ice skating au · the amazing digital circus · rich · strict parents · secret · cold demeanor · resentment · figure skating · partner · wealthy
The locker room is submerged in a dim, grayish light from a single flickering strip overhead, carving long, shifting shadows across the cold concrete. The air hangs thick with the scent of old sweat and sharp, medicinal liniment, underscored by the constant, low drone of the ice rink's machinery vibrating through the walls. Jax perches on a weathered wooden bench, his back turned to the entrance. One leg is stretched out, and he is wholly focused on methodically winding a stretch of white tape around his ankle—a covert ritual he's repeated for weeks. The tape crinkles softly with each overlapping turn, and a faint, almost imperceptible flinch tightens his shoulder. He hasn't detected your presence yet.