Purple Ink (SatoGou)

Epilogue

As promised, it's finished! I hope everyone that is still here enjoys the little ending I wrote. Thank you for reading!

Four months later

The ice rink is completely packed, the bleachers around it filled to capacity, everyone chatting eagerly, waiting for the next contestants. Beside me, Dawn is fidgeting restlessly, glancing around at each of the doors, no doubt waiting for someone to arrive. She's late, but she did warn us her train might get her here just on time.

The door swings open again, and Chloe rushes in, dressed for the warm weather outside, pushing sunglasses up to her head and looking around for us. Dawn jumps immediately to her feet, waving her hand in the air, and Chloe turns and spots us. Her face lights up, and then she's jogging up the steps. No one pays her any attention as she runs right to Dawn, throwing her arms around her. Not a second later, they pull away just enough to lean in and kiss one another, fully and unapologetically.

"Save it for the bedroom," Gary teases from beside me. Misty nudges him with her elbow, and he sarcastically rubs it. Dawn turns to look over her shoulder at him, giving him the death glare that's usually reserved for me.

"This is tame," I say, shaking my head. "Consider yourself lucky they didn't start climbing each other like the last time we met up."

Chloe stutters, her face glowing crimson. "We did not!"

Dawn laughs, reaching up to hold Chloe's face in both of her hands. "He's winding you up. I have missed you, though. Please tell me you're staying for at least a few nights."

"Better," Chloe says with a grin. "I'm staying for the whole of Easter break."

Dawn squeals, throwing her arms around her girlfriend. I watch, feeling the same warmth in my heart that Goh gives me. I'm so glad, and so grateful, that she finally allowed herself to truly open up. I know, from the rare emotional conversation late at night, that Dawn still sometimes stresses about things going wrong. Like me, she can't bear the thought of losing her partner. Just like me, the pain would be too much for her. I have complete faith that her and Chloe will last, though.

"They're coming on!" May calls, and Dawn and Chloe immediately sit down, holding hands. The announcer calls out their names, and Serena and Goh appear. They're both so attractive that together they're devastating. His eyes find me in the crowd for a moment, and the corner of his mouth turns up in a secret smirk, just for me. I watch carefully as they skate onto the rink, a dramatic song starting overhead. All of their months of practicing has led up to this, and I know just how much this means to him. With all of our friends here watching, he wants every move to be perfect- wants his performance to be flawless.

They skate out into the middle of the rink, skating around one another, Serena lifting one leg, skating in a circle around him. They're a whirlwind, moving with such speed and precision that I could never have. It's completely mesmerising, and I can't tear my eyes away from them, and every trick they perform. I know from watching them practice what is a mistake, and I'm confident they don't make a single one.

As their performance winds down, the crowd cheers and whoops for them, the claps so loud it's deafening. I stand, clapping as hard as I can, grinning when Goh looks at me again. He's glowing, I swear, and with his cheeks flushed, he looks better than ever.

There are only three more performances before the competition is over. I watch them quietly. They're all impressive, but none as good as Goh and Serena. Once it's all over, the judges will deliberate for a time, and so we head down the steps to find them, still in the outfits they skated in, minus the skates. I throw my arms around Goh immediately. "You were amazing," I say.

"You think so?"

"You're kidding," Misty says, coming up beside me, the others just a step behind her. "It was incredible!"

He looks at them all- the considerable size of our friendship group, all joined together now. Misty and Gary have come up to see him perform, but also because they were eager to meet all of my flatmates. Serena, May, Cilan, Clemont, Gary, Misty, Dawn, Chloe, Brock and I- all of us are here together, and tonight we'll go out to celebrate, no matter the result. Dawn and Chloe are staying in Goh's room again, and Brock has agreed to let Misty and Gary stay in his, since he's always in Lucy's now.

"Thank you," Goh says, smiling at them all, "for coming to watch us." He smiles sideways at Serena, too. She just nods up at him, smiling too.

Ten minutes later, and the result has been determined. We head back to our seats as all of the competitors gather on the ice. I hold my breath, watching Goh, sensing how nervous he is from here, as he grips Serena's hand hard. The announcer is holding a card, and begins. "And the winners of this year's annual figure skating tournament are..." He looks up at them all. "Goh and Serena!"

Serena screams, throwing her hands up, taking Goh's hand with it. He stares blankly ahead in shock, even when someone brings a trophy forward and places it in his arm. My heart leaps forward in my chest, and I make sure I meet his eyes when he looks at me. "I love you," I mouthe silently to him, and he finally seems to snap back to reality, his eyes glistening as he accepts the trophy.

As the crowd starts to disperse, Serena kicks off her skates again and runs up the stairs, jumping into Clemont's arms. In the last few weeks, something has kindled between them, a spark slowly building into a roaring fire. I walk past them to Goh, who waits patiently for me, knowing I'm going to throw my arms around him too.

"Lucky me," I say into his hair, holding him tight. "My boyfriend is a champion."

He shakes his head. "I'm the lucky one," he argues. Gently, I squeeze him. Later, I'll show him just how lucky he is, but for now...

"Come on!" Brock calls from behind us. I turn to see the rest of the group waiting for us. "Time to celebrate!"

I laugh, reaching to join my hand with Goh's, and we head down the steps to join them.