Endless night {yuri! On ice}

Gotta super-supercharge it Grand Prix final short programme

The arena where the Grand Prix was being held was the exact same as a year ago, I realized as I walked around the sides of the ice to get some sense of the rink. The competition was to start this afternoon, short programs first as per tradition. We had gotten here a day ahead of time, walking about the surrounding area to get a sense of the area. I gripped Yuri's hand the whole way, not liking how many people were on the streets all at once, talking and shopping.

We met up with many of the other skaters, plus Charlie, who had all managed to gather together in a restaurant together for a pre-competition dinner. It was honestly the least competitive thing they could have done, but the soft atmosphere seemed to help with my building anxiety. A surprise was in for us, though, as Victor and Yuuri announced they were to be married, after Yuuri the Grand Prix, of course.

Charlie had been ecstatic, hugging both of them tightly and nearly shouting her congratulations. I sent a bright smile towards the newly engaged duo. They deserved such a wonderful love.

I stood by the bathrooms, shaking loosely connected thoughts from my head when my phone buzzed twice in quick succession.

From: Yuri 😻

Dumbass where are you? Alex is getting slightly annoyed and I can't stand that stupid piggy anymore!

I laughed at that one, turning and slowly making my way towards the back. People were starting to arrive anyway. The second was from Alex.

From: Alex

Get backstage, idiot. Charlie's back and demanding to see you. Something about a tear in your costume.

I inhaled, letting air rush between grit teeth in a hiss. In truth, the rip had been an accident. I had been practicing and accidentally caught it on the back of one of the rink wall's doors. Apparently, it had been just the right spot to slice through a particularly delicate section of stitching.

I hurried backstage, wanting this to be over and done with quickly. I took in the scene in front of me as I came through the curtain.

Yuri stood, hiding behind Yakov, which cracked me up internally. His face was a picture of terror, something holding his absolute attention. Yakov looked as emotionally constipated as ever. The other skaters, bar Victor and Yuuri, stood all around the room, readying themselves for their programs. Some watched my approach, seemingly amused by my impending doom.

I centered in on the copious amount of killing intent coming from the middle of the room. Alex stood away from the source, a calm façade put in place as no not belay exactly how frustrated she was.

Charlie glared, eyes nearly flashing with fury. If I didn't know any better, I probably would have turned back around and run away. In her hands lay my Thunderstruck costume, the tear noticeable even from my spot across the room. Her hands shook and she nearly growled, seeming nearly feral. "Samuel James Smith, what the actual hell did you do to your costume?"

"I-um...was practicing?" I told admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. I hoped she wouldn't kill me too slowly, but if the endless onslaught of nearly infallible anger was any indication, the best option would be to make a run for it. I did so with little hesitation, grabbing Yuri by the wrist and bolting into the Men's changing rooms.

I nearly wheezed when the door shut behind us. "I have never seen a woman so angry." Yuri exclaimed, sliding down the door.

"I have, and trust me, you never want to live through that again." I told him, plopping down next to him. "So... you ready?"

He nodded and launched into his customary pre-competition speech about winning Victor back. I barely noticed exactly how bad my tunnel vision had gotten, focus all put into mapping the planes of Yuri's face, until he paused and asked, "Hey, you ok?" His voice brought me back down to earth so fast I could have sworn I burned out during reentry.

"Y-Yeah! Fine," I told him, smiling.

"Skaters! Please make your way to your assigned areas, as we are about to start the short programs."A lady's voice rumbled throughout the building, causing Yuri and I to flinch in unison. We laughed at each other's reaction and stood up. I poked my head out of the dressing room and resisted the urge to duck back inside.

Charlie sat by the wall, legs crossed and my Thunderstruck costume on her lap. The rip was mended, the costume looking good as new. Her head was tilted back, fingers tapping out a rhythm on the cloth. I could see the telltale cords of her apple earphones, her Spiderman case peaking from her pocket.

I went over to her, sitting down next to her. I was performing towards the end, so I had plenty of time to stretch and chat. "What'cha listening to?"

"Serendipity," She told me. I nodded my head.

"By...?" I left the sentence open for her to finish.

Her mouth fell open, shock taking over her eyes as she became perfectly still, one of her earphones hanging from her fingers. She suddenly buried her head in her hands and groaned. "Lord, help me."

"What?" I asked. She suddenly sat up straight and brandished her phone screen at me. I read the video title, 'Serendipity by BTS.'

"Their new album came out a month ago and you didn't know?!" She asked me, shocked.

I nodded slowly, surprised by the news. Her earphones were suddenly stuffed in my ears and I nearly felt myself melt at the sound of Jimin's voice. I relaxed and listen to every song I could fir in before I had to get on the ice. Charlie made sure to have me change before it got too late, applying makeup as I continued the music marathon.

When I was called, the butterflies never came. I felt almost suspiciously calm. Yes, this was the final. Yes, this is what I had been working toward for so long. I took a deep breath and skated to center ice.

The song Charlie showed me, Serendipity, is much like Blood Sweat and tears in the sense that the singer wants to be loved and will work hard to get it. Yuri and I were similar. We worked hard to make time for each other, to skate, and to make sure our love would never run out.

I ran through my program just like I usually did, but the difference this time is that I was really feeling the music. I had strong emotions to tie it to, a driving force and new things I was striving to achieve. I had put in my own blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point and I sure wasn't going to do down easily.

"And here comes his last jump, a quadruple flip, mastered during the time he trained under Victor Nikiforov."

I jumped, legs carrying me that extra stretch past the finish line. The music faded out and the crowd roared in approval. I smiled and waved as I slid off with grace.

Charlie nearly tackled me, arms squeezing almost too hard around my ribs to be safe. "That was amazing!"

Alex smiled at us both, proud of us for doing we well. 

Yuri's small hand slipped into mine and I laced out fingers together. I grinned. My score was good, more than enough to make sure I wouldn't be near last and almost too much to the point where I had already become a threat to others. I felt very proud of myself as I fell asleep with Yuri by my side

Bello ^^

I'm so sorry about the wait guys. I know it's not the most excitable of chapters but, hey, it's a chapter. My other stories are out, including my original. I'll try to update quicker next time. Also new BTS album is amazing! Serendipity especially. My Jiminie is amazing! And thank you so much NekoAisu for editing this chapter. One more to go guys T_T

Ja ne

~Charlie-chan