"I can’t do it!!" 

"I'll teach you." 

"No, you don’t understand. I'm not able to do it!" 

"Stop it; it's just your fear." 

"No, I’m not scared. I know that I’m going to fall more times than I can stand up and even the kids will laugh at me! - Brian didn’t give up and continued to put in Nick’s hands the ice skates that still Nick persisted in not wanting to wear. - And don’t look at me with those puppy eyes! You need to explain to me how you can be so perfect in any sport!” 

Brian's laughter seemed to echo throughout the air around them, at least so it seemed to Nick. Because, as always, no one seemed to care for them, all intent on having fun skating around the enormous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. And Nick had never stopped to wonder why no one seemed to notice the beauty of Brian, his blue eyes gleaming from the simple joy and his face flushed from the cold air. Or, perhaps, it was better that way, it was better that no one would notice it so that wouldn’t try to steal him away. 

“Too bad it was his decision to leave.” Nick blinked back wherever that little voice came from, that little place of his heart that was still throbbing in pain. He wouldn’t let those stupid things ruining that day and neither shake in pieces his hope and faith. He didn’t need to dwell in the past. What they needed was to move on and let Brian to fix things. Him? He just had to learn to have trust in Brian again.” 

He took the skates from the hands of Brian, letting their hands brushed against for a few seconds. "Promise you will not let me fall?" 

"Scout's Honor." 

And a few hours later, Nick had to admit that Brian had been true with his words. And Nick didn’t only discover how much fun skating was really, and he kinda had made Brian promise to return again the first day they were both free, but Brian never let him fall, risking a lot of times to end up on the ice himself so that he couldn’t break his promise. And it was that, perhaps, one of the most beautiful days they had ever spent together, almost like those first dates where everything was a surprise or totally new. 

"I don’t want to go home." Nick exclaimed out loud while he and Brian made their way through the streets full of passers-by and tourists. 

"Who said we're going there?" 

That question stopped Nick. "What do you mean?" 

"Haven’t you noticed?" 

The confusion took hold of Nick. "About what?" 

"That this is an appointment. You told me that you've never been to skate, so I thought I'd bring you here. And now ... Well, every self-respecting appointment must end with a dinner out. " Brian replied, looking down, almost as if he realized how ridiculous that idea might have been. 

But Nick didn’t miss the subtle subtext behind this apparent romantic idea. And it was something that was able to silence any voice that still had strength to fight back. So, with the palm of the hand Nick lifted Brian’s chin, depositing a kiss on the lips. "You're adorable."

***

It was past midnight when Brian and Nick crossed the front door of the building where they lived, then stop and wait for the arrival of the elevator. Nick had his arms around Brian's waist, his chin resting on his shoulder and his lips were looking for a small gap between the coat and scarf to warm up in their own way his skin. It had been a perfect evening and Nick knew that it would have been even more once they would finally arrive to their apartment and closed the real world outside the door of their room. 

Theirs. It was so nice to say again that pronoun, despite it always caused a little resentment. But he had found the perfect way to silence that voice, and that method provided shivers and trembles every time he touched Brian’s skin before losing himself into that body. His hand unbuttoned the top button of the coat as fingers slipped almost immediately, overcoming the barrier of sweater and T-shirt. 

"Nick ... - Brian whispered in a hoarse groan. - And to think that, on our first date, you swore that you were a gentleman. " 

Nick, in response, nipped that spot of skin for a few seconds before caressing it with kisses. "I don’t remember." 

Brian turned around, staying in the embrace of Nick. "I remember every word of that evening. "With any other guy, right now, I'd have my hand in his pants and, believe me, not to look for his house keys." 

Nick looked surprised while the fire that already burned within him, fire made by flames of passion and love, became even higher. "Really?" He asked. 

Brian stood on tiptoe and touched their noses together. "Of course. Just as I put away every ticket or post-it notes that you've written. Even the most stupid." 

The ding of the elevator in that instant gave more time to Nick to reflect on those words. But there was, in fact, no reason why he should be surprised aside that it was yet another proof of how Brian worshiped not only him but also their love. He took no time for pushing Brian inside the elevator, or to check that there was no one. He didn’t care who could see them, he didn’t care about anything except to show, in his way, how much he worshiped what was between them. 

And so Brian found himself against the wall of metal and Nick's lips that seemed to be everywhere, and especially. Because, as always, everything ceased to exist in those moments. They didn’t notice that the elevator had reached its destination. They noticed it only when someone called their attention with a cough. Ahead of them was their neighbor, who looked at them with an expression that Brian chose not to decipher. 

"Oh ..." he muttered embarrassed when he and Nick went back into the apartment. 

"Oh, come on! Don't be embarrassed! We gave her something to talk about for the next two days! " 

"Nick." Brian scolded him. 

Nick slid next to him, taking up the position in which they had been interrupted. "Oh, in a few seconds I’m sure you won’t be able to remember your own name.”