"John, c'mon let's go!" Mike was calling him, nodding his head out the door.
"No, I-I think I'll just stay here for awhile." John turned his head to catch a glimpse of the man lacing up his skates.
"Really, John? How many times have I told you? Just ask him out!" Mike encouraged.
"I… I dunno." John replied hesitantly, looking over at the man's slender form as he began to warm up.
"Gosh, John. Either do something about it or come hang out with us."
"Fine." John sighed. He could do this! He could ask someone on a date. Hell, he'd done it plenty of time before. Why was this so different?
John walked down the steps to the edge of the rink, leaning over the rails to watch as the man began to glide out onto the ice. Watching him was like watching the complete opposite of himself. John was destruction. This man was electricity. He brought life into the rink, lighting it up with every jump and turn.
Perhaps together, they could become a supernova.
"Are you just going to watch?" The man's voice startled him from his thoughts. Was it possible to be attracted to someone's voice? Did that happen?
"Sorry, what?" John asked, shaking his head to clear it.
"Are you just going to watch? Because you can come out here." The man gestured to the rink behind him. John thought for a moment before pulling his skates from his bag and putting them on.
He balanced on the blades as he made his way to the edge of the ice. He stepped on and pushed off, making his way to where the man stood.
"I'm John by the way." He greeted.
"Sherlock."
"Cool." John looked down at his feet awkwardly.
"Can you figure skate, John?" Damn, that voice.
"I can shoot a puck around a six-foot guy into a tiny goal. Does that count?" John asked.
"Um… I'm sure it counts for something." Sherlock tried, making John laugh.
"Okay then, Mr. Figure Skater. How about you come over here and teach me some moves?" John teased, waggling his eyebrows.
"Challenge accepted." Sherlock moved back. "How about something easy? Can you do an arabesque?" Sherlock asked.
"Can I ara-what-now?" John asked.
"Arabesque." Sherlock sighed when John continued to look confused. "Here, I'll show you." Sherlock started speeding down the rink, turning and heading for the straight. Maintaining speed, he lifted his leg into the air gracefully, letting it stick out at a ninety-degree angle.
"Obviously I can do that, it's easy." John called to him, copying Sherlock's earlier movements and speeding across the ice. When he hit the straight, he extended his arm in front of him and lifted his leg up behind him as high as he could manage… And fell flat on his face.
"Ow." John complained, rubbing his elbows. Sherlock's skate-clad feet came into view as he stopped in front of him.
"Do you need help with that?" Sherlock asked. John looked up to see his normally passive features twitching, a corner of his mouth raised.
"Are you… Are you laughing at me?" John asked.
"No!" Sherlock denied, even as his smile grew larger.
"You can't laugh! This isn't funny!" John shouted, rolling his eyes when Sherlock collapsed in giggles, barely balancing on his skates.
"Let's see how you like it." John grumbled, taking advantage of Sherlock's distraction to pull him down by his arm. Sherlock collapsed in a heap beside him, still giggling.
But then, the laughing subsided, leaving John staring up into the most perplexingly beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.
"Um…" He croaked, struggling to speak.
"Do you want to hear a secret?" Sherlock whispered in his ear.
"Sure." John whispered back.
"I see you everytime you come and watch me," John blanched. Sherlock had seen him! Did he think it was creepy? Crap, how could John have already mes- "This was the first time I got up the courage to speak to you."
"W-what?" John stuttered.
"Yeah," Sherlock was blushing. Blushing. How could this be happening? "My friend Irene kept pushing me to talk to you."
"Really?"
"Yes."
John smiled. What else could you do when the person you liked, liked you back?
"Okay, so where do you want to go from here?" He asked.
"I'm not entirely sure." Sherlock seemed as shocked as John was. "Perhaps… A date?"
"That works for me." John agreed.
"Are you hungry now?"
"Starving."