Ashby was still too stunned to really process what was happening. His default was to smile and joke and generally flirt a little. But the truth was, he was still unsure as to why Trent had come over to talk to him.

‘Talk’ might have been a bit of an exaggeration. The man seemed allergic to chit-chat. But Ashby nattered along enough for the both of them to fill up the awkward silences.

“So, I get skating with one foot,” he said. “But how do I then stop? Sticking my free foot into the snow? Because I was doing that before but then I would just trip and fall and, well, I guess that’s what led you over here to save me from myself.”

Trent did that thing again where he arched his eyebrow. Ashby hadn’t seen any of his movies, but according to the internet that was a ‘thing’ he did. It certainly had an effect on Ashby’s insides. Although whether that effect was good or bad, he really couldn’t say.

“Use your boot to stop you,” Trent said. He had his own board with only one foot strapped in, so he demonstrated by skating a few feet, then stopping.

“You make it look so easy,” Ashby said weakly.

Trent shrugged. “Because it is.”

Ashby bit his lip and tried not to feel ashamed. But the truth was, he’d had a silly notion that he would be amazing at snowboarding. Like it was a hidden talent he’d been sitting on all this time. Of course he was useless at it, just like everything else.

“Oh,” he said softly. “I must be doing it wrong. I, um, I guess I’ll try again.”

Trent nodded. “You can do it,” he said.

Ashby breathed the cold mountain air in deeply. Trent was probably already regretting offering to come over. But the sooner Ashby got this, the sooner Trent could leave.

Which would undoubtedly be for the best. As mega-hot as Trent was, Ashby didn’t need to be crushing on any straight boys right now. This was supposed to be his man-free getaway.

But then Trent moved over to him and touched his arm. “Hey,” Trent said. “You’ve got this. Just give it a try.”

He smiled and Ashby’s heart came to life. “Oh, okay,” he said, smiling back at him. “Yes, you’re right. How hard can it really be? I’m just letting my giraffe legs get the better of me.”

Trent stepped away and nodded at him. So Ashby took a breath and pushed himself off with his free foot, resting it on the back of the board while the strapped-in foot at the front steered him.

“Now, stop,” Trent instructed.

Ashby didn’t think, he just put his foot down. And stopped. Without falling.

“Ha!” he cried, throwing his hands up. “Amazing!”

Trent smiled. That did dangerous things to Ashby’s heart.

But just because Trent was being pleasant now didn’t mean he wasn’t generally rude and moody by nature. Ashby had to be wary. He’d been swayed too many times in the past by a handsome face and brooding ways.

He needed to find a nice, happy fellow. One who was into men. Trent was neither of those things, so Ashby needed to calm down and focus on the snowboarding.

“Okay,” Trent said. “Next step. Let’s strap you in.”

Ashby gulped. “Oh, sure, okay.”

Trent chuckled. “It’s not that scary.”

But Ashby wasn’t so sure. “How do I stop without a foot free, though?” he said. It made him think of those bicycles which you rode with your feet strapped in. The thought terrified him. He’d be mashed into the pavement in no time if he tried to use pedals like that.

Trent shook his head. “I’ll be right here. Just do what I do.” He dropped his backside to the snow and made fast work of strapping both his feet to the board. He gripped the middle of the board with one hand, then pushed off the snow behind him with his other. “See? No big deal.”

Ashby chewed his lip. Come on, he urged himself. This was what he’d come on holiday for. To try new things, to challenge himself. So he copied Trent and sat down on the ground, snapped the clasps around his boots, then pushed himself back up again, focusing on keeping his balance.

He stood, hands out in anticipation. But he didn’t fall or slip. “I’m starting to believe you when you say this isn’t that hard,” he said sheepishly.

Trent laughed. Fuck, if his smile made Ashby’s heart flip over, his laugh made it flutter like a butterfly.

“Dude, you just need a bit of confidence. That’s all any sport is, really. You gotta believe in yourself.”

“Natural aptitude and athletic prowess do tend to help as well,” Ashby said with a grin. Trent grinned back.

“All right, smartass,” Trent said, lightly slapping Ashby’s arm. “You’re not competing at the Olympics. You’re just trying to have fun. Show me what you got. Believe you can do it.”

Trent shuffled forward by raising his toes over and over again, encouraging the board forward. Then he looked over his shoulder at Ashby, raising that eyebrow again, challenging him.

“Fine,” said Ashby haughtily. “Anything you can do,” he said, mimicking the move, concentrating on keeping his core muscles solid.

But he was stunned when he accomplished the motion with little trouble at all.

Trent whooped. “Hell, yeah, man. You’re getting it.”

Ashby didn’t dare speak until he shuffled his way over to where Trent was standing and came to a halt. “Whoa,” he said. “That was pretty cool.”

“You feel up for some sliding?” Trent asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ashby almost balked. But, no, he could do this. “Yes,” he said, nodding. “Show me.”

Trent turned so he was facing down the small slope. “Best to do it together,” he said, shuffling next to Ashby. “Just reach with your hand in whichever direction you want to go, lean into it and let gravity do the rest.” He waited until Ashby set himself up like he had, then together, they leaned.

“Oh my god,” Ashby whispered as they began to move. “Bloody hell, this is brilliant,” he said excitedly.

“Okay, now lean the other way,” Trent said. Ashby did and they changed direction. Ashby whooped.

“You know,” he said, “you’re a very good teacher.”

Trent didn’t say anything to that, but he did have a small smile on his face when Ashby glanced over. “Let’s stop there,” Trent murmured.

“Stop?” Ashby squeaked.

He lost his concentration and flailed. Before he could hit the powder, though, Trent caught him. Again.

His hands were firm on Ashby’s waist. “Sorry,” Trent said with that same small smile. “Should have covered stopping first.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Ashby said. “This way I get to sneak in another hug.” He laughed, but Trent raised his eyebrows. “Fuck, sorry, that was a stupid thing to say. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Trent was still holding onto him, however. His body felt so solid against Ashby’s. “Nah, man. Most of my best buds are queer. I’m the odd one out. Takes more than that to scare me off.”

Ashby licked his lips. “Good,” he said. Then he took a breath and stood up straighter, making sure he was stable. “Right, okay, then. How do I stop when I don’t have a dashing hero to come to my rescue?”

They worked on basic techniques for a little while longer. Ashby was gob-smacked to discover that not only did he have a wonderful time, but it wasn’t only down to Trent’s company. He thought maybe he could get quite fond of this snowboarding malarkey.

After another hour, Trent suggested they try one of the actual slopes. “Just a baby one,” he assured Ashby.

Ashby was keen to do anything to keep Trent in his company. He knew it was a bad idea, but they were having fun, so why couldn’t he enjoy how hot Trent was at the same time? Trent never needed to know.

It felt incredible to be achieving something for once. The more Ashby progressed on the board, the less conscious he was of Trent’s proximity to him. As he tipped over and slid down the slope for the first time, everything went from his mind except how this was possibly the closest anyone could get to flying.

“Yeah!” he yelled most of the way down, dizzy with exhilaration. He’d done it. He even stopped by himself at the bottom and stood waiting for Trent to come down and meet him. “That was fantastic,” he said, bobbing up and down as much as he could while secured to a heavy board. “Can we do it again?”

“Sure,” Trent said. Then he checked his watch. “Although, I’ll have to head off soon. I’ve got to go see someone.”

Ashby’s good mood dropped in a flash. “Oh, of course,” he said contritely. “You probably have friends waiting for you. I’m sorry, I’ve taken up half your day.”

But a slow smile spread across Trent’s face. “No, actually. I have to see my dad about something. He works at the gift shop here. I’m just visiting. I’m not here with friends. In fact, I’m on my own.”

Was that…some sort of hint or invitation? Ashby couldn’t tell. “Oh, that’s all right then.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. “Uh, well, I’m by myself, too. If you wanted to hang out again.” As soon as the words left his mouth, horror washed through him. “I mean, you know, as friends. Or – could-be-friends. I know you’re not, um. That wasn’t me asking you out on a date.”

Trent laughed and shook his head. “Dude, chill,” he said. “It’d be nice to hang. See you at the bar later, maybe?”

“S-sure,” Ashby said, doing his best to recover.

His heart was racing at the idea of seeing Trent again. He thought this snowboarding lesson would be the only chance they’d have to spend together. Even if it was purely platonic, Ashby couldn’t deny he was excited by the possibility of getting to know him better.

How could he not have recognized Trent right away when they’d met in the lobby? He hadn’t been obsessed with Below Zero exactly, but he’d watched enough of their videos. His teenage self would lose his mind if he knew that one day he would be asking TJ Charles out for a drink.

“I’ll probably have dinner down in the restaurant,” he babbled. “I normally go down about six o’clock. Although my jet lag is all but gone now, so I could go later if you wanted? Did you want food or just drinks or…you know what, don’t worry. I’ll just…see you when I see you, yeah?”

Trent rubbed his chin. “After six,” he said, nodding. “I’ll be there. Catch you later, Ashby.”

With that, Ashby watched him slide away, expertly handling his board. Ashby sighed. Well, that wasn’t how he planned his day to go. He had to be firm and not let his imagination run away with him. But Trent was a lot nicer than he’d come across the day before, and Ashby couldn’t help but look forward to spending more time together that evening.