it seemed everyone had mixed feelings when it came to being back in lima after college. there was such stigma surrounding being a ‘lima loser’, it almost made kaden feel like he shouldn’t enjoy being back home. but it was exactly that, home. how could he not enjoy his time around his family and friends he had be apart from? that feeling was enforced tenfold as he met up with bentley with a grin, their time on the ice being little more than the two goofing around and occasionally falling, just like old times. but unlike old times, by the time they were tumbling off to the side of the arena, kaden was actually sort of sore. all he could do was silently curse himself for not staying active as he started yanking the gear off. “i’m not old, i’m still twenty for a few more months you fucker,” he scoffed, blindly elbowing where bentley sat next to him. “yeah, i mean new york is an ice land half the time you’d think i would’ve gone out on the ice some,” a pause, “but seriously dude, i still wonder how you can be so clumsy after all these years. never change,” and he meant that. as much as he teased bentley, he’d never want him to be anyone else. though at the mention of the going ons of lima, kaden perked up, turning to fully face him. “oh c’mon, nothing? not even any drama going around? seems very unlike lima. or maybe it just means the quiet before the storm,” that was usually how it went in small towns. “speaking of cam and sterling, how are they? i honeslty haven’t had a chance to catch up with them,” why he was so interesting in the lima updates, he wasn’t sure, but it was almost a fun game keeping up with those he went to high school with. “new york is… definitely big. if i want to go anywhere outside of the block me ad trace are on, i have to use a gps or i’m fucked. but i got a job, so that’s cool. actually, otto works there too which is fun. but yeah, just trying to make it through. i definitely wasn’t ready for the culture shock that is new york, compared to lima anyway. but you need to come up sometime, there’s definitely some cool spots i think you’d love,”
Bentley had been kind of angry at himself once he found out that he wasn’t going to make into the school he had applied to – but the more he thought about it, the more he thought it was probably for the best if he had stayed behind for a little longer. While living in the big city was what he wanted initially, he had definitely grown up a little more and he managed to survive on his own, even if he still shared an apartment with Cam. As Kaden talked about how he wasn’t old, Bentley couldn’t help but to chuckle at the other was saying, shaking his head slowly. “I’m keeping what I said, you’re old! And you just keep getting older, I can’t believe you’re turning twenty-one and you still think you can skate like you used to.” Bentley teased the other as a small chuckle escaped his lips, as he kept trying to take the skates off his feet, smiling when Kaden mentioned that Bentley was still clumsy like all of those years before – truly, it seemed like things never changed and that much was true when it came to Bentley’s natural klutz. “I have no fucking idea, but I don’t think it’s going away any time soon. But let’s hope that I don’t end up breaking a bone, because I need to work.” He said, shaking his head immediately after as Kaden asked if there was no drama – Bentley couldn’t remember a time where he had involved himself in some sort of drama in Lima, especially during his high school years, but it seemed like all of the drama had been left behind. “Well, you can always go to Lima Heights and visit Austin and Winnie. And meet their baby.” Bentley mentioned, thinking about how weird it had been when it was revealed that Winnie was pregnant and that whole drama at school. “But they’re both good. I mean, Cam is kind of a pain in my ass now that you mention it, but he’s not a bad roommate. So, I can’t really complain.” Bentley said with a sigh, as Kaden started talking about New York – it seemed like a nightmare and it was in these times that he enjoyed staying in Lima. “Right… But I have been thinking about visiting. You know, I could see you and Trace… And you know, Malcolm.” Bentley said, raising his eyebrows as he mentioned his ex-boyfriend.