An Unwavering Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 33: Start a Riot

"YAAA! Yuratchka!!!"

Ayumi could hear the fangirls' screams as she headed to the doors of the arena. The press conference ended not too long ago, and she ran away before anyone could blink an eye. She could feel her heart fluttering as she remembered what Yuri said in front of the press:

"Did you hear what I just said, Ayu? I love you! I still love you!"

The words were endearing, and she knew Yuri was not the type to express his feelings so blatantly in front of a lot of people. But he did. He told the truth about everything. He said he still loved her after what she put him through, and she did not know what to do. That was exactly the feeling she hoped would die out from him. He was not going to be happy with her, and his confession was just going to make it harder for her to move on.

"AYU!"

Her footsteps hastened when she heard him call out her name. She couldn't escape him though—his hand caught her arm before she could get anywhere. "Stop it! You can't run away from me anymore!"

Yuri turned her body towards him, his face showing a mixture of longing and frustration. It was painful to see. She forced herself to keep a straight face and pleaded, "Yuri, go back. Go and take back what you just said. Tell them you were just trying to cover for me and that none of it was true. Go."

"What!?!" he screamed, roughly placing his hands on her shoulders. "Why the hell would I do that?! I told the truth so you could stop this stupid game you're playing, Ayu!"

She clenched her eyes shut and looked away. "Just go. Stop holding on to me, before the press starts talking again and—"

"I DON'T CARE!!!"

Her eyes opened in shock. Yuri cupped her face and brought it up to look at him. "I don't care what the press says about me, or what anyone else says for that matter! I'm not going to let them take you away from me again!"

Ayumi knew she was close to crying. Everything she has done, from their time in Singapore up to that point, flashed back in her mind. All of them just reminded her of how much she did not deserve him. "I'm just going to hurt you, like I always said I will. Let's just be wise and stop this, please..."

"NO! I've been losing my mind these past few months without you! I know you heard what I told Otabek, and I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I was just stressed because of all the people mocking me, and I thought you were seeing that asshole because you realized I wasn't good enough for you! I was angry, but I never wanted us to break up! Never! Dammit, you have to believe me!"

She looked down, not wanting to give herself false hope. "Don't try to comfort me—you were right. You never deserved to be ridiculed like that, but that's always going to be a part of my world. You realize that, don't you? Being in a relationship with me means living under the spotlight for the rest of your life. You don't need to subject yourself to that. Let go of me."

Yuri had tears in his eyes at that point, and he stubbornly shook his head. "I'm not going to, ever! Whatever they say behind my back are just words, Ayu! I'm still one of the best figure skaters in the world, and they can't take that away from me! I could always prove them wrong on the ice! I can take anything they throw at me, because that would be a heck of a lot better than losing you!!!"

A few 'awws' broke out at his words, and that was when Ayumi realized they were still in the middle of the arena lobby. She could feel the lenses that pointed towards them, from both the media and the fans who have been waiting for their idol since that afternoon. But she did not mind them. Her focus was on the blonde Russian who refused to let her out of his grasp.

"I'm strong enough, okay?" he assured, holding her tighter. "I'm strong enough to handle it. I'm Yuri Plisetsky—they don't call me the Russian Punk for nothing. What I can't stand is you leaving me."

She couldn't help but cry as he stared at her and continued. "I love you, Ayu. Damn, I don't even know why I love you so much, but I do. And I sure as hell won't let you go. Now tell me the truth: you still love me, right?"

It was hard not to get lost in Yuri's eyes. The emotions they held were so profound for someone who was only sixteen. Then again, he has experienced many hardships in life. Leaving his grandfather behind in pursuit of his dreams and being the sole provider for his family put a lot of burden on his shoulders. He scared away so many people because he needed to put up a tough front. He knew what it felt like to be alone more than anyone, and his arrogant façade cannot hide how vulnerable he really was.

A skater's heart is as fragile as glass.

Ayumi realized why he held on to her so dearly. He treasured those who saw him as someone more than a world-champion figure skater—those who broke through his walls and stayed. There were only a few people in his life that he loved, and he never wanted them to leave. If she was being honest with herself, she never really wanted to leave him either. No matter how much her mind tried to reason with her.

She responded to his question with a nod. Wiping the tears that streamed down her cheek, he leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "Then be selfish for once in your damn life, Ayu. Stop being so stupid and bearing every burden alone. Stop being such a martyr, and stop running away from me. Just stay, 'cuz I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Yura..."

Wrapping her arms around him, Ayumi relished in the warmth she missed for so long. He hugged her back just as eagerly. She buried her head on his shoulders and wept. "I'm so sorry Yura. I'm sorry I've been such a handful. It must be so tiring to deal with me. I'm so, so sorry..."

"Stop it, you idiot. I don't care about that. I just want you here with me."

Pulled away slightly, he continued staring at her. She winced. "Please don't look at me like that. My face is all pink and blotchy from crying."

"I don't care..." he whispered, chuckling before his lips found hers.

Yuri kissed her with so much fervor, his lips conveying everything he could not express with words. He seemed to ignore the salty taste of their tears, or the fact that there were still many people watching them. The faint sounds of applause and camera flashes were audible. The fangirls were all giddy, and she had to admit that their moment really did seem like something out of an over-the-top TV drama. However, knowing that it meant finding her way back to him made it perfect. No matter how embarrassing it may be when they look back years from now, she did not regret anything. She was just happy to be right where she was.

Kissing Yuri back with the same amount of love he gave her was the last thing she remembered before darkness took over once again.