This little plot bunny has been bothering me because as a competitive Irish Dancer, I definitely identify with Yuri's struggles as a competitive ice skater in the anime. Plus, I'm a little obsessed with Irish Dance, so this story was born.

At the end of the chapters, as necessary, I will explain anything regarding the world of Irish Dance that may not be well known.

I am changing the ages of the characters in order to fit the competition age ranges better. The explanation of competitions is in the note at the end of the chapter.

Enjoy!

Eighteen year old Yuri Katsuki stepped out of the hallway that connected the airplane to the gate, adjusting his carry on luggage slung on his shoulder. He looked around the bustling airport with some trepidation, not sure where he was supposed to go from here. His stomach fluttered from nerves - it was the first time he would be out of his home country of Japan for an extended period of time.

Yuri walked further into the terminal, hoping he would see his new instructor soon. He had been told that Sean would be waiting for him. He stopped at the edge of the waiting area, glancing about for anyone that might recognize him. His bag was feeling heavier by the minute, and he began walking the terminal to help ease some of his tension at not finding a familiar face.

A glance up toward the ceiling allowed Yuri to find directions to the baggage claim. Maybe Sean was waiting for him there. With that reassuring thought, Yuri followed the signage to escalators that would take him to where he wanted to go. When he finally arrived to baggage claim, he followed digital signs to the belt that serviced his flight.

As he waited for his luggage to make its way out, Yuri's nerves gave way to some excitement. He couldn't believe he was finally in London, England. He had spent the winter conversing with his family in Hasetsu and Sean McNicholas, the founder and lead instructor of the McNicholas School of Irish Dance in London about a move to advance his Irish Dance career. After completing his final St. Patrick's Day season with his dance school in Yokohama, Yuri had packed everything he wanted to bring with him and spent a few weeks with his family at their hot springs resort in Hasetsu before jetting to Europe.

Yuri caught sight of his luggage and ran to the belt to grab it. When he turned, he saw a skinny, dark haired man standing a few feet from him. Yuri regarded him carefully, wondering if this was the man that he was looking for.

"Cot-sooki-san?" the man inquired in an Irish accented voice.

Yuri scrambled towards him. "Cot-ski," he corrected.

"My apologies, Katsuki-san" the man responded with a smile. "I'm Sean McNicholas."

Yuri bowed quickly to him. "Thank you for meeting me here."

"No trouble! It's not often I have an international transfer student! Welcome to London!"

"Thank you," Yuri said with his own smile as the pair left the airport and loaded his luggage into the trunk of a waiting taxi.

Both men climbed into the back of the car and were soon onto the narrow, bustling streets of the old city. Yuri felt so out of place and at the same time, awed by the beauty of the city. Sean allowed Yuri a few minutes to gaze before launching into more conversation.

"I have you staying in a flat with another international student of mine. I think you will get along quite well. I spoke to Ms. Shirasawa, your instructor from Ardagh. She had nothing but good things to say about you."

This praise made Yuri blush. "Shirasawa-sensei is kind."

"She didn't tell me much about your reasons for transferring to my school other than you needing more opportunities to expand upon your talent."

Yuri nodded. "There aren't any big competitions in Japan that would allow me to qualify for Worlds. Irish Dance is still relatively new and small in Japan, and Ardagh is the only school that is certified by the Coimisiun. On top of that, I didn't have the money to travel internationally for competition."

Sean smiled, the wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes. "Yes, she said so. I was wondering…why you wanted to come to my school. What are your dreams?"

"I want to be a world champion so that I can dance in one of the professional shows."

Sean nodded. "I will push you to make that dream a reality, but you have to be willing to put in the work. You're in England now…and the competition here is much fiercer than what you will be used to."

Yuri gave Sean a determined look. "I will. I really want this."

"Good! I will need to assess you to determine what level of competition to put you in. From there, I can determine your class schedule and get you on your way to your goals. There is a class tonight, but don't feel like you have to attend if you're jet lagged. Your flat is in walking distance of the studio. I'll drop you off there. Your flatmate should be there already."

The taxi stopped at the curb in front of a multi-story brick building. Yuri got out of the taxi, looking at the building with a mixture of awe and trepidation. He had no idea what to expect of the flat he would live in or the person he would be sharing the space with. Sean assisted Yuri with retrieving his two suitcases and brought him up the stairs to the white wooden door of the building. Opening the door, Yuri was greeted by a narrow entryway and a flight of wooden stairs. To the right was a short hallway to a door.

"Your flat is upstairs."

The pair made their way slowly up the cramped staircase, making sure neither tumbled backwards as they carried the heavy bags up. They came to the landing and were greeted by a wooden door directly in front of them. Sean approached the door and knocked. Yuri could make out the strains of an Asian flute, which made his heart soar with delight followed by a brief trickle of homesickness.

The doorknob rattled and then the door opened to reveal another Asian man. He smiled brightly at Sean.

"Hi Sean! Is this him?"

Yuri noticed his flatmate's joy was infectious, and he smiled at the young man. He bowed towards him. "Katsuki Yuri."

"Hi! I'm Phichit! Come in!"

Phichit stepped aside and allowed his teacher and new flatmate to enter. Yuri glanced around the room, noting an old fireplace, white walls, and hardwood floors. The room had a television mounted on the wall above the fireplace and a small couch in the center of the room and an armchair in the corner. It was so distinctly western despite its inhabitant. Yuri slung his carry on bag off of his shoulder and placed it on the floor as he continued to take in his new surroundings.

"Phichit is one of my preliminary champions. He's been working hard and -"

"I'm certain I'll move up to champion this year!" Phichit cried with a grin.

"As long as you can limit your social media time," Sean warned playfully.

This statement made Phichit chuckle sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah but…the American dancers really like seeing my posts!"

"I'm sure they will appreciate the reason for you taking a step back," Sean continued, a more serious edge to his tone creeping into his lilting speech.

Phichit lifted his hands up as he laughed - a defensive stance. "Okay, okay!"

Sean turned to Yuri. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted. As I said, don't feel pressured to come to class tonight if you need to rest."

Yuri nodded and then gave Sean a quick bow. "Thank you for everything."

Sean glanced at Phichit before he took his leave. "I'll see you tonight, Phichit! I hope you were working on your set!"

"You bet!"

With that, Sean vacated the flat. Yuri turned his attention to his new flatmate. Phichit grinned and then reached for a suitcase. "Let me show you your bedroom!"

Yuri nodded in agreement and picked up the rest of the bags. He followed Phichit through the living room to a short, narrow hallway. The first doorway to the left, Yuri noticed, was a small bathroom. Across the way was another doorway, which Phitchit explained was his bedroom. At the end of the hall was an empty bedroom that Phichit took him to. He deposited the suitcase at the foot of the bed and then sat cross-legged on the mattress, staring up expectantly at Yuri. Yuri smiled nervously.

"I think Sean put us together because we would probably feel more comfortable being from Asia. I'm from Thailand."

Yuri left his bags by the door and carefully sat on the bed, making sure there was some distance between him and Phichit. He was still feeling incredibly nervous and overwhelmed by everything. "I guess that makes sense. I'm from Japan."

A short silence descended between them. Yuri knew he should keep the conversation going, but he wasn't sure what he should say next. Right now, the only real thing they had in common was that they were both here to train under Sean McNicholas.

"So…you're in prelims?"

Phichit nodded. "You?"

Yuri shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I couldn't do a lot of competition because my family didn't have the money to send me traveling around the world for them. I do have pretty complex steps though…if that makes a difference."

"It could! Want to show me?"

Yuri chuckled and attempted to find a way to weasel out of having to dance in front of a stranger. "Is there anywhere to practice in this flat?"

Phichit shook his head. "Not really, but that's why it's nice living so close to the studio. We can pop over there any time and get some practice time in on our own."

Yuri nodded as he peered around his tiny bedroom. The twin sized bed was plenty for him, and he noticed a dresser in a corner and a door next to it that would probably be a closet. A window was set in the wall across from his bed. Above the bed was a set of shelves. Yuri smiled.

"I think this is perfect."

"Well, I guess I'll leave you alone to unpack. I was planning on making a welcome to London dinner…but I have no idea what you eat," Phichit said as he got off the bed.

"That's nice of you. I'm not picky."

"All right. I thought I'd make some noodles. Nice comfort food…how's that sound?"

Yuri's smile was wide. "Perfect."

"I'll get started on that then. I have class at six and it goes for two hours. Do you think you'll want to tag along?"

Yuri shrugged once more as he climbed off of the bed and walked towards a suitcase. "I'm not sure. I feel pretty tired…but I'm not sure I want to be here by myself just yet. It's all…so new."

Phitchit made a noise that sounded like commiseration. "I felt the same way when I first came here. You'll get used to it quick though…especially since you have me to show you around!"

"Thanks," Yuri's reply was relieved. "I'll need it. I wanted to take a few days to get everything in order. I'm supposed to start working next Monday."

"Oh? Where are you working?"

"Just some company doing data entry. It's nothing special, but it pays enough to help cover my portion of rent and other expenses."

"You're not going to university?" Phichit wondered, not sounding judgmental.

Yuri blushed. "Not yet. My dream is to be in Riverdance or Lord of the Dance."

"That's awesome! I want to do that too! We have some incredible dancers in our school that have definitely been sought out by the producers of Riverdance, so it's not like it won't happen!"

Yuri dragged a suitcase toward his bed and threw it on top in order to make it more accessible. He began to unzip it, hoping to get some of his things unpacked before dinner. Phichit took the hint and left the room to prepare dinner.

A few minutes passed before Yuri realized the Asian flute had been replaced with the voice of accordion. He listened for a moment and then smiled when he recognized the song asThe Three Sea Captains. His smile grew to a grin when he heard some pounding from the kitchen and realized that Phichit was practicing his hard shoe dance in his socked feet. It made Yuri want to dance as well but he settled for humming along to the familiar tune. Listening to Phichit's beats, Yuri was able to determine that he was a strong dancer.

As he pulled out clothing to put away into the dresser, Yuri could smell the familiar scents of soy sauce mixed with chicken, which made him sigh with bliss for having this small reminder of home. He realized that he needed to alert his parents that he had made it safe, and he fished for his cell phone out of his carry on bag that he left by the door.

Yuri went through his contacts and located the number for his home. He clicked on it and heard the phone make a connection and begin to ring.

"Moshi moshi," a tired female voice responded after a few rings.

"Mama! I made it!" Yuri cried out in excitement. "I'm sorry it's so late…but I wanted to let you know I was safe."

"Oh, don't worry dear. You know I love to hear from you. How was your flight?"

"It was good…uneventful. I met my new instructor at the airport, and he took me to my flat. I'm sharing it with a young man from Thailand named Phichit. I think we'll get along just fine."

"Good!" A yawn. "Sorry, dear."

"It's okay. I figured I woke you up. I can let you go if you want. I think it's a nine hour time difference, and I'll figure out a better time to call you. Can you let the others knows I made it safe?"

"Of course dear. You take care."

"I will. Good night, mama."

The phone call ended, and Yuri set his phone aside. He continued to put clothes away until his first suitcase was empty. He placed the suitcase into his closet, glad to have half of his belongings put away. He quickly rifled through his second suitcase to find the athletic bag that held his dance shoes and water bottle. He rose from the suitcase to see Phichit standing in the doorway.

"Dinner is ready!"

"Thanks," Yuri replied with a small smile. "It smells amazing."

"Nah, it's nothing special."

They both made their way to the kitchen. Yuri saw that there wasn't a formal dining table but an island with a stovetop on one side and an empty space on the other lined with bar stools. Yuri sat on one of the stools as Phichit served him a plate of noodles, vegetables, and chicken tossed in a soy based sauce. Yuri inhaled deeply as Phichit then slid him a fork. He clasped his hands briefly together with a "itadakimasu" before digging in.

"Wow! You're a great cook!"

Phichit grinned with pleasure. "Thanks!"

The pair ate in silence for a few minutes before Yuri spoke up. "I think I'll attend class on Saturday. I'm so tired from the flight and need some time to rest."

"Sure! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone on Saturday! We'll be getting new steps starting next week in preparation for All Irelands. We would normally be preparing for the Great Britain Championships, but the venue pulled out and now the council is scrambling to find a new venue to host the championships. Sean wants us to focus on All Irelands instead just in case the GB championships fall through this year."

Yuri's eyes widened. "Wow…that's crazy!"

"I know!"

The two continued to eat. As Yuri finished a mouthful of noodles, he continued the conversation. "Have you ever made it to Worlds?"

Phichit shook his head. "Not yet. I'm hoping this year is my year! I've been working very hard since the GB Championships last year, and I think by the time All Irelands is hosted in October, I'll be a contender. Sean thinks so, anyway."

"What age group are you in?"

"Under 18."

"Me too!"

They both laughed and finished eating. When they had done so, Yuri helped Phichit clean up their mess with some help with finding where items went. Yuri returned to his room the finish unpacking while Phichit got ready for dance class. As Yuri was unpacking his second suitcase, Phichit came to his doorway.

"I'm heading out. I'll be back a little after eight. Oh! I should give you my cell phone number so we can text!"

Phichit bounded into the room and grabbed Yuri's cell phone. He pulled it out from underneath a small pile of socks, making them tumble off the bed. That was when a magazine cover was revealed, and Yuri's heart pounded with panic when he saw a look of recognition on Phichit's face.

"Oh! That's…" he looked more closely at the cover. "That issue is from last May."

Yuri could feel his cheeks flush. "Yeah."

Phichit picked up the issue, grinning. "That's Victor Nikiforov on the front after winning his thirs consecutive world championship. He just won his fourth a few weeks ago."

Yuri nodded, unable to speak from embarrassment. "I…he's incredible. I…want to compete with him one day."

Phichit's gaze lingered on the cover, his expression unreadable. Yuri panicked once more, wondering if Phichit was judging him for having such a goal.

"You know he's two years older than us. It'll be some time before you'll be in the same age bracket as him."

"Yeah, but it's still my goal."

Phichit smiled. "If he's still competing, it's an awesome one. I bet he's going to be picked up by the producers of Riverdance or something. I mean, how could they not? He's like…an Irish Dance prodigy or something."

"I know!" Yuri exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Phichit put his number into Yuri's phone. "Here you go. I'll see you later?"

"If I'm not already passed out," Yuri replied with a grin as he took hold of his phone once more.

Phichit laughed. "Sounds good. See you later, Yuri!"

Phichit left. When Yuri heard the door shut to their flat, he sighed and returned his attention to the magazine with his idol on it. He couldn't help but smile at the young man's easy expression on the cover - his silver hair and ice blue eyes. Yuri thought he was breathtaking in looks and having seen his dancing through live streams of the World Championships, felt his dancing was much the same.

He set the magazine on the bookshelf above his bed before returning to unpacking his second suitcase. When he finished, he placed the second suitcase in the closet. He then collapsed on to his bed, squeezing a plush poodle he had obtained last summer after reading that Victor owned a poodle named Makkachin.

Yuri didn't want to admit it to Phichit, but one of the reasons Yuri had chosen the McNicholas school was that Victor was a student there. While Yuri imagined he would never share the same class time as Victor, just knowing that Victor trained in the same school was enough to make him feel closer to the young man.

I only hope McNicholas-sensei thinks I'll be good enough to train for All Irelands this year. He may hold me back depending on my level of competition since I haven't competed in a highly competitive region, Yuri thought.

He lay in his bed, listening to the sounds of the busy city around him, realizing that it sounded similar to Tokyo. The only major difference was that any conversation he heard was in English rather than Japanese. He squeezed the plush poodle, named Vicchan, tightly as he sighed once more. He could feel exhaustion in every muscle of his body, and he surrendered himself to the sleep he so desperately needed.

Coimisiun (pronounced commission) is short for An Coimisiun Le Rinci Gaelacha (CLRG) and is the regulatory body of most Irish Dance schools and Irish Dance competitions around the world. The majority of dancers most people are familiar with (as seen in Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and the documentary JIG) are from CLRG certified schools.

The Ardagh School of Irish Dance, located in Tokyo and Yokohama, is a real Irish Dance School and is the only school in Japan certified by the CLRG. The McNicholas School of Irish Dance is also a real Irish Dance School located in London, England that is also certified by the CLRG. I only borrowed their names and basic facts - everything else about them in this story is fictional.

In Irish Dance, there are different levels of competition that are broken down first by level and then by age. The names of the levels are: Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Open/Prizewinner, Preliminary Champion, Champion/Open Champion. Usually, the dancers featured in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance are champion level dancers. For the age breakdown, it goes by year. For example, in this story, Yurio is 16. He would compete in Under 16 as that is his age as of January 1st of that calendar year. In the earlier levels, girls and boys are separated in competition by gender, but they compete against each other in the same competition by the time they are preliminary champions at the local level. They usually compete separately in regional and higher competitions.

All Irelands is an international competition in which dancers can qualify for the World Championships. Otherwise, most will qualify through their regional or national competition.