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“What’s wrong mi amor?”
“Nothing.”
“Yuzu,” Javi sat beside him, poking him in the side gently before he looked out the window with him, watching as Sendai was dusted with the powdered sugar snow outside, “you’re sighing very dramatically. What’s wrong?”
Turning away from the window, he curled up and pulled one of the sofa cushions into his lap, pout big enough to balance his two Olympic golds on. “Imisspoohsan.”
“Come again?”
“I miss pooh-san!”
“You have pooh-san!” Javi picked up Yuzu-pooh from the coffee table and waved him around in front of Yuzu. “See? He’s you in pooh bear form!”
“I love Yuzu-pooh,” Yuzuru took the tissue box from him, smoothing the fur out of the bear’s eyes and giving him a pat on the head, “but I miss Pooh-san. You know, my old one.”
“Ohhhhhh. Well, where is he?”
“Canada.”
Javier nodded in mournful understanding.”I feel the same about Effie. I missed her so much when I was in Canada. IBut now I an see her whenever. I guess it must be so hard for you, separated from someone you love so dearly.”
Yuzuru shrugged, unfolding his knees from the couch to stand p with a sig. “Yeah. I know I have Yuzu-pooh, and he was so nice coming with me to all my final competitions, but I miss my Pooh-san! I wish I could be reunited with him. “
I wish
I wish
I wish
Javi’s eyes lit up. “You wish you could have him here with you?”
Yuzuru nodded.
“Don’t worry mi amor,” Javi kissed him on the forehead. “Maybe a Christmas miracle will happen.”
“Unlikely. Still, thank you for coming to Japan for a few weeks to spend time with me before Christmas. Send my love to your family!”
“It’s a brilliant plan Effie!”
Meow?
“Yes yes, I know I don’t have the key to his apartment, but-”
Meow?
“Or tickets to Canada. But-”
Meow?
“Or anywhere to stay in Canada, but–”
Meow. Meow meow meow.
“I am not being stupid! I’m going to make Yuzuru’s Christmas perfect and you’re going to help me!”
“Javier Fernandez Lopez, what on earth are you doing outside my house in the middle of December in Canada wtih no warning?”
“Uhh… merry Christmas?”
“Javi, it’s almost Christmas. Why are you here?”
Brian stepped back, letting Javi come into his house with a suitcase in one hand and a very disgruntled Effie in her cat carrier in the other. Raj gave Javi a wave from where he was settled on the couch looking like the perfect Christmas cliche. The pair had matching Christmas jumpers on, with The Muppets Christmas Carol playing on their TV, and their dog curled up on the floor in front of them. Their house was decked out in beautiful decorations that weren’t over the top but kept things classy. Brian led Javi and Effie to the guest room, mumbling something about phoning ahead.
“I honestly was going to stay with Scott Moir, I swear.”
“And you chose here because…?”
“I need to be in Toronto!”
“And you couldn’t stay with Jun or Jason or Boyang because…?”
“I don’t want to mess them up for the season.” Javi smiled brightly at him, melting Brian’s heart like always with the sunshine of the Spanish sun. “By the way, do you know the address of Yuzuru’s last apartment in Toronto?”
This is a stupid idea you stupid human. You look ridiculous
“I do not. Now be quiet. Brian and Raj are sleeping.”
You’re the loud one trying to get into those tights
“They’re cycling shorts.”
They’re stupid whatever they are.
“Thanks for your kind words.”
This whole thing is stupid. You really think your Spanish ass can survive going outside at night in Canada in the winter wearing nothing but that stupid costume? You’ll be a popsicle before you even take a step
“It’s for the aesthetic, Effie,” Javi picked her up, tucking her under one arm with a smile. She turned her nose up at him, trying to hide in his costume when he opened the door and felt the icy bite of the Canadian winter on his exposed skin. The Super Javi costume wasn’t exactly produced for warmth.
Effie gave him a look
“Okay, okay, I’ll get a coat.”
Sneaking out of Brian’s house, looking less like a superhero and more like the Michelin Man in his winter coat with Effie wrapped up in a blanket, Javier elected not to try and stomp through the snow by himself. He called an uber and, after being rejected multiple times by people not willing to accept Effie in their cars, he finally settled in the backseat, enjoying being out of the wind that kept nipping at his cheeks. The driver didn’t question him, dropping him off at the corner near Yuzuru’s old apartment. He shuffled his way through the snow, getting through the main door by sweet talking one of the residents, saying he’d just moved in and had locked himself out on the intercom.
Just as I said, Effie mewed in indignation, it’s locked. So why don’t you just give up?
“If I know Yuzuru, he’ll have left a spare key somewhere around here so we can get in.”
And then get deported for breaking and entering. Good idea
“It’s not breaking and entering; it’s saving a pooh bear!”
Good luck explaining that to the authorities
Much to Javi’s dismay, and Effie’s smug delight, Yuzuru hadn’t left a spare key around. If it hadn’t been the middle of the night, Javi would have contemplated breaking the door down.
Time to admit defeat?
“It’s never time to admit defeat. We just need a new plan of action.”
Because the first one worked sooooooo well
“Are you here to be sarcastic, or are you here to help?”
I’m here to freeze my tail off apparently
“I’m going to call Brian. I bet he has a spare key.”
And I bet you’re going to have to find a hotel to stay in after you annoy him by waking him up at 3am and he throws you out
“Details. We’ll worry about that later.” Javier unlocked his phone, pressing on the familiar contact. “Brian?”
“Javier Fernandez Lopez, what the fuck do you think you’re doing calling me at three am?” Brian’s voice came back, heavy with sleep and irritation. “It had better be life or death.”
“Do you have a spare key to Yuzuru’s apartment?”
“... Jun has one. Don’t you dare call me at this time again unless you’re actually dying.”
“Brian? Brian!” Javier stared at the phone, then Effie, in disbelief. “He hung up on me!”
And I would have done too. Just a lot sooner. He was too nice.
“Yeah, whatever. Anyway,” Javier scrolled through his contacts, humming and tapping on another one. “Jun?”
Effie listened intently, hearing the rapid fire Korean on the other end of the phone and the sharp sounds of blades against the ice.
“Hello?” Jun replied finally. “Sorry, I’m in the middle of training. What’s up?”
“Training? At 3 am?”
“Three am? Javi, I’m in Korea. Seoul. Not Canada. Cause all the Korean domestic competitions. Why? What do you need?”
“Shit. Do you have the spare key to Yuzuru’s apartment?”
“Ah yeah, it’s uh… it’s on my bedside table. In my apartment in Canada.”
“Which is locked.”
“Which is locked.” Jun hummed. “Jason has a spare key to my place!”
“Jason, okay, sure. Thanks Jun. Good luck with your competitions!”
“Good luck with your breaking and entering Yuzuru’s apartment. Wait! Does this make me an accomplice? Javi, I’m too pretty for jail–”
Javier ended the call, fiddling with his phone to find the other contact.
“Hi! Jason speaking. How can I help?”
“Hi Jason, it’s Javi–”
“Javi! Oh my God, hi! How’s Spain? Is it sunny? Is it nice? I’m in Canada at the moment and it’s just the WORST snow! So cold! So harsh. It’s just so much!”
“Jason,” Javier cut him off firmly. “I love you, and want to hear about your life, but I have a job I need to do. Do you have Jun’s apartment key?”
“I do. Why? Does he need something?”
“I need Yuzuru’s spare apartment key and Jun has it in his apartment.”
“Oooooh doing something cute for Yuzu?” Javi could practically hear Jason wiggling his eyebrows through the phone. “Yeah, I have it right here in my hand. Should I meet you at Jun’s apartment?”
“Yeah.” Javier hummed, about to hang up when he caught Effie’s eye. “Jason, do you know the address of Jun’s apartment?”
“This is so cute,” Jason climbed out of his own uber to meet Javi, wearing his pyjamas and a dressing gown with boots thrown over the top. “You’re travelling the whole world to save what Yuzu loves the most. Romantic!”
“Very. I was this close to just ordering a copy on Amazon. Kind of wish I had now.”
“Noooo,” Jason unlocked the main door of Jun’s apartment building and smiled, climbing the stairs with Javi, “Yuzu would be able to tell. That’s not the REAL Pooh-san, you know? Like, I’m sure Yuzu could tell the difference.”
“I hate that you’re right,” Javi grumbled as Jason pushed the door of Jun’s apartment open.
The whole place was very simple but homey. Javi headed into Jun’s room, smiling at some of the photos pinned up on the board on the wall of the TCC group, of his friends in Korea, of him hanging out with Conrad and Bruce, all framed with a string of fairy lights. In the middle sat one of him, Kazuki, and Kao from Four Continents earlier that year, grinning into Kazuki’s phone camera with their medals still around their necks. Staring at it, Javi could almost feel the rush of cool air as he zipped around the ice, the thrill of the competition, the bitter sting of defeat in the back of his mouth, the overwhelming pride from his Olympic medal and final Europeans gold–
“Hey,” Jason, nudged him, breaking him out of his thoughts not unkindly. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Javier nodded, heading over to Jun’s bedside table to grab the key off it. He raised an eyebrow at Jason, trying to look past him. “What’s in the bag, Jason?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you stealing from Jun, Jason?”
“Nothing.”
“Jason Brown.”
“Okay fineeee,” he held it out for Javi to look in. “I’m sorry! I just really like Choco pie but I don’t want to ask him for them, and I know he gets a load of boxes every single month since he did that commercial and he doesn’t eat them so–”
“I’m sure Jun won’t mind you stealing a load of his Choco pies.” Javier rolled his eyes. “Come on. To Yuzuru’s?”
Javi unlocked the door to Yuzuru’s apartment, a small swell of pride rising in his chest when he heard the click and pushed the door open. He almost didn’t want to go in. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust, and the whole place looked like a snapshot of the world before everything went crazy. Grocery receipts sat on the table, along with a mug that once had tea in, destined to the washing up bowl. Some of Yuzuru’s shoes sat by the doorway, kicked off haphazardly after a training session. And there in Yuzuru’s room, at the end of the bed like he’d always said, were the three silver medals from the Four Continents Championships. Underneath them, guarding the medals, was a very familiar friend to Javier. His shiny eyes twinkled in the low light of the street lamps filtering through the gaps in the blinds. When Javi squeezed his paw, he felt years of comradery and competition come flooding back through him. Scared of disturbing the dust, he very carefully picked the bear up and dusted off his ears, smiling down at the unwavering smile that looked back at him. He held the bear close, cradling him like he was cradling the now sleeping Effie.
“Ready to go?”
Javier nodded. Jason gave him a smile.
“Go home. I’ll lock up here and return the key to Jun’s. Oh,” he paused, giving Javier one more bright smile, “and Merry Christmas Javi.”
“Yuzuru, go answer the door please.” His mother gave him a look and a seemingly knowing smile.
“Me? But–”
“Just go Yuzuru.”
Putting down his nintendo switch, he shuffled his way to the door. His eyes lit up as he opened it, and he threw himself into the other’s arms.
“Javi! You got him?”
“I did,” Javier held Yuzuru’s waist with one hand and held out Pooh-san with the other. “Believe me, it took an awful lot to get him.”
“Javi, that’s so sweet of you,” Yuzuru pressed a shy kiss to his cheek before he took his tissue box and pulled the other in. “Come on, fried chicken will get here soon. Stay for a little bit.”
“I’d love to.” Javier pressed a kiss to Yuzuru’s temple, ignoring the blush from the other as Yumi walked in. “Happy Christmas Yuzu.”
“Happy Christmas Javi. Super Javi and Effie rescuing my Pooh-san, ne?”
“You saw that?”
“Of course. Secret Instagram account!”