Work Text:
The sun was setting, wind starting to feel breezy as her class finally finished. She walked down the road, reaching for her phone inside her pocket, already expecting a message from a certain someone.
The wind tousled her hair slightly, making it go in every direction. She huffed, fixing her bangs into place before opening up the room chat. She wasn't getting any texts yet...
Katsuragi Ace is currently waiting for a message from her ex-trainer. She's now graduated and no longer a racehorse, but that didn't stop her from meeting her beloved ex-trainer almost every week.
Right now, Ace was busy contemplating what she should write as she waited for the bus to come.
"Maybe I should just call her... Wait, she could be doing paperwork right now-" Ace mumbled to herself, feeling herself getting into a little bit of dilemma.
She stared at the screen, hoping something would come to mind. But then, the woman from the other side of the screen texted her first. She felt relieved.
"Sorry, Ace. I just finished training the girls." Her trainer had said. It was currently 5.11 pm. Maybe she can pay a quick visit...
Ace begins typing, but then another message from her trainer popped up.
"I'm heading to your bus stop. Wait there." Oh, that was a surprise. Seems like her trainer already had a plan in mind. Ace can't really say no, especially to her trainer. So...
"Alright." Was all she replied before she closed her phone and stared off into the horizon, waiting for her to show up.
It didn't take too long, but it was not quick either. Even though Tracen isn't that far away from here. Ace looked around. She spotted her trainer walking a bit away from the bus stop, and Ace stood up. Her grin was already settled in place.
Gosh, her trainer really was beautiful. She's always thought so, even when she was still a young uma and just got enrolled in Tracen. Ace was practically her trainer's day one fan. And her reaction when her trainer scouted her? Some nobody uma from the countryside? Oh, she was overjoyed.
"Yo, trainer. Took you long enough." Ace tucked her hands into her pocket, refraining herself from reaching out and touching her trainer's soft and silky hair.
"Ahah, sorry. I had to take a quick shower first."
"No worries. It wasn't that long. So, you've got a plan in mind for tonight's hangout?"
"Ah, I was thinking of trying the new place down the streets. If you're up to that?"
"Of course. Anything trainer says, I shall comply." Ace answered in that same, free and unbothered way she always did. Her trainer can't help but smile a little.
"Oh, cmon, you have the right to say no. But I'll take a win as a win!" Her trainer then started walking, expecting Ace to follow behind her immediately. Which is not an issue, since she'll follow close behind anyway.
"So, how was your class today, Ace?"
"Me? It's just the usual stuff. Studying to be a trainer is really boring." Ace complained, the laid-back personality of hers coming out. Her trainer laughed.
"Well, you probably knew most of the stuff already. You were a racehorse, after all."
"Exactly! So why do I need to get a degree for it? Doesn't make any sense to me." The woman walking beside Ace could only nod. It must be quite frustrating indeed. But Ace had promised her to become a trainer in Tracen one day, to accompany her.
How sweet of her.
"Anyway, what about you, Trainer? The younger girls didn't give you any trouble?"
"It was tiring, but they thankfully didn't do anything weird today. Paperwork is still piling up, though." Ace has heard her trainer complaints about the paperwork many times by now. And every time, she would get concerned. Even when Ace was still racing, her trainer did have a habit to stay up late at night to chase her deadlines.
"You should get a proper rest, you know. Your brain won't function properly if you neglect your needs." Ace's voice dripped with concern. The shorter woman beside her laughed.
"Don't worry about it. That's the 15th time you've said that, you know."
"Well, who else would look out for your well-being? You often forget to eat. Must I remind you about your unhealthy diet as well?" She huffed, glancing sideways at her trainer, and then she continued.
"I'm worried about you. You're gonna collapse one of these days."
"I assure you, I'm fine, Ace."
"You say that, but I can see your eyebags getting darker every time we meet..." Ace had to bit back her tongue before her concern started turning into a full-on rambling.
Her trainer smiled, appreciating the concern. She knew she had really unhealthy habit, and Ace had been lecturing her about it for quite some time now. But it can't be helped, workload isn't something that she can procrastinate about.
"I'm taking care of myself, don't worry." Her trainer opted for the same things she's been repating. Ace can only sigh and hope that she actually meant it.
After a fifteen minutes walk, they've finally arrived at the cafe her trainer was talking about. The place seems rather cozy. And the dim lighting was just right. Ace could probably use this as a new place where she can do her assignments.
"How'd you know about this place?" Ace asked as she looked around the place.
"I met Sirius the other day, she said she went for a date with Nakayama here. So she recommended it to me." Her trainer walked up into the counter, looking at the menu written above. Ace also started scanning for something she'd like.
But she was quickly distracted by her trainer's face. Her eyes darted back to her. The way her hair framed her face just right, the make-up she probably did in a hurry yet still makes her pretty.
Gosh, she's really down bad for her.
"See anything you like, Ace?" Her trainer spoke up, breaking Ace from her trance.
"A-ah, I'll just get the black coffee and... the pumpkin pie." She quickly recovered, clearing her throat before her voice could crack. Her trainer noticed her embarrassment, of course. She giggled. Ace was never really good at hiding her feelings.
"Well then, I'll get the matcha and cheesecake." Her trainer confirmed her own order, and the barista gave them their receipt.
"Let's look for a seat while waiting, Ace."
"Ah, right- Sure."
They ended up sitting on a corner, the big ass window showing the setting sun from outside the cafe. The streets were crowded. This is busy hour, after all, people going back from work and everything. Ace was lucky her trainer got off soon.
"Hey, trainer." Ace leaned her chin against the palm of her hand, elbow on the table. She looked outside the window, the golden hour painting the city in such a mesmerizing way.
"Yeah? What is it?"
Ace turned her gace back to her trainer. The light was hitting her in such an ethereal way that for a moment, Ace forgot what was it she wanted to say. Eventually, she snapped out of her state when the waitress brought them their food.
"Ah, thanks." Her trainer took the orders and placed them neatly on the table.
"What was it, Ace?"
"...Forget about it. We should eat first." Ace shook her head, looking down at her plate of pumpkin pie. She quickly reached for the fork, but her trainer quickly stopped her.
"Hey! Pictures first!" Her trainer pulled out her phone. Of course, how typical of her. Updating her umastagram is really important, after all. Ace could only laugh.
"Ah, right. How could I forget? You and your obsession with posting pictures." She watched as her trainer got busy taking pictures, trying to find the right angle, the right lighting, and the right placement of food.
After ten minutes, her trainer seems to stop snapping pictures left and right and now looking intently at her phone. Looks like she's trying to find the best pictures to keep.
"So... Can I dig in now?" Ace reached out slowly for her plate and fork, her trainer nodded.
"Ah, right. Go ahead!" Her trainer puts her phone aside and starts digging into the food herself.
Eventually, they both managed to finish their respective food and emptied their drinks.
"Ah, that was good..." Ace mumbled in satisfaction. She was really a sucker for good food.
"Mhm. Ah, right. The thing you wanted to talk about earlier, Ace? What was it?"
Ah, back to that topic. Ace pushed away her plate and straightened up. She reached out her phone and checked the time, then looked at the window outside. It was dark already.
"Can we talk in the park?" She suggested, placing the bills for both their orders on the table.
"...sure."
—˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚
The vending mechine rumbled as both their drinks fell off. Ace reached out and gave the lemon soda to her trainer. A preference she learned her trainer has over the year she's been training under her. They both sat on the bench. The park was mostly empty, though the city was still bustling with activities.
"So... trainer?"
"Yeah?"
"...It was your birthday yesterday, right?"
"Ah, right... I forgot. What about it?"
"I got you something," Ace reached out for her pocket, fishing something out. Her trainer waited, staring as Ace pulled it out. It was a small box, Ace held it out to her trainer.
"Open it,"
"Oooh, is that a ring~?" Her trainer teased. Ace felt her face warming, cheeks blushing.
"W-what?! Of course not! W-why would- F-forget about that, just open it-!" That stuttering was not so cool, Ace. Her trainer laughed.
"Relax, your face is really red right now." Her trainer reached out for the small box and opened it. Well, it's not a ring, as Ace had said. But it was still special either way.
It was a necklace, with a pendant of her initial on it. She held it up, the silver glinting under the moonlight.
"...Do you like it...?" Ace asked, slightly scared of what her trainer would say. Her trainer didn't answer for a few moments before she finally held it close against her heart.
"I love it! I absolutely adore it!" She turned to face Ace, eyes shining with excitement. Ace breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad... I spent half of my savings for that. Sorry for not being there for your birthday yesterday."
"You don't have to, you know? But I appreciate it!" Ace smiled, thankful that she didn't seem to mind her absence yesterday.
"Want me to put it on for you?" She offered, her trainer immediately placed the necklace on Ace's hand.
"Of course!"
"Whoa, someone's eager." Ace chuckled, gently brushing the hair on her trainer's nape aside to put the necklace around her neck. Once it was one, Ace tucked her trainer's hair behind her ears. Her trainer blushed.
"Oh, you freaking tease."
"Ahah, can't help it."
Ace continued to stare at her, and her trainer does so, too. When the tension was finally too thick for them, they broke away their eye contact, both blushing furiously.
"Trainer..."
"Ace-"
Their words overlapped, and Ace went rigid.
"Ah, you can go first."
"No, you go first."
After an intense staring match of who is going to speak up first, they broke off with a laughter. Ace finally gave in.
"Fine, I'll go first. Here goes nothing..." She took a deep breath, bracing herself.
"Trainer, I like you. So much. Since the day I first saw you on the training field." She said it with such conviction, her eyes staring deep into her trainer's.
"I didn't want to confess earlier because it might cross the boundary a student at Tracen have. But I've graduated now." She turned to face her trainer more properly.
"So, will you give me a chance?"
Her trainer stayed silent for a minute before straightening her back, an easy smile accompanying her gorgeous face bathed under the moonlight.
"Funny, I wanted to say the same thing."
"So, was that a yes?" Ace was practically wide-eyed, just like a puppy. Her tail wags left to right behind her.
"I mean... if it's not obvious enough?"
—˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚
"Girl, your posture is bad. You could try bending your arms a bit more to give your body more stability." Ace ordered around, the uma training under her gave a nod.
"Yes, trainer!" And then she went back to training with her fellow teammates.
From the sidelines, Ace's wife sat. Watching her dealing with the younger prodigies, she felt a sense of nostalgia washing over her. That was once her and Ace, too.
She watched as Ace approached, face sweaty and her tracksuit drenched.
"Ahh, that was tiring~" Ace sat down beside her lover, opening her mouth as she fed her an onigiri.
"Now you know how I felt when I had to deal with your ass." Ace could only laugh as her trainer—no—wife, said that. After chewing down the food, she spoke up.
"Yeah, yeah. I knew I was quite the troublemaker. But you loved me~"
"And why do you think so?"
"You wouldn't have married me if you didn't."
"I guess that's true."
"Only guess? Ouch."
And they both sat there together for a bit longer, watching their respective trained umas do a mock race together. Even though they're part of different teams, with how Ace always trains her team alongside her wife's, they could practically be counted as one.
"Ace,"
"Yeah, love?'
"Tch, so sappy."
"You love it."
"...I hate you."
"I love you too," Ace placed a small peck on her wife's lips before she stood back up.
"Break time's over! Back to the grind!" She held out her hand for her ex-trainer now wife to take, and then they went back to training.
Ace was still smiling to herself, stealing a glance at her lover's neck, where the necklace was still neatly worn, accompanied with a tiny hickey from last night.
Ace truly feels like couldn't have been happier than this.
"Trainer! You're ignoring us again! Cmon, I know you're in love. No need to make it so obvious!" Her students complained, Ace laughed.
"Can't help it." Ace stole another glance at her wife, catching her staring at her at the same time. They both chuckled silently.
And that's how they were deemed "The disgustingly in love trainers who would shamelessly flirt in front of their students".
At least, Ace now got herself a lover whom she can adore properly. Not as her trainer, or ex-trainer, for the matter. But as her beloved, who she got to marry.
Ace truly is the luckiest person ever.