Change of Heart - Yuri Plisetsky x Reader

Chapter Fifteen

I could go on all day about the ecstatic joy that flooded my heart in that moment, paired with confusion and a colorful burst of anxiety. I could rave on and on about the butterflies, and how they jumped to and fro and made me dizzy as I remained focused on Yuri to avoid losing my grip on reality.

But that would take years to get out of my system, so I'll summarize instead.

My very first thought when Yuri made his suggestion had been quick but clear: Is he suggesting we become a couple?? However, that train of thought was embarrassingly idiotic, considering the fact that he'd never said any such thing. My ears had simply warped his words, turning them into something they were not.

My second thought was that there was no way I'd be able to perform a routine with the meager skills I possessed.

When I expressed this concern to Yuri, however, he seemed unbothered. He'd told me, reassuringly, that we wouldn't be doing anything brand new. He would be constructing a routine to match my skill level, that allowed for plenty of practice for the jumps I would be learning. Apparently, it was supposed to help me get a feel for the motions at a higher speed.

Whatever the case may have been, I was still terrified.

For the next week or so, Yuri devoted most of our lesson time to teaching me the salchow jump and improving upon my toe-loop. I still didn't feel very confident, but Yuri kept telling me I was improving, and I was inclined to believe him since he was more skilled than I was.

After class, Yuri would stay behind to work on choreographing the routine, and once or twice I caught a glimpse of him. With a concentrated and serene expression, he truly looked like an artist at work. Slowly, my apprehension began to fade into impatience. Based on what I'd seen already, the program looked interesting, and the music was touching, too. And yet... I still couldn't perform to it. The wait made me feel like I'd broken my ankle all over again.

But just as I was beginning to believe I would be driven mad by the suspense, the day arrived.

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It came as no surprise to me that Yuri had once again beaten me to the ice rink (though in all honesty, it was hardly a fair race; I was convinced that Yuri must come to the rink the moment the place opened). It seemed that Yuri came in at 5:30 every night on the dot, whether I was working the counter or not. I caught a glimpse of him, working furiously to perfect our routine, as I headed to the changing room. His dedication to the project was incredible to me.

"Yuri!" I called, stepping into the rink and leaning against the low wall. "How's the routine coming along?"

Yuri glanced up; He appeared to have been caught off-guard, as if he was so immersed in the program that he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to his surroundings. At the sound of my voice, however, Yuri pulled himself out of his thoughts and raised a hand in greeting.

"(Y/n)," He said, skating to where the radio sat idly and pausing the song that had been playing. "It's going well..." He mumbled, though the look on his face suggested otherwise. "I guess. There seems to be something missing, but... I guess it'll do for now."

I nodded, not daring to make a suggestion that might cause Yuri to overthink the routine. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to wait longer as he perfected some nonexistent kink in the program, sitting impatiently on the sidelines while he got to have all the fun.

"Whatever it is, I probably don't have the skillful eye to notice it," I replied eagerly. "I'm just super excited to get started."

My excitement must've shown clear as day on my face; Yuri chuckled at my words, looked at me for a moment longer, and smiled.