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It's not like Katsuragi Ace didn't like the rain. Outside of training, it was the perfect weather to stay at home curled up under a kotatsu after a long day. But she wasn't fond of how the ground became near impossible to run on, let alone race. The trouble wouldn’t even end after the rain, because they had to wait for the ground to firm up just enough for it not to be a hazard. Not to mention the absolute hassle it was to get all the mud off after running.
Then again, that never bothered CB.
Ace wasn’t sure when she fell in love with CB. Actually, she wasn’t even sure when they started dating. Everyone just assumed that they already were and neither really cared to correct them when asked. It wasn’t that they were wrong anyways, nor were they right either. It was simply a fact that they were inseparable, tied together at the hip or however the saying went. All Ace knew was the Satsuki Sho was the day their paths met and it would never split henceforth.
How cheesy was that? Neither of them were ever the romantic type. Their relationship was odd, to say the least. As far as they were concerned, they didn’t need all the fanfare and planning that went into actual dating. If CB was next to her, preferably running, then what more could she possibly want in the world? It was a fact of life, just as much as the sky was blue. Or, dark blue in this case.
It has been raining for days now. Despite retiring, both CB and Ace never stopped running, leaving them to race against the hard pellets of rain against their skin. The Satsuki Sho all over again. And with no need for CB to show up for interviews anymore, they could essentially do whatever they wanted without anyone watching. Not that she showed up to them in the first place. To the rest of the world, Mr. CB really was a mystery. An anomaly, even. There wasn’t a rhyme nor reason to her actions, but everyone tried to pin her down regardless.
How surprised would the press be to find the Mr. CB busting Ace out of the dorms in the middle of a storm?
“Shhh…” Despite her scolding, Ace couldn’t wipe the goofy smile off her face as they climbed out of the bathroom window. CB had been giggling for a while now, helping Ace get up. “They’ll catch us!”
“Like that ever stopped us before,” CB shot back. There wasn’t any bite, just the teasing of someone who has broken more than a few school rules just to be with her girlfriend. That term didn’t sound right either.
To Ace, CB was simply everywhere she wanted to be. As a rival. As a partner. As a lover. None of those words seemed to feel right either. Ace knew that CB was more than a “free-spirit”. She was as stubborn and impulsive as they come, driven only by instinct and curiosity. Hence, there wasn’t much of a word to describe their relationship, despite its nature never-changing. And starting a conversation with CB about it would get them nowhere either, because she was just as happy to just be with Ace.
Frankly, it didn't matter if they did talk about it. Other than the title, nothing else would change. They would always spend their lives running after the other, running together until they couldn’t any longer. In many ways, Ace’s world grew wider because of CB. She no longer simply wished to be the ace of the world. That title wouldn’t matter if CB wasn’t by her side. Without her, there wasn’t a reason to race. Being with CB was greater than anything the world had to offer, anyways.
“Don’t do that! You’ll get mud in your shoes!” Ace scolded as they stumbled towards the riverside. CB didn’t seem to even notice that they were already jogging through the rain, as though the loud roar of the heavens weren’t obvious enough. Instead, she was too busy trying to curl up on Ace’s arm. Despite their lopsided balance, she was ecstatic.
“But you’re here!” CB exclaimed, pressing her face closer to Ace’s shoulder. “You don’t like the rain but you’re here!”
Ace laughed, pulling CB off her. She planted her hands on CB’s shoulders to keep the restless uma still so she could take a good look at her girlfriend. Maybe the stars disappeared from the sky, not to hide from the storm, but to dance in her eyes. Ace would give up her lead just for a glimpse at Mr. CB’s face. “Why wouldn’t I? You went all this way to sneak me out, idiot!”
Mr. CB merely laughed, no witty retort to be made. She wrapped her arms around Ace’s neck and nearly sent them tumbling into the river. Not that it would ever happen. Ace wouldn’t let CB do anything so incredibly reckless. They spun in haphazard circles, tethering off the edge of the river, but neither seemed to care. Ace stopped caring long ago. All she knew was that CB was here. Her CB.
Not the triple crown champion who defied all conventions during her dominant run that trashed Ace in every sense of the word. Not the mysterious legend who avoided press conferences like the plague in favour of running another lap than spend another second answering benign questions that she didn’t have answers to.
No, her CB, who loved running so much it didn’t matter if it rained or shined, the turf was hers for the taking. Her CB, who skipped class just to find the right room that caught her voice just right only to end up outside anyways. Her CB, who didn’t need any other introduction other than her rival. But even then, it wasn’t enough to describe who CB is to her, let alone what they were to each other.
After all, who else but Mr. CB could pull her into the rain at 1am to dance?
Their haphazard swaying turned into a clumsy waltz to the melody of the rain. It was less of a dance and more of a means to keep warm in the rain. Ace would twirl her around while she giggled. Sometimes, she dipped Ace to catch her off-guard, making both of them squeal in delight. And yet, she wasn’t cold, that wasn’t the concern.
What weighed heavy on Ace’s mind was the lack of definition of their relationship. The default has always been dating. But that was what everyone else assumed. Ace knew their bond had always been deeper than that. Partners? Lifelong companions? Soulmates? They all felt wrong. That last one in particular felt cheesy. They were anything but some corny romcom couple who were having an affair on vacation. This was going to be forever. There would never be another moment where they could ever be separated. Not by the press. Not by injury. Nothing. But what other title would there be to signal that?
CB’s face scrunched up by the slightest as Ace stopped in the middle of their dance. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity, her head tilting by the slightest to search for what was troubling her girlfriend. Her hands came up to cup Ace’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Marry me.”
Never in Ace’s life did she think she would be proposing any time soon. Especially not under the relentless rain, while they were both in their pajamas. But here she was, in front of the woman who changed her life. And honestly, there wasn’t a better time nor place to pop the question. Their paths first crossed under the darkest of skies and they never learned how to unfurl them. They never wanted to. Not in a million years. Not for forever.
CB’s mouth opened and closed for a while, as though she didn’t quite understand the question. The proposal. But Ace knew she was just trying to figure out if this was real. “What?”
“I don't know. I just want… to be with you.” Ace didn’t know she was even holding in a breath. Maybe she wasn’t. Either way, air wouldn’t stay in her lungs the same way her words kept spilling from her lips. “Not just now. But forever.”
“We are,” CB’s eyes welled up regardless. Her lips curled up by the slightest, slowly processing what was being asked of her. Ace knew what her answer would be, what other answer should there even be? It was just them. The world was irrelevant. That much will never change. But still, to hear those words was simply magic. “We always will be, remember? For forever and a day.”
“I know.” The rain ate up the sound of her voice, but it couldn’t wipe off the stupid grin on her face. Ace just knew CB. That’s really all they needed. They didn’t need a title, a label. They didn’t care what the world saw in them. But Ace agonized over this for far too long. And under the rain, with only CB’s eyes to guide her, she finally understood what she’d been missing. “But I want to call you my wife.”
One of CB’s hands fell on her lips, muffling the gasp that barely sounded in the rain. The rain. Katsuragi Ace didn’t always love the rain. But she understood now why it was sacred. Against the ice-cold pellets of rain, Ace pulled CB closer by the waist, leaving no room for the rain to swallow her words. Ace could see the tears gathering in CB’s eyes, the stars could only ever dream of shining half as bright as her.
“More than my rival, my best friend, my partner…” Ace continued. Her mind was blank, but somehow the words just spilled over and led her to CB anyways. “I want to be with you. Wake up next to you. Cook meals with you. Hold you like this even when there isn’t rain. Hold you forever.”
Ace reached up her hand to wipe away a tear that slipped out of CB’s eye. Not even the rain could hide such a thing from her. Not when it involved CB. She pressed their foreheads together. Closer. She needed to feel CB so close to her that she’d burst. Whether or not CB heard her wish or if she acted solely on instinct didn’t matter, she still wrapped her arms around Ace’s neck. Their breaths were warm against their skin.
“I never want anyone to hold me the way you do.” If Ace lacked any more self-control, she would’ve kissed CB right then and there. But she needed to hear her say yes. “So, please. Be my wife. Marry me now and I’ll love you forever.”
CB let out a breathless laugh. “And a day?”
“As many days as you want.” Ace couldn’t stop smiling, neither could CB even as she slightly shook her head.
“Ace, you don’t even have a ring.”
“Did you even want one?”
“No.” The tears finally spilled from CB’s eyes, washed away just as swiftly by the rain. “I just want Ace.”
She couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She didn’t expect anything else from her wife. Ace tilted her head, slotting herself even closer until her breaths were right on CB’s lips. Maybe they could be romantic, just this once under the cold rain when the stars are all gone as they shone in CB’s eyes. She bid goodbye to those eyes for a moment as she closed the space between them. CB let out the sob she was holding back before melting into the kiss.
The rain is sacred. It’s where their rivalry started. It’s where they chased after the other. It’s where they became engaged. And it’s where they would be married.
Ace was sure about it.