Figuring it Out

O N E | B A G S K A T E

Bag Skate: Usually occurs after a terrible game in which the coach makes the players repeat drills until they are about to fall from exhaustion.

Xavier could barely feel his legs as he and the rest of his teammates finally skated off the ice. Coach Reed had been brutal with them. He made them repeat the drills non-stop without a break in between sets. It was only after he noticed that the players were playing poorly did he let them off the ice. There was nothing quite like loosing 6-1 the night before and then having to do a bag skate at eight o'clock in the morning. 

"I don't think I can feel my legs." Jett groaned from the stall beside him.

Xavier continued to untie his skate laces as he spoke, "I thought for sure coach was going to push us even harder than that."

"I'm just glad he didn't." Jeff replied.

Xavier nodded in agreement although he did find it peculiar that Coach Reed had let them off the hook so quickly. When he had announced the morning skate after yesterdays game, Xavier had been so sure that they would probably be in the rink until the latter part of the afternoon, but it was only two o'clock which left plenty of time for Xavier to enjoy NHL 2K17 with one of his friends.

He turned towards Jeff, "Want to come over and play some hockey?"

Jeff shot him an apologetic smile. "Sorry man, I can't. I still have some school work to do."

Xavier accept the apology with a slight smile. It still felt weird to him to remember that some of the guys on the team were younger then him and still in school. "Just do your calculus homework kid and you'll make it to the NHL."

"Oh, for goodness sake, fuck off." Jeff said as he flipped him the bird before leaving the dressing room with his practice equipment.

Xavier laughed as his gesture before he began packing him own equipment. Most of the team had already left at this point and it was just Xavier and a couple of the elder guys who still stood in the locker room.

"I'll see you all tomorrow!" Xavier said as he made his way out of the green and beige coloured room careful to avoid the logo in the middle.

He heard a few chorus of see you later Homes as he exited the locker room. Xavier was expecting an empty rink after their practice but was surprised to see the room occupied by a youngish looking couple and another man middle-aged man.

Xavier was normally not a curious man, but he couldn't help but wonder who the people were. The London Knight's practice facility was closed to the public and only a few members of the press were really allowed to enter the rink. His curiosity got the better of him and so he stood at the end of the ice and watched like a creep.

He was so absorbed in seeing what the couple was doing that he didn't feel the presence of his coach until the hand tapped his shoulder gently.

"Jesus Christ Coach, give a guy a warning next time, why don't you?"

Coach Reed gave him a minuscule smile. It was one that aggravated Xavier because he never knew if the coach was truly happy or simply mocking him. It was impossible to find out which one of the feelings it was.

Xavier motioned to the couple on the ice, "How did they get the ice rink?"

"See that man over there?" Coach Reed pointed towards the man dressed in a light windbreaker and sweatpants.

Xavier followed his gaze and nodded.

"Well, he knows the owner pretty well and he was able to convince them to lend our practice rink after we were done with it."

Xavier couldn't help himself as he snorted. "The couple went through with all of that, just to learn how to skate in private?"

Now Coach Reed snorted, and Xavier turned to give him a confused glance, "Did I say anything wrong?"

Coach Reed had a full-blown smile on his face now and it was beginning to creep out Xavier.

"Son, those two are not a normal couple. They are partners."

Xavier was still confused. "So, they are like married?"

"Nah, it's a different type of partnership," he said. "You'll see what I mean in a matter of minutes."

And so, Xavier looked on waiting for the big reveal. He could hear the voices of people exiting the locker room and the rest of his teammates joined them.

"What's going on?" Gordon, the teams starting goaltender asked.

Xavier shrugged his shoulder. "Coach won't tell me. He said to be patient and wait."

"Silence now." Coach Reed commanded them. "I don't want to draw anymore attention on us. I'm sure we look creepy enough as it is."

"I didn't take you for a stalker." One of his other teammates said jokingly.

Coach sent him a glare that shut him up quickly. Seconds later, music started playing in the arena and couple took to the centre of the ice. He saw them strike a pose before they began dancing to the rhythm of the music. Xavier was enthralled. It seemed as though they were gliding across the ice. In all his years on the ice, he had never seen anything like it. It was so gracefully but there was power as well. 

The raw passion and intensity emitting from them both was clearly on display with their facial expression. He held in his breath as the man lifted the women over his shoulders but luckily, no injury came out of it. He had been completely wrong in assuming that they did not know how to skate. Clearly, they did, and that is why Coach had been laughing at him earlier.

"Are they both figure skaters?" Gordon asked, breaking everyone from the spell they had been under.

Coach Reed nodded. "More specifically, they are both ice dancers and they are hoping to win the Nationals so that they can participate in the Olympics."

"But they both look so young..." Another voice commented from the back.

It was once again Coach Reed who responded. "I would estimate that they are both around your age, give or take a couple of years."

Xavier nodded once again fixated upon the ice skaters that is until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Turning around he saw the coach motioning them to leave, "Shows over boys. They have received permission to use the facilities and we better not disturb their training."

He could see that none of the other guys wanted to leave but being the leader, he was, he nodded and pushed the rest of the boys out from the bleacher. However, Xavier couldn't help but glance back once more before he was leaving. It was stupid, but he felt as the couple were two fairies skating on the ice. 

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We have officially started the journey! This book will be told in dual perspective so every time there is a hockey term, that means that it is Xavier's POV and if there is a figure skating term, it is Rosaura's POV. Tell me what you think of the story so far and please remember to vote and comment!