It's Going To Be My Year
"Tell us about the night before a race. What's going through your mind? How do you mentally prepare?"
Can't outrun gossip. But outwardly, the athlete now perpetually known as Lucky smiled. It wasn't fake or stiff, but it was practiced. Practice makes perfect.
"It's true what you've heard. I'm actually pretty superstitious. Having the same routine every night, it calms my jitters."
"You, nervous?" The boubali host was good at their job, voice even and curious, the lilt inviting Lucky to elaborate. What could a rising star like this xero possibly have to worry about?
If only they knew. "Absolutely. My rookie year in the Planetary circuit was [i]terrible.[/i] I'd break personal records and smash winning times in practice, but never be able to match that performance in competition. The stress of a real race...it would get in my head. I couldn't reach that flow state."
"But then....?"
"And then, when travelling for the Zae'ka Open, Coach decided to check me into the "Red Lucky Seven" hostel. I wasn't really feeling the cheesy joke. The room's entire decor was red. At the time it was the most garish thing I had ever seen. But she'd also left me an enormous bouquet of roses, and an envelope."
~
Lucky smiled as they opened up the envelope. Inside was a hand-written note:This is gonna be our year. I know it. Win or lose tomorrow, you'll always be #1 in my heart."
The athlete blinked away tears. It was true. She'd always been there for them, steadfast.Lucky had certainly wondered if their feelings were reciprocated....and here it was, shyly confirmed in text. For as bold and demanding as they were in practice, Coach was surprisingly oblique with their feleings. Lucky flipped their phone open and began texting.
L: Did you do all this....and still rent a separate room???
C: I didn't want to presume
L: >:| get up here. are you downstairs pacing in the lobby. we are going to cuddle. your star athlete demands cuddles.
C: Just cuddles~?
L: :3
L: come on up and find out~
Lucky snapped their phone shut and rolled off the bed in a hurry. They'd have to move fast, to have a trail of rose petals on the floor of the hotel room, before Coach got upstairs.
~
"So, ahha," Lucky drummed their hooves on the arm of the chair. "We started....a new pre-race tradition," Keen-eyed viewers could probably spot Lucky's blush through their pale face-fur.
"Spending the night in, just the two of us. We really are a team, and she helps me see the bigger picture, keep me grounded. After that night, I stopped getting so caught up on winning or losing, and, ironically...."
They spread their arms apart. "Here we are."
~
Lucky and their coach both keep a copy of the same holograph, a projection of a three-dimensional image. After their first first-place finish (a photo-finish, by milimeters), Lucky's team and coach rushed onto the green to congratulate the athlete. The crowd and paparazzi roared in surprise and delight, but Lucky and their lover only had eyes for each-other, as the athlete curled their arm around the coach's back for a low dip kiss.
Lucky and their coach both keep a copy of the same holograph, a projection of a three-dimensional image. After their first first-place finish (a photo-finish, by milimeters), Lucky's team and coach rushed onto the green to congratulate the athlete. The crowd and paparazzi roared in surprise and delight, but Lucky and their lover only had eyes for each-other, as the athlete curled their arm around the coach's back for a low dip kiss.
Lucky overcomes a losing streak, with support from someone special.
Submitted By Zuki
for Valentines 2026 DTE
Submitted: 1 day ago ・
Last Updated: 13 hours ago
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