Fic: All of the Other Reindeer (skating RPF, Yuzuru Hanyu & Takahiko Kozuka)
Two weeks after the author reveal, I'm finally managing to mirror my last Yuletide fic. This one came up in the post-deadline snowstorm of pinch hit requests. It's sad to see that Santa hasn't visited your friends, and I knew that andantecantible would appreciate getting a Yuzuru Hanyu fic even if it sucked. After some dithering, I tagged this in AO3 as "chromatic source" because I did spend an hour watching Japanese interviews and fluff on YouTube before I wrote. The hardest part, actually, was making sure it was gen and not slash, and there was a long stretch of annaalamode on IM going "Nope, still too slashy." Also, this is the closest I will probably ever get to writing Christmas fic.
Title: All of the Other Reindeer
Fandom: figure skating RPF
Characters: Yuzuru Hanyu, Takahiko Kozuka
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None standard.
Summary: All Yuzuru wants for Christmas is a senior national title. And attention.
Word Count: about 1,250.
Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. The characters herein are based on real people, but the words and events are completely made up. They are not intended to be mistaken for fact, and no libel is intended. This original work of fan fiction is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License; attribution should include a link to this Livejournal post.
Notes: Written for andantecantible for Yuletide. Thanks to annaalamode for cheerleading and beta.
*
It was Christmas morning and should have been time for cake, but instead it was time for practice. Because Christmas was an American holiday - a Western one, Yuzuru would correct now, but he didn't know the difference when he was little - his mom liked to cook a big American breakfast, or what she thought an American breakfast should be. Pancakes and scrambled eggs, ham, sliced tomatoes, toast with butter, chicken soup with noodles, and hot chocolate. Most of the Americans Yuzuru knew drank black coffee with sugar and called that breakfast, and he'd picked up the habit, but he couldn't stand to explain that to his mother. Anyway, he liked his family's Christmas, and he didn't think it was childish at all.
But the National Championships were being held over the weekend of the twenty-fifth, so this Christmas morning, Yuzuru had to wake up before sunrise, slurp his black coffee, put on his practice gear, and prepare his short program. His coach had cautioned him not to expect to go to Worlds this year, since Dai's world title and Taka's and Nobu's medals at the Grand Prix Final meant that the three spots would undoubtedly go to the three of them, even if they performed badly at Nationals. Yuzuru's only chance was to beat all of them, and he seemed to be the only person who believed he could.
He kept those beliefs to himself most of the time. He was trying to be more humble. Well, he was supposed to be trying. He didn't think humility did an athlete much good. Believing in crazy things, like his ability to out-skate three highly decorated and experienced senior skaters, had worked well for him so far. And after all, he was a World Champion, himself.
In the shuttle from the rink, Yuzuru wanted to escape his own thoughts, to achieve the crucial point where he was only his body and the music, with no pressure or doubts in between. But the other boys on the shuttle were so stone silent, radiating nervousness, that he caught their disease. He stared out the window at the rain, wishing it would turn to snow for Christmas.
At least he had his iPod, with Christmas songs he'd downloaded. His English tutor had taught him a few, and the rest he'd chosen because he liked the names. He couldn't tell what all of the words meant in the harder ones, but he liked the peaceful, joyful, snowy sound of them. Not caring who he bothered, he sang along as best he could. Maybe his singing would psych his competitors out, or maybe it would inspire them to fight harder against him.
The chorus of "Shut up, Yuzuru-kun!" drowned out "Frosty the Snowman." Their lack of Christmas spirit was terribly disappointing.
"I'm practicing my English homework," he said defiantly, since it was true in a way, and he sang louder, all the way to the rink. He sang while he stretched in the corridor and while he laced up his skates. After that, he had to put his iPod away, but he sang through his warm-up and as much of his practice as he could, filling his busy mind with reindeer and elves, holly and mistletoe, sleigh bells and sparkling ornaments, peace on earth and good will towards men, so he had nothing but his body and the ice and the Spirit of Christmas.
He had a successful practice, his feet finding his landings easily, music running in his veins. The other boys in his practice group gave him nasty looks as he warbled "Silent Night" and changed into his street clothes. He ignored them out of habit: he'd become very good at keeping to himself in locker rooms. He wondered what it felt like to look at a half-naked boy and just continue going about your day. When he didn't want to think about sex, he knew to keep his eyes focused on his feet.
The boys from the next practice group came in as he was packing up. Taka was wearing a Santa hat and tapped Yuzuru's shoulder to make sure he saw it. "I hoped you'd still be singing," Taka said.
"I ran out of songs," Yuzuru apologized before realizing it was strange that Taka had known he'd been singing. Well, word got around.
Sure enough, smiling wickedly, Taka showed Yuzuru a text on his phone. "Baka-na motherfucker Yuzuru-kun won't stop singing Christmas carols!!!" with "motherfucker" in English. Yuzuru laughed because the boy who sent it couldn't have predicted his reaction. At his first international competition, a Canadian boy had taught him how to swear in English. All the worst words in English seemed so much dirtier than the ones in Japanese. Yuzuru's first kiss had been that night, too, at the hands of the same boy, and now English swear words made him think of the magical feeling of kissing boys.
"Everyone's so nervous," Taka said. "They could use some cheerful songs. Whether they want them or not."
"You're not nervous," Yuzuru observed.
Taka shrugged. "All I can do is skate. Worrying about it won't help."
"Maybe they can't help it," Yuzuru said.
"Maybe they need a song." Taka sat down on the bench and took out his skates.
Yuzuru didn't really need the encouragement. He swooped the Santa hat off Taka's head and got up onto the bench so he could tower over his competitors. At the top of his lungs, he belted "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," even though the words were difficult and he knew he was getting some of them wrong, because it was his favorite. He'd always known that if he shined brightly enough, eventually he'd be appreciated. In junior high, when he'd been lonely sometimes, he'd made that promise to himself, and it had motivated him at the rink. He hadn't known the song yet then, but a person could feel music without knowing it.
At the end of the song, Yuzuru bowed as if saluting the judges, and he pirouetted on the bench before jumping down. Taka applauded, and one or two other boys joined in cautiously. When he'd finished his ovation, Taka snatched his hat back from Yuzuru, explaining, "I need it for practice."
"You're wearing it?" Yuzuru said, his admiration growing.
"Of course. The whole time. I hope it stays on when I spin." Taka had a crooked smile that seemed sheepish even when he was confident, and Yuzuru felt drawn to it. He didn't want to be: not only because Taka was much older, and one of his chief competitors, but because it meant that when Yuzuru was skating, he would be thinking of a boy, just a little, and he couldn't have that, not at all.
This was exactly the kind of thinking he had to avoid. Taka probably didn't even like him. Yuzuru didn't really like him as more than a friend, either - he was just enjoying the attention. Still, Yuzuru needed to push him away, to challenge him. "It'll stay. You have a big head."
Taka ruffled Yuzuru's hair as if to confirm that he saw Yuzuru as just a little brother. "Not as big as yours."
"Say that again when I'm the national champion," Yuzuru said, knowing his grin looked arrogant as he danced out of the locker room, whistling "Jingle Bells."
Title: All of the Other Reindeer
Fandom: figure skating RPF
Characters: Yuzuru Hanyu, Takahiko Kozuka
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None standard.
Summary: All Yuzuru wants for Christmas is a senior national title. And attention.
Word Count: about 1,250.
Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. The characters herein are based on real people, but the words and events are completely made up. They are not intended to be mistaken for fact, and no libel is intended. This original work of fan fiction is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License; attribution should include a link to this Livejournal post.
Notes: Written for andantecantible for Yuletide. Thanks to annaalamode for cheerleading and beta.
*
It was Christmas morning and should have been time for cake, but instead it was time for practice. Because Christmas was an American holiday - a Western one, Yuzuru would correct now, but he didn't know the difference when he was little - his mom liked to cook a big American breakfast, or what she thought an American breakfast should be. Pancakes and scrambled eggs, ham, sliced tomatoes, toast with butter, chicken soup with noodles, and hot chocolate. Most of the Americans Yuzuru knew drank black coffee with sugar and called that breakfast, and he'd picked up the habit, but he couldn't stand to explain that to his mother. Anyway, he liked his family's Christmas, and he didn't think it was childish at all.
But the National Championships were being held over the weekend of the twenty-fifth, so this Christmas morning, Yuzuru had to wake up before sunrise, slurp his black coffee, put on his practice gear, and prepare his short program. His coach had cautioned him not to expect to go to Worlds this year, since Dai's world title and Taka's and Nobu's medals at the Grand Prix Final meant that the three spots would undoubtedly go to the three of them, even if they performed badly at Nationals. Yuzuru's only chance was to beat all of them, and he seemed to be the only person who believed he could.
He kept those beliefs to himself most of the time. He was trying to be more humble. Well, he was supposed to be trying. He didn't think humility did an athlete much good. Believing in crazy things, like his ability to out-skate three highly decorated and experienced senior skaters, had worked well for him so far. And after all, he was a World Champion, himself.
In the shuttle from the rink, Yuzuru wanted to escape his own thoughts, to achieve the crucial point where he was only his body and the music, with no pressure or doubts in between. But the other boys on the shuttle were so stone silent, radiating nervousness, that he caught their disease. He stared out the window at the rain, wishing it would turn to snow for Christmas.
At least he had his iPod, with Christmas songs he'd downloaded. His English tutor had taught him a few, and the rest he'd chosen because he liked the names. He couldn't tell what all of the words meant in the harder ones, but he liked the peaceful, joyful, snowy sound of them. Not caring who he bothered, he sang along as best he could. Maybe his singing would psych his competitors out, or maybe it would inspire them to fight harder against him.
The chorus of "Shut up, Yuzuru-kun!" drowned out "Frosty the Snowman." Their lack of Christmas spirit was terribly disappointing.
"I'm practicing my English homework," he said defiantly, since it was true in a way, and he sang louder, all the way to the rink. He sang while he stretched in the corridor and while he laced up his skates. After that, he had to put his iPod away, but he sang through his warm-up and as much of his practice as he could, filling his busy mind with reindeer and elves, holly and mistletoe, sleigh bells and sparkling ornaments, peace on earth and good will towards men, so he had nothing but his body and the ice and the Spirit of Christmas.
He had a successful practice, his feet finding his landings easily, music running in his veins. The other boys in his practice group gave him nasty looks as he warbled "Silent Night" and changed into his street clothes. He ignored them out of habit: he'd become very good at keeping to himself in locker rooms. He wondered what it felt like to look at a half-naked boy and just continue going about your day. When he didn't want to think about sex, he knew to keep his eyes focused on his feet.
The boys from the next practice group came in as he was packing up. Taka was wearing a Santa hat and tapped Yuzuru's shoulder to make sure he saw it. "I hoped you'd still be singing," Taka said.
"I ran out of songs," Yuzuru apologized before realizing it was strange that Taka had known he'd been singing. Well, word got around.
Sure enough, smiling wickedly, Taka showed Yuzuru a text on his phone. "Baka-na motherfucker Yuzuru-kun won't stop singing Christmas carols!!!" with "motherfucker" in English. Yuzuru laughed because the boy who sent it couldn't have predicted his reaction. At his first international competition, a Canadian boy had taught him how to swear in English. All the worst words in English seemed so much dirtier than the ones in Japanese. Yuzuru's first kiss had been that night, too, at the hands of the same boy, and now English swear words made him think of the magical feeling of kissing boys.
"Everyone's so nervous," Taka said. "They could use some cheerful songs. Whether they want them or not."
"You're not nervous," Yuzuru observed.
Taka shrugged. "All I can do is skate. Worrying about it won't help."
"Maybe they can't help it," Yuzuru said.
"Maybe they need a song." Taka sat down on the bench and took out his skates.
Yuzuru didn't really need the encouragement. He swooped the Santa hat off Taka's head and got up onto the bench so he could tower over his competitors. At the top of his lungs, he belted "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," even though the words were difficult and he knew he was getting some of them wrong, because it was his favorite. He'd always known that if he shined brightly enough, eventually he'd be appreciated. In junior high, when he'd been lonely sometimes, he'd made that promise to himself, and it had motivated him at the rink. He hadn't known the song yet then, but a person could feel music without knowing it.
At the end of the song, Yuzuru bowed as if saluting the judges, and he pirouetted on the bench before jumping down. Taka applauded, and one or two other boys joined in cautiously. When he'd finished his ovation, Taka snatched his hat back from Yuzuru, explaining, "I need it for practice."
"You're wearing it?" Yuzuru said, his admiration growing.
"Of course. The whole time. I hope it stays on when I spin." Taka had a crooked smile that seemed sheepish even when he was confident, and Yuzuru felt drawn to it. He didn't want to be: not only because Taka was much older, and one of his chief competitors, but because it meant that when Yuzuru was skating, he would be thinking of a boy, just a little, and he couldn't have that, not at all.
This was exactly the kind of thinking he had to avoid. Taka probably didn't even like him. Yuzuru didn't really like him as more than a friend, either - he was just enjoying the attention. Still, Yuzuru needed to push him away, to challenge him. "It'll stay. You have a big head."
Taka ruffled Yuzuru's hair as if to confirm that he saw Yuzuru as just a little brother. "Not as big as yours."
"Say that again when I'm the national champion," Yuzuru said, knowing his grin looked arrogant as he danced out of the locker room, whistling "Jingle Bells."