“You’re welcome,” she mouths back, then exits the car.
Sergio opens his car door. He pauses before getting out and looks at his brother. “Say hi to Daphne for me, would you? It’s almost midnight in Paris.”
Adrien nods his head and rushes to get out of the car. “Yeah! I will. She’ll like that.”
Feeling good about himself and surprisingly optimistic for a day that started off as complete shit, Sergio makes his way down to the barn. At the door, he pauses and takes a deep, steadying breath to keep himself from bursting through the door like the Kool-Aid man and interrupting Jeremy’s skating. He pulls the door open as he exhales and listens to the familiar song ring through the speakers, like a siren calling him to Jeremy each day.
After the intensity of today and all the vulnerability left out in the open, which has left him feeling quite raw, a level of contentment also settled over him, the like of which he’s never felt before. He pauses at the rink’s half wall and watches Jeremy skate and glide through his moves. Slowly, he makes his way over to where Henry is sitting. Henry’s eyes are wide as he watches Jeremy loop around the ice.
Taking care not to startle Henry or pull Jeremy’s attention away from his skating, Sergio carefully sits beside Henry and pulls him into his lap. He lightly rests his chin on Henry’s head.
“He’s great out there, isn’t he?”
“The best,” Henry says, then adds, “After Mommy.”
Sergio lets out a light laugh. “Yeah, after Mommy. Of course.”
As Jeremy’s skating brings him closer to where Sergio and Henry are sitting, he catches Sergio in his view when his choreography loops him around. Slowing in his tracks and gracefully dropping his arms to his sides, he comes to a stop a few feet away, blushing. “I thought Henry was my only audience.”
“Sorry,” Sergio says, taking care to hold Jeremy’s gaze. “I snuck in. I didn’t want to disturb you. You look good out there.”
“Don’t tease,” Jeremy scolds.
“I wasn’t teasing.”
Jeremy bites his lip, looking like he doesn’t believe him. “Where’s Holden? I figured he’d grab Henry.”
“Rose sent me instead.”
“Really?” Jeremy asks, surprise plain on his face and in his voice.
“Cross my heart,” Sergio says, making an X with his right hand.
“That looks a little more like cross Henry’s heart.” Jeremy laughs.
Sergio looks down at Henry, still in his lap, and laughs along with Jeremy. “That was me emphasizing how serious I am.”
“Swearing on a five-year-old now, huh?” Jeremy grins.
“I will swear on whatever I need to if it means I get to see you skate.”
Jeremy looks away from him and begins to put a blade guard on one of his blades. “I’m afraid I’m not too much to look at anymore.”
“That’s not true,” Sergio says, shifting Henry to sit on his hip while he rises to his feet. He extends a hand for Jeremy to grab as he steps off the ice. “No matter how many times I see you skate, you never stop amazing me.”
Jeremy places his other blade guard on. “You’re just saying that.”
“No.” Sergio continues to hold Jeremy’s hand even though he’s back to standing on two feet. “I could watch you every day for the rest of my life and never tire of seeing you on the ice. You look … free.”
Jeremy looks up at him, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. “I guess I am.”
Letting go of his hand, Sergio brings his palm to Jeremy’s cheek and uses his thumb to gently tug at the corner of Jeremy’s eye. He holds him steady there, and when Jeremy doesn’t pull away, Sergio dives in and places a gentle kiss onto his lips, suppressing a moan when Jeremy kisses him back.
After everything he’s been through today, whatever god is in charge of this wretched loop, he silently thanks them anyway. One kiss with Jeremy was worth all the fight.
“I hate to admit it,” Rose says to Sergio, surprising him as he places a tip on the bar. “He looks happy around you.”
“Was it really that hard to believe?” He hands her a glass of champagne.
