"But I… don't know how to skate." Kyoko rubs the back of her head sheepishly.
Sayaka's eyes widen, but soon she starts to laugh. "Really?" she sputters. "You?"
"Oi, it's not something to laugh about!" Kyoko growls. "I just never learnt, that's all."
"You could've told me sooner!"
Kyoko shrugs, rubbing her arm and staring at the ground. Her stance is awkward and clumsy, and Sayaka wonders why she didn't notice sooner.
She sighs. "Guess it can't be helped." She stretches out her hand. "I'll teach you."
Kyoko awkwardly takes her hand, a faint red dusting her cheeks. "Okay," she mumbles.
Sayaka laughs and pulls her over. "Come here."
"SAYAKA DON'T DO THAT I'M GONNA FALL-"
And fall she does, but into Sayaka's arms.
"Don't worry," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to Kyoko's forehead. "I'm going to catch you. After all, you're my sweet red apple. If I dropped you you'd bruise."
"Hmph," Kyoko grumbles, but she can't disguise the pleased blush spreading across her cheeks. "I wouldn't bruise. I'm not that delicate, y'know."
"I know, I know." Sayaka waves her hand dismissively and squishes Kyoko's cheeks, earning her a disgruntled growl and the most ridiculously cute frowning face in the history of frowning faces. She giggles to herself, silently euphoric with the wonder of having secured such a cute girlfriend.
Kyoko slowly peels Sayaka's hands off her face and narrows her eyes. "Sayaka." She gestures pointedly at her skates.
"Oh, right. First, feet shoulder width apart." Wordlessly, Kyoko shuffles her feet to the right position.
"Now bend your knees."
"I am bending them."
"Bend them more."
Kyoko bends them.
"Good, now lean forward."
"But I'll fall if I do that," Kyoko protests.
"You won't," Sayaka assures her. "And besides, I'll catch you if you do."
"Easy for you to say," Kyoko mutters. "You already know how to do this."
Kyoko suddenly straightens. "We need to pick up the pace. Madoka and Homura are already way ahead of us. They'll have finished the lunch Mami packed for us before we even get there! I should've brought some Rocky."
Sayaka laughs. "Don't worry, Madoka wouldn't do that. And I bet Homura's glad she gets Madoka to herself. And I'm glad I get you to myself too," she adds, nudging Kyoko.
Kyoko snorts. She gives Sayaka a nudge with her skate, careful not to slip backwards. "Seriously, let's go. Show me the basics again."
Blue. Pure, strong, eternal blue. Every time Kyoko sees blue, she thinks of Sayaka. The graceful curl of a music note, the lilting dance of a violin bow over strings, the crash of a wave on the shore, is Sayaka, Sayaka, Sayaka. She can't get her out of her head.
But right now, Kyoko wishes she would just shut up.
"Feet further apart, no, too far apart. Knees bent, remember? Woah, careful. Hehe, you look really cute when you're frustrated. Owww, it was a joke! It's just that you're usually really good at anything physical. Okay, now skate towards me. Mm, yeah, wait remember to keep balanced-"
"Oof!"
Sayaka groans and rubs the back of her head and Kyoko mutters something about finally shutting and tries to get to her feet. They immediately slip out from underneath her and send her crashing back down onto Sayaka's chest.
"S-sorry," she mumbles.
"You're heavy," Sayaka mutters, pushing herself onto her elbows. "Maybe you should cut down on all the snacking."
"Never," Kyoko declares. "Now help me get to my feet."
"Fine." Sayaka starts to stand up, but suddenly seems to decide against it. "Actually," she starts, a devilish grin slowly tearing open on her face.
She pounces on her.
"It's payback time!"
Kyoko barely has time to react before Sayaka's on her, digging her fingers into her sides and reaching under her armpits.
"S-stop it!" Kyoko shrieks, her speech punctuated by sharp hiccupy laughs. "I'm not t-ticklish, that's not gonna work!"
Sayaka just laughs and tickles her even harder. "Are you suuuure about that?"
"Y-yes!" Kyoko wraps her arms around herself and tries to kick Sayaka away, but it doesn't deter her. She works her way under Kyoko's defenses and digs into a particularly ticklish spot with relish.
It creates the desired effect.
Kyoko erupts into laughter and convulses under Sayaka's touch, wriggling and flopping like a fish out of water.
"S-stop!" Kyoko shoves Sayaka off and she finally relents. She stands up, brushes herself off and gives her hand to Kyoko.
"This time I'll actually help you up."
"Tch. You better, Kyoko snarls, but takes her hand without a second thought. "I'll get you back later."
Sayaka smirks. "I'm not ticklish."
"We'll see about that."
"Are we there yet?"
"We would be if you hurried up."
"It's not my fault you're a terrible teacher," Kyoko grumbles, pressing her lips together.
All of a sudden, Sayaka slows and comes to a halt, causing Kyoko to almost fall over her feet trying to stop.
"What was that about?" Kyoko growls, grabbing onto Sayaka's arm to balance. "Don't just stop in the middle of the road!"
"Hold on." Sayaka furrows her brow. "It's raining."
Rain. Rain is another thing that reminds Kyoko of Sayaka. But it isn't in a good way. The Sayaka that the rain sang about to her was sad and broken and confused. It didn't feel right for her stupidly brave and heroic Sayaka.
"Rain, huh," Kyoko murmurs, watching the drops splash and burst on her palms.
Similarly, train stations gave off the same effect. Somehow, Kyoko always felt unsettled in them. Whenever they rode the train together she would always be stricken with the intense urge to protect her. Sayaka thought it was funny, and almost kind of cute, but Kyoko could never shake the feeling.
"Aw man!" Sayaka groans. "It was clear just a minute ago! Hehe, guess you're going to be disappointed about lunch."
Kyoko grins and feels the dreariness brought on by the rain lighten a little. Her stomach growls in agreement with Sayaka.
Sayaka sighs. "I'm hungry too. Guess we'll have to eat it back at Mami's."
"Really?" Kyoko mutters and rakes a skate-clad foot across the floor, almost losing her balance in the process.
Sayaka laughs and skates over to steady her, avoiding the currently forming puddles.
"Sayaka-chan! Kyoko-chan!" a sweet voice calls out, accompanied by a few bike bell rings.
"Madoka!" Sayaka exclaims, turning and waving.
Madoka comes gliding in on a bike, followed by Homura looking as serious as ever.
"Are you guys okay?" Madoka inquires, hopping off her bike. "It's really starting to rain out here."
"The weather is getting rather inclement," Homura notes, lowering herself off her own bike and moving to protect Madoka from the rain.
"We're fine, we're fine," Sayaka reassures. "I taught Kyoko to skate! Well, more or less."
"You didn't know?" Homura raises her eyebrows at this.
"Oi, shut up about that already!" Kyoko snaps, swatting at Sayaka's arm. Sayaka smirks and swats her back.
"Anyway, let's go home," Madoka urges. "I've got your shoes, so-"
"It's fine," Sayaka cuts her off. "There's nowhere to put them on. It'll be faster with skates anyway."
"Oh. Okay." Madoka gets back onto her bike. "We'll meet you back at Mami's. Let's go then, Homura-chan." They pedal off.
Sayaka turns to face Kyoko. "Guess we better go too then."
"Haa? But it's raining and I still-"
"Oh, yeah." Sayaka frowns and puts her hands on her hips. "Guess there's nothing we can do about it. Grab my wrist, or my hand, whichever is more comfortable. I'll pull you back."
Kyoko's eyes widen. She attempts to take a step back, but remembers what happened the last time she tried to do that with skates and abruptly shuffles back into a more balanced position.
"But I'll just drag you down."
"You'll drag me down if you try to skate back." Sayaka reaches out and cups her cheek. "And you're drenched already, so let's just go."
"Okay." Kyoko grabs Sayaka's hand and grins. "Let's go!"
Sayaka grins back and starts to skate back towards home.
"Remember to keep balanced."
"You've been telling me that for the past hour, idiot."
"Hey, Sayaka?" Kyoko ventures, rolling along behind as Sayaka skates.
The rain isn't falling so hard now, but the place is now veiled in mist, giving off the impression of the contents of a cotton candy machine, whirring away spinning out sweet fluffy webs of floss. Mami's house, which is now only a few minutes away, is also cloaked in the silky clouds, giving off almost an ominous air. But Kyoko and Sayaka both know the interior is warm and bright and comfy, just like Mami, as only Mami can be.
"Yeah?" Sayaka answers, not bothering to stop and turn around.
"Sorry."
This time Sayaka stops. She spins around. "For what?"
"For being… incompetent, I guess." Kyoko bites her lip and fidgets, bowing her head.
"It's okay!" Sayaka laughs, punching her lightly on the arm. "Seriously though, you don't have to apologize. It doesn't matter that you don't know how to skate. I couldn't care less."
"But we wasted so much time and, and… you should've just left me behind."
"That's ridiculous!" Sayaka snorts, then continues in a softer tone, "I'd never leave you behind."
Kyoko lifts her head and looks up, a smile beginning to bud on her face.
"And-" Sayaka presses a kiss to the tip of Kyoko's nose. "You're my girlfriend. I wouldn't have it any other way. As long as you're with me, I won't regret anything anymore."
She looks so determined, and so ridiculously righteous standing there clenching her fist that Kyoko can't help but laugh.
"Hey!" Sayaka yelps indignantly, but soon begins to chuckle sheepishly. She grins and scratches the back of her head. "I guess that sounds too cheesy."
Kyoko giggles. "No," she murmurs. She says it louder, "no. Well, it is pretty cheesy, but it actually made me really happy."
A grin bursts into full bloom on her face. "Thank you, Sayaka."
Sayaka beams back and for just a moment, the sun is shining even though it's still raining.
"We're home, Kyoko."