Cute [ xxv ]
h2ovanoss fic - punk!pastel! highschool au warnings: none 4236 words part twenty-five
note: get ready for a toothache bois. this chapter is 100% pure rich krii7y so i hope it’s worth the huge wait.
thanks for the support and love <3
25.
“You’re not allowed to leave me; you said you’d help.”
The ice rink was fairly quiet. Little bits of laughter and chatter mingled with the sounds of the metal blades on ice, and calm music floated on the air. John and Lucas skated to themselves, unaware of the others that zipped around the rink. They made their own slow laps, fingers linked and attention solely on each other.
No one even glanced in their direction.
John’s rings were ice cold.
Lucas’ chest was warm.
“Spread your feet more.” John scoffed but did as he was told. “Feel more stable?” A small nod. Gloved fingers squeezed John’s. “Alright, keep moving. Take little steps and angle your feet outwards so you glide.”
Instructions were followed by adjustments, whispered into the iciness. Lucas’ eyes didn’t move from John’s focused frown and John only took his eyes off his feet to glance up at Lucas’ encouraging smile. He barely noticed the younger kids that sped around the rink, nor the subtle change of songs.
He focused on his feet on the ice and on the dark brown eyes on him.
“Relax.” Lucas’ glided backwards with ease. Every movement of his was smooth and fluid. He didn’t find any difficulty in steering himself backwards, not even having to think as he kept his attention on his date. Alongside him, John was uncoordinated. His movements were awkward, his steps rigid and stiff. Lucas squeezed his hands. “John. Relax,” he urged.
John sighed, blowing the air out of his lungs. He tried his best to listen, rolling his shoulders and trying to move in a way that was casual and easy. It was calming to hear Lucas’ voice leading him. Telling him how to stand, how to move, what to change.
“Like this?” was something that frequented his own lips. He listened to every command and poured his concentration into doing what he was told to. Hearing the thoughtless praise drop from pretty pink lips was a beautiful motivator. It made all the effort worth it.
“Yup, that’s it.”
“Keep doing that.”
“Perfect! You’re getting it!”
John liked the sound of Lucas’ voice.
They didn’t stray from the sides of the rink. Their focus remained on skating comfortably but as time lead them on, Lucas found it easy to drop teasing words between his teachings. The private lesson developed into the date they were there for, Lucas’ hands still steady and his eyes still sparkling as he took the time to memorise the prettiness of John’s face.
He couldn’t feel the usual nervous fear that came with being around John. No – instead, as he led him forward – the breathless feeling in his lungs was because of the little frown of concentration John wore and the way his eyes lit up as he slowly got used to the rhythm of skating.
He wanted the session to last forever.
“This shit shouldn’t be so damn difficult…” John mumbled after running his skate to far and almost slipping over again (they’d lost count of the ‘almost’s). “You couldn’t have picked an easier hobby, could you?”
Lucas’ eyes twinkled, his smile lacking sympathy of any sort. He knew that, despite the complaints, John was enjoying himself. The satisfaction that came with successes flashed in his small genuine smiles and each one was more of a reward to Lucas than anything could have been. There wasn’t any real regret in John’s concentrated stare.
“It was this or alligator wrestling but, y’know, I thought we’d start small.” Lucas beamed, tongue between his teeth as he slipped his left hand out of John’s. Instantly, shaky fingers flew to the support bar and pale eyes looked to Lucas with a hint of fear. The other hand clenched Lucas’ fingers tightly, determined not to let go of him completely. “You’re okay,” Lucas assured, gliding back strongly and pulling John after him. “We’re just speeding up a bit, okay?”
John’s eyes remained wide, watching his feet as he held tightly onto the gloved fingers. His other hand skimmed over the wooden bar, ready to grab onto it the moment he lost his balance. There was a small moment where he bravely hauled his eyes up to meet Lucas’ gentle smile. “If you let me fall-”
His eyes returned to his feet.
“I’m not gonna let you fall, Grandma; don’t give yourself a heart attack.” The chiding words were light and humorous, giving regular squeezes of John’s fingers as little reminders that nothing bad was going to happen. “Lean forward more and glide, if you try push off the ice you’ll fall on your face.”
John’s next glance was a little more sarcastic. “Pleasant,” he dropped with his exhale, but he didn’t let the thought of falling bother him. He shuffled on the ice, skates sliding forwards instead of stomping and stumbling. Feet aimed outwards, he lingered his balance on each foot for a few seconds extra.
Lucas’ smile broadened, grabbing up the both of his hands once again. “Keep this going, John. You’re getting it!” he exclaimed, excited for his date. The small twitch of pursed lips showed John was containing his satisfaction.
They lapped the rink several times, pace lifted as Lucas continued pulling John forwards. Faster, smoother and steadier. As minutes dragged on, John grew accustomed to both the skates and the slippery ice. Fear drained from his eyes along with the stiffness of his legs and back.
The recurring phrase of “Relax,” encouraged his casual motions, feet learning to move with ease. He didn’t feel like he was going to fall every time he looked up to the pretty face before him. A face he knew he could look at all day without getting tired of. Lucas’ proud smile was the highest reward for his improvement.
“So if this is a small start, is the next step alligator wrestling? Or is that the final destination?” John’s smile grew at Lucas’ laugh, the boy’s head tipping back and grin glowing in his humour. John continued, “Are we gonna go, like, climb Mount Everest first? Or it is gonna be sky diving? Swimming with sharks?”
Seeing Lucas laugh openly, John couldn’t look away. His feet were forgotten in exchange for running his eyes over the little divots of Lucas’ cheeks, and the crinkle beneath his eyes where his grin pushed them half-shut. There was nothing more distracting than the sound of that giggle.
John couldn’t deny the glow of warmth in his chest: a craving to hear it again and again.
“I mean we can go at whatever pace you want. If you’re feeling brave I’ll book us into bull riding next weekend,” Lucas offered, tongue peeking out over his lip. John couldn’t not admire how adorable this boy could be. It was just plain unfair how one smile and one laugh could have the punk hearing his heartbeat in his ears.
His own laugh followed, knowing that neither himself or Lucas would be able to do anything so ridiculous as bull riding. Gliding after the boy, fingers relaxed in his composure, he shrugged. “I have a feeling it’ll be easier to get to know each other over a meal rather than on our way to the hospital when I fall off and get trampled by a pissed off cow, so how about dinner first?”
Surprise jumped in Lucas’ pretty eyes and it was almost comedic how the comment threw him off guard and off balance. He stumbled, catching himself with scrambling skates, and tucked his head down to hide the embarrassed and flustered redness of his cheeks.
John just asked him to have dinner. Like a real date that boyfriends would go on. A romantic date. Sitting across from each other. Talking.
Was he still breathing?
John couldn’t fight his grin but the music cut off with the final song and the other skaters in the rink drew to a stop.
“Well, that’s all for today folks! Thanks for stopping by and having a skate. Please exit the rink shortly, return your skates and make your way out of the main floor!”
The announcer drew their attention away, kids and adults migrating towards the exists and taking seats to remove their shoes. No one looked in the direction of the two boys that waited, still in their spot on the ice.
Almost as much as his smile, John adored Lucas’ rosy cheeks.
The smaller boy turned back to him, eyes just shy of reaching his as he drew himself backwards, tugging on John’s hands. “We have thirty minutes to ourselves now, think you can come away from the sides yet?”
“No.” The answer was instant, John’s legs shaking at the thought as he shuffled after Lucas. The melodious laugh resurfaced in the chilling air, warm pinkness fading from pale cheeks.
His smile was so beautiful, John couldn’t help mirroring it.
But any following comment died on Lucas’ tongue when his name was called from across the floor. The last few people dawdled out of the room and Aggie stood by the entrance to the rink, fluffy sweater keeping her warm. She beckoned the boy over.
A reassuring smile, squeeze of cold hands; Lucas skated across the rink with ease and stopped before the woman.
Her smile was fond. “It’s so lovely to see you back on the ice, my boy,” she said, holding onto the side of the entrance and watching his face closely. He smiled, shy but grateful. “Well, we’ll be turning everything off ready for cleaning, so don’t you two worry about things shutting down. Take your time and I’ll give you a call when we need you off the ice, okay?”
Seeing her smile, wearing those skates, feeling the goosebumps; Lucas was overwhelmed with nostalgia, memories of his childhood inescapable as they filled his chest with an unbreakable love for the place. His happy place.
He nodded. “Thank you so much for this.”
Her smile was sweet as she turned and began hobbling back to the ‘Staff Only’ door. She spoke over her shoulder. “Don’t thank me, dear. Tell your Ma that I said hello! And Lucas”—she paused, twisting to look back at him with a sparkle in her eye—“don’t let this boy go. He’s a pretty one.”
With those words, she pushed through the door and closed it behind her. Lucas lingered for a moment, skin tingling and smile on his lips. “I won’t,” he mouthed to the closed door.
The overhead lights powered down and the room was left in a cold, dim-lit silence. When he turned, casting his gaze back to his date, he just watched for a few moments. John had his concentrated stare on his feet, swaying his arms as he tried his best to keep his balance with every glide. Improvement had been slow, but worth it.
“I think I’m getting it,” John murmured the moment Lucas was close enough. He glanced up for half a second, pushing into another clumsy stride, and flashed a proud smile. His hand hovered above the rail, uncertain, but he strode forward with more confidence each second.
No more fear. Instead, he wore determination in his pretty eyes.
Lucas spun around in front of him, skating backwards for a few seconds and watching how John kept up. His gloved hands lifted between them and John didn’t even think about it as he took them back into his own. The second he turned himself, leading John away from the side and instead towards the middle of the rink, pale eyes widened and fear jumped back to life within them.
John pulled back, stopping himself and slowing Lucas down. The younger boy showed nothing but patience. “N- no, I don’t trust myself,” he blurted out, reluctant to even lean away from the boundary.
Patient eyes paired with a reassuring smile; Lucas squeezed his hands and drew John’s eyes back to his. “Do you trust me?” His words weren’t much more than a whisper in the silence of the rink. But he waited. He wasn’t going to rush John.
And surely, as John studied the open honesty of his face, the reluctance in those eyes melted like the ice beneath their skates. His shoulders relaxed and he breathed in deeply. Examining those dark swirls of chocolate, he nodded and found himself falling for the beaming smile that made Lucas just so beautiful.
The pull on his hands was very slow and gentle as he eased himself backwards and lead John towards the centre of the rink. His words were low-spoken and smooth, as though any louder and he’d shatter the ice they skated on. “Keep skating, keep moving, okay? You’re doing so good. Focus on me and just skate, m’kay?”
Another short nod. John couldn’t keep his eyes away from Lucas’ face. A small grin, a flash of white teeth. A smile that calmed him.
“Relax and glide.” A short reminder. Inhale, exhale, a better grip on gloved fingers, and John pushed forward. He moved his feet almost lazily, keeping his motions slow and accurate. The wobble of his knees faded and he forgot all about his fear of falling.
A subconscious smile lifted his lips and it warmed Lucas’ fingertips.
“Look at you: you’ve got it!”
John let out a small laugh, still focusing closely on his movements. Lucas turned, slowly leading him in a semicircle and drawing him back the other way. “You’re getting the hang of it so well, I’m surprised you haven’t fallen yet.”
The pointed look he received for that comment was highly unimpressed but John didn’t even get the chance to open his mouth. As they turned the next corner, his skate skidded to close to the other and his hands linked in Lucas’ doomed the both of them. Shock forced his eyes wide as he caught the sharp tip of his skate in the ice and split his weight unevenly. There was no saving it. “Shit!” he let out, skates sliding out from beneath him.
He landed heavy on his arse, water soaking through his back in seconds. A shriek released above him, weight landing on his chest sending the air out of his lungs. John’s head fell back, he winced in pain, and Lucas scrambled to push his weight up and off of him.
“Are you okay!?”
The cold surrounded them like a blanket, seeming to increase. Water soaked through his knees and gloves and he cringed at the thought of John’s back. The punk still managed a smile though, really just not wanting to worry the boy as he lifted his head and opened his eyes.
Holding himself on his hands and knees, Lucas stared. Brown eyes full of concern, parted lips full and pink. He sucked in a breath. “Okay, so maybe I jinxed us… but-…” The words on his tongue escaped him and brown eyes found themselves running over the shape of John’s lips.
John didn’t hear a word. Infatuation took a hold of his heart, keeping his pale eyes on Lucas’ face. Cheeks dusted pink, only a shade, or two, lighter than his lips. Wide eyes relaxing, lashes long and wavering.
There was a fear of breaking the porcelain face when John’s fingertips brushed a small bit of ice from Lucas’ cheek. His smile was an answer enough, fingers drifting away from the rosy cheekbone but stopping short at his jaw. Lucas stayed frozen, breath hitching noticeably but John didn’t acknowledge it.
He tipped the boy’s head up just slightly, studying those smooth pink lips. They were too attention grabbing and John really couldn’t help himself.
“Do you trust me?”
The worried frown on Lucas’ melted, lips tugged up into a small smile. Brows settled, no longer furrowed. Eyes shone. His own words used against him; there was no way he could be mad with John’s lazy smile.
He managed a short nod. “Yes.” A word breathed so lightly he didn’t know if John heard it. But he was understood.
John’s fingers drew him down.
In comparison to the iciness of the air in their lungs, the breath they shared was warm between their lips. The kiss was timid. Modest and slow – no rush; never any rush. Lucas was more than thankful for the patient pace. Truthfully, he had no idea what he was doing! But with the way his lips tingled and heart pounded, he thought he must have been doing something right.
A short breath through his nose, eyes rolling shut. He fit his lips firmly against John’s and sunk, forearms coming to rest on the ice either side of John’s head.
He would apologise for wetting Jon’s hoodie later.
Warm tingling between their lips spread to his cheeks. Down his neck, to his fingertips, all the way through his blood to his toes- A cold hand slipped up to settle on his hip and he let himself be pulled closer.
The feeling of John completely relaxing beneath him was incredible; lips to lips, chest to chest. Long hair splayed across the ice, head tipped back; his lips were soft and encouraging. He coaxed Lucas into the kiss slowly, lips moving against his slowly, fingers on his jaw raising slowly, carding through his hair slowly. He sighed, relaxed. Warm air washed over Lucas’ top lip.
The cold couldn’t even be felt. Whether it was their nerves going numb, or their bodies adjusting to how freaking cold it was, or whether it was the complete lack of space in their thoughts for anything other than the feeling of each other. Lucas wasn’t shivering. John’s fingers weren’t cold stiff.
Lucas was filled with warmth. Anticipation exploded in his lungs. The days he’d spent thinking about John’s lips, thinking about his kiss, how he’d feel, how he’d taste. It was all worth it, and it was almost painful to pull away, needing to breathe.
When he lifted, the cold was biting. It nipped at his tongue, at his throat, at the walls of his lungs and he couldn’t control the gasp of genuine shock when he sat upright. Numb fingertips rested on his bottom lip, unable to tell whether it was boiling or freezing. The contrast was scalding.
But it was addictive.
John pushed himself up. He didn’t flinch at the soaked hoodie that clung to his back, or how the two of them were chilled to the bone. He couldn’t feel it.
All he could focus on were those parted lips and rosy cheeks.
Neither noticed their odd situation as John curled his arm around Lucas’ back. Neither noticed the ice still soaking their legs. Neither noticed the dim room that shrouded them in silence and privacy.
John pulled Lucas against him, no space for the cold between them. A tilt of his head, a twitch of his smile. Cold fingers pulled Lucas’ hand away from his face and John sealed their lips together again.
Lucas wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Of course, it definitely wasn’t how he expected any of it to happen: sitting on John’s lap in the middle of a closed ice rink, fingers tugging very lightly on his hair with the gentle touch of a hot tongue coaxing his lips apart.
Lucas found himself realising what addiction really felt like, but the craving that flowed through his bloodstream was one he never wanted to be clean from.
Torturously though, he was only allowed a taste. John pulled away, albeit reluctant, and Lucas was grateful to find the punk’s eyes just as wide as his. Pupils dilated, they mirror those of the boy in his lap, who could only blink in disbelief, heart racing. “Woah.” Fingers untangled themselves from dyed hair.
John swallowed, licking his lips. “Yeah.” His smile glowed in the darkness. “I know.”
They stayed there for another moment, taking it all in. John’s eyes glimmered, even prettier than before as he examined Lucas’ face. His parted lips, shining as he ran his tongue over them. His eyes, pupils large and irises dark. Those flushed pale cheeks, long eyelashes, the line of his jaw.
Lucas couldn’t look anywhere other than John’s eyes.
Blue. Green. A shade of something in-between.
Even then he couldn’t tell. Even with his hands on John’s shoulders, feeling his breath on his lips, sitting pressed up against him.
The hand resting on Lucas’ thigh squeezed, pulling that dark gaze to his little smile. “You all good?” he whispered, the silence having crystallised around them. There was no need to break it, feeling it cold against his cheekbones. It held them still, held them together.
Lucas watched for a second longer, flecks of pale green in splashes of clear. He swallowed. A distracted smile. “’m fine,” he murmured back. “Better than fine: I’m great. This is, uh…” His lashes fluttered as John lifted a hand, pushing the brown hair from his face. His smile broadened, warmth glowing in his chest. “- This is great.”
“Good.” Ringed fingers were reluctant to drop away completely and Lucas didn’t feel shy under the cool gaze anymore. He let pretty eyes wander the arches of his face, not flinching as a gentle thumb brushed along his cheekbone. John’s contemplation showed in the arch of his lips. “Wanna call yourself my boyfriend?”
If the punk was searching for signs of a negative or positive reaction to the question, Lucas wasn’t hard to read. His lips pulled back in a grin, eyes pushed half closed from his cheeks. A small laugh drifted on his exhale and it was too hard to find the right words. He settled for a small: “Yes,” loving the way the dimple in John’s cheek deepened. “Yes. Yeah. I, er- I’d love that.”
Their moment lingered in a softer silence: silence because the glowing happiness that they floated on couldn’t have been expressed in words. It was seen in their smiles, the pinkness of their cheeks, the sparkles in their eyes.
“Well, I’m super happy ‘nd all,” John started, silence falling away slowly, “but my ass hurts, my legs hurt, I’m completely drenched and… uhh…” His eyes dropped to the limited space between them, Lucas looking down, too, to where he was still sat comfortable on John’s lap.
He blinked in realisation. “Oh! Shit, sorry!”
John only smiled. He took Lucas’ hands, holding them steady and murmuring a count-of-three to coordinate the both of them. John pushed up, Lucas hauling himself back onto his skates. He slid back, catching his balance, and did a small circle around his date to readjust his shaky legs to the slippery ice.
John looked to his outstretched feet. “Uhh…” Eyes lifting to Lucas’ cheeky smile, he sighed, pushing himself over onto his hands and knees. Now he was definitely feeling the cold… With a small bit of difficulty, he got one skate beneath him, slipping back and forth. Lucas swooped in, catching a hold of his arm and helping him up onto his blades again.
John’s hands locked around Lucas’ arm and the younger boy couldn’t remove the amused smile from his face. The giggle dropped with his words. “You okay there, Bud?”
John’s legs wobbled dangerously, responding for him. He didn’t let go of Lucas’ arm and the look on the Canadian’s face showed he really didn’t mind, still patient. John breathed in deeply. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.” Exhale. “Let’s get off this damn ice before I fall again and break my neck.”
An awkward shuffle off the rink and stiff hobbling to get back to the bench with their stuff: John only let go of Lucas when he was sat down, leaning back against the wall with his eyes shut. A quiet groan of complaint slipped through his chapped lips and Lucas watched with amusement dancing in his eyes as the punk stretched and winced. He hadn’t been so lucky with their fall, a few nasty bruises likely to show up within the next day or two.
When his eyes opened to look at his boyfriend, they filled with hope and pleading. “Can you take off my shoes for me?” he asked, cheesy smile on his face. Lucas scoffed. “Pleeease?”
The brunette rolled his eyes. “I’m not going near your feet. I can smell ‘em from here.” He tugged off his gloves, cloth soaked through, and pulled the laces of his skates free.
Weight sagged against him, a head falling to rest on his shoulder. He grunted, blowing thin blonde hair from his face. “Pleeeeease?” John cooed, lips too close to Lucas’ ear. He threw an arm around him, pulling him close and sharing more cold wetness than body heat with the small boy. Lucas pushed down his blush.
John’s breath against his ear had to be some form of torture.
Keeping himself steady and casual (and ignoring the racing of his heart) he leant out of John’s hold, the heavy arm falling away from his shoulder, and ignored the knowing grin on the punk’s face. “Alright, alright. Shut it already,” he mumbled, finding it much easier to breathe when John sat upright again, off his shoulder. He pulled at the straps of John’s boots, yanking them off his feet, and kicked of his own skates too. Sitting back up, he feigned a pout. “Happy now?” he asked.
Fingertips under his chin froze him still, pout melting. His heart fluttered at John’s grin. “Very.” John met him halfway and Lucas melted against him.
A taste too addictive to resist.
-
parts: [ i ] - [ ii ] - [ iii ] - [ iv ] - [ v ] - [ vi ] - [ vii ] - [ viii ] - [ ix ] - [ x ] - [ xi ] - [ xii ] - [ xiii ] - [ xiv ] - [ xv ] - [ xvi ] - [ xvii ] - [ xviii ] - [ xix ] - [ xx ] - [ xxi ] - [ xxii ] - [ xxiii ] - [ xxiv ] - [ xxv ]
art credit: @pastel-trashtel
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note: im so glad. i got this finished.
omg
im so sorry about the massive wait - im gonna try my best to get my ass back into gear. it might take me a little while? updates might be slow. im really trying to get through some shit and i need to sort out my studying too
but i will finish this story. even if it takes me to damn december to do it!
thanks a lot for the wait, i hope you guys enjoy the major fluffy cuteness in this chapter.
gi