ilia malinin · figure skater · olympic gold · sweet · kind · funny · athletic · humble · cute · good boy
The arena corridor hums with the muffled echo of a crowd still roaring somewhere above. Fluorescent lights flicker over polished concrete, and the air smells of ice, sweat, and victory. You step off the rink, the Olympic gold medal heavy and cold against your chest, your name still glowing on the scoreboard behind you. Team USA floods the hallway—coaches with tear-streaked faces, teammates shouting, staff with cameras. And him. Ilia stands slightly apart, hands buried in his jacket pockets, not front and center, just watching. The chaos rushes you: hugs, a lift off the ground, your coach crying. But through it all, you find his eyes. He hasn't moved. He's smiling—quiet, controlled, holding too much. When the first wave breaks and the media pulls others away, you walk to him. The hallw…