"Are you sure that skating after stuffing our bellies to the brim is a good idea?" Gabriel's amused voice traveled to his ears, his warm breath tickling his skin, and in response, Misha's shoulders stiffened, his cheeks flaring up. He might or might not have eaten one too many plates, but it wasn't his fault! The meals had been too delicious for words, and for once, he hadn't been the one cooking, so of course, he gorged himself! What else was he supposed to do?
"…Don't you know that exercising after eating is good for your health?" Misha mumbled, pulling the scarf higher on his chin. It wasn't freezing cold this evening, but it certainly wasn't warm. "It helps with digestion or something."
"That's an urban myth," Gabriel laughed softly. "Light exercise might help with bloating, but intense exercise like skating might have the opposite effect." His answer was an unconvinced snort. "How about a walk first?"
Misha pursed his lips, words of protestation stuck in his throat. He'd planned to skate with Gabriel until late at night, as it was supposedly a romantic thing to do, according to the blog he'd read at least, but they'd have to postpone this plan for the time being. It felt like his stomach was filled with stones, and it was hard not to burp every two steps. He shouldn't have eaten that cake on top of the three plates he'd wolfed down.
"So?" Gabriel hummed, offering his hand. "That walk?"
"Alright, sure," Misha grunted as he interlaced his fingers with Gabriel's, tightening his grip slightly to secure his hold. Now that his partner had given him his hand, he wasn't about to let go any time soon, regardless of the curious or surprised stares some passersby threw their way.
Never seen a gay couple before? Misha silently snorted. Well, now you have! Congratulations! He refrained from barking at them aloud, however. He didn't want to waste his energy on strangers. No, all of his attention was reserved for Gabriel tonight.
"There's a trail bordering the river." Gabriel gestured toward the said river and the sparse woods with his chin. The bare trees, with branches covered in a thin layer of snow, seemed to sparkle under the street lamps. The river, too, sparkled as people skated on it. Laughter echoed, accompanied by chatter and the sound of skates sliding against the ice. "I think there are a few coffee stalls along the path, too."
"Gaby," Misha chortled, "my stomach is full! I'm not drinking anything for the next hour or so, or I'm going to explode."
"Well, I am thirsty, though."
"You goddamn coffee addict," Misha snorted, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Have you been skipping sleep lately?"
"No, of course not—"
"You have, haven't you?" Misha interrupted him, bumping into his shoulder with his. Since his return to his home, Misha would bet his head that his partner's sleep schedule went down the drain again. It had been relatively acceptable with him around, as he forced his partner to go to bed at the same time as him, reports to read or not. Gabriel might be complaining about his brother's workaholic lifestyle, but in Misha's eyes, he wasn't any better. Tristan had been dutifully keeping him updated about the amount of coffee Gabriel drank every day. "Should I come live with you officially? Just to be sure you don't overdose on coffee."
"Oh?" Gabriel's voice lowered as he teased, "You, the great sis-con, have been thinking about living separately from your sister?"
"What do you take me for?" Misha rolled his eyes. The snow crunched under their feet as they walked down the path that slithered between the woods on the edge of the riverbank. They had a perfect view of the people skating, and Misha's eyes lingered on a family of three. The parents were holding onto their daughter's arms, ensuring she wouldn't lose her balance and fall headfirst. "Even if I don't live in the same house as my sister, it doesn't mean I won't go bother her every day. I just need to live somewhere close to her. She's been wanting to move into Yuki's apartment for years, anyway."
"Fair point," Gabriel nodded.
As they walked further along the trail, a stall popped up from behind a snowbank, and the smell of coffee and hot chocolate wafted to their noses. The next instant, Misha was pulled toward the stall; it drew out an exasperated sigh from him, and he had to bite his tongue not to tell Gabriel that drinking coffee at this hour meant he wouldn't get any sleep tonight—this argument was a lost cause; his partner kept dismissing it as utter nonsense.
In any case, Misha had no intention whatsoever to sleep tonight, so it served him well.
There weren't many people in line, so it took barely a few minutes for them to order and get Gabriel's coffee. Then, Misha was pulled toward a bench, and they sat next to each other, their tights practically overlapping.
I might as well sit on him at this point. It was an intrusive thought that Misha quickly chased away. They were still in public. He could cuddle however much he wanted with Gabriel later, but for now…
"So, what are you hiding from me?"
Gabriel froze mid-movement, the lid of the plastic coffee cup pressed against his lips. Misha scoffed at the sight, and he bent over to whisper in his partner's ear, "Did you know you've developed a bad habit when you're trying to hide something from me? It's a dead giveaway. Not like I'm gonna tell you what it is. Don't want you to figure it out."
And it wasn't something all that obvious either. Whenever Gabriel was trying to hide something from him, the way he behaved around him changed slightly. His partner was more taciturn, yet smiled more, and nodded to his every whim. He seemed to become even more protective than usual, too. It was simple things Gabriel was already doing, but they were accentuated. Still, ultimately, it was his gut feelings telling Misha something was off.
"So, tell me?"
"Mish'," Gabriel sighed, a conflicted emotion twirling in the depths of his emerald eyes, something between relief and guilt. "I promised not to say anything. Can you not probe this time?"
Misha threw his head backward, staring at the starlit sky. He let the silence stretch for a few seconds before glancing at Gabriel and murmuring, "It's about my father, isn't it? Oh, come on, don't look at me like that! I can practically hear your thoughts: since when has he become so perceptive! Or something."
"That's not really what I was thinking—"
"But it's close enough, right?" Misha waved his free hand, the other tightening its grip on Gabriel's. "It's obvious my dad didn't get a wink of sleep. The excuse you gave me was cute, but I know him well enough. I've been observing him for years, and there's no doubt in my mind that walking on me coming onto you is not enough to deprive him of his sleep for the night."
At first, Misha didn't think much of it, as his head had been on the verge of exploding, and forming coherent thoughts had been nearly impossible. The embarrassment that made him want to bury himself six feet under didn't help, either. The thing was, at some point, a little voice started to gnaw at him. He'd tried to ignore it all day, but pretending to be dumb wasn't his forte, unlike Stephan or the Laflamme brothers.
"My memory is still blurry from last night, but a few things did pop into my mind during the day." Misha bit his lower lip. Deep down, he hoped Gabriel would tell him he was wrong, that he was imagining things, but reality rarely cared about his feelings. "I've got a hunch of what my father might have overheard."
"Do you really want to talk about this today?" Gabriel's fingers tapped on his plastic cup. "We're on a rare date. Shouldn't we make the most of it?"
"You're avoiding the subject, aren't you?" Misha mercilessly accused.
"Well, yes, I am."
"For the love of God! Will I ever be able to correct that bad habit of yours? I've been trying for years! Years, you hear!" Misha sighed before plopping his head on Gabriel's shoulder. "But, alright. I won't be a bitch about it tonight, but just tonight. I'm gonna pester you about it tomorrow morning instead."
"Maybe we should get you wasted so you forget about it," Gabriel taunted back. "How about a drink?"
"No fucking way," Misha categorically refused. "My head is still pounding, so I'm not drinking today." He had other plans in mind for tonight, and alcohol would ruin them. No, wait. Perhaps a tiny bit would help him muster the courage to bring that up, but at the same time, he didn't want Gabriel to use the alcohol as a reason to refuse, saying that it was clouding his mind. What an annoying contradiction.
"You want to skate with that pounding headache of yours?" Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be better if we go back to the inn and sit in front of the hearth—"
"Trust me, I've done way worse with a way more painful hangover in the past," Misha cut his partner off. "Well, in a past that is not mine anymore…"
Misha couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Sometimes, he couldn't help but think of that first timeline. His body had been left in a snowbank. He was dead there, but the Gabriel who had been by his side for all of his youth still lived. How did he cope with his death…? Difficult to say. And maybe, it was better not to think about it too much.
What mattered was the Gabriel he knew, the one by his side.