Fresh off the Ice

Blushing Cheeks

"Come on you can do it." I try to say without giggling. I watch as Kace is hunched over the foriegn skates on his feet trying to keep his balance. He just stepped away from the barrier and I am trying to coax him over to me standing in the middle of the rink and it's quite amusing sight to see confident strong Kace look so helpless and unsure.

There was hardly anyone left at the rink and the ice was empty so I convinced Kace to come skate with me.

*few minutes earlier*

"Come on." I trying a coax Kace whoo was standing at the barrier door unsure with barrowed skates on.

He looks around, "We are going to get into trouble."

"We won't no one is here. Come on don't be such a baby." When I say that I see Kace look at me with determination. Oh he didn't like being called that.

He finally steps on and right as he does his weight goes back and he has the cling onto the barrier as his feet goes out from under him. My hand goes start to my mouth trying not to let the laugher come out because I know if it does he will be out of here. He lets out an explisive as he has trouble getting up. I go over to help him.

But before I could touch him to help he said, "Don't. I can do this."

I wait as he finally is able to pull his feet beneath him and after he does he stands on his skates like he is unsure of his next move.

This is where I help. "Keep you knees bend and your weight forward. Take small steps forward."

He glances at me but I see he is totally focused on these funny things on his feet. He finally takes my advice and starts moving a long the barrier and I skate by him praise him for what he is doing.

Now after a couple times around I have convinced him to come into the middle. And here we are with him totally uncomfortable half way to the middle and me trying not to burst out laughing at the sight.

I skate up to him. I offer my hand but he shakes his head and moves his feet then stops and he moves his body to adjust his wieght so he doesn't fall from the movement.

"How do you do this?" he questions while he is focusing.

"You are doing well!" I encourage as he is slowly but surely making his way there.

"Almost there." I encourage after a few more minutes of slowly making his way.

We get into the middle of the ice and I excitedly say, "You made it!"

Kace focuse is finally off the ice as he looks at me and I can see the excitement in his eyes. It looks like he is about to say something but I see, almost like in slow motion his weight goes backwards and as a reaction his arms swing back and as that happens his feet swings up. I see this happening and trying to move to save him but I'm too late and his butt hits the ice.

 Now that he has hit the ice, the memory of his face and how he looked when falling come back to me and I couldn't hold the laugher back anymore. I throw my head back and laugh heartly not caring who heard me. Still laugh I turn to Kace seeing him sitting on the ice looking unmused which just fulled my laugher. I went over to try and ask if he was okay but I just couldn't with my laughing. I finally am able to calm down resting my hands on my knees but still giggling when I think about it.

Kace figures out how to get up. He brushes the ice off his hands, "Glad to hear you take joy out of my pain."

I look up to try and respond but when I see kace the memory comes back and I laugh instead. Kace finally cracks a smile and shakes his head.

When I finally get done laughing I am able to teach Kace a few things as he is less scared after his first fall. We skate around for a while talking and I can see Kace relax on the ice a bit more.

"So this is what you do all day every day?" Kace asks but kinda speaks to himself.

"Pretty much." I say for something to say, "Not that easy is it?" I say recalling his earlier incident.

He gives me look that says 'no kidding'. We slowly skate around in silence for a minutes. Both of us deep in our thoughts.

"Soooo... What makes you truly happy, Chesa?" Even though it was a cheesy question Kace made it sound very deep like he really wanted to know what made me happy.

"Umm.. I guess it gives some happiness to make my parents proud with my achievements.." I say unsure. I still think about his question and as I glide on the ice then I find my real answer.

"No." I say. I close my eyes as I answer his question again, "No, what gives me true happiness is when I step onto the ice, with no expectations, no qualifications, no judgmental stares. Just me, the ice and my passion." I open my eyes completely satisfied with the answer.

I look to Kace who was looking at me. I question him.

"How about you?" I ask. "What makes you happy, Kace?"

He takes a big breathe as his looks forward thinking about the answer.

"The future." He answers. I stay silent hoping he'll expand on his answer. He does, "The hope of change the future brings."

I look into his eyes that hold so much meaning. I am about to ask him what he means when panic flashes in his eyes. I see his weight shift back and I go to keep him from dropping back but he grabs my side taking me down with him. I know we are going collide with the cold hard ice. I prepare by putting both my hands on either side of his head so I don't put all my weight on him.

We land with a thud! flat on the ice with my body straight onto Kace's. I have one of my legs in between his two as most of my body wieght is on his chest. The only weight I am keeping up is some of my upper body with my hands that is on the ice on either side of Kace's face. I look into Kace's eyes as he recovers from the shock of the fall. I quickly realize how close our faces are with only inches between our lips. I can feel his whole chest because mine is squished to his.

Some sense clicks in my brain as I finally realize this was way to close for two normal human being to be together. I quickly move myself off him with my cheeks turning red. I get on my knees and see Kace is still laying down probably wondering what just happened since I was wondering it myself. As I got onto my blades, Kace sits up. I offer him a hand to stand up. He gets to his feet.

"You okay?" I ask. The blush still sitting on my cheeks.

Kace gives my a smirk which I know his answer will be anything but serious, "You put your body that close to mine and then ask if I'm okay? I'm great." His smile grows as if he knows his comment willl affect me. It does. I defiantly will have rosey red cheeks for the rest of our skate.