Chapter Text
Grand Prix Final 2013–Fukuoka
“Zhenya hurry up,” Sima said tugging on Zhenya’s hand and tossing her long blonde hair behind a shoulder.
Zhenya dragged her feet unwilling to follow the other girl and not feeling the same excitement. “It’s going to be really awkward,” she complained bringing their movements to a halt as she dug her feet in to the ground in an attempt to fight against Sima’s enthusiasm.
“I’m sure he gets it lots of times,” Sima said rolling her eyes at Zhenya who despite being a few moths older than Sima looked significantly more subdued. “Besides this could be our chance to get a photo with him before he wins the Olympics.”
Biting her lip uncertain Zhenya weighed up the possibilities in her head. Her mind was still spinning from her first grand prix final and she still couldn’t believe she had won a medal, “Are you sure it won’t be embarrassing.”
“Stop worrying,” Sima complained tugging Zhenya on the hand as though to prompt her into motion. “I got the silver and you got the bronze it’s not as though we are nobodies is it.”
“I guess,” Zhenya admitted and she let Sima pull her along to where she had supposedly seen him earlier that day. “I thought you preferred Patrick Chan and wanted him to win the Olympics,” Zhenya said after a few moments. Back in the rink at home Sima had always made fun of Zhenya for liking his skating and was rooting for Chan to win the Olympics though of course Russia had to win the team.
Sima shrugged her blue eyes glinting as she turned back to look at Zhenya and she couldn’t help but feel inadequate and as though she would always be in the other girls shadow, “I’m allowed to change my mind aren’t I and Hanyu is much better looking than Chan.”
Zhenya cast a disparaging glance at Sima’s back as the other girl hurried through the crowded corridors in search of the young talented grand prix final men senior champion.
…
Zhenya paused bringing the pair of them to a halt as she spotted him. The Japanese skater was standing only ten meters in front of them and talking to his coach laughing. “I don’t want to do this Sima,” She complained suddenly nervous.
“Stop being a worrywart,” Sima said frustrated. “Besides he’s already seen us so there’s no point hiding now—it’s too late.”
Zhenya glanced around surreptitiously for a hiding place before looking back to see that whilst Orser had moved on to talk to Fernandez Yuzu was facing the other direction to them. “You liar” she accused Sima but as she turned back to her friend she realised that the other girl was no longer there and instead had marched forwards towards Hanyu her blonde ponytail swishing with each step. “Sima,” Zhenya hissed and she found herself hurrying forwards almost tripping over her feet in a bid to stop the other girl and she finally caught the other girls arm colliding with her
Zhenya’s momentum was too much however and she had scarcely realised what was happening before she found herself on the floor in a knot of limbs with Sima who was frowning at her. Sima untangled herself from Zhenya and was about to stand up when Zhenya heard her murmur curse words in Russian. Zhenya looked up finally trying to work out the source of Sima’s reaction from where she was on the ground only to see the skater that they had come to see looming over them confused.
“Are you okay,” Hanyu said and Zhenya felt herself blush crimson with embarrassment that he had found her on the ground with Sima in such an awkward position—she was glad however that she was on the ground as she didn’t thing her legs would support her sufficiently.
Sima pushed herself to her feet disgruntled and folded her arms up, “We’re fine.” Zhenya held back a laugh though—she had been training with the girl since summer and could tell that Sima was not in a good mood even if Hanyu couldn’t.
Hanyu turned his gaze from Sima to Zhenya and she squirmed in her position on the floor, “And you?”
Zhenya wanted to squeal inside at the fact that he had registered her but instead she merely nodded and took the hand that he offered her doing her best to remain as calm as possible even conjuring up an image of their jump coach Dudakov in a bid to slow down her breathing. His hand was slightly calloused but not unpleasantly and Zhenya didn’t want to let go of it but as soon as she stood up Sima snatched her hand away from Yuzu’s so they could link arms.
“Were you girls competing,” Hanyu asked glancing from Zhenya to Sima as though he was trying to place their faces to their routines and Zhenya couldn’t help but smile inside at the idea that he might have seen her skating. She’d watched his programs over and over again over the last year and a half since she’d spotted Moris watching them and Zhenya had never looked back.
Sima nodded brusquely, “We were we won the silver and bronze medals in ladies junior skating.” Zhenya flushed at these words unable to form a sentence and she felt more embarrassed about her result then she should be as a bronze was more than respectable but she wished that she’d at least gotten the silver—maybe then she’d be able to meet Hanyu’s prying eyes like Sima seemed to be able to.
“That’s really good—it’ll be interesting to see you on the senior scene,” Hanyu said before turning around as he heard someone call his name and Zhenya couldn’t help but worry that he was going to leave—she wouldn’t meet him again until next year.
He had taken a few steps away before Sima shook her head as though she was coming to her senses and called out, “I’m sorry if it is too much bother but would we be able to get a photo with you—that’s why we came here in the first place.”
“You want a photo with me,” Hanyu asked confused and if Zhenya wasn’t mistaken he was blushing a little and she couldn’t help but feel slightly happy that the tables had turned even slightly.
“Well Z thinks that you are going to win the Olympics so we thought we should get in our photo request before everyone else does,” Sima answered in her typical forthright manner and all Zhenya was able to do is nod her head when Hanyu looked at her questioningly.
He grinned and Zhenya can’t help but smile in response and if she thought he was charismatic when she watched him on her phone she was seriously mistaken, “In that case sure.”
Sima passes her phone off to someone passing nearby and Zhenya and Sima step in on either side of Yuzu—they are perfectly matched with Sima as loud and blonde as Zhenya is thoughtful and dark. They stood there for a few moments as the picture is sent but Zhenya could feel her blood pulsing around her body and the forearm that casually touched with his was completely covered with Goosebumps.
“Thank you,” Sima said and after having taken her phone back she read the first message before darting off.
Zhenya turned to follow her but before she could get to far she heard Hanyu say from behind her, “You’re Evgenia right.”
“Yes,” Zhenya said and it’s the first thing she had said to him throughout this entire interaction. Feeling suddenly bold however Zhenya lifted her chin up so she could meet Hanyu straight in the eye and added, “You can call me Zhenya though—everyone does.”
Yuzuru –no Hanyu Zhenya corrects in her mind as he hasn’t given her permission to refer to him by his first name—chuckled, “I watched your performance in the free skate you were very good.”
Zhenya could feel her cheeks go crimson and she dragged her fingernails down the back of her hand trying to keep herself from screaming or acting improperly, “Thank you—I only won the bronze though.”
“In that case come back here next year and win the gold—we can perform in the gala together in that case,” Yuzu said finally and Zhenya couldn’t believe that he actually thought that she could win the gold medal and she knew that she would train all the harder in the next year to prove him right.
Zhenya laughed slightly before saying, “That implies you are going to win gold next year.”
“Well now that I’ve made a promise to you I will,” Hanyu said in that easy way of his and Zhenya couldn’t help but let out a small squeak, which he chuckled at.
Zhenya stepped away and she could see out of the corner of her eye that Sima was waiting for Zhenya, which probably meant that Eteri needed them for something. “I’m sorry but I need to go,” Zhenya apologised making her excuses and she takes a few steps away before realising that she never said what she had intended to. Turning back she could see that he hadn’t moved and was instead focused on his phone and Zhenya said impulsively, “I forgot to say this before but I’m rooting for you to win the men’s event in the Olympics
He glanced up from his phone and laughed and was about to say something when Zhenya spun on one foot and ran to meet Sima her cheeks flushed and her hair somehow dishevelled.
Sima linked arms with Zhenya once she had arrived and lifting a very judgemental eyebrow asked, “What was that all about?”
“Nothing,” Zhenya said defensive though she was 95% certain that her body temperature was rising and her ears were probably red as well. “He just said that he liked my performance.”
Sima tutted, “So I guess your crush on him is going to be worse than ever now.”
Zhenya looked down unsure of what to say. She glanced up at Sima trying to deny the statement but she found herself reliving their conversation and every movement that he had made as he had a grace that Zhenya couldn’t put in words even on land. “Maybe,” Zhenya found herself admitting to Sima as she considered where she was going to put the printed out copy of the picture of the three of them in her bedroom.