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After weeks of heavy snow, today had almost little to no snowfall, so people were out and about, enjoying the winter landscape shaped by the weather for the past few days. Grass was buried with snow and water features around the island where Ensemble Square stands, and beyond it are frozen already.
Mayoi, walking home with his boyfriends, coming from their work, caught an adorable sight. An adorable child, face almost red from the cold, was held by his hands by his own parents as they guided him through an area just covered in ice, flat enough to be enjoyed for skating. The little kid was trembling, yet was enthusiastic as he tried to push his small body with his equally small feet wearing his adorable ice skates. His parents were supportive of him; their smiles reached their ears as they encouraged their son to continue on while they glided beside him slowly and gently to let him keep up with them.
The sight of such a cute family almost gave Mayoi baby fever, even though no one among them three is capable of giving birth. They were also idols, so settling down to have a family is still far off, maybe in 10 years or so. But, it doesn’t stop Mayoi from thinking very very deeply of having a kid, in between his arms, calling him dad or something similar.
He didn’t realize that he was intensely staring at the family until he heard one of his boyfriend’s voices.
“Ayase, are you alright?” Mayoi almost jumped at the sudden turn of the topic to him. Both of them were talking about something to do with both of their June Bride costumes before they further delved into the topics of their holiday works. Mayoi tuned out of the conversation, and his mind wandered somewhere else. That being the wholesome family skating in an accidental ice rink.
“I-i’m f-fine…!” He took a deep breath as he realized they had stopped walking, settling in on the corner of the street. “D-do you need something…?” Mayoi looked at both of his boyfriends, still recovering with his usual jumpy reactions.
“Nothing of note, you were just staring at the distance.” HiMERU looked at where Mayoi was staring, where Tatsumi was already staring. The latter already had a smile decorating his lips as he looked at Mayoi, “Ah, I understand now.”
Mayoi was quite nervous about Tatsumi immediately finding what he was staring at. In a desperate attempt to explain to him, a gibberish, slightly intelligible sentence flew out of his mouth. “It’s just… the child…! The… the parents—t-they’re so adorableee… skating…”
HiMERU wisely placed a hand on his head, as if a button to calm him down. Mayoi ceased his trembling and incessant worry, looking at them, a little bit calmer. The blue one just chuckled as he ran his hand through the parts of his hair that aren’t braided, “It is adorable, Ayase.”
All three decided to watch others who were skating for a while, but had the family as their main focus. Mayoi lets out a concerned gasp as the child he was gushing over suddenly fell on his butt, making him wince and pout in pain. He was on the verge of crying until the parents checked on him, yet encouraged him to stand up again. It seems the child isn’t that hurt, since he wasn’t really crying, just looking at his parents, wondering whether to cry or not.
Tatsumi cooed lovingly while chuckling, “Ahh… It brings back memories…”
Both of the men beside him looked at him quite curiously, which made him smile. “I remember that a part of the backyard of our church will be frozen in ice every year. A lot of children and elders alike take that as a chance to skate around the ice after mass or whenever they feel like it. While my father always had something to do, my mom gave me some time with her to learn how to skate. I am naturally curious about everything, so I tried some things that other kids do, like those tricks and showy spectacles, which.. Of course, resulted in me falling in different ways and on different parts of my body.”
Tatsumi only laughs at his reminiscing, as the other two attentively listen. Mayoi sighs, quite sad but smiling at imagining a child Tatsumi falling in the same way as the child he saw earlier did then. “Ahh… I envy you, Tatsumi-san… I… I never really had the chance to indulge in ice-skating before… as… I’m always hiding, and ice skating rinks are always full of people… and of course… my situation before meeting you two.’
The three had a silent understanding with Mayoi’s words, with HiMERU supplying a similar experience. “For me, I… just didn’t have any chance.”
Tatsumi smiled at them, looking back and forth from the ice-skating rink to them. “Well, you two have a chance now.” His eyes seemingly lit up with the idea that went through his head. “Do you have any free time next week or the next few days?”
HiMERU sighs, “No, he’s full for almost three weeks. These times are very busy for us idols…” Mayoi also gave the same disappointed look, “Me too, I almost have the same schedule as you Tatsumi-san…”
The mint-haired idol’s eyebrows furrowed, his purple eyes looking down. His reaction looked like he’s a puppy, with his lowered ears and his previously wagging tail now stilled, is just the only thing missing. But he sighs, knowing he really couldn’t do anything by sulking in front of them. “I understand. I also realized I am also full up the next few weeks…”
Mayoi gave him a small smile and held his hand, squeezing it to calm him down. “We have other times, I would love to learn from you, Tatsumi-san…”
The three decided to continue walking home, as people continue enjoying skating on sheets of ice.
♢ʚɞ♧
Weeks passed, their works overlapped with each other as almost the whole house they live in together goes silent at night since its members are either missing or everyone was too tired that they settle on silent communication, such as hugging and holding each other to sleep, if all of them are present on that night.
Tatsumi looked at the skating shoes that the three bought impulsively on sale last week, dark blue, beige, and black ones sitting next to each other, waiting to be finally used. The sight of them flashed another image in his mind, where he remembered how he pleaded with his mother to let him join other churchgoers in the ice skating rink, before being pulled into the mall to let him choose his first-ever skating shoes. It was blue with gold designs, as blue reminds him of the sky he loves, and gold was just sparkly for a child’s eyes. His mother almost didn’t manage to buy it due to its price, which young Tatsumi wouldn't be okay with choosing other shoes; he might have shown some disappointment to his mother, which pushed her to buy it for her son.
He just had the urge to visit his family in church, along with the urge to finally invite Mayoi and HiMERU out on a date after weeks of pure work. He turned to the window, seeing that the sun was slowly going down, he pulled out his phone and searched his boyfriends’ names in it.
“It’s quite…. cold…” Mayoi commented as they arrived at the ice rink that Tatsumi saw when he was walking around a work location. It was lit up with street lights, but not around a lot of big buildings, almost in a quiet neighborhood. It was empty, it was already 7 pm, which is good for Mayoi, and some quiet time for HiMERU.
“I can lend you some of my layers, Mayoi-san.” Before Tatsumi removed his overcoat, Mayoi shook his head immediately. “I’m fine… maybe I’m just trembling because… I’m quite nervous…”
Tatsumi smiled patiently as he held his hand, the other moving deftly to wrap around HiMERU’s squeezing them to calm them down. HiMERU only had a small blush and an almost eye roll before looking around the lot. “It’s… deserted.”
“Well, I am quite curious why as well, as we are in a neighborhood, but… I think it’s safe and well-lit.” Tatsumi set the bag he was holding on the bench nearby. “Shall we start?”
They moved to get off their shoes to walk here, it was a little well away from their home, but they needed to call a taxi to lessen their time outside. It was the warmest evening in the longest time, it wasn’t much warmer actually, but at least Tatsumi would be a little relieved that the two wouldn’t be too cold in their little time with each other.
As Tatsumi fastened his ice skates, he stood and waited for the other two. His boyfriends are still taking the time to be used in walking on a shoe with basically a blade under it.
“This kind of feels like walking in heels…” Mayoi muttered under his breath as he effortlessly stood on a bladed shoe. Which is a little bit hard, being practically standing on a single blade.
HiMERU slightly wobbled before walking up to Tatsumi and Mayoi, being incredibly unfamiliar with walking like this. “He is concerned whether he could even stay standing for even a minute.”
Tatsumi chuckled as he held his hand to help him, as he looked like he was walking with stilts. “Don’t worry, HiMERU-san. No one will see you fall here.” HiMERU shot a glare at him, but he knew that was kindness bestowed upon him by Tatsumi.
“But, I will do my best not to let you fall, just hold my hand and call to me whenever you feel like you are getting out of control.” Tatsumi held Mayoi’s hand on the other as they slowly walked towards the icy flat area, “Although, I think you did already.”
With Tatsumi’s wink, HiMERU’s face became redder than it was from the cold, which made Mayoi giggle, his teasing chuckle making him blush more. He had discovered long before that having two boyfriends is not advisable for the weak, just because the teasing is doubled in intensity or quantity, or it could just have a domino effect.
They stopped at where snow and ice meet. Tatsumi looked at them and started instructing them. “You two go first, since we really don’t have anything to hold onto, you two could hold onto me.” He gently guided them nearer and nearer to the ice. “Slowly step on the ice, and don’t stand straight. Bend your knees and chest a little bit, and your legs should be a little ways apart.”
The two looked at each other as they went onto the ice at the same time, almost with the same foot and next the other. As they feel themselves slowly losing their balance, they assumed what Tatsumi said to them. He could feel their hands trembling, which made Tatsumi squeeze their hands. They stayed like this for a while until they stabilized, mainly their emotions, rather than their positions.
“How is it?” Tatsumi looked at them, and his smile made them a little calmer. Mayoi gulped and sighed, “It was nerve-racking, but… I feel excited again…” His turquoise eyes lit up, having to watch a lot of videos about ice-skating when he had a chance in between breaks. He had some tricks that he wanted to try, although he was wary of whether he would break a bone from it.
HiMERU sighs as well, “It’s not as bad as HiMERU thought of…” Although among them, HiMERU was the one that was gripping Tatsumi’s hand tighter than Mayoi. The priest-idol only smirked inside and shelved that information later.
Tatsumi nodded approvingly as he started moving, “I’ll join you now.” He stepped on the ice with almost no effort and was not as awkward as the other two. He looked like he just took two steps and didn’t even need to stabilize. He looked at the other two, who were just mesmerized that Tatsumi just seemingly popped up beside them. “Are you ready to skate now?”
Both of them nodded before Tatsumi gently tugged them as he slowly walked around the edge of the rink. “Let’s feel the ice first, especially since you two are new to this. Take a slow, steady pace.”
They started walking, with HiMERU immediately wobbling slightly. Tatsumi’s hold became tighter as he looked at him, “Stay in the same stance, HiMERU. You need to stabilize your center of gravity since you’re walking on a thin blade.” Hoping that could make the concept of doing this position a little bit clearer to HiMERU now.
HiMERU bent his knees slightly again as they started to walk on the edge of the ice rink. They were slowly getting used to the blades under their feet, their hold on Tatsumi slowly loosening. Their mentor boyfriend now slowly introduces them to the deeper parts of the rink, slowly going to the center while walking.
“Now, push your feet backward, alternating them so you can propel yourself. Let’s do it together, 1… 2… 3…” Tatsumi instructed them as they slowly started to glide on ice. It was tame, although Tatsumi could feel both of them wobble, may it be the sudden nervousness and lack of confidence skating on a slippery surface. Tatsumi holds their hands tighter and asks them if they’re okay, but never did he let them stop to not break their momentum. It’s clumsy, full of near-spills and panicked noises, but eventually they move in sync.
Tatsumi decided to let them go, to explore on their own. “Are you two ready now?” He glides around them, gracefully, a statement of years of practice.
Mayou gulps, “M-maybe…” He let go of Tatsumi’s hand and started gliding a little bit of inches away, until he almost slipped out of his feet and yelping in fear, “Eek…! No, no, no—I take it back! Gravity is real, and it wants me dead!”
Tatsumi chuckled and held Mayoi’s hand again, pulling HiMERU along with him. “It’s okay, Mayoi-san, deep breaths…”
After calming Mayoi, they settled on moving together again, until Tatsumi decided to let them go, like a mother bird watching her children fly away. Both of them curiously experimented with ice skating on their own, despite some… mishaps.
Mayoi clings to his hand with both of his own, his legs jelly-like beneath him, but he manages a slow, determined shuffle. “I’m trying,” Mayoi mumbles, wobbling. “I’m really, really trying.”
“You’re doing great,” Tatsumi murmurs, drawing him a little closer. “Bend your knees just slightly—yeah, like that. Let the glide do most of the work.”
HiMERU, meanwhile, has adopted the gait of a penguin with an identity crisis. He’s still wobbly, his confidence only keeping him standing, well, the last one, he just musters right now. Every five feet, he nearly topples. Pride, however, is a powerful drug.
“It seems… natural for HiMERU.” He commented, more so to reassure himself. “It is a simple matter of balance and momentum. There is nothing difficult about…”
“Are you alright, HiMERU-san…? You seem to be just walking now rather than skating.” HiMERU huffed at Tatsumi’s words. He knows Tatsumi is better than him, but with Mayoi now improving, he needs to at least improve on his own.
“HiMERU does not need assistance,” he says, clearly needing assistance.
Tatsumi skates over, careful not to laugh outright. “Would it kill you to accept my hand?”
“It’s not about death. It’s about control.”
Tatsumi watched him as HiMERU pushes himself forward, and within seconds, seemingly forgetting the concept of balance and momentum, he said to himself, making him slip and fall almost dramatically. His boyfriend was quick enough to catch him, almost making them a cute sight in the middle of the ice.
He held him on his arm as he chuckled, “Mhm. Yes. Very natural. Like a newborn baby deer.”
HiMERU looked up at him, being held like a princess that fainted in the middle of the ballroom. He bolted to stand up, almost falling again with the speed he had just to stand. “HiMERU… is simply adjusting.” He tried to save an ounce of his pride, whatever what was left of him.
Mayoi chuckles as he glides past them, “You almost shattered your nose, HiMERU-san…”
“He doesn’t want to ruin his face just for this.” HiMERU sighs disappointingly as he seeks Tatsumi’s hand as if automatically. It made the latter smile inside, almost wanting to kiss HiMERU in the middle of the skating rink.
Tatsumi decided to assist them, less hands-on, so they could be used skating on their own. Mayoi was already learning fast, being natural at this. They weren’t surprised, as Mayoi was graceful with his body every time, in any way he could use it. Although, there was still a gap in skills between Tatsumi and Mayoi, with Tatsumi having more experience than Mayoi.
HiMERU was quite a handful, having so many near-misses that made Tatsumi want to let him rest first, as ice skating relies a lot on the strength of his legs and core muscles. However, it just gave Tatsumi the chance to hold his hand all the time.
Mayoi skates beside them, shaky but improving. His confidence is clearly blooming with every lap, even if he still looks like he’s one sneeze away from disaster.
“Just relax, HiMERU-san.” Tatsumi chuckled as he held HiMERU’s hand as they started to do what seemed to be a waltz on ice. HiMERU was slowly getting used to it, but he’s almost embarrassed how Mayoi was already enjoying it on his own, circling around them and giggling at HiMERU’s expense.
“Just glide, glide… glide…” Tatsumi mutters as they slide around the ice, holding hand to hand like a dance. It was almost magical, with how Mayoi is learning to circle around them along with their movement.
Tatsumi smiles as HiMERU starts to lead sometimes, making them chuckle every once in a while. After a few minutes, Mayoi decided to join them after he had his fun, the three of them holding each other's hands.
They started going in circles, like children playing. They spiced it up with sometimes going in different directions, with the two learning how to skate backwards with the help of each other. Tatsumi’s heart warmed as they looked like their young selves, just enjoying their time on ice.
They move in a clumsy triangle now—Tatsumi anchoring both of them, balancing weight with surprising grace.
Tatsumi grins. “Look at that. You’re both naturals. Kind of.”
“I feel like a duck,” Mayoi mutters.
“You look like a duckling,” Tatsumi teases, “all wobbly and cute.”
HiMERU narrows his eyes. “HiMERU refuses to be a duck. HiMERU is a swan. An elegant swan.”
Tatsumi tilts his head. “An angry swan, maybe.”
The blue idol lets him with that and sighs, well, he was a little less angry than usual, since he could literally faceplant at any moment. They felt silent after that small banter, just letting their feet glide and hands grip each other.
Tatsumi smiles, proud and a little overwhelmed by how dream-like this was. They continue to skate—slowly, messily, beautifully—like their own little constellation wobbling across the ice.
This went on for no one knew how long, but it was abruptly ended when their skating became faster and faster until they were hurled on the side, their bodies meeting the softness of the snowpile, they fortunately landed.
They were silent for a while before they started laughing at the sudden change of pace. One moment before, they were lost in the moment of just holding each other, and now they’re lying on the cold snow. Tatsumi sat upright first before the other two followed, sitting on the snow for a while as they looked up at the night sky.
“How was it?” He asked again, just to check in with the two.
Mayoi beamed and smiled, “It was fun…! I was thinking of some choreography while I was skating… although putting ALKALOID in a skating training is not really viable…”
Tatsumi chuckles, “It’s a good idea for a Christmas MV though…” He hummed in thought before turning to HiMERU. “How about you, HIMERU-san…?”
HiMERU sighs before smiling, “It… certainly humbled me…” Tatsumi cackled at that, making HiMERU dwell more in his embarrassment.
“Don’t worry, I was more clumsy on my first day. For first-time skaters, you two seem natural at it.” HiMERU rolls his eyes, “Is that sarcasm? Have you seen what he was struggling with earlier?”
That made Tatsumi hark a laugh, along with Mayoi, who started giggling at their banter. “We’ve come a long way in thirty minutes,” the priest-idol commented, his eyes beaming with how proud he is of them. They really did come a long way, and somehow, he wanted another one of these ice skating dates.
“We’ve only had seven near-death experiences,” Mayoi chirps, now flushed with triumph. HiMERU sighs, “And one big fail…”
“I wouldn’t consider this a fail, just a playful trip. Fufu~” Tatsumi chuckled as he stood up, helping the two by pulling them with him. “We should go home now, it’s getting late and colder…”
They brushed off their coats coated with snow. Tatsumi looks at them, smiling ear-to-ear, “As a result of today’s practice, I think both of you deserve a reward. How about some hot chocolate?”
Mayoi and HiMERU were both receptive to that, a hot and warm drink after such activity.
♢ʚɞ♧
The café next to the rink is warm and cozy, with frosted windows and the smell of cinnamon and cocoa. The trio crowd into a booth, cheeks red from cold and laughter. Mayoi had the chance to try some cute hot chocolate with a toasted and melted marshmallow atop a bunny, too cute to eat, yet too delicious not to.
HiMERU had a chance to give himself some mint chocolate, the cooling sensation of the mint flavor and the warmth of the drink had a strange yet beautiful harmony in his mouth.
Tatsumi settled with the usual hot chocolate, decadent and sweet, warm for such weather.
“Thank you for your patience with us, Tatsumi-san…” Mayoi started the conversation as he jiggled the bunnymallows on his cup, “I had so much fun.” HiMERU hummed in agreement as he silently enjoyed his drink.
Tatsumi chuckles, looking at them fondly. “You know,” he says, “this wasn’t really about skating.”
HiMERU raises an eyebrow as his cup halted before it even reached its lips. “It wasn’t?”
Tatsumi shrugs. “I just wanted an excuse to hold both your hands.” It wasn’t entirely false, but he also wanted to just be with them after a long month.
Mayoi squeaks. HiMERU snorts into his cocoa. Tatsumi grins at them, utterly shameless.
“You are too much, sometimes, Tatsumi.”
“Aren’t you the one holding my hand tighter than Mayoi-san?”
“Shut up.”