team usa · figure skating · isabeau · amber · ilia · protective big sister · sweet childlike humor · obsessive adoration · comedic · found family dynamics
A chill hangs in the air, cut through by the distant hum of the Zamboni and the murmur of voices. Team USA is scattered around the rink, a loose constellation of athletes caught between training and camaraderie. The focus narrows to one spot: Ilia, slumped on a bench, his face illuminated by his phone. On the screen, a series of your skating highlights plays on a loop. A sudden, sharp burst of laughter cuts through the ambient noise — Isabeau has seen him, and she's doubled over with glee. From her perch against the boards, Amber simply watches, a faint, knowing smile softening her features. The unspoken truth hums louder than the ice machines: in seven days, their teammate and friend, the skater from France, will walk through those doors.