9. Rikkai. Prompt: ice skating

"Out of the way, senpai, you're blocking my path!"

"Kirihara! Slow down, you're going to hit someone--"

"Beat it, Jackal, I'm trying to win a race here!"

Jackal sighed, slowing to a stop as he came around to where Sanada was standing perfectly still, his hands gripping the ledge.

"Whose idea was it to go ice skating, anyway?" Sanada grumbled, pulling his hat lower over his eyes and trying to pretend like he had no idea who the two boys zipping around the rink were.

"I have no idea, but if Kirihara knocks down one more person, I'm leaving before anyone gets a chance to kick us out," Jackal said. He watched as Marui pulled ahead briefly, but Kirihara sped up as they rounded the curve, blowing past three people and knocking one of them onto their ass.

Sanada looked at him expectantly.

"That guy doesn't count," Jackal said. "I've seen him fall about a billion times without Kirihara's help."

"Sanada," Yukimura called as he came up next to them, skidding neatly to a stop. "You haven't moved from that spot in the last half-hour." Yanagi pulled up after him.

"I'm making sure Kirihara doesn't cause any trouble."

"And you're doing a good job of it," Yanagi said, arching his eyebrows as yet another random person became good friends with the ice.

Jackal winced. "I'm gonna go…get hot chocolate or something," he said, and beat a hasty exit out of the rink.

"Akaya's just having fun," Yukimura said lightly, leaning against the wall next to Sanada. He rubbed his gloved hands together, glancing at the other boy. "You'll get cold if you don't start moving."

"I won't get cold," Sanada said, shivering. Yukimura shared a look with Yanagi.

"Are you stuck?" Yanagi asked.

Sanada narrowed his eyes. "Of course not."

Yukimura chuckled. "It's okay if you don't know how to skate."

"I know how to skate. I can skate just fine. I just…find it boring."

"Genichirou, your knees are shaking," Yanagi said.

"Maybe I'm just cold!" Sanada snapped, his cheeks going pink.

"You said you weren't." Yukimura arched his eyebrows.

"…" said Sanada.

"What's wrong, Sanada?" Niou called as he twirled lazily past, hand-in-hand with Yagyuu. He grinned over his shoulder at him. "Don't tell me you're scared!"

Sanada gritted his teeth. "Thirty laps, Niou!"

Niou stuck out his tongue, spinning Yagyuu out and away from him and then pulling him back again. Yagyuu turned and starting skating backwards effortlessly, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "You can get those finished here rather quickly."

"Hey, good plan!" Niou said. He jumped and did a quick 360 in the air, landing smoothly. Then he gave Yagyuu a solute and took off across the ice.

"I hate them," Sanada muttered.

Yanagi snorted. "No you don't."

"Buchou, watch!" Kirihara suddenly yelled, nothing but a blur as he flew past them. "Watch this! Watch me! Are you watching?"

"I'm watching, Akaya!" Yukimura called back.

Kirihara grinned and spun around so that he was going backwards, holding his arms out at his for balance. "Look, no eyes!" he said cheerfully, and then promptly slammed into about four people and caused an awkward pile-up of flailing limbs in the middle of the ice.

"Oh dear," Yukimura murmured. Sanada decided to follow Jackal's lead and moved slowly and carefully towards the exit ramp.

He made it about half a foot before his feet slid out from under him and he ended up on his back. Niou laughed and gave him a victory sign and he zoomed by.

"Alright?" Yanagi asked, leaning over him.

"Just fine," Sanada said, frowning and crossing his arms and not even bothering to try and stand up again.

"Anybody seen Jackal?" Marui asked, skidding to a hard stop in front of them and showering Sanada with ice shavings. "I'm hungry and he owes me money."

"He's out there already," Yanagi said, jerking a thumb towards the glass.

"Oh, awesome. Thanks!" Marui popped a bubble and sped off again.

Sanada glowered. "I'm never going ice skating again," he said.

In the middle of the rink, Yagyuu continued doing his figure-eights.

END