Playing with Fire | Yuzuru Hanyu

51. Aishiteru

To anyone a bit unfamiliar with Japanese culture, it was easy to dismiss such a word. Were you to translate it, the meaning would be as simple as "I love you."

Yet, and one thing that was always true when it came to their culture and language, was that nothing was that simple.

As someone who knew it well, hearing such a word leave his mouth when they were in the middle of a random hotel room in Helsinki made her stop completely.

Aishiteru was a term that was rarely used by Japanese people due to its weight. Most couples would reserve such a declaration to the day they proposed or got married but not Yuzu.

It was also easy for anyone who truly didn't understand to discard it as a casual thing but Aria couldn't possibly do that.

Yuzuru had, in a way, just told her that he loved her as a husband loves his wife. It was the biggest declaration he could make and she had no idea how to react besides kissing his lips sweetly with deep red flushed cheeks.

"You do that on purpose." she eventually said when a smirk graced his face. Yuzuru seemed oddly satisfied with himself.

"Do what?"

"Making me flush with big statements and crazy words."

"Because it's a hard thing to do." he eventually admitted. "You're so comfortable with crazy things in bed that I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to come up with something that makes you flustered besides this."

"So you went for Aishiteru instead?"

"I was bound to say it to you one day. If we're admitting how much we care for each other, it seems like a logical time."

It was rational in ways that she couldn't explain from a man who had just blurted out Aishiteru as if it was nothing but well, this was the person she had fallen in love with and it seemed impossible to ever let him go now.

The next kiss she gave him was enough to leave them both breathless against one another, staring into each other's eyes. They didn't need a single word then, their bodies taking over and possessing the interaction with deep connection.

There was no denying that it would be easy to get carried away and enjoy the rest of that night in bed, probably not sleeping a wink but the truth was that Aria was also scared of being to blame if something didn't go well for him.

Even when they made out on the bed, as soon as she noted everything getting a bit more intense, the first reaction was to gently push him away, make him turn on the bed, and cuddle against his chest.

"As much as I want you right now, you promised me I wouldn't be a distraction for you. You need the rest for tomorrow"

He wanted to argue, obviously, but deep down, Yuzu had to admit that she was right. He couldn't risk the possibility of being too tired to give his absolute best during the competition. It would beat the purpose of having her there to relax.

The last thing he wanted was to lose again to Javi...

A kiss on her forehead and he felt strangely at peace, even with his lingering need and horniness for her, Yuzu felt better than he ever had before a competition and he genuinely loved to have her around.

Being with Aria made him feel better, more confident, and ready to take on the challenges that his sport provided.

🔥

It was with the same feeling of peace that he woke up the next day, feeling her lips move from his cheek to his neck, tracing all of the sensitive locations with her tongue.