;D Here's another ReiMao drabble, people! I just finished it last night. x.x Anyway, this is my first time writing about ice skating, and I have not been to a skating rink in my life, so I'm writing this based on my imagination. ;) Forgive any errors I might have made.
In addition, this is the first PG-13 and non-lime-nor-lemon fic I've done in a long, long, long time, so... yeah. I might have lost my grasp on this sort of intimacy. I don't know. Tell me in the reviews?
Just FYI, too, I've posted the fourth chapter of Intimate Confessions on AFFN, as well as a Beast Boy/Raven lemon. Read and review them, please? ;D
As for my fic status, I've posted a ReiMao drabble a few weeks back, titled In A Little Chamber, and it's got really few reviews. T-T Go review that too! I'm planning to post a ReiMao Christmas fic sometime during Christmas as well, so do look out for (and review) it! It's probably going to be rated M, which means it won't appear on the Just-In page. T-T
Like I said in the summary, this drabble is rated for heavy petting. ;P
I don't own Beyblade, but I wish I owned Ray and Mariah and Rin.

Additional notice: Hit counts have been dropping drastically, and I've been considering expanding the number of fandoms I write for. The ReiMao Christmas fic this year may well be the last I'm writing for this fandom for a long time, but I haven't thought to end my relationship with it on a definite note. There're other fandoms out there, stuff I'm willing to try, new ideas that might possibly pop out. So...

As of January 2007, the fanfiction I post might be of a range of pairings and characters; I don't know for sure. But priority will always go out to a ReiMao fic, I promise. ;)

I Bring You Warmth
By Aquarius Galuxy

"Remember, Ray, the first thing you have to do is to find your balance." Mariah slipped her hand into his, looking up to meet his gaze once again. He had pushed himself gently away from the railing in an attempt to familiarize himself with the twin blades at his feet. She almost thought he hadn't caught her gaze, until he turned back to grin at her. A smile crept up her lips.

As far as she could remember, the night had been chilly, a long-standing reminder of the winter that had just passed. Much had happened over that winter, but for now, she was content to just think about teaching the raven-haired man to ice-skate. After all, the sheer lack of anything else to do had landed them in this scenario. And it turned out that he didn't know how to skate. At least he was game enough to learn... Her smile grew wider. Though chances of him grasping the hang of it was-

"You told me that just now, Mari. What're you grinning about?" He lifted an eyebrow, an amused expression crossing his face as he took a step onto the ice, one hand still on the railing.

Surprise registered in his eyes a moment later, when the ice against the metal blade melted, and his foot gave from beneath him. Her heart seemed to stop. She reached out to steady him – he caught her hand, feet sliding in a frenzied mess on the ice.

Somehow he managed to freeze his feet in mid-motion, then slowly bring them back beneath him, his grip tight on her hand the whole time. The man turned to give her a triumphant look – she couldn't help but grin. There was no chance of learning to skate without having fallen multiple times, though, and she couldn't bear to think of him having to go through pain...

Wincing, she stepped onto the ice with him, making sure that their gloved hands were linked tightly. "Are you hurt?"

"Not so easily," he murmured, leaning over slightly to brush his lips against her forehead. A tight feeling crossed her heart at this intimacy, bringing an unspeakable joy to her spirit. She couldn't help but smile.

The air was frigid and dry around them, filled with the sounds of skates on ice, as well as the excited chatter of fellow skaters, or people who had just come to watch. Jumper-clad skaters glided by, most of whom gave them mere fleeting glances. It was good that no one saw them as bladders here... Press attention was a killjoy.

With a light push against the ice, she skated to the spot just before him, making sure that there was sufficient distance between them, before taking hold of his other hand. "Find your balance first, then glide your feet over the ice, like that."

Looking down at her feet, Mariah brought his gaze to where she'd focused her attention on, then slowly slid one foot backwards, followed by the other foot.

It was difficult staying balanced, as much as he'd practised standing on a mere bamboo pole during his training sessions. Perhaps if he concentrated more...

"Yeah, that's it, Ray; you're doing great!"

He gave her a small grin. "Thanks, Mari."

He was moving along slightly faster, now. Skating could possibly be something like clockwork, but he'd need to spend time mastering it first. Wobbling slightly, the man held her hands and pushed himself forwards, feeling a little more confident in himself. Mariah's encouragement helped a great deal, too...

But maybe he was going a little too fast, at a speed where he couldn't quite control his movements. This helplessness drove a nagging fear into his bones. "How do I stop, Mari?"

She gave an answer, but it didn't seem to enter his ears. It was almost as if he were accelerating; they were approaching the railings. She hadn't seen those coming. Instinctively he leaned backwards to attempt reducing their speed, though that move wasn't a wise one.

The bottom of his stomach dropped when his skates slid out from beneath him, colliding into hers and causing her to lose her balance as well, so that she onto him.

It was a mere split second before they hit the ground, but in that time, it felt as if the world had given out from under him – the sensation of falling without any support to hold on to stole his capability to think. He was filled with anticipation of hitting the ground...

Thump.

Ray winced. At least his head hadn't made contact with the ice. But his rear was sore...

Thump.

Mariah landed hard on his lap, her legs drawn to her sides. "Ouch."

"I agree. Ouch." Apart from the initial bout of shock, he couldn't find any lasting damage on her, which lifted the weight off his chest. "Sorry about that."

She looked up, still dazed by the fall. It took a moment before she came to her senses – then she smiled and leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to the corner of his lips. "You're forgiven. First times are always difficult."

A smile grew on his lips as well. The soft texture of her lips made him wish for more, but the other skaters probably did not want them sitting on the ice, for fear of collision.

"Come on, let's get up." Mariah got to her feet and offered him a hand, grinning.

Ray accepted it, his smile growing as well.

"That should be enough for today," Mariah told him, leading him to a couch and pushing him down by his shoulders. "I'll get us something to drink."

The man looked around. She'd brought him to a little café next to the skating rink, where sheets of glass separated them from the chilly air and contained warm aromas of freshly-baked buns within the space. Through the colourless surface, he could see other skaters still on the ice, bathed in the cold white light of the fluorescent lamps.

It brought back memories of the time they had just spent there, of them laughing, him falling, her concerned, worried expression as he fell... Truthfully, he hadn't really managed to skate properly on his own. It had been pretty chilly in the rink, too...

"Lost in thought?" The feminine voice he knew all too well cut into his train of memories.

He blinked and turned to her, not expecting her quick return. She sat down beside him, pressing a warm mug into his hands.

"I guess." He brought the mug to his lips and took a sip of the thick, chocolaty liquid. Cocoa. It warmed his insides, giving him a sense of calm, making him feel as if he could start something off with her right now. "Thanks."

"You're more than welcome." She grinned, leaning against the back of the couch. The warmth from her body felt nice... It was sweet of her to get them hot drinks. Ray transferred the mug to one of his hands and slipped his other arm around her waist.

"Thanks for teaching me to skate, too." He leaned close to her and nuzzled the base of her ear. She shivered and grinned, inclining her head to allow him more access to her neck. At this rate, they'd spill their cocoa if they weren't careful... Pulling away despite her disgruntled mewl, he took her mug and set it on the coffee table in front of them, together with his.

Without having to look, he knew that her gaze was on his every move; she was waiting for him to return to her – as were his sentiments.

Under the dim amber light of the café, she looked inviting, almost... mysterious. Her deep golden depths were shadowed; her pupils were dilated; her lips were wet with cocoa.. She licked them clean. It was a bonus that they were sitting in a dark corner of the café, where the least people were likely to bother them.

Leaning close, he scooped her legs onto his and angled towards her, gently pressing his lips to her soft ones. They parted in response when he nudged them, drawing his tongue over the velvety texture. She tasted of cocoa... Letting his eyes slide shut, he took her lower lip between his teeth, gently suckling on it. She made an appreciative noise at the back of her throat, slipping a hand behind his neck to pull him closer.

She wanted him to deepen the kiss... Spurred by the sudden spurt of warmth that filled his heart, he drew harder on her lips, sliding his tongue into the wet heat. The woman moaned softly and shivered. She trusted him so... Her warm tongue rubbed his in an erotic fashion. He drew a sharp breath. Her touch had induced a growing fire in his body... She toyed with his chest – her fingers dipped lower, to his abdomen. He gasped against her lips.

Unbidden, his hand found her breast, smoothing against the soft underside, before he squeezed it through her bra, enjoying the feel of her flesh. She moaned again, louder this time.

"Ray..."

"I love you," he growled against her skin. His hand coasted up her warm thigh, pressing inwards. A needy whimper escaped her lips. She parted her legs.

"Love you too..." Her fingertips descended upon his hard length, stroking him with an experienced air. He groaned and kissed her roughly, wanting more...

Before them, the two mugs remained on the table, forgotten.

So... How was it? Did I lose my touch? o-o Tell me in the reviews! Thanks!