Chapter 13 #2
“All you need to do is hold my hands,” Jeremy instructs, extending his palms forward for Sergio to take.
Feeling even more confident than yesterday in his ability to at least glide along with Jeremy, Sergio grabs them willingly.
“Good,” Jeremy says, giving his hands a little squeeze as he begins to skate backward, pulling Sergio along with him. “Now all you have to do is shift your weight with me from side to side. Don’t even worry about picking up your feet.”
“Like this?” Sergio asks, getting into the rhythm.
“Yeah! Like that!” Jeremy says, encouraging Sergio along with enthusiasm. He gives Sergio a smile. “Are you sure this is your first time?”
“I’ve maybe been on the ice twice before,” Sergio confesses. “But both attempts ended in a full body slam.”
“Well, we all fall down every once in a while.”
“Very true,” Sergio says, holding Jeremy’s gaze as they glide.
“I think you can try pushing off,” Jeremy suggests. “Rock your weight onto your right foot, then push off with your left.”
Sergio does as he’s told.
“Good,” Jeremy says, looking very pleased with Sergio. “Now do it again.”
Sergio does.
“So good. Keep going,” Jeremy lets go of one of Sergio’s hands and seamlessly moves himself to skate at Sergio’s side. “Just like that.”
“What about my other foot?” Sergio asks, not feeling fully steady in his abilities and adjusting to only having one of Jeremy’s hands to hold.
“Don’t worry about your other foot. Focus on pushing with your left and gliding on your right.”
“Alright,” Sergio says. “But promise me you won’t let go.”
“I won’t,” Jeremy says with a squeeze to Sergio’s hand.
With that squeeze of his hand and Jeremy’s expressed faith in Sergio’s newly acquired abilities, Sergio’s confidence in himself under Jeremy’s tutelage grows.
Though he does miss being able to look upon Jeremy’s alluring face as he glides.
Chancing a glance, he turns his head. His eyes catch Jeremy looking happy and free as they drift across the ice. Sergio’s lips break out into a smile.
“Are you guys skating without me?” Henry’s voice echoes throughout the barn.
Slam! This time, it’s his toe pick and the forward momentum that gets him, causing Sergio to slide across the ice like he’s stealing second base. The irony that this is the closest he’s gotten to any form of second base in weeks is not in any way lost on him.
“Henry!” Jeremy calls out. “You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s terrible.”
Thunk!
“Henry! You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s terrible.”
Slam!
“Henry! You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s terrible.”
Crash!
“Henry! You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s terrible.”
Bang!
“Henry! You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s terrible.”
“All you need to do is hold my hands,” Jeremy instructs, extending his palms forward for Sergio to take for what feels like the hundredth day in a row.
“Maybe we should wait until Henry wakes up,” Sergio suggests, not wanting a repeat of yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and well, honestly, the last handful of weeks trying to get this right.
He brings his hand to his chin and rubs the skin that had been split open after his last fall, still relieved he hadn’t woken up to a gash on his face like the one he went to bed with.
Jeremy rolls his eyes. “He’s out cold. Now quit being a wimp and grab my hands.”
Sergio, unable to resist having Jeremy’s hands in his, does what he’s told.
“Good,” Jeremy says, giving his hands a little squeeze as he begins to skate backward, pulling Sergio along with him. “Now all you have to do is shift your weight with me from side to side. Don’t even worry about picking up your feet.”
“Like this?” Sergio asks, settling into the familiar rhythm.
“Yeah! Like that!” Jeremy says with excitement in his voice. “Are you sure this is your first time?”
“I’ve skated a few times before,” Sergio confesses. “But each attempt has ended in a blooper reel-style crash.”
“Well, we all fall down every once in a while.”
“True. But unfortunately, I happen to do it spectacularly.”
“I won’t let that happen to you today,” Jeremy promises. Sergio would love nothing more than to believe him. “I think you can try pushing off. Rock your weight onto your right foot, then push off with your left.”
“Like this?”
“Just like that.”
Sergio repeats the motion without being directed.
“So good. Keep going,” Jeremy encourages and tries to let go of Sergio’s hand to move to his side like he’s been doing each day that Sergio’s abilities to stay balanced on his skates continue to grow.
Sergio, tired of falling before he gets to the kissing, grips Jeremy’s hand harder. “Don’t. You. Dare.”
Jeremy’s face breaks out into a playful grin with one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other. “I can’t hold on to you forever, Sergio.”
Holding on tight, never wanting to lose his grip on Jeremy ever again, Sergio says with complete certainty, “Bold of you to assume I ever want you to let go.”
Jeremy stops his motions, and slowly they come to a stop in the middle of the rink. “Is that so, Mr. Sergio Durand?”
Sergio, standing stock still, nods his head. He’s never been so sure of something in his life.
“And why is that?” Jeremy pulls at Sergio’s hands, drawing him in closer so they are standing chest to chest.
Carefully letting go of one of Jeremy's hands, Sergio brings his now free hand to Jeremy’s cheek and lets his thumb tug gently at the corner of Jeremy’s left eye.
“You’re so beautiful on the ice,” he says, sighing softly, relieved that if things keep going well, he might get to feel Jeremy’s lips pressed against his again. “You look … free.”
Jeremy tilts his head and looks at him, a soft smile lifts his lips. “I guess I am.”
Feeling quite confident and frankly a bit desperate, Sergio leans in and places a solid kiss on Jeremy’s lips, moaning when Jeremy reciprocates it instantly.
“Are you two kissing?” Henry’s voice echoes through the rink, causing Jeremy to quickly pull away. Sergio, for the first time, maintains his balance.
“Henry!” Jeremy calls out, his cheeks visibly blushing. “You should see your Uncle Sergio on skates. He’s not that bad.”