:-x-:
RECRUITMENT
:-x-:
"No."
"I wouldn't have suggested this if I didn't think it good for you."
John scoffs. "How is making me a laughing-stock good?"
Conrade cocks his head. "Interesting. So your biggest concern is that you will be bad at it."
"The last thing I need is a video going viral of me in sequined spandex face-planting the ice."
"At least it might distract from those videos of you in that bar fight."
John snarls. "This is a PR stunt."
"Obviously. I am your agent."
"I hate PR stunts."
"You're an actor, John."
He glares at Conrade. The other man is infuriatingly blasé.
"Look, I wouldn't be suggesting this if I didn't think it was necessary. Your career is at risk.
"Because I punched one asshole?"
"There was also that scuffle with the paparazzi a few months back."
"Okay, two assholes. What does it matter?"
"You're a villain on Verona Beach. The public doesn't want you to be one in real life." He pauses and John knows what is coming next. "Your brother's following soared after he won Strictly."
John bares his teeth. "Don't."
"This is your chance to prove you're as good as him."
"A celebrity ice skating competition?"
Conrade raises his glass. "Think about it."
:-x-:
John makes the mistake of mentioning it to his mother. He is not sure how he made such a critical error but suddenly she is squealing.
"I love Dancing On Ice! My son's going to be a competitor, I can't believe it! Wait until I tell the girls. We'll all buy tickets to see you!"
"Ma — Ma — I'm not—"
But she isn't listening, gushing on about how wonderful it is going to be. "Just think, my son on the telly!"
"I am on telly!"
"Oh my god! You're going to meet Torvill and Dean! Do you think you could get me their autographs?"
John slumps against the kitchen counter and takes a long swig of beer.
He calls Conrade the next day.
"I hate you."
"I'll tell them you'll do it."
:-x-:
BOOT CAMP / PRE-SHOW
:-x-:
John regrets caving as soon as he receives the confirmation email, listing out the show's details and asking him to sign a waiver. He regrets it when he arrives at the ice rink for his first training session and has to lace on a pair of skates. He regrets it when he steps onto the ice for the first time since he was a child and skates on unsteady footing over to Olympic legends, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
The two gold-medalists are reassuring, patiently giving him a crash course on ice dancing and coaching him through some basic moves before leading onto the more advanced stuff. He stumbles through the moves and falls twice, bitterly aware of the cameras filming him. Torvill and Dean promise he is far from the worst they have seen but it doesn't stop John chafing with humiliation.
"You need to build your confidence. Once you have that, I've a feeling you'll be unstoppable," Dean remarks to him at the end of their session.
John thanks them both and leaves the rink, his ego the worst for the bruising. All he can think is what the Hell has he let himself in for?
:-x-:
He meets his fellow contestants at group training. Most of them he recognises from other television shows though none he is on speaking terms with. He hovers at the fringes of their group, the others all excitedly chatting, until Bo Rachio, a recently retired rugby player, strikes up a conversation with him.
"So who out of the lot of us do you think is gonna win?"
John arches a brow. "How should I know?"
Bo shrugs off his curtness, no doubt used to worse in the locker room. "You look like you're sizing up the competition."
"I don't care about the competition. The sooner I'm out of this circus, the better."
Bo's smile is knowing. "Agent's orders?"
John inclines his head.
"Reckon you're out of luck, mate. A bloke with your physique and pretty face is bound to make it to the final. I'd put money on it. You know, if you weren't my competition."
John grimaces, imagining the months of performance after performance.
"Cheer up. You might have an accident."
There is a squawk and both of them look around in time to see comedian Ben Patterson go crashing into the barrier.
"See what I mean."
John watches as Ben is helped to his feet and wonders if a broken arm is worth escaping whatever horrors await.
:-x-:
John stands on the ice, steadfastly ignoring the cameras directed at him. Today he meets his skating partner, the person he will be spending most of his waking hours with from now until he gets eliminated. He hopes whoever he is saddled with isn't chatty.
He hears the sound of skates hitting the ice and counts the seconds in his head, knowing he isn't supposed to turn until cued.
"John, hi!"
He turns at the voice. His foot skids out and he starts to overbalance, righting himself just in time. That's on camera now.
He stares into the warm smile of the woman before him; dark curls escape a thermal headband and fall around a rose-flushed face. "Oh wow, you're tall. I'm Hero, your professional partner. It's so nice to meet you."
"Um… likewise."
"Are you ready to show me what you can do?"
A challenge twinkles in her gaze and John straightens, feet becoming firmer on the ice. She gets him to show her what he has learned so far. John repeats the moves, concentrating hard on their execution.
Hero claps as he comes out of a spin. "Brilliant! You're a natural."
"Yeah?" He pushes back the hair that has fallen across his forehead.
"Have you done any skating before?"
"A little… when I was a kid, none since."
"You're good for a beginner. Some wobbles but we'll work on that." Her gaze roves over his body and he adjusts his stance. "At the moment you're quite tense, we need to loosen you up, bring some expression to your movements. That shouldn't be too difficult, given your profession."
She winks and skates back into a graceful twirl. The rink lights reflect off the ice, outlining her in a soft glow.
John stares, frozen.
:-x-:
"So tell me about yourself." Hero leans against the row of lockers as he is putting away his skates.
He pauses. He hadn't expected their interaction to continue off the ice, now that their practice is finished and the cameras are pointed at someone else.
He undoes the velcro of his gloves. "Not much to tell."
"Oh, I doubt that."
"Nothing you can't read on Wikipedia."
He turns and finds Hero with her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised in an amused smile. "So your character's ego isn't all acting."
John hides a grimace, scratching his stubble. "You've watched Verona Beach?"
"I have an aunt who'd love your autograph."
He is uncertain if she is teasing. "Um…"
Her gaze softens. "I do have one question that Wikipedia can't answer."
He braces for whatever personal invasion is to come. "What is that?"
She cocks her head, dimples deepening in her cheeks. "How do you take your coffee?"
Oh.
They sit at a table in the ice rink café, his back to the public. He hopes no one recognises him and demands a selfie.
"Why did you sign-up for Dancing On Ice?" Hero asks, hands cradling her mug of coffee that looks to be more cavity than caffeine.
"My agent thought it a good idea."
She looks at him in askance.
He raises his mug. "How long have you been skating?"
"Oh, since I was six."
He considers her; she can't have seen thirty. "You've been doing this a long time then."
"I'm lucky I am able to do what I love for a profession." As she speaks her face lights with a genuine passion. "What about yourself? Is it the same for you and acting?"
He takes a sip of his coffee. "It earns me a decent paycheck."
"Is it fun playing the villain?"
The corner of his mouth twitches. "It suits me."
"You make a good one."
"So you have watched the show."
Hero smiles around a stack of whipped cream. "If you put as much effort into this competition as your Don Morello puts into his revenge, I think you could win it."
A spark shivers through him. "You believe that?"
"With all my heart." Her eyes shine and she grins at him. "You and I are going to be brilliant together."
John's hand throbs unnoticed around the heat of his mug. For the first time since he agreed to this competition, he is thinking about winning.
:-x-:
"My partner is an ice queen," Ben declares. "She didn't laugh once during our practice."
John clutches his disposable cup like a life-preserver, the hour too early for socialising — but this is where the coffee is.
"At least she wasn't laughing when you fell over," Antonio chortles.
Ben huffs. "I only fell once." They look at him. "Fine, twice."
"You may be a worse skater than I am," Antonio smiles, which is saying something given the celebrity chef is the oldest contestant among them, well into his fifties.
Ben grabs a croissant from the stack of pastries. "What about you, what are your partners like?"
"Easy on the ice and easy on the eyes," Bo leers, chuckling at their frowns. "Don't worry, fellas. I won't put my hands anywhere she doesn't tell me to."
Antonio turns his look of disapproval away from Bo, features softening as he answers Ben. "Miranda is a very nice girl, very patient. She may shape me into a decent skater yet. What about your partner, John?"
They look at him expectantly. John stares into his coffee. "She seems… competent."
Ben snorts. "How about we trade partners? I'd take competent over hostile."
"No."
"Are you sure? Beatrice won gold at the Olympics. Plus neither of you have a sense of humour so—"
"There you are!"
"Beatrice!" Ben jumps, turning to a woman with red-gold curls.
The woman glares at him. "Our practice slot has started and you haven't even warmed up yet."
"Ah, I… uh… forgot the time."
Beatrice's brow crinkles, appraising him. "You have crumbs in your beard."
"Oh." Ben brushes the crumbs of his croissant from his beard. "Wait, is there a rule about getting on the ice after eating like with a swimming pool?"
"Only if you think you'll crack it with your extra weight." She grabs his wrist, pulling him in the direction of the rink. "Come on. You need all the practice you can get."
Bo and Antonio snigger as Ben is dragged off. John's mouth twitches behind his cup. He finishes his coffee and tosses it into the recycling bin.
"You off as well?" Antonio asks.
"I have to meet Hero."
"Ben's right about Beatrice being an Olympic medallist," Bo remarks. "Not tempted by a trade?"
John glances over his shoulder. "Not a chance."
:-x-:
He lifts Hero into his arms, her thighs bracketing his waist. He holds on tight to her as she extends one arm aloft, gazing at him with a smile warm with trust.
"Good, you're doing good," she praises him.
The skating instructors call out advice but their voices are a distant buzz in John's ears. His focus is on Hero and the ice gliding beneath his feet. She feels so small, so delicate in his arms. It terrifies him.
"Up for something a little more daring?" Hero asks after he has set her down; there is that twinkle in her eyes again.
He releases a wordless breath.
His teeth press into his cheek, jaw clenching as the instructor lifts Hero into a spin, holding her by her wrist and ankle, her body flying over the ice. Only when her skates return to the ice does he exhale.
She grins, skating towards him, her movements as graceful as always, not a hint of vertigo. "Ready to give it a try yourself?"
His answering laugh is flat.
Her smile grows, clasping his hand. "Come on. I trust you."
"Terrible idea."
She is not dissuaded, insisting she believes in him and John finds himself taking position. He grabs her wrist and ankle, spinning them both until her remaining skate lifts off the ice and she is wholly in the air. His heart batters his eardrums, focused on maintaining his grip, his speed —
His foot slides from under him before he understands what is happening and both him and Hero crash to the ice. Pain slams through him crystallising in one thought, Hero.
"Are you alright?" Hazel-green eyes are turned on him, shining with concern even though their owner is sprawled awkwardly across the ice. "John?"
"Yeah." He grunts. "Are you?"
"Fine." She smiles, but he catches the wince she is not fast enough to conceal as she pushes onto her knees.
He wants the ice to swallow him.
The instructors skate over, helping them to their feet and assessing them for injuries. "Let's move on to something simpler and we can come back to this."
John does not respond, skating off to the side. His hand trembles as he picks up his water bottle.
"Hey." Hero's voice is soft as she appears beside him. "It was a first attempt, those sort of falls are typical. You'll get it."
He doesn't know how she can look at him with such gentleness after what he did and he stares at the ground. "I dropped you."
"It happens."
He shakes his head, raking a hand through his hair. "But it can't. You're trusting me to keep you safe. If I mess up, you get injured. I can't mess up."
"John…" Her hand rests lightly on his arm. Even through the thick layers of his thermal shirt, he feels the pinprick of her fingers. "Even professionals who have been skating for years make mistakes. You started less than a month ago, slips and falls are part of the journey."
He knows this, even if he hates it. He can take a fall, but he can't stand the thought of hurting her.
"You're not reckless, John. You pay attention to the safety briefings. You do as instructed. I trust you." He looks at her, surprised by the sincerity in her gaze. "Trust me when I say I can handle a few falls. I'm not made of glass, alright?"
He swallows and nods, finding it impossible to argue with her.
She smiles and retracts her hand. "Best thing to do is shake this off and get back out there. You ready?"
John sets his water bottle down and follows her back onto the rink.
:-x-:
John hadn't considered himself unfit, in fact he has a contractual obligation to stay in good shape, but the new exercise regime the competition demands of him is brutal. For however many hours he spends on the ice, he has to spend nearly as many at the gym, building his strength, his stamina, his flexibility.
Each night when he arrives home he collapses into his sofa, his dog curled up beside him, shattered from training — and he still has to learn his lines and do his actual job on-top of that.
Each morning when he arrives at the rink Hero greets him with a smile and a steaming cup of coffee — black, as he likes it — held out to him
"Ready for another day?" She asks, fingers brushing his own as she hands him the cup.
The ache fades from his limbs, a new determination exhilarating through his veins. "Bring it on."
:-x-:
"You haven't complained to me for a while," Conrade remarks the next time he calls. "I wondered if you had knocked yourself out on the ice and were in a coma."
"Your concern is touching," John snipes. "I've been busy training for this competition you forced me into."
"Hm. And what's your partner like?"
"She's… a good skater."
"Good," is all Conrade says. "Try not to injure yourself."
Then he hangs up. The ass.
:-x-:
"What do you do when you're not teaching celebrity chumps like me how to skate?" John asks Hero as they lounge in the plastic seats of the stands, watching the other couples skate, their own rehearsals finished.
"I perform in shows. I'm in Cinderella On Ice at the moment."
His eyebrows shoot up. "You're in a show at the moment while doing all this training?"
She shrugs as if it is nothing. "You're still working yourself and it's the season. Don't worry, once Christmas is over, I'll take a break to fully focus on you and the competition."
He wants to tell her that the competition doesn't matter to him more than her well-being, to check she is not wearing herself out. He wants to say how incredible he thinks she is. Instead he hears himself ask "Would you like to get a drink sometime—"
"Hey."
A brunet man joins them in the stands, leaning down to kiss Hero on the cheek.
"Claudio!" She stands, smiling, his arm wrapping around her waist – and John feels a constriction in his chest. "I want you to meet my partner, John.
Claudio chuckles. "So you're the guy my girlfriend is spending all her time with. Got to say, I was hoping you'd be worse looking."
"Oh don't get jealous," Hero chides teasingly. "I never made a peep when you were paired with Bianca Minola last year."
Claudio's eyes flicker to her then back to John. He extends his hand. "Put it here."
John regards him, not liking his smile. Still he takes Claudio's hand. The other man's grip is crushing but John is no stranger to alpha male wannabes. He digs his fingers into bone, his grasp turning to iron.
Claudio's smile wavers.
John releases him. "You're a professional skater too?"
"Yeah." Claudio drops his hand, tugging Hero closer. "We've both been skating in this contest for a few years now."
"Where's Lady?" Hero asks him, which must mean Claudio's celebrity partner is Adelaide "Lady" Macbeth, the actress and TV presenter.
"We're meeting for rehearsals in fifteen. How is your own routine going?"
"We've almost perfected it. John's a quick study." Hero flashes her smile in his direction. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's lifting the trophy at the end of the series."
Claudio huffs a laugh. "You said the same about that geriatric you were skating with last year."
"Don't be rude." Hero pokes him in the chest. "Verges was sweet."
"Whatever. I'm going to warm-up."
He takes Hero's face between his hands, planting a confident kiss on her mouth. John glances away.
"See you later, babe. Good luck, pal," he tosses to John as he swaggers out of the stands.
Hero tucks a curl back behind her ear. "Sorry about that. What were we discussing?"
"Nothing." John swings his bag over his shoulder. "If we're done for the day, I should go. My dog needs walking."
"Oh, I didn't know you had a dog, what breed are they?"
John hesitates. "He's a Doberman… his name is Titus."
"How lovely. I hope I get to meet him one day." Her smile is a radiant, a fleeting ray of summer in this realm of winter.
"One day, perhaps. He'd love you." Her smile brightens impossibly so. "See you."
He hurries down the stairs before she can call after him, his vision stained in colours.
:-x-:
Make-up and wardrobe is an ordeal John is used to getting through. At least the stylists on Verona Beach know he doesn't do small talk. The Dancing On Ice stylist is unfortunately a fan of the show and talks him through every twist and turn in the soap's history, interrogating him over decisions made before he was even on the show as she applies blusher to his face.
The outfit that Wardrobe have picked out for his photoshoot is not as spangled as he feared. They dress him in a shimmering shirt of midnight blue and smart black trousers. He arrives on the photo set before his time, getting to watch as Ben and Beatrice squabble over where the former's hands should go while the photographer pleads with them to smile at each other.
"Beatrice and Ben look to be having a good time," comes a familiar giggle.
John turns and something stills inside him. Hero smiles up at him, her hair falling around her bare shoulders in glossy ringlets. He is used to seeing her in thermal long-sleeves tops and leggings that hug her curves in way he tries not to think about, but now in an ice blue frock, adorned in sequins of swirling snow, she looks like a fairy from somebody's Christmas tree, an angel who has lost her wings.
He swallows. "You look…"
"JOHN! YOU'RE UP!"
His teeth scrape together and he stalks over to the backdrop, filling the space that Ben and Beatrice have vacated.
"Can you give us a smile?" The photographer asks. John's scowl deepens. "Try to… uh… look as if you're enjoying yourself."
"Give us that signature Don Morello smirk," Hero calls, twinkling under the studio lights. She crosses her arms, contorting her features into an expression that John can only assume is meant to mimic his character.
A snort escapes him, his grin snaking out. The camera flashes.
"Excellent!" The photographer exclaims. "More like that. Now turn to the left. A little more. Yes! Perfect!"
As the camera clicks, John keeps his gaze on Hero, who beams at him.
"Alright, now for the couple shots." Hero crosses to his side. The photographer keeps shouting instructions. "Get closer. John, put your arm around her." John does as he is told, arm wrapping around Hero's waist, her hands grasping his shoulders. "Good, now dip her. Smile at each other, then the camera."
John's pulse races, cradling Hero's waist as he dips her. He gazes into her face, only forcing himself to look at the camera when ordered. They have to stay in that pose for several minutes before the photographer has them switch it up.
"Hero, lean into him more. John, grab her leg. Higher!"
They have been in similar poses when skating, but this feels different. On the ice, they are in constant motion with thick layers of clothing between them. John is too busy concentrating on the routine and performing each lift safely to think about Hero's heat against him. Now though he is all too aware of her soft curves melding around him, her creamy bare skin under his hands. Her chest heaves against his thundering heart, his blood on fire as her quiet breaths tickle his throat. He stares into the gold-green light of her gaze and prays she cannot read his thoughts in his face. God, what is wrong with him? He is an actor for Christ's sake!
"Perfect! All done!" The photographer calls at last.
John's hands retract from Hero, untangling their bodies. They shuffle from the set, Bo and Margaret taking their places.
"The internet is going to go wild with those photos of you," Hero says, fidgeting with the thin strap of her dress.
John rips his gaze away from the wonders the bodice does to her cleavage. "Don't remind me."
She pauses out in the hall, turning to him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He shakes his head, keeps walking. "Nevermind."
"Something is bothering you. What is it? Oh, is it the costume? Is it too tight? Because if it's riding up then the seamstresses can—"
"No," he cuts her off. "No, it's not – the costume's fine it's just — not me. None of this is — the skating, the costumes, the — the whole thing — it's not — it's not me."
Her nose wrinkles. "What do you mean?"
"I—" His tongue recoils from the words as if he already knows it is the wrong thing to say yet still they come, " —I have a reputation."
She gives a flat laugh. "Don't tell me John Aragon is too cool for the ice?"
She mimes quotation marks around cool and John's skin prickles, feeling as if a scouring brush has been taken to him, still hot from where he held her. "Look. I don't relish being made a joke is all. I'm only here because my agent insisted."
Hero leans back. "I didn't realise we were keeping you against your will."
Intuition warns him to choose his next words carefully but he can't seem to shut his goddamn mouth. "It's not a criticism against you—"
"Just my profession, my life. You think you're above us, is that it?"
John hesitates.
Her expression shutters. "I guess you have more in common with your character than I thought."
John racks his brain for a response, torn between wanting her approval and the instinct to bite back. However, before he can form a retort she has turned her back, flouncing down the hall.
John swears and stalks in the opposite direction. Halfway to the exit, he realises he is still in his outfit from the photoshoot and has to double-back to Wardrobe to collect his real clothes. His tension must show because no one tries to talk to him. He leaves the centre without seeing Hero again. The jagged edge inside him sharpens, his knuckles throbbing the whole way home.
Inside he throws his keys and jacket down then sinks to the floor. Titus plods over to him, dropping his head into his lap.
John ruffles his fur. "I screwed up."
Titus whines and licks his hand. John sighs, burying his face in the Doberman's flank. Dogs are far simpler than people.
:-x-:
John doesn't remember having ever attended a show on ice before. A few months ago he was indifferent to ice skating, now it consumes his life — at least one skater in particular.
He watches from the audience, hoodie pulled over his head, as mice and lizards twirl around a pumpkin carriage, Cinderella inside. John's attention is fixed on the fairy godmother. Even in the sparkling swathes of her costume and lilac wig he recognised Hero as soon as she glided onto the ice. The grace of her movements so familiar to him, as fluid as moonlight over water. Everything about how she moves is enchanting. He does not get to appreciate the full extent of her skill when he is skating next to her, but watching her over the ice he is entranced.
After the show, John waits outside in the Winter Wonderland's Bavarian Village. He keeps his head down, hunched over his phone, ignoring the twitch in his fingers and the clamor of voices that surround him. He is conscious of each passing minute, calculating again how long it will take for her to change out of her costume, to receive his gift, to decide if she will leave him waiting. Maybe he should give it another ten minutes.
Someone brushes against him, filling the seat he occupies. He stiffens, a snarled response rising on his tongue. It dies as he looks into hazel-green eyes; a half-smile threads across Hero's lips and all the things John planned to say go out of his head.
"You came to see my show," she says in a voice too soft for their surroundings but he still hears it over the hooraw of the crowd and the blare of Christmas music. In her arms she hugs the bouquet of white roses he had sent backstage with his note telling her he was sorry for acting like an asshole and that he would be here waiting for her if she wanted to hear it from him directly.
"I'm sorry." The words have been wedged in his throat since she walked away from him and he chokes them out. "I was a condescending prick. Ice skating requires incredible skill and this competition is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm grateful to have you as my partner."
Hero's smile softens, blooming like a rose. She clasps his hands in hers. "I'll forgive you. On one condition."
He tenses, palm itching between her fingers. "What's that?"
"Promise me you will have fun, no matter what this competition brings. Forget the judges, forget the audience. Just get out on the ice and enjoy yourself."
His mouth tugs. "As if it's that simple."
"It is," Hero insists. "If you allow it to be."
Something in her gaze makes him pause and consider. "Alright. I will."
She beams, withdrawing her hands and John has to clamp his own between his knees to keep from reaching after her. "Brilliant, we start tonight!"
"Heh, what?"
She motions to the park around them. "Having fun! We're at Winter Wonderland, let's enjoy ourselves."
He shakes his head, a disbelieving chuckle escaping him. "Alright, but you have to let me buy you a drink."
She giggles. "Deal."
John orders Hero a boozy hot chocolate and watches with rapt disgust as she uses the churros he ordered to scoop up the mounds of sprinkles and cream. He considers asking where her boyfriend is tonight but suppresses the question. After finishing their drinks and food, they stroll on through the park. Illuminated against the night, the market stalls with their painted plastic facades, adornment of fake snow, and twinkling light almost resemble the magical wonderland they are pretending to be.
Having fun seems to be Hero's motto of the night. She tugs on his hand, leading him with child-like enthusiasm around the various fairground rides and games. John hides his smirk behind a neutral visage, savouring her delight and the ease he feels being with her.
"John! Look!"
He follows her gaze to the outdoor ice rink where people are skating.
She grins at him, eyes shining, her nose and cheeks reddened from the cold. "Shall we?"
They pay the fee and lace on the skates that the rink managers hand-out. Hero leaves her bouquet with them to watch then skates out onto the ice with John. Completing laps around the rink with the rest of the public allows John to appreciate how much his own skill has improved, noticing the differences in their stances and how they place their feet.
Hero regards him with a grin. "I'm looking forward to the competition. You're going to blow everyone away."
Panic clenches in his chest, skates swerving for a second before he re-balances. "I… I have an excellent partner."
She takes his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. "We're both lucky in that sense."
He looks into her smiling face and knows though he remains standing, his heart has skidded out from under him and it is only a matter of time before the rest of his body hits the ice.
:-x-:
John does not manage to avoid his half-brother over the festive period. Pedro has always been persistent when there is something he wants and there is little he wants more than to irritiate John.
"Johnny! You're going to be on Dancing On Ice!" Pedro exclaims upon cornering him at a Verona Beach cast party — he isn't even part of the show. "You didn't tell me."
"That's because I make an effort to avoid you," John retorts. "What are you doing here?"
Pedro claps his hand on his shoulder. "You have to get me a ticket. I need to see this."
"Not a chance in Hell."
"Are you nervous, Johnny? Don't worry, I'm going to impart to you all my tips from winning Strictly…"
John grabs two glasses of prosecco and downs them both.
:-x-:
WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTIONS
:-x-:
John's reaction to the news that he will be among the six contestants skating in the first week is mixed. On the one hand, he gets the first performance over with sooner rather than later, with another two weeks before his next routine (assuming he makes it through). On the other, suddenly everything is a lot more real; in a week's time he is going to be skating in front of a live audience, the footage broadcast across the nation.
"This is good," Hero assures him, her hand resting on his arm. "The audience is going to fall in love with you."
As long as he doesn't fall. He slips more than once during practice, missing his timing and messing up the steps.
Hero helps him to his feet each time, her smile never wavering. "It's alright. You're getting all the nerves out now and then on the night you'll nail it. I know you will."
He hadn't been nervous about the competition before. In his mind the last few months have been a rehearsal. He is used to performing for the camera; only now is it hitting him that there are no retakes on a live show. If he makes a mistake, if he falls on his face, he does so in front of the world.
:-x-:
"John is an incredible skater." Hero tells the camera during their backstage interview. "I'm so pleased to have been paired with him. He is a wonderful person to work with and I believe he has the potential to go all the way to the final."
"I couldn't have done this without Hero," John admits, finding it easier to talk about his partner instead of himself — and difficult in a whole other way. "She inspires me to be better than I am."
"Aw." Hero leans her head on his shoulder.
He inhales a deep breath and looks unblinking towards the camera. "Whatever happens, this has been an unforgettable experience."
:-x-:
His heartbeat marks each passing second as the start of the competition draws near. Dress rehearsals went fine earlier and soon the audience will be let into the arena. Hero is telling him about a summer she spent travelling around Sicily. He knows she is doing it to distract him but he allows himself to be lulled by the lilt of her voice.
A member of staff pokes their head around the door. "John, your guest is here."
He stands as his mother enters the room, throwing out her arms to hug him. "John!"
He doesn't hesitate to return the hug, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her shampoo.
"I'm so excited to see you skate for the first time," his mum gushes. "Is this your costume?"
"Just for the opening sequence." John looks to Hero, who is hovering at the edge of the room, watching them with a smile. "I'd like you to meet my professional partner, Hero."
"Oh, you are gorgeous!" His mum exclaims as she sets eyes on Hero.
This prompts a giggle from Hero who moves to join them. "It's lovely to meet you."
"You too." His mum grins and John regrets this introduction. "No wonder John has taken to this competition so fast."
"Ma."
His mother ignores him, her innocent smile at odds with the sparkle in her eyes. "Is your boyfriend a skater too?"
"He is actually."
"Oh." Her smile remains but John knows his mum too well to miss the flicker of disappointment. This is getting dangerous.
"He is partnered with Lady Macbeth, but they're not skating tonight," Hero adds.
His mum's eyes light up. "Lady Macbeth is here? Do you think I could meet her?"
"Absolutely, I'll introduce you." Hero walks with her to the door.
His mum beams back at her. "What an angel you are. I wish my son would date a nice girl like you."
John covers his face with his hand, not daring to see what Hero's reaction is. Whatever happens on the ice tonight, it can't be worse than this conversation
Before she leaves to take her seat in the audience, his mum gives him a hug. "I'm proud of you, darling. Good luck out there. I know you will be wonderful."
Watching her walk away, John feels like a little kid who has been left on his first day of school. In a blink he is standing with the other competitors, waiting while the professionals open the show with the first routine of the series. At the back of his mind, he is conscious of Ben babbling more than usual as his own fingers sink into his palms.
On cue they skate out into the rink for the initial line-up. In an instant Hero is there beside him, her arm around him like a life-preserver on violent waves. He can see little of the audience, just a sea of faceless shadows staring at him. The cameras follow him with their unblinking eyes. The studio lights are hot on his skin, the cold of the ice penetrating the flimsy layers of his clothing.
Backstage he breathes again, changing out of the costume for the opening sequence and into his outfit for his first routine. He wears a gauzy crimson shirt over a matching vest and tight black trousers embroidered with ruby sequins to resemble flames. On his hands he sports red leather fingerless gloves.
Hero's colour scheme matches his own, scarlet flames licking into midnight black. Her dress plunges at the neck, a vee of flesh-coloured fabric snaking down to her torso. Her lips are painted blood red, her eyes ringed in smoke, hair piled in a mohawk. She looks like vengeance incarnate, beautiful in a whole new way and too distracting for his own good.
John is scheduled for the third skate. He waits in the backstage tunnel for his cue. The cheers of the audience and the commentary from the hosts rebound through to him.
"If you frown any harder, you're going to pull a muscle." Hero's hand curls over his shoulder, smoothing down his arm. "Remember what you promised me."
"What if… I make an idiot out of myself?"
"You won't." Her fingers lace through his. "Even if you fall, I know you'll get back up again and give a great performance. You're too stubborn for anything less."
He stares at her, trying to absorb some of her confidence.
She squeezes his hand. "Let's have fun tonight, okay?"
"Okay."
Their cue is signalled and they skate through the tunnel into the rink as the continuity announcer sounds through the speakers, "John's character in Verona Beach is known for his cold and cutting attitude, but how will he fare upon the ice?"
They take their positions. Billie Eilish's bad guy begins to play.
:-x-:
Hero throws her arms around John as soon as they are backstage and out of sight of the cameras. "You did it! You were brilliant. I knew you would be!"
He cracks a laugh, struggling to believe he has just skated in front of a live audience and received a string of 5.5 and 6's from the judges. Even the Airplane lift he managed without disaster.
The other competitors surprise him with their cheers. Bo and Antonio clap him on the back while Ben thrusts a flute of champagne into his hands.
"Congratulations, it's over. Enjoy the canapés!"
A chuckle tumbles out of John and he has to wonder if he slipped and cracked his head on the ice. He realises he wants to stay in this competition, to keep skating and be here with — the others.
His gaze finds Hero's across the room, Claudio's arm is slung around her. She notices him looking and smiles back.
He downs the champagne and grabs a handful of canapés. He has barely eaten today, lacking the stomach. Suddenly he is ravenous.
"That's the spirit!" Ben raises a toast.
Beatrice snatches the flute from his hand. "No more of that. You have practice first thing tomorrow."
"Oh come on, my dear Lady Disdain! Tonight is a celebration!"
Beatrice is the immovable object to Ben's unstoppable force. "Not for you. Your debut is next week."
"Exactly. We have a whole week to rehearse, let me enjoy tonight."
"Ha, with the way you're carrying on it'll take a week to recover from the hangover."
"Well you can't expect me to deal with you sober."
John leaves them to it.
