BOREAS

V

"Ow! Mother of Christ!" Viv seethed as her head came into contact with the cars roof.

"Sorry Viv. Pothole."

He didn't seem that sorry though as he threw a grin her way teasingly. I let out a little chuckle myself as she grumbled but stopped myself when I noticed a pair of eyes watching me in the rearview mirror. Leo's eyes looked back towards the road and so I let myself watch him back. God he was handsome. Even in his mannerisms and watchful eyes on the road as he drove. His eyes slanting and gliding like on the ice as they surveyed the surroundings. Striking blue clashed against green as Leo's gaze met mine. Neither of us looked away. I refused to. I would not look away and prove myself bashful. Yet I couldn't conclude why he was staring so intensely. He must have been judging me. This was not the first time I had hitched a ride with him and Liam however I did not make it a habit. Maybe he was sizing me up, like most straight boys did when they came across a male interested in the same gender. I was an oddity to them.

The pupils of his eyes had grown larger, inky and endless as he looked at me. A mirror separating our gazes from truly meeting. He still had not looked away and I grew fearful of his attention to the icy road before us. And yet I held his gaze in a subtle challenge I almost wished would not end. My skin grew hot. I knew my cheeks had reddened. His eyelids tightened ever so slightly in an attempt to see me in a different light. Not loosing eye contact, I shuffled in my seat, uncomfortable but not fearful. His eyes flicked up and down quickly, studying my face I think.

"Hey Olly are you going night skating after the bar tonight?" Liam met my eyesight as I snapped in his direction, flustered, and feeling almost dirty. I noticed from the corner of my vision Leo's focus returning to the road. It was if we had been caught in a scandalous act. However I did not know why I felt this way. I was obviously procuring the thoughts in my head. Leo was probably judging me for all I knew.

"Uhh... yeh, yeh I probably will," Flicking back towards Leo in the front seat momentarily, I then continued, keeping all focus on Liam, "You gonna join too tonight? I haven't skated with you in forever. I'll teach you some more moves."

As the conversation continued, I became comfortable again and all thoughts of the odd encounter left my mind. As the drive to the cabin continued, I spoke animatedly to Liam, completely unaware of Leonardo Boreas' wandering eyes, and Viviens knowing and smug gaze upon the God of Ice himself.

~

The cabin was crowded as usual. It was the local hub for anyone below the age of thirty. The ice hockey team were in their usual corner. Crowding and pushing each other around the pool tables and dart boards. Elijah was waving Leonardo over enthusiastically and the man himself was happy to oblige, leaving us with a forceful ruffle of Liams hair.

Vivian grabbed my hand and took us over to the bar.

"You know what to do big man." Viv piped to Benjamin, the bartender who dropped ice skating a few years back but had no way out of this town. He was an awesome guy. Everyone here treated him like family, and like their own personal therapist. Benji probably knew everyone in this whole towns darkest secrets but he'd never tell a soul, would never betray that persons trust.

"Oh but Viv!" He says animatedly, "You are oh but 17!"

He slides the drink over to her with a wink.

"Same for me Benji."

"Eh, don't need to act coy with you. You're basically legal."

"Not quite. I'm 19 in like 7 months mate."

"Well guess what, I'm Aussie tonight mate, and you're in luck cause you're 18."

I laugh at his attempt at an accent.

"Hey Benji." Liam rolls back and forth on his heels with his hands behind his back and a big puppy dog smile on his face. He really is a golden retriever.

"You're legal somewhere."

And that is how we all end up just a little bit tipsy.

I lost Viv a while ago. I believe she followed some of the other girls outside to gossip about something. I tried to stay away from all that. I didn't want to fall into the gay best friend category that I knew many of the figure skaters would eat up. Liam was at a table with some of his school mates. A couple of them were on one of the other divisions of the ice hockey team and others were like Liam, siblings of aspiring skaters. The pool table was being used mostly as a leaning stand for the lads trying to look suave for some of the girls filtering around them now. One of them, Tim I think his name was, even had the pool cue up resting on his shoulder as he flirted with a girl I didn't recognise. Probably here visiting family. It wasn't holiday season yet. When holidays came, this town became a fairground. You wouldn't dare enter the ice rink or the slopes for fear of an untrained maniac thinking they have honed a new skill in a few short hours barreling towards you. Some of us townies found it exciting though. Especially when parents brought their kids along and we all got to stake out the older teens and young adults who often came here to the cabin looking for something other than a slab of ice to have fun on.

I was never lucky in that department. It was usually people like Leo who would wisk some American girl off her feet with his skating tricks and English accent. And definitely Penelope, who would catch the eye of young guys that came here in groups for a lads piss up and a go at skating.

"What you thinking about Oliver Twist?" Benji leaned in on the bar, speaking just behind my ear making me jump.

"Oh you know, just leaning against the bar like in the movies, surveying the crowd."

"Hmm." He smiled as he cleaned a glass.

"What?" I grumbled exasperatedly.

"Someones been staring at you while you've been daydreaming... Thought you'd like to know." He smirked.

"Oh sod off."

He just smirked and walked down the bar aisle to serve Olivia, a figure skater that probably didn't need another.

I had sobered up, and wasn't tipsy in the slightest, and instead felt on edge. I couldn't see any wandering eyes. Perhaps they had stopped looking now they saw me alert.

I shrugged it off and went to sit with Liam.

"You gonna be sober enough to night skate buddy?"

"Oh definitely." he hiccupped.

"Maybe Benji should start following the law."

"Shhh... the law doesn't exist in the cabin Olly bolly, you know this, it is written in scripture."

"Hmm sure it is." I laughed.

A shimmer reached my eyes as I people watched once more. I didn't understand how a persons hair could be so inky black and yet so... light? It shimmered under the lights of the bar. Light bounced and reflected off his hair. Yet I could imagine that if I saw him in a dark dim room, his hair would blend in with perfect ease.

Ice blue met green once more.