Playing with Fire | Yuzuru Hanyu

Prologue

AN: Usual mature warnings apply + This one might be a bit too much for a few of you. Feel free to leave if you don't like the topics mentioned or the way the characters are portrayed.

The unfamiliar walls of the hotel hall surrounded him, the front desk in view as he considered his life decisions until that moment.

Was it a mistake? Very probably.

It was still one he was willing to make.

It had taken quite a few weeks of consideration but it came to a point that he was no longer willing to keep self-blaming for something he could easily take control over. He just had to learn and that's exactly what that night was about.

Dressed in a suit, the man wanted to look presentable, the last thing he needed was for the woman to think he was younger than he was and back down because of it. He really needed her help in this, no matter what the cost.

Taking his phone, he couldn't help but stare at the name on the booked session. Aurora. Such a weird name.

It was unlike him to be doing this in Toronto. Hell, it was unlike him to do this anywhere but he would never risk anything remotely close in Japan. He was too easily recognizable to even dare to think about it.

Now in Canada, even if a few people could recognize him, it was nowhere near close to being as concerning as it would be in his home country.

Approaching the lady at the front desk, he knew very well that it was best to check in and retrieve the keycard before meeting his companion for the night.

The whole process was fairly quick since he had booked and paid for everything in advance. Nothing could fail.

Make no mistake, none of this felt normal but he was a man on a mission.

Just thinking that his own condo was just a few blocks away and that he was booking a room for the mere purpose of it being more discrete was weird to him but that's what the internet recommended and he followed the advice dutifully.

The hotel in question was probably way too expensive, he hadn't even looked at the price, it didn't matter when he was paying far more for something entirely more embarrassing.

Yes, because he didn't go cheap on this. He wanted to learn from the best possible source and the price tag that it came with was definitely promising. Maybe he would even regret it.

For once, the man was thankful for the days that his mother decided to spend in Japan. If she even came remotely close to knowing what was on his plans for the night, the most likely outcome would be the scolding of a lifetime.

But that was just the way things were.

Odd circumstances led him to be that desperate.

Given how things were, he no longer had hopes for most things in his life. As sad as it was, it was the true reality.

He was no longer a child and some things had to be learned as you grew up.

21...

Most guys of his age would probably laugh at his desperation but he couldn't care less. He had a problem to solve and tonight was going to be the first of a hopefully not a lot of sessions that would make up for years of not caring.

It was with a sigh that he took the keycard into his hand and started walking with the view of the bar in the distance. There was a slight limp in his step, one he tried to ignore and one he tried to hide from those around him. Well, hiding it had probably had worse consequences than it helped but that was no longer something he could fix after the damage had been done.

His other problem, however, he could.

The circumstances that led him there were unique in their own right and the last thing he wanted was to even think about them. All he cared about now was to end this night with success.

Looking around at the bar, he was relieved that it was mostly empty. The concerns about not being able to recognize her or even the possibility of being recognized by someone else were always on his mind.

The truth was that his concerns were mostly ridiculous.

As soon as his eyes landed on the beautiful woman, he recognized her immediately. Part of him had expected the photo to have been manipulated and that her beauty was purely a matter of filters and good makeup but it seemed like he was wrong. She truly was one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen and it didn't surprise him if she was very successful in her job.

What did surprise him was the way she carried herself.

The man felt like every single person in that bar had their eyes on her. She was the epitome of class and sophistication. She looked like a very important businesswoman or at the very least, someone important enough to be admired and carry herself with grace.

It was nothing like he expected.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he knew what her job was and the misconceptions that came with it but the reality was that he expected to see a woman with far more exposing clothes.

Then again, he did pay a premium for a reason.

His eyes still lingered on her figure before approaching carefully.

"Aurora?" he asked, trying his absolute best to keep his accent or usual high-pitched voice coming out like it usually did whenever he tried the English tongue.

The beautiful woman turned around and gave him an instant smile.

God, she was beautiful.

At the same time, he sensed her eyes looking at him with slight surprise. It was clear that he was the least she expected on that night as well.

"Yuzuru?"

A nod confirmed his identity and she gave him a reassuring smile. He didn't even care that she went straight to using his first name. That's how things were in Canada.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine... Or yours, we will see...So...ready for a great night?"

Just like that, he knew he was screwed.