The mission

It was hard to understand why Yuzuru had suddenly remembered to do this, but Mia didn't mind staying a bit longer at the rink, even if she wasn't very happy to see Yuzu's face right now.

"Hey" Yuzu said as he sat by her side while waiting for Alex to get ready to skate.

"Hello." She answered coldly, making Yuzu wince.

"Is everything okay?" He found himself asking, almost as if trying to understand what was bothering the woman.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"You just sound a bit mad or something... But maybe it's just me."

"Maybe I wouldn't be if you said hi earlier." She mumbled lowly with a pout and Yuzuru wasn't sure if she wanted him to hear that. His eyes still widened as he realized her words.

"Oh, so you're mad at me..."

"You weren't supposed to hear that. Sorry."

"No, I wanted to... For the record, I would've, but... I figured we could use some distance... You know..."

The way he said it made her realize that her suspicions had probably been correct and he had heard part of the conversation with her mother and not the part that she wished he did

"You heard what I said to my mom, didn't you?"

"I didn't mean to."

"But you still did."

"Yes. And I understood that you were right and that I couldn't possibly ask you for anything more."

"You missed the best part."

"Did I?"

"Yeah. My mom lectured me when you left."

"About what?"

"Something about always sacrificing my happiness for Alex and forgetting myself."

Yuzu was just about to answer that when Alex jumped in front of them with excitement.

"I'm ready!"

"Show me what you have until now..." Yuzuru said, not making too much effort to move from her side.

As Alex started skating, Yuzuru focused on her again.

"You know he has been a bit down?"

"Alex?" She asked in surprise, Mia hadn't noticed anything when he was at home.

"Yeah... I asked him what was wrong, I was worried."

"And?"

"He said his mom has been a bit sad and grumpy."

That made Mia stare at Yuzu with a frown on her face. She knew that the boy had noticed that she was a bit sad, but not to the point of making him down as well.

Yuzuru's hand found the same place in her leg of the other night as if in a comforting way.

"He is too perceptive."

"Is it because of me?" He eventually managed to ask the question that he had been avoiding.

"Yes and no... I have been a bit frustrated that you won't say anything to me after how we left things but at the same time, I'm also dealing with a lot of things myself."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Alex?"

"I am. What makes you think I can't multitask?"

"I'm just not sure you're the right person to be talking about this."

"Why?"

"Because it's mostly about you."

Yuzuru was silent about it for a few seconds, giving some instructions and tips to Alex but nodded in acknowledgment after.

"I can pretend I don't know myself." He joked and she couldn't help the laugh from leaving her body.

"You're not real..."

"I can assure you I am, you're free to touch."

It was slightly funny but Mia didn't know how to start explaining this.

"I have never dated or spent time with a man after his dad."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it took a toll on me, how things ended and how I was treated. I'm always a bit afraid to dive into anything."

"It's only natural."

"I know. The problem is that you make me want to dive without any questions asked."

He smiled at that, slightly proud of himself.

"I have never seriously dated." He ended up saying surprising her once again.

"Why not?"

"Career was always first."

"I see."

"But I understand what you mean too, because I never felt urges to date or anything even remotely close to that. Well... Not until I saw you standing there."

His eyes were staring at the place she had been when they first met.

"You mean on the first day?"

"Yes."

"We hadn't even talked then."

"I know, but you looked so beautiful when you heard Alex calling your name."

Mia was surprised by his honesty, it explained a lot of that first day and why Yuzuru had gone to them in the first place.

Still, it didn't make sense in her head that he would look at her like that when he had so many women he could choose from.

"You can have any girl."

"I don't want just any girl."

"Yuzu..."

"But I understand how things work and even if I wish things were different, I do have to go back to Japan."

"I know"

"And I don't want to make things any harder for you when I leave. That's why I have been keeping my distance."

"Yeah."

"I don't want you to be grumpy or sad because of me, either. It hurts me to see you like that."

Just like he was doing, she placed her hand on his leg as well.

"I think I will be fine now."

"I hope so."

"Friends?" She then suggested. It felt like they were closing a chapter, but it felt right to just understand that things probably wouldn't work out if they tried anything else.

"Absolutely."