Archive of Our Own

Mejiro McQueen, as a fair lady of noble origin, was put onto a whole lot of value-laden media ever since she was a child. They started devolving into those less serious and made strictly for entertainment as she got older, but it didn’t change the fact she has read a huge amount of books and watched a huge amount of movies that shaped her naive idea of romance. Whether it was a novel she was reading before sleep while laying in her huge bed as a little girl or a B-rated film so bad that the corners of her lips curled up in amusement, she was getting invested into them whole, experiencing the ups and downs of leads’ relationships as if they were her own. She couldn’t necessarily say that she relates to the gushy protagonists fainting at the sight of their boyfriends, for she never felt that way towards a man, but she supposed she still somehow got the hang of it. While she wasn’t searching for love herself, because she had other matters to take care of and she believed it would eventually come to her on its own, she had a good, nice image of how a proposal should look and how beautiful one’s married life can be. And maybe, just maybe, she subconsciously hoped that after her duty is done, her life will become one of these clichés as well.

And it turned out to be true! Love did, in fact, finally find her when she least expected it. More so, said love happened to take the form of a certain cheerful girl with brown curls and blue eyes, who also was her dearest rival and has been running by her side since what now felt like forever. Although finding herself a girlfriend wasn’t exactly what she anticipated when she took her first step inside Tracen, it ended up being a plot twist so miraculous that she couldn’t possibly complain about it ever. Tokai Teio was her most precious miracle, one that she could never possibly get bored by looking at. Tokai Teio was so effortlessly lightening up her day as if it was nothing, showing off her cutest, hope-filled grin and putting her dipped in honeyade straw in McQueen’s mouth whether she liked it or not. Tokai Teio was a person she wanted to spend an eternity with, and the more years passed, she was only getting more sure of that — but, coincidentally, it just never happened to be a right time to confess it to her.

They were already dating for what, five years? Somewhere around that, she guessed. The exact timeframe didn’t matter, because all that was important was the fact their relationship was already so ingrained into their lives that no one even batted an eye at what they’re doing anymore. All their friends knew about them and already accepted them as two halves of one heart that’ll never be separated, their families (and especially hers) were light-heartedly teasing them about it maybe being the time to finally graduate from the “girlfriends” status to something deeper, and even though they never publicly came out, every Umamusume racing fan probably already knew that there’s something between them. It would be hard not to suspect so, as Teio was just so unapologetically open about being queer — which only made even more teenage girls and Umas fall for her charming persona — and McQueen, while much quieter about it, didn’t exactly keep it a top secret either, but it was still rather amusing to see UMAO3 fanfics featuring them keep on rising in numbers despite it being so long since they used to race in the Twinkle Series. Her adult life was much more reminiscent of a paradise than her high school self would ever dream of, and it never failed to make her randomly smile in the middle of the day. She was doing so, so great. She loved her girlfriend. But, as mentioned earlier, she wasn’t sure when she would be able to say that she loves her fiancée.

They were both just… a little bit too busy, perhaps. They had an endless amount of trust placed in each other and knew that they’re not going anywhere, so maybe that’s why they still didn’t take that step forward. They felt secure enough not to bond themselves with a label that makes most fall into a rush, and McQueen felt somewhat thankful. It didn’t necessarily mean so, obviously, she knew that much, but she still associated engagement with the passing state where everyone around nags you about revealing the date of your wedding and you yourself get consumed by the preparations whole. It certainly must be a heavenly feeling, to prepare for your special day, but… They were still young and didn’t have to put that much pressure on themselves so soon, isn’t that right? They had a lot of time in the future to do that. McQueen herself had a relatively calm job, as she — after a few years of searching for what to do, now that she was mostly freed from her family duties — finally ended up as a movie critic and could do it from home no problem, but Teio was studying to become a trainer. That’s what she should currently focus on, not getting married in a hurry. They can settle down after she’s finished with that, surely.

Right, the thought of her silly Teio becoming a responsible trainer… Her decision was already known for quite a long time, but it never failed to make her chuckle whenever she thought about it. While as an experienced Umamusume it was certainly easier for her to get that position than if she was a human, Teio was still working so hard just so she’ll be able to help raise some future winners. McQueen couldn’t wait for her efforts to finally come to fruition, and that was exactly why she invited her to the hot springs owned by Mejiros today. The younger girl was very close to finishing her course and the rest of Spica already started to worriedly ask her “Are you sure you’re going to be fine? Apparently those final exams are extra hard…!”, (as to which Teio was always proudly flashing a peace sign and replying with a confident “Well, there’s nothing I can’t do, though!”) so she figured out she could make use of a short break, one that’ll help her ease tension and just relax a little. It turned out to be true and they took their sweet time deep in the hot water, enjoying the moments of closure they couldn’t exactly experience often lately — although Teio suddenly left their sitting place under the excuse that she needs to do something a few minutes ago and still didn’t come back, so maybe it was finally time for McQueen to leave the wonders of the warmth enveloping her body as well. What a shame, she thought. She’d gladly stay there for longer, but she was curious what her girlfriend was up to. Squirming a little bit when she put too much pressure on her bad leg, she got out of the water and went into the other room, intending to put on the designated clothes.

Coming back to her senses and cooling off took her a few minutes, but she finally dressed up and took her hair tie out of her hair, letting it freely fall on her shoulders again. An issue only occurred when she wanted to put her bow back on her ear, realizing that she has no idea where she put it. That was weird, though… She could’ve sworn she put it next to her clothes, but searching over and over didn’t bring her any results. Getting increasingly (and slightly unreasonably, but well. She did grow attached to this bow, after all! What kind of an Umamusume she was without an ear accessory?) distressed, she kneeled on the floor and was just about to start searching under the benches, but that was when she heard the door open. She looked towards the sound and found herself face to face with Teio standing in the doorframe, her expression immediately easing just at the mere sight of her.

“Ah, Teio! Have you seen my bo—” she wanted to ask, but then Teio suddenly walked up to her and put her finger on her lips to prevent her from talking more. “...Eh?”

“I know what you wanna ask” Teio gave her a sly smile, tilting her head to the side. “But you’re not going to need it anymore.”

“What?” McQueen frowned, although based on her own reflection that she could spot in Teio’s bright eyes she was quickly made aware that it was a rather cutesy frown, one that nobody would take seriously. “I don’t understand what you mean. Give it back to me, please?”

“And here you are, immediately annoyed instead of trusting me! I thought we’ve been dating for long enough for you not to give me those looks?” her girlfriend chuckled and flicked her forehead. “I have something better than that.”

Not even giving McQueen a chance to ask any more questions, Teio grabbed her hand and helped her get up, sitting her on the bench. McQueen could only stare at her confusedly, but, ultimately, she still trusted her partner more than anything in the world, so she took a deep breath and placed her hands on her lap, wondering what the hell did this girl come up with this time. Her wait for the answer wasn’t long; before she could get too impatient, Teio suddenly took her own hairclip off of her left ear and began to gently attach it to McQueen’s, causing her eyes to widen.

“You’ve already kinda ruined the mood by having so many questions! But that’s a part of your charm and why I love you, I guess…” she whispered, while her expression turned much more affectionate. “Still, even if in the least romantic way possible, let me say it anyway. Mejiro McQueen-sama, will you make me the happiest Umamusume in the world and marry me?”

McQueen didn’t exactly have much troubles with her heart, because she was, after all, a born stayer that needed a lot of stamina to succeed at her preferred, really long distances. Right now, however, it went completely crazy and she had a feeling that it’s going to explode at any given moment. Her rapid heartbeat was so loud that she could hear its panicked beats in her ears, her blood seemed to freeze, and her chest suddenly wasn’t enough to contain her expanded lungs. She looked at Teio’s grinning face with dilated pupils, not believing that this is really happening. Her breathing got caught up in her throat and she almost started coughing right there and now, but she managed to somehow contain herself in the end. There was no way. There was absolutely no way—!

A few stray tears escaped her eyelids as she smiled and began aggressively blinking, unable to keep her composure any longer. She should’ve known where it was heading the second Teio refused to let her finish her question. While romantic relationships between two Umamusume absolutely weren’t as common as they were between an Umamusume and her trainer or anything of the heteronormative sort, it would be a lie to say that they never happened in the world’s history — and the practice of swapping each other’s ear accessories as a way of proposing was described even in centuries old books. An Umamusume’s ear accessory was a sign of her identity, her destiny, so to swap it with a rival close to her heart meant only one: they were now intertwined and bound by fate and nothing was able to tear them apart or make them part ways. It was the ultimate act of trust and love, one could even say — deeper and more personal than the act of marriage itself. And she had to admit it before herself… Her head was so deeply fried by the traditional romance novels and they were already so close to the point of staying together forever becoming their daily routine that she somehow never considered she could be proposed to in the most intimate way possible. In fact, it never even crossed her mind that Teio could be the one to propose first. She was so obsessed with the idea of not proposing yet that she forgot her girlfriend might have her own plans, ones that aren’t exactly lining up with hers.

Not like it mattered anyways. At this very moment, she couldn’t be bothered to care. Who would care about those small matters when right now, before her answer rings out, it was her who’s the happiest Umamusume— no, the happiest girl in the whole wide world? She laughed through her falling tears, covering her face with her elbow.

“You’re so stupid!” she chuckled in response, although her overflowing emotions were making her words just a bit slurred. “You’re really proposing to me like that? Zero grandiosity, or anything of the sort?”

“Quit laughing at me!” Teio shouted back and clenched her hands, but her face was still lightened up by a smile. “What, don’t tell me that you’re going to say no just because I didn’t treat you to dinner first?”

“No, obviously not. I wouldn’t do that… I will, in fact, marry you in a heartbeat, Tokai Teio-san. Asking me this question should be just a formality!” McQueen laughed even louder, her hand going to touch the blue fabric of the now hers hairclip. “It was just not something I would expect from the Monarch is all. If anything, I would imagine that you’ll propose to me in front of literally everyone…”

“Well, proposing to you in a more grandiose way after I pass my trainer exam was the original plan…” her partner admitted sheepishly, putting her finger on her chin. “But then you invited me here today and I realized that I can swap our ear accessories without you realizing and… I thought that you'd probably like it if I proposed to you this way. Was I wrong?”

“Absolutely not. Though I would never think you’d pull it off in a million years…” said the older girl, still sniffling from the emotional overload. “You can be such a romantic when you want to. If anything, I would’ve only expected a ring from you at most, not the actual manifestation of a lifelong promise. Ugh, especially since you did it in such a trivial way, teasing me as if it was nothing!”

“Come on, don’t be mad at me! Look, I’ve got you a ring as well!” the younger Umamusume quickly grabbed her fiancée’s hand and put a ring she just took out of her pocket on her index finger. “It may not look so, but I came here fully prepared! You’re leaving this building as my fiancée one way or another!”

“Hehe, is that so…? Fully committed to it, aren't you? Even though you didn’t even kneel and let me accept it myself…” McQueen smiled and lifted her hand up, admiring the ring from each side. “...It’s beautiful. Is that white gold I see?”

“Obviously! Nothing less than the best sort for my dear soon-to-be wife!” Teio made her usual peace sign with her fingers, looking at the other woman as if she was the most precious treasure in the world (because to her she sure was). “And an amethyst, too. Spe and Scarlet helped me choose it. We decided that it’s going to look really pretty with your eyes.”

“So thoughtful…” the Best Actress blinked away her tears to make her expression look more presentable and put her hand to her face, wanting to prove that the color choice was perfect. “Well, at least now you can check if your gut feeling was right! How is it?”

“Beautiful! Just like I expected…” the Monarch’s face brightened up with pure adoration. “Though, I mean, I doubt there would ever exist a ring that’d look ugly on you. McQueen’s just that stunning, after all!”

“Stop it, you’re going to make my face all red!” the older of the two giggled and reverted back to her prior position, though her gaze still kept on coming back to the ring every second. “What a cruel girl you are, showering me with compliments to distract me from the fact you just destroyed all my plans… I was supposed to propose to you first.”

“I know, and that’s why I decided to take the initiative. Sorry, my bad, but there was no way I could let you have that! I had to outsmart you for the sake of my pride!” her partner chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “...Besides, you didn’t really look like you wanted to do it anytime soon.”

“I was waiting for you to finish studying, you know…” McQueen sighed, but ultimately still leaned into the hug. “Your education and dreams matter more to me than rushing into marriage. I already know you’re not going anywhere, so proposing to you right now or later in life… That’s not much of a difference for me.”

“That’s sweet, but I don’t remember the part when someone said anything about rushing into marriage” Teio hummed as her fingers mindlessly went to play with McQueen’s hair. “Your views on life are sometimes a little old-fashioned, don’t ya think? This is our wedding and we are going to set the date, not the other way around. If you don’t want to rush things, then that's fine. I just got a bit too impatient and wanted to take this step forward already, because I love you. Did it… make you upset, or something?”

“No! No, no, obviously not!” Maku immediately jolted up and shook her head, biting her lower lip. “I love you too. I’m really glad that I can finally call you my fiancée, and I can’t wait to get married as soon as possible if you don’t think it’d be a nuisance with how busy you currently are. I’m sorry if it looks like I’m not happy… I guess it still… didn’t fully occur to me that we are now engaged for real.”

“No worries, I already know that. Though you better get used to it soon enough, because it’s 100% true!” the other woman kissed her cheek to reassure her and comfortingly covered her hand with hers. “And no, I don’t think that getting married while I’m still studying would be a nuisance. First, I would never think so about marrying you even if it happened in the worst moment possible and second, it’ll actually motivate me to absolutely ace these exams more! I have to start building my reputation as that one cool trainer who has several stories about her awesome and beautiful wife to tell right now, or else it’ll take years and I don’t have that much time to spare!”

“You’re so dumb…” her fiancée pouted and hit her shoulder, hiding her face in the other’s chest. “It’s not like I’m some kind of an underground racer that never won anything, no? I can assure you that your trainees surely will know who Tokai Teio's wife is. We’re both in the URA Hall of Fame, after all.”

“Sure, they might know who you are, but no one said that I will be telling them about your glory days! That’d be kinda boring after the 10th time, huh?” Teio stuck her tongue out and placed a kiss on McQueen’s forehead this time. “Instead of telling them about Mejiro McQueen’s victories, however, I can tell them about that one time when on our date I bought you a parfait and you ate it so quick that you ended up with whipped cream on your entire face—”

“S-Shut up!” McQueen panicked to the point where she completely forgot about speaking with elegance and helplessly covered Teio’s mouth with her hands, blushing at her partner’s muffled laugh. “I… I will never forgive you if you tell them that, I promise! I’ve been working so hard for my reputation, you cannot just take it away from me!”

Despite how embarrassed she was at the mere thought of having people get disillusioned about her image and how red her face was, she couldn’t actually be too mad at Teio for longer than two seconds. After a moment of excessive blinking and her lip quivering, she finally burst out laughing as well, covering her face with the back of her hand. Teio looked at her fondly and only cradled her closer, taking in the soft scent of her hair.

“...Well, anyways” she finally spoke back up, returning to the topic they dropped. “If me being busy was the only thing you were worried about in regards to how things will look like now, then I want to officially tell you that it is not a problem for me. You should think about how you feel in regards to that. This is also your wedding, not only mine. They didn’t invent a way for me to marry myself yet, unfortunately.”

“And what do you mean by unfortunately?” McQueen still didn’t drop her pout, but her expression visibly eased. “However, you know… Now that you’ve disproved my worries and are leaving the decision up to me, then I want to admit that we can get married even tomorrow. Or no, not tomorrow. Forget about that, I still want to have a grand, dream-like wedding. Since you didn’t let me have a grand, dream-like proposal…”

“Are you seriously going to point it out every single day of our life now?” Teio broke into a laugh again. “If you’re grieving it oh so much, then you can propose to me too, y’know.”

“What? It literally wouldn’t make sense then” the older Uma frowned, absent-mindedly fidgeting with her clothes. “We’re getting married anyways, so I don’t see a point in redoing it. Unless you want to shy away from it and say no.”

“Do you really think I would do that?” her partner snorted and flicked her nose, although she quickly placed yet another kiss there right after doing so. “Never. You’re stuck with me forever.”

“And I fully mean it when I say that I wouldn't want to have it any other way” the Best Actress finally smiled again, placing her hands on the other’s cheeks. “Though, if we’re really gonna be together for eternity… You should give me my bow back.”

“You’re really going back to wearing it anyways right after I proposed?” the Monarch rolled her eyes, but obediently reached into her pocket and took the familiar turquoise bow out. “Can’t say I’m not disappointed. I thought my hairclip is cute.”

“It is, dummy. I’m not taking it off anytime soon” McQueen shook her head and chuckled in exasperation, brushing a few of Teio’s stray locks away to get a better view of the designated space under her ear. “But it would be bad if I was the only one eternally bound to you, wouldn’t it? I simply wanted to promise you my unwavering love back, obviously.”

Her smile became the softest it has ever been when she attached it to Teio’s hair, her hand lovingly caressing the side of her head. Teio blinked a few times and then smiled back, leaning so her forehead could touch McQueen’s chest. They both stayed in each other’s embrace for a long while, not saying a word and cherishing the moment, and it was more than enough. The love they felt towards each other could be sensed in the air and now, due to the promise they just made, could also be seen. In this one instance, it didn’t have to be said out loud. In a way, it felt more intimate that it wasn’t. The way they were undeniable soulmates, the way their strings of fate have been long since entangled, it all made the need for words unexistent. Their warmth was enough, and it will now be enough until the end of their lives.

The end of their lives, huh…

McQueen put her head on Teio’s shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing dreamily. Her proposal was nothing like what she read about in the books nor saw in the movies, and probably wouldn’t even qualify to have its place there. It was a mess, they were a mess, she was a mess, but, despite her light-hearted complaining, she’d have to lie through gritted teeth when saying she would rather have one written by an emotional author from 100 years ago or an overly ambitious movie director. How Teio proposed to her was a tradition broken in a way she could never possibly imagine, but God, that was one of the things that drew her to her in the first place, right? The Miracle Monarch did not care about what’s considered sane or proper and kept on redefining every single definition by pushing forward in her own way, making everyone fall for her confident grin. The Best Actress loved her for that, so it felt only fair that a normal, standard, traditional proposal was off the charts. And everyone who says otherwise be damned, for the only thing that was currently important for her was the fact she’s going to spend the rest of her days with this amazing girl.

She chuckled quietly, digging her nails into Teio’s back just a little bit more. It’s funny, it’s as if all of her worries about their future suddenly disappeared just because the burden of choosing the right date was taken off of her shoulders (even though she still wished she was the one to kneel before Teio and put a ring on her finger just a little). As soon as she gets home, she’ll throw herself on her bed and start counting down the days until her wedding, brightening up each day the date gets closer and closer.

What a wonderful feeling it was.

“What are you chuckling for, huh?” Teio’s low voice scratched her brain in a way that was utmost positive, so her smile in response became even wider. “What did you just think about?”

“Nothing much,” McQueen laughed. “Just that I can’t wait for the day I will officially call you my wife.”

•••

—When it came to their wedding, however, McQueen couldn’t say that she remembers much from it.

Not that it was bad or boring, obviously! She’d have to go completely crazy to call the most important day of her life such terrible words. They planned everything down to the smallest details and took care of everything, not allowing anything to get in their way — and when they announced their decision, literally everyone they knew became pretty much ecstatic and volunteered to help in any way possible, just to make it somewhat easier for them. Kitasan was the one most eager, wanting to do most of the things for them under the excuse of “I mean, a wedding is almost like a festival anyways!” (and McQueen felt somewhat guilty for making her junior do such heavy planning, yet since the smile on the younger girl’s face was so bright every time she saw her busy, it wouldn’t feel right to tell her to stop), but the others certainly didn’t intend to step up their game either. As soon as the announcement hit the public, her grandma called her to herself and gifted her with her very own flat, telling her she deserves to have a happy retirement now that she’s achieved so much in her career. All of their friends and even their former rivals with whom they never interacted much aside from their shared races were extremely supportive, giving them a whole lot of suggestions on how to make their special day the best it can be. Gold Ship, too, offered them support in her own odd way, bursting into tears after they broke the news to Spica and saying that she wants to be the one forcing them to say “I do” (Teio chuckled and raised her eyebrow up, light-heartedly questioning “Forcing?”), or maybe a flower girl, or maybe a ring bearer, or maybe a security guard, whatever, just so she could have a big role during their wedding because she loves them so much. Everyone was so kind and wished them the very best and it was making McQueen’s heart swell with an unexplainable sadness sometimes, even though it shouldn’t and she knew she was being silly. Truly, it was everything she has ever dreamed of. Her eyes ended up glistening with relieved tears when she found herself staring outside her window the night before, her hand shakily clenched on her night gown.

But maybe it’s because everything felt straight out of a dream that she felt so… overwhelmed, in a way. The happiness inside her body was too much for her to handle and she ended up spacing out too much than she should, going through most of the day with a big, true smile, but also an absent look. It was hard to breathe with the amount of joy she carried in herself, her lungs felt as if they were crushed with all the love she held towards Teio, and that’s why her memories seemed somewhat lacking, as if she was slipping in and out of consciousness the whole day. She had fun, she knew she did. She felt fully satisfied, fulfilled and enamored. If she had to be honest with herself, she had no idea why she felt as if she was staring at herself from a distance for most of the day. It felt ungrateful, and she would hate for it to be. Such unprecedented joy was just enough for her to lose her mind, she guessed.

What she truly and vividly remembered, though, were the most beautiful memories that she will cherish for the rest of her life. She remembered sitting in front of a dressed table during the morning and staring at her reflection in the mirror, the voices of her relatives behind her. The dress Ardan and Bright helped her pick could appear a bit too plain for someone her status, yet all the frills, laces and blue accents were enough to make her happy, especially when paired with her white gloves, pearl necklace and fitting headband. Dober and Ryan were doing the final touches on her hair, making sure that her braid is going to last the whole day, while also not being too heavy on her head or shoulders. She kept on excessively blinking and biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from breaking down in happy tears any second, not wanting to destroy the make-up Palmer so carefully put on her face. Even Ramonu, with whom she didn’t exactly have the best relationship with, (although the reason for that wasn’t known even for her) looked at her more warmly and told her she's pleased to see her leaning into the subjectively much better, although publicly questionable tradition of Mejiros’ crown jewel marrying a woman rather than continuing the bloodline. With all the love her family has given her, she became a perfect bride, one from these picture books that Rice Shower sometimes mentioned. She was glad she could feel the hands of her sisters and cousins on her shoulders, for it was the kind of reassurance that made her not afraid anymore. At last, she was finally fleeing their home, but she wasn’t cursed or abandoned for that. All her past fears and worries turned out to be officially unreasonable, because instead of disappointed looks she was met with happy tears, the touched shouts of “Our little Mackie has grown up so much! She’s getting married today, can you really believe that?!” and wishes for a long, peaceful life for both her and Teio. The future has never looked brighter, she could recall thinking to herself as she finally stood up and gave the other women a thankful nod and a small smile.

She faintly remembered her father walking her down the aisle and how loud he was crying, to the point where Dober just sighed and went “Please stop, you’re going to embarrass her completely…”. Her memories were much clearer when it came to recalling her reaction to seeing Teio for the first time today. Wanting to stick to the tradition, she went the whole morning without seeing her lover’s presence, and it proved itself to be successful in causing a reaction in her. In McQueen’s eyes Teio was always handsome, even despite her eternal baby face and natural cuteness, but today her charm seemed to be just off the charts — to the point where her pretty-soon-to-be wife actually almost collapsed. Maybe it was the way Teio’s small braid in her otherwise let down hair was mimicking the hairstyle McQueen wore during their fateful showdown so many years ago, maybe it was the blessing of seeing her in a suit, or maybe it was the expression on her face, but her Monarch just looked so stunning that it took away all the air in her lungs and her logical thinking. That was what made her space out the most, maybe, though she believed she could be hardly blamed. This beautiful woman in front of her is going to be her wife in less than an hour. This beautiful woman in front of her is going to be hers forever, and oh, how good the deeds she had done in her past life must have been for the Three Goddesses to bless her this much? Enchanted like never before, she just kept on staring at Teio with the stupidest of her smiles, hardly focusing even when she had to say her part of their everlasting promise or had her hand lifted up so a wedding ring could be placed on her finger. She only came back to her senses when they got to kiss, her breathing speeding up and her fingers getting entangled in Teio’s hair as she fully indulged herself in the taste of her (now) wife’s lips, closing her eyes and letting herself tear up. God, she didn’t want to let her go at that moment. She wanted to keep on kissing her more and more, because that’s the kind of a needy and greedy girl she was. And even though she was starting to become out of breath, she knew that her lungs could still withstand that, surely. She wasn’t history’s best stayer (rivaled only by Kitasan Black) without a reason.

She didn’t remember how she found herself in the wedding hall, but she remembered some bits of what happened after. She remembered being sat at the center chair in front of a long, long table, her hand tightly squeezing the hand of Teio sitting right next to her. Right before her eyes there was a huge wedding cake, a chocolate fountain, thousands of servings of various desserts and meals and she trembled as she looked to the side and realized whose doing it is. Spica’s former trainer was crying when he said that he’s glad he can spoil them rotten for one last time and while McQueen just looked at him stunned, (that was a lot of food. Wasn’t this guy broke the last time they saw each other?!) Teio chuckled and disagreed with a playful “Did someone forget who just passed her trainer exam with flying colors? We’re going to work in the same facility, so it’s definitely not the last time, y’know!”. This reminder made the man groan and fall face flat on the table, this time not because of how moved he was, so Hana sitting next to him smirked and nudged him in the side, reminding him that it’s exactly what he signed up for. Nice Nature seated on the opposite side of the table also smirked, but she hid it quickly by leaning her face against her clenched fist and suggesting to finally raise a toast, since she didn’t contribute by bringing her bar’s best wine for nothing. Special Week protested, saying that they should cut the cake first, and then started desperately defending herself from the allegations of mentioning it only because she wants to start eating already. In the end they settled on a compromise and Nature agreed for Spe’s wish to be granted first, and so McQueen could suddenly feel her arm get grabbed and raised up by Teio, who made them both hold a knife and cut the cake at the same time. Obviously, it didn’t end up looking exactly the prettiest and the impact from the hit made Teio end up with some bits of cream on her face, but she only laughed it off and wiped it with a bright smile, one that could lighten up the darkest of rooms and made McQueen’s heart flutter yet again. The look in her eyes remained the softest it could possibly be for the whole duration of Ikuno’s toast-turned-monologue, her hand absent-mindedly reaching for a fork, digging it in the cake and then putting it up to her mouth. She didn’t remember how many slices she actually ended up eating. And for the sake of her sanity, it was probably better that she didn’t.

She remembered when the time for the first dance came, and how Teio gently led her to the center of the room. Everyone turned to look at them as the shorter girl put her hands on her wife’s shoulders, staring at her with a confident smile. McQueen didn’t have to be told twice and she embraced Teio in the waist, cradling her close to herself so she, in contrast, could rest her head on her shoulder. She allowed her dearest to take the initiative, trustfully following in her footsteps without saying a word. They began to swirl around to the slow music, completing each other’s movements as if this was their destined place to be, and McQueen wanted to believe that it’s true, just like she believed it was their destiny to race together. Comforted by this thought, she closed her eyes and let the dance consume her fully, putting on a show worthy of the woman they call Best Actress.

She remembered letting out a breath that she didn’t even know she was holding when the first round of music quieted down, stopping in her tracks, but not letting go of Teio’s warm body. Teio didn’t seem like wanting to let go of her either and so they stood there in the middle, their embrace utmost intimate despite how many pairs of eyes were directed at them. Someone rushed to play the record again, yet this time they took their sweet time, not moving even when the first notes rang out once more. They allowed themselves to stay static when other pairs started forming on the designated dance floor, their breathing syncing.

“How about a rematch?” Teio finally whispered, her gaze so gentle as it went up.

“I wasn’t aware we’re currently competing” McQueen chuckled in response, brushing Teio’s bangs away from her forehead to see her cute face better. “But yes, gladly. We cannot allow ourselves to fall behind our guests, can we?”

Teio smirked and vigorously spun her around, making her let out a small noise of surprise out of herself. Her already iron grip on Teio’s shoulder tightened when her body made a pirouette, her wide open eyes paying attention to everyone around. She was aware that a wedding of two acknowledged stayers who also happen to be upper class girls would spark a sensation and certainly wouldn't be just a small party, but it still shocked her just how many people there were. The pairs closest to them were the ones consisting of their long time friends, ones they could already expect. Spe looked at Suzuka cradled in her arms with admiration that certainly could rival hers; Vodka and Scarlet for once cooperated, fully immersed in their own world and their own dance; their former trainer tried to lead Hana forward, yet it somehow seemed like she was the one leading him; Kita and Dia looked like real experts, dancing as if they already did so many times before; and even though Golshi was still causing a mess like always, doing her own dance that certainly did not fit the background music, it was a lovely mess that made Nature sigh in exasperation, but also eventually lift the corners of her lips up when she also got roped into Golshin’s Very New and Improvised Ballroom Dance, Now Also For Two. Looking further, she could notice how Palmer held onto Helios’s hand, twirling her around, which seemed to be the case also for Chiyono and Ardan, Ryan and Ines and also Dober and… Agnes Digital was the name of the girl currently clinging to Dober’s back and shaking, she faintly recalled. Ramonu was sipping wine by the almost empty table and doing her own thing, ignoring Rudolf’s stares in her usual classy way and McQueen only couldn’t spot Bright in the crowd, but she assumed that she’s out there having fun as well. And it wasn’t only them, she could notice so many more familiar faces currently dancing together — the rest of team Canopus, Bourbon and Rice, BNW, Mayano, everyone they’ve met during their journey. To have countless people enjoy her wedding, it truly made McQueen happy. The day when her happiness officially reached its peak turned out to give happiness to others as well, so she really couldn't wish for anything else. With that thought, she let Teio spun her around again, even though she almost tripped at the end.

After the dance, though, it probably was when the amount of emotions she could possibly experience today also reached its peak, leaving her spacing out further. She could recount some occasional bits like Twin Turbo screaming something, Vodka and Scarlet coming back to their bickering and Agnes Digital fainting (though apparently she’s lasted way longer than expected anyways) — but nothing else in particular. Yeah, everything was simply fun. It was fun to the point where it felt as if it’s enveloping her in a soft, warm cloud of joy, one that’s numbing all her senses and perceptions. And while she didn’t even bother to think about it back then, way too happy to just have gotten married to think about anything else and especially things that could upset her, now that she’s back in their shared flat, sitting alone on their king-sized bed just in her lingerie, the cold of the spring night coming inside from the balcony door wide open…

“Hey, McQueen” Teio’s voice came to her from where the door was, so she flinched and subconsciously squeezed her arm while turning to look at her. “You feeling okay?”

The way her brown curls were falling on her shoulders, just barely covering her sports bra with their tips, how her exposed abs were bathed in the evening light and how her blue eyes were reflecting everything found outside the window in them on a normal occasion would probably make McQueen squeal, but now she only sighed and nodded, inviting her to sit beside her. She didn’t even have to try and nod, it was obvious she wasn’t. She just didn’t want to say it out loud first is all.

“Yes, why?” still, she tried to somehow keep her dignity as Teio obediently sat on the spot she pointed at, which resulted in her wife giving her a disappointed stare.

“You seemed pretty absent the whole day” she replied, tugging on McQueen’s ears to make her squirm and fall right into her arms. “Which is like… I’m not saying that you can’t be, or anything. It’s just a little worrying that you were spacing out this much during our wedding out of all things. Were you not—”

“I knew you’re going to ask that” McQueen quickly stopped her from saying more by covering her mouth with her hand, trying to look reassuring (and failing, most likely). “I was happy! Happiest I’ve ever been, I promise. I’m glad that the day when I can officially call you mine finally came, and… And it still makes me all giddy inside just to think about it. I guess that’s why it might not look like so… I may have discovered that I have some slight… issues with processing such overwhelming happiness.”

The shaky smile on her face turned meek as she said so, ashamed of her own reaction. Teio didn’t get mad, though. Teio just tilted her head to the side, awaiting a more thorough explanation.

God, if only McQueen could provide one.

“I think I might’ve been too happy for the liking of my mind” she finally settled on this sheepish excuse, fidgeting with her chemise. “Not because I think I don’t deserve it, or anything of this sort. I don’t harbor thoughts like that. It’s simply— Well, I don’t know why that is, but I felt so much joy that the feelings of what’s happening not being real only intensified. At some point… Goodness, it felt as if I’m watching myself from a seat in the audience. Is that understandable?”

“I guess so?” Teio took her hands in hers and gently kissed her knuckles, which immediately served to make her feel a thousand times better. “I probably don’t get the full extent of it, but I can imagine what you mean. As long as you’re happy, I couldn’t care less about the way you experience this happiness. I just wanted to make sure you don’t regret your decision of being tied to me for the rest of your life.”

“Are you seriously doubting that? I would never, would I?” McQueen scoffed and leaned her head against Teio’s chest. “I would choose to marry you all over again, no matter what, and if given the chance, I would like to experience today countless times. That’s why I’m so sad that I don’t remember much…! I can’t believe I ended up so happy that my memories are literally lacking… It’s unfair.”

“Oh, so that's what the problem is, huh?” her partner brushed through her hair, the soft smile on her face never faltering. “What is that you don’t remember?”

“Everything after our first dance is kind of blurred, to be honest…” admitted the other woman. “If you told me about a specific event, then I’d probably remember it. But if I had to recall it from my own memory… It’s most likely not happening.”

“I see… Well, that’s not the problem, though!” Teio beamed as if nothing was able to kill her optimism. “Because I remember everything! I can tell you about all that happened as if you were a grandma sitting in a rocking chair, and I also saw Kita taking a whole lot of photos as well. We got it all covered, so cheer up, yeah? Even if you don’t remember it now, it still happened. And I will surely, definitely, absolutely help you remember. Too much funny stuff happened for you to forget it like that!”

McQueen smiled softly, grateful for her reaction. There were a lot of things she adored about Teio, but that was maybe what she loved in her the most. She always had her way to find a positive outcome and didn’t demand anything from her that others probably would, she always handled every single one of McQueen's struggles with so much love and care. As long as McQueen’s condemnable traits weren’t causing harm to her very own self, Teio accepted them all with open arms and didn’t urge her to change — and if she ever happened to, she was doing it so softly, so thoughtfully, that people who don’t know her very well would never believe it with how her personality usually is. It was just the approach to herself that McQueen needed, therefore words couldn’t possibly describe how thankful she actually was. She probably wouldn’t need to say them out loud anyways, but she still decided to utter some very quiet thanks — just because she didn’t want it to stay contained inside her already overwhelmed self.

“Thank you” she whispered, wrapping her arms around Teio’s waist. Her skin was very soft, she noticed. Now that she stopped feeling so upset, it began to drive her insane. “You always know how to make me feel better. I love you.”

“No need to thank me! Anything for my beautiful wife, after all!” Teio replied proudly, and McQueen almost died because of the blessing that was being referred to as wife by her dearest miracle. “Right, on the topic of the things I’d do for you, have you decided where you want to go on our honeymoon yet?”

“Honeymoon?” McQueen blinked in surprise. “...No, I didn’t even think about it. I thought we are not going.”

“What?! Why would we not? Every married couple does that!”

“That’s true, but you just got officially accepted as a trainer in Tracen, didn’t you? I’d imagine that carries a lot of responsibility with itself and that you’d be too busy to—”

“There’s no such thing as me being too busy for you, you hear? You’ll always come first. Forever and ever” Teio grabbed her face and placed a passionate kiss on her mouth to prevent her from finishing her sentence. “Besides, I’m supposed to start working when the school year starts. That’s still a good two months away. Do you know how many things you can do in two months?”

“Fine, fine…! I understood my mistake already…” McQueen pushed her away (although not enough to actually start missing her touch, her softness and her warmth) and blushed, sighing deeply. “In that case, hm… Ah, that’s embarrassing, but… Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of going to France.”

“France, huh?” her wife obediently fell down on the other side of the bed, hitting her head on the huge Symboli Rudolf plushie she’s insisted on bringing there the night before. They didn’t even fully move in yet and half of the flat was covered in boxes waiting to be unpacked, so it was funny that the monstrous stuffed Emperor was one of the first things that got the privilege of getting out of its packagings, but she probably should’ve predicted that. That’s just exactly something one could expect from Tokai Teio. “Can’t say I share the sentiment, but I don’t see why it would be embarrassing. Actually, it’s kinda the opposite. It’s very cliché.”

“That’s exactly why I said it’s embarrassing! Deep inside of me, I am utterly basic and predictable! I don’t bring anything new to the table…” the other woman scoffed, her expression turning pouty once more. "It’s just that so many movies I’ve watched were set in France, and I can’t lie and say it didn’t make me yearn for experiencing it first hand as well. And…”

Her facial muscles twitched just a little, it wasn’t even noticeable.

“For the longest time, I also thought of France as the manifestation of my most improper desires. Whenever I felt like everything’s too much for me, whenever I felt like running away, it was always France that was my destination in these silly daydreams. Maybe it’s silly and I got too caught up in my own idealization, but for me it turned into a place where I could freely do all these things a Mejiro shouldn’t do. And it tempted me so, calling to me every time I dreamed up a new shameful desire, as if it wanted to tell me that they can all happen there, that the only thing I need to do is to run away from my duty and throw my destiny away, as if it wasn’t the worst betrayal I could possibly commit” she admitted through dry lips. “...But then I met someone who showed me that my feelings aren’t wrong, who made me accept my desires as a part of me and who changed me for the better. Isn’t it only fair that she’s the one who I want to bring there with me on our very first trip as newlyweds? I want to face the reality of how it truly is in there head-on and fully disillusion myself, so I can laugh at all the things I thought when I was a teenager and say Goodness, I truly was so unwise! Will you… accept this plea of mine?”

She took a deep breath right after finishing her confession, and then she let it out. Before Teio could think of an answer, she laughed weakly and shook her head, covering her face with her hands.

“Oh my, it does sound dumb when I say it out loud. Did I really use to convince myself all of this is true with a straight face?” she snorted, taking a moment to calm down. “I apologize. The woman you married is a bit pathetic, you see.”

“No, don’t apologize. This is exactly what I wanted to hear from you today” Teio took her hands in hers and started gently rubbing her palm with her thumb. “It’s… a special night, and it makes me relieved to see you so honest and vulnerable. It really makes everything feel more real, our marriage and stuff. Fine, we’ll go to France, alright? I’m gonna start booking flights and everything else first thing in the morning.”

“Can’t you move it down one spot on your to-do list? I wish you’d wake me up beforehand. I don’t want you to do all the planning alone…” McQueen had to smile, gazing down at their connected hands. “But also, ah, you must be lying. There’s no way that’s what you want to hear from me on our wedding night instead of… you know… some sweet, tempting nothings as you tightly embrace me.”

“What if I said both of these things would make me equally happy?” the shorter Uma smirked, with a swift gesture shifting her position so she could tower over McQueen as if provoked. “What then, hm?”

“Then I’d nod with a smile and also with relief” the taller of them two wrapped her arms around Teio’s neck, more than ready to wrap her legs around her body as well. “For that much vulnerability is making me feel uneasy, and I’d hate to feel uneasy on a night such as tonight.”

“You’re lucky that I love you” the Monarch giggled, gently pushing the strap of her lover’s lingerie off of her shoulder. “Your avoidance needs to be studied.”

“It’s not avoidance, I was brutally honest there” the Best Actress rolled her eyes, her tail moving in a nervous excitement. “It’s just not the last time we are going to have an honest conversation, but certainly the last time we’re going to have our first night together after getting married. I can be vulnerable any other time, but today I want to make… different… memories.”

“True, true. Can’t argue with this…” Teio let out another chuckle and put her head on McQueen’s chest, waiting for her to do another move.

“I have one more request, though” McQueen firmly resisted, wanting to set her priorities straight “Take that plushie of yours off the bed, please. I don’t want president staring at me while I am in your arms.”

“You’re a meanie…” the other woman grumbled, but she obediently fulfilled her request by sitting the Rudolf plushie on the floor and making her face the door. “I don’t get why you have an issue with it. Your stuffed carrot is literally still here.”

“Teio dearest, my stuffed carrot doesn’t have eyes to look at us.”

“It does! It’s literally its whole appeal, you said it yourself!”

“And it also doesn’t resemble any real Umamusume we know…”

McQueen laughed cutely when Teio angrily looked away due to running out of arguments, pulling her closer so she could nuzzle into her neck. All the upset and sadness she has felt just half of an hour before have completely disappeared, because the atmosphere right now was just so fun, so comforting. She felt safe like never before, and she’ll continue to feel so until the very end. How reassuring it was, to think they’re going to have many heart-to-heart conversations and then laugh at stupid things together every day from now on. She might not remember much from her wedding, but she could remember, and feel, and experience that she is so very lucky. It made her whole chest warm.

…So that’s the happiness of being married, huh? Little McQueen probably would never believe that.

•••

“I’m home!” McQueen found herself shouting slightly too cheerfully, though she believed she could hardly be blamed. “Are you still awake, Teio?”

Upon not receiving a response, she assumed that the reply to her question was a no and so she sighed heavily, her smile turning a little sad. She was looking forward to spending some quality time together with Teio in order to unwind, but there was no point in being upset about her being asleep. She expected it would be the case, as she happened to be back very late at night — it was only natural that Teio, especially with her demanding job, wouldn’t be up to wait for her. Well, and she told her not to bother herself with waiting, too. She may be really greedy when it comes to craving affection, but the well-being of her beloved was her top priority, so she will have to find a way to ease the tension she’s been feeling all day on her own. Thinking so, she took her shoes off and neatly placed them on their designated place.

The plans she had for today were completely different, but right as she woke up she was abruptly called to her residence (ah, she doesn’t live there anymore. She should stop calling it hers), informed by Ryan that grandmother is not feeling well. That mere information was enough to make her heartbeat spike and so Teio could see her dressing up in a hurry, her shaky hands barely able to button up her coat properly. First and foremost, she was obviously worried about her grandma’s health, but there were also other implications that these news were carrying — it was an unspoken agreement that if anything ever happens to the Mejiro matriarch, McQueen would swiftly take over her place. She wasn’t even the next in line, but one would have to be blind not to notice how favored she was and how the head of the family already chose her as the best candidate to further lead their clan forward, to let the next generations conquer the Spring Tenno Sho. That was her ultimate duty and even though she didn't think about it lately, fully indulging herself in the wonders of her married life, it was always there, in the back of her head. Right now her life was calm and peaceful, but that would change in an instant if she were to take over the family. She wasn’t a little girl anymore and hasn’t been one for a long time, but she was still afraid of how things might be like when her grandma passes away. Frightened, she kept on pushing that thought away and didn't let it linger in her mind for too long, knowing that she’ll inevitably spiral if she were to consider all the possibilities.

Grandmother just couldn’t die yet, simple as that.

And, thankfully, she wasn’t going to anytime soon, because what Ryan had told her turned out to be a false alarm. When McQueen got there, the woman’s condition had already stabilized, causing her granddaughter to breathe out in relief and tear up a bit. It was such a scare that it left her uneasy for the rest of the day, but she was glad that everything ended up being alright. She still stayed with the rest of her family for the entire day, sorting out the matters that would otherwise caught up with her any other time, but ultimately she was allowed to be driven home and return to her miracle. She missed her so stupidly much. She didn’t even get to kiss her goodbye before leaving, let alone have a proper conversation. That was why she looked forward to making up for it in the evening, but what can she do? Just getting to lie down next to Teio and hug her in her sleep, taking in her warmth and her scent was enough, too. It only mattered that she had her close. It was always what mattered the most.

She didn’t even get to change clothes when she noticed a trail of light coming out from the kitchen. She frowned and led her steps there, wanting to investigate the reason. Did Teio forget to turn the light off for the night? Maybe they didn’t exactly struggle financially, but it was still irresponsible of her and she’ll have to scold her in the morning. To her surprise, though, when she entered their kitchen’s dining area, she was immediately greeted with the sight of Teio swinging from side to side while finishing cooking, not even noticing that she’s not alone in the flat anymore. McQueen blinked a few times, not expecting that sight in the slightest.

“...Teio?” she finally spoke up, keeping her voice quiet not to startle her too much. “I thought you were asleep.”

“McQueen!” Teio flinched at the sudden sound, but it didn't make her smile at the sight of McQueen’s face any less. She put down the plate she was holding and spun around, her tail happily wagging (Just as if she was a puppy and not an Umamusume, McQueen thought). “Hi! Sorry, I didn’t hear you opening the door. Were you standing there for long?”

“No, I just came back” McQueen shook her head and walked up closer, putting her hands on Teio’s shoulders. “Why are you still up? I told you not to wait for me. You have to get up in the morning.”

“I took a nap earlier in the evening. I’ll be fine!” protested her wife, leaning into McQueen’s embrace. “I just couldn't fall asleep without you nearby. It felt so lonely like that.”

“Aww, you really missed me that much?” the older woman chuckled and flicked the other’s forehead, her features instantly softening. “How clingy you are. I wasn’t even away for that long. Though I suppose it doesn't matter as long as you won't complain in the morning about not wanting to get up for work…”

“I would never do that! I take my responsibilities as a trainer very seriously, you see!” the younger Umamusume put her hand to her chest to put an accent on her words, smiling confidently. “Besides, it’s not like I wasted time lazing around. I made you dinner!”

“You’re way too thoughtful of me. Doing all that even though you must be tired after a long day at work…” McQueen ruffled her hair and looked at her lovingly, immediately feeling cleansed from all the stress she’s been going through today. “What’s that you’ve cooked, huh?”

“No telling yet! You need to change first! It wouldn't be nice if you accidentally stained your dress with sauce, right?” Teio chuckled and pushed her out of the kitchen. “And it’s not a problem for me. I don’t see my job as tiring! I’m more than fine to lend you a hand in household chores sometimes!”

McQueen replied with a chuckle of her own and obediently entered their bedroom, opening the closet to change into her night gown. Maybe Teio was right. She kept on saying that her job doesn’t tire her out at all and that it’s actually very fulfilling, that getting to guide these young girls to greatness is the only thing that makes her not upset because of the fact she can’t race anymore, but McQueen still insisted to be the one taking care of all the household matters. She was the one who was mostly at home, so she should be contributing more and it was final. She learned to cook throughout the years and the sight of Teio lighting up upon tasting the dinner she made for her was always the highlight of her day, but since she was the one who was busier today… Ah, it probably was fine to let Teio take the charge for once. She smiled at the thought of being so loved as she let her hair down and finally went back to the kitchen, not forgetting to bring her laptop along with her (just because she wasn’t home today doesn't mean that all her work suddenly disappeared, after all).

“Oh, you’re back already? Here you go, then!” as soon as she sat down by the dining table, Teio made another overexaggerated spin and put the dinner plate in front of her. “My own rendition of the Deluxe Carrot Steak, presented to you by your one and only Tokai Teio!”

“Ah!” McQueen clapped her hands and smiled widely, taken aback at the size of the portion she’s just been served. “Mm, it already smells so nice. I’m sure it will be very tasty, too~”

“Tee-hee, it better be! I made it with love, after all!” the shorter Uma beamed, proudly putting her hands on her hips. “I saw Spe posting on her Umastagram that Suzuka did one for her recently, so I got inspired and decided to cook one with my own little tweaks for you too. Golshi tried to hijack the recipe by suggesting her own ideas when I asked about that on our groupchat, but don’t worry, I didn’t listen to her. You’re safe to eat.”

“You didn’t have to add that, you know… I would’ve probably gone about my day without knowing that last part…” the taller of the two chuckled, taking a bite out of the steak while turning the laptop on. “...It’s so sweet. You added honey, didn’t you?”

“Obviously!” Teio grinned, sitting on the chair next to her. “But that doesn’t ruin the experience, I hope?”

“No, no, it doesn’t. Quite the contrary. It might be the tastiest steak I’ve ever eaten…” McQueen nommed on her fork, trying to still have some dignity and not consume the whole meal in the span of two minutes. “Hehe. Certainly because of the sprinkle of love you’ve added there, I’m sure~”

“Yippee! I’m glad to hear that!” her partner cheerfully tilted her head to the side, which made McQueen fully melt. It was so cute how she was still reacting so strongly to the silliest of things despite her already mature age, the things she’s been through and her serious occupation (though, looking at their own trainer, one could probably argue whether or not Tracen’s staff truly is that serious). She was just so, so lovely. “Especially since I didn’t taste test it…”

“Ah, but what's with doubting yourself?” the other woman asked, taking a bite out of the carrot this time. “There’s no way invincible Teio could possibly mess up cooking a dinner, right?”

“...Right!” said invincible Umamusume’s eyes lightened up when she heard that, as it always happened whenever she got praised. “You get it, obviously!”

They both laughed and then proceeded to sit together in silence, McQueen calmly eating and Teio staring at her with love. It was only when McQueen typed her password on the keyboard and opened her barely touched document that Teio spoke up, looking over her shoulder.

“You’re really going to work now, when you were nagging me about getting proper rest just a moment before?” she asked disapprovingly. “It’s almost 2AM.”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t have to wake up at 5AM…” reminded her McQueen, her eyes still focused on the laptop’s screen. “I’m not going to stay up for long, I promise. I just want to finish the script for my next video.”

“Mhmmm… Since you say so…” Teio winced, but she didn’t try to argue further and just rested her head on McQueen's shoulder. “What are you working on right now anyways?”

“I’ve been frequently asked about reviewing the movie about Jungle Pocket-san, Agnes Tachyon-san, Manhattan Cafe-san and Dantsu Flame-san that has aired recently” explained her wife, absent-mindedly lifting her free hand up to scratch Teio behind the ears. “It’s called Beginning of the New Era. You’ve probably heard about it, I’m sure. It became a big hit amongst both Umamusume racing fans and non-fans alike.”

“Oh, this one, huh?” the other woman grinned at the touch, trying to appear nonchalant when she leaned in for more (she wasn’t nonchalant in the slightest, they both knew that). “I think I saw some snippets. So, what do you think about it? Is it as good as everyone says?”

“Well, objectively it is a good movie. There’s no point in me denying that” McQueen cleared her throat, scrolling the scattered notes she'd written down in the document the day before. “Subjectively, however… Let’s say I have some controversial opinions the general public might not agree with.”

“No way, really?” Teio chuckled at the thought. “Is my dear wife going to become viral and controversial?”

“Ah, but they’re not controversial to the point of me becoming a media sensation…!” the older Umamusume quickly defended herself. “I don’t think so, at least. Those are just a few small details that I personally am critical of, so I don’t believe it is enough to spark an actual controversy. I’m not going to pretend I don’t see them for the sake of appealing to everyone, though. It’s not what I started my channel for.”

“So I won’t have to defend you from haters?”

“No, you won’t have to. Besides, I’m more than sure that I would be able to defend myself just equally as well” McQueen snorted, unable to contain herself. “I don’t know how well my essay will be received among people who stumble into it for the first time, but I’m sure my usual audience won’t mind whatever I have to say. Not once and not twice was I praised for my boldness in words and opinions and told that it’s making my videos entertaining to watch, so there’s no reason for me to believe this time it will be any different.”

She smiled softly at the thought of all the kind comments she’s gotten during her relatively short UmaTube career, subconsciously twirling her hair around her finger. She was really anxious when she was setting it up for the first time, not used to talking about her hobbies so openly, but her videos just somehow happened to blow up both in the circles of people who knew her from her racing career and those who were hearing about her for the first time. With everyone’s support, it made her realize what she didn’t let herself accept before — her burning passion for movies was recognized, her opinions were valued, and people wanted to listen to her even when it wasn’t anything connected to racing. Slowly but surely her face began appearing less tense in the camera and her sentences became more confident, which eventually led to her getting offered an actual job in the industry. It was more than she could ever dream of, and so it turned her into someone who doesn’t want to conform anymore. Mejiro McQueen, on her channel and Umatterboxd account known as PasserbyM, was a changed woman and she finally wasn’t ashamed of her interests, after so long of hiding them deep in her heart and not letting anyone see that they might not be as lady-like as one could expect from a Mejiro heiress. Definitely, living like this made her much happier — and based on Teio’s stare and the smile she gave her, she was happy of her beloved’s progress as well.

“I hope it’ll be received well, then” her words, mumbled through her elbows covering half of her face due to the way she rested her head on them, only confirmed it further. “You have to spoil me with something nice when your UmaTube revenue comes.”

“Oh, you greedy girl…!” McQueen giggled, tugging on Teio’s white streak to tease her. “You’re really lucky that I love you and that I would do absolutely anything for you. If it were otherwise, I don’t think I could forgive you for being spoiled so rotten.”

“Come on, I’m not spoiled! This is a reasonable request! As you probably could guess because of the guy that used to train us in the past, a trainer’s salary is not that high…” Teio joked, pulling McQueen’s hand away from her hair and kissing her palm instead. “Besides, even if I was, then you’re fully responsible for that.”

“True, that’s true. I think of you way too fondly not to let you get away with everything…” the older woman couldn’t argue with that, leaning in so she could kiss Teio on the cheek in response. “And I’m afraid that this time will not be any different. As soon as I get paid, I’ll get you anything you want, I promise. Do you have anything special in mind?”

“Not yet! I’ll have to think about it!” her wife spread out her arms, finally getting up from the chair. “Well, but since we have it settled now, then probably it’s time I’ll let you write your big hit script in peace! I’m getting kinda sleepy again, so I’ll listen to your advice and go to sleep, I guess~ Goodnight!”

“Goodnight, honey” McQueen gave her a last loving smile and waved her goodbye. “Sleep well. I’ll join you in bed shortly.”

She kept on smiling for as long as she could hear the sound of Teio’s footsteps resounding in the house, and her expression only dropped to a more absent one when everything became quiet again. Her fingers began quickly moving on the keyboard as she started writing, once in a while stopping to take another bite of the food. Soon enough, however, she noticed that while the meal was swiftly disappearing from her plate, the amount of words that appeared in the document isn’t in any way proportional to the time she’s already spent there and, to add on top of this, her thoughts preferred to drift towards Teio and her presence rather than her work. Amused by her own inability to focus, McQueen sighed and obediently stood up from her seat, closing the laptop with one hand.

There was no point in trying to work tonight, it seems. In the end, she’s still gotten too little interactions with her wife tonight to actually be able to function like a proper person. It’s fine, though. She’ll just have to get up earlier in the morning is all. That was a fair price in exchange for the warmth Teio could give her right now.

She quietly opened their bedroom door, not wanting to wake Teio up in case she’s already fallen asleep. It turned out to actually be the case, and so she couldn’t help but lift the corners of her lips up again. It was always the sweetest sight ever, to look at her cool and confident partner sleeping soundly while clinging to the (previously established, unchanging in its presence) enormous stuffed Rudolf. If not for the fact that the number of photos she’s taken of Teio while she wasn’t looking was already pretty concerning and taking up half of her gallery, she’d certainly snap another one right here and now. Instead, she only crouched next to her and took the plushie out of her arms, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“My bad, Emperor-sama” she whispered, subconsciously placing her face turned to the wall. “I didn’t mean to deprave you from your place on purpose, you see. I just want to be the little spoon today.”

Just like she said, she carefully inserted herself into Teio’s embrace and wrapped her arms around her back as well, pulling her closer. Teio didn’t even seem to notice the change, so McQueen chuckled and put her head on her chest, taking in her steady heartbeat. This was exactly the place she wanted to be in. If it were up to her, she’d rather not move from her current spot at all for the rest of her life.

Teio’s body heat was so warm, so comforting. She’s already been feeling better since their first talk today, but right now was just when she fully relaxed. Her breathing evened out as she closed her eyes, tucking her legs up just a little.

“Thank you, Teio” suddenly escaped her mouth and she herself wasn’t sure if she actually wanted to convey that to her, or if she was simply mumbling to herself. “I’m grateful that you always take such good care of me.”

Teio grunted at the sound of her words, but she didn’t wake up and just hugged her tighter through her sleep. McQueen reacted to it with a fond smile, holding the back of her head with her hand and placing a kiss on her forehead.

She was being spoiled, loved, appreciated and taken care of. Now, her recharge for the next day full of work could finally start. With how much Teio loved her, it was no doubt she’ll wake up in the morning with sparkling eyes and a bright expression on her face.

•••

Mornings, McQueen decided, were probably the best part of their daily routine. Afternoons and evenings were nice too, but one was already lacking energy when it was nearing the end of the day. They were nice for cuddling and snuggling, but not for appreciating how beautiful the mundane life can be, if it made sense to anyone. That was a part of why she just could never imagine herself waking up in a bad mood, no matter what happens.

She probably could be considered a morning person ever since she was a child, always getting up early to have more time for training. This habit didn’t leave her even in her retirement and she still kept on getting up alongside the first rays of sun, the same moment Teio was waking up as well. Coincidentally, they always happened to sit up in the bed at the same time and so the first sound they could hear in the morning (cut for Teio’s alarm clock, but that was a taken) was their laughter as they stared at each other, their fingers intertwining. Depending on the day and which one of them was in more pain due to their past injuries suddenly wanting to remind them of ourselves, it was either Teio helping McQueen or McQueen helping Teio to get up from the bed, leading the other by the hand and helping her stand on the cold floor. When they were both already up and about, they were heading to the bathroom to do their morning routine, McQueen obligatorily leaning her head against Teio’s shoulder while brushing her teeth and staring at their faces in the mirror. It was only after they got done that they parted ways, Teio back to the bedroom so she can dress up and McQueen to the kitchen to make breakfast. After around half of an hour, they were back to being together as Teio finally joined her wife for the meal, thanking her with a sunny smile and chatting with her for another twenty minutes or so. Upon finishing the breakfast, it was time for her to leave for work and so she always tip-toed to kiss McQueen’s forehead, and then her lips whenever the other made a sad pout, reassuring her that she’s gonna be back soon. Now alone in their flat, McQueen could dress up as well and proceed to do her own work, either recording a video essay or engulfing herself in writing, whether it’s a script for future videos or a written review she’s just been commissioned for. This has been their routine for the longest of time and she’s gotten completely used to it with no way to imagine it ever changing — so one could easily predict her surprise when today, for some reason, their morning didn’t go along according to their unspoken plan.

She could sense that something was wrong when Teio didn’t get up after her alarm went off, turning it off with a groan and switching to another side instead. McQueen didn’t comment on it at first, thinking to herself that well, maybe Teio really needs those extra five minutes of sleep once in a while, but eventually said five minutes started to feel a little too long — which immediately made her raise an eyebrow. Concerned, she sat up and looked over at her wife, staring at the brown curls covering her squirming face.

“You’re not getting up, Teio?” she asked. “You’re going to be late for work at this pace.”

“I don’t wanna…” Teio mumbled and covered her head with the blanket. “Let me sleep.”

It only served to make McQueen worry more, because not once after getting her position Teio complained about having to work. It was more than obvious that she loved her job and her trainees loved her too, always shouting that she’s so awesome and becoming a cause of jealousy for other young Umas that also wanted to be trained by the Miracle Monarch herself. Teio willingly wanting to neglect her trainees certainly was out of the ordinary, and McQueen would rather die than brush it off like it’s nothing. She bit her lip and pulled the blanket away from the other’s face, leaning over her so their foreheads could touch.

“...Ah. I see” she sighed when she realized that Teio’s temperature was much higher than it should be. “You’re burning up.”

“U-Ugh…” Teio blushed upon unexpectedly being in such a close proximity with McQueen, though her embarrassment at least made her eyes get a slightly more coherent look in them. “...You’re still checking for a fever the same way you did when we were in Tracen, huh? And you keep on making me blush all the same… You could at least go easy on me when you see that I’m not feeling well.”

“My bad, I didn’t mean to stress you out further. I assumed you’re going to take it lighter now that we are married” McQueen shook her head and pulled away, putting her hand on Teio’s cheek instead. “Don’t worry, I’ll certainly go easy on you today. Firstly, I’m taking back my claim from a few minutes before. I definitely won’t allow you to go to work like this.”

“Not that I wanted to anyways…” her wife let out a tired exhale and reached for her phone, through squinted eyes trying to type a comprehensible message. “I’ll just text Point and Sucre that they’re having an emergency free day today. I hope Sucre won’t get too mad at me falling sick so close to her Classics…”

“I’m certain she won’t” the other woman smiled softly, brushing Teio’s bangs away from her burning hot forehead and placing a kiss there in order to bring her at least a bit of refreshing coldness. “It’s not like you got sick on purpose. Besides, from what you’ve told me about them, they both sound like they love you so much. Surely they’d hate to hear that their trainer is neglecting her health for their sake.”

“Yeah, I know. They’re too sweet to me…” the younger of the two weakly lifted the corners of her lips up, pressing her phone to her chest. “And you’re way too sweet to me, too. I’m literally such a mess today, and you still feel like cuddling. Ugh, my hair is so sweaty from this dumb fever…! It’s so annoying…”

“Well, you’re also my wife. I’m afraid it pretty much outweighs you being a mess” the older Uma snorted. “...You know what? Let’s take a bath together.”

“...What?” Teio snapped her eyes open, most likely trying to figure out whether what she just heard is a product of her feverish delusions or not.

“Why are you looking at me like I said something weird? Can’t I take a bath with my dearest wife anymore?” McQueen pouted slightly, putting her finger to her cheek to appear cuter and, therefore, more convincing. “There’s not a thing a lukewarm bath couldn’t help. It’ll help in cooling down your fever, it reduces joint pain, and I’m also sure that you’re going to feel much better upon washing your hair and getting to refresh a bit. You can’t say no to that, can you?”

“No, I guess I can’t…” her partner didn’t even try to argue with her anymore, just let out a tired exhale and put her hand to her forehead. “I didn’t say anything about my joints hurting today, though.”

“You didn’t have to. I can see your legs twitching just fine, you know.”

“Oh…” Teio immediately looked down, smiling in embarrassment when she noticed that the shaking of her knees was visible even through the blanket. “...You know me way too well, huh.”

“It would be a cause for more concern if I didn’t after all the time we’ve spent together” McQueen pointed out, grabbing her face to make her look her in the eyes again. “Allow me to make you feel all better, then?”

“You still feel like asking for an answer? I thought you’ve already coerced it on me” the shorter woman chuckled wearily. “Yeah, you can do whatever. You know what's best for me far better than I do anyways.”

“Hehe, is that so? I’m glad you hold my opinions in such a high regard” the taller Umamusume replied with a chuckle back, though a glimpse of honest gratitude could be easily seen in her eyes. “Very well, I’ll go prepare a bath. Oh, but I guess it’d be nice if you took your medicine now, right? Then I’ll make you tea first, so you could take your time while I get everything do—”

“McQueen” Teio gently pushed her arm away when her rambling started getting increasingly (and subconsciously) faster and more worried, stopping her from fully propping her up against the pillows. “Calm down a little, won’t ya? It’s just a cold, I’m not dying. You don’t need to be so overprotective.”

McQueen looked down like a scolded puppy, tightening her fingers on her knees. Well, there was just as much as she was able to do about that. Being a chronic worrier was simply in her nature, which should be obvious by how often her eyebrows were furrowing in concern even when the situation didn’t need them to. And, besides—

Thanks to Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross’s feats the claim of “gray Umamusume do not race well” has long been since disproved and her own achievements were enough to make everyone who used to think so embarrassed because of their unfair words, but proving themselves to be good racers didn’t make all the biological disadvantages of carrying gray genes suddenly disappear. She wasn’t as sickly as she was when she was a child anymore, but drastic weather changes could very easily put her in bed even after all this time. Not once and not twice did she wake up groaning, pressing her hand to her forehead and immediately getting met with both the heat of her skin and the weakness of her body — and Teio was there by her side every single time, looking at her with those caring eyes and an understanding smile. Even though she didn’t have to, she was always taking a day off just to stay by her bedside in case she’d need something, not caring in the slightest about the fact that McQueen always ends up sleeping through the whole day and curling up on the other side of the bed in order not to spread any sickness she caught, something she could very well do alone with no one besides her. Whenever McQueen was waking up in her feverish haze, choking on her own weak coughs and squirming because of the pain in her chest, Teio’s hand was always there on her cheek, her thumb gently caressing her skin. And God, even if she was feeling like absolute shit, (Three Goddesses forgive her for her vulgar language) Teio’s touch was her much needed momentary distraction, one that she perhaps required to get better sooner.

Obviously, when the roles were reversed and it was now Teio who’s staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes and cheeks flushed red, she wanted to return the favor. Because she loved her wife the most in the world, because her kindness should be repaid, and because sometimes she still felt as if she’s lacking in the care department. Those were some absurd thoughts, she knew that very well, she was caring for Teio just fine and never were her feelings false or dishonest, but that was also connected to her omnipresent feeling of worry that started eating her up from the inside over the years. Whenever she saw Teio getting up from the bed in the middle of the night and wincing, her hand touching her previously fractured leg for a split second, for the whole duration of Teio being absent in the kitchen or the toilet she was staring at the empty space beside her and biting her lip, her thoughts coming back to their teenage days. She was doing what she could, showing care in her own special way that Teio always understood as perhaps the only one in the world, but an occasional “Maybe I should have done more back then” was still crossing her mind in moments like these. She wasn’t able to change what happened and she wasn’t able to ease Teio’s past pain, so thinking back on what would’ve been the right thing to do would only serve to make her unreasonably needlessly sad when the clock was striking 3AM in the background, and all her doubts were also immediately disappearing whenever Teio was sliding back under the covers and hugging her so they can fall asleep together again. Maybe it was the remnants of her late night guilt-like musings that made her act so overprotective today, determined to make up for all the times she might’ve been too distant and too withdrawn in the times when Teio needed her the most. Ashamed, her eyes escaped to the side and her ears dropped down, making her realize that she might be getting too carried over.

“My apologies” she finally whispered. “I didn’t want to force myself on you.”

“Not what I meant. You’re not forcing myself on me. I didn’t say that, did I?” Teio shook her head and put her hand on the other’s cheek, her smile still so bright and hopeful despite her current state. “I just don’t want you to stress over it too much, or else you’ll get a headache and it’ll end up with us both dying in bed unable to do anything. I don’t think that’d be very nice.”

“Yeah, I know, but…” McQueen bit the inside of her cheek, still avoiding looking up. “I just want you to get better soon. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“You don’t have to worry that much about it, ‘kay?” the younger Uma weakly sat up and rubbed her face against her partner’s, her tail paradoxically wagging much faster than it currently should. “Surely I’ll be good as new tomorrow, because I have my lovely wife taking care of me!”

“Ah, you…!” the older of the two sighed in exasperation, but ultimately she couldn’t stop a chuckle from leaving her mouth. “Fine, fine, you got me. I promise to calm down a bit. But I’ll go make you tea still, alright?”

Her hand went to scratch Teio’s ears as she got up, leading her quickly paced steps to the kitchen. A sigh managed to finally escape her mouth (and maybe even her lungs with how deep it was) when she poured water into the kettle, and she remained looking rather somber for the whole time before it boiled up. It was a miracle that she didn’t spill the water all over the countertop while she was preparing the tea due to how lost in her thoughts she was, but in the end she was able to prepare it without many difficulties (it would be a heavy hit for her honor if she messed such a simple thing up, especially with how much of a tea lover she was). Her features only ever eased when she reached for the jar of honey placed under their kitchen utensils and added two spoons of it into the drink, knowing that Teio’s face will surely brighten up when she gets to feel the sweet taste. She reached out for the medicine from one of the other shelves and neatly placed it all on a tray, doing her best to make it look all clean and nice for her own satisfaction (because Teio probably couldn’t care less about it right now). After she finished, she brushed through her bangs to pull herself together and went back to their bedroom, sitting on the bedside so she could carefully slide the tray onto Teio’s lap.

Teio thanked her by giving her a weak nod and a faint smile, and she just couldn't help herself but brush her bangs away to kiss her on the forehead once again. Maybe it was her ever-growing worry, or maybe Teio’s temperature really did go up due to how much heat she was now emitting, but whatever was the case, it convinced her to (sadly!) pull away from her wife at last and actually go to the bathroom to prepare the bath she promised. She leaned over the bathtub to turn on the faucet, changing from hot to cold water several times to make sure it’s perfectly lukewarm just as it should be. Upon checking it with her hand enough times, she stood up once again and froze, staring inside the bathtub with sudden realization in her eyes.

…They never really showered together, much less took a bath.

Hm. Yeah, when one put it like that, it made sense why Teio reacted to her proposition so strongly. Looking back at it now, McQueen had no idea why it seemed so natural to her to suggest it at that moment. They had their fair share of intimate moments, but they just never… got a chance to bathe together, somehow. Teio was coming home late and usually just took a quick shower before going to sleep, which left McQueen able to take her favorite, hour-long bath in a flower-scented water — alone. It made her realize that she has no idea how they should even begin, but backing away from her proposition now would be pretty unfair — so she just swallowed loudly and pushed her worries away, beginning to unbutton her night dress. It had to happen one day, and today is an opportunity as good as any other. Hyping herself up like this, McQueen folded her clothes and laid them on top of the washing machine before finally getting into the bathtub and curling up in the corner of it.

Well, it certainly’s going to be less awkward if she just gets there first… Most likely.

“Teio?” she shouted, thanking herself for not closing the bathroom door fully. “Everything’s ready now! You can come if you’re finished!”

It didn’t take Teio long to reply to her shout and she slid inside the bathroom soon enough, tightly gripping the handle for support. McQueen eased the position of her legs and smiled at the sight, wanting to make herself look more inviting and less stressed out. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, before Teio finally smiled back and looked down, taking a few steps closer and starting to take her clothes off as well. McQueen adored her body for what felt like forever, finding her as beautiful as always, and she only snapped out of her haze when Teio sat on the edge to get inside as well. She gave her hand to make it more comfortable for her and immediately cradled her closer to herself, resting her chin on top of Teio’s head.

“Gosh,” Teio let out an exhale, letting herself get fully consumed both by McQueen’s embrace and the water, “It sure does feel nice.”

“I told you, didn’t I?” McQueen started playing with her hair, kissing the spot in between her ears. “It’s going to get cold very soon, so you should enjoy the feeling while it lasts.”

Not wanting to waste time, she grabbed the nearby bottle of shampoo and poured a bit onto her hands. It felt nice on the skin and she really liked this brand, although the latter mostly came from the fact Teio once starred in one of their advertisements. The sight of her wife’s face on every single billboard around was enough to make McQueen’s heart skip a beat, especially since that time said billboards weren’t talking about her suffering or the unfortunate fate like they often used to during her career, and it was also enough to make her cave in and invest in five bottles of the advertised shampoo. Teio laughed when she saw her coming back with the shopping bag, telling her that she hopes the image of her mighty face was able to spark such a reaction in others as well, and ultimately they never switched back to any other brand. She lifted the corners of her lips up at the memory and rubbed the shampoo onto Teio’s beautiful hair and her soft tail.

When she finished, she switched to bath foam and began to gently massage Teio’s shoulders, moving her hands around to caress her back afterwards. Her skin was as soft as ever, which made the act of taking care of her an even bigger pleasure. Unable to contain herself, McQueen cupped a bit of water inside her hands and used it to wash the bath foam’s remains off of Teio’s left shoulder so she could place a passionate kiss there. Perhaps she indulged in tasting her skin slightly too much, though, because Teio immediately flinched and squirmed, curling up tighter.

“Oh, did I go too far?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Teio’s waist. “Hehe, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. Whenever I look at you, I just want to adore you and your body every waking hour.”

“It’s just kinda embarrassing, having you do everything for me…” Teio snorted and splashed her flushed face with the water from her hands, which immediately made her breathe out a sigh of relief. “I get that we’re bathing together and stuff, but I could still wash myself just fine.”

“I know that you could. You’re my invincible Teio, after all” McQueen lowered her hands, running her index finger down Teio’s thigh. “But that’s solely because you’re so strong and amazing in our everyday life that I want to take care of you now. My miracle deserves to be spoiled rotten when she’s not feeling well, right?”

“Mm. I guess…” the shorter woman let out a quiet noise and instinctively pressed her head against the other’s chest, which made her partner chuckle again.

“Now, don’t pout so much and just let me finish my job” the taller Uma hummed, kissing her forehead and gladly noticing that her temperature seemed to go down a bit. “You said yourself that I know what's best for you, isn’t that right?”

Teio sighed in exasperation in response, deciding not to argue any further. They spent a few more minutes like that, not moving even for a millimeter, before McQueen announced that the water’s getting too cold for her liking. She got out of the bathtub in a swift gesture and once more reached her hand out for Teio to grab, having to physically restrain herself from picking her up in a bridal carry and simply kissing her all over. She was more than ready to throw a towel onto her hair and start drying it a little, but before she managed to get it, her arm stopped mid-motion. What caught her eye was the sight of them standing together visible in the mirror — and it was impossible for her not to smile.

Retirement did them very well, and they’ve changed quite a bit since their racing days. Teio, while still on the slimmer and smaller side (much to her dismay), turned out to be one of the most handsome Umas one could ever meet, which was being repeatedly proven by her winning the annual online Which Umamusume is most ikemen-like? contest every single time. Her brown curls, albeit shorter than they used to be, were making a perfect match with her sunkissed skin and cheeks and shoulders covered in freckles — and it was only her honest blue eyes that never changed, still reflecting all the beauty of this world in them. McQueen herself ended up getting a bit chubbier, but as a person who finally learned how to enjoy eating without shame, she couldn't care less about that. Due to her genetics, her hair became paler and her skin developed more white markings, but that also didn’t pose a problem, because the dimples appearing whenever she smiled were making up for all her imperfections. They completed each other’s looks perfectly, and it hit her thrice as much when she saw them like that right now — so she tightly hugged Teio again, their tails immediately intertwining.

“You’re so stunning, you know that?” she whispered, more emotional than she intended to be. “...Well, obviously you do. Silly of me to assume otherwise.”

“Am I still stunning even when I’m a feverish mess that can barely stand?” Teio chuckled weakly while putting her hand to her forehead, although it was certainly more light-hearted and teasing than self-deprecating.

“Even when you’re a feverish mess that can barely stand” McQueen nodded, grabbing her wrist and moving forward to kiss her neck. “Because you’re my mess that is just so hard-working and amazing, and that only I get to see like this. My beloved Teio, mine and mine only!”

Her wife laughed at her kisses and without any complaints let her do whatever she wanted, so they stood there for a while, their heartbeats the only sound audible. McQueen would gladly stay like this for eternity, but Teio’s health was ultimately her biggest priority and so she finally decided to move, passing Teio her clothes so she could dress back up and putting on her night dress — well, maybe she doesn’t really need to change into anything else. Maybe they can just have their lazy day today — herself. When they were both finished, she plugged the hairdryer in and sat Teio on the toilet, starting to dry her hair. They chatted about various things in the meantime for a good few minutes, before McQueen finally decided she was all done and softly smiled.

“You seem much less absent now” she noticed, caressing Teio’s cheek with her hand. “I assume I can take it as you feeling better, huh?”

“Yeah, the bath really helped” Teio nodded, giving her a smile back. “Thanks, McQueen. At least I can go back to preparing a training schedule for the girls n—”

“Oh no, you absolutely can’t” McQueen shushed her by placing a finger on her lips. “You’re going back to bed and taking it easy today. We can even cuddle and do nothing all day, but I won’t allow you to pick up any of your work matters today under any circumstances. You hear me?”

“Ugh… Fine…” the younger Uma sighed, faceplanting onto her partner’s chest with a sigh. “It’s not even that mentally taxing, but sure, okay. Whatever you say, McQueen-sama.”

“Glad that we came to an agreement” the older woman chuckled, lifting the other up from her seat by embracing her in the waist. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Whatever you do is fine with me” Teio finally got to stand up on her own, straightening the ruffles on her shirt a little. “I don’t particularly crave anything right now.”

“I’ll make you an oatmeal, then” McQueen let go of her and gave her a last look before leaving the bathroom. “Don’t fall asleep on me, alright?”

“I won’t, I won’t. No worries.”

McQueen hummed in acknowledgment and once again went to the kitchen in order to prepare the meal. She spun around while making it a few times, wanting to pass the few minutes she had to wait for it to get done, and then tried her best to make it look as aesthetically pleasant as possible. She got better in making her meals look pretty, she noticed as she cut some fruits into pieces, and that was certainly an achievement she should be proud of. It put her in an even greater mood, so when she came back to Teio, her eyes were sparkling ever-so-brightly.

“I’m back!” she announced, sitting on the bedside and placing the bowl on Teio’s lap. Seeing as Teio was smiling at her phone, she curiously looked over her shoulder. “What are you smiling at?”

“Look at what I’ve got” Teio passed her her phone, taking the bowl into her hands instead. “Pfft… I wonder if trainer was feeling the same way whenever he looked at our shenanigans back then.”

“We’ve decided to still train on our own (with this guy’s help) to make you proud, Teio-san! Get well soon! We miss you a lot!!” McQueen read out loud the message on the screen before looking at the attached photo and as soon as she got to see Sucre peace-signing to camera and Point doing a thumbs-up while pinning Spica’s former trainer to the ground with her shoe in the back, she had to smile as well. “Oh, that’s so sweet. They love you so much.”

“I know, right? They’re the sweetest girls ever. I’m glad I can be the one training them…” the trainer chuckled fondly, putting a spoon to her mouth. “Well, since I’m receiving such requests, it’s only fair that I really do get well soon. Can’t keep my lovely trainees waiting for too long, yeah?”

“Mhm, that’s true. I can tell everyone at Tracen is already longing to have your sparkle back” the taller of the two lifted the corners of her lips up and cradled her lover closer, leaning her cheek against the top of her head. “Do your best not to disappoint them, my dear miracle.”

Teio grinned brightly at her gesture, though she quickly realized something and pushed her away.

“Hold on, now that I think about it,” she protested, “I’m not sure you should be clinging to me so much. You’ll get sick too.”

“I don’t care” McQueen shook her head, taking her free hand in hers. “You’re more important to me. And even if I do, then I have you to nurse me back to health like you always do, so I’m not afraid.”

“Do you really want us both to be sick and stuck in bed for a week or so when it happens?” Teio shrugged, yet still laughed. “That’s not very romantic, McQueen.”

“Ah, you think so? But I’m convinced that it is” the older Umamusume clasped her fingers around her wife’s hand even tighter. “After all, we’d be stuck in bed together.”

“You…” the younger woman rolled her eyes and snorted, doing the same with her own fingers. “...Whatever. Just don’t come crying to me when you start coughing up a lung again.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m only kidding, yes?” her wife kissed her on the lips to prevent her from complaining more. “But don’t make me get away from you, or I’ll be really sad. Taking care of you when you need it is my second favorite thing in the world.”

“Oh, yeah?” Teio swallowed another spoon of the oatmeal. “And what’s the first?”

“Seeing you healthy, happy and thriving, obviously” McQueen took advantage of Teio’s lap currently being free and put her head on it. “...So you better recover quickly for my sake too. More than anything, I want to see you at your best.”

“Ah…” the other Uma put the now empty bowl on the nightstand and smiled, slowly brushing through the woman’s hair. “...I will. I love you.”

McQueen closed her eyes, staying silent for a moment. More than replying, right now she just wanted to take in the closeness of Teio’s body. She was still emitting that feverish warmth and her legs were still trembling, but she could recognize it’s genuinely much better now — which made her glad. It also caused her to finally speak up, her voice coming out quieter than ever.

“I love you too.”

It was hard to tell whether her cheeks got warm from the overwhelming amount of love she felt in her chest, or if perhaps she already managed to catch Teio’s sickness as well.

•••

The train from Tokyo to Kyoto finally arrived at its destination after around three hours, the approaching scenery of the train station shaking McQueen out of her thoughts. With her natural elegance, she stood up from her seat and tapped Teio’s shoulder to wake her up from her nap. Teio blinked a few times and for a second looked like she doesn’t really get what’s happening around her yet, but she immediately smiled when she became awake enough.

“Oh, are we already in Kyoto?” she asked, standing up as well and taking a hold of her backpack. “Time flew by so fast. I slept sooo well.”

“Hehe, I could see. Your sleeping face is as cute as always” McQueen chuckled, immediately grabbing Teio by her free arm so they could hold hands. “In fact, it’s a shame that I even had to wake you up. We cannot afford to be late, though.”

“Where are we even going, actually?” Teio intertwined their fingers together, getting out of the train after her. “You still haven't told me a thing since the morning.”

“I assumed that Kyoto being our destination makes it quite obvious, no?” the taller woman tossed her hair back, descending down the steps to reach the space in the open air. “There’s no other place we could head to than to watch this year’s Spring Tenno Sho.”

Her feet got on the ground as soon as she said that, so she turned around and smiled widely. Teio gasped at the information immediately, which made a chuckle escape McQueen’s lips. Obviously, she knew she'd react this way. That was exactly why she didn’t tell her anything before. She wanted to say it right there, in the place where so much happened between them many, many years ago.

There were a lot of important dates concerning their relationship that she treasured dearly. The day when they became a couple, the day when they got engaged, the day when they got married and even the day of Teio’s miracle run, which she seriously considered tattooing on the back of her neck after Gold Ship jokingly suggested it to her. And yet, if she had to be honest, none of them could actually come close to the importance that the day of their showdown was still holding inside her mind. Because fate was so cruel to them and because their rematch never happened during an actual race anymore, the memory of when she touched heaven with her fingertips by being able to race her dearest rival was her precious treasure that she could never allow to be pried away from her hands. Every year on April 26th she was reminiscing about their own Tenno Sho again, staring at the cherry blossoms outside with sparkling eyes and hands clasped behind her back, and her chest felt as if it was exploding because of how much love was stored there. She didn’t know if Teio was sharing the same feelings, but for her it certainly was a great deal — and that's why she just couldn’t miss out on the occasion when she realized that this year’s HaruTen also falls on the 26th.

She hadn’t gone to actually see a race in person in a long, long time. All her juniors that she knew personally have long since moved on from Twinkle Series, and ever since she graduated from Tracen, she didn’t meet any new young students that she could cheer for either. If there was the need to, she just watched any important races on TV, able to support the runners from her home equally as well. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why she insisted on a trip to Kyoto either. It’s not like they had to see it from the first row seats, they could very well watch it in their shared bed while cuddling, and yet there was something nagging her to go. And why should she resist these calls of temptation? The weather today was just so great, and the warm spring breeze caressing her cheeks was making her laugh. There was no reason for her to stay at home when she could experience the thrill of the race she held closest to her heart again.

Simple as that, though she figured out Teio won’t come up with this answer until she actually tells her.

“Well, I didn’t think we’d actually go to see a race!” just like she expected, Teio shouted in response as McQueen increased her pace to quickly get to the bus station. “You haven’t been interested in watching them live in a long time. If I knew, I would’ve taken you with me to see Point and Sucre’s races.”

“I never said that you can’t, have I? I may not follow the racing scene as closely as I used to anymore, but I am not opposed to the idea of seeing how your girls are faring in the slightest” McQueen shook her head. “Besides, it’s not like we’re going to watch any regular race today. Don’t tell me you forgot what happened on this day?”

“No, I haven’t. There’s no way I could ever forget” the shorter woman lowered her voice, her smile turning a bit nostalgic. “...So you chose this way to celebrate the anniversary of our showdown, huh.”

“I thought it’ll be nice to revisit it from a spectator’s perspective” the taller Umamusume tightened her grip on her partner’s hand, but she didn’t spare her even a glance. “I’ve researched the runners, and apparently if the second favorite manages to beat her rival, it’ll be her second Spring Tenno Sho win in a row. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, can’t argue with that…” her own eternal rival laughed, finally taking a deep breath when they got to the bus station just in time. “What can I say? It means that I need to cheer for the favorite then, obviously! Maybe she’ll be able to achieve what I couldn’t back then!”

“Aww, you’re not going to support the one I see myself in?” McQueen giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Meanie.”

“If you see yourself in her, then me cheering for someone else would be just like a spiritual rematch, no?” Teio stuck her tongue out. “Besides, it’s not like we’ve ever cheered for the same Uma before. Not even when Kita and Dia were racing together.”

“That much is true, I guess…” the older of the two had to agree, sliding a finger down her chin. “Very well, if you want it to be a spiritual rematch, then I’m not going to shy away from it. If the Umamusume I chose wins, you’re paying for the dinner tonight.”

“I accept the challenge!” the younger Uma grinned and cheerfully did a peace sign, for a split second looking just like she did during her classic year. “...And what if they both lose?”

“We’ll figure it out when that happens” her wife cut the topic short. “You probably should have more faith in these girls, though. Every single year each of them has only been becoming more and more dazzling, much more than we could ever imagine. Truth be told… It makes me a bit jealous to think I will never be able to compete with them myself.”

“Yeah, when I look at all these new juniors in Tracen, I sometimes get that feeling too…” Teio let out a deep chuckle. “But we can’t do anything about it, that’s just how it is. We both had a good run anyways, right?”

“Right, obviously. I’m not trying to say otherwise” McQueen smiled lightly, though her smile got hidden by her locks of hair that were just lifted up by the wind. “And I got to spend my career alongside you, so I’m happy. I could never trade what we have, even if in exchange I could face the best of the best.”

Before they could continue on this topic, the bus they’ve been waiting for arrived, so they shifted their attention to finding a seat (which wasn’t that easy of a task during rush hours, especially close to a G1 starting no less). Thankfully, they managed to find one and they spent the next half of an hour just like they did in the train — holding hands and sitting in understanding silence, comforted by each other’s presence. McQueen was smiling the whole time, resting her head on Teio’s shoulder and looking at their shoes. Even now, the sight of her mary janes and Teio’s sneakers was proving how different they are, how they always have been polar opposites. It made her feel even more nostalgic, and she really felt as if she physically cannot stand waiting for the race anymore.

They hung around the racecourse for a bit before getting to the stands, wanting to take as much of the photos and taste as much of the food as possible. It was only after an hour or so that they finally got to their seats, arriving at the perfect time. McQueen felt as if she managed to reserve them the perfect spot, where the sun wasn’t too bright and everything was able to be nicely seen, so she sat down on the chair with a weird sense of satisfaction. She leaned forward and put her chin on her hands, immediately getting invested thanks to the runners already entering the gate.

“So which one of them is that girl you’re cheering for, huh?” Teio asked, crossing her legs. “I think we’ve missed the paddock introduction.”

“She’s number five” McQueen pointed at said girl with her index finger. “And the one you’ve chosen for your pick is number fourteen.”

“Ah…” the other woman visibly tensed at her words, though she wearily laughed right after. “...No way. They got the same numbers we had back then too.”

“You still remember it after all this time?” her partner looked at her with a surprised smile. “That’s amazing. Hehe, it really feels like fate right now.”

“All the Umamusume entered their gates!” the commentator’s voice prevented them from discussing the topic further. “With that, this year’s Spring Tenno Sho is off to a beautiful start!”

McQueen bit her lip at the sound of cleats collectively hitting the ground, her ears slightly twitching. Her legs were itching to run, and it took all of her mental strength not to give in to these desires. God, she wished she could be down there with them so badly. Even after so many years, Spring Tenno Sho was still making her—

“At least your girl didn’t lose her cleat before they could even start the race” Teio snorted, but her hands were tightly gripping her backpack.

“Don’t even joke like that” McQueen furrowed her eyebrows. “The coincidence of gate numbers is silly, but to have our entire showdown play out before our eyes again would be rather uncanny.”

Teio seemed to say something else to her, but McQueen didn’t hear her words due to shifting her attention back on the race. Each girl’s way of running was beautiful, and it only showed how good the teachings in Tracen had become. They were all a worthy competition to each other, they didn’t possess even a single flaw. It was a stunning race. Almost as stunning as…

Suddenly, she found herself on the racetrack again. She was dressed up in her old racewear, the one in teal and white, and she didn’t see anyone in front of her anymore. Her heart was beating so fast as she ran, determined to claim that spring victory for the second time in her life. There were others behind her back, but she couldn't recognize their individual forms anymore. There was another person back there, though. There was her dearest Teio, unable to reach her.

And it was disappointing, but it also felt so good. It’s not like she could stop, either. She wanted to speed up and widen the distance between them even more, to make the image of her back be forever ingrained in Teio’s mind. The thought of that was making her eyes glimmer with hope, shining like never before.

She only had so much fun because Teio was there. If it was anyone else, this race would still feel down-to-earth, nowhere close to the kind of heaven she almost felt as if she was reaching. It was only thanks to Teio that she made it this far, breaking through the glass walls around her to grab the red feather with her hand. In a way, maybe it was the first miracle that Tokai Teio has made. A miracle that was only Mejiro McQueen’s, and no one else’s.

It’s because Teio, too, was McQueen’s and no one else’s. It was always like that, unchanging. It’s what was helping her to go through the unfair life. It’s only because of that that she was able to sit here today, watching a race that was mixing up with her own memories.

A few tears fell down her cheeks, the corners of her lips tremblingly getting up.

“I wonder if she feels the same way” she whispered, not even trying to remain collected. “I wonder if the thought of her rival being behind her is making it all much more fun for her.”

Teio looked at her with an understanding smile, but she didn’t try to move or console her in any way. McQueen thought that it’s probably for the better.

“I’m sure it is” she quietly replied instead. “It always is. Even when you’re losing.”

“Was it fun for you too?” the question McQueen asked was pretty cryptic, but she knew it was going to be understood anyway.

“It was” Teio nodded, moving her gaze back to the race. “I was upset at my loss, obviously. But it didn’t make it any less fun. It took me a while to understand that, but… In the end, I always felt that somewhere deep inside my chest.”

They didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then Teio spoke up again.

“You see,” she started, not a single glance towards her rival “I actually lied to you, kind of. I cried after I lost, even though you told me not to.”

“I know” McQueen responded, her tears still getting from under her eyelids. “I knew all this time. I’m more attentive than you think I am, Teio.”

“Ah. I-I see.”

“I knew that when I asked you to check my time that one evening, you ended up crying, too” she said, putting her hands on her lap. “And that it was what led you to wanting to retire.”

“You really want to dig it out right now?” Teio smiled weakly. “Now you’re the mean one.”

“All these times you cried because of me, I couldn’t react properly. I was scared of losing you, so I turned a blind eye and pretended it never happened. It was easier to do than facing the truth. I think that if I faced it, I would surely break” McQueen ignored her remark, still staring ahead. “...But you still were by my side, despite everything.”

“Well, obviously! It’s not like I could ever leave you over—” the other Uma tried to say something, but her partner shushed her by suddenly turning her head towards her.

“I’m glad that you’re my wife” she choked out, full-on crying now despite her happy smile. “I’m glad that our paths crossed. I’m glad that I got to meet you. I’m glad… that we faced each other…!”

Teio wasn’t able to stay strong any longer, either. She also burst into tears, not holding it together whatsoever. Without hesitating much, she grabbed McQueen by the hands and looked at her with so much love in her watery eyes, breathing weakly.

“I love you” she sniffled, her lip trembling. “The most in the world.”

“I love you too, honey” McQueen caressed her cheek with her hand, trying to cheer her up with her own shaky grin. “My most precious treasure. My dearest miracle.”

They synced in their actions being quicker than their thoughts and they both leaned for a kiss at the same time, their hands clasping together. McQueen could barely breathe because of her tears, but to say that she cared would be a lie. Her lips kept on kissing Teio’s without care for the surrounding world, their foreheads touching and making them exchange body heat. She had no idea for how long they were stuck like this, but she herself only shook out of her haze when the commentator suddenly became much louder.

She glanced at the results screen, realizing that the race had ended. The winner turned out to be number five, currently crying from happiness and waving her hands to the audience. Number fourteen arrived fifth and she just stood there helplessly, staring at the back of her rival.

No way. It was so ridiculous that McQueen laughed loudly, almost causing the spectators nearby to look at her.

“It seems like I won our spiritual rematch, then!” she hummed, taking a deep inhale and wiping her face with her sleeve. “Sorry, dear.”

“It’s unfair!” Teio shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek to pull herself together. “It has to be rigged.”

“Now, now, don’t look so down…!” McQueen took her face in her hands and made her look up, gently kissing her nose. “You might be paying tonight, but the nice dinner we’ll have will compensate you for it. It’ll be fun, I promise. After all, we now have the whole eternity to spend together.”

“Fine, right…” the Monarch also wiped her tears and chuckled in relief, as if something heavy was just taken off her chest. “It’s not like any of us is going anywhere. We’ll watch many races together, and we’ll have many more spiritual rematches.”

“That’s the spirit!” the Best Actress got up from her seat and extended her hand to her wife, the spring sun illuminating her smiling face. “So come on, now! We should get going if we want to reach the restaurant I desire to check out soon. I’m starting to get a bit hungry, in fact.”

Now that she thought about it, she really was fortunate. She had everything she could even wish for — and more. Even if she didn’t, though, all that mattered was that Teio was by her side. As long as they were together, nothing was able to make her scared.

Her feelings didn’t falter ever since the day of their engagement. Mejiro McQueen, truly, was the happiest girl in the world.

—And that is never going to change.