Dancing Through the Minds of Twizzlers

Week 1- Charlie

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Disclaimer: I do not own Meryl Davis, Charlie White. Please note that this is a work of fiction and is no way affiliated with Meryl Davis, Charlie White or their personal lives. This did not really happen.

Week 1- Charlie

Summary: Charlie's thoughts on Meryl and Mak's dance, and his role in it. (Bonus: Meryl's POV at the end)

Monday, March 17, 2014

Charlie

Okay.

So maybe agreeing to Maks' plan for their dance wasn't the best idea for his emotional well being. But in his defense, Charlie just wanted Meryl to be happy. But as he stands here on the makeshift podium, with a bouquet of white roses tied with blue ribbon in his hand and Meryl by his side, he has absolutely no idea what the heck he was thinking. This is going to tear him up inside, he just knows it. It will take everything he has for the ice dancer to stop himself from pulling Meryl closer to him and out of Maks' reach when the dance begins. He'll just have to compose himself and get over it, he tells himself.

He hears the music start and quickly plasters a smile on. "This is it," he thinks. "Hold yourself together, White." He hears that dreaded introduction. He clutches Meryl's hand for comfort. "Dancing the Cha-Cha-Cha, Meryl Davis and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy." He acts, contorting his face into the expressions he was instructed to, and tries to hide the pain of his heart breaking in two as Meryl's dainty fingers are torn from his own. After Meryl and Maks make it to the dance floor, Charlie books it backstage. Sharna's there, waiting for him. She somehow figured out that he has a small crush on his ice-dancing partner, and she can tell how much this is tearing him up. He knows that he just has to get over the crush because he's with Tanith, but he just can't help it.

Sharna pulls him aside into the hallway and engulfs him in a hug. "I know that was so difficult for you, Charlie. Shape up though, she'll be back in your arms for Stars on Ice. You don't have to worry about Maks. He won't go after her at all. It's just an act." Charlie knows this, but Maks is so convincing it makes Charlie's heart ache. He doesn't understand why this is having such an impact on him; he has Tanith, and he loves her (doesn't he? Charlie isn't so sure now). He looks back to the floor where his partner is dancing, looking completely at ease and comfortable in Maks' arms, and a pang of jealousy runs through him. The bond they have was strengthened throughout years of hard work and close proximity to each other, while Maks and Meryl just seemed to have clicked right away. It felt like a bit of a slap in the face.

He shakes himself out of his thoughts as Meryl starts her turn sequence. She looks gorgeous, he thinks, and he would love to be the one to tell her that, but he knows that he will never hear the end of it from Tanith. She understands how close they are, but he figures that this would be pushing it.

At the end of the dance, his heart stops. That ending pose is their ending pose, they used it when they went to take their bows after programs. That hurts, but, probably not as much as the lift in his routine is going to. Probably shouldn't have put that in there, he thinks.

Meryl comes bounding up the stairs, followed closely behind by Maks. She falls into his arms, just like after Scheherazade, and suddenly he feels like he's in center ice, the crowd cheering for them loudly.

Erin Andrews' chipper voice asks him to answer questions about Meryl and Maks' performance, and while he is more than willing to oblige, his heart is in overdrive and his stomach is churning. 'This is not right!' he wants to scream. 'I'm Meryl's partner not Maks!! I should be holding her waist like that.'

He moves off to the corner next to Sharna after he finishes speaking and gives her a hug. Maks throws his arms around Meryl's tiny waist again and they let out a laugh when they receive their scores.

'Stars on Ice can't come fast enough', Charlie thinks.

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Meryl

Yeah, maybe the beginning of this dance isn't the greatest idea Maks has had. But in her defense, Meryl didn't want to offend him! I mean, can you really blame her? With his bad boy reputation? Besides, she doesn't think it's going to be that bad. It's just an act, right?

The night of the show comes and finally it's her turn. As the roses are thrust into her hands and she is hurried up onto that makeshift podium next to Charlie, she knows she severely underestimated how difficult this is going to be. She hears her announcement start, and feels Charlie thread his calloused fingers through her own small ones. That one simple, discrete gesture is so comforting right now, Meryl doesn't think she can get herself to pull away and go off with Maks. She knows she has to go, but as she lets herself be ripped away from her best friend, she sees the flash of hurt and sadness wash over his handsome features. It disappears just as quickly as it appeared.

After the dance, Meryl can't understand why she has such a problem with Maks being so touchy. She has no problem when Charlie holds her waist like this. She shakes herself out of her thoughts and accepts her scores. Off to the side, she sees Charlie give Sharna a big bear hug, just like the kind he gives her. She faces forward.

'Stars on Ice can't come fast enough', Meryl thinks.