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 Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:13 pm
Quote: Climb High and Ride Far (7) : In the middle of a metropolis, there aren’t many opportunities to get out and appreciate a nice snowfall. Sure, maybe you can look out of your window and appreciate the beauty of nature, but when was the last time you got to do something fun, like go sledding? Maybe never! This year, Destiny City has gone out of their way to set up the perfect hill for sledding–sixty feet tall, four hundred feet long, in a recently landscaped area of land close to the heart of the city. Vendors have set up stalls with snacks and artisan goods, and you can bring your own sled, innertube, skis or snowboard–or borrow, courtesy of the city, if you don’t have one already. Whether there’s been recent snow or not, DCU has some artificial, environmentally friendly artificial snow to keep the slopes fresh. You might not find an opportunity like this without heading elsewhere in the city, so why not take advantage of some fresh, free Winter fun?
Emry hobbled to his feet. He stumbled a few steps through the snow, putting less weight on his left foot than the other. He grimaced for effect more than he did out of pain. If it hurt at all, it was only the shadow of soreness. Emry had certainly had worse.
“I think I twisted my ankle on that one,” he lied. “I should go have first aid check it out.”
The hill was impressive for something man-made—tall enough to make it worth it and long enough to make it satisfying. The city didn’t have good places for sledding otherwise. They could ski or snowboard in the mountains, but that required a drive Emry couldn’t make, seeing as he hadn’t bothered to get his license and he wasn’t about to spend his hard earned money on a car service for something he didn’t do often anyway. Risking an injury never seemed worth it.
He frowned, searching around for the first aid tent he’d seen earlier.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:14 pm
“Damn,” Ethan mocked with exasperation. “Oh yeah, definitely need to go and get your ankle checked out.”
He rolled his eyes. He knew Emry’s game. He knew he would somehow figure out a way to injure himself when he noticed that Glenn was volunteering at the first aid station.
“At least ride down, first,” he sighed again, turning around with the sled he’d hauled up the hill. And it was enough to fit two. “Come on, you big baby. You’re not going to make it down on anything but your a** anyway,” he pointed out, gesturing somewhat impatiently for Emry to get on the sled.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:15 pm
“As if you give a s**t,” Emry said. “Less competition for you at Nationals if I get taken out a month in advance.”
He paused to stare at Ethan suspiciously, eyes narrow and shrewd.
“Probably why you invited me here in the first place. To orchestrate my demise.”
Emry put a little more weight on his foot to test it out, then limped around to make a point that didn’t need to be made. Ethan was right to be sarcastic. Not that Emry would admit to it; he winced again for good measure. At least he wasn’t being overdramatic about it. He knew where to draw the line between believable and a farce.
Still, Emry glared at Ethan while plopping himself onto the sled.
“Let’s go.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:16 pm
“Oh my god, you’re ridiculous,” Ethan shook his head in mock disgust, watching as his rival got on the sled that would send him to his demise. Except not.
“As if I consider you competition,” he rolled his eyes. Sure, competing was fun, but Ethan wasn’t going to waste his life expecting to make it big. He liked skating and the attention it got him, but he was realistic about it. Besides, not everyone got the same opportunities as he did, and he was just grateful to be along for the ride.
And to get any tea that came from the ensuing interaction with Emry and his brother, of course.
Both feet off the ground, Ethan let gravity take the sled down to the bottom of the hill, before gesturing to the first aid tent Emry had mentioned wanting to see.
Glenn was already outside, taking a small break with a cup of hot chocolate that one of the other volunteers brought over for him. Filled with marshmallows and not so hot that it burned his tongue. He might be used to burns, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed them.
“Having fun?” he asked, lifting a hand to wave to his brother and Emry. By now, of course, he knew who Ethan’s friend was. Or maybe not friend? Competition? He wasn’t sure, but it was nice to see them bonding all the same.
“If you need to take a break to warm up, we just got some hot chocolate in,” he gestured to the tent and held out his cup as if to prove that he wasn’t making things up.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:17 pm
Emry clambered off the sled with less grace than usual. He paired a glare with a brief display of his gloved middle finger before giving more of his attention to Glenn than Ethan.
“Ethan can get the hot chocolate,” he said. “I think I hurt my ankle.”
He limped slightly on his way over, careful not to make it look too exaggerated. Maybe it twinged a tiny bit, but Emry doubted there was anything seriously wrong with it. He’d roll the kinks out and rest it for the night and probably be fine by morning.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t milk it for a few minutes.
“Think you could take a look?” he asked. “Ethan thinks I’m faking.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:17 pm
Ethan clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth and rolled his eyes again.
“You’re exaggerating at the very least,” he insisted, because he knew Emry was just trying to get Glenn’s attention. And Glenn, of course, was more than happy to give the attention to Emry.
Which!! Fine! That was fine. It wasn’t like there weren’t probably a dozen others trying to throw themselves at his brother. Glenn and Jack happened to win big on the genetic lottery. Ethan did as well. Which he supposed meant Ewan did too, but still! He and his twin weren’t as well known yet. Especially not Ewan who was not known at all.
He sighed heavily and took the cup that Glenn was already handing to him, while also trying to set the sled out of the way.
“Pathetic,” he huffed as he shook his head at Emry.
“You’ve got Nationals coming up, you shouldn’t be putting so much pressure on your ankle if you’ve hurt it, even if it was just a small sprain,” Glenn insisted, making sure Ethan had a good hold on his hot chocolate before crossing the short distance to meet Emry.
“Here, are you okay if I pick you up?” he asked, because he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. Not that he expected Emry to say no. And when he received a positive response he gently scooped him into his arms.
It was nothing, anyway. Emry didn’t weigh anything. Probably lighter than his firefighter gear.
He carefully ducked through the opening of the tent to the nearest cushioned table. They didn’t want to have a bunch of cots spread out, especially since ankle injuries were expected the most. It was easier to reach a patient’s ankle this way, after all.
“Ethan, there’s water near the front could you-- thanks,” he showed his little brother a smile before turning that same smile up at Emry.
“I’m looking forward to your competition. I’ve already got my tickets, of course. You’ll both do great,” he insisted as he waited for Emry to gesture to what ankle was hurting so he could carefully untie his shoe to remove it for him. He also made sure that Ethan handed over the water bottle to Emry that he’d asked him to fetch.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:18 pm
Emry almost insisted on walking. He still had his pride, after all, and he wasn’t really hurt. But he also liked the attention and figured he shouldn’t squander the opportunity. He hid a smirk over Glenn’s shoulder, eyeing Ethan mischievously.
He slung his arms around Glenn’s neck for better support and absolutely did not feel him up, but it was a near thing.
It wasn’t his fault Ethan’s brother was hot. A little naive and too willing to help literally everyone, maybe, but that tended to work in Emry’s favor.
“You’re actually gonna come to ******** Kansas?” Emry said, voice a little low with disbelief—and scorn, but not for Glenn. Kansas was pretty far down on his personal preference list of places to go. “Sorry in advance if it’s a shithole. Would be nice if Destiny City put a bid in to host one year.”
He made a motion to his left foot, leaning over to try and pry his snow boot off himself.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:18 pm
“It’s not just to see Nationals,” Ethan rolled his eyes, turning back around after leaving the water and Glenn’s hot chocolate on the table so he could go make himself some. “Our family lives in Nebraska. He’s going to visit them, too. Just in case you were starting to feel special.”
Not that he wasn’t perfectly fine with people going to watch their competitions, but Glenn didn’t have to make it sound like he was doing it just for them. He had ulterior motives, or at least plans that coincided with the competition.
Glenn gave Ethan a somewhat exasperated look, but offered another smile for Emry’s sake.
“I haven’t been home in a while. Killing two birds with one stone is smart, isn’t it?” he prompted, which got a scoff from Ethan. Glenn just laughed softly, but when he leaned close to help get Emry’s snow boot off, he accidentally bonked their heads together a bit.
“Ah, sorry about that,” he winced, reaching out to place a hand on Emry’s head as if to make sure there wasn’t any immediate wound to be concerned about. There wasn’t any blood at least. Not that they’d hit their heads very hard, but still.
“Are you okay? Here I am trying to help, and I’m just making it worse. Oh, okay at least we can get your boot and sock off now,” he winced sympathetically. He tried not to put too much of his cold hands on Emry’s foot, but he couldn’t exactly help it when he was checking him out for injuries.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:18 pm
Emry rolled his eyes back at Ethan. He made sure to exaggerate the motion so Ethan would know exactly how much Emry did not appreciate the snark. Maybe Ethan was jealous. He was such a drama queen, he probably wanted all the attention for himself, even when it came to his own brother.
Then Glenn bonked their heads together. Emry’s first instinct was to be annoyed, as he would have been with anyone else, but that ended abruptly as soon as he realized how close Glenn had to be standing to make that possible.
“It’s fine,” Emry said, rubbing at the spot once Glenn took his hand away. He eyed Ethan again and smirked, half tempted to shift even closer so he and Glenn might collide some other way.
If only their heads had been angled just so, maybe they could have connected mouths instead of foreheads.
Alright, maybe that was too much.
“Must be nice to have a big family,” he said, more for general conversation than anything else. He certainly didn’t sound wistful for it. “Or not, I guess, if you’re Ethan and have to share the attention with… however many brothers and sisters you have. I never had to worry about that. Perks of being an only child.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:19 pm
Ethan watched with disgust as Emry practically flirted with his brother just by proximity. He knew Emry had a crush on Glenn, but the smirking and enjoyment of being so close could stop.
“Probably explains why you’re so selfish then. Never learned that the world doesn’t actually revolve around you,” Ethan shot back, clearly rubbed the wrong way about how much attention he did or didn’t get from his family.
Maybe there was a reason he was in Destiny City, other than the fact that it was easier to train. And maybe that reason was also why Glenn and Jack decided to move there.
Glenn gave Ethan an exasperated look, clearly not impressed by his antics. He had his hands on Emry’s ankle, feeling for any places that might have been already swollen from being twisted.
“It has its advantages and disadvantages,” Glenn said as diplomatically as possible. He didn’t want to say anything negative about his family, but was well aware that not everyone had the same experiences with their own, even within the same family.
“There’s six of us. Our two sisters are still in Nebraska with our parents,” Glenn said to clarify, since it was a simple conversation and he needed some time to wrap up Emry’s ankle to help stabilize it.
“Just make sure you don’t do anything too dangerous and you should be okay. I didn’t feel anything serious, but if it feels uncomfortable before you leave, come let me know and I can look at it again, okay?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:19 pm
Emry snorted. Ethan was so transparent.
“You’d be surprised what you can still learn as an only child,” Emry said, though he failed to elaborate. A first aid tent wasn’t exactly the best place to open up. Ethan didn’t deserve the explanation anyway. “Six is excessive, though. I think I’d go nuts. Too many voices. Too many people getting in my space. At least on the ice there’s separation. Look but don’t touch.”
Not that he minded some touch. In fact, he wouldn’t mind more. Glenn was gentle with his hands, examining Emry’s ankle like it was worth the care and concern, even if he had to know there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with it.
He was so nice, and so hot. Emry got his fill looking while Glenn wrapped his ankle, ignoring Ethan for the time being.
“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll take it easy when I get home. Maybe ice it for a little while.”
Emry paused, momentarily distracted by a loose lock of Glenn’s hair, but he shook himself out of it quickly.
“They’ve got you hot chocolate here, but are they feeding you? We can grab something for you if you’re hungry. I think there’s a food truck around here somewhere.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:19 pm
“I haven’t had anything to eat yet, no,” Glenn shared as he helped Emry get his sock back on, and then his snow boot. He even worked on lacing it up for him since why not?
“If you’re offering, then only if you’ll come back and have something to eat with me,” he smiled, ignoring any scoffing noises from his brother.
He knew Ethan was probably horrified that Emry was trying to spend more time with him. There were already a number of times that needed the assistance of a firefighter or EMT, so it wasn’t a secret that Emry wanted to spend time with him, even if it was just to look.
Maybe there was a mutual interest that Ethan probably didn’t want to acknowledge. It wasn’t as though Glenn had much of a chance to talk to Emry, anyway. He knew he was younger, but not so young that it would be a problem if they were just talking.
Ethan squinted from Glenn to Emry, clearly disgusted by what he saw, and then placed his hands on his hips and scoffed.
“Fine, whatever. Where’s your wallet? You can pay,” he insisted. It wasn’t as though he and Emry were adults, and maybe he wanted to remind Glenn that it would be expensive to have someone else to feed all the time. And as athletes they ate a lot.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:20 pm
Emry rolled his eyes for the third or fourth time. He had no idea what Ethan’s problem was. His training mate had no issue teasing him about wanting Glenn’s attention, but the second Emry actually got it apparently that was enough to annoy him.
“We’ll come back,” Emry promised. For a split second his smile curved and put a genuine light in his eyes.
He slid off the exam table once his boot was laced, hands on Glenn’s shoulders to keep himself steady. Glenn had nice shoulders. Nice arms, too. Not to mention his chest. It was a shame to have it all hidden beneath layers. Emry stood maybe a little too close once he was on his feet, but it wasn’t like Glenn pulled away immediately. He probably wanted to make sure Emry could hold his own weight.
Sometimes Emry thought Glenn might actually be interested too. Then again, he was pretty sure Glenn would be this helpful and attentive with anyone.
“You can pay for yourself,” Emry told Ethan. “It’s not like you don’t have some money. I know you get an allowance. Do you even pay rent? I’ll pay for me and Glenn if being generous is too much for you. Is there anything you don’t like?” he asked Glenn. “Or can I surprise you?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:20 pm
Glenn held onto Emry’s arm, maybe a little longer than he needed to, but finally took a step back when it was clear that he was solid on his feet.
“Feel free to surprise me,” he offered another smile. “I’ll eat pretty much anything. And I’ll just have to buy you lunch some time to pay you back, how does that sound?”
He didn’t think it was wrong of him to offer. The likelihood of them crossing paths again was very high, especially since Emry was friends(?) with Ethan.
“Anything but rocky mountain oysters,” Ethan scoffed and waved his hand as though to dismiss Emry’s nagging. “Are you coming or what? Do you need a crutch?”
He was perfectly allowed to be annoyed that Glenn was playing along with Emry’s flirting. Not only that but he was pretty sure his brother was flirting back! He did not want Emry ending up at family dinners or whatever. Being around him on the ice was one thing, but the guy was kind of a b***h.
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2024 5:20 pm
Emry’s smile for Glenn was disrupted by a few disgusted wrinkles for Ethan.
“Go ******** yourself,” he huffed, but there wasn’t any true heat behind it. “Seriously, you’re so annoying. I don’t know why I hang out with you.”
Because he wasn’t that annoying. Comparatively speaking anyway. He had his moments, like now, but Ethan was usually fine. Sometimes they disliked the same people or were aggravated by the same things, so they tended to gravitate toward one another at the rink. They didn’t have much time for other friends around training and competition schedules and made do with each other. The ease and familiarity that came with sharing a coach.
It was fine. On the plus side, Ethan had a hot brother who never discouraged Emry even if he didn’t overtly encourage him either.
“We’ll be back soon,” Emry said, testing his weight on his ankle before moving around Glenn. He walked backwards out of the tent so he could offer another half-smirk half-smile. “Thanks for the check up.”
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