Young Agape

As the time for the free skate program arrived, Guang-Hong couldn't shake his nerves. What happened the other day didn't help at all. Not only would he have to preform and take his score to at least be on the podium; but he would have to see Leo again. In normal occasions, he would've been ecstatic. Though after what happened last night, he didn't know if he could face the American. His face flushed at the thought of the events in the hotel room. So lost in thought, the teen didn't notice his coach speaking until she snapped her fingers in front of him. His eyes went wide, "Huh?"

"Is everything okay? You've been spacing out all day," Her voice was filled with concern. Guang-Hong didn't have the heart to tell her the real issue. "Just nervous," He mumbled under his breath. She patted his head shoulder. Up ahead, Guang-Hong saw the stadium come closer. His chest tightened. He could do this though. Leo was one his closest friends, nothing had to be strange between them. That fact didn't stop his legs from shaking as they got out of the cab and into the building. He stuck close to his coach, practically attached to her until Phichit approached him.

The Thai skater grinned brightly, "I was wondering when you'd get here." Guang-Hong smiled, "I was running a little late."

"Nervous?"

"You could say that…" Just as he said that, he spotted a familiar duo. Yuuri looked completely out of it, as if he would throw up at any moment. At least Guang-Hong wasn't the only one suffering some kind of mental turmoil. He sighed in relief only to nearly jump when his eyes landed across the room. There stood Leo with Chris. The Hispanic had a look of wonder mixed with discomfort in his eyes. Who wouldn't when they were standing with a high-ranked figure skater who had a strange passion in sexualizing performances?

Guang-Hong watched as Leo asked him for a picture. The Swiss man placed his arm around Leo and Guang-Hong felt his stomach lurch. Once it was over, Leo finally looked his way. The teen gulped when his friend walked over to him, "H-Hi." He screamed at himself for stuttering. "Hey. I thought you wouldn't show up," Leo chuckled, "I thought I would have to go and drag you here myself." Guang-Hong pouted, "I'm not a kid. You don't have to do that." His already usual rosy cheeks turned brighter when Leo pet his head. "I know you aren't," Leo was giving him a warm smile that he swore could've made him melt.

The speakers turned on and announced that the six-minute warm-up was starting soon. All the skaters made their way to the rink. Guang-Hong felt himself calm down as he skated on the ice. That is until Phichit skated close to him, "So what's going on between you and Leo?" Guang-Hong tripped, nearly falling down. "Th-There's nothing going on!" He exclaimed. "Then what was that little exchange about?" Phichit sped up slightly, skating past him before doing a perfect triple toe loop. Guang-Hong shook his head, "Nothing!"

"Hm…then I'll ask him instead," Phichit winked and skated off towards Leo. Guang-Hong let his expression fall. Oh this wouldn't be good.

Leo had just finished a layback spin when Phichit came to him. He raised a brow at the Thai's expression. "What?" He asked. Phichit grinned like a cat, "You and Guang-Hong look closer than usual." The younger of the two blushed, "Do we?" It could be Phichit trying to play matchmaker again. Then again, he seemed right about what was going on with Viktor and Yuuri. Phichit nodded, "Did something happen?"

The American immediately thought back to last night. "No…?" He responded as he tried to get the image of Guang-Hong pressed against him out of his head. "Liar!" Phichit shouted. Leo quickly covered Phichit's mouth, looking over at the Chinese skater who fell out of his axel spin. Phichit gave him a knowing look, "Whatever happened, it must've been good. Though you should both focus on the competition instead of each other." Leo skated away from him, heart leaping. His friend was right; he needed to bring his attention back to the warm-up. He was in third place, therefore he had to keep it there or get to a higher position on the podium if possible.

He heard a thud on the ice. Thinking it was Guang-Hong again, he turned his attention to it but found Yuuri instead. Maybe the only people who had their head in the game were Chris, Georgi, and Phichit. That eased his own anxieties a bit.

After a few more simple spins and loops, the time ran out. Just as he got off the ice, he saw Guang-Hong removing his jacket to reveal his costume. The corner of his lips tugged upwards at the sight of the brown and khaki outfit. He approached the teen, noticing the almost out of breath expression. Guang-Hong looked up at him with worried eyes. He looked so much like a puppy at the moment that Leo couldn't help but bring him into a hug. Guan-Hong froze in his arms, "L-Leo?"

Leo didn't know what to do other than say, "Good luck." He let go of him, both their faces equally as red. Guang-Hong made his way over to his coach while Leo stayed in place.

The young skater could barely hear anything besides his racing pulse. Leo hugged him in a stadium filled with people. In China. Of course, last night they had done something much worse but it was in private. And yes, living in Canada over the summer did make him more open to displays of affection but…this wasn't Canada. He could already hear his parents calling, wondering just why he allowed Leo to hug him.

"Guang-Hong, keep it together," The voice of his coach cut through his thoughts. He closed his eyes as she grabbed his hands. "You have the perfect program that we prepared just for today. Become China's hero!" She motivated. With her small speech, his fans cheering him on, and the hug from Leo; Guang-Hong felt stronger than ever. His cheeks became a dusted pink before he opened his eyes. He gave his coach a quick smile and nod then skated off to the middle of the rink.

The announcers spoke, "First up is Guang-Hong Ji, China's young ace, age 17. He's in sixth place after the short program." The beginning of the song started up. Guang-Hong tuned out everything except the music. He knew it by heart even though the music itself was something his coach forced him to use. He recalled watching the movie many times. An underworld assassin being the main character. How would portraying that make him a hero? He made his first jump, accidentally over-rotating, yet landing the quadruple toe loop.

He imagined being the assassin, using his sword to defeat all enemies. Then came the next jumps. Triple axel, single loop, and a singles Salchow. All his jumps were nailed for now. He was doing much better than before. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Leo looking at him from the sidelines. A triple flip then a tripled toe-

Guang-Hong felt his foot slip and he fell to the ice. He pushed himself back up, eyebrows knitting together in frustration. So much for a perfect program. Seeing Leo, who was giving him a worried expression, made him pick up the pace. Triple toe loop, double toe loop; it was as if he never fell. As the music gained speed, he pictured the plot in his head with himself as the lead role.

Infiltrating the enemy lair and making his way up to where the boss resided. On the way, he would find allies; one who he pictured as Leo. It had to be Leo. The American was always by his side. Even when they couldn't see each other, they would Skype or text whenever possible. Leo didn't judge him. Leo supported him. Though they both had figure skaters they looked up to, Guang-Hong was confident to say their favorites were each other. He smiled at the thought. As the music went even faster, he used the step sequence to match it.

The climax of the story approaching. The assassin going up against the enemy boss, the enemy organization going after his allies. He manages to kill the boss with a final blow only to have to rush to save his ally.

A double axel.

'My Grand Prix Series will end here, but the Four Continents and Worlds is still waiting for me. I'll raise the technical difficulties of my programs and claw my way to the podium! I'm not the kind of man who would die in a ditch here!'

He envisioned Leo in danger, surrounded by enemies alone. Just before Leo could be shot, Guang-Hong jumped in to take the bullet.

With the gun shot, he acted out falling. The music ending. The crowd cheering.

Guang-Hong was breathing harshly as he stood. His fans threw teddy bears which he picked up as many as he could. He waved to the crowd while going to the kiss and cry. Sitting down with his coach, they waited for the score. His eyes widened as the screen revealed a 79.87 for the free skate and a 248.69 as a total. He knew he wouldn't make it to the podium, not against someone like Phichit or Chris. He buried his face on the head of the teddy bear in his arms, biting it. Tears blurred the corners of his eyes. "I'm going to quit all social media to practice!" He swore.

Leo had a rare frown on his face. During the performance, he couldn't keep his eyes off Guang-Hong. It was almost as if the Chinese skater was giving a possessive vibe. Guang-Hong kept with the act so well. However, it wasn't enough. The Hispanic didn't know why. He deserved more. He shouldn't be standing there thinking it, he should be saying it. He followed Guang-Hong back to the waiting area. He realized he hated seeing the teen genuinely upset over something as the hurt expression Guang-Hong displayed caused anger to bubble in him.

He sat with him on the bench, "Those judges don't know what they're doing. You were amazing." Guang-Hong clutched his teddy bear tighter, "If only I hadn't miss that jump."

"You still interpreted it perfectly and you nailed the rest of your jumps! I would've given you more points," His opinion was incredibly biased. Even so, his words brought the smallest of grins to Guang-Hong which caused him to relax. "Thank you," Guang-Hong's eyes met with his. They stared silently, enveloped in their own world. Before either of them knew it, Phichit was on screen. Leo heard his name being called by his coach. Guang-Hong nudged him in a silent order to go to her. Leo nodded before going to his coach just as the music started. He watched from one of the screens as his coach tried talking to him.

Phichit was as flawless as ever. Landing quads, loops, using step sequences no other Thai skater has ever done before. He was making history right before everyone's eyes. His confidence shun brightly, captivating the audience.

Leo glanced at Guang-Hong whose crushed expression returned. He closed his eyes, blocking everything out. If he allowed his nerves to be shaken, he'd only end up getting a worse score. He needed to focus on his message. He wanted to fill this world with thing he liked. He wanted everyone to be happy. He would make it to the Grand Prix and his prayers would reach the world.

His coach walked with him out to the rink once Phichit finished. Leo had to beat a score of either 285.76 or 283.81 in order to stay on the podium. He skated towards his coach when he entered the rink. Instead of her giving him a pep talk, he more or less spoke to himself. "I won Skate America."

"That's right!"

"I ended yesterday's short program in third."

"Well done!"

"Of everyone here, I'm the closest to the Grand Prix Final!"

"That's right!"

With a slight sweat forming on his cheek and the crowd cheering, he skated to the middle of the rink. He had the skill, the motivation, but was that enough? Doubt was written all over his face as he began. The music was elegant, less upbeat than his short program. Perhaps that wasn't the right choice of music. He landed his first jump. He had choreographed his entire routine on his own. He always did. It's what made him stand out from other skaters. He had no clue where he would be if he hadn't found his love for music.

Love…

An image of Guang-Hong flashed in his head. His eyes widened. Out of everyone there was in the world, out of everyone who he wanted his prayers to reach, Guang-Hong had somehow become the primary person to him. Guang-Hong who he'd known since their junior skating days. Who Leo would always share things with. Who would Skype him at unnatural hours just to tell him that he landed a new jump. Who he would visit in Canada every other summer if they couldn't see each other at competitions. Without realizing it, Leo had fallen in love with Guang-Hong.

This was not the kind of thoughts he should have in the middle of a program. He shook his head, deciding to pay more attention to his technique. Double toe loop, triple flip jump. The height he took was impressive. From the sound of it, the audience thought so too.

The program came to its end. Leo's expectations shifted from high to low when he reached the kiss and cry. He sat with his coach, awaiting the score. As soon as they came on screen, his heart dropped. 247.21 was the total. Despite everything, he ended in last place and he doubted Yuuri would score lower than that. His path to the Grand Prix was cut off. He felt his coach wrap her arms around him. He did the same, not holding back his disappointment. "You're an artist," She told him, "Your prayer reached the world."

Had it really?

"Yeah," He mumbled, "I'll work hard in the US Nationals." There wasn't much else he could do other than give up, which was never an option.

He trudged back to the waiting area. There Guang-Hong stood with tears in his eyes. "You're right, those judges don't know anything," He said with a small voice. Leo instinctively opened his arms as a sign that he needed comfort. He didn't think Guang-Hong would actually do anything considering their cultural differences with affection, but was surprised when the teen practically dove into his chest. He wrapped his arms around his smaller frame.

There was a clicking of cameras. Both seemed to forget there was still press here. Guang-Hong sniffled but didn't pull away from Leo who only tightened his grip. The cameras left once there were gasps from everyone in the audience.

Apparently, Viktor kissed Yuuri on international TV.

Once the winners were announced, Phichit called for a celebration. Being the good friends they were, Guang-Hong and Leo went with him and the others to a restaurant. They all sat around the table together. Due to his age, Guang-Hong wasn't allowed to drink alcohol and Leo opted out on it so the teen wouldn't feel left out. Celestino lift his drink up, "To our three medalists! And to Leo and Guang-Hong. We hope to see you both at the Four Continents next year." Phichit lift his drink as well, "To Yuuri and Viktor for making out on ice!"

"Phichit!" Yuuri shouted. The others laughed, watching Viktor place an arm around Yuuri. Leo blinked, looking at Guang-Hong. He carefully attempted to do the same but froze when Guang-Hong looked back at him. "What are you doing?" He asked. Everyone suddenly became aware of the positon Leo's arm was in. "N-Nothing!" Leo quickly moved his am back. "Ah, young love," Chris sighed dramatically. Both young skaters turned beet red. Phichit grinned, "I ship it."

Guang-Hong kept his eyes glued to the table. Was Leo actually trying to place his arm around him? Sure, they hugged earlier but they were both emotional then. They weren't a couple like Viktor and Yuuri. The idea sounded nice though. Getting to hold Leo's hand and cuddle up to him and k-ki-

He made a strangled sound. "How cute," Leo's coach laughed. God this was embarrassing. It was nice that he was around accepting people but this was becoming too much. Leo didn't seem to be in a better position. The Hispanic was trying to hide his face in his hands. Guang-Hong decided to make a bold move. He grabbed one of Leo's hands, "C-Can I talk to you somewhere else?"

A chorus of 'oohs' was given. Leo stared at him, nodding quickly. He pulled the American to a more secluded spot of the area. The words were right in his mouth. He could've blurted them out. Instead what came out was, "I'm quitting social media!"

That…wasn't what Leo was expecting. He raised a brow, "Wh-What?"

"I-I want to focus more on training s-so I don't want any distractions. But I still want to talk to you! So we can still Skype or use Kik or anything really. I know you have my number but the phone bills would be crazy. Plus I wouldn't want to bother you."

Leo smiled when he noticed Guang-Hong continue to ramble. He must be so nervous. "Okay. Well, since you're quitting it, can I get one more picture with you? That way I can say I had the last picture with you uploaded to Instagram," He already pulled out his phone. Guang-Hong agreed before standing closer to him. Leo mustered up the courage to place his arm around him as he angled the camera. He noticed both of them were blushing. Maybe Guang-Hong's heart was jumping as much as his own was. They smiled, hearing the camera go off. Once it was done, Leo kept his arm where it was.

He and Guang-Hong stared into each other's for the second time that day. Leo slowly moved in closer. He heard Guang-Hong's breath hitch. This was it, he was going to kiss him. In public. It would be their first kiss. Their lips were inches apart when embarrassment hit Leo like a truck. He turned his head slightly, kissing Guang-Hong on the cheek instead.

"OH COME ON!" They heard someone shout. They turned their heads to see the entire group only a meter away, Phichit with his phone out and ready for pictures. "Were you there the whole time?!" Guang-Hong shrieked. His coach nodded, "Pretty much."

"Leave those two alone," Viktor instructed, "They'll find their Agape in time."

The two didn't know what that meant but if it meant building up whatever this was, neither of them minded.