Pisanthraphobia (H2OVanoss and Others)

Chapter 16

"E-Evan?"

They stared at each other, the world in a bubble around them as they took in each other's changes.

Though Evan had cleaned up since he had left, he still looked different. His dark tan was faded, his muscle definition had softened, and his eyes hid more than just worry.

  They all had so many questions, so much confusion, but no one knew what to say. That is, until the only one who wasn't blinded by shock spoke up.

"Hey Ev."

Brian mumbled slightly, not moving from his slouched position over the table, his accent thicker and softer than usual, and it broke the others out of their spell. The situation came back into focus, and in tandem they all started laughing.

Evan sat and leaned into Tyler, eyes crinkling in the purest laughter he had felt in a long time. The feeling was indescribable after so long, but it was good.

The group wanted to know absolutely everything, but Evan was adamant that they tell him about their lives first. He sat and listened to their stories, and a part of his mind was remorseful.

There was no way he could change his past, but he could alter his future. He wanted to focus on his life now, and fixing things. Though nothing would ever be the same, he was slowly making his way towards normal.

When he felt sufficiently stuffed with the mental padding of his friends' adventures, he told them his. His eyes remained on the table, but he could still see the reflections, the indefatigable changes in emotion.

Watching them brought back sudden memories of his time on the ice. The thrill, the rush, the rapid pace of the puck as two teams danced along the rink. Out of practice, he doubted his skating would be nearly as smooth as he was often complimented for, but he missed it.

On top of that, he remembered the time before hockey, when he had first come to love the ice. The clarity of the not-quite-white-but-not-blue surface and the chill it send up his spine was something he had discovered at a young age.

He almost had went into figure skating, despite what his now broader stature would entail. The boys at his school had convinced him hockey was cooler, and he went with them in order to fit in. Sometimes, he regretted it.

After they had come to accept the spinning of the globe, the friends settled and ate, and Evan once again savored the meal. Almost like before, their conversation took towards video games and YouTube, and some new, rising stars.

Contented, their meal was lighter than usual and they parted ways with smiles on their faces. The main group went back home, while Evan tugged on Tyler's sleeve.

"Tyler, is there a rink around here?"

It took a moment before he realized what Evan was asking, and his face twisted as he thought about it, not being one for skating himself.

"My friend told me about an open rink down on West Boulevard, we could probably get there in about five minutes."

Craig spoke around Tyler, and gave Evan a soft look, understanding his urge to get back to normal, but it slid off his face as Evan's eyes remained firmly on his boyfriend. He brushed it off though, knowing the Canadian was too focused on the ice.

Tyler relented, not noticing the moment, and they made their way to the rink. It wasn't hard to spot, taking up a large portion of the street with a glowing, neon sign forming text on a skate.

  Evan went in like a bullet, renting a ticket and skates with a practiced speech and getting them on smoothly. Tyler and Craig followed behind, getting their own and paying the fee.

  It was the second time they had seen him on the ice, having gone once as a group, and in the abandoned rink it was clear. He glided and flipped with a familiar grace that even hockey veterans would never achieve, and his longing for the ice was clear.

  Snapping out of their daze, the pair moved to a secluded section of the ice. They both had skated before, and were able to move without shaking or falling over, but they still clung to each other.

Soft, tinkling music played in the background as they made lazy circles around the ice, lost in each other's eyes and infatuated. Tyler moved his hands down to Craig's waist, the shorter putting his head on his chest, and they swayed to the soft beat.

  They stayed for several minutes, the music like a caress, until a more upbeat song came on, the rhythm fun and light. Craig pushes away from Tyler slightly, and then used the other's arm to spin, laughing softly.

Tyler caught on quickly, joining in as they began a tango/salsa mix on the ice, a dance that was completely their own. Soft sounds bounced around their dome, and they felt the day's excitement flow like rain around them.

Happy, undeniably happy, Tyler lifted Craig and spun him as the other giddily smiled, only setting him down into a dip as the song ended. Out of breath, they stared into each other's eyes as they panted quietly.

Tyler's eyes strayed downward, and he brought his lips to softly touch Craig's, who exhaled shakily and smiled against him. It was chaste, like their first, and after a moment they separated only slightly.

"Ty-"

"Ready to go back?"

They jerked apart, almost falling as they scrambled to upright each other, and turned their gaze to the bright brown eyes of their charge. Evan was grinning, a unique sight, and he wasn't tired in the slightest.

The couple glanced at one another before skating over to the edge, nodding at the glazed Canadian, and the three went to go check out as their time slot was almost over.

As they exited, Tyler caught the Dow turned gaze of his partner and gave him a warm look, trying to express himself through his eyes. Craig seemed to get it, giving him a barley-there, shy smile, and Tyler winked.

Walking down the street surrounded by his two companions, Tyler was happy.