Biellmann: A move in which the skater holds the blade of the free leg with both hands and pulls it back above the head.

Rosaura took in a deep breath. She didn't know how to act during the dinner. She clearly did not know that Xavier was Brea's brother. Although Brea had mentioned her brother on the night of the party, she did not mention his name specifically and so Rosaura did not know about the connection until now. The first thing Xavier had mentioned were her freckles. She didn't know whether to be embarrassed or flattered that he took such close notice of her.

She felt Brea's kick under the table and she looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Hommes both staring at her curiously.

"I'm sorry, could you please repeat the question?" she asked quite embarrassed by the ordeal.

Mrs. Hommes smiled at her. "I was just asking if you wanted more beans."

Rosaura nodded and extended her plate towards Mrs. Hommes. She hated social gatherings, but Brea insisted that their family, so she would not be bothered through the whole ordeal. Surprisingly, the girl had grown onto Rosaura. Or she had attached herself like a leech not ready to give up. Brea had dragged her a ton of places in the last week alone and they were close to becoming fast friends.

"So, Rosaura, are you starting university soon?" Mr. Hommes asked.

Rosaura made sure to sallow her food before answering. "No sir, I am taking the year off for training."

"Training for what?" he asked in a politely, conventional tone.

It was Brea who answered for her. "She's a figure skater Papa. Rosaura is taking the year off to qualify for the Olympics."

Brea turned to Rosaura with a proud smile on her face. Rosaura didn't want to contradict her, but she wasn't quite a figure skater.

But before she could gather the strength to speak up, Xavier spoke for the first time since dinner began.

"She's not a figure skater Brea. She's an ice dancer. There is a difference." He replied in a soft, gravelly voice.

His voice was far from perfect and it indicated that he had yet to reach the maturity of manhood. He was still somewhere between being a teenager and a man. Brea who didn't like being contradicted tried kicking her brother under the table but instead her foot was ensnared with Rosaura. She bit back a groan and tired not to chock on the food that was currently in her mouth. Brea shot her an apologetic smile.

Switching the subject Mrs. Hommes asked Xavier how his game was.

"It was good." Was the only answer Mrs. Hommes received. 

Rosaura noticed he was a lot like her in that matter. He didn't speak much, at least not in public.

"Xavier plays hockey." Brea clarified for Rosaura, not knowing that the two of them already knew one another.

Rosaura was amused and when she looked up, a similar mocking smile was on Xavier's face. His gaze met Rosaura's and she shivered before looking back down at her food.

The rest of the dinner passed by fairly quickly with Brea's parents questioning her about her life and family. Rosaura answered the questions to the best of the abilities not trying to divulge to much information into her personal life but also not trying to come across as rude. After dinner she thanked both of Brea's parents before stepping outside for a quick minute with Brea.

"You didn't tell me Xavier was your brother!" she whispered angrily.

Brea looked taken back. "Don't tell me the two of you have met before."

Rosaura sighed. "We did meet, I told you that I'm using the London Knight's practice facility, didn't I?"

Brea shrugged her shoulder, "I wouldn't have guessed. Xavier's usually a private person, he doesn't introduce himself much."

Rosaura snorted but didn't go into the detail that he had been watching her and Val practice for almost two weeks now. Brea also didn't need to know that she occasionally watched Xavier-The London Knights practice as well.

"Do you have to go home so early?" Brea asked with a slight pout.

"Yes, I'm meeting with my partner early in the morning." Rosaura reminded her.

"Fine, but how are you getting home?"

Rosaura shrugged her shoulders. "I'll call an Uber."

Before Rosaura could pick up her phone, Brea had slapped it away. "Never mind that, Xavier will drive you home. He has practice tomorrow, so he wasn't planning on staying over."

Rosaura didn't have anytime to protest before Brea opened the front door and yelled for Xavier. He came minutes later, and she explained the situation.

"That's fine, I'll drop her off." Xavier said twirling the keys in his hands.

Brea nodded with a smug smile before pulling Rosaura in for a close hug. "Call me soon."

Rosaura returned the hug before trailing after Xavier to where his truck was parked. He opened the door for her and she hopped into the vehicle muttering a small thank you. He simply nodded before making his way to the driver's seat. The first five minutes of the card ride were extremely unbearably as neither of them spoke.

Perhaps understanding that Rosaura would not say anything, Xavier turned towards the radio in order to fill the silence. A hockey game began blasting through the radio. Rosaura didn't say anything, but she continued listening to the game. She wasn't a big fan of hockey, but occasionally, Val would take her to a couple of games in Europe where they had been training for the last couple of years. She knew the basic rules, but nothing more advance then that. The true hockey fan was Val-he had wanted to play in the NHL prior to taking up ice dancing.

"Do you always surround yourself with hockey?" Rosaura blurted out, tired of having the hockey game fill the silence.

Xavier looked surprised by her question and he toned down the radio before replying. "Most of the time yes. I like watching the games, so I can visualize my goal and where I want to be. It's a passion of mine, and I enjoy hockey-whether I am watching it or playing it."

"That's weird," Rosaura said softly.

Xavier looked up at her before laughing, "how come?"

"I mean, I love ice dancing, but I never really skate for fun. Sure, me and Val do a couple of laps around the rink for fun but every time I'm on the ice, I feel competitive." Rosaura replied earnestly. It was true, she had never taken any of her school friends ice skating because she didn't want to overshadow them.

Xavier bit the corner of his lip and Rosaura couldn't help herself. "You shouldn't do that, you'll draw blood."

"What?" He replied, evidently confused.

"Bite your lip."

"Yeah, it's a bad habit of mine. But going back to your point, I do see what you mean. I try to be as competitive as I can, obviously I want to win the Stanley Cup with a team but hockey's different. I can't really compete with my teammates. I need to trust them in order to win the game." Xavier explained.

Rosaura looked outside at the night sky. It was usually clear for an late October night but looking at the stars always made her remember her own goals. "For Val and I, it takes a lot of trust between us as well. We need to make sure that we are in unison. Especially since our marks are together and in a way, we can only achieve our dreams together."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a solo figure skater?"

Rosaura shook her head. "There is a magic, a story that is woven through ice dancing. It's evident in singles figure skating but not as strongly as it is in ice dancing. That is where the chemistry and emotions of the partners come into play. Everyone plays a role but with ice dancing, you and your partner need to make the audience believe. It's a different feeling and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I can definitely see the magic in what you guys do." Xavier said softly.

Rosaura warmed a little at the praise. It was surprisingly nice to talk to Xavier. He, like her had a goal, something to achieve. Many people didn't understand what drove her and Val, and it was hard to explain that ice dancing was her life. Rosaura couldn't help by tease him, "Don't think I haven't noticed you watching our practices."

To her utter surprise, she saw Xavier's tan skin deepen. He ran a figure through his wavy hair. "I like watching you both skate. It's soothing after a long practice."

Rosaura wanted to say more on the topic, but she could see his fingers tightening on the steering wheel and, so she dropped the subject. "Dreams, they are so difficult to achieve, aren't they?" She said it more to herself, but Xavier heard her as well.

"They are but it is also satisfying when you reach them and show the world you did it."

Rosaura laughed softly. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, but it was a comfortable silence, only broken by Rosaura giving him directions to her apartment. 

When they arrived at her apartment, she got off and thanked him for the ride. He offered to walk her up to her door, but she refused. "You've done enough Mr. Hotshot, its time for you to go to bed. I'm sure you have practice in the morning."

"Yeah, I do, but it won't take long." He countered, but Rosaura wasn't having it.

"Goodnight Xavier," she said softly before entering the building.

"Night Rose," he said in an equal soft voice.

When Rosaura looked back, he was still standing there, watching her as she made her way into the elevator. She gave him another wave, before smiling softly to herself. Xavier was a pleasant surprise she had not expected this evening, but boy was she glad for him.

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Finally the two main characters have a proper conversation! Please vote and comment if you enjoyed the story it helps me to keep going. In other news, the Winter Olympics have begun! Do you watch any specific events? Comment down below!