Archive of Our Own

If someone were to ask Kamisaki Hikaru at which point of her life did she fell in love with her rival and friend, Yuitsuka Inori, she wouldn't have a solid answer to that.

She couldn't recall when she had fallen in love with her— it was sudden, like a whirlwind that left her breathless, but she was certain that it had been a long time already. She wouldn't say that it was love at first sight; it was more on fascination than anything else, yet she was aware that as time passed and the more they had clashed, the more her feelings for Inori had deepened.

It was something that she considered was unbreakable like her faith in her rival that she would always rise back on her feet no matter how many times life would knock her down.

There was another thing where Hikaru was certain: Inori wasn't in love with her.

To Hikaru, that was fine. She didn't need Inori to return her feelings. She was content enough to know that Inori admired her skating and treated her as a rival all these years; how they would treat each other with respect and love in a way where they knew that they were both passionate in the sport and that they were each other's push to help the both of them grow.

So, it was fine, Hikaru tended to repeat to herself. It was fine that she could get to spend evenings, sneaking a snack or two with Inori when they were in the same competition together. It was fine that they would hug each other close in comfort or hold hands in reassurance. It was fine how Hikaru would always watch Inori with love in her eyes, only to be reflected with appreciation back.

Taking a deep breath, Hikaru looked up at the bright high ceiling, lights almost blinding her for a moment. The weight of the Olympic gold medal was pressed against her chest and around her neck. She was happy; elated, even. To have this honor of winning gold wasn't something that was easy to achieve. All the blood, sweat, and hidden tears that she had endured, along with the pain of her body and the support of her acquaintances and coaches, Hikaru was so damn happy.

And Hikaru couldn't help but drop her gaze down to her rival and the person she loved the most in the world— Inori was right there, smiling at her with a beautiful silver medal around her neck. She knew that Inori would be a bit frustrated for a while for getting silver, but she could tell that Inori was happy for her; happy enough to pull Hikaru down into a bone-crushing hug, muttering a soft 'congratulations' as Hikaru hugged her back just as tight.

The two of them had already announced that this would be the last time that they would compete.

Hikaru thought that it wasn't that bad of a decision. She had grown exhausted, a tad burnt out. She loved the sport and she loved the people that she had grown to meet, but she wanted to take a break. But now that she would take a break from skating, where would she stay? Of course, her coach, Riley Fox, would be willing to let her stay as usual but she wanted her own place.

As both Hikaru and Inori pulled away, the former couldn't help but stare at Inori's face. She was so beautiful; her youthful features now gone yet the innocence and fire in those eyes were still there. For a moment, Hikaru wondered if they could still see each other again once they would leave the competitive rink behind?

Now that the idea had entered her mind, a sense of dread dawned on her. What kind of excuse could she say to see her again?

They were friends, of course, yet that kind of term felt so…. detaching to her. Hikaru considered Inori as someone important to her— maybe the most important person in her life. She wouldn't be surprised if Inori didn't feel the same way for her considering that she had many close friends and her family loved her, but that was fine.

What wasn't alright to her was that there was a possibility that she would never see Inori again.

Maybe that was an irrational fear that would make her rival shake her shoulders, but she couldn't help it. Who could blame her in overthinking these things?

After the ceremony, the two were finally in a more private area where they would change out of their skating gear. It was a miracle that it was just the two of them as they put on their shoes. People had given them space since they were now overwhelmed after getting interviewed one after another. Frankly, it was exhausting.

Hikaru could hear her heart ringing in her ears as she tied her shoelaces in what she thought was a strained smile. Was there a way to make this moment last a little longer? Should she ask if Inori was free tonight? They were in a foreign country and they just finished placing high in the Olympics, Inori and her team probably had made plans to celebrate.

"I can't imagine a life without her."

"Man, I can't wait to go home soon," Inori said as she finished up tying her shoelaces, "But nee-san and the others insisted on celebrating here, too."

Hikaru could feel her palms getting sweaty.

"Maybe if you don't have any plans, you can join us," Inori continued.

Inori's words barely registered in her mind, which was rare in the first place to the point that her rival immediately took notice of her weird behavior. She felt bad that she could see Inori's expression at the corner of her eye, but she swallowed a lump in her throat, unsure of what to say.

"Hikaru?" Inori asked, brows furrowing in concern, "Are you okay?"

The taller skater wanted to reply that she was fine, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she looked at her rival— her heart ached when she saw the worry in her eyes— before she stood right in front of her. Hikaru watched as Inori blinked up at her in surprise, the sudden movement of the former catching her off guard.

Hikaru could feel herself swallow again, fingers twitching. She didn't even know why she was trying to tower over the other; she didn't plan that far ahead. All that she knew was that she couldn't bear the thought of losing her after this.

So, her mouth moved before she could fully processed what she had said out loud.

"Do you want to live together?"

Ah, fuck. Hikaru internally winced once she realized what she had asked. In hindsight, it was better than asking a desperate 'what can I do to make you stay?' but it was still a pretty loaded question. She completely understood as she watched Inori's expression morphed into shock, clearly taken aback by her question.

Hikaru wanted to slap herself in the face. What kind of question was that? She wouldn't be surprised if Inori flat-out rejected her. Sure, it would sting but even she would be too surprised to give a proper response. Yet, as the silence stretched on, Hikaru feel sweat dripping down to her temple and the blush of embarrassment slowly reddening the tip of her ears. She couldn't even look Inori in the eye.

The taller skater wanted to take it back, saying an excuse that it was merely a joke but before she could even do that, Inori gave an answer.

"Yes."

Hikaru looked up, surprised. Her heart raced when she saw the gentle look in Inori's eyes, her smile widening when they finally looked at each other in the eye.

"…Yes?"

"Mhm," Inori raised a brow in amusement, "Why, did you think I would say no?"

"I—" Hikaru clamped her mouth shut. She was so prepared for a rejection that she was left entirely speechless when Inori actually accepted her proposal, leaving her stumped. She took a deep breath to compose herself before replying, acting as normally as she could, "Well, it's a pretty big step."

"I know. But it's with you, so I'm not really afraid," Inori smiled at her, making Hikaru feel like an arrow shot through her heart.

God, she loved her so much.

"Let's talk about it when things calm down. Is that alright?" Inori asked.

"Of course," Hikaru replied with a nod.

"Good," Inori then took her hand, grinning, "So, are you free later, Miss Gold Medalist? I think we deserve some celebration after all this."

Hikaru held her hand back tightly, just as her stomach twisted in delight, "I'll make time for you, Miss Silver Medalist. I'm sure Coach Riley wants to join in the fun, anyway."

"Ha, I figured. She already said yes earlier."

"Wow, I can't believe you asked her before me."

"What was I supposed to do?! You were swamped by the media!"

Hikaru chuckled as she let her rival drag her out of the changing area, relatively pleased. As she expected, she was content like this; seeing Inori laugh and tease with her, dragging into the chaos that Hikaru would let herself be in as long as it's with her.

Hikaru, for the most part, was simply in awe.

As always, she tried her best to play it cool; presenting a serene smile as her body was mildly rigid when Inori made her sit down in one of the few available tables left in the cafe that the older skater had wanted to try when she had the chance to leisurely visit Tokyo for a while now. Hikaru did her best to ignore the few glances that they received, knowing that they were somehow micro-celebrities after their huge win for Japan. It wasn't strange for people to talk, especially when they saw that the two rivals were good friends.

She watched as Inori talked with the cashier, taking out money from her wallet as she paid for their order. Hikaru couldn't even do anything earlier when Inori made her tell her the coffee and food she wanted before telling her to sit down. When she tried to offer paying at least for her share, Inori refused it completely.

Maybe it was a bit perverted that Hikaru found it kind of hot.

So, she waited for Inori to come to the table she had chosen for them. No one was there to disturb her; the two of them told both of their coaches that they needed to discuss something important and Hikaru didn't miss the way Riley would look slyly at her, but she decided to ignore it lest she wanted her coach to tease her even more about it.

"Thank you," Hikaru said as Inori placed her cup of coffee and a plate of pasta before her, "I owe you coffee next time."

"No worries," Inori smiled brightly at her, putting her own iced coffee and pasta on her side, "You treated me to ice cream before, remember?"

"That was a long time ago, though," Hikaru's gaze remain fixated on her rival as she took a sip of her coffee. It was sweeter than she expected, but it was fine. "How about I treat you to dinner later?"

"Hm. Maybe. I might need to return to Nagoya after this."

"Oh..."

Hikaru did her best to hide her disappointment; after all, she wanted to spend more time with Inori. It had been a while since they had seen each other at the Olympics, so she only got to see her in person now. She had been coping by watching her interviews from time to time while they were apart. Though, her distress was obvious when she heard Inori laughed, clearly amused.

God, it was rather embarrassing.

"Hey, after this, we'll be too busy finalizing things about our place, right? We can spend more time then."

Hikaru cleared her throat in hopes to hide her slight shyness about her immediate reaction.

"Control yourself."

"Right, I know that," Hikaru coughed, her embarrassment worsening when she could see the mirth in Inori's eyes.

The older skater decided to drop the topic after taking a sip of her coffee, "So, do you have any plans on where we could stay?"

"Honestly, none yet," Hikaru admitted shyly. After all, her question was purely out of impulsiveness that she didn't regret one bit, "But the most logical would either be here or Nagoya."

In reality, Hikaru didn't entirely care where Inori wanted to settle. She would follow her wherever she wanted to go. Hell, they could go to Osaka for all she cared; she would find a way to make it work as long as Inori wanted to. Fuck, they could even end up overseas and she wouldn't complain about it. While it was an unrealistic outcome, Hikaru was open to practically anything.

"Tokyo, huh…" Inori trailed off as she glanced around the coffee shop.

Hikaru could tell that Inori was worried in some capacity. While the older skater was making it as lighthearted as possible, Hikaru was well aware that Inori couldn't bring herself to leave Nagoya. Her FSC, friends, and family were there; her hometown that she probably never considered leaving in the first place.

"We don't have to stay here if you don't want to," Hikaru said, grabbing Inori's attention once more, "It has to work for both of us."

Inori pursed her lips, "But if we stay in Nagoya, what about you?"

"It's not like I have a family here," Hikaru shrugged, "Besides, Coach Riley will let me travel for training if needed. As for my friends, they're my club mates too, so it's not like I won't see them again."

Hikaru kept her smile, not wanting to show that there would be some difficulties if they did decided to settle in Nagoya. She had no plans in switching clubs, so she would most likely have to go back and forth between Nagoya and Tokyo, but it was fine. She could handle the little inconvenience of driving to train. That wasn't a sacrifice that was too difficult to make.

She really didn't want Inori to worry, but her kind soul would never forget that crucial information.

"Wouldn't traveling be difficult for you?"

"Not really. I can drive and if I have to stay here, Coach Riley will make sure I have a place," Hikaru replied, smiling in reassurance, "C'mon, I swear I'll be fine. You want to stay in Nagoya, right?"

Seeing that the older skater still had her doubts, Hikaru said, "Inori."

Startled, Inori asked, "Yeah?"

"As long as I'm with you, I don't mind wherever we go," Hikaru said with the softest gaze that she could muster. She badly wanted to get her feelings across, hoping that Inori would understand that it didn't matter where they were as long as they were together, "Follow your heart and I will be there."

Inori stared at her, dumbfounded. Hikaru wanted to laugh since it reminded her of the look she got when she asked her the question back at the Olympics. She kept surprising her, huh?

"…Okay," Inori eventually said, her voice turning gentle, "I want to stay in Nagoya."

"Sure. Let's settle there."

"Are you really fine with it?"

"Of course. I would love to spend time with the Sonidoris again, too," Hikaru reached out to gently hold her hand, squeezing it, "Nagoya is still home to me, after all."

"You won't get tired?"

"You'll be there to comfort me, right?" Hikaru chuckled when Inori swatted her hand away with a huff, "But I promise, I won't get tired."

Inori was pouting, but she still looked rather hesitant. Hikaru knew that the older skater was close to getting convinced, however.

"How about I visit over the weekend so we can talk with your family and coaches? We can even look for places to see if we find anything we like. Sounds good?" Hikaru asked, still smiling.

Finally, Inori was convinced, "Fine."

The two of them knew that it was an obstacle that would be quite difficult to overcome, but Hikaru was certain that they could do it together. After all, a little disagreement here and there was pretty healthy. When they finally settled with a date and everything to prepare for Hikaru's visit, they just knew that there was no going back now.

A new chapter in their life was about to happen.

"Do you have plans tonight, Hikaru?"

Hikaru looked at her former coach, Sonidori Shinichiro, as he asked the question. At this point, it had been a while since she and Inori had settled together in Nagoya and Hikaru decided to help around Meikoh Wind FSC during her break in the meantime. That also meant that she got to spend time with the family that she had left and acquaintances that she had missed dearly.

She had to admit, she was happy. Her heart was so full now that she got to spend time with them more.

"No, I don't think so," Hikaru replied, sensing where this conversation is going, "Do you need anything, Coach Shinichiro?"

"Eva told me to invite you to dinner again… This time, she won't take no for an answer."

Hikaru's lips quirked up in amusement. She was a bit guilty that she had rejected their offer once, wanting to spend time with Inori instead. Now that they had gotten closer than ever, she thought that it was finally time to confront some questions that Eva had been wanting to ask for a while.

"Alright," she replied, laughing a bit, "I'll have to tell Inori first so she won't wait for me."

Shinichiro looked at her for a moment, "You and… Yuitsuka have gotten closer."

"Mhm!"

"Are you having fun?"

His question made Hikaru feel like a kid again, but she smiled, "Always."

"…That's good."

After their brief conversation, Shinichiro went back into coaching mode as he checked the rest of his FSC. Hikaru was there to assist, but she wasn't given relatively difficult tasks to complete. They would always tease that she could just be sitting there and it would help the young skaters a lot, being a source of motivation and all that. It made her a bit embarrassed about it, but seeing Shinichiro being quietly proud of her made the embarrassment all worth it.

At least she wasn't entirely listless throughout; they let her skate every now and then as long as she didn't distract the other training skaters. Yuna and Rioh were also there to keep her company and it was great since she could catch up with them to know some stories that happened while she was gone for so long.

When the day was about to end, Hikaru was still in a daze when she saw Inori earlier. She didn't expect to see her, so she wasn't emotionally prepared. It didn't help that Inori had lifted her and twirled her around effortlessly that made her internally squeal about it. Sue her for being all giggly about her crush doing something so cute.

She couldn't help but noticed that as they had gotten closer, there was something different in the way Inori would look at her sometimes. Perhaps she was hallucinating, feeding into her own desire to see something more happening between them, but she immediately squashed that hope down.

She was happy this way.

Hikaru was already on her way to the Sonidoris in her own car. The coach did offer to give her a ride, but it wasn't like anyone would be available to help her bring it home if she left it, so she declined. When she arrived, she sent a quick message to Inori who was having dinner with her coaches.

Kamisaki Hikaru

I'm at the Sonidoris now.

I'll see you later at home.

To her surprise, she received a fast reply.

Yuitsuka Inori

I'm with the coaches too!

See you later!!

Hikaru couldn't help but smile. Perhaps she looked like an idiot for smiling at her phone screen, but she simply could imagine Inori's bright voice and beautiful, sparkling eyes as she said something in excitement. While she still didn't like a particular coach, she knew how much joy he gave to Inori as they climbed to the top together.

She pocketed her phone and got out of her car almost at the same time as Rioh and Shinichiro. Seeing this sent an ache in her chest; a sense of longing and happiness was welling up within her. Hikaru had missed this family so much that having a future where she could spend dinner together with them like this again was something she could never imagine until now.

"Hikaru?" Rioh asked as he approached her, "You good?"

The said skater looked at him briefly, her eyes scanning him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Seeing how much he had grown to look mature and was a bit taller than her now, Hikaru couldn't help but smile but that made Rioh raise his brow questioningly.

"What?" he asked, leaning back slightly.

Hikaru shook her head, smile soft, "Nothing. I guess it just hits me that we've grown older now, huh?"

Rioh stared at her then shook his head, "One look at my dad and you should've known that already."

"Hey, don't be so mean to him."

Rioh rolled his eyes, then offered his hand, "C'mon. Mom and Shion missed you. They can't wait to see you that's not on social media."

"I missed them, too," Hikaru said as she held his hand and all she remembered was when he would guide her when they were kids, "Oh, right. Rioh."

"Yeah?"

"I told Inori that you proposed to me before."

Hikaru held in a grin when she saw Rioh almost tripped over nothing and how his pale skin turned red. He glared at her as if she betrayed him after all this time. Well, it wasn't like it was a secret that she was told to keep.

"Wh— Why did you say that?!"

"It was to distract her when I was piercing her ears," Hikaru explained, shrugging.

Rioh groaned, hiding his face with his free hand, "Oh my god, you want me to die, huh?"

"Oh, c'mon. You're being overdramatic; it's not like Inori will kill you."

"You're underestimating that shrimp— Ow, fuck! Okay, Inori! You're underestimating her love for you."

Hikaru lips twitched. There was no way that Rioh meant anything by that, "Don't make her sound like she'll beat up anyone who tries to propose to me."

Rioh looked at her in disbelief, but Hikaru remained silent about it. She didn't intend on finding out what that look meant and distracted herself when Eva and Shion crushed her into a hug while reprimanding her for rejecting their invitation last time. Hikaru merely smiled, hugging them back just as tightly and apologized profusely until they ultimately forgave her.

"Here I thought we would drag you back here if you didn't accept my invitation again," Eva said, walking right beside her.

Hikaru didn't even need to be guided around the house; her feet still knew where to go that she couldn't help but laugh at that and at Eva's comment.

"You don't need to go that far," Hikaru said amusedly, "I just got a bit busy with some things."

Eva gave her a knowing long, but Hikaru chose to be oblivious to it. She was aware that she wouldn't be able to avoid it for long; they got her cornered and with Rioh with them as well, she wouldn't be able to stop their questioning at all. She wouldn't be able to rely on Shinichiro for help at this rate.

Once everyone had set the table and food right on the dining table, they began sitting in the usual spot that Hikaru remembered as if the years they had been apart didn't happen and they were having their usual family dinner every night. Hikaru smiled when she noticed that all of them sent glances her way at some point, as if they were thinking of the same thing as well.

When they began eating, Hikaru almost teared up as the nostalgic taste of their cooking hit her tongue. Sure, call her overdramatic, but it had been so long since she had eaten their home-cooked food. Still, she kept her composure as she continued eating.

"So, Hikaru. How's your life in your new home? Are you adjusting well?" Eva asked right as she offered to pour a glass of juice for her.

Ah, there it was. Hikaru thought that they would start asking a little latter, but it was better to rip off the band-aid right then and there. She glanced at the older woman to see that same knowing look on her face from earlier.

"Everything's fine so far," Hikaru replied, "We've been navigating our way through our own habits, but I think Inori and I are doing great."

"You've got great chemistry with her, huh?"Shion asked, her face mirroring her mother's.

"Mhm!"

And as Hikaru took a bite of her food, Eva decided to drop the question that Hikaru had been expecting yet it still surprised her all the same, "So, how long have you two been dating?"

It was embarrassing how Hikaru choked on her food, immediately grabbing the glass of juice and drank everything before it got even worse. It didn't help that she could hear Rioh and Shion snickering while Shinichiro was trying his utmost best to hold back his surprised snort. Ugh, was this how Inori felt when Mika would tease her?

"Use your words, dear," Eva said, clearly amused and was holding back a giggle herself.

Hikaru wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before replying, "We… aren't dating, Eva."

"What?" Both Eva and Shion exclaimed.

"What did you expect? They're both being cowards about it," Rioh said and it earned a glare from Hikaru.

Curse him.

"No, we're not. We're just good friends," she retorted and she hated that it stung, "And I believe that Inori isn't interested in that sort of thing, anyway."

"Did you even ask?" Eva raised her brow and when Hikaru didn't answer, she continued, "How would you know if you don't ask, Hikaru?"

"…I'm happy where we are right now," Hikaru set her chopsticks down, her gaze lowered to avoid their stares, "Being by her side is more than enough—"

"Bullshit," Rioh scoffed and he got reprimanded by Shinichiro's pointed glare, but he continued, "It's killing you to be close to her and we both know that you know it."

Hikaru smiled albeit rather pained, "I'm telling the truth when I say that I'm happy being by her side, but I don't think I could bring myself to be selfish to ask for more."

And that was also the truth. At the same time, she wouldn't deny that a small part of her way craving for more; to hold Inori close, to be the one who she could rely on with her worries, to kiss her tears away, and be with her through difficult times. She didn't want anyone else to see Inori's sleeping face, the little habit of clinging onto her back when they held each other in bed, and hear the rough voice greeting her good morning when they wake up.

She was greedy and possessive, yet she still couldn't bring herself to do anything.

"There's nothing wrong with giving it a little push," Eva said gently, "You're a wonderful lady, Hikaru. I refuse to believe that Inori has resisted your charm."

That made Hikaru laugh a little, "Oh, you have no idea. She can be so stubborn."

Shion hummed, "I mean, I guess. But from what I see, I don't think it's one-sided at all."

"Huh?" Hikaru blinked and finally looked up to stare at her. There was no way she would be swayed to raise her hopes up, but she wanted to know what Shion meant considering that Shion hadn't really interacted with Inori.

"Your photoshoot from before. I don't know, there's just something about it that looks like there's something going on," Shion shrugged, "Even your fans thinks so."

"I don't think—"

"Even the picture you guys had before," Shion cut her off, "Look!"

Then, she immediately took out her phone to show something. Hikaru didn't even have time to wonder why Shion had the pictures saved in the first place since all her attention was on the phone showing two pictures. The first was the two of them looking at each other at the podium, smiling softly at each other. Then, the second picture was the moment when Inori had pulled her into a hug. Even from the picture, she could see how tightly Inori held her and vice versa.

Honestly, it could mean nothing but she could never disregard their words now.

"Hey, how about you send those pictures to me?" Hikaru asked, not even caring that the Sonidoris were amused.

"Of course, but only if you actually make a move soon," Shion said.

The support was so surprising that it made Hikaru chuckle, "…Fine, I can do that."

Maybe they were right— Hikaru could be a little selfish after all. She wasn't even certain if Inori liked her back, but if there was a slim chance that she could, then she might as well take it. A part of her was still scared; what if she read everything wrong and she would have to distance herself to not make Inori feel awkward? She would rather stay friends for the rest of their lives than losing her altogether.

But the chance of Inori giving her heart to someone else hurt as well.

Her dilemma must've been written all over her face as Eva asked, "You really love her, huh?"

"Yeah," Hikaru responded and her eyes immediately softened as she thought about Inori, "I love the way she would roll around the bed before she decide to sleep. I love how she would stick her tongue out in concentration, especially when she wants to finish a puzzle in her game. I love how she would let me tuck her hair behind her ear when we talk and I love the way she would smile when she manages to dig out some worms and tell a trivia or two—"

Hikaru stopped herself when she realized that she was rambling and she could feel the tip of her ears reddening. Oh god. She watched as Shinichiro was smiling at her, Rioh gagging as if everything she said was gross, Shion looking starry-eyed, and Eva looking breathless.

"Wow," Eva said, covering her mouth with her hand, "If someone loves me the way you love Inori, I might've fallen in love right then and there."

"Eva, that's not helping me," Hikaru groaned, her embarrassment even more palpable, "Forget I said that…"

"No, we won't! And you should say that to Inori's face!" Eva exclaimed.

"I—"

"Okay, fine. I know you're not prepared to do it now, but!" Eva gave her a pointed look, "Remember Hikaru— take the leap. I'm sure Inori will be there to catch you."

"…Alright," Hikaru found herself saying even if she still doubted it. The belief in their supposed mutual feelings were cute, but it still scared her.

But she wouldn't lie to them. She would try, but she would take her time with it.

After all, if Inori wasn't in love with her, she could try to make Inori fall for her.

Hikaru took a huge swig of water as she watched every other skater in the rink from the bench. Taking a break was a reminder that she was in Tokyo and was pretty much far away from Inori. She had counted the days in her head, dejected that it would be a long while before Coach Riley would even let her return home.

Ah, she missed Inori so much.

Thinking it now, how did she even survive the first time she had to part ways with Inori temporarily? It was a miracle that she didn't went insane by just dropping everything to go back to Nagoya. Then again, she was sure that Inori didn't want her to do that no matter how much they had missed each other.

Hikaru didn't even mention to Inori how Riley easily read her and told her to end training earlier compared to the other skaters since she looked… well, horrible. She didn't like it one bit, but she knew that there was no point arguing with her coach.

Luckily, ever since she had spent her break with finally opening up her feelings with Inori, she felt lighter and happier than before. Sure, she still missed her but she was adjusting to their distance better now. Being able to express her feelings with her long time rival made her way too giddy that she had a silly smile on her face when she returned back to practice.

Even now, a few months later, she still had this elated feeling that she wouldn't deny that she was practically lovesick.

"Hikaru."

The said skater looked up to find her clubmate, Koara Ako, giving her a curious look.

"Yeah?" Hikaru smiled at her, setting her water bottle down, "Need help with something?"

She watched as Ako decided to sit right beside her, crossing her legs as she leaned back against the wall. She had a feeling that her clubmate was dying to ask her about something, but she didn't want to be the one to push her. It wasn't like she actually wanted to confront whatever she wanted to ask in the first place.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to take a break here too."

"I see," Hikaru replied, not pushing anything more.

It wouldn't be long until Ako would finally break and ask.

"So…"

Ah, there we go.

Hikaru spared her a glance, "Yeah?"

"I was wondering about something," Ako looked at her, "Do you know who gave Inori those flowers?"

Hikaru already knew what she was talking about. It had been a while since Inori had posted that picture of flowers on social media. While everyone had been speculating in the comments and discussion threads, Inori didn't confirm nor deny anything. It seemed that she didn't even tell her friends about it no matter how many times Ako had hounded for an answer.

She wondered if it was alright to tell her if Inori didn't say anything. She had a feeling that Inori was doing it because she simply want to mess with them and tell them in person. Hikaru could probably kneel and ask for forgiveness if she told her club mate, right?

"You don't know either, huh," Ako sighed, brows furrowing, "That's weird. I was so sure that at least you would know about it."

"I do."

"Wait, you do?"

Hikaru held in a smile, but she knew that she couldn't hide it from Ako. She said, as vaguely as she could, "…It was given by a person who loves her very much."

She didn't even need to say anything more, knowing that Ako was smart enough to put two and two together. At the corner of her eye, she watched as Ako's expression rapidly change from confusion, thoughtfulness, and finally realization. Hikaru prepared herself by holding onto her bottle quickly as she felt Ako grab her arm, shaking her as she squealed.

"Oh my god!" Ako exclaimed as she continued shaking her, "You finally did it?!"

Hikaru laughed, putting a hand over Ako's just so she could stop shaking her, "I don't know what 'it' means, but I suppose that's a yes."

Ako squealed again and this time, there were some people looking their way. The pair immediately gave apologetic smiles before returning to their conversations as Ako began composing herself, turning her voice down.

"I'm so happy for you two," Ako said so sincerely that it warmed Hikaru's heart, "I can't believe that girl didn't tell us anything! I should go to Nagoya just to strangle her."

Hikaru chuckled, shaking her head, "Don't do that and please don't tell her that I told you already. I feel like she wants to tell the news to you guys in person herself."

"Huh. Should I arrange a date, then?"

"If you guys are free, sure. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you guys again," Hikaru replied. It was nice seeing someone happy for them.

"But wait," Ako raised her brow, "Now that I think about it, why did you even answer me in the first place?"

"Huh?" Hikaru was confused, "I thought you wanted an answer?"

"Obviously! But with stuff like that, you would usually brush it off until we drop it. Unless…" Ako gave her a sly smile, "You were too happy and you had the need to share it."

Hikaru stared at her for a few moments and she could feel herself blushing. Oh, she did tend to avoid anything too personal, so why did she? Maybe Ako was right— she was so happy that she felt her heart was about to burst if she didn't tell anyone else about it.

"I… suppose you're right," Hikaru scratched her cheek, smiling in embarrassment, "I'm just… proud of finally being able to call Inori my partner."

Just as she said that, Ako groaned and leaned back against the wall, "Ugh, I hate that you guys are so cute together. What the hell."

Hikaru tilted her head, smiling turning to confusion. Was this what they called 'cuteness aggression' to some extent?

"Well, aside from that, there's a different reason why I told you. I need your help with something."

"Oh?"

"I need your help in picking out an engagement ring."

Hikaru braced herself as Ako exclaimed, "What?!"

"Wait, aren't you guys going too fast?" Ako asked, surprise still coloring her face. Then, she scratched her head, "But I suppose you guys do act like you're married for a while now…."

Hikaru decided to ignore that comment, "We've already discussed things before, so it's really only a matter of when. I know that I'll be buying rings together with her soon, but I wanted to surprise her with a nice gift, you know?"

She was a bit nervous when she saw the fire in Ako's eyes as the latter grabbed her hand and leaned in, "We should go right now."

"Right now?"

"Yes!" Ako exclaimed, the fire within her burning even more, "Inori deserves a pretty ring and I'm going to make sure you're going to get her that!"

"I— But we still have training," Hikaru said as she could feel sweat dripping down.

"Screw that! Let's go," Ako immediately stood up and shouted at Coach Riley, "We're ending our training early, Coach! Hikaru and I need to do something very important today!"

Frankly, it was Hikaru's right to start panicking. She stood up as well as Ako marched towards their coach to go after her. She was a bit glad that Ako didn't practically scream about her plans at the top of her lungs, but one look at Ako whispering something to Coach Riley gave her that sense of dread regardless.

Great, there's two people now that knew her intentions.

Riley gasped, looking between Ako and Hikaru, "I want to join, too!"

"No, you're staying right here to coach everyone. You're responsible for them, you know," Ako huffed, "We'll tell you the good news when we get back."

"…Do we have to?" Hikaru asked, holding back a groan of frustration.

"As your coach, I need to know!" Riley said with a teasing smile, "Besides, seeing Pikarun finally getting the courage to be with Inori-chan is so cute!"

"Can you at least keep it down," Hikaru sighed, already feeling an oncoming headache. She was lucky that the other skaters were too busy with their practice to fully notice.

A part of her regret telling Ako so suddenly, but she was swayed by her sincerity earlier. Damn it. Guess there was no going back even if she didn't plan to buy now. She was sure about having Inori has her lifelong partner, so it wasn't like there was a difference.

She just have to pray that Ako and Riley would know how to keep a secret.

"What do you want to get?" Inori asked.

Hikaru didn't answer immediately, simply staring at the love of her life sitting right across from her. They were looking at the menu, hands intertwined resting atop the table. She could feel the ring box burning at the pocket of her jacket, but she chose to ignore her rapidly beating heart for now. She wanted to enjoy their date after being apart for weeks.

"Anything as long as there's no pineapples," Hikaru said, squeezing the older skater's hand gently.

Inori scrunched her nose, "Who said anything about pineapples? Hm, I want pizza but I want to get spaghetti, too…"

"You can have both or did Coach Takamine told you to watch your food intake?"

"Well, yeah…"

Hikaru chuckled, "Then, go on. I promise I won't tell on you."

Inori gave her a halfhearted glare with that adorable pout on her lips, "You're making fun of me!"

"Of course not. I'm just saying that I'm on your side," Hikaru laughed and all she wanted to do was kiss her pout away, "Let's get some mozzarella sticks, too; I've been craving it since yesterday."

Once they have finally settled on their ordered, they chatted for a bit while waiting. Hikaru had requested her coach if she could stay a day or two longer compared to her normal break since she was still gathering up the courage to ask Inori the big question. They had talked about this, but it still didn't diminish her anxiety over it.

Hikaru was relieved when Ako and Riley had even kept their mouth shut about this or at least, that's what she thought since Inori never gave any signs that she knew. Her rival was an open book, so it wasn't that hard to check if she knew anything.

Luckily, she didn't. She wanted to give her a good surprise.

When the food arrived, they began eating. The food was better than she had expected since it was a restaurant that neither of them had tried before. They even had cheesecake available which Hikaru convinced Inori to at least share a slice with her once they had finished dinner.

The taller skater had been wondering when was the right time to ask such a question; they were at the corner of the restaurant with few other patrons and she thought that the ambience they had was lovely. She watched as Inori happily took a bite of her spaghetti while she herself got a slice of pizza.

It would be awkward to ask now, huh? Hikaru didn't want to break this comfortable atmosphere as they enjoyed the food. She would much rather listen to Inori's endeavors of finding worms or the time when Rioh, Yuki, and even Sota would appear to keep assisting in the club. There was even a time when Inori coached Rukia briefly since she wanted to be taught under her again.

"How's Rukia these days?" Hikaru asked as she gently pushed the plate of cheesecake towards Inori. She didn't particularly care for the girl, but seeing the smile on her partner's face was more than worth it to ask.

"She's been doing so great! Honestly, I don't know why she's asking me to teach her when Coach Hitomi is teaching her just fine," Inori replied, smiling brightly, "I heard she's taking a badge test soon."

"Isn't because she admires you so? Even I would find excuses just to spend time with you," Hikaru chuckled, reaching out with a tissue to wipe off the chocolate sauce at the corner of Inori's lips, "You're an accomplished skater; of course there are kids that will want to have the privilege of being under your care."

"I mean, I guess," Inori frowned slightly, unconsciously leaning close so Hikaru wouldn't have any difficulty, "But also, you're different. You don't need to make any excuses to spend time with me."

Hikaru blinked for a moment before she laughed softly, "Thank you for giving me the honor of getting to be with you."

"Oh, please. Here you go again," Inori rolled her eyes, a smile still gracing her lips. Then, her face lit up, "Oh, wait! The video you sent last time was so good! Is it your new routine?"

"We're experimenting here and there, but possibly yes," Hikaru said, "I wish I could show it to you in person, but Ako suggested I could send a video for now."

Inori audibly gasped and the taller skater knew where this was going, "How about you show me right now?!"

"I don't think my body right now is conditioned to do it…"

"Let's skate anyways! It's been a while since we've skated together. Please?"

Ugh. Hikaru could feel her brow twitching the more Inori stared at her with those puppy eyes of hers. It was so cute that she was ready to grab the front of her cardigan to kiss her right then and there, but she kept herself controlled. She didn't want to disrupt anyone else's dinner time around them.

"Alright. I suppose we can stop by the house to grab our skates," Hikaru sighed, exasperated, but dear god she's so in love, "Should we go now?"

"Yeah! I don't know why, but I really miss the ice," Inori nodded eagerly, "I just— I don't know. I think I'm going crazy. It's not like I've been away for a long time. I was literally skating the other day."

Hikaru shrugged, "I mean isn't that normal? We've been skating our whole lives; that's the only thing we knew for a long time."

"You have a point there," Inori sighed, then grabbed Hikaru's hand, "Ready to go?"

Hikaru couldn't help but stare at her lover a little longer. Maybe it was the nerves from the box in her pocket screaming at her at the back of her mind. She wanted to ask the big question already, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. Maybe, she told herself, she could do it later. Yet she couldn't imagine a good time to ask her when they would skate. She just knew that Inori would be too distracted and Hikaru didn't want to catch her by surprise too much.

"Hikaru?"

"Mhm, yep. Ready." Hikaru got up after making a mental note if she paid already or not. She did.

When the two left, they made quick work in getting their skates. They didn't let themselves be distracted; a quick in and out of their home, they were already on their way to an already closed rink. It was too late in the evening for anyone else to be there, so Hikaru didn't know what would happen while they were there alone and if they would be even be able to enter.

Once they arrived at the rink, like Hikaru expected, it was closed.

"Don't worry about it," Inori said as she fished out a key from her pocket once they approached the doors, "I asked if I could have a spare key so I can use it when I need to clear my head."

Before Hikaru could question it, Inori had already unlocked the door. They both winced when it creaked open and with the entire rink bathed in darkness, it was quite eerie. Luckily for them, Inori already knew her way around, managing to open the lights around the bench area and a few lights above the rink itself.

They put their skates on in silence right by the bench, putting on their gloves right after. Their clothes weren't fully suited for the ice, but it was good enough for them to skate with ease. After all, skating to them was easy as breathing.

Hand in hand, they skated together to the center of the rink. They both had incredible speed, yet they matched each other's pace perfectly. To be in sync was something rare, but Hikaru knew it was because they were so in tuned with each other that it was simply second nature to them.

"Inori," Hikaru didn't even need to say more as they faced each other with Hikaru's hand found itself gently holding her partner's waist while the other was still clasped with Inori's smaller one. On the other hand, Inori rest her hold on Hikaru's shoulder as if they were dancing right on stable ground.

Hikaru looked at Inori's face and she could sense her heart swelling with inexplicable feelings that all Hikaru wanted to do was pull her impossibly close. No matter how many times she held Inori in her arms, kissing every inch of her body, and worshipping every ounce of her soul, Hikaru was still helplessly charmed by her.

The beautiful and fierce rival in her arms was someone she would cherish for the rest of her life.

"Hikaru."

"Hm?" The said skater smiled as they continued to skate with ease, their blades scraping the ice echoing throughout the empty rink.

"I love you," Inori said as she looked at her in the eye.

The older skater had always been able to focus to read the other person's expression and perhaps at this time, Hikaru was no exception. Her love and devotion towards her must've been palpable within her very being and she hoped that it was. She hoped that Inori could feel the way she adored her with every kisses they shared, with how gently they held each other, and the way they looked each other in the eye.

"I love you, too," Hikaru replied, almost breathlessly.

Inori giggled, holding her hand even tighter, "Did you know that whenever you say that, your ears go red?"

"I—" Hikaru blinked, "It does…?"

"Mhm," Inori's hand briefly reached up to brush her fingertips over the piercing of Hikaru's reddened ears, "Your nose would scrunch up just a tiny bit when you're thinking of something mischievous, too."

The taller skater would let the ground swallow her whole, but her lover continued, "You would always smile into our kisses and look at me as if you still can't believe we're together."

"Could you blame me?"

"No, but I wish you wouldn't. Because no matter what, I know that I would've chosen you in the end."

Hikaru stared and stared, her brain processing each word Inori had said. Her heart was racing as if they were confessing to each other all over again.

"I want to kiss you," Hikaru said and maybe it sounded a bit pathetic like a whimper, but her feelings for Inori was so overwhelming, she couldn't help it.

The pair slowly stopped their mindless dancing before Hikaru would wrap her arms around Inori's waist with the latter already wrapping arms around Hikaru's neck. They both leaned in, closing the distance to press a firm, yet gentle kiss on their lips. Just as Inori had said, Hikaru instinctively smiled against her rival's lips, which made Inori laugh at the movement.

"Told you," Inori said when their lips parted, eyes soft with fondness and adoration.

"It's not my fault for being happy to kiss the most beautiful person in the world," Hikaru replied as they began skating once more.

Inori laughed at that, making Hikaru grin as she watched Inori's face light up even brighter than the lights above them. They continued to skate around and even then, Inori would try something rather challenging, but Hikaru would match her pace with ease. This was different compared to the times Hikaru would train in an empty rink with only her former coach to be her sole company.

She didn't need to pressure herself in performing her best. She didn't feel like someone was watching her every movement like a hawk. Instead, the pair let their blades take them around the rink, letting the cool air prick at their skin and the ice gleaming below them. To Hikaru, she didn't want this moment to end. At the same time, it wasn't like she wanted to freeze this moment in time; she wanted to experience different things with Inori.

"Say," Hikaru spoke, grabbing Inori's attention, "When you said you wanted to clear your head earlier… Has there been something wrong lately?"

Inori shook her head, smiling softly, "No, not really. It's just…"

"…?"

"I guess… I'm just worried if I made the right choice to stop competitive skating," Inori said, smile turning slightly somber, "Years ago, I probably would never imagine myself stopping. I love the adrenaline and I love competing with everyone, but now…"

"Even mindsets could change," Hikaru said gently, "We're getting older; of course our perspectives would change eventually."

"But what if I made the wrong decision?"

"Well, are you happy?"

Hikaru watched as Inori looked up at her, brown eyes blinking. She couldn't help but smile as she could see the way Inori's brain was probably piecing her words in her mind, absorbing her question to heart. To the taller skater, to find the right answer was to just ask the question that she thought mattered most of all.

"…Yeah," Inori said slowly, then nodded as if resolute, "Yeah. I am."

"Then, that's all that matters, right?"

"Right."

Hikaru then looked to the side, smiling, "You know… I would watch your performance in the Olympics over and over again."

Inori sputtered, "W—What—"

"You were so beautiful; you made your jumps look so effortless and even through the screen, your love for skating is palpable," Hikaru looked back at Inori's reddening face, "So, I think, no matter how and where you skate, you will always shine so brightly, Inori."

"I—" the older skater groaned as she buried her face in Hikaru's chest. It didn't help that she could feel Hikaru chuckle above her, "You can't just say that."

"…I was just being honest and maybe I just want you to know that no matter what you do, I'll be there to support you."

Inori didn't say anything at first and that made Hikaru think that she went too far. While she was teasing her a bit, she had always been sincere with her words. She was then relieved when she heard Inori speak once more, though it was muffled against her chest.

"Do… do you think we can still skate when we're older?"

"Of course," Hikaru pulled Inori closer, "Perhaps we won't be able to do our favorite jumps or step sequences anymore, but we can still feel the cool of the rink, see the beauty of the ice, and get to skate with our hearts free and happy."

"I think… a future like that is still beautiful," Hikaru finished.

"Heh," Inori leaned back slightly to look up at her, "Do you think they'll let us ice dance if we feel like it?"

"Ha, maybe not."

When they finally had their fill on the ice, they skated out the rink. At the last minute, Inori had made it a competition on who would leave first. There was no reward to it, but the two raced anyway. This time, Inori had won and Hikaru couldn't even be mad about it.

As they sat back on the bench to remove their skates, Hikaru was once again reminded that she hadn't asked it at all! They had talked about topics that created a delicate atmosphere that it had completely slipped her mind. God fucking damn it. Maybe there wasn't a chance to do that today, even if she had delayed it for so long.

"Hey, do you want to grab coffee before we head home?" Inori asked as she slipped back into her sneakers.

"Can we just have it at home?" Hikaru nudged her playfully, "I love the way you make our coffee better, anyway."

Inori rolled her eyes, smiling, "Sure."

Hikaru watched as Inori busied herself in preparing their coffee. Her heart, yet again, was just so full of emotions that she couldn't help but sigh. This was probably not healthy, right? But she couldn't find any fault in simply loving her beautiful partner that even the simplest of things made her heart flutter.

Once the coffee was done, they moved in perfect sync; grab their favorite matching mugs, the creamer and sugar before placing it on the table. Inori would then set the coffee pot between them. She would always let Hikaru pour in their mugs for the right amount of coffee before they would busy themselves making it the way they liked it. The both of them knew how much to put in for the other by now as they would always watch each other secretly.

Hikaru would look at the contents of her mug for a moment before taking a sip. She sighed in content, relishing the bitter taste of coffee with a hint of sweetness that she liked to put from time to time. She didn't get to ask, but at least their day would end on a good note.

She then glanced at Inori who was sitting across from her, seeing that she was enjoying the coffee, too. She even had her eyes closed to make the taste linger in her mind. Hikaru smiled to herself; having this kind of view of Inori, being surrounded by the place they called their own, Inori having the piercing that Hikaru had marked her long ago, and the ease that they could be vulnerable towards each other…

It was perfect that Hikaru was elated and proud that she could have this kind of moment for a long time. She wanted this kind of view forever.

When she saw that Inori had set down her mug, Hikaru said, "Inori."

"Hm?" Inori smiled, tilting her head.

No more delays. Hikaru took out the box from her pants pocket— she had transferred it from her jacket when they got home— and opened it, revealing a silver ring adorned in diamond that resembled the shape of a snowflake. It wasn't flashy, but when Hikaru saw it, all she thought of was Inori.

The hand that was holding the box was shaking, but even despite her nervous state, Hikaru could see the way Inori's eyes widened in surprise, her gaze fixated on the ring.

"I know that we'll buy a matching pair soon, but I wanted to give you something," Hikaru said as she tried her best to not let her voice crack, "I… Just seeing you enjoy that coffee confirmed it in my mind— That I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life."

Inori wasn't saying anything, so she continued and she was embarrassingly rambling at this point, but who cares? "Well, I mean, I already know that but time and time again, you just reaffirm that for me and maybe I should've chosen a more romantic setting—"

Before she could even finish, Inori had gotten up and marched towards her. Hikaru's eyes widened when she could feel strong arms circling around her neck before crushing her into a hug that the two almost fell over. Hikaru hugged back just as tight, the corner of her eyes getting wet with emotions.

Relief, love, and adoration.

"Don't worry about that. This is perfect," Inori's voice was trembling above her while Hikaru was distracted by the quick beat of her lover's heart, "I would love to marry you and be with you for the rest of my life."

Hikaru laughed wetly as they pulled back slightly, "Wow, and not forever?"

"Really?" Inori laughed, yet knew all too well that Hikaru was simply teasing her to stop herself from crying, "You said that too, you know! But…"

"But…?"

Inori leaned in to leave a chaste kiss on Hikaru's lips, "If there's such thing as forever, then it's probably with you."

Instead of replying, Hikaru pulled her down for another kiss, yet deeper than the one Inori had graced her with. She was right.

Forever, they would have each other.