AXIS | Yuzuru Hanyu

21.

Brianna's birthday is one of those dates that she prefers to ignore but no one ever allows her to. Mary always thought it was a time that needed celebration, no matter how sick of it you are.

So there they were, in the middle of the living room, assembling a variety of props that Mary bought to celebrate the occasion. 

Her sister invited Yuzuru, of course, which made the younger nervous since their father would also be there.

Aito Tanaka was a man who always wanted the best for his girls, and that usually meant putting any possible candidate through a thorough interrogation.

Brianna still remembers how it was with Koshiro when Mary first started dating him, it was a nightmare and the poor man should have run away, but somehow stayed.

You see, she never even introduced Hirohito to her father, and for a reason. Thinking back, maybe she should have. It was crazy how much she was panicking with this given that she met Yuzuru's mother by surprise only a few days ago and it had gone fine.

When her father arrived at Mary's house, Brianna decided to prepare him, to see if things would go smoothly later. A few minutes after they said their hellos and talked for a bit, she decided to just go for it.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something"

"Why do I have a feeling I won't like this?"

"Just promise you will be nice"

"I can't promise without knowing what it is"

"Okay. So... tonight... Mary invited someone else to join us, he is really special to me so I wanted to ask you to try not to scare him away. Please?"

"A boy?"

"Yes"

"Is this the same guy you have been dating for years and thought I didn't know about?" Brianna's eyes widened at the realization that her father knew about Hiro.

"Ah... no"

"No? What happened to that one?"

"You don't want to know."

"He cheated on you, didn't he? I always had a feeling that he was no good if you never told me"

"Not really, that I know about at least. He was just a bit aggressively possessive and I was blind to see it from the start. I'm very happy that's over, so if we could avoid the topic, I appreciate it."

"One day, I want to know." he said with resolution "But tell me about the man I'm meeting today then"

"Ah, right! He is Japanese, 28 years old and he is a figure skater. He's also..."

"Figure skater?" he interrupted her immediately, causing her to worry right away. "Like that famous guy?  What's his name?... ah...Hanyu? That one is crazy good"

"ahh... yes... but wait, how do you even know the name of a skater?"

"I watched the Olympics, of course!" he said like it was the most normal thing in the world. Did everyone know Yuzu but her?

"You watched Figure skating?" Brianna was still stunned, weirdly looking at him. She had no idea if this would be better or worse for her case.

"The jumps are cool! Don't look at me that way!" he defended "So, your guy is like him, yes? Any good?"

"Yes, he doesn't compete anymore, only does ice shows. But he is amazing."

"I hope I get an invitation for the next show then. To see if he really is any good..."

"I'm sure he doesn't mind giving you one, as long as you're nice to him!"

"I will be! I want you to be happy. If you're introducing this one, I can tell you are serious about it. " he said sweetly to his baby girl." Maybe he can explain to me how to distinguish the jumps, cause they all look the same to me"

"You're strangely okay with this"

"I prefer to know them than have you hiding"

"Okay okay"

After their talk, Brianna felt way better. She didn't know if her dad had softened through the years or if it was just because she was warning him about it. She felt relieved and expectant to see how he would react to his skating "idol" as her boyfriend.

A few hours passed and soon came dinner time. Brianna changed into a deep red velvet dress she rarely wore but looked nice on her body and a pair of heels. If they were going to celebrate, she wanted to at least look her best.

The doorbell made her run through the stairs, making her sister laugh. "Are you trying to find a way to get to the hospital on your birthday?" she joked.

"No" Bri answered with a glare before opening the door. She was stunned to see Yuzuru in a black fitted suit with a bouquet of roses in his hand, looking as handsome as ever.

"Hello, beautiful! Happy birthday!" he said, giving her the flowers and approaching for a kiss. "Is this okay?" he whispered before proceeding. A nod was all it took for him to capture her lips gently, not making a scene.

"Hey Yuzu, thanks for coming"

"I have something for you in the car, but I figured I could give it later. Once we're alone?"

"You didn't have to get me anything"

"Nonsense"

"Come in."

Brianna watched as they approached how her dad's expression changed as he recognized Yuzuru.

"Yuzu, this is my dad, Akira. Dad, this is Yuzuru"

"Hanyu?" He said, eyes still wide.

"Yes Sir. Tanaka-san, it's a pleasure to meet you"

"Is this a prank?" He looked at both daughters and a confused Yuzu.

"No??"

"You're dating Yuzuru Hanyu?"
Everyone in the room started laughing at how surprised and excited Aito was. "Son, call me Aito. And welcome to the family"

"Thank you" the younger replied with a slight blush as he politely bowed.

Koshiro, who was drinking a beer in the living room, protested immediately. "It took me 3 years to hear that! And only after we were married!"

"What can I say?" Aito started "I trust this young man. That being said, you know I'm a Karate Hachidan*, yes?"

"I have been told"

"Then I don't need to tell you what happens if you break her heart"

(*level 8 of the black belt, someone extremely proficient in karate and has been practicing it for a significant period)