"You made me a better player," I counter with a grin. "Though I suppose that's not saying much. You make everyone better just bein' on the ice at all."

He takes my hand then, holding it up as he skates around me. It's hard not to laugh at that and I don't even hide it, though my smile falters a little under his words. It's... well, he says it pretty casually, but it feels like a lot. "You're pretty amazing all on your own," I tell him, my heart fluttering in my chest. "You always have been. I'm just... I'm kinda like a garnish, maybe."