She jabs him in the shoulder. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t feel the same if someone insulted Holden. Or Adrien.”
“Don’t be so sure about that last part,” Adrien says. “He takes pleasure in insulting me.”
“I do not,” Sergio says, looking back at his brother.
Adrien stares at him. His lips are in a hard line.
“Okay, fine. But I won’t anymore. Not after today.”
“Pfft.” Adrien scoffs. “The day has barely begun. You’ll find a way to insult me by noon.”
Sergio throws up his hands. “I thought you were keeping me trapped here to make me feel better.”
“We are,” Rose assures. She looks at Adrien, and his eyes flick to hers. “But I’m honestly confused as to why you are in such distress about all this.”
“Because I’m in love with him!” Sergio yells out, annoyed and over this little forced therapy session he’s being held against his will.
Adrien removes one hand from Sergio’s shoulder and holds it to his chest, smirking. “Me?”
“Not you, asshole.” Sergio huffs and rolls his eyes. This is not the time for brotherly jokes. “Jeremy.”
“Jeremy?” Rose says. She leans away. He can feel her eyebrow raising in judgment at him, even though he can’t see it as he’s busy watching Adrien slowly let go of his shoulders, then drop his hands at his sides with a low whistle.
“Yes. Jeremy,” Sergio says, staring at his brother. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Honestly?” Adrien asks, then answers his own question. “Yeah.”
“You’re hopeless,” Rose says. “Utterly hopeless.” She rises from the bed. “Do me a favor, would you? Stay away from Jeremy. He doesn’t needyourlove. Whatever that even is.”
Sergio slumps further in defeat, knowing that protesting her assertion is a futile effort. In her eyes, Sergio can see why she thinks his love is not needed in Jeremy’s life. But she doesn’t know what Sergio knows. She doesn’t know that Jeremy—on good days, at least—returns Sergio’s affections. Which, if he returns Sergio’s affections on good days, must mean he has some feeling of goodwill towards him even on the bad ones. Sure, he may not love Sergio like Sergio is one hundred percent sure he’s feeling for Jeremy, but that’s only because he hasn’t experienced a second day with him yet. He doesn’t wake up each repeated New Year’s Day with memories of who Sergio really is. Jeremy, same as Rose, wakes up on each version of this day with Sergio’sblunder from the night before fresh in his mind. Along with the memory of Sergio hitting the proverbial bricks after Jeremy had asked him to put a pin in what they were on their way to becoming four years ago. Along with only vague knowledge of who Sergio truly is, based on gossip and what he perceives him to be.
None of them knows what he really wants. Not even Adrien. Because truth be told, Sergio didn’t even know what he truly wanted until recently. And what he wants is Jeremy. He wants to watch him glide across the ice. Wants to kiss him not only in the middle of the rink but also on the sofa, in his bed, in the sunshine, rain, and snow. Wants to hold his hand as they go about their days. To prepare his tea when he comes home. To watch him show the next generation of figure skaters what it means to carve edges into the ice with joy in their heart and to feel the music one skates to in their bones to make breathing, moving, gliding art.
“Rose,” he says, almost in a whisper, as the air has left his lungs. “I promise I won’t hurt him.”
“Damn right you won’t,” Rose says, crossing her arms and standing above him like a disapproving mother scolding her disobedient son. “Because you’re going to stay away from him.”
“Rose, that’s not fair.”
“I don’t care what you think is fair. Nothing in Jeremy’s life is fair.”
“Nowyou’renot being fair to him!” Sergio raises his voice. He’s talked to Jeremy. He doesn’t want or need Rose’s protection. “Have you considered what he wants?”
“Of course I have! And it’s not you!”
“You’re wrong,” Sergio says, like it’s a matter of fact.
“No.You’rewrong.”
“How about everybody’s wrong?” Adrien steps in, and Rose focuses her angry gaze on him for a change. However, Sergiodoesn’t wish that upon his brother. It’s another sign of his personal growth, because before, he would have found Adrien being on the receiving end of Rose’s wrath for a change quite funny. But now, not so much. Adrien doesn’t deserve it. And Rose really needs to get a handle on that.
“Knock, knock,” Holden says, appearing in the door frame with Henry on his hip and Gus circling between his legs, the cat’s eyes narrowed on Sergio. “Are we having breakfast, or what?”
Rose sighs and walks past him, pushing him out of the way with her shoulder. Gus follows after her with his tail held high. “I’m no longer hungry.”
Holden watches her leave, his face scrunched up in confusion. “What was that about?”
“Nothing.” Sergio sighs and rises to his feet, heading towards the bedroom door. “Can we please go eat some pancakes now.”
