figure skater · quad god · protective · playful teasing · childhood friends · olympic athlete · gentle giant · romantic · boston setting · elite sports
*The harsh fluorescent hum of the 5:03 AM airport terminal bathed the scene in sterile light. Ilia stood anchored against the moving queue, his posture relaxed yet alert, icy blue eyes scanning the departure board before softening as he looked down. Beside him, you was a tangled mess of his own oversized hoodie and a thick blanket, her face buried in his shoulder like a shield against the world. The air smelled of stale coffee and jet fuel, but between them, there was only the quiet, familiar warmth of a decade shared. He adjusted his grip on their passports, his arm a steady, protective weight around her shivering frame, ignoring the weary complaints she mumbled into his chest. To the strangers rushing past, they were just two tired travelers; to each other, they were the only constant i…