The Ice Prince // Yuzuvier Fan Fic

Chapter Nine

Yuzuru:

I was relieved. The second I'd seen all the reporters gathered around the training centre outside, my heart had jumped into my throat and stayed lodged there until I saw Javi laughing as he chased Coach Brian across the ice and grabbed him in a choke hold.

Mother hadn't been happy that I'd lied. Some of my friends back in Japan had been mad at me for not telling them I wasn't coming back. Takahashi Sensei had given a short blistering statement about how he was proud he had coached a FORMER Olympic champion; like this somehow was a prelude to my retirement.

That's why I'd been surprised when I'd come to practice this morning and Coach Brian had given me a hug and a pat on the back. He didn't seem put off at all by all the press at all and now that I could see Javi wasn't mad at me either, it was much easier to breathe.

"You good?" Coach Ghislain asked me gently and I gave him a nod.

"I'm great."

When I left Javi was still on the ice, face set in a semi grimace as he did jump after jump after jump. Coach Brian seemed to making up for his lost hours yesterday. I met my mother outside, which was thankfully deserted now and couldn't help but notice how her eyes kept drifting to the door like she was expecting Javi to be right behind me.

I kept quiet during the ride to ballet studio and ignored her heaving sighs that were part of her effort to get me to speak to her. I had nothing to say, really.

"Call me when you're done." She said softly when the car stopped and I hummed as I closed the door behind me. I jogged up the stairs without looking back and by the time I pushed open the door to the studio, I felt much better.

"Yuzuru-san!" I huffed when I saw a pink cheeked looking Phillipe waving frantically form the kiddies practice studio.

"Good afternoon." I smiled at him when I was close enough and he grinned back happily. "How are you today?" He waved away my question.

"Did you bring it?" He whispered and I wriggled my eyebrows as I dropped my bag and opened the zip. His eyes lit up when I pulled out one of my favourite Winnie the Pooh dolls. When I'd spent time with Phillipe yesterday he'd told me about how nervous he got sometimes.

"It's like... I know what I'm supposed to do, but when I try to do it, my whole body just ..." He mimed freezing with a panicked looking face.

"You get scared?"

"Yeah." He said quietly picking at his nails. "Sometimes I'm just worried that Mistress Ekaterina was lying and I actually suck. Like really bad. And I think about my mom watching me and then I start wondering if anyone from school came to the recital and are there watching me..." He said, his eyes getting wider with each word.

"That sounds like a lot of pressure." I'd answered with a wry smile. "Well, for one, I'm sure Mistress Ekaterina has never lied in her life, ever." I exaggerated the word and it earned me a giggle. "So I'm pretty sure you're a great dancer. And everyone gets nervous, you know. So it's OK if you do too."

"Do YOU get nervous?" He asked me with a disbelieving tone.

"Of course." I blinked at him. "I get nervous all the time. But I have a secret weapon."

"A secret weapon?"

"Mmmhmm." I ruffled his curly hair. "Every time before I skate, I give Winnie the Pooh a high five and I'm all good."