Chapter 2: Ice Skating

"Are you sure it's this way?"

"Yes! I'm sure! I've been here before, how many times do I have to tell you?"

Yamato didn't say anything in return. He sighed and slumped down as he drove, wondering how he got roped into this date in the first place.

Sora was navigating from the passenger seat. Although this wasn't her idea, she used to visit the ice rink all the time as a kid. Her father would take her as a treat when he was off of work. As the trio approached their destination, she wondered if skating was anything like riding a bike. Sora used to be able to skate circles around her dad. Would it be possible to recall her skills so easily?

Without warning, Taichi leaned over the center console and pointed towards a building in the distance. "Hey, that's it, isn't it? We're almost there!"

Sora peered at the brunette out of her peripheral vision- his face was inches from her ear and his voice was a bit too loud. "You're awfully excited for someone who's never been skating."

Taichi, taking her smirk as a challenge, leaned back and eyed her confidently. "Don't people normally act excited when they get to learn something new? It can't be that difficult. I mean, I can run, can't I?"

Sora reflected on her initial trip to the rink. The first time she stepped on the ice, she slipped and fell. One of the workers had to skate over to her and help her dad help her up. He later gave her a bright orange traffic cone to hang onto. She could push it around, although not very fast, and maintain her balance until she was able to wean herself off of it.

Yamato spoke as if he'd had the same experience. "You know, ice skating isn't exactly like running."

Taichi moved forward again, this time leaning his head against the side of Sora's seat. "I know, I know. It was a joke. I'm sure it'll take a couple laps around the place to get used to it, but how hard can it be?"

Sora watched Yamato stare intently at the road in front of him. He remained quiet as he turned into the parking lot, his cheeks tinging pink. His reaction to Taichi had caused Sora to think that he too, knew how to skate, but perhaps that assumption was incorrect. Now that they had arrived he looked like he would have preferred being lost. A strand of blonde hair fell into the boy's face as he tried to park. He shook his head a bit to try and move it, but to no avail. Sora's eyes softened as she reached towards him and pushed it out of the way. Although Yamato didn't shy from her touch, he didn't look at her either. He could feel her searching for his gaze, and he could feel her worry when he didn't give it to her. Sora eventually gave up, but not without an audible sigh. Yamato almost felt bad, thinking that Sora might be worried about him ruining their date. Still, his pride told him that he wasn't the one who'd brought them here. With his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, Yamato sauntered out of the car and followed his partners into the lobby. Here he was, but he certainly didn't have to enjoy it.

The music playing over the loudspeakers was a bit more pop-py than Yamato preferred. He caught the end of a top-ten hit before it switched to another. The line for tickets was made up of a variety of people- teens on first dates, parents with kids, solo visitors with figure skates that looked appropriate for the olympics. Yamato handed the cashier his card once they reached the front, the chilly air finally starting to break through his favorite green jacket. "Three, please."

The boy noticed that Sora had her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to keep warm. She was wearing an oversized sweater and jeans, so he was certain she'd warm up once she started to move. Taichi, on the other hand, was in a t-shirt. He spoke up just as Yamato leaned over to sign the receipt.

"Hey, do either of you remember if-"

"Trunk of the car." Yamato responded instantaneously, assuming he'd be asking if either of them remembered him packing a jacket. He could practically feel Taichi's eyes narrow at him as Sora stifled laughter. Still, he wasted no time heading back outside to get it.

Once they were alone, Sora leaned up against the counter next to him, her movements as calculated and careful as she was. "Hey."

Yamato folded up his wallet and placed it back in his pocket, still not looking at her. "Hey..?" His avoidance wasn't mean. Rather, it was a poor attempt at seeming distracted.

Sora leaned down a bit in an attempt to get in his view, her brows raised expectantly. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

The two of them stepped aside so the group behind them could pay. Yamato finally locked eyes with her. He blinked, like he was trying to seem surprised by Sora's concern, but his eyes fluttered so unnaturally that he regretted trying in the first place.

Sora, who was unsure how long she'd keep his attention, made certain to convey her worry. "You look a little tense."

He tensed up more. "I'm not tense."

"You've been skating before, right?"

Yamato peered down at the girl, wishing she would drop it. Sora was great at working through problems, which he was usually thankful for. Other times, though, he couldn't help but wish that she were a bit less perceptive. Sure, maybe he looked tense, but how did she peg him as someone who didn't know how to skate? From the way she was looking at him, he also assumed that she already somehow predicted he was dreading being teased by Taichi.

Although Yamato preferred the arts, he wasn't unathletic. He was lanky but built and could hold his own on a run. It was this natural skill that made him uncomfortable, though. Yamato wasn't used to not being good at something. He didn't even need to be good, he just needed to get by, but his last time skating was an utter disaster.

The boy sighed. His shoulders drooped in defeat. "I, uh... haven't been since I was about... eight."

"Eight!" Sora exclaimed, leaving Yamato unsure if she thought it was sad or cute.

"Yeah..." Yamato muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Listen, I'm not good at skating and, I mean, Taichi... he's-"

"Gonna pick it up instantly." Sora finished for him.

The blonde dropped his hand to his side. "Yeah."

"Right." Sora muttered, catching sight of the brunette walking through the entrance, jacket in hand. She focused back on Yamato, speaking a bit more quickly. "Listen, I won't let him go on too much about it, but you have to do something for me."

"What's that?"

The girl giggled. "You've gotta tell me about the last time you went skating."

The boy sighed again. "Fine."

"And-!" Sora went on.

"And?"

She smiled. "And you've got to give me a kiss. Quick!"

"What, you think Taichi's gonna get jealous? Like I don't- mmph!"

Tired of waiting, Sora stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his, leaning back and directing her attention to Taichi before he had the chance to say anything about it. Yamato was still trying to shed the blush from his cheeks by the time the brunette made it back to them.

With his jacket in hand, Taichi was now ready to learn how to skate. He grinned at his two companions and awkwardly tried to wrap his arms over both their shoulders. His right fit over Sora's easily and pulled her obnoxiously close to his armpit. His left, on the other hand, struggled to find a comfortable way to wrap itself around Yamato. The blonde was a half-inch taller than him and although it wasn't noticeable, it became terribly obvious when the three of them would attempt to find a comfortable position to snuggle up to each other.

The brunette began to lead the way to the rink, but after a few awkward moments of side-stepping, Sora managed to slip out of his grip. She paused for a moment and flattened her rustled hair, thankful she hadn't been lifted off the ground. Yamato let the boy hang onto him as they walked towards the rental booth to acquire their skates. Perhaps Yamato was hoping that if they made it to the ice like that, he could pretend that he was helping Taichi balance and avoid whatever mockery was headed his way.

Sora watched the skaters zip by as everyone switched out their shoes. Some kids held onto the familiar orange traffic cones while others raced past them with ease. She couldn't help but see herself in them. One girl skated like she was walking- lifting her skates up off the ice with each step. A man, presumably her father, was just in front of her with his arms stretched out. It was like he was nervous she'd fall.

Sora shifted her attention to the couples skating around. Some were her age; other's weren't. She didn't see herself in any of them. Duos held hands as they circled about the rink. Some of their grips were easy, loving. Others were hard and nervous, like neither person could keep balance without holding onto the other. Sora didn't think that technique would work for a group of three. Sora wasn't even sure if they would hold hands. She must have been staring off wistfully, because when the two boys were ready and joined her, they started to scan for what she was looking at.

Taichi nudged her with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" Sora shook her head and cut her attention away from the other skaters. "No! Not at all. I'm just ready to skate. What do you say?"

The girl motioned towards the ice and started to head that way. Taichi and Yamato lagged behind, taking another moment to try and look for whatever caught Sora's attention. The two boys exchanged knowing glances, but the reason went unsaid. Perhaps they, too, noticed the couples and the familiarity of a duo holding hands. Perhaps they subtly agreed to drop it, aware that once Sora wanted to drop something, it was more than likely the end of it.

Taichi moved towards the ice with anxious enthusiasm, Yamato with anxious hesitation. Sora skated forward a bit to make room for the two of them as they stepped onto the ice. Her nerves calmed as she watched their feet move helplessly underneath them. Yamato grabbed hold of the wall and Taichi grabbed hold of Yamato. The burden of keeping them both balanced fell to the blonde. He grit his teeth as he tried to support Taichi's weight without falling over himself.

Much like the little girl who skated by before, Taichi took steps to the wall, only letting go of Yamato's arm once he was sure he had a good hold on it. Sora shot Yamato a reassuring look before extending a hand towards the brunette. "Here, let me help you."

Taichi steadied himself and with support on either side of him, he figured out the proper way to move. He began to glide instead of walk, and eventually, he could stand on his own. After one slow lap, the boy felt confident enough to let go of Sora and try on his own. He skated forward, picking up speed, but never moving out of arm's reach of the wall. Sora stopped following him and let him go off on his own, sure that he'd lap her in a few minutes. Suddenly, though, she realized that she lost track of Yamato. She scanned the rink for him and found him about twenty feet past the entrance. He moved slowly, crossing his hands one over the other like he was using the wall to pull himself forward instead of actually skating. A little kid with a traffic cone was stuck behind him.

Sora smirked to herself as she searched again for Taichi. He was on the other side of the rink, focused on his own speed, and had yet to notice Yamato. When Sora turned back to the blonde, the child with the traffic cone was just about to pass him. He trudged along with an annoyed visage until eventually, he'd gotten far enough enough to cut back towards the wall without getting in Yamato's way. The blonde scowled, unaware that Taichi was approaching him from behind.

The brunette didn't look devious, as he normally did when he had something up his sleeve. Rather, he looked like he was about to innocently reach out for Yamato's arm, which would likely knock him off balance. Sora pushed herself forward, trying to get around the rink before the two of them began to bicker. Had it not been so crowded that day, she probably could have cut right across the center of the ice. However, she was trapped behind a wall of kids, forced to helplessly watch as Taichi did exactly what she expected: the boy reached out for Yamato and after a moment of surprise and stumbling, the two of them tumbled to the ground.

Sora braced herself as she skidded to a halt, finally within earshot of whoever would pipe up first. Yamato reached for the ledge to try and pull himself up while Taichi shook his head back and forth, wiping bits of ice off his jeans. The blonde's feet shook uneasily underneath him, eventually moving so quickly it looked like he was running in place. He became airborne for a moment before falling right back down with a thud.

Sora flung a hand over her mouth in anticipation. She couldn't see Yamato's face and her nerves went wild as she imagined the gloomy look he likely put on. She wanted to reach out and pull Taichi back before he did anything stupid, but she felt like her feet had frozen into the ice. Bits of slush dripped off Yamato's back as he sat there. Taichi's shoulders began to shake. Sora couldn't see his face either, but she could tell he was trying to hold in his laughter.

As another little kid passed slowly by them, it became too much. Taichi's laughter escaped him. "Yam- Yamato," he tried to say his name between gasps for air, "why didn't you say you don't know how to skate?"

Sora, who knew this was exactly what Yamato wanted to avoid, finally melted enough to say something. "Taichi!" Her voice was frigid as the air.

"Sora- Sora, ple- please." the brunette doubled over and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

The girl knew the date was a lost cause. She shot daggers at Taichi's back before hesitantly skating around him to face Yamato. She looked over his flushed face with concern. "Hey-"

"Ah, come on!" The girl was interrupted before she could even start trying to cheer him up. Taichi had pulled himself off the ground and dashed forward, grabbing hold of both Sora's and Yamato's hands. He eyed the girl, finally showing off the mischievous grin she knew too well. "You can't talk Yamato out of his moods when he's like this." Taichi winked at her before turning to the blonde. "Let's get you up to speed. I don't want to challenge you to a race until we're both on the same level."

As Yamato sputtered out objections, Sora stared down at her hand, connected to Taichi's, who was in turn, linked to Yamato. They skated around as a trio and it seemed like the rink, and the world, was theirs. The girl felt her own face flush as she smiled, thankful that her butterflies had gone unnoticed. Their fleeting moment passed as Sora lost grip of Taichi's hand. She stared as her boys skated off together- well, as Taichi dragged Yamato along. Slowing to a stop, Sora crossed her arms and watched them. Perhaps this wasn't something Yamato should have been afraid of. After all, they both knew Taichi was full of surprises.

Still, the most surprising moment of the outing was when Sora saw Yamato crack a smile. It was sudden and short lived, passing as quickly as Sora's treasured moment from before. In a sea of people- of children, families, and other couples- the two boys stood out. The background faded away and Sora fell in love a little bit harder.

This date hadn't been Yamato's idea, but maybe he'd want to come back someday.