Work Text:
With a nervous grimace on his face, Max holds his arms in the air like an acrobat and pushes away from the low wall that surrounds the rink. He wobbles, his skates slipping and throwing his balance backwards, and it’s a miracle he doesn’t fall on his butt in the middle of the ice rink.
And, just to make this more embarrassing, Ash skates over with ease, gliding backwards as he says, “Having fun there, old man?”
“Get lost, brat,” Max says, wondering what possessed him to come ice skating with Ash (of course, his best friend Shuichi and his son Eiji are here, but they’re taking a break to nurse their bruises)
At seventeen, Ash is handsome and athletic and every girl at his high school has a crush on him (although he only has eyes for Eiji). And he always manages to be better than Max at everything he does. Honestly, Ash might be his adopted son, but sometimes Max feels more like the kid in their relationship.
Still laughing, Ash manages to do a jump (according to the figure skating Eiji forced him to watch, that would be a rather clumsy single loop), and zooms away.
Sighing fondly, Max spots Shuichi and Eiji in the seats by the rink, and wakes awkwardly. They both wave back, and the temporary distraction from remembering to keep his balance makes Max wobble.
He windmills his arms and yelps, longing not to fall onto the ice. And, with immense effort, Max manages to stay upright.
But of course, damn Ash the precocious brat has to spoil the moment.
Laughing, Ash skates over and says, “Who are you trying to impress? ‘Cause right now, I don’t think even your mom wants to see that.”
“Oh shut up,” Max says, before falling over.