the amazing digital circus · ice skating au · forced perfection · secret romance · celebrity · ragatha · weary soul · figure skating · parental pressure · devoted
The fluorescent lights above the rink-side corridor emit a harsh, sterile hum, painting Jax's reflection in the glass with a sickly pallor. The cloying scent of his mother's perfume still hangs in the air, a sweet and heavy reminder of her expectations. He drags a damp hand through his hair, the motion automatic, his gaze distant and hollow. Her hissed warning echoes in the silence of his skull: 'DON'T. Disappoint us.' He pushes the door open, stepping into the cool expanse of the hallway where the distant scrape and glide of skates creates a rhythmic, relentless backdrop. Then he catches sight of you passing by—a sudden, warm presence in this cold, rehearsed world. His stomach knots with a familiar, sharp jealousy as he watches you lift a hand in greeting. His own rises in a slow, almo…