Melody of You | Yuzuru Hanyu

57.

Yuzuru's stunned eyes were good enough of a reason to make the travel.

Followed by the clearly surprised look, his eyes got brighter and Sophia knew he was about to cry when he hugged her close once again.

"Thank you" he said almost silently, confusing her.

"What for?"

"Giving me a reason to go on" he answered with tears running down his face, making her cry as well. Sophia wasn't sure if it was the hormonal changes or the fact that she hadn't seen him in more than two weeks ever since he came to China, but she was particularly emotional on that night.

"I love you" she said while holding him as close as physically possible.

"I love you"

The next morning she woke up before Yuzuru. Despite being locked in his room, the skater didn't seem to have been getting much sleep and looked like he needed the rest.

Sophia didn't have much of an option than to stay by his side and watch him sleep while he rested due to the vicious hold he had on her. It seemed like even his sleeping self wouldn't allow her any distance.

Seeing Yuzuru wake up with a smile was worth everything that they had been through in the past years. It seemed like, despite all the challenges, their love for each other always stood to the occasion and allowed them to fight.

He kissed her lips and touched her stomach gently, still admiring the presence between them and all the hopes it brought.

"You look so beautiful" he said while staring at her.

"I'm just the same, Yuzu"

"Maybe it's my eyes then... probably because you're the mother of my baby"

Sophia couldn't hold her laugh at his silly words, but she preferred this mood to whatever was going on before.

"You know what? We are going skating today!" He said excitedly, changing the topic of conversation as fast as possible.

"We?" Sophias asked, almost scared of whatever his plans were.

"Huh, just me, I don't want you to get hurt!" Yuzuru answered almost immediately. "But you could come and watch?"

"Your gala practice? You will just be messing with other skaters, I doubt you will be skating much."

"No no... I'll skip that. I just want to skate by myself."

"Can you even do that?"

"Yes? Even if I can't, what are they going to do? Punish me in the next competition? I'm not going either way..."

Sophia laughed and was relieved to see his mood change, she had hoped that his love for skating was enough to bring the light to them again.

They didn't go together, his worries for her safety were always bigger than they should be, now even worse since he knew about her pregnancy.

Sophia went to the chosen rink a few moments before him, notifying the volunteers of what was about to happen, and sat comfortably in one of the benches wrapped around a fluffy winter jacket to keep herself warm.

Yuzuru arrived a few minutes after, already in his skates and ready to step on the ice. He did his best to avoid looking at her with all the eyes watching him, but still gave her a warm smile every now and then.

It didn't take too long for the media to know what was happening at one of the practice rinks, the building quickly filling with photographers and media people watching every single move of his.
There was a gala practice at the same time but no one seemed to care about that when Yuzuru was on the ice.

Skating to a huge array of his old programs, it was almost as if Yuzu was trying to find his love for skating again, while at the same time, showing their little girl what her father was capable of.

He did that again on the next day, doing run-throughs of every single program he wanted and even going as far as asking the volunteers what they wanted to see.

That soft yet powerful man was the one that Sophia fell in love with. From the very first glide of his blades to her music to this moment, his skating was always capable of capturing her attention like anything else. She entered a whole new mental world whenever he skated in front of her eyes, didn't matter the physical location.

Yuzuru skated at the gala to the song that brought them together for the first time, a song that spoke of the new spring that was yet to come.

She connected the music to their lives as she imagined their future together, building their own family while he pursued a new chapter of his life as a professional athlete. Everything was always uncertain but they had each other to fill every gap and problem that could be encountered.

Sophia was incredibly proud of him, no matter what the outcome of Beijing was, it couldn't take a dent in what was his already well-built legacy.

Yuzuru was far beyond the level of any other skater, his impact on the sport would be present for generations to come and he still had so much to give.

The hopes of what was to come made her excited beyond words. She didn't predict the impact he would have on her life, but the man currently dressed in a pink costume that resembled a Sakura fairy turned out to be the best thing she could have asked for.

Like magic, the melody they built together was the root of their success and happiness for years to come.

If you were to ask Sophia if she ever expected an Ice Show in a foreign country to change her life forever, she wouldn't believe you, but the truth was that being there and meeting that man would be the cause of the biggest turn in her life and the final reach for happiness.

"She was a melody of untouched notes that simply required the right conductor."
Virginia Alison

The End