Ice, Ice Baby!
Three
“So Frank, do you come here a lot?” Gerard asked, it was cliché, but he didn’t care. He was intrigued by this person, this man. He wanted to know more. Frank bit his lip, his face contorted, like he was thinking things over in his mind, never to release them to the world around him.
“Er, no I don’t, not really” Gerard smiled. He hoped for some reason he would come back. He felt like good company. “But I‘m going to be here more often now. As I said earlier, I want to try and shape up” He sighed, looking down at his boots which were scraping the ice lightly.
“That’s good. No, I mean coming back - not the, not the shaping up part.” Gerard looked at Frank. He didn’t need to shape up. He didn’t want Frank to think that he thought he had to as well. Frank giggled.
“Hey its okay- I knew what you meant” Both men smiled at one another. They both looked down, concentrating on what their feet were doing rather then their mouths.
“So Gerard, what are you doing here?”
“Training” Gerard admitted, shyness straining his voice. He didn’t like to tell people what he did for a living; they always treated him different after they knew. Of course, Frank had some kind of idea, as he had seen Gerard doing many stunts and twists he could never perform. Frank looked over at the uncomfortable skater. He wasn’t sure if he should press on the subject a little more.
“Oh. That’s cool. What for? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?” He moved his head a little, angling it down towards the ice. The ice was his comfort, his safe place. It was the one thing he was good at in life. Conversations and relationships however, were completely the opposite to his talents.
He didn’t want to open up. But he knew that Frank could be a good friend. They talked a little; he liked how the shorter skater was. “I‘m training for a competition. I’m- I’m a Pro” Gerard sighed, his face crumpled.
“Wow!” Frank beamed at the taller man. “Wow, I mean, that’s awesome!” He admitted, obviously impressed by Gerard’s career choice. The skater bit his lip. He was worried Frank wouldn’t want to talk to him about normal things anymore, not now he had discovered his hidden or not so hidden talents.
“Yeah. I guess it's cool. I mean, I don’t normally tell many people. After they find out that, they never seem to want to know about anything else” He stated, clearly reminiscing old memories that were flickering throughout his mind.
“That’s not cool. Why would someone do that?! I think its cool, but there are other interesting sides to you, I‘m sure.” Gerard smiled. Finally, someone that could see through the ice, the fame and the money. Gerard’s smile increased as his hand was enclosed my Frank’s. He grabbed the skater, pulling him faster. He wanted to have fun.
Gerard followed. He decided he deserved a bit of fun, considering the gruelling training hours he had been following recently. It would be great for the skater to wind down, have a little fun and maybe smile for a change. He gripped Franks hand a little, not for his comfort, but so the younger boy wouldn’t fall. Gerard could maintain his balance, he just wasn’t sure if his friend could do the same.
“I'll race you?!” Frank giggled. He was fully aware that the pro skater would win, but he didn’t care. He wanted to show Gerard that he didn’t mind, he didn’t care about the fortune. He wanted to stress that he liked his company, not his wallet.
Gerard looked puzzled. “But Frank, I'll kick you-”
“I know! But I don’t care! This is fun okay?” Frank sighed. He knew Gerard didn’t understand his motives. However, they went with it.
Just like Franks friends had done the last time they were here, he started the countdown in order to race.
“One, two, three!”
The two men skated off, gaining speed. The metal, sliding and echoing over the smooth ice. The sharp blade, slicing the smooth surface to shreds, much like heartbreak. Frank glanced at Gerard, Gerard smiled back. Within seconds, their race, which it had started out to be, had ended. Both men realized they didn’t want to race, compete. Gerard did enough of that. The race ended when both boys smiled at one another, linked hands and slowed down.
“Thanks.”
“For what?” Frank questioned. He looked at their hands which were still entwined and smiled. Gerard noted that.
“For changing it. You knew I wanted to just skate. You knew I have enough of races and competitions didn’t you?” He questioned.
Frank grinned. “Yup. That’s why me and you are going to skate around, normally!”
“You sure? I could teach you some simple stuff? Sorry, but by the looks of things, you need it!” Gerard giggled, to which Frank scowled. He playfully hit the skaters arm, but after making contact, leaving his hand there, stroking softly.
“Ok. But you have to tell me if you want to get away from all that, okay?” Frank reasoned. Gerard nodded.
“Come on. I'll teach you a thing or two!”
“Er, no I don’t, not really” Gerard smiled. He hoped for some reason he would come back. He felt like good company. “But I‘m going to be here more often now. As I said earlier, I want to try and shape up” He sighed, looking down at his boots which were scraping the ice lightly.
“That’s good. No, I mean coming back - not the, not the shaping up part.” Gerard looked at Frank. He didn’t need to shape up. He didn’t want Frank to think that he thought he had to as well. Frank giggled.
“Hey its okay- I knew what you meant” Both men smiled at one another. They both looked down, concentrating on what their feet were doing rather then their mouths.
“So Gerard, what are you doing here?”
“Training” Gerard admitted, shyness straining his voice. He didn’t like to tell people what he did for a living; they always treated him different after they knew. Of course, Frank had some kind of idea, as he had seen Gerard doing many stunts and twists he could never perform. Frank looked over at the uncomfortable skater. He wasn’t sure if he should press on the subject a little more.
“Oh. That’s cool. What for? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?” He moved his head a little, angling it down towards the ice. The ice was his comfort, his safe place. It was the one thing he was good at in life. Conversations and relationships however, were completely the opposite to his talents.
He didn’t want to open up. But he knew that Frank could be a good friend. They talked a little; he liked how the shorter skater was. “I‘m training for a competition. I’m- I’m a Pro” Gerard sighed, his face crumpled.
“Wow!” Frank beamed at the taller man. “Wow, I mean, that’s awesome!” He admitted, obviously impressed by Gerard’s career choice. The skater bit his lip. He was worried Frank wouldn’t want to talk to him about normal things anymore, not now he had discovered his hidden or not so hidden talents.
“Yeah. I guess it's cool. I mean, I don’t normally tell many people. After they find out that, they never seem to want to know about anything else” He stated, clearly reminiscing old memories that were flickering throughout his mind.
“That’s not cool. Why would someone do that?! I think its cool, but there are other interesting sides to you, I‘m sure.” Gerard smiled. Finally, someone that could see through the ice, the fame and the money. Gerard’s smile increased as his hand was enclosed my Frank’s. He grabbed the skater, pulling him faster. He wanted to have fun.
Gerard followed. He decided he deserved a bit of fun, considering the gruelling training hours he had been following recently. It would be great for the skater to wind down, have a little fun and maybe smile for a change. He gripped Franks hand a little, not for his comfort, but so the younger boy wouldn’t fall. Gerard could maintain his balance, he just wasn’t sure if his friend could do the same.
“I'll race you?!” Frank giggled. He was fully aware that the pro skater would win, but he didn’t care. He wanted to show Gerard that he didn’t mind, he didn’t care about the fortune. He wanted to stress that he liked his company, not his wallet.
Gerard looked puzzled. “But Frank, I'll kick you-”
“I know! But I don’t care! This is fun okay?” Frank sighed. He knew Gerard didn’t understand his motives. However, they went with it.
Just like Franks friends had done the last time they were here, he started the countdown in order to race.
“One, two, three!”
The two men skated off, gaining speed. The metal, sliding and echoing over the smooth ice. The sharp blade, slicing the smooth surface to shreds, much like heartbreak. Frank glanced at Gerard, Gerard smiled back. Within seconds, their race, which it had started out to be, had ended. Both men realized they didn’t want to race, compete. Gerard did enough of that. The race ended when both boys smiled at one another, linked hands and slowed down.
“Thanks.”
“For what?” Frank questioned. He looked at their hands which were still entwined and smiled. Gerard noted that.
“For changing it. You knew I wanted to just skate. You knew I have enough of races and competitions didn’t you?” He questioned.
Frank grinned. “Yup. That’s why me and you are going to skate around, normally!”
“You sure? I could teach you some simple stuff? Sorry, but by the looks of things, you need it!” Gerard giggled, to which Frank scowled. He playfully hit the skaters arm, but after making contact, leaving his hand there, stroking softly.
“Ok. But you have to tell me if you want to get away from all that, okay?” Frank reasoned. Gerard nodded.
“Come on. I'll teach you a thing or two!”