The irony isn’t lost on him. He grins softly to himself when he finds Gabriel, now at the other side of the room, intently listening to the tour guide.
15 [James] Prague, Czech Republic
December 11th
On the second day in Prague they find the city covered in a blanket of snow and twinkling surfaces as far as the eye can see. After they got in last night it took a while to warm up next to the small electric heater, but a warm cup of hot chocolate and an extra sweater luckily did the trick.
When he got dressed this morning he made sure to put on his thermals as well. James doesn’t mind the cold, but it wouldn’t do him any good if he ended up being sick after two days in the snow.
“Sometimes I forget how much I dislike the winter,” Gabriel grumbles. He’s shoving his toes into his sneakers, a thick pair of socks making it difficult. James snickers at the struggle. At James’ disgruntled noise, Gabriel laments, “Alright fine, I don’t hate it. It’s freezing though. We’re not even outside yet and I can’t feel my toes.”
“That’s probably because your shoes are too tight.” James snorts in laughter, turning away to pick up his coat from where he threw it on his bed. He wiggles his own toes happily. Not quite warm either, but the thermal socks are definitely the right choice.
From the corner of his eye he can see that Gabriel tucks his sketchbook away under his pillow instead of in his satchel. It’s an odd thing, since he hasn’t seen Gabriel without it much, but James figures that it might be wise with the still falling snow and melting ice that’s visible from their window. The people passing by are wrapped up in big coats and puffy scarves, braving the cold wind and flurries of snow.
James loves days like this. Cold, snowy winter days are his favorite days. Except when that means being stuck in the London Underground, with its fogged up windows and drenched people pushing and pulling from every which way. The crowd of the inner city and its public transport isn’t the easiest thing to endure with an anxious mind. An apartment in central London fortunately meant having the opportunity to walk to and from work, on the off chance that he did have to go into the office.
Prague, however, turns out to be a walkable city, even in the snow. Gabriels grumbles about the cold can’t even deter him as they slowly make their way toward the city center. During the walk James muses over the plans for the day. TheCharles Bridge is second highest on his list for Prague, so that’s something that he wants to do before the end of the day. But first, he’s found a Christmas cinema. A minitheater with a Narnia-like entrance, a wardrobe acting as an entrance into the cozy screening room.
It’s not the most touristy thing he could be doing, but it’s something unique and, he figures, he deserves a little bit of a reset after the anxiousness of yesterday’s tour. If Gabriel wants to join him today, he’s more than welcome. It’s a little basic, but this afternoon they’re showingHome Alone, which is such a classic that you can never go wrong with it.
“What’s next on your agenda?” asks Gabriel.
They’ve come to a stop next to a bakery, which is overflowing with delicious looking pastries. To their right the door opens and the smell of fresh coffee washes over them. James smiles and longingly looks at the café. It’s an unknown coffee bar, so while the items look good and he knows he’ll most likely find something to his taste inside, he can’t make himself go in. “Well, I’m going to Narnia.”
Gabriel splutters from beside him. “What are you on about?”
James grins, something he only really does around Gabriel. That’s another one of those observations that he filed away to think about whenever the time’s right. How at ease he truly is with Gabriel. “It’s a movie theatre. The door is supposedto be like a wardrobe. You know? The Lion, the Witch…” James trails off at the understanding dawning in Gabriel’s eyes. “So, you’re going to the movies?”
“Hmm,” James hums an affirmative. For a moment, Gabriel is silent. The repeated opening and closing of his mouth clearly indicates that he intends to say something, but every time James thinks he will, Gabriel closes his mouth again.
In a leap of bravery, James decides to take the plunge himself. “Would you like to join me? They’re doing a screening ofHome Alone.”
The soft smile that settles on Gabriel’s lips, alongside the flush that forms high on his cheeks, leaves James quite pleased for giving himself the chance to ask. Gabriel’s answering nod is more than enough. “Sure, that’s cool.”
For a moment, their eyes lock and time freezes. The green of Gabriel’s eyes tends to look ethereal these days. The white landscape surrounding them makes them look like stars, swirling with an endless amount of colors and soft around the edges.
As Gabriel looks away the moment falls away, melting into the snow beneath their feet. “Before we go, though, we’re getting a coffee.”
James blinks at the sudden request. “What?”
“In here. I saw you look at the displays.” If anything,Gabriel’s eyes are understanding. After a year of getting to know each other, it’s not hard to catch wind of some of the other’s quirks. No matter how much James wants to keep certain things from Gabriel, afraid of the thought of being thought of as ‘less than,’ he figures Gabriel knows him well enough at this point.
Still, he can’t help but protest, “But-”
“No buts. We’re getting a latte, and some of those Linzer cookies. I heard someone talk about it on the tour yesterday and I know for a fact that you’ll enjoy it. It’s mostly just sugar and jam anyway.” Gabriel puts his hand on James’ elbow and leads him inside.
James gets caught off guard when the waitress behind the counter asks about their order. It’s not one of the establishments he researched, so he isn’t familiar with the menu. It makes his palms sweat, knowing that he’s not ready to order yet. It’s a clear reminder of his flaws, and why he often doesn’t do things like this.
If he can’t do something as simple as ordering at a café, how in the world can he think he is worthy of dating Gabriel? Not just as a fake dating thing, but as the real thing. Within seconds, he feels wetness gather in the corners of his eyes, overwhelmed by it.
Gabriel isn’t far, his hand curling around James’ elbow a little more firmly. It’s him that turns to the woman to orderfor them both. He even pays for the items. All the while his hand is a steady weight, especially since James is still trying to get his emotions under control. Without any thought, Gabriel guides them to the furthest corner of the café, hidden against the wall.
“Sor-”
“What did we say about that?” The eyes that meet James’ are stern, but also filled with a soft sympathy. “Besides, it’s my fault anyway. Should’ve made sure to be the one closest to the counter.”
James flushes, horrified by the thought that Gabriel knows he’s so incapable of doing the most basic things that he needs to be shielded and babied. “Sor-”
