Teach Me!! (Joyabe + BunBun)

[Joyabe]

Hearing the cliché Everett chose, Caleb let out a laugh, feeling relieved at his reaction. It didn't matter how many times he did so or in front of whom, his history with his family caused him to always worry about others' reactions when he came out to them. "Well, we might just be the only ones here. I have a few suspicions, but there's no one else in town I know of" he told him, shrugging his shoulders "makes dating here a pain in the ass. But also… sometimes you just need someone to talk to, you know?" he said smiling, keeping his tone light. It's not like he didn't have anybody to talk to, but there was a limit as to how much his sister and his friends could understand.

 

"Guess you don't have to go looking, we just somehow magically appear before you" Caleb teased him, suspecting the double meaning behind the other's words, which made him more careful, but not less determined. "I mean with the length your fans seems to go for you, I guess it wasn't too hard to find interested parties. Though I don't know if dating someone that's after your used snot rag sounds like such a good idea" he added as he laughed again. He placed his hands in his pockets as they continued walking, thinking for a moment before speaking again "unless your ex was a fan. Then just ignore everything I just said" he looked at Everett, hoping he didn't just say something extremely offensive "honestly that's amazing you were able to keep a relationship and compete at the same time. Must have been hard with all the traveling and training" he said as he turned his head to look at the face of the man walking beside him.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett looked at his feet when Caleb said that men would just magically appear. The thought scared him, and he just wasn't ready to give his heart to someone again any time soon. Though at the same time, maybe it was something he needed right now. Everett quickly dismissed the thought, and looked up at Caleb when he mentioned his ex boyfriend. He gave him a half smile, before he looked back at the floor. "He was... he was actually an ice skater as well. We competed against each other a lot." Maybe the fact that his ex boyfriend was a rival, was why they didn't work out - actually, Everett knew that was exactly why it didn't work out. "It... wasn't easy..." Everett rubbed his wrist, as he gnawed on his bottom lip. "Though he was an amazing skater... way better than I am, to be honest. He was so... precise and beautiful on the ice." Everett always admired his ex boyfriend's skill at figure skating, as he admired Everett's; it was their admiration for what they presented to the ice that drew them together, but it was also the thing that drove them apart.

 

Everett softly sighed when he stopped at his door, his blue eyes looking up at Caleb. "Anyways, thank you for walking... and er... running with me." Everett said, giving Caleb a half smile. "We should meet up again soon... or get a drink after your first day of class." Everett really enjoyed talking to Caleb, and to be honest he could probably use a friend at the moment. "Unless you're too tired... the first day could get a little exhausting."

[Joyabe]

Caleb listened quietly as Everett talked about his ex-boyfriend, as he wondered if what he was hearing in the other's voice was just admiration from a professional point of view, or something more. Not that he said anything or could complain, since he was the one who brought up the subject in the first place.

 

"Yeah I had fun tonight" he agreed with Everett as they stood outside his house. His smile widened hearing the invitation to do something else "please, just how old do you think I am?" he rolled his eyes as the other suggested he might be too tired after their class. Truthfully, now that the upcoming Tuesday was brought back to his mind he found being exhausted and thoroughly drunk the only acceptable state to be in. The more distracted he would be, the less he would have to think about his family, and if tonight was anything to go by, Everett was great at helping him do just that. Caleb caught himself before he managed to go too far down that path, quickly returning the smile that was starting to slip from his face "so drinks after class. This way I'll be able to forget any embarrassment of falling down" he laughed. "I'll see you on Tuesday then. Good night" he smiled at the other one last time before turning away and heading off.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

"If it makes you feel any better, I still fall." Everett said with a small laugh. "I'll see you Tuesday... be careful of stalkers on the walk home!" Everett called out as Caleb started to walk away. He watched the other man walk away for a few short seconds, before he carefully opened the door. A bell rang, making Everett visibly cringe. He stopped half way through the door, taking a deep breath before walking into the restaurant and up his stairs. Everett carefully opened the door, and into the dark house. His mother was probably in bed, which gave Everett a sense of relief. As much as Everett loved his mother, she was quite the worry wart. Everett walked into his room, stripping down to his boxers the second he stepped foot into the room. He climbed in bed, looking at the ceiling.

 

Tonight was one of the most exciting he's had in months. Ever since he's come home he's been caught in this habit of ice skating, diner, home. The run was a little nerve wracking at first, but after a while he found that Caleb was just a pleasant person to be around. A little smile crossed Everett's lips as he turned on his side and hugged his pillow. It took a few minuets for his mind to settle, and drift into sleep. He didn't remember what he had dreamed about, but there was a tiny part of him that knew it was pleasant.

 

Tuesday rolled around quicker than Everett though it would, though time did go fast when he was busy. The diner was packed, so the past few days went by like a blink of an eye. Truth be told he was a little excited to shake up his mundane schedule that he grew so used to. He slipped on his skates, his heart pounding in his chest. He was nervous that Caleb wouldn't show up, but he thought that the thought was silly at the same time. Caleb was the one that asked him in the first place. Everett tied them up tightly, before he slipped off the bench and onto the ground to do a few stretches. He spread his legs and leaned down to touch his toes, breathing in deeply. "It's weird seeing you teach on a Tuesday," said Jeremy, a friend who worked at the snack shack. Jeremy had a thick head of black hair, piercing green eyes, and a snake bite piercing. Most of the girls who walked through the doors swooned when they saw Jeremy, which didn't surprise Everett in the least.

 

"I suppose..." Everett said shortly, his blue eyes peeking over at Jeremy as he stretched. He took in a deep breath, pulling away to grab his elbow as he stretched it over his chest. "He's a nice guy though. I teach his niece."

"Who is his niece?" Jeremy asked, leaning forward.

"Olivia... she's a sweetie. I guess she really enjoys my class." Everett said with a cute small smile, peering over at Jeremy with pride. The raven haired man just shook his head and rolled his eyes, "okay. I won't bother you... have fun teaching, you dork." Jeremy said as he walked away, and back into the confinements of his station.

[Joyabe]

Later that night, standing under the water he considered hot, and others considered a cause of second-degree burns, Caleb went over the night's events in his mind. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that the more he got to talk to Everett, the more he wanted to know about him. He was glad to find out that the feelings he had for the other, despite not having a defined shape or name at the moment, weren't just a figment of his imagination or based only on physical attraction. He genuinely enjoyed spending time with him, and was eagerly waiting for their next "date" to continue doing so.

 

Luckily for him, Tuesday came soon enough, and as all of his appointments that day miraculously ended on time, he was able to get to the ice rink without being late. Although his sister did manage to call him just before he left the office, he screened her call, sending Charlotte a text saying he was working. He wasn't surprised by that, seeing that his sister was probably the most stubborn person he knew, but he really didn't feel like there was anything more for them to talk about. He would just have to continue ignoring her for the rest of the day and then it would all be over, a task he hoped would be rather easy to accomplish considering he was planning to keep himself busy for the next few hours.

 

Seeing Everett stretch on the floor as he walked in, Caleb couldn't help his professional instincts from kicking in. "You know" he told the younger man instead of properly greeting him as he walked towards him "you probably shouldn't stretch so close to the ground in such a cold place. That is, unless you missed me so much that you also want to see me as a patient" he added, his tone becoming clearly playful at that last part, before stopping right next to him.

 

"So what are we doing today?" he asked Everett as he set down in front of him, clearly ignoring his own advice "flips? Somersaults? Practicing escaping over-enthusiastic fans?" he asked him, a playful smile on his lips. More than he was interested in learning himself, Caleb was curious to see Everett in his own natural environment. Seeing that skating was such an innate part of the other, he couldn't help wanting to experience that side of him firsthand.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett was zoned out into his own world when Caleb came walking through the door. He didn't even notice he had walked in, until he heard his voice. Everett looked up at him, a soft smile crossing his lips the second he looked at him. His cheeks turned bright red when he corrected him on his place for stretching, and he immediately hopped onto the bench with a flustered smile. "Well, if I ever do need your assistance your class will be free." Everett playfully replied, his blue pools looking up at Caleb from the bench, before they looked down at his skates so he could make sure they were on securely. "I'll get to those lessons later on," Everett joked, his eyes peering up at Caleb. "For today I was thinking we would get you fitted into some skates, and I'd let you get a feel for the ice. If you're feeling up to it, maybe I'll let you venture off the wall."

 

The first day Everett was on the ice he was so scared to venture off the wall. He clung onto it, and didn't let go until Scarlet grabbed his hands and pulled him away. It was then that Everett fell in love with the ice, and wanted to prefect skating. Now Everett was smart enough to know there was always room for improvement, but at least he knew enough to pass on his knowledge. "Unless you have some skates of your own, you can get fitted and rent some skates right over there," Everett pointed behind Caleb, at a little indoor shop that was covered wall to wall in ice skates. "You can use my employee discount if you want... that way you'll only spend fifteen on a rental."

[Joyabe]

"You keep underestimating me like that and I might just snatch some of your titles" Caleb winked at Everett, the playful atmosphere clearly affecting him for the better and lightning his mood. Although he only skated a few times in his life, and a while back for that matter, he was confident enough that he would be able to at least venture off the wall.

 

He turned around to look at the shop the other pointed at before turning back to him. "Gotcha" he quickly replied before standing up and going in that direction, only to return a few minutes later, casually holding a pair of skates over his shoulder. He sat back down on the bench and placed them down on the floor before bending down and tying the first one on.

 

"Oh" he said as he was finished with it, suddenly remembering he had brought something with him, before turning to his bag only to take out a batch of homemade butterscotch candy he just got from one of his patients. He handed the cellophane wrapped package to Everett with a smile "I got this today… actually I got three of those" he laughed thinking back at his patient, Mrs. Wilson, who only stayed in the nursing home because she broke her leg. She already returned home, but came in earlier that day for a check-up, leaving Caleb with plenty of homemade candy, as well as an offer to date her granddaughter. As he couldn't possibly accept the second offer, the least he could do was accept the first. "You said you liked it, right?" he asked Everett as he began tying the other skate, keeping his eyes on him, as he quickly finished it and straightened up.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett looked up at Caleb as he walked back to the bench after renting out his skates, and smiled at him softly. He leaned back on the bench, silently waiting as Caleb laced them on. The sudden oh caught his attention, so he turned his head to look at him. "What?" Everett asked, turning his body so he would face Caleb. He watched as Caleb reached into his bag, pulling out a batch of butterscotch. Everett's blue pools lit up, and a smile crossed his face. "You remembered." Everett said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice as he grabbed the candy and eagerly ripped it open, before popping it into his mouth. He sucked on it happily, looking over at Caleb with a content smile. "I can't believed you remembered I loved butterscotch... it's really sweet of you." Everett was touched, and he honestly felt stupid for it. He had to remind himself that he was with someone who would moan out someone else's name during sex, and would constantly forget something as small as his birthday every year. Everett started to think that all men were just jerks.

 

Everett leaned down, swirling the candy in his mouth as he checked to see if Caleb's skates were on securely. He did this with the kids every time before the started, that it just became habit. "It looks like you're all good to go." Everett said before he quickly chewed the butterscotch and got up, looking over at Caleb. "Maybe instead of money, I'll have you pay me in butterscotch," Everett joked, a playful smirk on his lips. He began to walk towards the rink, his head turning towards Caleb to make sure he was alright.

[Joyabe]

Caleb couldn’t help the warm laugh that followed the other's excited reaction to his small gift. "it's really nothing big" he said, his eyes twinkling, matching the smile that was spread across his face "but I'm glad you like it". His gaze then followed Everett as he moved to check his skates, a look of wonder and amusement in his eyes. It was so unexpected to see him go from childlike excitement to an almost parental behavior in a matter of seconds. Not only that, but it's been forever since anyone treated him like that. The only person in the world that still treated him like a child sometimes was Charlotte, and she was more of the tough love kind.

 

Hearing the offer of paying in butterscotch, Caleb let out a small chuckle "Oh I'm sure you would love that" he retorted, arching an eyebrow at Everett as he stood up to follow him. He carefully stepped onto the ice, making sure not to lose his balance in the process. Thankfully, he was fit enough to be able to keep his core tight and himself on his feet. The fact that his family used to go skiing quite regularly in the past probably didn't hurt either. "Not on my ass yet" he said in an exaggeratedly arrogant tone as he turned to look at Everett. "You know" he added, his voice returning to its usual self as his dark gaze focused on him "I think this is the first time I actually see you on the ice. Damn I'm such a fail of a stalker".

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The second Everett got onto the ice, he glided for a few seconds before he turned himself around to watch Caleb. He wasn't too far away from him, making sure to stay close to make sure he could help Caleb if he needed to. "Be careful..." Everett said anxiously as Caleb stepped onto the ice. Everett couldn't help but chuckle lightly when Caleb said he wasn't on his ass. He looked at the other male, his eyes falling to the ground the second their eyes met. "It is?" Everett said slightly surprised. He looked down at his feet in thought for a short second, before he looked up at Caleb. "Though it makes sense. You usually get here when the kids are packing up to leave."

 

Everett squinted his eyes a little while he looked at Caleb, a smile breaking out on his face/ "You posture is a little wrong," Everett said as he skated next to Caleb, "first bend your knees, and keep most of your weight on the balls of your feet." Caleb placed a hand onto his stomach so he could make sure Caleb wouldn't fall, as he lightly brought Caleb's shoulders and chest facing forward. "You want your shoulders to be facing forward, because that's where you're going to do all of your steering. It's going to feel a little weird at first, but you'll get the hand of it." Everett lightly patted Caleb on the back, and held out his hands. "Grab my hands. This is the best way to learn to skate."

[Joyabe]

A small pang of guilt hit Caleb when Everett mentioned the fact he usually arrived to pick Olivia late or just on time. "I'm really sorry for that" he gave him an apologetic half smile "I swear I'm not doing it on purpose. Guess I need to try harder to get here early… either that or you will have to give me a private show sometime" he suggested, only half-jokingly.

 

Caleb laughed when Everett pointed out his posture "that's usually my line" he said. Nonetheless, he obediently aligned himself according to Everett's pointers, letting his touch guide him as he fixed his posture. As he did, he discovered he was right- it really did feel a bit strange. He always took pride in having a good posture, a result of both his upbringing and his profession, but this was completely different. His center of gravity was slightly off, and he had to make a conscious effort not to fall down.

 

When Everett held out his hands to him, Caleb's face clearly showed his surprise at the action. It only took a heartbeat however for another wide smile to spread across his face. "You do realize that if I'm falling you're going down with me right?" he asked him as he gently placed his hands in Everett's without putting any of his weight on him, his thumb lightly grazing against the back of his hand in the process.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett couldn't help but be reminded of a baby fawn, as he looked at Seth try desperately to keep the position. "It'll be a little harder for you to get it down, seeing you're older." Everett said as Caleb gently held his hand. The thumb didn't go unnoticed to Everett, and it actually made him blush just a little. He tried to push it in the back of his mind, a wide grin on his lips. "Then at least I can demonstrate the correct way of getting up." Everett said before he started to slowly ice skate back, his hands lightly squeezing Caleb's. "Tell me if I'm going to fast okay?" Everett said softly, before his eyes darted towards Caleb's knees. "Keep your knees bent and shoulders forward." Everett reminded Caleb a bit sternly, yet he kept that kind tone in his voice.

 

Everett felt so free on the ice, even if he was skating very slowly backwards. The feel of the ice under his feet, and even the cold icy chill filled his heart with happiness he could only get on the ice. There was a part of Everett that wanted to let go of Caleb's hands in hopes that maybe he would still be standing, so he could run a quick lap around the rink. However, the kind and logical side of Everett told him that the idea was no only a dumb one, but it put Caleb at risk. Everett looked at Caleb with a small smile, before his eyes drifted back to his knees and shoulders.

[Joyabe]

"Excuse me?" Caleb said, arching an eyebrow "what did you just call me?" he asked, feeling a little offended at being called 'older'. He couldn't really be angry seeing Everett blush the way he did, but he kept on pouting as they started skating. "Going too fast…" he murmured "just because I work in geriatrics doesn't automatically make me one as well" he said, sulking just a little. He wasn't sure if it was the specific situation they were in, or just Everett himself, but something about the other male brought out this side in his personality he usually didn't show others, with the exception of his sister and a few close friends.

 

Besides the initial discomfort at the strange stance, soon enough he discovered that it really wasn't that bad. Maybe it was because he was fit to begin with, or because he could understand the theory behind Everett's instructions, but Caleb soon found that keeping his balance wasn't all that hard. "Come on, I can handle more than that" he flashed a playful smile at Everett "besides, you must be bored out of your mind just doing this" he said in a teasing tone, almost as if he was challenging the other man.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett slowed down just a little, holding Caleb's hands a bit tighter. "I would say the same if someone was my age. You're actually doing really well for someone first starting in their adult years." Everett said giving Caleb a smile of encouragement, his thumbs running across the tops of his hands. Caleb's sulking face made Everett feel awful about his horrible wording, though he tried to push the thoughts of guilt in the back of his head. He tried to focus instead on moving slowly, and looking to see if Caleb was keeping his stance in place. Everett looked up at Caleb when he started to talk again, the playful smile causing one to cross his lips as well. "Are you challenging me, Caleb?" Everett asked in a playful tone, his eyes meeting with Caleb's.

 

Everett slowly let go of Caleb's hands, though they hovered a little over his waist. He looked up at him, "Are you alright?" He asked, that playful tone replaced with a concerned one. Everett would feel awful if he broke away from Caleb and he fell. Everett broke a lot of bones on ice, though to be fair he was typically jumping into the air and landing on a thin piece of metal most of the time he did break something. "Tell me if you want told hold hands again." Everett said casually, as he slowly lowered his arms.

[Joyabe]

Caleb was glad to see that Everett was responding positively to his challenge. He felt guilty seeing how uncomfortable he made the other with the little fit he threw, although he would be lying if he were to say he didn't enjoy the other's innocent touch as he was trying to encourage him. "And what if I am?" he asked, his eyes now carrying a mischievous gleam in them.

 

He felt a little disappointed when Everett let go of his hands, letting out a sigh as he watched him go back to worry mode. "Everett" he slowly said, intentionally emphasizing each syllable before gently poking him right between the eyebrows with his index finger "look- I'm totally fine. Remember the thing about kids being resilient? Just think about it the same way" he offered him an encouraging smile. When the other male offered holding hands again he couldn't help the quiet chuckle that left his lips, as he thought he would probably like to do a little more than that, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "I'll tell you what" he said as his grin changed from a kind to a playful one once again "how about we make this interesting? Let's make a bet. Try challenging me, and if I can't keep my ass off the ice, you win. But if I do…" he stopped as he thought about it for a moment "I want to see you skate" he finally completed the sentence, arching a brow teasingly "and I'm not talking about teaching or showing me some old videos on YouTube. I'm talking a full show, live, front row seats, potentially stealing your dirty towel- the whole deal" he said in the same challenging tone he used earlier. "And If you'll somehow manage to win, well… name your price" he dared him.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett looked up at Caleb when he said his name with emphasis, and was rather surprised when he poked the area between his eyebrows. He looked at Caleb and smiled, "fine, fine." He said with a chuckle, holding his hands up as if giving in. "You have a point." Everett was an anxious person, but somehow Caleb had a way with words to make him a little less so. He rubbed between his eyebrows with a smile. Everett kept a careful eye on Caleb, though he tried not to interfere too much when it came to him being scared that he might fall. When Caleb started to speak again it caught his attention and forced him to look up at him, "You... want me to challenge you?" Everett asked as he stopped, his skates making a soft hiss against the ice. A soft blush covered his cheeks when Caleb said he wanted to watch him skate, and an awkward smile crossed his lips. "O-okay..." Everett agreed nodding softly.

 

"I... I guess if I win..." Everett looked up and crossed his arms in thought. "I guess... buy me some gummy worms from the little store here." Everett didn't really know what to ask for, and gummy worms were the first thing to come to mind - he was an easy man to please. "I guess... I challenge you to..." Everett thought for a second, before his eyes lit up. "Okay, watch me for a second okay. I want you to glide on two feet, and then do a march... like this." Everett took off on the ice, moving his feet for just a step or two before he glided on his feet, before he touched the wall and turned before he started to walk on the ice. "Remember to take baby steps for marching... and keep your knees bent."

[Joyabe]

Hearing what it was that Everett was betting on, Caleb thought he couldn't be more charming even if he tried. It was such a simple request, and it was something about that simplicity that showed success didn't go to his head. Caleb already had the dubious pleasure of meeting people who thought they were all that just because they were good at what they did, and he found them to be extremely obnoxious. Everett on the other hand seemed to be the complete opposite, even to the point of not giving himself enough credit at times. "Is it just me or are you easily persuaded by sweets?" Caleb laughed "Were you that deprived of them when you were competing?" he asked. Of course, he was probably even worse, seeing that he could have been easily bribed with just about anything that had sugar in it. Not that he would admit it out loud or anything.

 

Seeing just how lively the other has become just by demonstrating the silly little challenge he had devised for him there was no way Caleb was going to let him win. He wanted to see more of this side of him that seemed to come out only when he was on the ice, and besides he highly doubted it that Everett would be the type to expect others to just let him win. Caleb's eyes were closely following him as he demonstrated the different moves, nodding as he took in the last notes he was given. Imitating the other's movements as best as he could, Caleb moved his feet for a moment, producing his own version of gliding which was, admittedly, much less graceful than the example that was set. Nonetheless, something about the movement really did remind him of skiing, and so he managed to reach the wall without falling over, although there was a risk of that happening a few times. Using the wall to turn around, he then took three very careful steps, his eyes glued to the ice in concentration.

 

Deeming those to be enough, as well as the amount of steps he could take without the danger of falling over, he lifted two laughing eyes to look at his teacher. "And with zero ass prints on the ice" he calmly said, although his face very clearly showed excitement. "I'll still buy you gummy worms though, if you'll share" he offered as he laughed. "And the first round of drinks" he added, hinting to their plans later that evening "but that's just a bonus because you're a good teacher" Caleb said as he kindly smiled at the other man.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett watched Caleb skate with much focus, as he anxiously rubbed his knuckles. He wanted Caleb to win so bad, not because he wanted to do a routine, but because he wanted to watch his friend succeed. Most ice skaters were so focused on themselves winning, that they forgot about the simple pleasures of their teammates winning. When Caleb touched the wall he grinned from ear to ear and clapped, "woo!" He screamed happily. When Caleb took the three steps forward, Everett skated to meet him up the rest of the way, "you did it! I'm so happy for you. So many people have such a hard time getting those down... Here I was thinking I was a jerk, but I just knew you could do it!" Everett said, giving Caleb a pat on the back.

 

A blush covered his cheeks when he thought about his routine. "O-oh... I guess I should... get to... skating..." Everett said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you sure you even want to watch me skate?" Everett didn't know why he was so nervous to be skating, but for some reason he was. He had preformed in front of thousands of people, in front of a camera that added a few more to the total. Maybe it was because he was being put on the spotlight, and it had been so long? "What kind of routine do you even want to see?"

[Joyabe]

Caleb watched in wonder as Everett started talking about his routine, surprised by how flustered he seemed. Surely skating in front of others was anything but unusual for him. Could it be that he was always this nervous before performing? Having spent more time with him now, he noticed that anxiousness was a bit of a reoccurring theme in the other, although he would have never imagined he had that side when they first met. Even though there was a part of him that wanted to help him out and offer they just forget about it, there was a bigger part that wanted to see more. He wanted to know who Everett was on the ice and off it, before and after the cameras were on and all eyes were on him.

 

"Positive" Caleb reassured him with a wide grin and kind eyes. He really did want to see it, and as he was not one to back out, he at least wanted to convey the other his own resolution and confidence, in hopes that some of it would rub off on him. When Everett asked him what he wanted to see he had to stop for a second and think about it. "Hmm…" he said as he weighed his options. He didn't want to ask to see his best or most successful routine. That was something he could find on his own and he was not there to evaluate his professional skills. "I guess… the one you like best. One that you had fun skating" he finally said "Just do something you'll enjoy. I'll probably think you're amazing anyway" he admitted to his own inadequacy in professionally evaluation skating as he looked the other in the eye. Giving him one last encouraging smile, Caleb turned to evacuate himself off the ice, leaving it all to Everett. Leaning forward so his forearms were resting on the railing of the rink, he watched silently, excited to see what the other would show him.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett smiled when Caleb said he would enjoy the performance either way, and watched him make his way off of the ice. My favorite performance... Everett thought to himself as he skated to the middle of the ice. Skating for him was a feeling, so maybe he should focus on that feeling. What emotion was he even feeling at the moment? He was nervous, a little hungry... happy. Everett took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair to calm his nerves. "Okay... okay... Um..." Everett closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling as if the entire world was slowly quieting around him. This was always the best feeling - the feeling of dancing for yourself, not just for the world around him. But it was different this time, he was skating for someone else's eyes today and while it was nerve wracking, it was so very exciting.

 

Everett took off on the ice and moved around to the bar, moving a little sideways before he threw himself into the air in an axle jump. He landed it perfectly, before he gained a little more momentum. Everett placed his hands on his heart and leaned his back down in a perfect curve before he spun around at a fast pace. When he started to slow down he threw his arms in the air and started to skate even faster so he could kneel down, his right hand grabbing one of his skates before he spun even lower on the ground. He slowly brought himself back up, his hands extending so he could make another jump.

 

Everett always got the feeling that he was flying when he was on ice. There was a sort of liberation that came from doing all these spins and jumps, and even lifts when there was another person on ice with him. Everett began to spin again, this time he was crouching down and then made his way to stand. When he stopped spinning his arms were extended towards Caleb, his chest visibly raising and falling. Skating always took so much energy, but it was so worth it.

[Joyabe]

Looking at Everett getting ready to skate, Caleb could point out the exact moment in which he got his head in the game. He saw it many times before in his previous jobs- a lot of athletes had the air around them completely change the moment they got into their craft, almost like it they were somewhere completely separated from what was going on around them. What followed, however, was a whole new experience for him. Naturally, due to his professional line of work, Caleb had the bad habit of analyzing movement very technically. With the players he worked with, while they would go into that zone, he would stay completely alert, watching and analyzing every move they made. This time however, it seemed that this part of his brain was miraculously shut down, as he found himself completely immersed in the other's performance.

 

In fact, he was mesmerized enough to forget to react. When the other finally stopped, arms extended towards him, all Caleb could do was stare at him silently. Up until then, he watched Everett in his own world, but this small gesture was the final touch that completely drew him in, making him feel almost as if he was invited to step into it. It took him a few moments to realize he was just staring, but when he did a wide smile spread across his face and he broke into applause. "That was amazing!" he cheered him on "I don't think I can go back to the ice today after seeing that. I don't feel worthy" he added laughing. "I should probably go and change before, but are still on for drinks?" he asked, hoping for a positive reply. The afternoon was proving to be better than he hoped for, and being with Everett was fun. Plus, it really did help him distract himself from thinking on his family, and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

The silence after his performance was crushing, even though it didn't last long. Everett slowly let his arms down, starting to feel a little self consonance. When the silence was interrupted by the applause Everett jumped slightly, a blush spreading to his ears. He rubbed his elbow and smiled down at the ice, a little happy that Caleb enjoyed watching him. It was almost like he was back competing again, but this time around it was much less stressful. Everett moved off of the ice to meet up with Caleb, looking up at him as he spoke. "Yeah, we're still on for drinks. Today has been fun so far... You're already so great at your stance, and you did something that people take days to get. I'm proud of you." Everett patted Caleb on his shoulder with a smile, looking up at Caleb for a short second before he turned his head.

 

"I'm already pretty ready... I just need to take these off." He kicked his right foot up, before he walked over to the bench. "I wish I could stay in these skates forever, but it's terrible for the blade." Everett sat down and exhaled softly, leaning his head back. He was so tired after his small performance, so it was nice to sit down. He was glad that he enjoyed it so much... The last time he skated like that in front of someone he... Everett tried to push that thought in the back of his head, his heart sinking into his stomach at the mere thought of him.

[Joyabe]

Caleb was smiling widely when Everett said he was having fun. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy being praised either. When the other said he wished he could keep his skates on, Caleb couldn't help but laugh. "I think you have a serious addiction" he teased him as he sat down next to him and began removing his own skates "I honestly can't believe someone like you quit competing". Between that, the way Everett was talking about skating, and above all the way he just looked when he skated- Caleb couldn't honestly understand why he decided to transition to teaching.

 

When he turned to his bag to pull out a shirt that was more casual than his work clothes, his phone screen flashed, alerting him that his sister sent him a few texts, and from the little he saw they were getting more and more annoyed as he kept on screening her. He locked the screen once again, placing the phone on the bench between them a little harder than he should have, before his hand reached what he was looking for. "Give me 5 minutes" he said smiling, although the smile he now wore was much more forced, before getting up, taking both the skates and the shirt with him. After returning the first and quickly changing into the second, Caleb returned to where he last left Everett. Dressed in dark washed jeans and a simple black shirt, both fitted just enough to give clue as to his athletic figure, he looked much more his actual age. "So I actually have this friend that runs a bar like 20 minutes outside the town" he said as he packed his things "unless you want to go to Billy's and have a high school reunion" he offered, a little sarcastically, but in all truth with just one bar in town you were bound to meet someone you grew up with. "Or is there anywhere else you wanted to go?" he asked, lifting his eyes to look at Everett.

[BunBunTheCatSnake]

Everett jumped a little when Caleb sat the phone down, his eyes moving to look at the other man. He could feel his heart thump in his chest, and anxiety fluttering in his gut. When Caleb walked away it took everything in his power to calm down. He knew that Caleb was safe, that he wouldn't hurt him at all... But years of abuse doesn't wash away in the span of a year or two. Everett threw on a sweater over his shirt, and took in a deep breath. He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Caleb... He hoped that whatever it was he could help in someway, though he felt like he didn't know Caleb well enough to get him to talk on that depth just yet. When Caleb came back he looked up at him with a smile and stood up, "Uhg, I'm not ready for a high school reunion just yet." Everett said with a smile, his hand reaching over to touch his face. "Let's go to your friends, because I do not think I am ready for you to know about high school Everett." Everett said as he walked out of the rink, holding the door open for Caleb to exit easier.

 

Everett wasn't popular, but he had a few friends he hung out with in high school. He was so much more talkitive and hyper back then, that it was a little embarrassing even thinking about it. He really enjoyed anime back then, and in his Freshman year he was trying to break the habit of running around like Naruto. High school was a dark period of his life that he wanted to shove into a closet and try his hardest to ignore. Besides the constant bulling for being not only gay but an ice skater was just the cherry on top of things he wanted to forget. "Thank you for coming out with me tonight." Everett said looking up at Caleb off the corner of his eye. "It's been a while since I've been out and about, and... it's nice changing my daily routine."

[Joyabe]

Caleb let Everett lead the way out of the rink, laughing when the other mentioned his high school self "now you just made me really curious. I might just have to snoop around" he joked. Exiting the rink, he stopped for a moment to throw a glance over his shoulder and make sure Everett caught up to him after holding the door. When the other thanked him, Caleb looked at him in wonder that was replaced by a warm smile only a moment later. He casually draped his arm over his shoulders as they walked, only to discover that it felt unnaturally natural. It was almost like his arm fit around the other perfectly, but he tried not to read too much into it. "No problem" he told him as he led him to his car "but you don't have to thank me. I like hanging out with you". He noticed it wasn't the first time Everett thanked him for spending time with him. Caleb wasn’t sure if it was just a choice of words or if the other was extremely polite, but he wanted to make things clear on his end.

 

When they got to the car, Caleb was the one to open to door for the Everett, making sure he was properly in before closing it. He then rounded the car to get in himself and start it. "Must be weird coming back here after getting out. Kinda like every day is a reunion" he commented as he pulled out of the parking lot, referring to their high school conversation "do you still have any friends from back then that live here?" he asked, throwing a sideways glance at Everett, as much as driving allowed him to. He himself lost contact with pretty much all of his high school friends despite the fact he never really moved too far away. Problem was, most of his high school he felt like he was pretending to be someone he wasn't. It was only when he left for university and away from home that he found friends when he felt like he was being himself, at least when he wasn't back home on vacations, that is.