#luca.

"you are so fucking ANNOYING i wish i could kill you again but i'm scared of you coming back to haunt me. it's like fucking, perpetual torture. like crabs you can't get rid of."

Something finally fucking gives. Luca can't fight it any longer – there's no use. The revelation is a devastating blow, one that knocks him to his knees. Noah had managed to accomplish the impossible, and Luca ignores the way the thought swells in his chest. It wasn't entirely ideal, considering their relationship would never dare see the light of day. Luca had accepted it – made peace with it, even if it fucking devastated him. He's understanding, ultimately.

The news is broken to him over a fucking phone call. Luca couldn't feel any more offended. It was impersonal, yet Noah couldn't be at fault. The miles between them stretched further than Luca liked. It takes a moment for Luca to recover, to fully grasp the reality of the situation. There would no longer be those quiet moments where Luca looks over to see Noah's face, bright and beaming. It breaks something in him, sends him right back to the place that made him so cold to begin with.

Luca pretends like nothing happened whenever they're alone. It presents itself differently on the ice. Luca feigns indifference – doesn't even bother to look Noah's way. He's dismissive of every question asked. Says he's DONE taking anymore Vanek questions.

It's different, now, when they're totally alone. Luca basks in the quiet moments they share, even if they're filled with an underlying sorrow. What does it mean for them? Luca doesn't fucking know. He falls into a silence, with his head resting on Noah's shoulder.

Luca was glad to be home. Not that Denver was home. Home was more a concept -- the place where his family was -- and since the majority of his siblings had chosen Denver as their home location, taking the job with the Rapids had been an easy choice. So much so that it hadn't felt like a choice at all. He was still getting used to it, though. Of the cities he'd lived in, this one seemed to be the most intent on bringing its residents together. "I'm pretty sure this is the only place I've lived so far that's felt like there's always something happening." Maybe it was just that his career had kept him busy and he'd never fully been able to experience the other cities. "Which event is your favorite throughout the year?"