What A Girl Wants

Fifteen

Sae was feeling good about nationals. Too good, in fact.

Not that there was ever a too good when it came to confidence in her abilities or the abilities of the squad. She wanted them to break through every ceiling that her impossible standards were constantly setting for them, and that's all they had done over the months that had paved the way to nationals. Through every pep rally, performance, practice, training camp, competition, they'd done just that. Meet and exceed her expectations. And maybe, just maybe, if she was in a good mood, she would admit that the team had impressed her. But only when she was being very generous.

They were a good squad. Did that have something to do with the fact that the team bonding slumber parties had become a biweekly event? Maybe. Was that only the case because Ryusei had told Sae that it had been great fun and they should continue them through the season? Maybe. But whether it was because of that or because Sae was just a good captain was irrelevant. They'd barely stumbled all season.

There had been one major injury, but Sae barely counted it as a negative.

Because of course the injury of the season had been little miss glass ankles Sendou Shuto herself. And Sae thought it was no great loss benching her. It didn't affect the routine any. The team had two alternate flyers, and she figured she'd just throw one of them into the routine. They'd all been watching and practicing all season, so, whatever. She figured it would have been seamless.

And it was, mostly. The one hiccup had been Rin.

"So, Shuto's out for the season," Sae announced to the group of the elite who still met after every single practice.

Shuto herself gave everyone an apologetic look as Oliver helped her onto the mat and set her crutches aside. Again, she knew better than to say anything, and Sae wasn't feeling particularly vengeful. She directed her attention to Rin.

"We have two alternate flyers, and they're both adequate," Sae said, explaining the obvious. "Which one do you want?"

"I don't want either of them," Rin said back, arms crossed against her chest, not missing a beat.

Sae sighed, wondering why in the world her sister was choosing now of all times to be difficult, but then she understood. It was a quiet moment, one that existed nowhere but between the two of them, despite the fact that Oliver and Shuto were looking back and forth between them, waiting for the next move, and Ryusei was lounging with her back pressed to the mats, looking insanely delicious, entirely indifferent to the conversation so long as it didn't concern her.

Rin had been bothering Sae about switching up the stunt groups since early on in the season. Which she understood, because who the hell wouldn't want to get rid of Shuto if they were in a group with her? But that hadn't been her reasoning. Actually, no reasoning had been offered in such concrete terms. Not at first. Sae had shut it down, because she hadn't wanted any changes made. It hadn't seemed important or helpful. But Rin did, apparently. Enough to keep bringing it up. Persistently and mercilessly, until it came to a head. Jesus fucking Christ, Rin, would you just let it go! Why the fuck is this so important to you? Sae had snapped at her.

I want to stunt with the little black and yellow haired flyer, Rin finally snapped back, exasperated and cold. There! Is that what you wanted to fucking hear?

Sae had been so stunned by Rin's sudden confession, how strangely flustered she'd gotten over it, that she hadn't even been able to reply. And in Sae's silence, Rin's scowl deepened and she tilted her face forward so her bangs fell all over it and then she turned on her heels and stomped off.

They hadn't spoken about it again, but Sae did understand in that moment that that's what Rin was saying.

"You know who I want," Rin added.