Page 53 of Refraction

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Tucker watchedCalvin go with a bemused grin.Well, look at that.

He could admire that tiny little ass for a hundred years, but said fine man had requested hot chocolate, so hot chocolate it would be.

“Woo! That was awesome.” Calvin joined him finally, grinning and flopping into a chair, breathless and flushed. “I wonder if you can two-step on ice skates?”

“I’m sure someone can. I’m equally as sure that I can’t.” He wasn’t ever going to be good at this. Enjoy it? Fuck yeah, but not be good at it. “You can fly. I didn’t know if you wanted whipped cream, so I got one of each.”

He also got coffee to mix with the one Calvin didn’t want.

“I’ll go without, please.” Calvin ran fingers through a windblown and wild mop of hair, taming it again. “Which…?”

“The one with the little stopper deal.” He grabbed the other and added a big dollop of sweet goodness to his coffee.

“Thank you.” Calvin smiled at him, looking warm and happy. “You did fantastic out there. Stayed on your feet, moved along, you totally got it. Maybe next time I’ll bring some hockey sticks.” The wink let him off the hook.

“Give me a couple more times to try, huh?” Hockey was soccer with sticks on ice, if he was remembering right.

“As much as you like. I am loving this. And I’ve never heard you laugh so much.” Calvin was sitting there on the edge of the chair, sipping cocoa, bouncing one knee, and looking barely a day over seventeen.

“I am having a ball. It blows out all the cobwebs.” And the times where he didn’t have to worry about things seemed few and far between. This was simple, fun, but required his brain to be engaged so the work had to let go.

“So easy, right? Gliding along enjoying the wind? And when you can move faster, you’ll love it. I move so fast sometimes I literally don’t have time to think at all. It’s all about what’s in front of me. The speed is so much fun.”

“Swimming can be like that for me. I mean, I get into a rhythm and there’s no thinking, just moving like all get-out, so yeah. Yeah. I want to learn to do better.”

A silence fell between them. Calvin picked up his cup of cocoa again and gave it a swirl before sipping it. He reached across the table and took Tucker’s hand, and they watched the skaters, every once in a while pointing someone out to each other.

It was interesting how much better Calvin had become at letting quiet moments breathe when they were together, not trying to fill them with conversation. Calvin didn’t seem anxious and didn’t seem to need that constant assurance anymore.

Lord have mercy, Tucker loved Calvin like nothing going. Anxious. Calm. Goofy. Sleeping. It worked for him and made him feel like there was more than work.

“Thank you, tiger. That was the best hot cocoa ever. Good thing I need some calories today.” Calvin set the empty cup down and smiled at him. “You want to take another spin, or should we not tempt fate?”

“Let’s go play, honey. There’s precious little I’d like more.”

Calvin’s lovely blush was worth risking his backside. He took Calvin’s hand, and they headed for the ice again. “The hardest part is stepping onto the ice.” Not that Calvin had any trouble with it.

The sun was setting, and lights were starting to come on around the rink.

Oh, how charming was that. “Look, honey. It’s so fucking pretty.”

“It is. Romantic.” Music came on too. Calvin let go of his hand and skated around him in little circles and wide arcs, giggling and teasing him by getting close and cutting away again.

He felt a little like a Great Dane that was being seduced by a hummingbird.

“You are totally solid, Tucker, look at you go.” He pretended not to be concerned at all at the ice Calvin kicked up screeching to a stop beside him.

“Thank you, sir. I am trying to not make an ass out of myself.” He was going to have to sit in a hot water bath tomorrow and soak his butt.

“That’s fine. I’m doing enough of that for the both of us.” Calvin skated up close and took his hand, matching his stride so they were skating smoothly together. Full darkness fell fast, as it always seemed to in the city, and the rink was sparkling now, colored lights streaking the white ice in the rink.

“Look at us, ice skating together.” You could have knocked Tucker over with a feather, he was so pleased.

“I’m not surprised. Just one more thing we’re good at, tiger. Trust me? Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Calvin skated in front of him and turned backward, slowing a little so he ended up skating right up close. Calvin caught his hips and kissed him, then skated away before their feet got fouled up.

“Damn, honey. I swear to God, you do it for me, more and more every day.”

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