Author's Note: This was written for the "Something Out of the Ordinary" challenge on the Livejournal Golden Pair community. I blame my parents for taking me to Stars on Ice for my birthday for everything. And I'll get back to writing The Other Half now that the competition is over, promise!
Eiji Kikumaru has a secret. And because he cares, his best friend will never reveal it to anyone else.
It comes up for the first time while flipping through the channels on television to see if anything interesting was on so they don't have to search for the money to go out to a movie. Eiji holds the remote as they move past channel after channel, and pauses just a hair too long on one station.
Oishi pays enough attention to his friend to know what that means. "Eiji, did you want to watch that?"
Eiji shakes his head but doesn't speak, which means yes, but he doesn't want to admit it. Oishi takes the remote and flips back to the station to see what is on that channel (he'd been too busy watching his partner out of the corner while trying not to be obvious that he had missed it…yes, I want to watch Eiji, but I don't want to admit it). When he finds the channel again, his eyes widen in surprise, and he turns to Eiji openly this time.
"I never knew you watched figure skating."
The redhead goes the same color as his hair as he protests too loudly. "Nya, Oishi, what are you talking about? I must've thought something else was on, you can change it if you want. I don't want to watch this, I just made a mistake."
Oishi says nothing then, and nothing in the days and weeks that follow, but Eiji knows he doesn't believe him.
The winter is warmer than normal. Eiji loves this because of all the outdoor activities, the out-of-season trips to the parks, watching the river chatter by beneath the slight bite in the air. He also misses the snow, snowball fights, snow wrestling, and the ice rinks where he can skate with friends and family. Sometimes he can even pretend his dreamy attempts at jumps and spins are just his usual acrobatics and fooling around without anyone suspecting.
When the first snow falls, months into winter, Eiji starts to worry. Oishi would never laugh at him…but his brothers and sisters tease him enough for Eiji to be ashamed of his fascination. He can count the rotations in every jump, list the skaters and their historic moves, name the routines in every competition he's seen, but what does that mean?
Everything Eiji can think of is less ridiculous than his secret passion.
So when Oishi approaches him after school and asks if he wants to go skating at sunset, Eiji almost says no. Even after he says yes, he worries.
He worries because Oishi wouldn't laugh at him, and so he has no idea what his friend has in mind. He worried because it's all so unknown.
Eiji comes a little late, bundled up against the early evening chill, hiding his well-kept skates behind his back without thinking, and fighting to keep smiling. Oishi is nowhere to be found. This is strange, because Oishi is never late. Eiji is, for the first time ever, relieved that he isn't there. This is even stranger than Oishi being late.
The pond is empty. It's too late for any families to be out, too cold for any couples to look for romance outside, and there are no groups of friends because of school tomorrow. After waiting until the last rays of sun have faded from the horizon, Eiji finally laces up his skates and glides out onto the pond.
Eiji knows he isn't any good. He doesn't have the training, the strength, the experience. But the moves come naturally, make perfect sense anyway. He builds up speed, blades cutting clean lines in the dark ice, ears burning with cold as he goes faster and faster. The jumps are simple. Singles, maybe a few risky doubles, nothing too high, and only basic lutzes, nothing more complex. His sit spins are competition quality, and he embellishes all of them with his own acrobatic touches. It's not that difficult when no one is watching, and in his own mind, he is flying, and the ice isn't the frozen water of a small pond, but an arena in Nagano, in Vienna, in Atlanta, in Salt Lake, with crowds cheering in the background.
Tennis is important, but dreams don't always have to be realistic, Eiji thinks, and smiles.
A misbalance on the turns sends Eiji sliding on his stomach across the ice, but true athletes keep going. If he fell in a tennis match, he would keep going, and no one likes a quitter. Eiji picks himself up and skates to the middle of the pond, throwing his arms out proudly as the imaginary crowd goes wild, cheering his gusto and bravery. He skates in a small victory circle, arms still outstretched, and the sound of a single spectator clapping halts him in his tracks.
The toe pick catches on the ice, and Eiji lands sprawled on his side. He sits up and looks around, confused, as Oishi unsteadily skates across the ice towards him. Oishi has never been as steady on the ice as some of the other team…he admitted once that he's too afraid of falling to really be comfortable. He smiles as he leans over, bringing one hand from behind his back and fixing his eyes on Eiji's startled and bright ones as he reveals the single red rose tied with the white ribbons.
Oishi's voice is as glowing and warm as after any of their best matches. "From your number one fan."