The Ice Prince // Yuzuvier Fan Fic

Chapter Fifty One

Yuzuru:

Walking out into the arena was a moment I would never forget. It felt overwhelming in both the best and the worst ways. Somewhere in this crowd of people was my sister and my parents. I didn't want to look for them. It would make me even more nervous.

"Good luck, Dumpling." Javi whispered softly behind me and it made me relax a little. If someone had told me a couple of years ago that I would be here at the Olympics with my boyfriend waiting to skate for the world with a programme that I loved an had chosen for myself? I would have told them they were insane. I felt insane. I was bordering on giddy.

That could also be the pain tablets though. I hadn't told Javi, but I'd landed a little heavy at practice yesterday and the pain in my ankle had been eye watering. There was a list as long as my arm for performance enhancing drugs I wasn't allowed to take that would disqualify me for the Olympics but luckily they didn't exclude pain medication.

The door to the rink opened and I dropped down to touch the ice as I stepped on it. Please be kind to me today, I begged it silently. After a few minutes of warm up spins and subtly testing the flexibility in my ankle, I penguin walked backstage again to wait for my turn to skate.

"Our next skater representing Japan. Yuzuru Hanyu." The woman's voice filled the arena and I stepped on to the ice. Coach Brian gave me a beaming smile like a proud parent.

"Good luck, kid." I nodded my thanks and he held out my Winnie the Pooh doll so I could give it one last squeeze for good luck. I dropped to a squat and whispered my prayer to the ice. Reached up and gave Javi's necklace a brief touch and then pushed back and skated out to the middle of the ice. Although it was quiet there were still fans I could see in the stands waving the Japanese flag and a few scattered 'Ganbatte!'s' that I could hear while I crossed my chest like Mistress Ekaterina taught me to remind myself to keep my posture during my jumps.

Then the music started I could feel my body moving, but I didn't remember consciously making a decision to. I trusted my muscle memory enough to flow with the music, and all I could think about was flying. Freedom. I loved doing what I do and I wanted the world to see that so desperately for some reason. Before I knew it I was doing my last flying sit spin and then it was over. The roar from the crowd was deafening.

"They're still clearing up the dolls." Coach Brian laughed in my ear as I sat down next to him and Coach Ghislain at the Kiss and Cry waiting to see my score. The short programme wasn't my biggest worry but it didn't hurt to go into the free skate with a comfortable score.

"Yuzuru Hanyu has earned for the short programme 111.68 points -" and I couldn't hear the rest over Coach Ghislain's cheering in my ear.

"Welcome back." He said and I laughed.

"Good start." Coach Brian said proudly next to me and I agreed. A good start.

When it was Javi's turn to skate I stood up to join Coach Brian at the rails, my Winnie the Pooh doll clutched tightly in my hands. Javi had once said the red and yellow reminded him of the Spanish flag and while I didn't want to disrespect my own country, I was glad I could give him just a little support.

"Should you be standing?" He asked me.

"I'll be fine." Javi circled the ice while they announced his name and I couldn't keep the smile off my face. He looked dashingly handsome in his grey pants and the fitted tuxedo like faux jacket in deep black velvet that matched my signature velvet pants that I liked to skate with. He was skating to Charlie Chaplin and it was a very Javi programme. Funny and carefree. I whooped and clapped just as loud as everyone else when he landed his first jump.

"The score please." I crossed my fingers while Javi sat next to Coach Brian and Tracy at the Kiss and Cry cuddling little teddy bear wearing an outfit just like his that someone had thrown down from the stands.

"Javier Fernandez has earned in the short programme 107.58 points. He is currently in second place." Javi looked up and met my eyes while I huddled backstage. Game on.

The day of the free skate was a little different. Coach Brian informed me that I would be skating last today because it took too long for the flower kids to pick up all the dolls everyone threw into the rink when I finished skating. I was OK with that but the wait was torture. And my ankle was on fire. Shoma had given me a look in the morning when I'd come out the bathroom limping but he'd said nothing and I was grateful. An ice pack and some more pain killers later I was ready to give the last skate for the season everything I could.

This time I didn't watch Javi skate. I sat backstage with earphones in my ears and waited until Coach Ghislain came to tap me on my shoulder.

"Are you ready?"

"No?" I blurted out and he laughed. I hadn't been paying attention to the scores on the screen so when I walked out and saw Boyang, Shoma and Javi sitting in the current winners podium section I almost clapped. I was so proud of them. But right now I needed to focus on myself and getting through the last 13 elements of my free skate.

When I skated to the middle of the ice it was dead silent in the arena. I could have heard a pin drop. The first deep note of my music, Seimei played and I skated. It was a blur really. Somewhere in the middle of my programme my ankle gave out and I stumbled but I caught myself before I hit the ice. There was a moment when I jumped my last jump and I wanted to laugh I was so dizzy with relief. This was it. The last stretch. When my hand brushed the ice during my hydroblade I curled my hands into a fist, the wetness soaking through my glove. Just a little longer.

The noise when I hit the last pose for the end of my programme brought tears to my eyes. It was done. There was nothing more I could do now. I bent down to bow to the crowd but my body was so weak I had a hard time getting up again.

"Thank you." I muttered to the ice. Around me the flower kids were frantically skating up and down trying to pick up the toys and other gifts but I ignored them. "Thank you." I reached down to touch my ankle lightly wrapped tightly in the bandage and the ankle brace I had put on that morning.

"You were amazing." Coach Ghislain said and clapped as the screen showed the replay.

"Thank you for teaching me this season, Coach." I stood up from next to him and gave him a bow. He chuckled but motioned for me to sit down.

"Sit. Rest. The score is coming."

The announcement of the score had me pumping my fists with excitement. 206.17. A season's best. I didn't realise until I was led over to the winners circle next to the kiss and cry that it meant I was in first place.

"Yuzu." Shoma jumped up excitedly. "Yatta ne."

"I'm exhausted." I laughed and fell into his hug. Behind him I could see Javi standing and waiting for me.

"Yuzu." He called for me softly. Shoma stepped aside so I could walk up to him. "Congratulations. You are now a two time Olympic gold medalist. How does it feel?"

"It feels great." I beamed at him and he gave me the most lovely smile back, pulling me in for a hug. I didn't care that there were millions of people watching me right now. It felt great to finally relax in my boyfriends arms. I sighed as he petted my hair gently.

"Yuzu."

"Hmm?"

"I want to tell you something." He said quietly.