Work Text:
Aoi pressed her lips together as she peeked around the corner, contemplating how she was going to cheer up her best friend. Sakura had been so stressed the past week-she knew it! She was always stiff with her during their study sessions and Aoi didn’t know what had happened. All she could do was be her normal, cheery self, and hope that everything would work out for the best. She thought for a few more moments, studying the strong, swift movements of Sakura, focused strongly on the task of training her muscles. Deciding that maybe it might be a good idea to let her have a break, Aoi stepped away from the corner. Sakura didn’t notice the swimmer and continued to throw quick, hard punches at the beat-up leather punching bag with increasing ferocity.
‘Hmmm…’ Aoi moved quickly around to the back of the wrestler and hopped onto her back when she was in the middle of a strike, knowing that she wouldn’t mind. She squeezed her muscular thighs around Sakura as hard as she could to stay on, covering her eyes with her small hands. “Guess who.”
Sakura stopped abruptly with her movements, her fist only lightly thumping against the bag. “Asahina. You know not to bother me during my intensive training.”
Aoi dropped her arms to her side and let herself gently down from the back of Sakura, the tips of her red sneaker-clad shoes touching the cold, tiled floor before she dropped herself with a quiet thump. She bit her lip, staring worriedly at the back of her best friend. She began to massage her back. “I know…you just looked a little stressed, is all.” She spoke quietly, almost sadly. “We could go out to the corner bakery, or we could go out for a run together…?” she prompted. She moved to her shoulders, pressing her thumbs into the tough muscle especially hard, working to get rid of the tension she knew the fighter had (even if she wouldn’t admit it).
Sakura rolled her shoulders a little, grunting in appreciation. “It would be my pleasure to accompany you to the bakery. However, I’m afraid I’ll not be done with these intervals for quite a while, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to wait that long.”
Aoi pouted. “I can totally wait as long as it takes! I’ll even hold your feet when you do crunches!” she offered.
Sakura grunted. “If you’re sure.” Aoi smiled and gave her a wide berth, sitting down against the wall. She put her head in her hands and stared at Sakura as the fighter started up again, her yells echoing through the room. With one especially hard roundhouse kick, she knocked the bag right off its chain, the cushion skidding across the floor and coming to a stop with a small ‘thump’ against the opposite wall. Sakura, not even breathing hard, came out of her fighting stance and walked over to where Aoi sat, holding out her arm as an offer. Aoi took it and she hauled her up with minimal effort.
“I thought it was gonna take you a while?” she asked.
“That was the end of that interval, so it would be acceptable if I took a small break with you,” Sakura said as she moved to the wall, picking up the punching bag and setting it down with a little more force than necessary on a bench. The chain hung off the side of it, clinking periodically into the metal surface.
“You count your intervals in how many punching bags you break?” Aoi giggled.
The corner of Sakura’s lips raised up almost imperceptibly. “The workout does include other things, as well.”
“I was just joking!” Aoi giggled, linking her elbow with Sakura’s. “Let’s go, my fair maiden!”
Sakura smiled.
“Oh, oh! What flavor should I get? They’re all so great…maybe I should just get one of each?” Aoi pouted, staring intently at the large selection of the fluffy rings.
Sakura surveyed the selection of donuts. “I do not doubt your pastry-eating ability, but I think this may be a little much for even you.”
Aoi glanced at Sakura, her gaze returning to the donuts after a few moments. “You really think so? Hmm…maybe I could have half today and half tomorrow? I can swim it off, really. If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“It would be in your best interest if we went on a run after this.”
“Yeah, sure! You bet! I always like going on runs with you.” Aoi grinned wide. “Do you want anything?”
“An iced water and a plain bagel. Please ask them if they have protein shakes.”
“They don’t, I checked.”
“That is unfortunate.” Sakura rumbled, sighing. “Why does no one think to add them to their menu? Ah, no matter. Just a plain bagel and water is fine.”
“Okay, if you’re sure!” Aoi turned to the waiter at the cash register and ordered with bouncing enthusiasm.
“One of each of this, this…this, this, this, and this!” Aoi pointed to each flavor of donut in the glass showcase in succession. “Oh! And this. This, too. That should be it for me! But I’d also like an iced water and a plain bagel for Sakura-chan.” She was just a bundle of smiles, giving them out like an overly-passionate parent on Halloween night.
The waiter looked at the both of them and took a moment to contemplate how such a strange friendship could exist. He chose wisely not to comment. “Alright,” he said wearily, “that’ll be thirty-twenty-five. We don’t take credit, by the way,” he warned.
“Awww, you did last week!”
“’S’part of our new policy,” he slurred tiredly.
“I will pay.” Sakura sidled in next to Aoi, procuring a small wad of cash from an insulated pocket in her workout shorts.
“I don’t want to take your money…” Aoi trailed off. “I don’t have anything except for a credit card, but we can totally go to the bakery on Mckinley street.”
“Hurry up, girls, you’re holding up the line,” the waiter drawled idly.
Sakura purposely didn’t acknowledge the waiter’s comment. “The Championships is this Friday. I can easily earn all of this back.”
“If you’re sure…”
“Do you doubt my abilities?”
“No, I—“ Aoi was cut off by the one impatient man in line behind them.
“You’re holding up the line.” He tapped Aoi on her shoulder.
“Um…I don’t think we should wait here forever…” Aoi nodded pointedly behind her. “So if you want to, I guess you can pay.”
Sakura wordlessly handed the money over to the waiter.
“I’ll be over to your table in a few minutes…” He focused his gaze onto the next person. “How can I help you?”
“We should pick a table!” Aoi quickly reverted back to her usual cheery self.
“Hmm.” Sakura grunted noncommittally.
“Let’s pick somewhere with lots of sunlight…” Aoi surveyed the room. Her eyes were drawn to a corner, secluded in the back of the café. It had a nice, large window by it, and the only other people in the entire shop were sitting at the bar, so they didn’t have to worry about anyone listening in on their conversations. “That one?” She pointed to it.
“Sure.” Sakura started walking towards the table.
“Alright…” Aoi hopped around to the front of Sakura, walking backwards as she talked to her. “So, what’s been eating at you?” she asked softly.
“…The Championships are a little daunting this time around.”
Sakura? Worried about the Championships? Aoi was a little doubtful that it was just that. “Why?”
Sakura grabbed Aoi’s shoulder carefully, catching her before she tripped and fell into their destination. She carefully angled her into her chair, sitting in her own as softly as she could. The chair squeaked a little in protest. She crossed her arms in her lap. “The last wrestler Kenichiro ever fought against will be there.”
“Oh…” Aoi grew solemn. She knew that Kenichiro had been the strongest person in the world and one of the only people that Sakura had ever looked up to, before the fatal disease took hold of him. He’d grown weaker and weaker, but nothing the two of them had done (or could’ve done) had kept him away from fighting. He died of stubbornness. Aoi tried her best on a daily basis to stay away from this topic, to keep her best friend laughing, but it seemed like it was time for her to step up and help her out. So…Sakura was worried about upholding the legacy that Kenichiro had passed on to her…to become the strongest person in the world? And she thought that if she failed against the fighter that fought Kenichiro and won, she would be failing that title. Yes, Kenichiro wasn’t at his full strength at that time, but Sakura was worried…
Aoi sat there in silence for a very long time, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make the situation worse. The waiter came and went, giving them their order with a “Here you go” and a yawn. Her donuts sat prettily in front of her, all spread out elegantly on a bright white plate. Suddenly, Aoi didn’t feel like eating much anymore.
Just as Sakura started to pry her bagel apart carefully, Aoi spoke up, her eyes still downcast. “I won’t tell you that you should get over him, or anything…but I think that you should believe in yourself, because I believe in you. And…yeah. I don’t really think that I’ll ever be able to understand how you felt about Kenichiro, but I believe in your abilities and I think you’ll do just fine! Just do your best, and I always tell myself that there’s always room for improvement!”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right…” Sakura gave up trying to open the bagel and ripped it apart with her hands, chewing off the end of one of the pieces with her back teeth. Many would find it weird to see Sakura eating something other than a protein shake, but Aoi was used to it already.
Aoi bit into a donut, humming happily when the cream hit her tongue. She swallowed and went in to take another bite of it, but stopped short.
“You know, we can go on a run after this. I did promise I would!”
Sakura smiled.