I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yeah, well, I thought about it.”
He chuckled. “I was surprised you did not sleep with it under your pillow.”
“Yeah, I thought about that too. And you have no idea what a wrench it was not to wear it in the shower this morning.”
Luka’s cheeks flushed. “I am glad you didn’t. It would have smacked into me every time you—” He clammed up, eyes bright.
I pulled him to me. “You told me shower sex was ‘not optimal’, if I recall. What changed your mind?”
He laughed. “You. Always you. Being near you overrides my common sense.”
I brushed my lips over his ear. “Does this mean we get to do it again?”
He let out a whimper that went straight to my dick. “Yes—after the free skate.” Then he pulled away dramatically and crossed his fingers, holding them at arms’ length. “Back, back, you…. sex demon.”
I burst out laughing. “Wow. Now that’s what I call a compliment.”
We sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the rink boards after that, sharing terrible vending-machine coffee while silence settled comfortably between us.
The atmosphere felt warm. Normal.
Until Luka looked down at the paper coffee cup in his hands, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
He let out a sigh. “I understand now why people give all of this up.”
My heart thumped. “All of what?”
He glanced out across the empty rink. “The medals, the pressure, the constant performance.” He swallowed. “I used to think people retired because they were tired.”
“And now?”
His voice lowered almost to a whisper. “Now I think perhaps they simply want to live.”
God.
I reached for his hand, threading my fingers through his. Luka held on, and we stayed like that for a while, talking occasionally, sitting in silence more often.
At one point he stretched out beside me on the boards, his shoulder pressed against mine, his fingers wrapped loosely around my hand.
The simplicity of it hurt.
Thiswas the thing I suddenly wanted most. Not medals or headlines, but a quiet afternoon, coffee, Luka laughing…
A life ordinary enough that nobody cared who we were holding hands with.
The thought arrived so naturally it scared me.
Wanting it was one thing. Building it was another.
And I still had no idea whether that future was possible for us.
“Skate with me,” I blurted.
His breathing hitched. “I would like that.”
I went over to my phone and scrolled through my playlist.
