luxyue

[luxyue]

what if i let you guys request headcanons/oneshots.....

(who wants more figure skater xiao 😚)

[luxyue]

knife boots — part vi.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ lutz ❞ a toe jump, taking off from a backward outside edge, and landing on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.

vi. through his lens

[2 YEARS AGO: GRAND PRIX FINAL, WOMEN’S FREE SKATE]

SCORES AFTER WOMEN’S SHORT PROGRAM:

Y/N (SNE) | 81.35

SHENHE (LIY) | 73.25

AYAKA (INA) | 70.59

EULA (MON) | 67.59

GANYU (LIY) | 66.72

FURINA (FON) | 64.78

...

Xiao’s gaze floated around the arena. Xianyun and Zhongli sat at the kiss-and-cry with Shenhe, awaiting her scores. The next and final skater entered the ice, starting her warm-up.

A quick look at the short program standings told him that Shenhe had a nice margin between herself and the skater in third place after her skate yesterday. As expected of Zhongli and Xianyun’s student. After her clean free skate, she could definitely stay ahead. But there was still one skater left in this event, and her eight-point lead from the short program could easily put her in first place, even with a few minor mistakes.

Speaking of which, the final skater was still warming up with some swizzles and crossovers. She certainly didn’t look special. Anything but that, really. Xiao could spot the tremble in her knees even from his spot at the very top of the stands. She looked nervous and unsure of herself, but he supposed that was to be expected. It was her first Grand Prix Final, after all. But even he knew that she had to have an impressive set of jumps in her arsenal.

Xiao had heard of the girl that landed a triple axel during the women’s short program yesterday. It was impossible not to, considering it was the hottest topic among all the skaters at his hotel. In fact, he couldn’t stop hearing about it. First, during breakfast, from a few of the Mondstadter junior skaters that had finished their events already and were sticking around to watch the seniors compete. Then again, during lunch, from two Inazuman coaches discussing the best performances of the day. Apparently, they had actually coached the girl herself before. At dinner, the triple axel girl was mentioned yet again, this time by his own teammates. Shenhe had come in second after the short program yesterday, but she was still eight points behind the girl who was in first. With no triple axel or quads, she was steadily coming to terms with the fact she probably would not be taking home the title of GPF Champion.

This better be good, thought Xiao, considering that he couldn’t go a single meal without overhearing discussions about this girl. There were even talks that she would attempt a quad lutz in the free skate.

“And the scores, please, for Shenhe of Liyue. Her free skate score is 132.11, making her total score 215.76. She is currently in first place!”

Not bad, he thought. But would it be enough?

“Representing Snezhnaya, please welcome Y/N L/N!”

Xiao turned his attention back to the ice. Y/N circled back around and presented towards the judges. She then hit her starting pose, one foot behind the other, her toepick pressed into the ice while her arms were gracefully flexed behind her back.

He watched as Y/N’s demeanor changed with the flick of a switch. As her music began to play, any hint of her anxiety seemed to melt away as she began her program, setting the atmosphere for what was to come.

Just from her first crossovers, he could tell she was good. Sure, Snezhnayan skaters were always praised for being some of the best of the best. But her? She gained speed almost immediately, naturally covering all of the ice with her movements. Not only that, her edge quality was simply divine.

Xiao followed her movements as she prepared for her first jump. As she did a three-turn across the shorter end of the ice, bending her knees softly before launching into the air with no trouble at all, Xiao knew at once that she would land that triple salchow.

But she didn’t.

It wasn’t a triple, after all—she landed a quad. A quad salchow. If Xiao remembered correctly, that jump had only been landed a limited amount of times within the last decade or so.

She’s…..incredible.

Xiao never watches competitions, especially not the night before his own. But this? He’s secretly thanking the archons that Zhongli forced him out of his hotel room to support his teammates.

He watches her breeze through her triple jumps and combinations with ease, and her spins looked pretty solid. Although he had a few things to say about her toe jump technique, her edge jumps were nothing short of beautiful.

Entering the second half of the program, he figured most of the difficult elements were finished, unless she was going to attempt another triple axel. He watched as she turned backwards and skated towards a corner of the ice, ready to launch into a lutz.

Quad lutz. Apparently the rumors were right, and Xiao was wrong.

Skaters receive a ten-percent bonus for elements completed in the second half of a program to account for fatigue. Some could choose to backload their difficult jumps in order to maximize points, but it was also risky to do so, especially on tired legs, which is why many opted not to. She, apparently, did not care, because Xiao’s train of thought was broken as she completed her final jump—a triple axel.

She started on her final spin, but he didn’t have to stick around to know that she had definitely won the competition. And yet, he stayed anyway. It was a night of firsts for him.

He was right, of course. With a free skate score of 160.41 and a combined score of 241.49, she set a new record and finished a whopping 26 points ahead of Shenhe, earning her first place and the title of women’s singles Grand Prix Final champion.

As he got up to leave the arena and head back to the hotel, he couldn’t help but think to himself—

Wow. I need to up my game for tomorrow.

…

Xiao won his event, of course. One could not expect anything less from him.

“…..I wasn’t aware that you wanted to switch the quad lutz and quad flip to the second half,” spoke Zhongli, who stared at him questioningly.

“It doesn’t matter. I knew I could land them both, I just wanted to see how it could affect my score,” Xiao responded, brushing it off.

“That wasn’t my concern. Just don’t be so afraid to discuss these matters with me next time. You did well, I’m very proud of you, Xiao,” said Zhongli, a soft smile gracing his face.

Although he didn’t show it, Xiao was beaming with pride on the inside. But instead he said, “…..Thanks. Although I know my artistry was lacking in the second half—I started to neglect my presentation skills because I was too focused on the jumps.”

Zhongli frowned. “I felt that it was fine—fatigue is normal, and you did well regardless. Your component scores reflected that. Honestly, Xiao, you always seem to find more critiques about yourself than I do.”

“But I—”

“You’re the Grand Prix Final champion. You still have over a month before nationals, and while I hate to put it this way…..you don’t have much competition there. Rest, Xiao—take some time off for yourself. I don’t want to see you at the rink for at least a week after we get back to Liyue.”

“I—fine. But just this once.”

He sighed. “That’s good enough for me, I suppose. You should go—explore the town. Meet some other skaters. A lot of the juniors seemed to be big fans of yours. Make some friends before the exhibition and banquet.”

Zhongli was referring to the exhibition performances and closing banquet that always took place at the end of these kinds of events. Xiao would love to skip out, of course, but it wouldn’t reflect well on his nation or his teammates, so he had to oblige.

“…..Alright. I’ll see you at the airport.”

He walked off without another word.

…

He should’ve skipped the exhibition. He was dragged into the group dance performances, and let’s just say he did not enjoy it one single bit.

Although, he had to admit, Y/N L/N put on a good show. He watched her solo, doing a fun performance to a trending pop song, and it seemed like she was every bit as natural of a performer as she was a naturally elegant skater. She seemed happy, much unlike the way she was two days ago right before her free skate.

That’s why he found it odd when he overheard her and Tartaglia, otherwise known as Childe, engaging in a heated conversation outside the locker rooms. Although no match for him, he had competed against Childe for a few seasons, but he wasn’t competing this season for an unknown reason. Instead, it seemed that he had taken it upon himself to be a part of Y/N’s coaching team, given that he had accompanied her at the kiss-and-cry along with Arlecchino, a well-known coach with the Harbingers.

“What do you mean, they ‘don’t want me to attend’ the banquet?” she said with exasperation. Childe hushed her, looking around for potential eavesdroppers.

“I don’t know—I think Arlecchino told them you were actually having fun, and I bet they don’t want you actually socializing with too many other skaters right now.”

Y/N didn’t seem to be satisfied with his answer. “Why? It’s not like they ever stopped you. I already won for them, it doesn’t matter if I—”

“Quiet, Y/N, we don’t want someone listening. And it does matter. To them, you’re still too young, too impressionable. They can’t risk you telling—”

“Psh. What, that they make me—”

“Shh—Y/N. Not. Here. I’ll try to convince them to let you go to the banquet, but keep a low profile for now, okay? Not because I don’t want you to have fun, but because it’s for your own good.” He lead her through the other side of the hall way and they headed for the exit of the building.

What the hell was that?

[luxyue]

chapter 5 out now <3

chapter 6 out when.....if i remember to write it 😓

knife boots

xiao x reader, figure skating au

"i'm actually a professional knife boot dancer, thank you very much." ... so the rumors are true," you say. xiao raises an eyebrow. "what rumors?" "that you're an ass." ... after a 3 year hiatus, the former world champion joins the liyue coaching team.

i. this is why they say don't meet your idols

ii. zhongli plays matchmaker

iii. facebook but for young people

iv. sigh. they're so oblivious

v. double-edged blade

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

xii.

xiii.

xiv.

xv.

xvi.

xvii.

xviii.

xix.

xx.

[luxyue]

knife boots — part v.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ flip ❞ a toe jump, taking off from a back inside edge

v. double-edged blade

Green.

Gold.

Where am I?

“You’re in the infirmary… I called Zhongli, he should be here soon—what do you think you’re doing?”

You waste no time jumping out of the bed (did he carry you all the way here?), heading toward the open door.

But luck is not on your side. In one swift motion, he manages to slam the door shut and barricades the exit by standing right in front of you (sheesh, is it just me or is it getting hot in here?).

“Let me go,” you say.

“No.”

You let out a heavy sigh. Of course, you understand that he’s just concerned for you, but right now, your only desire is to leave this place and run far, far away.

“Please?” you try.

“You’re clearly not okay, Y/N. I can’t let you just leave like this,” he says, brushing his hand through his hair in frustration. He clearly feels bad about not letting you go… but he’s just worried. About you.

“Okay, then… come with me.”

“…What?”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “If you can’t let me leave alone, leave with me instead.”

Xiao’s eyes widen at your proposal. “To where?”

“Um… honestly, I don’t know. But please, can we just get out of here?” you plea, hoping that he’ll take pity on you and let you go.

“If… if I go with you, will you tell me about whatever’s been bothering you lately?” he asks unsteadily. He clearly doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable by crossing your boundaries, but he can’t help but wonder. Just what could rattle you so hard like that?

You freeze suddenly, eyes widening at his words. Are you even ready to talk about it?

You do trust Xiao. A lot, you realize. If there’s anyone you would tell… it would be him. But you also know that your mutual respect only went so far. Despite spending most of your days with him lately, you’ve never talked about your personal lives, keeping steady boundaries. You were honestly surprised that he had even bothered to ask you about this.

“I… if I promise to tell you about it, will you let me leave?” you decide, praying to the archons that you won’t regret your choice.

Glancing down at you one last time, he finally nods. “…Alright then. Let’s go.”

…

“Where, exactly, are we going?” he wonders out loud.

You simply shrug. “Honestly, I haven’t been around much since I moved here.”

He turns to look at you, confusion written on his face. “It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?”

You scoff, giving him a dirty look. “You try having the world champion breathing down your neck during training every day. It’s kind of hard to function when I get home, let alone have a life outside of skating.”

He rolls his eyes at you. “I have to train a world champion every day—unpaid by the way—in addition to my own practice. How am I supposed to have a life?”

“You… that doesn’t even count. You actually deserve the title.”

The look he gives you is questioning. “Is this about what I said when we first met? If it is, I told you, I really didn’t mean any of that—”

“No, no… I don’t mean that. I promise I’ll explain soon. Just, back to the topic at hand, okay? Know any good places to eat? Or places to talk privately?” you say, avoiding his gaze.

He gives you an odd look before dropping the subject, pausing to think for a moment. “We won’t really be able to go anywhere without being photographed,” he reminds you.

You mentally slap yourself, embarrassed that you had forgotten about just how famous Xiao was in Liyue. He was like a walking paparazzi magnet, and it was honestly scary sometimes. Plus, if you were seen with him… well, his fans might not be too happy about that.

“Okay, then what do you suggest?”

“We could, um,” he coughs.

“What?”

“We could, uh, grab food really quickly and… go back to my place?” he stammers.

Was he being serious? You blink at him, slightly wondering if this was just a dream that you would wake up from in a matter of seconds.

…Nope. You’re still here. Surprisingly. But in what world would Xiao invite you over to his house?

His face goes awfully red as you struggle to formulate a response. “You don’t have to, I was just thinking, since you probably don’t want anybody listening in, so I just thought—”

“That would be perfect,” you say, stopping the train of worry in his head.

…

Two boba teas, a large box of rice balls, and a dessert that looked akin to tofu (which Xiao was surprisingly insistent on buying) later, you two finally ended up at his apartment.

It was actually a long drive. Xiao lived further from the rink than you had expected, although that made sense considering how much he valued his privacy. His apartment complex could pass for newly built, and the area was serene and peaceful.

Inside, however, all you could say was that the home was very… him. Sleek, dark, and modern, the design was truly exquisite.

But it was also bare. No personal touches. No picture frames, art pieces…

“Please tell me you have a medal wall, at least,” you say, or rather, hope. Xiao has multiple medals from just about every major international competition there is, and, well, you would probably give anything to see all of them.

“I do, actually. In here,” he motions for you to follow him through a doorway.

Oh… oh. Wow. In front of you is a display room that could honestly pass for a tiny museum.

Bronze, silver, and absolutely no shortage of gold hang neatly arranged on the walls. You see medals from domestic competitions, like nationals—then even more from the Grand Prix series, Grand Prix Final, and Worlds.

And then there are photos. So many photos, starting from when Xiao was a young boy, all the way up to his latest competition. You notice Zhongli is in most of them.

“Who are they?” you ask, pointing to one photo in particular, where Xiao looked… really happy. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old in it, and he was posing with a group of four others in the same rink you currently train in every day.

He glances over to see which one you were talking about, before looking away sadly. “They’re old friends… who have since stopped skating.”

There’s a pang in your chest; you know exactly what he feels. As the years went on, more and more of the skaters you grew up with had quit, leaving you behind. It was easy to get lonely as long days of training blurred together.

Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, you try to shift the topic back to what you originally came here for.

“So, I promised you an explanation.”

…

Once you’re both settled on his couch, boba in one hand, rice ball in the other, you begin your story.

“Well… let’s see, everyone knows I started out with Raiden Ei and skated for Inazuma, but that was way back when I was a novice skater and didn’t compete internationally. During this time… I was approached by someone who had also switched from Inazuma to Snezhnaya…”

Xiao scowls. “I know who you’re referring to.”

You nod in response. “He goes by Scaramouche nowadays. I don’t really know what he’s up to now, but I knew he was good back then. He told me to train with the Harbingers for the summer at first, just to see if I liked it. So, I did. I saw the results they were producing, and thought that, well, if I wanted to become the best of the best, I would need to make the switch.”

You pause, recollecting your thoughts.

“We don’t have to continue. If you aren’t up for it.” His voice breaks your train of thought.

“No… I want to tell you, actually,” you say, surprising even yourself. “I haven’t told anyone about this, not fully. Even Zhongli doesn’t know the full story.”

At this, Xiao reaches over, slowly intertwining his hand with yours, and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Okay,” he says softly.

Trying your best (but failing) to not get flustered, you clear your throat before continuing. “This is when things started going downhill. They told… they told me that, if I ever wanted to amount to anything, I would need to represent Snezhnaya,” you laugh. “It’s funny, now I know that it was just complete bullshit, you know? But I believed it at the time. And look where it got me.”

You’re tearing up now. Xiao is unsure of what to do, but he squeezes your hand, tighter this time. “You’re right—I’m guessing they saw your talent and knew they needed you more than you needed them. But trust me, you’ll do just as well without the Harbingers.”

Sniffling, you say, “That… means a lot to me, especially coming from you. Thank you.”

“Anyway, that’s when…” you trail off, struggling to find the right words to convey your thoughts.

That’s when it all comes crashing down, and you start sobbing uncontrollably.

Through your tears, you manage to get out the words, “Xiao, I’m so sorry—please don’t think of me any differently, I really didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to do any of it, they forced me—”

In an instant, he pulls you towards his chest, holding you close, but gently, as though you were made of glass. Murmuring into your ear, he says, “I don’t know what happened, but I… I promise. You’ll be okay. You’re safe here.”

His words still manage to make your heart skip a beat, even when you’re this distraught. Even so, that doesn’t stop your hyperventilating, nor the tears streaming down your face.

“They… they made me take… Xiao…”

“Take what, Y/N?”

“They—they forced me to dope, they forced everyone there to dope, I’m so, so sorry for lying to you, that’s why I said I didn’t deserve the title, I didn’t deserve anything—I cheated. I cheated my way through every major competition I had ever won but you have to believe me, I never, ever wanted anything to do with it—”

You stop, because he… let go. He let go of you. He wasn’t holding you anymore. No… no, no, no…

“Y/N…” is all he says, and your heart breaks right there and then because never before have you seen Xiao look so hurt.

[luxyue]

UR BACKKK!!!!! hiiii!!! 💖💖

HI ANON 💗💗💗

i had to take a break to deal with school but i'm back and ready to update!!

[luxyue]

chapter 4 is up!! sorry for the wait, chapter 5 will be out soon :)

knife boots

xiao x reader, figure skating au

"i'm actually a professional knife boot dancer, thank you very much." ... so the rumors are true," you say. xiao raises an eyebrow. "what rumors?" "that you're an ass." ... after a 3 year hiatus, the former world champion joins the liyue coaching team.

i. this is why they say don't meet your idols

ii. zhongli plays matchmaker

iii. facebook but for young people

iv. sigh. they're so oblivious

v. the truth hurts

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

xii.

xiii.

xiv.

xv.

xvi.

xvii.

xviii.

xix.

xx.

[luxyue]

knife boots — part iv.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ loop ❞ an edge jump, taking off from a backward outside edge, and landing on the backward outside edge of the same foot.

iv. sigh, they're so oblivious

“Do… I have something on my face?”

A gentle voice interrupts your train of thought, which may or may not have been full of fantasizing about a certain dark-haired man who has literally been in front of your face this entire time.

“Are you okay? You seem, I don’t know, more spaced out lately.”

“Oh, umm...” Oh, if only he knew.

You told yourself that he was off-limits. That you were training together and that was it. That everything was strictlyprofessional.

But, unfortunately for you, the little crush that you had harbored for him during your first few years as a competitive skater has come back. Hitting you hard. Harder than your head has ever hit the ice during a bad practice. Lucky you.

It doesn’t help that he’s been noticeably kinder to you, ever since you begged him to help you. Although, that’s more likely because Xiao is actually kind of a nice person. Over the past few weeks, he’s probably been the harshest coach you’ve ever had… and he’s not even your real coach. But it’s evident that he truly cares about your well-being and progress.

Strangely enough, Zhongli, your actual coach, seems perfectly content with your arrangement, so much so that sometimes you barely see him throughout your day. Leaving you and Xiao alone. For hours.

Boop.

A finger pokes harshly at your forehead.

“What the heck—”

“Do we need to get you to the infirmary or something?” Xiao says.

What surprises you isn’t the fact that he just… poked your forehead, but rather the fact that he sounded genuinely concerned for you. Like, really concerned.

“I’m alright! Um, excuse me, just one second…!” And then you run off, faster than he can say ‘axel’.

Xiao is confused, to say the least.

…

You enter a safe zone that is definitely out of Xiao’s sight (the girls’ locker room), letting out a huge sigh of relief.

“Y/N? Are you okay?”

“Holy mother of—Ganyu! Hi!” you exclaim, not realizing that there was, in fact, someone else in the locker room.

“Sorry if I scared you,” she replies sheepishly. Ganyu also trained at the rink very frequently, although you didn’t see her in the mornings often. You vaguely remember her saying something about how she values her sleep more. You can’t blame her.

“Weren’t you with Xiao just now?” she wonders.

“Well, I was…” you’re not really sure how to explain what just happened.

“Is he being mean again? We all know he’s sort of a grump, but if it’s really that bad, I’m sure you could talk to Zhongli,” she suggests.

“Oh! No, actually, he’s been pretty nice to me, to be honest,” you say.

Ganyu looks at you, puzzled. “Xiao and the word nice don’t really go together. Sure, he’s not really mean either, but… what’s the word… he’s just, aloof. Shenhe, Keqing, and I have known him for years, and the most we say to each other is probably only ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’,” she explains. “That’s why the three of us were so surprised when we realized how often you two have been together.”

You blink at her, unsure of what to say. Perhaps Ganyu’s words would only make you more delusional about him. Who knows.

“I can’t say he hasn’t had his asshole-y moments… but he’s not all bad. He’s helped me a lot, and… I owe him a lot, too,” you say.

She hums. “I can see that. Your triple lutz is looking amazing, by the way! I can’t believe you recovered all of your jumps so quickly. Honestly, I think he probably likes helping you. I can’t imagine what it’s like for him to have gone so long without a friend.”

You hesitate. “I’m not sure if he even considers us friends, to be honest…”

“Hm. Well, if anything, I think you’re the closest thing he has.”

“That’s… thanks, Ganyu.”

…

“Y/N! You’re okay. What was that, earlier?” Xiao exclaims, skating up to you. He’s close.

Like, really, really close.

Luckily for you, he seems to realize, and hurriedly backs away from you.

Luckily for him, you don’t notice the tinge of red on his cheeks, either.

“I’m fine! Don’t worry—and sorry about all of that, I think I was just tired. Anyway, ready to see me face plant attempting triple lutz-triple loop combos? Because I am—”

“Y/N, if you’re really that tired, then you should rest. There’s no use overtraining yourself,” he says sternly.

“Xiao, it’s alright, seriously.” You can’t help but add on, “Plus, I’m afraid my training partner will miss me, you know?”

This time, you do notice the violent shade of red that overtakes his face. You just don’t realize it’s not from training.

“Your face is all red. Maybe you should take a break,” you tease.

“That’s not… I’m fine. Anyway, you left your phone. It was ringing like crazy earlier,” he says, using the excuse to try to change the subject.

That’s odd. You changed your number when you moved here, and most of the people with your new one are all at the rink with you.

Curiosity killed the cat, and you check it. Thirteen missed calls, and a text from an unknown number.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, sensing your fear.

“It’s probably just spam or something,” you assure him.

It’s not.

‘They know, Y/N. Be safe. xx, CAT’

They know.

They know. They know.

Theyknowtheyknowtheyknowtheyknow.

Everything goes dark.

You’re lucky, though, and Xiao is there to catch your fall.

[luxyue]

Thank you for making figure skater Xiao content!! I didn't know I needed this till I found it 😭

he's so he's so he's so

i'm so glad you're enjoying it!! the figure skater xiao agenda must be spread <3

[luxyue]

idk if im allowed to do this but i jumped and cheered when u posted EEEEK i luv knife boots so far and ur writing is so so neat okay bye mwah 💕

YES OFC I LOVE ASKS <3 KEEP THEM COMING

AWW THAT'S SO SWEET!! i'm so glad you like knife boots and my writing, that makes my day tysm :)

[luxyue]

knife boots — part iii.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ toe loop ❞ one of the easier jumps, a forward to backwards turn complete with picking your toe into the ice and landing on the same edge.

iii. facebook but for young people

[tw: minor mention of an ed in the middle of this chapter]

"You're so mean."

"I warned you."

"You're an absolutely, positively, awful person."

"Yeah, well, you knew that already."

Xiao had actually agreed to help with your training, much to your surprise, despite being reluctant. Now...you regret ever making such a request. Xiao is the devil reincarnated, and you'll swear by it until the day you die. He's been making you go back and forth around the rink for three whole hours, doing nothing but doubles. DOUBLES. If you didn't seriously need his help, you would've told him to fuck off sometime during the first thirty minutes.

"Your technique is seriously fucked, did you know that?"

Insanity.

"Mhm, the entire non-Snezhnayan skating community loves to remind me," you grin. He's been attempting to correct you on pre-rotation, under-rotation, and over-rotation all throughout the past few hours.

"Seriously, what did they teach you over there?" he says incredulously. He looks like he's on the verge of tearing his hair out. Or eyes. Or both.

"Um, you know, the basics. Jump, rotate, land. Not much else," you reply honestly. You had built your skills up under the idea that landing jumps was always the most important thing. If you could do that, why bother with anything else? Who wouldn’t choose that over falling?

He groans before taking a deep breath, trying desperately to calm himself. He clearly wasn’t amused. "I really don’t know why I ever agreed to help you."

You shrug. "I'm just different."

One excruciating session later, Zhongli stops whatever he's been doing in his office for who knows how long (seriously though, he's been in there all day since you started working with Xiao) and begins your training session.

Saved from the devil at last.

...

"I know I say this a lot, but you actually look like shit right now."

"Xingqiu, I swear to god—"

It's lunchtime, and you're hanging out with Xiangling, Chongyun, and Xingqiu in the kitchens. These three have basically roped you into their group, and this has been your routine for the past few weeks. Not that you mind—Xiangling's cooking is too good to resist.

"...Which god?" Chongyun asks.

"Hm?" You turn to look at him with confusion.

"You know, like there's Morax, Barba—" Xingqiu starts.

You cut him off. "I know who the archons are, thank you very much." Although, that did raise a good question—which nation had your allegiance now?

Xiangling looks at you, unsure, before deciding to go through with her question. "Do you like Liyue better than Snezhnaya?"

You raise an eyebrow at her...because there was no correct answer other than, yes, of fucking course.

"I would choose Liyue over Snezhnaya a million times over," you say with finality, leaving no room for doubt.

Xiangling smiles back. "Aw, well, I'm glad you're here. Ooh—food's ready! Jade parcels for everyone!"

She dishes the food out, and your mouth literally starts watering.

"Xiangling, I love you."

"Hey! You're always annoyed with me, but she cooks some food and all of a sudden you love her?" Xingqiu exclaims.

You laugh. "Xiangling doesn't tell me I suck at skating."

"I would never!" she rushes to defend herself.

Xingqiu accepts defeat, muttering "fair."

"I can't believe you guys have a whole kitchen here, actually. And it's stocked like crazy. And free to use."

"...Did your old rink not have a kitchen?" Chongyun wonders.

"I mean, it was a nice rink, and really big—but no, they would never have a kitchen."

"Y/N, what did you mean by free to use?" Xiangling wonders, still hung up on your words.

"Um...well, we weren't exactly allowed to eat all the time, especially not before competition, so any food at the rink was locked away for the coaches only to access."

You're met with three blank stares.

Then you're tackled by three very big hugs.

"That's awful, Y/N. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't allowed to access food," Xiangling says sympathetically.

These three are way too nice. "You're gonna make me cry, guys."

"Pfft, we love you too. To new beginnings!" Xingqiu pulls out his phone and snaps a selfie of you four.

"Chongyun, give me your phone, I'm gonna post this on your account since you have more followers."

Okay, they're way too nice with the occasional exception for Xingqiu.

...

Childe is bored, plainly put. Bored out of his mind.

Imagine his surprise when he gets a notification that Chongyun, that up-and-coming junior skater (who never, ever, posts, by the way), has posted a picture of himself, another skater from Liyue whose name he can't remember, a girl with dark hair cut in a bob...and you.

Fuck. Fuckity fuck. Fuck me.

When he receives a hastily written email from Dottore, he briefly contemplates jumping out of a window.

He contemplates for too long. Dottore sends him another email, yelling at him through the screen to get to his office.

Well shit.

You’ve done it, darling. Sentenced me to my imminent death.

The walk to Dottore's office is a slow one. Very slow.

Childe takes the stairs instead of the elevator. He also makes sure to take the long route, going down every hallway possible before finally arriving at Dottore's doorstep.

And fuck, he can't even knock on the door before it swings open. Curse Dottore and his stupid technology.

"Childe. Come in."

Someone's in a mood.

"Heyy, Doctor! What can I do for—"

"Explain this." Dottore pulls up a screenshot of Chongyun's post.

"It's an Instagram post. Like, you know, Facebook, but for young—"

"I know what an Instagram post is. What I want to know is why Y/N L/N is in this particular Instagram post. With Chongyun and Xingqiu. In Liyue."

Childe laughs nervously. "Well...sounds like you know as much as I do, Doctor."

Dottore looks at Childe, indignantly. "She was your responsibility. Not only that, she seemed to think of you as a true friend. I'm sure you, of all people, would know why she is in this picture, with the Liyue skaters, at the Liyue rink?"

Childe blinks. Time to play dumb. "....Probably because she's in Liyue?"

That was definitely not the right thing to say, because Dottore seems ready to snap. "Childe. Whether you were friends with this girl or not, she is a traitor now. An enemy. We cannot let her go on like this; one word and she could destroy our reputation. Your loyalties lie with us. So, do tell me. What do you know about her being in Liyue?"

"I don't know."

Childe is a lot of things, but he's no snitch.

Dottore's not dumb enough to believe him, of course, but he sighs.

"If you say so. However, I'm sure you know what will happen if that is proven otherwise."

"I know that, Doctor. But in this case, I genuinely don't. Have a good day."

Y/N, please, please, please keep yourself out of trouble.

[luxyue]

HELP i'm literally gonna write more just because of this

knife boots

xiao x reader, figure skating au

"i'm actually a professional knife boot dancer, thank you very much." ... so the rumors are true," you say. xiao raises an eyebrow. "what rumors?" "that you're an ass." ... after a 3 year hiatus, the former world champion joins the liyue coaching team.

i. this is why they say don't meet your idols

ii. zhongli plays matchmaker

iii. facebook but for young people

iv. sigh. they're so oblivious

v. the truth hurts

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

xii.

xiii.

xiv.

xv.

xvi.

xvii.

xviii.

xix.

xx.

[luxyue]

knife boots — part ii.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ salchow ❞ one of the easiest jumps; taking off from a backwards outside edge it's generally the first jump you learn as you add more rotations !

ii. zhongli plays matchmaker

“Fuck this shit. I give up.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve given up at least twenty times this session alone.”

Since meeting Chongyun, he's introduced you to his friends, Xingqiu and Xiangling. Xiangling often spends her time helping her dad in the kitchens when she isn’t skating, but Xingqiu has no problem sticking around the rink, making fun of you all day, and he's only known you for, what, a week?

You vaguely remember his older brother, a talented ice dancer whom you’ve also met at international competitions. Xingqiu seems eager to follow in his footsteps, as a blossoming skater in his own right. Although, you would like him better if he didn’t choose to bicker with everyone around him.

“It’s also the twentieth time I’ve fallen on a triple toe. Leave me alone,” you groan.

“Fine, just because I feel bad. But hey, at least you’ve nailed triple sal!” he says, attempting to cheer you up.

You can’t help but roll your eyes. “In case you forgot, a triple salchow is worth basically nothing in singles.”

“Okay, fine. Then just do loops!” Xingqiu says, forgetting you can’t do triple loops yet either.

“I literally can’t—okay, you know what? Fine.”

...

Xiao can’t help but grimace on the inside every time he sees you land flat on your back. Or your side. Or even your face. Which is pretty often, considering you somehow keep choosing the same sessions to skate.

Not that he cares that much, but he’s fallen enough times to know how much it can hurt.

Although he has to admit, your resolve is unwavering. He’s not sure how you managed to fall on your 17th triple flip jump when you can’t even land a triple toe. He’s too caught up in watching you attempt your 18th when someone lightly taps his shoulder. He jumps.

“You know, it would not be above you to try and give her a hand,” says Zhongli.

“Isn’t that your job as a coach? Besides, she seems more intent on trying every jump before she can actually land one.”

“I’ve seen you standing here and watching more often than not. If you’ve noticed that, then why didn’t you just tell her?” Zhongli chides.

“I...” Xiao doesn’t have a good answer.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Zhongli leaves with a smile on his face.

...

Xiao’s last straw is when you fall attempting a triple lutz.

As you sit there with your butt on the cold ice, contemplating your life choices, he skids towards you.

He sighs. “How many times are you going to attempt things that you obviously can’t do?”

You look at him wide-eyed since you haven’t really spoken to each other after that fucked-up first impression.

Normally you would have something better to say, but your self-esteem has been dwindling with each failed jump. Each time you hit the ice feels as if you’re proving him right.

“Not everyone can do things as effortlessly as you,” is all you can utter out.

Xiao scoffs. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I didn’t work as hard as everyone else to be here.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. But...I gave this sport my everything. Look where it got me,” you sigh.

“You mean winning Nationals, Grand Prix, Four Continents, and Worlds?” he says.

Now that was a surprise. Of course, you were still upset with Xiao after what he had said...but regardless, this was still Xiao Alatus. The best figure skater of all time—the skater you had looked up to during your entire career. Your younger self would’ve beamed with pride from the realization that Xiao had noticed you. “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a big fan of me,” you can’t help but tease, even if it was more like the other way around.

He gives you a glare, although the look in his eyes almost seemed...playful? Perhaps your eyes were playing tricks on you. “Yeah right. More like I was at most of those same competitions.”

You nod, memories of being in the stands with your teammates washing over you. “I remember...and you won. All of them.”

If only you knew that you had been cheering for him back then, too.

A sad smile takes over your face. “But the difference is that you kept winning. Meanwhile, I, like you said, lasted for what? One season?” you say, quoting his harsh words.

He looks away briefly before shrugging. “I was under the impression that you would be competing this season,” he replies.

What’s with the sudden optimism? “I was under the impression that you thought I sucked,” you reply back.

“You do suck.”

Pfft, that’s more like him.

You laugh, clutching your heart and feigning agony. “You wound me.”

Xiao rolls his eyes once again, scoffing at you. “I meant right now. But...you seem to forget you were doing quads and triple axels not too long ago.” He says the last part quietly, stringing the words together as if afraid to compliment you.

Not sure what to say or think of it, you give him a look. “Yeah, well, I’m barely doing triples and double axels now. What’s the use of competing like this?”

Crossing his arms, he responds. “Yeah, well, you have three months before the season starts. I’m sure the former world champion can recover at least a triple-triple combination before then.”

You open your mouth to speak. Then frown.

“What?” Xiao questions.

“Well...about that.”

Xiao is confused. “...Yes?”

“Snezhnaya.”

“What about it?”

Shoot. You’ve backed yourself into a corner. “I don’t know if I should tell you. I’m not saying their methods were good in any way, but sometimes I wonder whether I can actually skate the way I used to without them,” you admit hesitantly, hoping he doesn’t push for more.

“Methods?” Xiao’s expression becomes a stern one.

Shit.

“Um, yeah. Training methods,” you say, hoping for the best.

Now, Xiao just looks insulted. “I hope you aren’t insulting Zhongli’s methods.” Oh thank Baal.

“Of course not! He coached you after all. I wouldn’t have come here otherwise. I just don’t know if I have the...strength.”

“If you can survive whatever shit show Snezhnaya has going on, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” he reassures. You know instantly that he’s talking about the long-standing rumors of the grueling training that the Snezhnayan coaches put their students through.

...They weren’t all wrong, unfortunately.

“That’s not—actually, well...nevermind. But that’s not exactly my issue.”

“Then what is it?”

You sigh. “I just...in Snezhnaya, everything is so structured. Our entire days—no, lives, are practically laid out in front of us. Without that sort of supervision, I feel like I don’t know what to do on my own.”

Xiao offers you no pity. “So, you’re lazy, basically.”

Talk about brutally honest.

You can’t even reject his claims. “Umm...yeah. Essentially I just...don’t know how to practice,” you embarrassedly admit. What kind of world-class figure skater can’t practice on their own?

Surprisingly, he nods in understanding. “I can tell. I was wondering why you would go from triple salchow to triple lutz,” he says.

“Right. Because we skate the same sessions...” An idea pops into your head. Whether it’s good or bad...well, you’ll find out.

“You should help me practice.” You blurt out.

“What?” Okay, maybe not a good idea.

“You...should help me practice. Since we skate the same sessions. And since you’re very obviously much better than me.” If he doesn’t say yes—

“Are you sure? I’ve been told that people think I’m an ass. Not exactly a ball of sunshine...” he quotes your words.

You grimace, remembering what you said. “Sorry, I might’ve gotten a little carried away there. But don’t act as if you weren’t the one being rude first.”

“I suppose I was rather harsh too.” His words shock you to the core. He almost looked sorry, too. How did he go from ignoring you all week to this?

“So...is that a yes?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Careful to hide your excitement, you offer him a smile. “I guess that’s better than a no.”

On the inside, though, you’re dying. Xiao Alatus might help train you.

...

Zhongli smiles, watching you two from the security footage in his office.

[luxyue]

knife boots — part i.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ quad ❞ any four revolution jump

i. this is why they say don't meet your idols

The Wednesday 6:00 AM session is the best, in Xiao's opinion. There's usually nobody there, maybe Shenhe and occasionally Ganyu or Keqing. It's specifically reserved for international competitors, so everyone knows their way around the ice—including how to stay out of each other's way. Xiao can run through his program as many times as he needs, without popping a jump just because an inexperienced skater got in his way.

Not that he pops his jumps very often. Or at all. He might fall sometimes (no, he doesn't), but if he starts one, he'll see it through no matter what.

It's now 6:31 AM, and Xiao finishes working on his step sequences. He moves on to freestyle, deciding the rest of the session will be spent on jumps. Maybe just a spin or two at the end if he has time.

He starts with his triple salchow. The first triple he learned, just like everybody else does, and it has been loyal to him ever since. Running through the rest of his triples is a formula that's stuck to him like glue. Toe loop. Loop. Flip. Lutz. Axel. Then repeat, but as quads this time. Easy as pie. All goes well, and he's about to do the final one, his quad lutz.

That is, until you walk in.

With a slam, he falls hard. Literally.

Zhongli glances over with slight concern, before going back to converse with you.

No, it's not that your looks particularly catch his eye or anything. Of course not. But it's you, Y/N L/N. Someone nobody has seen or heard from in three whole years. What are you doing here of all places, with his coach no less?

Whatever, he thinks, deciding to mind his own business considering there's only 5 minutes left on this session. Ice time is expensive. But it's too late, Zhongli and him make eye contact.

"Ah, Xiao! Good morning. Could you please come here for a second?"

Well, it's not like he could say no, so he skates over to the boards, although begrudgingly, where Zhongli seemed to be showing you around.

"This is Y/N. Although I believe you've seen her before, haven't you?"

Of course Xiao has seen you before. At the Grand Prix Final, then at Four Continents, and finally at Worlds. But that was all three years ago, and he hasn't seen you since.

"I have. A while ago," he responds.

Zhongli smiles. "Well, you have plenty of time to get acquainted now. Y/N will be skating here with us from now on."

Skating with—wait, what?

"I thought she skated for Snezhnaya?"

"Used to. But um, not anymore," you speak up for the first time, and Xiao looks over at you, as if seeing you for the first time, finally registering your presence. His brows furrow in confusion.

"Actually, I've invited Ms. Y/N to skate for Liyue this season." Zhongli adds for you.

Xiao doesn't know what to think of this. How.....strange. Snezhnaya wasn't known for letting their best skaters go, after all. "And they allowed it?" Xiao asks, the question directed at you.

"Allowed would be a generous term to use," you say sheepishly, "but let's just say they didn't have much of a choice."

Xiao gives you a look of skepticism, not quite sure what to think, but in the end, chooses to say nothing.

Zhongli clears his throat. "Ahem, well, I'll leave you two to acquaint yourselves. Y/N, feel free to get on the ice at any time." As he leaves, you shoot him a glance that obviously screams help me, but he doesn't notice. Typical Zhongli.

It's just you and Xiao now. Great.

Xiao used to be your favorite skater of all time. You admired him greatly, not just because of his jumping capability, but because of the grace and artistry he carried himself with. The way he flew across the ice was simply captivating, and every skater would give anything to have his talent and skill. Not to mention he's.....insanely attractive.

And now, you finally get to meet your idol in person. Just not in the way you expected.

"I don't know what you're doing here, but in Liyue, skating is skating," he says, suddenly breaking the silence.

You look up at him in confusion. "What else would it be?"

"I'm saying we don't need the drama that happens in Snezhnaya," he says curtly.

You do understand what he means, and he isn't completely wrong. Snezhnaya had built a reputation over the years, known not only for their superb skaters, but for the drama amongst their students and coaches as well. But, to suggest you would cause drama, just because you had represented Snezhnaya?

"So the rumors are true," you say.

Xiao raises an eyebrow. "What rumors?"

"That you're an ass."

He blinks at you once, and twice, then three times. "What?"

"You're not exactly known for being a ball of sunshine, I mean."

He looks at you as if he can't believe you just spoke to him that way. "And that's not my job. I'm being paid to be a good skater," he says.

"Right, I forgot. Because you don't have to worry about a good reputation like the rest of us," you murmur.

He narrows his eyes at you. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Everyone loves you. Nobody would ever write an article about your bad attitude because frankly, your ever-growing fanbase could care less." You refer to Xiao's immense fame, both in Liyue and the rest of Teyvat. There was no discussing figure skating without discussing Xiao, because simply put, he was the best anyone had ever seen.

"I don't need advice from you of all people on that," he says curtly.

Wow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You went a single season before you caused one of the biggest scandals of our sport. And now? You're irrelevant. Do me a favor and don't walk in here acting like you're better than everyone from now on. Last I checked, you haven't won a thing in two years. Get over yourself."

Xiao steps out of the rink, snaps his skating guards on in two quick motions, and storms off.

...

It's only 7:49 AM, but you're done. Wiped out. Dead. Deceased.

You try a triple salchow, the easiest triple jump. You could do it without a thought before. You make your turn as straight as possible, and launch into it—

You fall.

Get over yourself.

Whatever, salchows were never your favorite anyway.

Skipping over toe loops, because who needs those, you move on to triple loop. You have a love-hate relationship with loops, but before your two-year break from the sport they were starting to grow on you.

You fall again.

You haven't won a thing in two years.

Nope. No way. Xiao's words will not be getting to you. No matter how much you used to idolize him.

Triple flip time. Flips are your favorite, so this has to work.

It in fact, does not work.

You're irrelevant.

Shaking your head, you get up. It's probably a bad idea, but you go for it anyway.

Skating on a backwards outside edge, you draw your foot back and reach, picking into the ice. You spin once, twice—

You went a single season before you caused one of the biggest scandals of our sport.

You slam into the boards.

Okay, ouch. That's gonna leave a bruise, and as much as you hate to admit it, Xiao's words were eating away at you. They were harsh, yes. But deep down, you knew that everything he said was, in some way, true.

"Y/N L/N? Is that you?"

Lifting yourself off of the ice, you peek your head over the boards and see a boy with fluffy light blue hair and matching eyes in a fascinating shade of blue, full of curiosity.

"Oh...hi?" Shit, what was his name again? Something with a C? Ummm—

"I don't know if you really know me....we never formally met, but I'm Chongyun," he says quietly.

"Chongyun! Of course I remember you, you were one of my favorite skaters on junior!" you exclaim.

Hearing this, his pale skin turns a deep red. "M-me? Really? But you're like, one of the best skaters to ever exist..."

"Yeah...well...I only did senior for one season, haha. I don't think that's enough to say I was one of the best," you say sheepishly.

Chongyun shakes his head in disagreement. "No way! After all, how many other skaters can land that many triple axels and quads in one program?"

Xiao can.

The mention of triple axels and quads makes you flinch.

"Sorry...did I say too much?" he lowers his head.

"No, of course not! It's just..." you don't finish.

"What is it?"

"To tell you the truth, I can barely land a triple right now. I've barely touched my skates in the last two years. Zhongli agreed to let me skate here, and even represent Liyue...but how am I supposed to do that when I can't even land a triple salchow?" The gravity of your situation is hitting you now. Your comeback to the sport would not be as easy as you had envisioned.

Chongyun seems to think for a moment, processing everything that you just told him. "Well...at one point, landing quads was a piece of cake for you. I think that if you can do that, then you can do anything." He looks at you with determination.

You smile. "Thanks Chongyun. I'll definitely try my best."

After all, what else could you do?

[luxyue]

knife boots

xiao x reader, figure skating au

"i'm actually a professional knife boot dancer, thank you very much." ... so the rumors are true," you say. xiao raises an eyebrow. "what rumors?" "that you're an ass." ... after a 3 year hiatus, the former world champion joins the liyue coaching team.

i. this is why they say don't meet your idols

ii. zhongli plays matchmaker

iii. facebook but for young people

iv. sigh. they're so oblivious

v. double-edged blade

vi. through his lens

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

xii.

xiii.

xiv.

xv.

xvi.

xvii.

xviii.

xix.

xx.

[luxyue]

✩♬ ₊˚.🎧⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

⋆.˚ about me

yue

she/they

professional procrastinator

⋆.˚ other blogs

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⋆.˚ masterlist

knife boots (xiao x reader, figure skating au)