Chapter Text
The chill of ice, the pressure of competition, the scent of frozen air, the rhythm of cheers; these were all sensations Yuu was used to, conditioned to, thrived in, in love with.
"And he lands a triple Salchow, followed by a triple axel!" the commentator called and the crowd erupted in applause.
Jutting out a hip, arms striking a pose, Yuu's program concluded. As the audience cheered, emerald eyes darted back and forth, searching for the familiar figure of Yuu's coach.
Like when he arrived, his coach was noticeably absent, as he slid off the rink, the young man could not muster the will to conceal his disappointment and irritation. This was his final competition before entering the Senior Division and Yuu's coach of many years was MIA.
Yuu retreated to the locker room, clambering to find his phone to see if his coach had tried to contact him at all; nothing. Sucking on his teeth, Yuu tucked his phone into his jacket pocket and awaited the award ceremony.
As expected, Yuu finished first in his division, and with this victory, he qualified to compete in the Grand Prix. Shouts and hollers of congratulations sang throughout the rink, and yet, Yuu only felt emptiness.
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"And here we have Japan's rising star, Yuuichirou Ichinose, who took first in the Advanced Division. Ichinose-san, what is your next course of action?" an female reporter queried, holding a microphone to Yuu.
"Firstly, I'm going to return home to celebrate with my family and friends, and unwind. Then I'm gonna jump right into prepping for the Grand Prix with my coach." Yuu answered.
"Yes, and speaking of your coach, he wasn't here today, that's rather odd."
"Yeah, but I'm sure everything's fine, his age probably keeps him from moving as quickly as he used to, ya know?" Yuu joked, the reporter giggling in response.
The interview wrapped up and Yuu headed to the exit, hand fishing for his phone to once again check in on any missed messages.
Nothing
Worry crept into Yuu's heart as he put his phone away; this really was not like his coach. Before he could spare another thought on the matter, Yuu's eyes locked on a figure.
Tall, fit body, complimented with a lush golden sea of hair, sparkling white jacket that read 'Russia' across the back.
Mikaela Shindo-Ivanov*.
The reigning Grand Prix champion of the past three years, Russia's greatest athletic icon, and Yuu's idol.
Peach cheeks tinged pink over the man, everything around him ceased to exist, people and emotions, when Yuu caught sight of the legend.
Sapphire locked with emerald, and Yuu realized all too late that Mikaela was looking at him as well.
"Congratulations on your win, want to take a picture together?" the blonde asked in perfect Japanese.
Yuu flinched, "Ah... No, that's alright... I have to go anyway." he mumbled, hastily taking his leave from the arena, leaving Mikaela to follow his back with a distant gaze.
Snow fell as Yuu made his way down the bustling street; even though it was approaching midnight, there were still many people out and about.
Looking ahead, Yuu spotted a small group of adults crowded around a television that had the news on in a display window; grumbles of a tragedy bouncing among them.
Curiosity taking hold of him, Yuu joined them in watching the screen; his eyes stretched and jaw slackened, he immediately wished he hadn't stopped.
"Masato Hyakuya, retired figure skater, aged fifty-three, was in a traffic accident earlier this evening as he was rushing to attend the International Kanto Cup; where his student, Yuuichirou Ichinose, was competing. Hyakuya was rushed to the nearest hospital, but succumbed to his injuries upon arrival." the anchorman detailed.
Drops hit the snow covered pavement as Yuu wept in front of the screen, collapsing to his knees.
"Coach..."
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No way! I can't believe it!
Is Yuu still going to compete?!?
With what coach?
Poor Yuu-san!!
What's he going to do?
Social media is still going rampant over the news of Masato Hyakuya's death, despite more than two months having passed since the event. Yuu glared at the comments, regardless of the consoling words, he did not want to think about, let alone be reminded of, Masato's passing.
Light wraps rang against his door, "Yuu, get out of bed and eat something!" a gruff baritone called.
Wordlessly, Yuu crawled out from under his barrier of sheets and opened the door. The man behind it was exceptionally tall and handsome, midnight locks slicked back.
The man took in Yuu's appearance; eyes sunken, peach skin devoid of life, Yuu was hardly who he once was. "Come on, Yuu, you've got me and Shinya worried." he whispered, pulling the smaller into an embrace.
Jade orbs glistened with crystal highlights as Yuu returned the gesture, "Sorry, Dad..."
"Guren, is Yuu-kun okay?" a soft voice called from down the stairs, rapid footsteps rushing to them.
"As much as he can be... Guren muttered, hand threading through Yuu's onyx locks.
"I'm sorry..." Yuu whispered, inhaling unstable breaths as tears streamed down.
Shinya came to his side and embraced the broken boy as well, "It's okay, Yuu-kun, things will get better." he said.
"When?" Yuu asked, peering out from the comfort of his father's chest to gaze desperately at his parents.
The two men exchanged looks, contemplation written across their faces, "Soon." Guren answered.
"Well, let's worry about that bridge when we cross it, right now, let's get some food in you." Shinya said, taking Yuu's hand into his, leading his family to the kitchen.
The three sat down and ate together for the first time since Yuu returned home on that fateful night. Yuu allowed a small smile to creep up on him, his fathers were right, things will eventually get better; he just has to pick up the pieces.
And Yuu instantly thought of the largest, sharpest one; finding a new coach and prepping for the Grand Prix.
"What am I gonna do?" Yuu thought.
A dull buzz rang through the house, signaling the doorbell, it rang once, twice, incessantly; as if someone would not let go of the button. Irritated, Yuu went to the front door and tossed it open.
"What the fuck do you w-..." Yuu cried, but his words died in his throat.
Golden hair, sapphire orbs, chiseled features, dove skin; the embodiment of perfection stood in front of Yuu.
Mikaela Shindo-Ivanov
"I want you, actually." he said, inviting himself into Yuu's home.
"M-mikaela... What are you...?" Yuu gaped.
Mikaela smiled, "I heard about what happened to your coach, I'm very sorry for your loss. However, I think this is the perfect opportunity."
Yuu cocked a brow, "For... What?"
A hand, chilled from the March air, clasped Yuu's chin, "For us." Mikaela replied.
Red dashed across Yuu's cheeks, "Huh?"
"I'm going to be your new coach, Yuuichirou, I know you were born to make history. And I'm going to make it happen." Mikaela declared, his free hand taking hold of one of Yuu's and brought his slightly chapped lips to a knuckle.
Yuu's fair complexion was replaced with a vibrant crimson, he could only yell in reply, "Eeeeh?!"