Wings of Change | Yuzuru Hanyu

5.

Two weeks after meeting at the rink, the two hadn't seen each other again.
Sometimes they would text each other but they kept it very short.

Joan was once again at the TCC, doing a run-through of one of her programs when her phone rang with a notification of a text.

"Hello, are you at the rink by any chance?"

She smiled at her phone like a silly girl, this idiot knows I'm here, he probably saw the lights on.

"Spying on me, Hanyu-san?"

"Hanyu-san? What did I do now?

"Nothing, I just like to imagine your face reading that"

"Of course. Can I join you? Or are you getting out if I show up?"

"If you don't get in my way..."

"Wouldn't dream of it. See you soon."

Giddiness filled her body, truth be told, she missed the Japanese, her mind kept replaying the way he hugged her, felt right to be in his arms. Stupid, you're friends, just friends. She thought to herself.

She did another run-through and soon enough a figure dressed in all black showed up. After saying hello she saw him doing a bit of off-ice to warm up and soon enough he was putting his skates on. Joan couldn't help but stare at his hands while he tied the skates with precision.

Why does that look so good? Back to skating Joan, ignore him.

But she couldn't focus, images of the last time they were together replaying in her head while she mindlessly skated around the rink, not doing anything productive.
From the corner of her eye, she could see him removing his guards and entering the rink. Somehow, the boy everyone described as cute looked a bit different when he wanted to, determination and confidence looked really sexy on him.

"Do you want to play any music?" She finally managed to say.

"It's okay, it's your practice time, I'm the one stealing it"

"I'm done, don't worry" The smile on his face disappeared, he looked almost disappointed.

"You said you wouldn't leave"

"I'm still going to be skating, I don't think I can handle another run-through, to be honest"

"You sure you don't mind?"

"No... If you don't mind me watching you"

"I want you to" he said with a smirk.

He leaves the rink to get his trusty iPod and connects it to the stereo.

"What will you skate?

"My new short, been working on it with Jeff. You will be one of the first people to watch it."

"What an honor you trust in me" she giggled "I'll even sit down for this."

She sat exactly where a judge would be, ready to see the said program.
He removed his jacket and Joan's mouth went agape, he was wearing a very tight short-sleeved Under Armour shirt with equally tight skating pants that didn't hide an inch of his body. Is this guy even human?

He went into position and the soft notes of an electric guitar started playing in the speakers, notes that Joan recognized immediately as Gary Moore's 'Parisienne walkways'. He wants me dead, probably.

The way he skated with confidence and a hint of a smirk made the program incredibly captivating, he knew how to hold a crowd. This was very different from what she had seen from him before, more mature, he was turning 18 soon after all.