopted, he dropped his last name, becoming a Stark. "I know you mentioned one of your brothers being a fan. So! I called him up."
Cregan has a thin smile when Martyn mentions one of Jace's brothers was a fan. Martyn winks at him as he skates away, most likely back to Jess, giving them a moment to talk.
"Sorry you had to deal with him," is the first thing he says. "Martyn's only skilled with everything that has to do with the ice."
Jace laughs, holding onto the railing to balance himself. Cregan's acutely aware of the lack of distance as he skates closer. His hair stands as his cheeks turn a shade of pink. "He's nice," he says. "I heard about your injury. During the end of a game?" A sympathetic wince. "That's got to suck. Joff was devastated ."
A silence as Cregan nods.
"I was too," Jace says.
It shocks him. His eyebrows raise as he grips tighter on the railing, knuckles whitening. "Yeah, I mean, I was gonna bring Joff to one of your games, hoping we could meet you," Jace says so casually. So nonchalant. It makes Cregan's head spin.
"Hey, then I met Martyn! A week later!"
"Then you met Martyn," Cregan says, clearing his throat.
"I mean, I'm surprised we hadn't met before, we're both ice skaters, and we both practice at the same place, but, who knew today would be the day I got to meet Cregan Stark?" Jace says, grinning.
Cregan blurts out, without thinking, for that matter, "Do you want my number?"
Jace blinks. "Huh?"
"My number, do you want it?" He questions as he clears his throat, deciding to elaborate. "So you won't have to worry about missing out on my games when I'm not there and still healing."
A smile. "Sure," Jace says. "I don't have my phone on hand, so I got to type it in your phone. Hope that's cool."
Cregan nods, "Yeah, yeah, it's cool." As he takes and unlocks his phone, Jace snatches it, entering his number, and sending a text.
"Thanks, man," Jace says, handing back his phone, and skating away.
Cregan couldn't quite decide if he wanted to kill or slap Martyn on the back for whatever the hell just happened.