Day 2: Routines (+ Figure skater x Hockey player AU)
Black swan
The sound of her sneakers echoes around as she descends the stairs of the sports center observing the empty rows of seats filling it, the sport bag over her shoulder weighing heavier with every step she takes as she feels the cold air filling her lungs, before she finally reaches the ice rink and stands still staring at it undaunted.
Her amethyst eyes notice every detail on her descent, from the soft but dark grey color of the stadium's walls contrasting with the purple color painting the seats, to the posters covering the ice rink, sponsoring the sports played in there, or more likely, the posters of the hockey team of the city: the Inazuma warriors.
A light chuckle escapes Yae's lips as her gaze stops at the very worn posters, before she finds the strength to look at the polished ice rink in front of her, mixed feelings running through her body.
Nostalgia mixes with uneasiness, replacing what always was a feeling of excitement and nervousness bubbling inside her time ago, before Yae shakes her head to forget about it and walk to one of the empty seats at the front row, dropping her sport bag on the seat next to the one she flops as she gathers all her strength to take her skates out of the bag.
She can't help but stare at them, her fingers grazing the beautiful pink fox decorating them, before she puts them on and ties them tight to then toss her sneakers aside.
Yae then stands carefully on her blades, letting out a shaky breath to then take her coat off and reveal the jacket and leggings she used to wear for practice.
The pink haired girl inhales a deep breath of the cold air, before she steps onto the ice rink, the sound of her music player blasting at full volume with different songs filling the quietness reigning over the practice rink until that very moment.
Yae can't help but feel how the nervous feeling she used to feel whenever she stepped onto the ice no longer accompanies her, before a new song blasts through the small speaker and she starts to move around, letting her feet guide her as they used to before her injury, but nothing seems to be the same anymore.
The music filling the ice rink and resonating against the old walls no longer makes her heart race. The feeling of the cold lashing at her face as she skates no longer sends waves of excitement rushing through her veins prompting her to go faster, to fly into the air before landing perfectly on the ice hearing the amazement or the timid applauses of the public in the background as the music of her routine keeps playing as it used to.
The colors painting what used to be her world does no longer shine anymore, and yet Yae still tries to get those feelings back.
She keeps pushing herself through the ice, closing her eyes to let her body flow with the music as one as it used to, speeding up, sliding until she tries to jump in the air and fly high like time ago, before landing on the ice.
But instead of landing on her blades as she should, she ends up landing on her butt, hitting the cold ice hard before her back follows it close. And even though the hit itself didn't hurt, her memories and her pride do, tears falling down her eyes to end freezing into the ice beneath her.
Yae quickly wipes her eyes with the hem of her jacket, before she takes a moment to recover and skate back to the seats, furiously burying her skates deep inside her sports bag once she change them for her sneakers to then leave the place that once brought her so much happiness and comfort and that now only causes her pain, not realizing she forgot her bottle of water she used on the seat next to hers until she's inside her car.
A grunt escapes her lips as she rests her head on the headrest debating to go back for it or not, before Yae sighs and gets out of her car to go and get her bottle back, crossing the sports center's hall quickly.
As she's walking towards the ice rink she just used for practice, she hears loud music blasting from the ice rink next to hers.
Fear takes over her body for a second, paralyzing her in the middle of the hall, before curiosity takes the best of her prompting her to follow the music and see a dark purple haired girl around her twenties like her in the center of said ice rink, moving from one side to another, dribbling at full speed before she raises the stick in her hands to hit the puck before her, seeing it going through the small hole of the bullseye placed on the goal.
The figure skater observes then completely captivated the way the other girl moves over the ice as if she was dancing elegantly yet fiercely, before another well-aimed shot introduces another of the black discs on the ice inside the goal, making her heart beat unintentionally fast.
The more Yae watches the presumably hockey player, the more she feels the excitement of being on the ice rink rushing through her veins as she felt when she used to figure skate, making her heart beat wildly as she unconsciously gets closer to the dark purple haired girl on the ice completely dazed by such an elegant and majestic dance.
- You're really good.
The words leave her mouth before she realizes, a timid clapping breaking the hockey player's concentration that makes that the puck the dark purple haired girl just hit, strike into one of the goal posts like a thunder roaring loudly.
- Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.
Yae apologizes guiltily as the beauty in front of her locks eyes with her, their sharp golden color piercing through her soul.
- It's okay. Did you need anything, or was my music disturbing you?
The other girl asks politely, quickly lowering the volume of the music playing as Yae shakes her head with a bashful smile on her lips.
- No, no. I forgot my bottle of water in the adjacent practice ice rink, and I couldn't help but get captivated by your technique as I came back to get it – Yae compliments the other girl, seeing a timid blush tinting her cheeks adorably – Were you training?
She asks curious about the dark purple haired girl, seeing her nodding in return.
- I'm part of the Inazuma warriors' team. I was trying to improve my shots.
The hockey player explains and Yae can't help but want nothing more than snort upon the word "improve", thinking the other girl's shots are already perfect and well-aimed.
- I'm Kujou Sara.
The hockey player introduces herself, breaking Yae's train of thoughts while holding out her hand to the pink haired girl who quickly takes it and shakes it, an electric jolt running through both of their bodies as soon as their skins come into contact.
- Yae Miko – the pink haired girl simply answers, seeing Sara nodding as they break their greeting.
- Nice to meet you.
Yae wants to laugh at how well-mannered the hockey player is, contrasting with the typical image that the hockey players usually give off, before she excuses herself.
- It'll be the best if I stop disturbing you so you can carry on with your training.
She says as she begins to walk away, waving goodbye at Sara, before she places her hand on her heart in a futile attempt to calm the loud and hard beating against her ribcage, remembering how her heart used to beat the same way whenever she skated, whenever she danced on the ice.
A nostalgic sigh escapes her lips that mixes with the feeling of pain inside her, before she gets in her car determined to understand why this stoic girl seemed to give her back all the feelings that her injury took away from her time ago, and that doesn't seem to return whenever she puts her skates on and steps onto the ice rink.
As soon as she enters her home, the pink haired girl quickly takes her laptop in her hands and finds herself typing the name of a certain girl: "Kujou Sara", in the hope she can see said girl skating on the internet.
But much to her dismay and bad luck, she doesn't find any video or media about her, only the information that she's part of the Inazuma warriors' hockey team with the number 5 on and whom have a game that same weekend. So the pink haired girl can't help but keep the date in her mind, holding onto the longed day to go and see the hockey player playing in all her splendor, not disappointing her in the slightest.
Once Sunday comes, Yae finds herself at the top of the stairs that lead to the ice rink of the stadium in which their hockey team plays, a mix of uneasiness and something close to excitement running through her body obliging her to take a deep breath.
- Excuse me.
A tall white spiked haired boy says politely as he makes his way down to find a good place at the first rows, those two words seeming to be enough to pull the figure skater out of her reverie and follow him to try and also get a good seat at the front to watch Sara better.
Soon enough, both hockey teams start to fill the ice rink, the Inazuma warriors' team entering in between loud cheering while their vivid purple color bath everything around with it.
A soft smile draws on Yae's lips, her heart beating as fast as it used to do whenever she was the one on the ice rink as she looks over the hockey players trying to find the girl she came to watch and who started everything, but it seems to be a hard task looking over the team of girls equipped with helmets that barely let her see their features.
Resigned, she leans on her seat and watches the game begin, the blue color of the rival team advancing over the ice trying to be the first ones scoring a point, before one of the purple girls steals their possession.
Yae can't help but watch hypnotized the way said girl skates, fiercely yet majestic, navigating in between their rivals with ease and elegancy, before she passes the puck to another girl whose shoot feels like a roaring thunder before getting inside the goal.
Loud cheering breaks out around the stadium, before Yae observes said girl high-fiving her team mate on their way back to their side of the field to help to defend.
The excitement Yae felt until that moment only intensifies as she focuses on those two girls, before she, once again, witnesses one of them skating around the ice rink, moving effortlessly in between their rivals as if she was dancing, as if she was flying…. before said girl shoots, a lightning striking and silencing the public as the puck goes through the rival's defense and enters the goal to great delight of the Inazuma warriors' supporters.
Yae's heart beats even louder and faster than ever before, threatening to leap out of her chest, before she sees the name and number on the back of the girl: Kujou 5.
The pink haired girl knew that such a beautiful way to skate could only belong to her, but she couldn't even fathom how it was to watch the girl playing for real, her eyes glued to her figure as she admires how easy Sara makes skating look. How she flies over the rink helping her team in whichever way she can, and she can't help but damn herself at how sad is that the girl isn't a figure skater for real.
That Sara doesn't let the rest of the world enjoy the beauty of her skating in a simple exhibition.
Sooner than she would have liked, Yae hears the final whistle followed suit by the public cheering loudly and congratulating the Inazuma warriors for winning the game, making the pink haired figure skater join them with timid applauses while she observes the girls gathering all together in a line to bow in appreciation to their loyal supporters for giving them the strength to win, before taking their helmets off to smile at them.
It's then when Yae feels herself being captivated by a pair of sharp golden eyes looking right into hers, piercing her soul, before the girl's gaze softens and she gives her a rare and bashful smile for coming to watch them that makes her heart flutter, before the hockey player turns to go to the locker room with her team, talking with a long braided purple haired girl and a green haired one on her way while leaving Yae frozen on her seat blushing lightly, her heart skipping several beats.
As Yae comes back to her senses, she can't help but feel her surroundings being different, more lively, more... colorful, encouraging her to want to go back to feel like she does at that very moment, like she did back in her glory days, giving her more reasons to keep trying to go back to skate once again.
A shaky and hopeful sigh escapes her lips, before she rises and goes upstairs to go back to her home to rest, her mind set in going back to practice the following morning.
So as soon as the sun gets out of its hiding place, the pink haired girl finds herself entering the sports center, walking straight to her usual practice rink, before she sits on one of the front row's seats to change her sneakers for her skates.
Yae can't help but let her fingers trace the pink fiery fox adorning them as she intakes a sharp breath of air ready to take over the ice rink, skating towards the center of the rink to start stretching her limbs, before the song she was waiting for blasts at full volume.
A fiery determination blazes in her amethyst eyes as she begins with one of her old routines, her arms moving at the rhythm of the piece playing, creating beautiful forms, before she starts to skate around the rink slowly, delicately along with the music to then speed up over the ice, her figures filling the empty space.
And even though it's not the same feeling as time ago nor as when she watched Sara at her game, Yae can't help the shy smile spreading across her lips as she advances with her routine a bit more sure than when she started. A burst of confidence running through her veins, before everything starts to crumble down, the music playing in the background fading away until the figure skater no longer hears it.
Yae can't help but hear the sound of the music slowly drowning until she no longer hears anything but silence, making a feeling of anxiety take over her body that causes her to speed up and skate aimlessly around the ice as she clenches her eyes close in a futile attempt to not think about it and be able to hear the music again.
But to her dismay this only makes it worst, making her lose her track while rushing her to jump, making a triple acrobatic in the air, just to end up landing back on the ice, feeling a twinge running through her knee upon the impact with the ice that makes her slip and end falling.
The first thing she notices is how the air is stolen from her lungs, then, the cold feeling of the ice against her side and face as a metallic taste fills her mouth.
The second thing she feels are hot tears flowing down her face, the pain of her pride being hurt being worst that the hit itself or her busted lip.
Yae can't help but curl up on the cold ice as more tears fall down her eyes, before she hears clumsy footsteps sliding carefully through the ice until she sees a pair of black sneakers in front of her.
- Are you okay? Did you get injured?
She hears somebody asking frantically, before she feels the warmth of a hand placed respectfully on her cheek, sharp golden eyes looking at her with nothing but worry in them.
- I'm okay.
Yae whispers as the other girl helps her to sit up, her hands quickly going to her lips as Sara presses a tissue against them to stop the bleeding.
- Are you sure? That was a nasty fall.
She hears the other girl asking worriedly, eliciting a timid smile from Yae, before she winces.
- I'm sure, Kujou, don't worry.
A relieved sigh escapes Sara's lips, before her hands slowly reach Yae's knee, carefully taking it in them to touch it and make sure the pink haired girl hasn't got injured.
- Were you learning how to figure skate alone?
Sara asks as she keeps palpating Yae's knee, making the pink haired girl blush lightly, before snorting.
- I know how to figure skate, thank you – Yae says bitterly as Sara arches an eyebrow skeptical – I just… it's been a while since I did it.
Yae mutters as she grimaces upon remembering the last time she figure skated, upon remembering what happened and how everything ended, sirens ringing loudly inside her head replacing the music playing in the background and Sara's voice.
- Yae, Yae – she hears Sara calling her name, making her gasp at the sound of her name rolling out of the other girl's tongue while the sharp but worried look on Sara's golden eyes brings her back to the present – I take that it isn't a nice memory, am I wrong?
Sara asks softly, and Yae can't help but sigh heavily as she shakes her head.
- No, you aren't – she whispers, her mind drifting back to that fateful day in which she injured her knee in the middle of a competition – I torn the ligaments of my knee on a competition.
Yae can't help but begin then to relate the dark purple haired girl what happened that fateful day as she recalls the usual nervous feeling once she stepped onto the ice rink, the public clapping eager to see the routine of their favorite figure skater, before the music began.
A shiver runs down her spine as she recalls the feeling of the air lashing at her face as she speeded up through the ice in her routine, doing different figures, before she did a triple jump.
She remembers how time stopped at that very moment, before everything ended for her as she landed wrongly and felt her knee twisting, sending her to the ice.
Yae stills recalls vividly the excruciating pain running through her body, the voices of her former rival coming in her aid as her surroundings slowly fade into black, barely being able to remember anything else but waking up at the hospital with the terrible diagnosis: torn ligament, 6 months cut off from the ice rinks or practicing any other sport, and that would be if she was lucky to go back to skate as if nothing had happened.
And here she is, a year later trying to ice skate on her own once again.
Even though Yae was completely recovered several months ago, she didn't have the audacity to go back to ice skate, too scared to repeat what happened in that competition.
- Pathetic, isn't it? It feels as if I'm learning how to skate for the first time as if I was a little kid.
Yae mumbles ashamed as she looks at her knee, her hand coming to touch it delicately, replacing Sara's hands and warmth while noticing the other girl rising to leave her side and walk carefully through the ice back to the first row of seats, seeing her disappearing for a moment.
She can't help but feel even more miserable upon thinking she's leaving, before she sees Sara returning, skating over the ice until her skates stop right in front of her letting her observe the crow adorning them, finding amusing how intimidating they might look in a game, before Sara holds out her hands to her.
- Let me help you.
She offers softly, looking into her amethyst eyes and Yae can't help but blush lightly, accepting her help as she grasps her hands tightly and gets back on her feet.
- Thank you.
Yae thanks her once she's back on her feet, seeing Sara nodding yet not letting her hands go.
- I know how scary can be going back to skate alone, so let me help you – Sara offers kindly, squeezing Yae's hands encouragingly, before she continues talking – When I broke one of the bones of my ankle, I couldn't bear the thought of standing on the ice alone, but my best friends helped me to overcome that fear. So let me be there for you.
Sara says seriously, making Yae tear up as she accepts her help, seeing a rare but soft smile spreading across Sara's lips that makes her heart flutter, before she feels her squeezing her hands to then pull her forward with her.
- If you aren't hurt, do you think we can start? Don't worry, I promise that I won't let you fall or get hurt.
Sara promises her as Yae nods and they begin to skate on the ice as if Yae was a little kid learning how to skate for the first time in her life with Sara's help.
The pink haired girl can't help but feel warmer than she ever did upon what the hockey player is doing for her, smiling timidly as they take "baby steps", before Sara skates by her side, her hand grasped tightly in hers feeling how perfectly they fit.
As they keep skating together, now a bit faster than at the beginning, Yae can't help but notice how the colors illuminate her surroundings vividly, the music sounding loud as it fills every corner of the rink and her heart races at its rhythm.
A wide smile plays on her lips feeling more confident than ever before, loving to enjoy skating as she used to do as she and Sara dribble through the ice, speeding up to do some shy figures. The warmth inside her only intensifies as she hears Sara encouraging her, loving to see what she's capable of doing, before they begin to skate faster and faster.
- Don't worry.
Sara says as she encourages to go further, and Yae can't help but take a deep breath, before she speeds up and does a pirouette in the air.
But her happiness soon ends as she lands and stumbles forwards, closing her eyes ready to meet the cold ice once again, just hoping her knee doesn't get hurt, before she feels somebody catching her, her head coming to meet Sara's soft chest instead.
- I've told you that I'd catch you, didn't I? – the hockey player coos seriously and reassuringly against Yae's head almost bringing tears to the pink haired girl's eyes – Let's leave it here for today, and continue tomorrow, shall we?
Sara offers kindly, and Yae immediately agrees, missing being in Sara's arms, before she frowns.
- Wait, what happens with your training? – she asks, feeling guilty for taking time off the hockey player's training.
- What happens with it? – Sara asks oblivious, seeing Yae looking guilty at her which only makes her sigh – Listen, if you're so worried about my training, why don't you come and see me training, before we continue "learning" how to skate together? That way you won't have to worry about it.
- Is that okay though?
Yae asks insecure, not wanting to take time off the other girl knowing how important is for her to train when the Inazuma warriors are the potential winners of the cup.
- Don't worry, it'll be okay.
Sara reassures her with that rare soft smile of hers, and Yae can only smile back at her feeling more relieved now that she knows it won't be a problem to the dark purple haired girl, agreeing to meet her the following morning at the agreed time.
And soon, it becomes a routine how Yae goes everyday to watch Sara training, dribbling and speeding through the ice with the music blasting at full volume and the crows on her skates looking as menacing as ever as the hockey player seems to dance and fly beautifully around the rink, before her well-aimed shots strike through the rink like a fearsome lighting in the sky.
The pink haired girl can only watch her in awe, loving to witness such a perfect show making her hairs stand on end, before the hockey player gets closer to the rink's board, a soft smile taking over her features while she holds out a hand to Yae.
- Ready?
She asks softly, always encouraging Yae to grasp her hand tightly and step onto the ice rink, before they begin to skate slowly at first, until Yae feels sure enough to start with a more difficult routine, and the figure skater never felt so safe as she is with Sara, definitely not on her own nor with her old skate partners, making her wish that the hockey player would be her partner…
The thought of Sara being her skate partner never leaves her mind, urging her to read online about upcoming couple's competitions and let her mind wander towards the dark purple haired hockey player and the way they dance so perfectly and in synchrony together.
Of how Sara makes her feel as if her surroundings come alive again, her heart beating hard against her ribcage as she enjoys skating without being afraid to fall or feel the ghost of a new injury soar over her.
- Are you okay? Does your knee hurt?
Sara asks her one morning after she ends her training, getting out of the rink to sit beside Yae clearly worried about her and the distant look in her eyes. The pink haired girl can only smile warmly at her concern as she shakes her head, before resting it on Sara's shoulder, feeling her tensing up to relax after a couple of minutes.
- No, it doesn't. I was just... thinking – she trails off, looking ahead of her with some kind of nostalgia in her eyes.
- Can I know about what are you thinking about, or is it something private? – Sara asks ever so politely, making Yae giggle at how polite she keeps being even after a couple of months of meeting one another, before looking at her shyly, nervous even.
- I… there's a competition soon, and I've thought about being part of it – she says quietly, seeing Sara smiling at her softly.
- That's great, but?
Sara asks her, clearly seeing there's something holding Yae of being part of said competition, making the figure skater smile at her keen friend before talking.
- But… it's a couple's competition.
Yae ends up saying a bit unsure, seeing Sara frowning.
- And you don't have a partner?
She asks while tilting her head, and Yae can only think of the couple of partners she had previously, before biting her lip.
- I guess I do… but I... want somebody else as my partner.
- But? – Sara prompts her to keep talking while Yae only laughs even more nervous than before, playing with her sweaty hands.
- But she's busy with her games and I don't want to be a burden to her and her competition.
Yae explains, looking down at her hands as silence falls over them, before Sara gasps.
- Oh – she says, finally realizing of Yae's words, making the pink haired girl blush slightly, before she's the one gasping as Sara places one of her hands over hers to squeeze them – I'll be your partner if that's what you want.
- But what about the cup?
- Don't worry about it, our team counts with the best hockey players so I don't see us losing anytime soon. It'll be okay – Sara says confidently, with a reassuring smile that somehow doesn't convince Yae – And this is your first competition after your injury, so if you want to be part of it, we'll go as a couple.
She tells Yae, squeezing her hands to stress her words, making the figure skater's heart flutter.
- Are you really sure?
- I am.
With another and more convincing reassuring smile, Sara agrees to be Yae's partner, making the pink haired girl tear up and hug the hockey player who can't help but tense up once again upon the sudden action, before she awkwardly returns the hug, eliciting a quiet giggle from the figure skater.
- Thank you – Yae whispers into the hug feeling Sara hugging her tighter, before they pull away and Sara wipes her tears away while she just smiles – Then let's call it a day. I… I want to choose the perfect song for our routine and think about a choreography for us.
Sara can only agree with her, before they say their goodbyes until the following day, their routine being slightly disrupted as now after Sara's training, they begin to practice the choreography for the figure skating competition.
Yae's heart can only thump quickly and loudly against her ribcage as it used to do as she notices the way Sara gives her all in the routine, adding little moves and details to the things the pink haired girl teaches her.
She can't help but love how safe she makes her feel and how well they complement one another, dancing on the ice in perfect synchrony, beautifully and elegantly while Sara gives off an intimidating vibe that adds to her charm and makes them be more badass.
Days, weeks, months go by in between hard practices, and the two of them can't help but grow closer with Yae going to all Sara's games encouraging her among the best, while Sara learns more about the pink haired girl and how everything was for her before her injury, wanting her to feel as she did once again.
- Sara.
Yae calls her partner's name one day as the hockey player just finished training and is waiting for her at the rink.
- Yes?
- I… the competition…
- What is it? – Sara asks as she offers Yae one of her hands, seeing her smiling coyly while accepting it.
- It's the same day as the final…
A pregnant silence falls over them, before Yae feels Sara pulling her closer.
- Ei, Yoimiya and Shinobu are as good as I am, so I'm sure they'll be okay without me there.
Sara stats calmly as they begin to skate around the rink, before Yae pulls them into a halt.
- But it's the final! You worked and trained too hard to not be there.
- Yae…
- No, listen to me. The final is important to you too, you worked really hard to get there-
- But this competition is also important to you too, Yae. I promised to be there, and I will, there's nothing more to talk about. End of the discussion – Sara replies seriously, cutting off Yae who can't help but huff.
- You're so stubborn.
- You're the one to talk.
Sara quickly retorts to Yae's mumbling, making the pink haired girl sigh as she holds onto Sara for a moment, hearing her letting out a quiet chuckle, before they begin with their routine.
Yet, the pink haired girl is nothing but determined to not let the hockey player lose the final with her team, not caring about the figure skating competition in the slightest.
Days go by as usual, with Sara training for the final of the hockey's cup before joining Yae in their routine for the figure skating competition until the indicated day comes.
A shaky sigh escapes the lips of a certain figure skater as she watches the couple skating on the rink, the music playing loudly, before the public claps at them and another couple steps now onto the rink, silence reigning over it once again as a different music and routine begin to delight those present.
Yae can only fidget with her hands more nervous than ever before, guilty upon have lied to her partner telling her that the competition was hold onto another time of the day so Sara wouldn't miss the final with her team. A bitter smile spreads across her lips hoping Sara can forgive her, before somebody takes one of her hands in theirs, making her gasp shocked at it and quickly look to her side surprised.
- I hope I'm not late.
A dark purple haired girl says with that rare soft smile of hers adorning her lips that ended up making Yae fall for her, grasping the pink haired girl's trembling hand tighter as she wipes the figure skater's tears away with her free hand.
- Sara… I'm sorry I-
- Shhh, it's okay Yae. I know you wanted me to be in the final – Sara says softly, silencing Yae as her thumb brushes her lips, before smirking while looking at the grandstands – The girls put a great effort into making the team win with a wide difference so I could leave in time. I just hope my make-up it's okay, Shinobu had a hard time applying it while Itto drove us here like crazy.
Sara explains, making Yae giggle through her tears as she follows her gaze to see a white spiked boy and a green haired girl at the top of the grandstands searching for them, before a purple uniformed team appears right behind them.
- She did an excellent job.
Yae says with a soft smile playing on her lips as she leaves a caress on Sara's cheek, noticing amazed how despite everything, Shinobu did a great job with Sara's make-up making her look even more gorgeous and intimidating than she always does.
She can't help but admire the way she's dressed all in black with feathers standing out her body while a large couple of feathers adorn both of her skates, complementing perfectly Yae's Sakura petals adorning hers and the white feathers on her body, making them look like a majestic and in perfect harmony couple.
- You truly look like a black swan.
Sara can only grin at the compliment, blushing lightly, before her grin turns into a soft smile, taking into Yae's appearance: the white feathers and few pale pink petals adorning her white body.
- You also look like a swan. You look truly gorgeous… I mean not like you don't usually do but…
Yae can only giggle and smile shyly at Sara's awkward compliment as a blush dusts her cheeks, kissing her partner briefly but boldly on her cheek.
- Thank you. Makoto thought I needed some more pink, but it's a good thing I've managed to convince her of the opposite or else I'd be a flamingo right now.
Her indication only makes them laugh, easing their nerves for a moment, before the last couple is announced.
Sara can only smile reassuringly at Yae and squeeze her hand in encouragement as their names are called, before the pink haired girl leaves another kiss on her cheek.
- Thank you.
Thank you for coming, for being here for me all this time, for not leaving me alone and bring color to my life once again... is everything Yae wants to convey with that gesture, seeing Sara smiling wider as she brings her hand to her lips to kiss it and before they step onto the rink together, advancing to the center of it hand in hand to then pull away and get in their positions.
They breathe deeply waiting for the music to start playing, to then begin with their routine, dancing together, flying together through the ice rink in perfect harmony, doing different figures and risky pirouettes, before Yae ends in the arms of Sara feeling her holding her close as they pant against one another's lips, almost closing their distance if the loud cheering from a certain hockey player's team wouldn't have pull them away giggling.
They can't help but share another giggle and a knowing look as they get out of the ice rink to wait for the results together, and Yae never felt as nervous as she does in that very moment, Sara's hand wrapped in between hers tightly while they wait for the results, before they hear the announcement, feeling Sara squeezing her hands in hers as her deep voice breaks the silence.
- I'm sorry we didn't win.
She apologizes while gazing bitterly at the big screen in front of them, seeing both of their names in the fifth position. But Yae, far from being sad about it, can only interlace their fingers as she smiles at Sara softly.
- It's okay. We'll win the next one.
She says confidently, eliciting a smile from Sara, before the hockey player feels the figure skater's lips on hers in a short kiss.
The hockey player can't help but let out a surprised and embarrassing shriek that makes Yae giggle, before she's silenced by Sara's lips on hers, smiling against her lips as she deepens the kiss.
It doesn't matter if they didn't win the competition because in the end, they won something more beautiful and important than that.