#oscarxruby

Moodily, she unclipped her helmet. Ruby watched as Danna forced Nova onto the rink. Danna refused to be kicked out because of some dumb “couples skate.” So ever since they started to come here, she invited (or made rather) whomever was closest to her to be her “date.” Danna always used to ask her, but since Nova joined Ruby had been obligated to sit on the bench until a half-hour of couples only time had passed. The whole situation had begun to make Ruby wonder if Danna really was only bringing Nova so she could skate longer. Either way, it was frustrating.

“Couples only.”

Ruby saw an attendant she didn’t recognize stop Danna and Nova from going on. 

Nova pinked, but Danna looked reproachful. “We are.” Nova flushed a darker red. Danna held up their linked hands for proof. 

The attendant's face grew dark as he pointed them away from the entrance. 

“Are you insinuating that because we’re both girls we aren’t a couple?” 

The attendant opened his mouth angrily, but Ruby traced his gaze to a uniformed man over Danna's shoulder. He shut his mouth, flushing a furious red. His boss. Ruby thought. 

Huffing, Danna pulled Nova onto the rink. 

Ruby silently cheered for her friend, happy she got in even though Ruby herself was stuck on the outside. 

Her view of Nova and Danna doing skating tricks was blocked as Oscar skated in front of her. 

“Bummed about not being able to roller skate?” Oscar looked nervous, a little too uptight for what he was saying.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes!” He was too enthusiastic, but Ruby didn’t question.

“Okay… but yeah, I’m jealous of Danna’s confidence. I want to skate, but I doubt I’d get the nerve to pull anyone in with me.”

“Well maybe, wh- erm- would you consider skating with me? Because I want to skate too…” He trailed off, bright red. He looked over her 

shoulder, and she followed his gaze to see Adiran giving him a thumbs up.

Ruby jumped to her feet immediately, face opening in a smile. There was a faint fluttering in her stomach as she looked at Oscar, which she put down as excitement to get back on the ring. She grabbed her helmet.“Let me help.” Oscar set down his cane. It had taken hours of extra time at the rink for Oscar to learn how to skate with his cane, but they’d paid off. He was now one of the smoothest skaters of the group, even though he needed to take breaks more frequently and often was seen clinging to a wall for balance if he’d been on too long. He reached forward and did the clasps as she adjusted her ponytail. His fingers brushing her jaw sent an ever so slight shiver through her. It’s because we’re breaking the rules. Ruby thought, explaining the shiver away.

“Let’s go!!” Beaming, she took his hand. He stared at their linked hands for a moment, and Ruby added, “Well, if we want to sell it we have to at least make it look like we’re a couple.” The words made the butterflies go off in her stomach again. Ruby was confused, whenever she and Danna had snuck on the rink she’d never gotten this nervous before. 

“Oh yeah, sell it, of course.” Oscar nodded vigorously.

They skated towards the entrance. When they got there, Oscar put an arm around her shoulder and smiled at the attendant. Ruby didn’t know how he could smile like that at the homophobic jerk. If she wasn’t so determined to skate, she would’ve stomped on his foot in her skates. Instead, she resorted to bouncing up and down, looking at the great expanse of the skating floor beckoning to her.

They skated in, and Ruby recognized the song. How could she not? It was one that every child in Gatlon City knew, one that had been a top hit since before the age of Anarchy. 

Oscar looked at Ruby, his excitement rivaling hers.

Ruby and Oscar turned to face each other, eyes bright.

“HEY I JUST MET YOU!” they screamed, “BUT THIS IS CRAAAAZY, BUT HERE’S MY NUMBER, SO CALL ME MAYBE!” They skated backwards, talking into fake phones, laughing and Ruby tipping from unbalance. 

“OOH I NEED YOU TONIGHT, I MISS YOU SO BAD” On so bad both of their voices cracked as they screamed, and they held hands leaning forward and to the side. “SO BAD SO BADBADBADBADBADBBAD”

They music kept going and they sang loudly, dancing, skating and doing tricks. Ruby loved to do cool jumps and jump spins while she skated, but Oscar prefered spins and twirls, which were way easier on his legs than the jumps. Ruby couldn't help but be impressed as he skated and did three complete turns in a row, proceeding to skate out of it instead of fall over or something. In an effort to match this, she skated up to him and jumped, turning in the air, before landing and doing a sweeping leg motion. His eyes widened, impressed and she was satisfied. 

As the song continued, their dancing and tricks went from individual to partner, with basic things like Oscar twirling Ruby, to complicated moves when she’d jump and Oscar would take her hands as she landed and pull her into a two person spin.

  The song ended and they struck poses and leaned into each other, exhausted yet exhilarated. Especially Oscar. She knew that skating wasn’t easy for him with the cane, and with his tendency to tricks. But he loved it, and worked through the pain and hardship.

 Ruby knew a thing or two about that. 

Danna whistled as she skated past, and Nova clapped, winking at Oscar. In fact, a couple people clapped. Only like two or three besides their friends, but it was enough outside attention to make Ruby blush. 

She smiled at her partner. “You were great!” She exclaimed “More than great, outstanding!!”

“You too! You were absolutely insane! That double jump turn you did-”

“And when you span while skating backwards!!” Ruby tried to mimic the move, but ended up spinning out of control and into Oscar. She’s met him head on, pushing him against the wall. Automatically, his arms went to Ruby’s hips to steady her. Her face looked up at his, and she was momentarily mesmerized by the way the strobe lights reflected off his dark eyes and his eyelashes fluttered. 

Until she realized what an improper position they were in- and how dark red Oscar had gone. The realization made her blush as well, but she was hesitant to move away. There was something about this position- not comfortable exactly, but exhilarating. Oscar’s eye momentarily flashed from her eyes to her lips, and transfixed, he slowly began to lean down.

Then his stomach gave a large growl.

Startled, Ruby jumped back. Oscar looked sheepish, and was blushing fiery red once more.

“Are you hungry?” Ruby asked, as if his stomach hadn’t just emitted a noise akin to that of a birthing whale or they hadn’t nearly kissed. 

“Yeah, and I’m a bit tired.” Oscar continued the “pretending nothing happened” train. Ruby softened, thinking that he would do best sitting down with a hotdog.

 “Same. Let’s go get some food.”