yh | just a coincidence

11 | arrival

Quad toeloop. Triple toeloop.

Yuzu landed his jumps with precision and ice flakes flew into the air.

Camel spin with a foot change.

Orser clapped with a large smile drawn across his face as Yuzu made his way around the rink back to the boards.

It was hard to keep my eyes off of Yuzu as he skated. He glided across the ice faster and even more powerful than before.

Orser patted Yuzu on the back, "I think you're ready. Don't you think?"

He shrugged.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of him.

"Water bottle?" He waved his hand in front of me, "Water bottle? Hey? Are you there? I know I'm attractive, but this is too much." He smirked.

"No, what. I--"

I caught Orser from the corner of my eye stifling back a laugh.

Stuttering, I tried to come up with an excuse. My cheeks stung red from embarrassment rather than the chilly rink.

He held his hand out, "Water bottle?"

"Give me a sec. You can bathe in my embarrassment in the meantime." 

I dug through his practice bag filled with little Pooh towels and Under Armour shirts and handed him a water bottle covered with a fuzzy blue crocheted cozy.

He gave me a slight nod and unscrewed the cap off the water bottle.

"Did your mom make that?"

"Yeah, she makes a matching one for every costume I have."

"She's so talented. Just like someone I know." I grinned.

His ear tinged a slight pink as he set his water bottle next to Winnie the Pooh and he skated back to the center of the rink and began executing his elements. 

He glanced over at me a few times as if checking up on me if I was getting bored or not, but honestly, all it did was make my ears turn red.

But every time he glanced at me, he fell on his next jump.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"You can do it Yuzu." I held his water bottle and Winnie the Pooh under my arm before we entered the rink.

Just before we entered the rink, I pulled Yuzu aside, "Hey, stay focused okay. Don't glance around, especially at me, while you're doing your program. You've been falling in practice after you take a glance at me. I'm not that important. Your score on the other hand is."

"I don't--"

"I don't care what you have to say, just do your best."

I pushed him into the rink, hiding my idiotic smile behind him.

  - - - - - - - - - - -  

The audience cheered with Poohs raining down onto the ice.

Yuzu bowed as he exited the ice and gave Orser a hug. I handed Orser Yuzu's water bottle and Winnie the Pooh and retreated behind the kiss and cry while Yuzu waved Winnie the Pooh's tiny paws at the camera.

I gripped onto his suitcase handle while the entire stadium waited in silence for his scores.

"Yuzuru Hanyu..."

I held my breath.

"...84.66. Currently in first place."