An Unexpected Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 40: Love

"The Grand Prix Final is here in Barcelona, Spain! Tonight, it's the Men's Singles Short Program!"

Yuri arrived a couple of hours before the event, taking Ayumi to the medic to ask for approved painkillers. Her headache was not as bad as it was that morning, but it was still there. She decided to stay in the waiting room while the medicine kicked in.

The six-minute warm-up soon started, and Yuri focused on perfecting his jumps. He left the rink after that and joined Yakov and Lilia, while Yuuri Katsuki remained in the ice. The Japanese was skating first.

By the time Phichit Chulanont was about to perform, he was already waiting near the entrance of the rink. His hands tightly clasped the fence. He was nervous, but knew that he had to shove it aside. This is my moment, and I need to win.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned around.

"Hey," Ayumi said, looking at him with a smile. Her face had more color, but the fatigue was still quite noticeable.

The boy looked at her with concern, his earlier thoughts forgotten "Ayu? What are you doing here? You should be staying with the medics!"

She shook her head in refusal and pulled him in a hug. She could just tell how agitated he was for his upcoming performance. "No, Yura. I want to watch you skate. I want to see you win this. And you will. Stop being so nervous, ok?"

Yuri returned the hug. He couldn't help himself as his thoughts started to drift.

In front of him was his best friend. The girl who made her way into his heart. The girl who's always believed in him, even at times when he didn't believe in himself. And he loved her. Unconditionally.

It then struck him: Unconditional love. Agape. She has always been my agape.

He suddenly remembered Otabek's words the night before:

"You're a figure skater, aren't you? If you're confident enough to express so much emotion on the ice, then you could surely do it in front of the girl you love, don't you think?"

Yuri knew he was not perfect. He was an angsty teenage boy who can be sharp-tongued, arrogant and rude. He knew that she was a Matsumoto, and that he was not part of that world. But having her in his arms, none of that seemed to matter. There was no feeling in the world any better than just being with her.

He was not scared anymore. He knew he loved her... and thanks to Otabek, he found the perfect way to let her know it, too.

"Phichit Chulanont's score is 95.73! That's a new personal best!"

Ayumi motioned to head to the spectators' booth, but Yuri caught her hand before she can get anywhere. "Ayu!"

The girl looked back at him in confusion. It was now or never.

"Stay!" he commanded. "Just stay! Watch me here!"

"Why? Is something wrong, Yura?"

His heart was starting to beat loudly against his chest. "Watch this, okay? Keep your eyes on me! You need to watch this, because this program is for you!"

Ayumi let out a soft gasp.

"This program has always been for you, and you have to know that! So, stay..." Yuri's voice suddenly turned soft. "...Please."

The girl nodded, not finding the words to say.

It was time for him to leave. Yuri stared into her eyes for one last time. Beautiful. He couldn't help himself. He leaned in closer to her face and shyly pressed his lips on her cheek.

The audience went wild.

"Russia's Yuri Plisetsky has just given Ayumi Matsumoto a kiss on the cheek! How extraordinary!"

His face turned a bright red, watching Ayumi's eyes widen before gliding to the center of the rink.

------

"On the ice representing Russia: Yuri Plisetsky!"

Ayumi's eyes were stuck on the boy who just took her breath away. She covered her still-open mouth with her hands, feeling blood rush to her cheeks.

Yuri began to skate when the music played. It was only the first half, but Ayumi could already tell that the way Yuri was skating was something no one—not even she—has ever seen before.

It was a masterpiece. Every technical element was executed to perfection. He even raised his arms up with every jump, just like she always did to compensate for her lack of quads. The increased degree of difficulty meant higher marks, after all.

It was more than that, though. Yuri typically skated with so much aggression, stemming from his desire to beat everyone else. But now? It almost seemed like he was floating. He moved with so much emotion and yearning. It blended so well with the song playing overhead.

Her mind took her back to a day in Russia when she attempted to decipher that very song with Yuri. At the time, they were only acting out of curiosity. They both were not good at Latin, so they were only able to translate the first line. But that one line was permanently scored in her mind:

Since my life is only temporary, it ardently desires eternal love.

Eternal love. It never seemed easy to put into words. But looking at Yuri, Ayumi saw a boy who painted that picture on the ice better than any words could. She saw a picture of pure, honest and simple love. The kind of love that was willing to trust, accept and forgive. It was gentle and endearing. It was real.

"This program has always been for you."

Her heart skipped a beat.

What they have been through together has also never been easy to put into words. Yuri has seen every facet of her as she has with him. There were way too many words said, way too many tears shed, and way too many moments shared. The past two years have been complicated, having way too many ups and downs. So many, in fact, that Ayumi wondered how they managed to hold on to each other despite everything.

But then she realized: Love. It was love that made everything between them so much simpler.

Love... unconditional love. Agape.

Yuri finished his final combination spin and raised his hands in the air...

...and Ayumi couldn't help but clap for the boy she loved.