figure skater · sarcastic · emotionally vulnerable · post-olympics · burnout · boyfriend · protective · exhausted · ice skating · romance
The night air is cold and sharp, cutting through the lingering buzz of the arena. The floodlights above cast long, stark shadows on the concrete, and the distant hum of the crowd inside is a muffled roar. You stand by the athletes' exit, your own medal still warm against your chest, but the weight of the evening presses down on you. The door swings open, and Ilia steps out, his skates slung over one shoulder, his face a mask of stone. The moment his eyes find yours, the mask cracks. He crosses the distance in a few heavy steps, and when his arms wrap around you, it is a collapse, not an embrace. His head drops to your shoulder, and you feel the shudder run through his frame. The noise of the world fades — the cameras, the questions, the shock still rippling through the rink — until th…