Work Text:
rhein kraft woke up.
it was a miracle. the doctor ensured you understood the low, close to zero chances of her gaining consciousness when they didn't even know the cause, but she opened her eyes anyway, the bright sun of team ascella. the clouds finally, finally parted.
it meant you had to get to work though- not that you'd ever stopped. paperwork needed to be filed for the continuation of kraft’s studies in tracen, regardless if she would race or not. it also meant processing the hospital and doctor's fees for all the semesters she had been out of commission, which was thankfully covered by her URA insurance for being an unorthodox double-crown winner. you were also sure that she would want to run, even if not competitively, so a recovery plan needed to be made with physical therapy sessions in mind, to account for her muscles that atrophied during the months of being bedridden…
you blinked as the lights in your office suddenly turned on, temporarily blinding you for a second.
“i figured i would find you here."
you'd heard it countless times. that voice, that tone, those words. you looked up to find king halo gazing at you with that same pinched expression on her face as her tail swished behind her.
“i know you're excited that kraft woke up, but you don't need to handle everything right this moment, you know?" she walked closer and rounded your office table to stand beside your chair. “how long have you been at this?"
“what time did kraft wake up?"
the glare she directed your way seemed uncalled for, but you winced anyway. “you're impossible. how do you expect anything to get done if you act like that?"
you sighed and sat back, rubbing your closed eyes, only now noticing how sensitive and swollen they were. “yeah, i know. sorry."
"honestly…” was her exasperated reply. “did you even spend more than five minutes with her, when she came to?"
you waved a hand at that. “she has plenty of visitors. i wouldn't want to crowd the room further.”
king halo grabbed your hand with her own. it was warm- so warm it was overwhelming. "you are her trainer. her one and only, chosen trainer, at that. i hope you don't take that lightly.”
you pulled your hand back and ran it through your hair, messing up your ponytail even further. you knew that. that was why you were handling all of this- so that kraft had nothing to worry about, and the team could focus on each other, now that they were whole again. “trust me. i don't take that lightly at all."
“you…!”
you closed your laptop gently. “anyway, it's curfew for you soon, isn't it? i’ll walk you back to your dorm." you stood and fixed the mess on your table as best as you could before donning your long tweed coat.
“wait.”
pausing, you turned to her. “what is it?"
despite her being the one to call for your attention, she seemed to avoid your gaze. “i… well… that is, it's… about dinner.”
dinner? you glanced at the clock on the wall. it was past dinner time already. if she planned to eat something now, it wouldn't be good for her to sleep with a full stomach. desserts, maybe, but the sugar would keep her up and she might lose sleep that way.
still, it was strange she was asking. you tried to think of a way to say this without it sounding like a condemnation or a reprimand for reaching out to you. "it's a bit late for dinner, but were you planning on eating a lot? you don't need my permission for that anymore.” you shoved cold hands into your coat and shrugged. "since you retired, you don't need to watch your intake as much as before. you know that, right?"
your response seemed to frustrate her, though. "no- not about dinner for me!” she replied. "rhein kraft woke up this morning, you blockhead. which means you probably haven't eaten anything all day!”
oh. she was worried about you.
she sighed before revealing a bento box she brought that you hadn't noticed her carrying. "anyway, here. it's not much, but it's better than fast food or a microwaved meal, that i’m sure of.”
you received the bento with surprise. "thank you…” it felt heavy. if they were leftovers, she probably filled it with all of them. if they weren't, then she made sure to pack an extra large portion. either way, your heart felt lighter. “you've always been such a kind girl, king."
king halo shook her head before giving you an amused smile. “it's like i not only have to look after the team, but you as well."
you chuckled. more and more, especially after her retirement, that statement rang true.
it wasn't like you purposely changed your routine since king decided to retire and act as a mentor to the rest of team ascella- but it changed anyway, with her by your side, closer now than when she was your trainee. a partner, rather than a protégé.
“well, let's get you back to your dorm then. before fuji finds out and gives her pony-chan an earful.” you started to head towards the exit, but noticed that king stayed put. "is there something else?”
king avoided your eyes for another few seconds before inhaling deeply, a determined expression coming over her face. "you should just eat here while the bento is hot, and so i can pack the box back up.”
that was smart. "of course.” you placed the bento on the coffee table before removing your coat and draping it over the couch. "did you eat already? want to share?”
"trainer, is that the way to treat a meal when a beautiful girl’s made it for you herself? share it with someone else?"
you blinked and coughed into your hand, hoping your hair covered your blushing face. a beautiful girl was an understatement, but it was unprofessional to be thinking of her that way, wasn't it? and the teasing... you took a peek at her, noticing she was red in the face as well. though she tried to play it off with a haughty expression, her twitching ears betrayed her.
"i already ate. these are just leftovers.”
really? you found that hard to believe once you uncovered the box to find tastefully arranged food, complete with little beady eyes of black sesame seeds on the octopus shaped sausages. “king, this is…!"
“just eat before you black out, trainer-san. i’m serious."
“o-okay. itadakimasu!"
you tucked in and ate the tuna-filled onigiri first, savoring the furikake mixed in the rice that was toasted at the edges. the little octopus shaped sausage halves were next, dipped carefully in the provided ketchup, their bouncy constitution popping in your mouth. the milky tamagoyaki glided on your tongue like silk, a reprieve of texture. she even put in some cherry tomatoes to cut through the salt and refresh your palate.
it was delicious, and maybe even more so due to the thoughtfulness of it. by the time you finished, not even a single rice grain was left behind.
"hungry, hmm?” king smirked as she watched you sit back and sigh, offering you an electrolyte drink from the mini fridge you kept in the office. "what do we say, trainer-san?”
"that the beautiful umamusume who brought this to me had the right idea all along,” you replied after taking a few gulps, sitting back to rest your head and closing your eyes. you put your palms together. "thank you for the meal.”
when king didn't give a verbal response, you opened an eye to see her with a complex expression- brow furrowed, cheeks red, eyes bright and shining.
"what? you said it yourself.”
"... you're delirious."
“you're the one who made the food."
“maybe i accidentally slipped something in it."
you chuckled at that. king was touchy about straightforward compliments, which was endearing. you wished that would never change about her. “alright, i’ll give you that. maybe you laced it with something." you yawned. “i am getting tired."
“you've been tired for a while. why don't you rest?”
"hmmm…” you raised a hand to wipe the drowsiness from your eyes so you could both get going, but just as you blinked them open, you noticed that the lights were out. “when did…?”
the cushion beside you dipped as king’s weight settled on it. “i’m not confident you'll be a proper escort back to the dorms with you ready to sleep while on your feet. it's not fit for a king, you know."
you stared at her face bathed in moonlight. “will you be fine to-" you paused to yawn. “-to get back on your own?"
“i'm a big girl, trainer-san.”
you nodded, eyes closed, but it felt like more of a nod to try and stay awake. anything you said further was a mumble. "mhm. my big, strong umamusume.”
"besides, i’m not leaving you.”
"’m a big girl…” you grumbled, brow furrowing at that, but sleep was quickly and swiftly overtaking you, a heavy weight pulling you down into deep dark slumber.
…
when you woke up, it was to the darkness of your office late in the evening. instead of leaned back on the couch, you found yourself horizontal, with your head planted in king’s lap. she was gently running her hands through your messy black tresses.
“king…?” you mumbled. "how long was i out for?”
"just for a little while.”
you slowly blinked to full wakefulness and rose to sit. the clock read midnight. you rubbed at your face with a palm. "i’m sorry. i’ll tell fuji-san i kept you in the office for help with kraft. your roommate is probably worried as well.”
"trainer-san.”
you paused and turned to look at her, the moonlight reflected on her face. "hmm?”
"when was the last time you got a full night's sleep?”
a full night? it hadn't been that long, surely. before kraft regained consciousnesses, there were preparations for the japan cup. before that, one of the team members got injured and a recovery regimen had to be curated. and before that, you had been called to the hospital a few times to discuss new possible procedures that could help kraft- not that any of them were needed in the end. king, as well, asked for your help when one of the newest members was struggling with her pace and anxious on the track. that would make it… a few weeks, perhaps, give or take.
"when i called you from america, i said i understood you better, but maybe i was wrong. i still don't understand you at all, trainer-san."
“king…” the searching expression on her face worried you. it was the same look she gave when you couldn't give her any encouraging works before the derby. your heart rate picked up unconsciously at the reminder.
“i just.. don’t understand how you could be so selfless, looking after not only your current trainees, but even me too. i’m scared.” you watched her fists clench in her lap.
scared? "what are you scared of?”
"even now that i’ve retired, i can't stop counting on you.” she scoffed in disbelief, eyes getting watery. even her voice trembled just as her ears flattened. "i count on you to laugh and smile and make my day brighter. i count on you to notice when i’m upset and walk with me through it. i count on you to know my feelings without me saying it. i’m scared that it will break you.”
“king," you picked up and held her hands tight, feeling them shake.
had she always had this fear? had she always been this hesitant to ask something from you? it was so wrong. this wasn’t how you wanted your umamusume, your king, to feel. she could be selfish with you and want everything from you and you’d give it all every time.
“i know what i've gotten into. i’ve kept my gaze on you from the moment we met. it won't break me, it empowers me to know you want my attention on you."
she looked hesitant, ears and tail flicking anxiously. think of something! you can’t let her down again!
"i know what's in your heart, king."
she stopped shaking and stared. her gaze was intense, a fire in her eyes that was determined to burn through you. and you’d let it. “do you?”
“i do.” you move one hand to cradle her cheek. “say what you want and lay it all out on me.”
“... don’t stop looking at me. don't stop seeing me. it’s selfish, i know, but i need you to stay with me.”
you held her hands even tighter. to have an umamusume ask something of you was one of the greatest privileges one could have in this life. the fact that it was king halo asking this from you, even when she had already retired, was special in a way that you couldn't put into words.
all you could do was hold her closer.
“i promised you that i would stay by your side."
king looked hesitant, and her ears flattened even further. “i know that. but-"
“then i’ll promise it again. again and again. until the very end, remember?” just like how she ran for herself and for you countless times, never giving up, you would never give this up.
“trainer-san…”
“call me by my name.”
one heartbeat, hands together as one, you watched her lips form around your name, and leaned in to kiss her sweetly.