#many figure skating shows only talking about the love story on the ice

[crazykuroneko]

as an avid figure skating fan, it's not me if i'm not imagining a figure skating AU. so, here is IWTV figure skating m/m ice dancers AU (which I won't ever write) for you:

- Marius is Didier (president of FFSG) aka the man hated by FS stans. You should google him he is evil.

- Armand is one of the best French ice dancers. He won silver at the previous Olympics and has been on the top for so long. But he's known to be a hard partner to please so he changes partner like every two seasons. Marius has taken him under his wing since he's a novice. He is Marius's favorite that's why it's easy for him to change partners. But Marius is very demanding and expects him to win all the time. Armand is hot headed, sometimes this cause him to miss his twizzles even though he's known for his fast twizzles. That's the reason he "only" won silver. He's also known for his posture and firey energy on the ice (see: Scott Moir). And like Scott, he won't hold anything back if he dislikes the scoring or the team he was up against during press conferences.

- Lestat is up and coming ice dancer. He started his career with Nicky as his partner since they're novice. Lestat/Nicky are known for their synchronization, musicality, and drama (all of their programs always have this plot and Lestat can spend the whole press conference explaining it). Lestat caught currently-looking-for-new-partner Armand, and even though Armand said to him he would have bigger chance to win next Olympics if they partner up since judges have been familiar with Armand already and Marius will definitely support them, Lestat refused.

- Armand is of course furious because he views Nicky isn't good enough for Lestat (his skating skill and edges aren't as great as Lestat yes). So, he Tonya Harding-ed Nicky (and yes, in this house we don't accept Tonya Harding apologists). Unlike Tonya though, Armand did it himself. Marius was hiding it from everyone for him 😈

- Of course Armand is miscalculated, instead of freeing Lestat from Nicky, Lestat lost his passion to skate. Lestat's mom who has never understood why he loves skating so much is like, "How about we go to America? I've never explored America let's go there" (Armand ended up paired with Santiago, who is actually bad but Marius would buy them the scores anyway so 🤷‍♀️)

- Lestat goes on hiatus for a season or two. During that, he met Louis is this Black-owned ice rink (there's one in Detroit!) that helps developing Black figure skaters (stan my girl Starr Andrews btw). Louis incorporates jazz and hip-hop in his programs which are new for these dominantly European sport (and there's still no one can incorporates hip hop in fs well unless they're Elladj Balde). So they start to skate together and Lestat makes a request to FFSG to allow him moving federation to USFS (aka French fed's biggest enemy after Russia). Ofc Marius doesn't make it easy, Lestat has to pay a big money as compensation (Gabrielle paid it for him) and has to wait for another two years before able to compete with Louis under USA.

- Oh, Old Daniel is president of USFS. it's scandalous but yes Armand secretly has a relationship with him. It started since his first Olympic season when he's 18. Marius doesn't know about it. This is the reason why American judges seem to be less harsher on him in competitions. Big age gap, but Old Daniel really cares about Armand's well being that's why Armand always comes to him when he's emotionally unstable. Daniel hates Didier ofc, so USA judges are waaaay harsher to French skaters in other disciplines.

That's it for now. I may add more plot points later. Feel free to take this as inspiration for your fics. My DM is always open for anyone needs advice on writing about figure skating

[leajdh]

Gold rush

Chapter three: And I thought this was as bad as it gets, but I was wrong, I was so wrong. Seems like the world’s placing bets if I’ll be able to last any longer.

He was just a few more steps away from becoming a living legend. Already praised by the media as the honored one, he made a grave mistake which not only put his Ice Hockey career on hold, it disappointed even his most loyal fans so much so that his reputation sank to an all-time low.

Then he meets you; a retired figure skating champion who is now trying to find her purpose in life after her triumphs, all while still being loved and cherished by the media and public likewise.

Satoru Gojo sees his chance to not only get back unto the rink, but also to regain his former popularity.

But he soon realizes it will be a lot harder to get on your good side, because he's everything you despise combined into one person.

Will you give him a second chance and allow him to redeem himself, or is this going to be the match for your life time?

Gojo Satoru x reader (first person narrator)

Ice Hockey AU

FAKE DATING TROPE

Enemies to lovers

English isn't my first language, so expect some grammar errors

18+!!

LINK TO ALL CHAPTERS:

After the encounter with Satoru on the rink I went home, threw my phone on my bed, took a shower and ignored the constant beeping which was in highsight a grand mistake. 

I notice that Hime isn’t home as I’m leaving the shower. With a towel around my head I turn on the TV while applying some moisturizer on my legs and arms.

I’m not paying too much attention to the gossip news anchor as I search for the remote in between the couch gaps, leaving cream grease everywhere. Just as I found it, the sports segment starts. 

And my name drops. 

What? 

I haven’t heard my name on the news in months. Last time was when I announced I wouldn’t be part of the Olympic team anymore. 

I stare at the TV screen as the brunette anchor continues: “... the Olympic gold medalist, still known as America's sweetheart, sneakily revealed to her fans on Instagram her new relationship with NHL champion Satoru Gojo. Take a look.”

I can’t keep looking away from the screen. It’s like a vile catastrophe where you can’t shut your eyes. They show a picture of Satoru grinning as his head lays on a thigh. 

My thigh.

No, there is no way. 

I look at the corner of the screen and see the source. 

It’s my instagram account.

Without thinking I run to my room, nearly slipping due to the moisturizer still drying and grab my phone. 

It’s going crazy. 

I have a dozen missed calls, text messages and way too many notifications. 

I ignore it all and go straight to my instagram story where I see that this isn’t a bizarre dream.

It’s reality.

From the living room I hear the anchor talking more: “Both recently started to follow each other on instagram and while neither her nor his PR team confirmed the relationship so far, it seems really clear to us.”

Then laughter. 

I stumble back to the living room and stare again at the screen, while my phone is constantly beeping in my hand. 

The brunette anchor turns to a blonde one, who says: “This is the first time Satoru Gojo has presented a girl on his social media accounts as he reposted her story with a heart. Which tells us even the most notorious playboy can fall in love.”

Then again, laughter.

“I would love nothing more than to play fly at their dinner table. I can not imagine Naobito Zenin, who is the coach of the New Jersey Devils, being happy about his daughter dating a New York Ranger.”

Then again, laughter.

“So far upon request he hasn’t commented on it, but we are sure..”, I turn the TV off and glare at the black screen.  

My heart stands still.

Am I dying?

No.

But it feels like it. 

Yes.

I’m not sure what would be worse. This or if he had leaked the video of us in the car. 

I just know one thing, he is behind all of that. While my dumb ass was occupied looking through his messages, he deviously took the picture and uploaded it on my instagram. 

What I certainly don’t know is why is he doing that?

What the hell is his reason behind it?

I sit on the ground, feeling my phone still vibrating in my hand as my brain goes blank and a second later starts to rattle on full speed. 

No, no, no, this can’t be happening!

I’m opening Instagram.

He played me again, but this time for everyone to see.  

I want to lock my phone again after seeing all the notifications and throw it away, but I’m too hooked. 

I’m a shaky mess. I can’t believe this is real. So many people have already seen this picture. I have thousands of users reacting to my story. Under my newest post, which was days ago, people talk about it. 

There are a lot of positive comments. Nothing special for me. Usually all my comments are nice. I never get genuine hate. A few mean comments about my looks, but nothing out of the ordinary. Bad comments are normal on social media, sad but true.

People congratulate me, wishing Satoru and me good luck in our relationship. Saying stuff like couple goals and some even say they are jealous of me for dating Satoru. 

I’m freaking out. 

Is this really what they are thinking? 

Dummy, of course they would think that! 

However this time I’m completely beaten as I see some of the sheer hate comments I’m receiving. 

My comments are full of New Jersey Devils fans, calling me all sorts of names. From whore to slut to traitor. Telling me that they now understand why my father never mentions me when I’m spreading my legs for a Ranger. I should be ashamed and kill myself. And more wicked misogynistic slogans I would never have imagined to ever hear. 

I’m trying to calm down. 

People like that shouldn’t bother me.

But what bothers me are my followers who are disappointed at me for apparently hooking up with Satoru. They call him a troublemaker, a womanizer, a fucking fuckboy. They don’t understand why I would date a guy like him. It’s out of character for me and they already seem to know that he will cheat on me. 

Hooking up, dating, cheating.

All these theories and not even one is true.  

What kind of sick game is Satoru playing now? What is this all about?

I try to regain my posture and take a deep breath before I will end up throwing my phone against the wall. 

I go to my timeline and gossip pages have already written articles about the situation. The picture is everywhere with all types of headings like Satoru Gojo dating everybody’s figure skating darling; Olympic gold medal athlete shares intimate photo of her new relationship; Satoru Gojo quits his bachelor lifestyle with no other than America's sweetheart - can this really end well? See here all his former liaisons and so on. But the worst is a headline with a picture of my father and in big fat red letters written Betrayal! How could his own daughter do this to him?

I hate the press. 

What do they mean with ‘do this to him’? 

Acting like he cares, let’s not talk about all the shitty stuff he did to me. He should grovel on his knees to me and thank me for never talking bad about him. For ignoring his existence as much as he tries to ignore mine.  

At least the article says that neither his PR team nor him are available for a comment, like the anchor on TV said too. He goes the typical route. Ignoring everything that has something to do with me. I am relieved by his silence. 

My next stop is Satorus profile. Apparently I’m already following him and of course he follows me back. He shared my story with a huge heart emoji added to it. I check his newest post out, it is a photo from a week ago, and go to the comments. All comments are just a few minutes old and they are so different from mine. Of course he also got hate from Devils fans, as expected. But I notice Satoru gets overall hate. 

I realize I was so focused on hating Satoru that I didn’t see the hate he’s already getting from the public. People calling him a disgrace to Ice Hockey, how he should have died in the crash and that the Rangers deserve better than an alcohol addict. Disappointed fans everywhere, if you can even call these people fans. 

Just as I started to feel pity for him, I looked at the comments for people congratulating him on the relationship. And they are so different from mine. They are just so humiliating. For me. Talking about my tits, my ass, my body overall but worse are the comments about how only a Ranger could fuck a Devils daughter so hard that she switches sides. The jabs against my father are vile and nasty and I’m the last person to defend my father, but they are so horrible. 

However in the end all come to the conclusion that I’m the problem. I’m the whore daughter with daddy issues who picked out of all the men available a Ranger to get attention from her father.  

Again more and more conspiracies about this one fucking post. 

And I’m the one in the crossfire. 

I can’t wrap my head around on why Satoru did this. 

What does he gain from it?

Other than humiliating me. 

If he thought it’s a funny little jab against my father, he couldn’t be more wrong. My father will ignore this and overcome these jokes while this will taint my entire career, my entire life. 

From now on this will follow me like a shadow and leave a dark cast around everything I have ever done, everything I will ever do.  

I end up throwing my phone against the wall. The screen shatters like my accomplishments. I stand up and walk in circles, feeling like the air in my lungs doesn’t fully get in and I start to pant in panic. On my knees I concentrate on breathing, trying to regain composure, but I’m too overwhelmed and all I can think about is, why? 

Out of the corner of my eyes I see the screen lighten up, Hime is calling me. I managed to pick up the call, filled with rage I didn't feel until now.

“Thank god, you finally picked up! Why didn-”

I don’t let her finish. 

“Do you know where he is?”

She instantly knows who I am talking about.

“Oh uh, he’s at the resort eating lunch with-”, again I don’t let her finish and hang up, letting my broken phone fall to the ground and run to get some clothes on. I struggle with putting my jeans over my greasy thighs as I jump up and down. It’s not even fully over my butt as I grab my shoes and slide into them, all while pulling the first top I can find over my head. 

I stomp outside, closing my jeans as I take a shortcut through a muddy path to get as fast as possible to the resort.

My shoes are ruined but I don’t care as I run through the entry, seeing Hime behind the counter arranging some flowers.

“There you a-”, she pauses as I ignore her and just rip the vase out of her hands.

“What are you doing?”, she runs after me as I enter the dining room. It’s empty, only one table is occupied. 

I notice the white hair and see red.

Everything happens so fast as I throw the flowers on the ground, Hime shouting something while Satoru looks up at me as I toss the water on him. 

Everyone on the table jumps up, Suguru snatching the glass vase right from my hands before I have the chance to throw it too. I don’t care, I quickly clasp whatever is standing the nearest to me and fling it at Satoru, who is completely drenched.

A spoon, a handful of a salad, an open orange juice box.

Everything lands on Satorus chest.

Suguru puts the vase to the side, instantly capturing me by my waist and pulling me away from the table. I kick my feet against it like a raging child as everyone stares at me like I’m completely insane. 

“You fucking asshole! Why did you do this!?”, I scream at Satoru as Suguru pulls me away even further. I hit him with my elbows, but his grip isn’t getting weaker as he lifts me off the ground with one arm. 

“I should have expected that”, is all Satoru utters as he dusts the salad pieces off his shirt. 

“Calm down”, Suguru speaks softly to me and I hear Hime croak: “Oh god.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! Let me go!”, I boot against his legs, fidgeting like a fish on dry land. The other man on the table just stands there in shock. I recognize him as the skinny one, who left Masamichis office yesterday. 

“I will if you stop throwing things, okay?”, Suguru says calmly, even when his grip around me tells a different story. 

“Don’t tell me what to do! I have every goddamn right to react like this! Do you know what he did!?”

“I do and I understand your anger, but please calm down and let’s talk about this. Together.”

I don’t know why Sugurus' voice has this effect on me, but I settle down, stop kicking and let my arms hang loose. Suguru releases me from his hold and sets my feet on the ground. I still glare at Satoru and for a second I want to grab the chair next to me and hit it over his stupid head. 

“Just tell me why”, I stammer and keep looking straight into his eyes. I know I must look wild. My face is probably red as a tomato, my hair is still wet from the shower, I have tears in my eyes and my hands are coated in yellowish salad dressing. 

I wipe with the backside of my hand over my itchy nose and wait for a response, Suguru close to my side, he’s probably afraid I will throw something again upon hearing Satorus response.  

“You would have never agreed to this, so I took matters into my own hands.”

I frown.

What does that even mean?

“Agreed to what?”

“Fake dating me”, he states and I blankly stare at him. 

“Fake dating? What? Why? I don’t understand.”

Satoru sits back down on his chair, spreading his legs while he slumps down in the most relaxed way possible. 

I don’t think I have ever seen him sit like a normal human so far. 

“My popularity isn’t the best at the moment. So I had this idea that if I was in a relationship with you, America’s scandal-free sweetheart, I could regain it.”

“Miss, we didn’t have any clue about this”, the skinny man tells me. I quickly gaze at him. His head is down and he stands still like a statue. 

I have no idea what to say. This is just too unreal.

I’m glad Utahime decides to speak for me, even though she must be confused as well: “So you decided that without asking for her permission?”

“Ups, I guess”, is all he says and now Hime is the one throwing something at him, but Gojo catches it.

“Satoru”, Suguru warns in a low tune.

“You have 30 minutes to pack your stuff and get out of my resort or I will call the police”, is all I say as I turn around with a blank face to leave. It’s not particularly my resort but after this story Masamichi would agree without a second thought.  

“Wait, I’m sorry! I know I’m a shithead. But this whole situation is beneficial for both of us!”

“How?”, I don’t believe it, whatever he is going to tell me. There is no benefit for me. 

“I will pay you as much as you want and-”

“You think you can buy me?”

“I didn’t mean it in that way”, he shrugs, now starting to realize that he won’t be able to glide easily through this ordeal. He stands up, towering over me, as I take a step back to bring more space between us, while he is trying to come closer. 

“I don’t need nor want your money”, I pause and want to walk away but it overcomes me. I want him to know what he did to me. Closing the space between us, I push with my flat hand against his chest, which feels like a brick wall as I yell: “Did you read the comments? I get called a whore, a slut and even worse names. Your “fans” talk about my body like I’m a fucking piece of meat. I get dragged through the mud but of course, you wouldn’t care about what this means for me!”

I push him once more, he lets me do it, looking at my eyes while I fight back the tears: “But wanna know what the worst thing about all this is? Reading in an article ’Satoru Gojos alleged girlfriend hasn’t commented so far on her relationship status’. I’m starting to get the girlfriend-of treatment. After all my triumphs I’m just the silly little girlfriend. It wasn’t enough for you to ruin your own career with your egotistical behavior, no, you had to taint mine too.” 

He still looks at me and for the first time he seems to be ashamed. His shoulders are tense, his hands are clamped together as he has a hard time maintaining eye contact. 

“We will figure something out”, Suguru interrupts the silence. 

“No, you have 30 minutes to leave.”, I state more to Satoru than to Suguru.

“Let us find a solution together”, Suguru insists but I just shake my head, now looking at him.

“30 minutes is a nice gesture of mine.”

I turn around as Satoru tries to get a hold of my wrist, but I’m too fast as I walk faster and faster out of the resort. I hear Hime behind me shouting something, but I don’t care as I fall into a sprint. 

I need to get everything out of my mind.

No thinking, just running until my lungs burn.

I run over the muddy path to my car, nearly slipping and twisting my leg. My mother would have killed me if she saw that. Risking my well being because I’m so emotional and don’t know what else to do except running away. 

Soon I arrive at my car and just drive to the rink. My legs are still sore from the hard morning training but I don’t care. This is the only way I know to deal with too many emotions. 

I shut them out with ice skating. 

I unlock the closed doors at the rink hall. Seems like my uncle is still skiing. 

Behind the counter are my skates and a pair of leggings. I easily swap my jeans with them and sit down at my usual bench to knot my skates on. 

The front door opens and closes with a squeak and I expect Hime to show up. She knows me so well. 

But it isn’t Hime who walks towards me. It’s Suguru.

“How did you know I would be here?”

There is no use in asking him why he is here. 

I know why he is. 

“Your friend told me where to find you”, Suguru answers. 

I ignore the sting in my chest on why Hime would tell him that. Suguru seems like the type of person who can be quite convincing.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Just give me 5 minutes and I promise we will leave.”

“No, you will just try to justify his behavior.”

“Trust me, I won’t give you any excuses. I just want to talk with you”, he pauses: “We haven’t seen each other in ages.”

I look at him, standing a few feet away from me in a white pullover and dark jeans. His left arm hangs weirdly loose on his body and his long, silky hair is falling out of his bun. Under his sharp eyes are dark shadows, but he is still so handsome it should be a crime. 

I shake that thought away.

“Please”, he grumbles but I just get up, walk past him and head to the rink. He doesn’t follow me, which I appreciate. He sits down on the bench and my first thought is how we used to sit on this exact bench together, lacing our skates in silence next to each other, all while we were snacking on a different kind of bar. I used to eat a protein one with strawberry flavor while he always picked one with vanilla flavor from the vending machine. 

I tried it once and nearly puked. It tasted like an old, wet washcloth dunked in vomit, but apparently it had the most proteins.

I couldn’t resist. 

I type into the vending machine a code and receive two bars. As I walk back to the bench, Suguru still sits there, his hands placed over his eyes like he needs a minute for himself.

“Catch”, I exclaim, he looks up just in time to capture the flying bar. 

He first glances at me, then at the bar in his hands. 

“I never understood why you chose to always eat this one. It tastes vile.”

He snickers at that: “because it has-”

“The most proteins.”, I finish for him and sit down next to him. He slightly smiles at me and nods, softly ripping the plastic wrap open with his teeth.  

I do the same with mine and we just sit there and eat. In complete silence like we used to do all these years ago. 

“What's wrong with your arm?”, I break the silence as I still notice Sugurus' arm hanging loosely on his side.

“Nerve damage”, he takes the bar between his lips and rolls his sleeve up, revealing a huge scar. With a blob he sucks the rest of the snack into his mouth and chews. 

“What happened?”, I ask him, now looking in his face.

“I got mugged after a night out”, he pulls his sleeve down again, staring at the wall in front of us. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry that’s horrible, but at least you are-”, I say and instantly regret it. 

I mentioned before how the media and most people say to athletes after an incident ‘at least’ it’s only a concussion, ‘at least’ it’s only a broken leg, ‘at least’ they didn’t die.

But they always forget that even one small injury can cost us our career. 

“That was dumb, sorry”, I wait before carrying on: “Chance of recovery?”

I can imagine his answer. 

“Zero, maybe in a few years there will be a therapy, but I don’t have high hopes”, Suguru sighs and tilts his head back. Even if he tries his best to conceal the pain in his voice, I can still hear it: “I left the Bruins after the attack.”

I can’t envision his pain. Training years and years for a goal, so someone takes your dream away from you with one stab. Someone snatching away all your hard work with one stab. Someone destroying your life with one stab. 

Over some change in your wallet and maybe a smartphone. 

“Did they catch them?”

“No, they didn’t”, Suguru breathes. His lips are pressed together to a thin line, eyes closed.

“I’m so sorry, Suguru.”

“It’s fine, really. I wasn’t that good of an Ice Hockey Player anyway.”

“Don’t ever say that. You know it’s not true.”

“It is. In contrast to Satoru I was a wimp.”

“They took your career, but don’t let them take your pride as well”, I mutter.

“Yeah, you are right”, he says and smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. His expression is shallow.

If I was a better person, I would know exactly what to say to him. But I can’t even face my own problems without running away and tormenting my body. 

“Enough about me. You won at the Olympics, twice. Congratulations! I knew you would make it. Did you ever receive my letter?”

“Well thank you, and I did, but I didn’t have time to visit one of your games. Right after the Olympics my PR team didn’t give me one second for myself”

I want nothing more than to travel back in time and go and watch a stupid Ice Hockey game. I will never have the chance again to see Suguru playing on the rink.  

I nervously fidget with my hands, letting my fingers crack as I mumble: “I would have written you back, but your letter didn’t have a sender.”

“Or any other way to contact you”, I whisper under my breath. 

In the end surely I would have managed to find a way to contact him. 

For example I could have asked my old manager for help or just wrote to one of his team mates on Instagram (of course, a guy like Suguru doesn’t have social media). 

I would have found a way, but again. We weren’t close at all. Still aren’t, so why does this feel so different? Why do I feel like I'm talking with an old friend? 

Human connections can be so odd. 

I briefly chuckle at my own thoughts.  

Suguru looks at me, this time the shy smile ghosts around his eyes too. 

“I knew I had forgotten something.”

Now we both grin, me pressing my arm on my belly while he hides his laughter faintly behind his hand. 

“Why are you here?”, I ask him and he seems to understand what I actually mean.

“Satoru gave me a job after the attack, so I’m part of his recovery team.”

“How can you-”

“-hang around with him?”, he interrupts me with a chuckle.

“Hang around with him without shooting yourself in the head”, I add with a light smile.

Suguru stretches his legs and for a second the way he sits reminds me of Satoru.

“You will probably not believe me, but he is actually a really good guy.”

“You meant to say shithead.”

He laughs deeply and my heart starts to melt at that sound.

“Yes, he can be and you have every right to hate him, but he’s still at heart a good guy. Without him I don’t know if I would still be here.” 

Suguru takes a deep breath before continuing: “He took me out of my slumber after the attack and convinced the Rangers team to hire me as an assistant coach. He also pays for my medical bills and for both my sisters’ college tuition.”

I snort: “And all you have to do is just work under him. How practical.”

“I wanted that. He never forced me to. He said he would pay my bills and support me if I decided to become a stand-up comedian and he hates stand-up comedy”, a small chuckle leaves his lips. 

“Because after all he’s my best friend”

“Just because he treats you well, doesn’t mean he’s a good person.”

Suguru thinks for a moment.

“Maybe you are right, but I know he didn’t intend to hurt you.”

I chuckle sarcastically at his remark. 

“And how would you know?”

Suguru tilts his head back, staring at the ceiling.

“Satoru first ever mentioned you after he became captain around four years ago. You know as a captain, he has to know the opposing teams from A to Z. He told me he stumbled across your name as he looked up your father. I was still playing for the Bruins at that time as he facetimed me and together we watched you compete at the Olympics the second time. He rarely can shut his mouth for a second, but I swear to God he didn’t say one word during your performance”, Suguru smiles at me.

“By the way, you were amazing. I mean you still are”, again a shy smile, which I return.

“Anyway he didn’t speak for a while, even after you were done. I first thought he had a stroke or something, but then the only thing he said was: “If I had a daughter like her, I would not shut up about her.” He clearly meant your fathers ignorance over you. He didn’t understand why your father doesn’t acknowledge your existence.”

“Hm, makes two of us”, I butt in, waiting for Suguru to continue.

“I don’t understand it either”, again this small smile, which makes my heart stumble. 

He places his large hands on his knees, struggling with his left one. He tips his head towards me and continues: “A few weeks later he had a game against the Devils, and the Rangers won. He laughed at your father and said something along the lines of “of course your team lost when the coach can’t even acknowledge the talent inside his own family.”. Your father said something to him, but Satoru never told me what exactly. All I know is that he punched him and got suspended for the next three games.”

I remember that incident. I saw it on the news and still to this day Hime and I use it as a reaction gif. 

“That was Satoru? Really? Because I’m pretty sure the guy had red hair”, in the clip I saw online, you couldn’t see his face, just a red buzzcut. For a second I try to imagine Satoru with this hair style and come to the conclusion that he probably looked good with it too. I want to bash him against his head like he did to my father, but I still have to admit that Satoru is extremely hot. 

“He had an unusual hair color phase”, Suguru sighs with a smirk on his face. 

“As if his snow white hair is less unusual”, I comment and Suguru snicker. 

“But what I actually want to say is, Satoru had the urge to defend you in a way that could have cost him his career. Therefore I don’t think he ever intended to hurt you the way he did.”

I gaze at Suguru and see his crooked smile. He told me he wouldn’t excuse Satorus behavior but in the end he did. 

Apparently risking his career for me would be considered as honorable, but all I see again is his reckless behavior. Reckless behavior for a person he didn’t even know at that time. I start to think Satoru is actually insane. Who in their right mind does something like this? 

Probably someone who knows he gets away with everything. Three games suspension is really a clap on his hands for punching a coach. I bet every other player would have faced some serious consequences, but this doesn’t seem to include Satoru. He really is larger than life.

“And? You want me to forgive him because he punched my father? I never asked him to do that”, I stare challenging at him.

“No, I didn’t tell you this so you will forgive him. That’s completely up to you. I just told you, because the theme came up.”

“Yeah, right”, I don’t want to giggle, but I can’t control it. I can see him holding back a cackle.

I was right about Suguru, he is a really convincing person, maybe even a bit manipulating. 

I hold that thought back.  

“On our way to the resort, he told me he would make sure your father can no longer ignore you. I didn’t understand it at that time, but he must have had this idea from the beginning. Maybe not with this execution, but the fundamental idea.”

“And why does he think I care about my fathers attention?”

“I guess because attention is what every child deserves”, Suguru suggests with a smile.

“That’s the dumbest way possible to get his attention.”

“You are probably right, but Satoru always says even bad press is good press.”

“Of course this idiot would say that”, I mourn: “And now he wants me to drag him out of his bad press. Such a stupid idea.”

“I don’t particularly think it’s a stupid idea. Yes, the beginning is awful, especially for you. I’m sorry about all these horrible comments, but you have the might to form this relationship in any way you want. That’s the good thing about it being fake. You can create the entire narrative, and can control every aspect of it. If there is no love, just business, this could work out well”, he adds: “I know you will hate what I say now, but the cat is out of the bag. Everyone already thinks you both are in a relationship, so you should make the best out of it.”

“The best would be to say it was a joke.”

“No one would believe that.”

“I know”, I groan and grasp my head between my hands. 

“Wanna know my opinion?”

“No.”

He laughs and tells me his opinion anyway: “You should give it a chance.”

“But I don’t want to turn into Satoru Gojos girlfriend.”

“Then change the narrative however you like. Make people call him your boyfriend. You haven’t competed in years and you are still popular. If one person knows the media game, it’s you.”

“But in the end I still don’t see what I can gain from this, except money I don’t want and attention I don't need.”

“A good deed.”

“He doesn’t deserve my kindness.”

“Why not?”

“He drove under the influence.”

“I understand. I’m the last one to defend him for that, but some people would say people make mistakes and learn from them. Second chances exist for a reason”, Suguru looks up at me, trying to read what’s on my mind.

“My mother didn’t get a second chance as a drunk driver killed her.”

Suguru frowns and turns his upper body to me. 

I hadn't fully noticed that while we were talking, we got closer and closer together on this bench. He is sitting so close his knee sometimes touches mine when he is chuckling.

“I didn’t know it was a drunk driver. I just heard and read about a car crash.”

“Yeah, a lot of people don't know that.”

“I’m so sorry.”

I’m silent.

“One thing I can still remember about you was when you didn’t want to think or you had too many emotions in you, you would skate until you collapsed”, Suguru says out of the blue. Again, human connections can be so odd. 

All these years ago we barely talked but he still figured me out by just observing me. 

The same way I observed him. 

Again, I wish I could travel back in time to this exact bench with him lacing his skates and snacking on a bar and just having a tiny bit of courage to start an actual conversation. 

How different our lives would have turned out if we became even a little bit closer. 

“So Utahime didn’t tell you where to find me. You knew.”

“Yes, just didn’t want to come off as a creep.”, he scratches his head: “Maybe I’m completely wrong in my theory but your mother died right before the Olympics and you won Gold. I saw you on every TV show possible, doing everything except healing. Jumping right back into training for your second Olympics. Did you ever truly process her death?”

It’s crazy how well this man knows me. How well he can read me. Must be a gift he’s blessed with.

“No”, I answer truthfully. 

“Maybe this could be your chance to find closure, by helping Satoru out. He doesn’t show it, but the disappointment from his fans gnaws at him and sometimes I think he will give in and grab a bottle again.”  

So it wasn’t just the pain in his leg that made him drink. There are deeper issues. 

“Do you really think a fake relationship with me would help him?”

“I dare to say you are the only person who would be able to succeed with this task.” 

I sigh and tilt my head to the side, leaning it against Sugurus shoulder. 

I think about this situation. 

One thing is clear, Satoru isn’t just a normal Ice Hockey Player. He is the Ice Hockey Player of our time. He has more followers than a lot of movie stars. He is seen on red carpets and events that have nothing to do with Ice Hockey. I bet a lot of his fans don’t even watch his games and just follow him for his aesthetics or what not. When you say his name, most people will know him. He broke out of the niche Ice Hockey and became an actual celebrity.  

Something I also managed to accomplish years ago, but after I retired I didn’t really care anymore. I don’t go to events, I don’t go to shows or do any interviews. I just backtrack from the public eye and post a few pictures here and there. My follower count is stagnating. With this stunt that Satoru pulled he revived me back into the public eye. 

But do I even want to be there again?

All I knew my entire life was to skate. Living my mothers dream of winning at the Olympics. Heck, I have to accept it was also my dream in a way. Maybe it was a bit forced unto me, but I wouldn’t have come so far without my own determination. 

But now I sit in my hometown and have no clue what to do next. 

I feel really lost, if I’m being honest with myself. 

Suguru is right with many things. 

First, the photo is already posted. The public thinks Satoru and I are in a relationship. It’s easier to go along with it than explaining this mess.

Second, I could really find closure through Satoru. If I do this fake relationship, I can not only help Satoru, I will also make sure that he never brings himself nor an innocent person into a dangerous situation. For this I need to put my own loathing aside and learn to forgive.

Third, helping Satoru also gives me a purpose again. Something to do other than my mundane daily routine. Maybe this will help me find a new dream.

Fourth, I really hate my father. I was always polite. I never publicly said a bad word about him, but this fake relationship with Satoru could give me the chance to actually for once show the world what an asshole he is. I don’t want his attention in a good way. I want his attention for revenge. I want him to be unable to ignore me any longer. This means I have to step into his world, which is Ice Hockey. 

So I look up at Suguru from his shoulder and grin: “I mean my father would really hate being asked about my relationship with Satoru over and over again.”

I feel Sugurus' shoulders move as if he is laughing a bit. 

“Well, at least you know your father will not harass Satoru for money. Mine would do it in a heartbeat.”

I sometimes overheard Suguru talking on his phone with his father. About gambling debt and how Suguru often had to leave the training earlier to pick up his younger sisters because his father was in a casino. I’m glad that he had a scholarship. I don’t think he would have been able to go to university without it.

For whatever reason we both laugh at that. Well, it is kind of funny how different our problems with our fathers are but still they cause us the same distress.  

I hear the squeaking of the door again as Suguru and I keep laughing. As I look up I see Satoru standing there, staring perplexed at us, not saying a word. 

“Wanna add something to the shitty father conversation?”, I ask Satoru, who seems to be a bit amazed, that I actually talk with him. But only for a second, before his cool demeanor snaps back and he says: “No, mine is cool. Always let me do my thing.”

“Some people are just lucky”, Suguru declares and stretches his arm out, after I stopped leaning my head against his shoulder. 

“What are you both doing here?”, Satoru asks after a while. I tip my head to the side and gaze at Suguru.

“We just talked about the good old times”, Suguru answers, but we actually barely talked about this. Mainly because we actually never closely interacted. Everything we know from each other was because of our observation of the other person. 

I look at Suguru and a fifth reason comes to my mind.

Fifth, if I agree to the fake relationship, I have a real chance to get to know Suguru, not just observations. I could sit on this bench with him again everyday while Satoru has his training sessions with Mei Mei, eat a protein bar and finally have a connection with him. A reason to talk, a reason to get to know him. 

No need for me to time travel back to this bench nearly 10 years ago. 

“By the way, I actually think the protein bar you ate is expired. Can’t remember the last time I refiled this one. You were the only person to ever eat these”, I joke to Suguru.

“It tasted fine to me.”

“Maybe because it tastes expired anyway”, I turn my body towards Suguru next to me, my leg bent on top of the bench: “Oh, I remember one time some girls bought the same bar after you picked it from the vending machine. They screamed at Masamichi on why he is selling expired food. They couldn’t believe it hadn't expired.”

“Some girls bought a protein bar because of Suguru? I never knew you were this popular with the ladies”, Satoru chimes in, leaning against the wall parallel to us, smirking at Suguru. His white hair falls back into his blue eyes as he blows a strand away. 

“She’s exaggerating”, Suguru murmurs shyly and I jest: “Yeah right, once you graduated and didn’t train here anymore, there were a lot less girls cheering for your old team.”

“I knew it! You womanizer!”, Satoru quips as he walks over to Suguru and playfully punches his shoulder. For a minute they both seem to throw small jabs at each other, both grinning while doing it.

“He never talks with me about girls”, Satoru addresses me while Suguru tries to get Satorus hand of his shoulder with an annoyed expression.

“And I can see why”, I answer with a small smile, seeing Suguru roll his eyes.

“Hey”, Satoru lets go of Suguru and peers at me with an unsure expression: “I’m really sorry about everything I did.”

I can tell from the look in his eyes, he not only means the picture. 

He means the video he took of us making out. He means him drinking alcohol at the pub. He probably even means stumbling in my life and surely even his car crash months ago.

“We packed everything together and booked a flight back. Again, I’m sorry. You are right, I was egotistical. I will do everything in my power to resolve this.”

“There is a solution”, I get up and stand in front of him. Even in my skates I’m nowhere near as tall as him. I bite on my lower lip as I stare at him, unsure if I’m really doing the right thing. 

If I should really listen to all the reasons. 

Satoru is a wild card. Reckless, arrogant and egotistical. The worst kind to get along with. The worst kind to fake a PR relationship with. 

But fuck it, I always love a good competition. If I can manage to turn this mess into a beneficial deal for both of us, I can do anything. 

But most importantly even after everything that had happened between us, I still can’t seem to fully hate him. 

Yes, I wanted to rip him apart not even twenty minutes ago, but I have to admit to myself, I like him. Maybe because he is reckless, arrogant and egotistical. 

Me too, just in a completely different way. 

He is intoxicating. 

I know against my better judgment, I would regret not doing this with him. 

I would regret it as soon as I fall back into my daily life after he leaves this rink.

Even if this will end badly, which it probably will, I don’t want to regret it by not saying yes. 

This is going to be the performance of my life time.

“Let’s do it.”

“What do you mean?”, Satoru wipes his hair out of his face, looking a bit dumbfounded at me with an open mouth. 

“Let us fake date.”

“Are you serious?”, his mouth is still open.

“Yes, I am.”

“I don’t know what to say other than thank-”

“Don’t thank me just now. This isn’t going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy. There will be a lot of rules.”

“I will do everything”, he hums, beaming like a small child who sees the DisneyLand Castle for the first time.

I smile at him too. 

He seems eager, but he has no idea what’s in store for him. 

My entire life I expected perfection from myself. Now I want that from him too.   

“I will write a list with rules and send it to you. I want a written contract”, I sit back down and get rid of my skates.

“Sure, everything you want”, he says and looks at Suguru with a big grin, shooting him a thumbs up. Suguru pats my back lightly with a smile, like he is proud of me for doing this. More so for myself than Satoru.

“I guess, I will go back and tell Ichiji to cancel the flights”, Suguru gets up and our eyes meet for a second. 

“Welcome to the team.”

My glance follows him until he is out of sight. 

“Hey”, Satoru tries to get my attention back. 

I look up at him.

“Did you and Suguru ever fuck?”

I frown. 

“What?”

“You heard me. Was there or better is there something between the two of you? Because if so, I can’t have this fake relationship with you”, he doesn’t look at me, instead he focuses on cracking his fingers in a rough way.

“No! I mean, we actually never talked. Today was the first time we ever really did. I don’t-, we don’t know each other at all.”, I stammer: “There wasn’t and isn’t something between us.”

I feel like I just lied to him, even though it’s the truth.

“Good”, he smiles weakly. 

“You see, he’s my best friend, but he never really talks about his feelings with me. As I told him about my idea with the fake dating, he seemed fine with it, but I just had to make sure by asking you.”

“Sure, I understand”, I say, feeling a weird sense of guilt. 

My focus is on my skates again as I get them off my feet. I slip my shoes on and stand up, Satorus broad frame leaning over me again as he reaches his hand out for me to take and shake. Without saying a word I take his large hand, his long fingers wrapping around to my palm. We both stare at each other as we silently agree to our deal. 

To our fake relationship. 

I let go of his hand, feeling his touch still linger on me as I step past him with goosebumps on my arms. 

I turn around once more before meeting the corner and snicker: “By the way, you owe me a new phone.”

His gaze follows me the entire time. He shortly seems puzzled by my words but instantly his calm mime returns.

“Everything you want.” 

He smiles. I smile.

Then laughter. 

[stiles-o-dylan24]

Since is the only story that you completed, what's your favorite scene/scenes of IABY?

Oh thank you for saying “scenes” bc I have sooooo many🤭

Season 1:

cafeteria scene in chapter 3

Animal clinic scene in chapter 4

The entirety of chapter 7

Scene with Staddy after Scott yells at addy in chapter 8

Also chapter 8 at the end between Scott and Addy

all the scenes between derek and addy in chapter 9

Mall scene with addy, Lydia and Allison during chapter 11

Staddy at winter formal just like all the scenes from arrival to him carrying her away from the field

stiles yelling where is she when he gets to the hospital

Also love the scene when Chris corners them in the hallway in chapter 12 and says “rough night kids?” After looking at their bloody clothes😂

Season 2:

Scene where Addy trips over her feet and crashes into stiles against the tree when they’re hiding from Allison’s dad in chapter 13

Scene with addy, Allison and Lydia walking into school together in chapter 14

The scene where Addy Allison and Lydia get ready for ice skating in chapter 15 plus then the entire ice skating scenes

Staddy after Erica knocks them out and he gives her his flannel chapter 15

Staddy beginning of chapter 16 at the auto shop when they’re paralyzed on the floor "show me your blues" makes me melt every time

pool scene with addy stiles and Derek

loved the scene with Isaac and addy when they get paired during the class group experiment

the library scene of destruction and stiles protecting addy

the club scene

when stiles sees addy before Lydias birthday party and when Scott, addy and stiles are talking before the hallucinations

basically everything from the police station, all the little moments between staddy

noah hugging addy when she gets to the house after stiles was found

also the staddy fight because it was the first really angsty scene I ever really wrote and I was terrified it wouldn't be ok but I loved how it turned out

Season 3:

deer scene, bird scene, end scene with Derek burning Scott's tattoo of episode 1

addy stiles and Peter in the loft

the cuddling/sleeping/HAND ON LEG of staddy on the bus

the entire motel California episode

addy and Cora pissing each other off bc addy isn't a psychic

stiles holding addy's hand when they go back to the school after noah doesn't believe him about the supernatural

when addy screams for the first time and Scott can hear it

addy just collapsing into stiles' arms after they get the garrote off her neck

Derek taking addy's side against Jennifer at his loft and all the times at the hospital

stiles and addy seeing suit for the first time

THE. PANIC. ATTACK. SCENE. and their hug after

stiles addy and suit talking in the classroom

Scott and addy both trying to sacrifice themselves for their mom

Isaac and addy talking before the three wake up out of the water

stiles and addy in bed even though it was a dream

how they sit together at the lunch table when Kira explains bardo to them

stiles thinking he's dreaming and addy has him count her fingers and he places his hands on hers and counts again by pressing his fingers into hers

the bear trap scene

also the little scene with Malia and addy in the car when they're dropping Malia off at home

the party scene, staddy dancing and then almost kissing

addy going with her parents and finding stiles, how she holds him when he's waking up, also calling her dad 'dad' for the first time since she was little and not suit

Scott and addy talking in the hallway before going to the hospital to see stiles

the hospital MRI scene when Scott and addy are talking to stiles BEFORE THE FOREHEAD KISS

addy figuring out stiles is void

the animal clinic scene between her and void

stiles and malia talking about chemo signals in eichen

void and addy-- just like all their interactions

specifically in the LOFT like I know I wrote it but I loved that loft scene and how it turned out sooo much

how strongly addy took stiles' side throughout all of void

stiles holding addy after allison

stiles holding addy after she's crying and taking the blame for Allison

how touchy staddy is that whole last episode

THE CONFESSION

basically all of season 3 there's multiple moments in EVERY episode that I just adored writing and was obsessed with. season 3 supremacy thank you

Season 4:

beginning scene on the porch and them finding out their parents bet on when they'd get together

when they're walking around Mexico and he lifts her shirt up

the BELT LOOP PULL I mean I knew I was obsessed with it but I didn't think you guys would love it as much as me and I'm obsessed with your guys' reactions to it

just all their scenes in episode 1

how Scott pulls stiles from the animal clinic to leave addy with Derek also the scene the next morning and how he tells him not to be a jealous boyfriend

stiles addy Derek getting to her house and also the next scene with papa McCall

their first makeout sesh against the door HELLO

when Scott calls to tell them about the attack at the hospital and stiles just says "he didn't have a mouth" and addy just accepts that and starts to put her shoes on

addy helping Malia in the basement of Lydias lake house

addy and stiles' talk outside after🥺

stiles giving addy his hoodie

addy saving bret by screaming and stiles and Scott finding her after

stiles carrying addy into the vault and just the rest of the chapter from there, her talking to him before he's leaving and then when he comes back covered in blood and scott and addy welcome him back

addy trying to be there Liam

the whole jeep scene from them getting there and the rain and just THEM

the whole scene with Liam stiles addy and Derek on their way to mexico

Season 5:

staddy talking about the future in the first episode

how stiles wakes her up and brings her coffee in the next chapter

addy taking stiles' side and knowing something is off with theo

when they're all paralyzed from Stacy and addy is bleeding out it's awful but I love how the scene came together

stiles' speech to her when she's in the hospital and hasn't woken up yet

the way stiles explains what happened with Donovan and addy being there for him completely

Scott and Kira's talk about staddy when they're in eichen

staddy being Liam's parents the whole season basically especially when him and Hayden were taken and they're brought back

Scott stiles and addy breaking up in the rain and addy standing up to Scott/being there for stiles

especially in the beginning of the next chapter when the jeep breaks down and stiles gets too angry he throws the wrench at the windshield. the way he says he made sure she was not going to get hurt before he there it and she reassures him that SHE KNOWS THAT

stiles punching Theo when he figures out he took addy

Lydia pushing addy out of the way of theo

addy going to eichen to save lydia

everything about those three chapters revolving about figuring out addy is in eichen and rescuing her

specifically when they're at the animal clinic

Lydia coming over and helping addy do her hair to hide her wounds

staddy at the game before the beast ends up attacking the school

figuring out addy is Malia's anchor

end of the season when stiles and addy are talking about Allison and then addy's bday

Staddy in the wintertime

this miniseries owns my whole heart I'm sorry I love it all and every scene even if most people don't include it to be apart of the series🤣

Season 6:

the first episode😭 it sucked and was so sad but I loved how it all turned out

addy knowing something is wrong right away

how hard she tried to remember stiles

saying she'd punch Malia in the boob if she argued with her about stiles being real one more time

the whole radio silence episode I thought it turned out really good for both addy's pov and stiles'

the remembering stiles episode and how I decided to have addy look at her memories. I thought it was really different and I liked how it turned out

their REUNION both outside and in the locker room

there wasn't a lot in the last ten chapters but I did like how much I was able to bring stiles to the episodes even though I know not a lot of people read season 6.

the moments with Lydia and addy in those last chapters were some of my favs, along with addy and Malia, Scott and Liam. I liked how I reworked those episodes a lot.

after addy is shot and noah visits her in the hospital bringing her a Pina colada smoothie like she did for him after he was in the hospital in season 5

Scott helping addy into the jeep and telling her he called stiles, also taking her pain away for her

staddy's reunion again and she tells him where she was shot

the animal clinic scene with the whole group one last time

Every SINGLE part of the epilogues😌

aaaaaaand I can’t wait to add more when we factor in the movie🩵

[vivalatoons]

My Talk: Yuri On Ice

Can you hear my heart beat? Anyway, this anime has exploded everyone with amazing story and ice skating. This is the reflection of Yuri On Ice.

Yes, this website is how and the reason why I watched the show. The end of 2016 was nothing but gay ice skating. My friends also told me to check it out. I gave in, so I headed to the ice rink.

Plot: Here, we meet Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese figure skater who takes a break from ice staking after a crushing defeat the Grand Prix Final and goes to this hometown. After doing a routine from his idol, Russian figure skater Victor Nikiforov, that gets secretly recorded and goes on the Internet, Victor goes to Yuri’s hometown and becomes Yuri’s coach. This leads to a series of competition, love, and ice skating.

Characters: There are a lot of characters in Yuri On Ice. Too many that a season couldn’t cover everyone with fair screen time. So, we’re doing a lighting round. Yuri Katsuki is an anxious ice skater who loves pork cutlet. Victor Nikiforov is an ice skater as well, but puts it on hold to coach Yuri. Yuri “Yurio” Plisetsky is an angsty teen with a bad attitude and a passion to ice skate. More characters include Yoko and Taksehi with their three triplets, Minako, Otabek, Guang-Hong, Chris, JJ, Phichit, Mickey, and many characters and ice skaters.

Animation and ice skating: The animation is done by MAPPA. Anytime an ice skater perform, the routine was choreographed by a real-life ice skater. Each perform took a lot of time to animate. There was a new animation format used to animate the character skating. I’m not particularly a fan of ice skating. I tried before but fail miserably and ended up hurting my ankles. Now, I’m not saying ice skating is stupid. However, this show made me appreciate those who do skate on ice. It must be challenging to not only skate on ice, but perform your heart’s content for a competition. I see that ice skating is a graceful sport where people express their emotions through skating. Thanks to this show, I begin seeing how awesome ice skaters are. 

Yamamoto and Kubo: Quick background on these two. Sayo Yamamoto is an anime director responsible for creating her own show, Michiko and Hatchin. She also directed Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Kubo is recent in anime world, and she has written manga like Moteki and Again!! These two women has swept the anime world with their love of ice skating. This duo has already broke so much fans with their excellent writing and characters. I admire Yamamoto for her direction on creating stories with diverse and a woman being the lead, and Kubo for telling a story about ice skating and added romance in the mix. 

“We need more.”: Originally in this section, I was talking about how I hope the success of Yuri On Ice will get them a second season because I want more from the characters and seeing Victor and Yuri again as a beautiful couple. Also, I mention the announcement of the movie, which on April 19th was cancelled and no longer happening. I wrote this post back in 2017 and kept it in my drafts for years because I was waiting for the movie to come out. I’m quite upset because it’s been over 7 years when they announced the movie. I feel for the cast and crew of the movie because they really care about the story and still admire the impact Yuri On Ice made. So, the future of Yuri On Ice is up in the air. I don’t want say it’s never coming back because things can happen, but it seems like we’ll never know what the next level is. Still, for what the show did and gave MAPPA the platform to finally work on other well-known project, you can’t deny that Yuri On Ice was one of the biggest influence for anime in the 2010s.

Yuri On Ice does make me appreciate the art of figure skating. This is my first sports anime, and it did make me admire those who ice skate for a living. The show continues to be praise for its portray for ice skating, LGBT+ representation, and splendid animation. It’s not be the greatest anime, but Yuri on Ice skated their ways to our hearts.

[vikkirosko]

Can I ask for hazbin hotel characters Charlie, Alastor, Vaggie, Angel Dust, and Cherri Bomb reacting to finding out there S/O is really flexible and a Figure Skater. Please, I love your writing, it is a lot of fun to read.

Headcanons Flexible skater

🌈 Charlie Morningstar x Reader 🎶

From the first day you met Charlie admired your flexibility. She never thought about what you were doing to be flexible until one day you asked if there was a skating rink in Hell. Charlie was surprised by your question but offered to show you the skating rink. She watched with delight in her eyes as you skated around the rink

As it turned out earlier, when you were a human, you were a professional figure skater. You spent many years training, but you couldn't compete in the championship because of your death. You have been starting your new life after death for a long time, and now that you were sure that no changes were planned in your life, you decided to return to the ice. You doubted that there would be sports competitions in Hell, but you didn't want to throw away your favorite sport

Charlie watched with delight as you easily circled on the ice. She was glad to see you happy and often came to the rink when she knew you were there. It was like you were dancing, easily performing complex figures. Charlie often talked enthusiastically about your workout, embarrassing you. You didn't see anything special about it, but for her it was something unimaginable

Charlie was sorry that you couldn't fulfill your dream, but she hoped that doing what you love would help you feel happy. She enjoyed listening to your stories about your training and competitions when you were alive. She understood how much figure skating meant to you and was ready to support you in this

❌️ Vaggie x Reader 🎀

Vaggie treated your flexibility calmly. She accepted it as a part of you and wasn't going to treat you any differently, despite the jokes from others when they found out about your flexibility. Vaggie was annoyed by these jokes, but you always calmed her down, seeing no point in getting angry about it

You didn't hide from Vaggie that when you were alive you were a figure skater. Even after going to Hell, you didn't give up your favorite sport on which you spent so many years of your life. Now you've had a huge amount of time to hone your skills to perfection. There were no figure skating competitions in Hell, but you continued to train not because of that, but for your own sake

Sometimes Vaggie came to the rink to see how you train. Every time you fell, she tried to come up to you and make sure you were all right, but every time you got up again and continued to train. You were not bothered by abrasions and bruises as long as you could continue to practice figure skating

Vaggie understood that figure skating meant a lot to you, so she supported you in your class. She was glad that even in Hell you were able to find something to do to your liking and the darkness of Hell could not break you and take away the joy of doing something that pleased you so much during your lifetime

🕷 Angel Dust x Reader 💖

Angel often joked about your flexibility. He was pretty flexible himself, but he still joked about it. He knew that every day in the evening you went somewhere and he was interested to find out where, but every time he asked you about it, you didn't answer, claiming that you had your own business. This aroused his curiosity and latent anxiety. He couldn't sit still, not knowing exactly where you go so often

When he secretly followed you, he was very surprised that you went to the ice rink every night. He had no idea that you died skating and that your skills were at the professional level. Only then did you tell him that when you were alive, you were a professional figure skater. You didn't want to lose the skills for which you spent so much time and effort, so you continued to study even in Hell

Angel has become a frequent guest of your training sessions. He liked to watch you perform complex figures. Several times he tried to ride with you, but he was far from your skills. However, you still helped him ride with a soft smile on your lips, considering it cute. Sometimes you showed him the programs with which you performed at competitions when you were alive. You remembered them by heart and they responded with warmth in your heart

Angel liked watching you skate. It was like you were an ice spirit dancing on a frozen lake. It fascinated him, as he often told you, confusing you. He couldn't miss the moment so as not to embarrass you

📻 Alastor x Reader 🎙

Alastor met you when you accidentally bumped into each other at the exit of the rink. You had just finished your workout and were about to go home when you accidentally bumped into him. At first you thought that your meeting was accidental, but when you met the next day in a cafe, you gradually began to communicate. Sometimes he would ask how your next training session went. He showed interest in your classes, but it wasn't until you started dating that he started attending your workouts

Alastor saw you warming up before going on the ice. He saw that you were very flexible. It was an important part of your training for you. You weren't bothered by the fact that Alastor was watching you. You haven't skated in front of someone for quite a while, so it was nice for you that someone was watching your workouts

Alastor often complimented your skills, which caused a sincere smile on your lips. You were pleased that your skills were appreciated. You've often heard in Hell that you need to stop wasting time and finally go all out. However, you weren't going to allow yourself that. You were not going to lose such precious skills for you that you have gained by spending a huge amount of time and effort

Alastor really enjoyed watching you skate. He was sure it was your calling. You sincerely loved what you were doing and he was ready to support you in this even if someone told you to stop doing it. Regardless of the situation, he was on your side

💣 Cherri Bomb x Reader 🍒

Cherri found out that you were very flexible when you went dancing together to the club. She was thrilled when she danced with you. She didn't think about why you were so flexible, because she herself was quite flexible and knew perfectly well a huge amount of training to become more flexible

In the evening, when you were planning to go to the cinema together, you texted Cherri that you would be a little late and wrote her the address where you would meet. She was surprised that it was a skating rink. She was interested in going inside, but the last thing she expected was to see you skating there. You skated at the professional level. She saw such figures only on TV when figure skating competitions were shown there. Your workout ended with her applause, which caused you to blush on your cheeks

While you were going to the cinema together, you told her that you were a professional figure skater before your death. I was engaged in you since childhood, but I could not win the championship I aspired to because you died. At first it upset you, but over time you came to terms with it. However, you weren't going to give up your training

From the day Cherri found out about your skater skills, you began to skate together often. You both liked it. Although Cherri's skills were not the same as yours, you were still glad that you could share your favorite activity with her. Next to her, skating took on a different meaning for you

[diedraechin]

First off, I would read anything you write 💜 Secondly, the title 'It's only a problem if you don't have a solution' sounds way fun and I'm here for it

Thank you so much! I spend most of my writing energy on bysotid which is why all of these are floating in WIP land... they get love when I need to work on something else because whatever bysotid scene is simmering in the background.

I have mentioned this fic before, but I don't know if it was titled then or if I shared a snippet. This is basically the "Sassy has come across one too many Yuuri the Virgin fics. Where are are all the Viktor the Virgin fics? Specifically Viktor the Virgin gets wrecked by Yuuri fics?"

Add in a dash of Chris being Chris and putting the whole thing into motion and we have "It's only a problem if you don't have a solution"!

I will say this one was really hard to snippet because everything I've written on it amuses me....

Viktor nodded. “Um. Yes.” Viktor fidgeted with the cup, finally putting it down and turning to Chris. “I’ve heard all your stories, find you attractive, and well, I trust you. And aren’t you always telling the little skaters that they shouldn’t run into things without thinking about it and without trusting their partners?”

Chris blinked at him. “You listen to my sex talks in the locker rooms?”

Again, Viktor nodded. “It seems… pertinent sometimes.”

Chris was quiet for almost too long and Viktor stared at him, worried he’d pushed past some sort of line that he wasn’t even aware existed. Probably didn’t know it existed because it wasn’t visible to virgins. Viktor looked away and his shoulders hunched. It was fine. This still wasn’t a problem. Being a virgin was not a problem.

“What did you want to do?” Chris’s hand landed on his knee and Viktor turned to face him. It was not the face of someone out to seduce him, but instead the face of his friend asking an honest question.

Viktor shook his head. “I told you. Have sex.”

“I know. I heard that part, but how? Obviously we’re talking with a man otherwise you wouldn’t have asked me, but do you think you’d like to be on top or the bottom? Neither?”

Oh. Oh. Of course. “Well, when I’ve thought about it…” Viktor trailed off. He had thought about it, thought about it a lot. It wasn’t like he’d never touched himself, after all. It just had never started with a conversation like this. And those fantasies had always ended with him on the “Bottom.”

“Oh.” Chris leaned back.

“Is that the wrong answer?”

Shaking his head, Chris chuckled. “There is no such thing as a wrong answer in this conversation. Just the issue of preferences not necessarily aligning.” Chris smiled at him. “Bottoming is a good choice. It’s my personal preference. And while I could top, or we could do something a little different... I think that for your first time, you deserve the best. There’s always your second or third or--”

“Chris!” Viktor sighed. Of course. He should have seen this coming, but he wasn’t ready to give up that easily. Giving up was not in Viktor’s vocabulary. “I could--”

Chris shook his head. “No, if you want to be taken, you should be taken exquisitely, and I know just who to call for that.”

Viktor’s eyes widened as Chris reached for his phone and Viktor shot his hand out to grab Chris’s wrist. “No! No, please, I don’t want every single figure skater to know!”

Chris reached out with his free hand and stroked Viktor’s cheek. “Don’t worry, mon ami. No one will know. In fact, even if it does get out, no one would ever believe it. People see what they want to see, after all.” Chris set the phone back down. “I won’t message him now, though, think about it and let me know before you go to Japan for those ice shows.”

Viktor nodded.

***

Chris He sent a pic. He’s in the corner by the wall. Absolutely gorgeous You’ll know who it is when you see him

Viktor If he’s skating in the ice show, you could have just told me who it is

Chris Nope. This is much more fun

Of course Chris would think that this was fun. It wasn’t fun at all. Viktor sighed and pulled the door open and headed straight for the counter, not bothering to look around. He wasn’t ready. He was more than ready for sex, but this little meet-cute or whatever that Chris was trying to arrange, Viktor was not ready for that.

Latte in hand, Viktor scanned the seating. There was only one person that Viktor recognized in the whole café and he was, in fact, sitting in the corner by the wall, and he was, in fact, gorgeous.  Viktor was also not sure what game Chris was playing, but was sure that he was, in fact, playing a game.

“Hi, Yuuri!” Viktor set down his coffee and slid into the seat across from Yuuri Katsuki before he could change his mind. “I hope that I didn’t keep you waiting long. I got a bit turned around. We should have just come together from the rink, don’t you think?”

Yuuri was staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Viktor glanced down at the table, this was not going well already. One of Yuuri’s hands was clinging to his coffee cup so tightly Viktor thought the ceramic might shatter while the other was nervously fidgeting with the spoon before suddenly stopping.  “Sorry. Um. Chris didn’t tell me who I was meeting.”

Viktor looked up at the quiet voice. Yuuri’s gaze slid away from him and to the wall when he realised that Viktor was looking at him again. It was sweet, cute even, how nervous Yuuri was. This was also not what Viktor asked Chris to do.

Viktor wanted someone to fuck him. He wasn’t looking to be set up on a meet-cute.

Yuuri Katsuki didn’t seem like the type who would fulfill that first bit.

[chiliiscereal]

May I offer a prompt of how the turtles would be with a mom friendTM? you know the type I mean? like.... I think they might benefit from that kind of friend in the group lol (also I love your stories, your such a cool writer keep up the awesome work!)

Rottmnt headcanon: mom friend TM

And thanks so much!

Mom friends are severely underrated XD

——

-Okay these boys need a mom friend badly

-but that’s where you come in!

-as the mom friend you keep them safe in many ways

Donnie💜

-starting with this guy, he never really wanted a mom friend

-when April first brought you over he was cold

-didn’t even bother talking to you

-you were determined to befriend him, even though he left whenever you tried to talk to him

-you became comfortable with the turtles quickly and the others accepted your mom friend nature

-not Donnie though

-he didn’t hate you, sure, but you were too much

-you were too overbearing and too nervous for his safety!

-you’d make him wear a helmet when he used his jet pack 

-you made him put on SUNSCREEN whenever he went outside

-you told him to be careful when rewiring a project even!

-it’s like you wanted to ruin his bad boy image

-he hated it and wanted you to stop being so smothering

-…

-…until he realized that attention and moral support comes with the smothering

-the moment he realizes that he’s all for it

-he’s no longer hiding his inventions from you so you won’t bug him, but he’s seeking you out for your advice and praise

“Hey so I made this and… I don’t know…”

“Wow you built that? It’s awesome!” 

“Really? I mean, I know, I just wanted to show you that it was.”

-praise ain’t something this boy has

-have you SEEN how his brothers react to his ideas?

-he needs this

-with praise comes affection

-I’m talking homemade snacks and questions that his brothers never ask

-you’re there if he needs a cup of coffee or if he hasn’t eaten in a while or taken a nap

-“don, it’s been two days since you slept go to bed.”

-“*hissssss*”

-“I’ll make a cup of coffee for you after...?”

-“*hisses but less intense*”

-you may be good at making snacks and everything

-very good in facts

-but the questions are probably his favorite part

“Woah what’s that supposed to do?”

“Well it’s a device that’s meant to fix all the broken McDonald’s ice cream machines.”

“That’s amazing! What did you use to build it? How does it work?”

-you’re actually trying to learn about his work!

-you’re trying to learn about him!

-he loves it

-and he loves that you’re careful to

-it’s a nice change from his brothers

-you’re someone he can depend on

-doesn’t matter if it’s missions or just being a good friend

-and I mean it when I say depend

-you’re there when he needs help rewiring something or just to simply talk about his dumb dumb brothers

-honestly April isn’t even mad that Donnie stole one of her best friends

-she knows he needs this

-Donnie fully learned to trust you after the purple dragons mishap

-you told him they were untrustworthy but his heart was dead set on that satin jacket

-when he came back to the lair, late at night, with no satin jacket and a handful of his missing tech, he found you raising an eyebrow at him from where you had sat to wait for him

-he knew from then on to trust you and your opinions, even though his often got in the way

-you can often be found sitting on Donnies bed while he works, offering your company and comments

-Normally no one else is allowed in while he works but that’s just because they don’t have anything positive to provide

 Raph❤️ 

-Raph IS the mom friend

-your mom friend energy and his mom friend energy just work together so well together

-I’m talking planning missions together, figuring new ways to trick his brothers into being responsible, cleaning the dishes, and even making snacks together

-“so the mission is tomorrow right?”

-“yep! Should we bring apples with peanut butter or pretzels with hummus?”

-“well Donnie doesn’t like peanut butter, but Mikey does, so both?”

-“awesome! And you’ve got the water covered?”

-“dude I even have caprisuns packed so we’re ready!”

-the others find it to be too much with the two of you but Raph really appreciates the help

-especially during the pizza puff episode

-oh that part nearly set you on fire with worry

-Raph had never seen you that worked up

-you had a fan for Leo, a bowl for Mikey, and a bag of fruit snacks for Donnie

-Raph has to activate his supreme mom friend energy to get you to stop hovering over them

-that meant literally dragging you away from them so they could figure things out on their own

-he’s seen you be a mom friend to them all the time

-but never once for him

-you two were like... co mom friends working together to stop the younger irresponsible three

-until Raph got separated in the sewer

-oh man you were torn with worry

-you nearly destoryed the place looking for him

-and finding him all savage like that... ack that was enough to practically shatter your heart in two

-once he stopped trying to barbecue villains and destroy his brothers you took him to the lair and helped him calm down

-you even turned on a movie for the two of you so he could relax

-it was nice to have your best friend and partner in stopping crime back

-Raph of course was embarrassed because it’s HIS job to help everyone, not the other way around

-after much assurance you had him convinced that you didn’t mind

-he was grateful to have you and your help

-he just wished you didn’t worry quite so much

Leo 💙:

-this boy is soaking it all up from the start

-someone to compliment him?

-someone to help him out?

-someone to admire his achievements?

-oh he’s all for it

-he’s showing off skateboard stunts, he’s doing flips, and he’s randomly pulling you to him and creating a portal

-usually you end up somewhere sketchy but sometimes it works out

-you always have to be ready though

-one minute you’re walking to the projector room and the next you’re in New Jersey with a sheepish looking red slider

-his only problem is now he has to be more careful with skateboard tricks

-he’s fine with a helmet but when it comes to you hovering next to him while he’s going down the skate ramp...

-eh he’s not so fond of that

-praise?

-sure

-home made gifts and cards?

-always appreciated

-but you constantly trying to protect him from things he knew how to do?

-no

-just no

-now he only feels like he can skate if you’re not there or if he goes to a skate park without telling you

-you figure out quickly and still worry that he’ll mess up a flip

-doesn’t matter if you’re watching or not

-you’re the mom friend

-your job is to worry

-you promised that you’d stop worrying about him if he can back

-you didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable in his own home!

-he agreed and you did your best to keep your promise

-...

-until he actually messed up a flip

-you don’t know WHAT he landed on but it must have been sharp because there was a LOT of blood

-maybe you thought there was a lot because you were so worried but still

-you hadn’t even been in the room but you heard his shout (and crash) and you came running

-oh he was lucky you carried gauze and everything in your bag because other wise they’d have to go buy some

-you chewed him out while patching him up, much to his displeasure

-you’re both sweet and sour about it

-“I’m fine! Look, nothing’s broken!”

-“I TOLD you that you could get hurt! I TOLD you it wasn’t safe! Why did you not listen- I’m sorry does that hurt? I’m sorry!”

-“yeah it does hurt-.”

-“than you should have listened to me!!”

-for a while he’s bitter that you were just waiting for him to mess up

-clearly you thought he was just a big clutz to you

-but after a while of him avoiding you and pouting you brought it up again

-“I’m not just waiting for you to fail you know. I just want you to be okay.”

-“that’s not what it feels like! You clearly don’t trust me!”

-“life happens, Leo! Doesn’t matter how skilled you are! You’re an amazing skater but sometimes mistakes are made!”

-ha that changed his tune quickly

-“you think I’m an amazing and skilled skater?

-you just rolled your eyes and left, not saying anything about his comment

-didn’t matter

-this boy is all smiles for the rest of the day

Mikey🧡:

-he was on board from the very start

-he’s got cuddles, piggy back rides, and his own art fan/critic

-lots of baking and cooking together

-maybe even drawing if he’s lucky

-only problem?

-you don’t trust him to go out on his own

-even if it’s just to grab a video game from the store or pick up pizza

-“I’m just going down the block!”

-“what if someone sees you?”

-“I’ll be careful!”

-“just let me go with you.”

-“no! I can do this on my own!”

-you’re always offering to give him a ride or tag along just because you don’t want anything to happen to him

-that means, of course, sneaking out

-not for a long time, just enough to get some air

-but that also means you’re staying up late waiting for him to come back

-he’s your buddy!

-you can’t let anything happen to him!

-he didn’t know about it until he found you cashed out on the couch with the lamp still on

-normally you gave him an excuse about why you were still up, such as a late night snack or a movie

-but your phone and the tv were both off

-he decided to think nothing of it until he noticed that you were grumpier in the mornings

-he didn’t want his actions to affect you so he started coming back earlier

-even texting you and telling you he was fine

-you two talked and set up a deal

-he could go out by himself and you wouldn’t stay up late waiting for him as long as you had his location on your phone

-it was easier for both you from then on

[uglytsumugi12]

shine▲polyhedric tri-lights 【ep 4】

♢ characters: natsume, sora, tsumugi, madara

♢ season: winter

― ☆ ―

Sora: HaHa~! HiHi~! HuHu~!

Ice skating is so funn~♪ Sora wants to jump just like a figure skater!

Madara: Hahaha. Sora still looks the same even while ice skating, doesn't he? Rather, he looks even more energetic than usual ♪

Now. What about the other two…

Natsume: WeLL, this is rather eaSY. We wouldn't want to make fools of ourselves in front of the puBLIC, after aLL.

I'm not bad at exercisING, I simply do not want to waste my enerGY. Please don't get the wrong idEA.

Madara: Ooh, you're right, Natsume-san. Although you tend to get overshadowed by Sora's unique physical abilities, your foundation is good!

By the way, I can't seem to find Tsumugi-san?— …Oh? That figure holding onto the railing at the entrance, that's….

Tsumugi: A- Ah, I'm okay! Look, I can even let go of the railing—

U- Uwaah–?!

…Haha. Looks like I accidentally fell~….

Marada: No way, no way! I would've never expected Tsumugi-san to know how to skate so well~¹

Natsume: You walk as pathetically as a newborn faWN. Where did all that boldness and self-praising from before GO?

Even your hair got completely frizzy from the coLD², mophEAD. SeriouSLY, I'm disappointed in yOU.

Tsumugi: Aah, what kind of insult is that…?!

I was confident until I started skating..~ When I was little, I knew how to skate quite well…

Perhaps growing taller has made me less agile.

Madara: Hmm. Tsumugi-san is so tall that keeping his balance is quite hard, isn't it? I guess that's part of the strenghts and weaknesses of having a nice figure.

Alright. Lemme escort you!

Hold my hands until you regain your childhood senses, Tsumugi-san ♪

Tsumugi: Thank you, Mikejima-kun.

Ahh, I didn't know skating after a long time would be so hard… I thought it was the same as cycling or swimming-- once you've learned it, you never forget it…

Maybe if I skate a bit, I'll be able to regain my old senses. Until then, thank you for helping me… ♪

Sora: HeHe~? Giant-san and senpai are sliding so elegantly, just like ballroom dancers.

Natsume: I think what you mean is more like ice dancING.

Either wAY, we only need to bring out the sporty apeal of Switch through extracurricular activitIES. I don't think it'd be possible for it to happen in such a short span of tIME.

..HM, looks like they're having fun over heRE. Come ON, let's skate on our oWN, SoRA.

Sora: Yes! Let's skate together so that we don't lose to them two!

Madara: Hehe. They look so full of energy, I kinda envy them.

Tsumugi: Mhm, you're right. This whole project... Sora-kun said he wanted to work on it. I find myself regretting having chosen Switch's form in it by myself before I was aware of that…

During the "Magic Lantern Fest"… He'd said that Switch will show to the world many beautiful things.

If Switch's future is to show to the world many of the stuff Sora-kun loves, then…

We'll have to show him things he might love in more details, like parkour, or other physical activities.

Ah… This will be quite the challenge, won't it?

Madara: What you're saying is really nice, though I doubt anyone would take you seriously with how you're waddling around like a toddler right now, y'know?

Well, I agree with you that the juniors--rather, the newcomers--are pretty much breaking our initial norms.

Like with the recent success of ALKALOID, CrazyB's boldness, and such.

They come from an outside system working differently from ours… And they're skillfully breaking the old traditions.

Hmm.. Oh! I think there's a more accurate precedent to them, right? Trickstar. They were the one to break Yumenosaki Academy's old system. Ah, I can't possibly talk about this topic without mentioning their story.

Tsumugi: That's right. And thanks to that happening, Eichi-kun also looks much happier than before…

Oh, speaking of newcomers… Oukawa-kun is also one of them, isn't he? I feel that since you've been more active in Double Face, your usual mood has also quite changed.

Now that we have something to protect, we're taking our unit activities much more seriously. I wonder if this has to do with the juniors' influence…

If so, I think it'd be very nice ♪

Madara: Ohh. Hm. I wonder, if I try to see things similarly to Tsumugi-san's point of view…

Well now that you mention it.. Right after ES was etablished, I was mostly working behind the scenes, which caused my idol activities in MaM to decrease.

Since Double Face was formed, I've been able to perform much more. I wonder if this is thanks to Kohaku-san's help.

Tsumugi: If I had to say, I do think it is~♪

I'll have to learn from you. In no way must I disturb Sora-kun and Natsume-kun's development.

I feel that if I do this… They'll be the ones inspiring me to climb even higher.

Madara: Haha, those youngsters… They grow faster everyday. If you're too slow for them, they might not even wait for you to catch up!

First of all, we gotta get you to skate! C'mon, do you think you can try without slipping?

Tsumugi: Yes! I'll do my best…♪

—

1- the phrasing doesnt rly go like this but id thought itd fit mama more in a teasing/ironic way LMAO 2- here natsume uses a term like..."white fur" which is kinda like how animals have their fur standing on end when its cold outside. which also kinda bring back to the fawn as well

― ☆ ― ♢ previous chapter ♢ next chapter

✦ masterlist

[nobodyfamousposts]

Miracle Queen Aftermath

Because there is a disappointing lack of focus or depth for the aftermath of Miracle Queen in canon, I have made my own.

Be warned of: Chloe salt. A lot of it. Chloe faces consequences for things.

Some Bustier salt. Some Adrien being called out on things (but he gets better).

Enjoy!

In the weeks following the Miracle Queen incident, a lot had happened.

Hawk Moth had increased his power, and was now able to summon akumas and amoks at the same time.

Master Fu was gone and now Ladybug found herself the official Guardian of the Miraculous—along with the Miracle Box, kwamis, and duties that entails.

Marinette had resolved to let go of her crush on Adrien, and to support him and Kagami in their new relationship together.

And Chloe had been arrested and would now be going on trial for assisting a terrorist.

It was that last bit of news that had caused the most commotion in Paris and the world at large. What people would have dismissed as simply another akuma attack turned into a much greater matter when accusations started to be made about Chloe helping the super villain intentionally. This was soon backed by multiple eyewitness accounts and further proven by leaked video evidence showing Chloe not only attempting to grab a butterfly for herself after she was de-akumatized but even negotiating with the terrorist before the incident in which she betrayed the heroes of Paris and revealed the identities of most of the team.

To say that the people of Paris were outraged was putting it mildly. People were akumatized over it. Chloe was in a secured facility where she had armed guards around to watch her just as much as they were there to protect her. New legislation was being considered to specifically address willingly aiding supervillains. The backlash was so severe that many were calling the mayor’s own position into question.

After all, if his daughter could do all of that, who was to say that he wasn’t also in Hawk Moth’s pocket?

For Mayor Andre, his hands were tied. While he had covered for his daughter and her selfishness in the past, this was one thing he couldn’t overlook. Not when it brought his position as mayor under scrutiny. And certainly not when it opened a probe into his own dealings.

None of this was helped either by the multitude of witnesses of Chloe‘s past behavior. In particular, her many victims over the years.

And there were a lot.

Now that Chloe was actually being held accountable for something, it seemed to have opened a floodgate of outcries as the many people she tormented finally felt able to air their grievances. They came out on TV, on social media, on radio. Stories littered the air and internet of the horrors of dealing with this single teenage girl.

“She tried to cheat during this designing competition. She apparently stole some other girl’s hat design and tried to pass it off as her own.”

“She was the reason the mayor tried to shut down my ice skating rink! To build another gym! Paris has enough gyms! Why couldn’t she just go to one of those?”

“She had her dad shut down Clara Nightingale’s music video and got her akumatized just because she didn’t get to play Ladybug. We waited in that line for HOURS and didn’t get chosen either, but no one else threw a fit over it.”

“She shoved a giant signed poster of Adrien Agreste professing his love to her in my friend’s face just to make her cry! I found out after the fact that he didn’t even know about it!”

“Our entire school was punished for someone pulling the fire alarm except for her because she threatened our principal. So while the rest of us were having to clean up the school, she spent the entire time insulting and making fun of us.“

“Knowing her, she probably pulled the fire alarm in the first place.”

“She tried to crash a train! I don’t think I can emphasize that enough: she tried to crash a train!“

“Chloe Bourgeois joined up with Hawk Moth? Can’t say it’s a shock.”

“Yeah, given how many akumas she caused, I’d been wondering if she hadn’t been working with him all along.”

It wasn’t that unbelievable to the populous. Nor did anyone feel particularly sympathetic towards her for her current situation. Some might have for lack of knowing her, but Chloe had carved herself a special place in the memories and hearts of nearly every Parisian. There was nobody who didn’t know of her or have some experience with her by this point. So when it came out that she was arrested and facing criminal charges, the response was…rather telling.

Practically everyone was calling loved ones as soon as they heard, resulting in high phone and internet traffic. The Ladyblog crashed after making the announcement. Several people threw parties. People over the internet started coming up with a list of “Things We Will Be Allowed To Do Once Chloe Is In Prison”, with a count that currently rested at 139 and was rising quickly. One guy bought 500 cupcakes and just started passing them out to people on the street singing a jaunty little tune from some late 1930’s cult classic American movie. The school had closed down for a couple of days due to several teachers calling out sick—possibly with hangovers from celebrating a bit too hard. Various Queen-related hashtags and memes were trending with each seeming to fight for the top spot of most used. #let her eat cake was currently in the lead. And Mr. Ramier somehow orchestrated a 21 pigeon salute. On Chloe’s rooftop.

As it was, nobody expressed surprise when it came out that she worked with a supervillain. Many were disappointed, shaking their heads and saying “if only something had been done sooner” or blaming the parents and teachers and other adults in her life. Most were angry, mainly that things had been allowed to get this far and that they hadn’t been acted on earlier—particularly after the train incident.

But no. Nobody was surprised.

Except, perhaps, Marinette herself.

Still reeling from the events of Miracle Queen and the aftermath of…well…everything involved, Marinette had been questioning herself. Constantly. Incessantly. Going over and over in her mind all the things she could have done differently. Blaming herself for all the major blows to their team.

She lost her mentor. Her allies have been compromised. Chloe, one of her former allies, chose to betray them all. Hawk Moth had the grimoire now. Marinette didn’t have a grimoire. Fu had no memories.

And it was all because of her mistakes.

Last time, the prospect of never having to deal with Chloe again had been a relief.

Now…it was background static to her.

She could barely hear the announcements and cheers over the endless cycle of her own thoughts.

I should have tried harder. I should have been more aware. I failed them all. This is because of me.

So while everyone else in Paris was celebrating, de-stressing, or just outright reveling in the news, Marinette was grieving. With the help of the kwamis and Chat Noir, she had been trying to come to terms with what happened and figure out the next plan of action.

Hawk Moth had changed the game, so she needed to step up hers.

The days seemed to have passed in a blur. Between working with the kwamis, trying to recreate and retranslate the grimoire, and simply trying to deal with the remnants of Fu’s life that he had left to her, Marinette had barely even kept up with the current state of things in Paris. Or in particular, Chloe.

Not until the day came when Bustier made an announcement.

Chloe‘s trial date was finally decided. And though she didn’t say as such, it was clear that the case against her was pretty solid. There was video evidence. Eye witness accounts. And Chloe’s own words and actions working against her.

The odds were not in her favor on this. Even if her parents did try to help her, she wasn’t going to get off this time. Aside from getting the best lawyers money by, there really wasn’t much they could do.

Maybe that was why Bustier had tried to step in?

“Now class, I have received word that they are moving to the next step with Chloe’s hearing. Right now, they are looking for character witnesses for Chloe’s defense.” The kind teacher explained, causing Marinette to snap to awareness and realize just what was going on. Partly because of the mention of Chloe and her court case.

But mostly because of the sudden dead silence in the class…

To be fair, she wasn’t sure she could say anything either. Marinette felt her throat go dry and her muscles tense. There was a sudden tightness in her lungs that while she could breathe, it felt like she was suffocating. Why was Bustier bringing this up now?

The teacher smiled, seemingly unaware of the sudden tension and Marinette’s slow drowning. “I know this has been a difficult experience knowing that one of your classmates is facing such a trial. And Chloe will certainly need support. So I thought it would be kind if everyone wrote a letter supporting her for the hearing coming up, so the courts can hear about Chloe and understand more about who she is.”

Silence. Dead silence.

Maybe Bustier herself picked up on the growing tension, as she proceeded to move to passing out papers to the class. “I thought it would make for a nice project, so I will give you all the forms explaining the requirements. Take some time to think over what positive things you want to say about Chloe. If you have any questions, please feel free to come talk to me.”

After that, she quickly left the room, citing the desire to let them have this free time to work on the letters.

The class remained silent for a good minute after she left. Almost as if they were questioning if she would return. Or perhaps if she was listening.

Then—

“‘Think about what positive things we want to say about Chloe?’ Well that’s easy!” Alix spoke blithely, curling the paper she received into a ball. “Nothing!” She shouted and tossed it over her shoulder. “Assignment done!”

Murmurs filled the classroom. Some sounded uncertain, but most seemed to be in agreement. Or at least expressing distaste for the assignment.

“Is she serious?”

“Does she really expect us to?”

“Of all the worst ideas...”

Marinette could hear them, but couldn’t seem to acknowledge anything around her. And furthermore, she couldn’t make herself respond.

Chloe‘s trial was set for a point in the next few weeks, and at this point there was no denying just what type of person she was. If anything, this was probably the first time that anyone was allowed to actually speak their mind about the girl, and they were all reveling in it. Her classmates in particular.

Marinette couldn’t quite bring herself to.

Sure, Chloe has tried to blackmail her more than once.

And damaged her gift to their teacher.

And attempted to frame her a few times.

And stolen her hat design.

And her diary.

And a Miraculous.

And all of the other Miraculous.

But...she had been doing better for a while there, hadn’t she?

Didn’t she only betray them all in the end because Marinette had chosen Kagami over her for her own selfish reasons? Didn’t Hawk Moth only capture Fu because of her own mistake? Hadn’t Chloe only revealed everyone else because she felt betrayed? Couldn’t Marinette have done more to prevent Chloe turning?

Wasn’t a simple letter on Chloe’s virtues the least she could do?

So why...

Why couldn’t she seem to bring herself to?

Kim frowned, looking at his paper in worry. “We’re not going to get graded on this, are we?”

Nathaniel huffed. “I’ll willingly take the failing grade any day.”

“Hear hear!”

“But if it’s a grade…” Max murmured to himself. Out of everyone in the class, he took his grades the most seriously, so this was no doubt a difficult choice for him. He looked at his paper with a rather conflicted expression for a minute before sighing and turning it face-down on the desk. “No. It’s an impossible task in the first place.”

Kim rested a hand on Max’s shoulder in sympathy. It wasn’t that he cared as much about grades as Max did, but it was clear that the fallout of refusing could be more troubling for the genius who took his academic performance so seriously. If Bustier did make it a mandatory assignment with a grade, it’d be horribly unfair of her.

“What was it Chloe said before?” Ivan asked, looking over his page with a glare. “Once a monster, always a monster? I guess she’d know more than anyone.”

Mylene hugged him. “You’re not a monster. You never chose to be.”

“None of us did.” Nino agreed.

“Nobody did except her.” Alix bit out.

Mumbles of agreement came from the rest of the class. It was clear that none of them were on board with having anything to do with Chloe, much less try to help her with her current legal woes.

There was a large part of Marinette that agreed with them. But even so, there was also a large part of her that insisted she had to do the right thing and help.

She knew she should say something. She was supposed to say something here. Because it was her fault, after all. She was Ladybug. She had to be the better person. Shouldn’t she?

“Marinette? Girl, are you okay?” Alya asked, drawing her attention. “You look a bit pale.”

It was too much. It was suffocating.

“I think I need some air. Excuse me.”

She didn’t know if anyone watched her leave the classroom. She hadn’t even noticed if anyone had chosen to follow her.

Not until…

“Marinette, are you all right?”

She spun around in surprise.

“Oh! Adrien! Hey! Hi! Hello!” She blabbered. Why was he here? Did he come out after her? Why? She didn’t need this right now! She struggled enough with him under normal circumstances, she wasn’t sure she could handle being alone with him now. Her stress over everything was bad enough, but having him approach her set her anxiety skyrocketing.

“Hey,” he replied, smiling at her—and oh, what a beautiful smile. On any other day, it would ease her worries and make her want to swoon, but right now, it just made her more nervous.

“Are you all right?” He asked again. “You didn’t look so well in class.”

“Y-yeah. Just…” she sighed. “I just have a lot on my mind. With…you know…everything.”

He nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean.”

She smiled. She could always count on Adrien to be a calming supportive friend. He was always so sweet and reliable. If anyone could understand or relate to the chaotic mix of emotions she was feeling, he could.

He sighed in sympathy. “Poor Chloe.”

She froze.

“Chloe?”

“Well, yeah.” He replied, like it was obvious. “I mean, she did a bad thing, but now she’s going through the worst experience of her life. One that could ruin her future. And people are glad about it!” He shook his head. “It’s just too cruel.”

Marinette just stared.

He wasn’t wrong. But…that was what he was worried about?

She couldn’t fault him of course, because Adrien was always so kind and considerate and of course he’d feel for Chloe but…something about this just…pulled at something inside of her and was choking it.

“Chloe is already suffering enough and it feels like no one wants to help her. You heard them.” He gestured back to the classroom. “We’re being given an opportunity to make a difference for her and they’re all just saying she deserves it. Chloe is alone and hurting and they want her to hurt more.”

She felt a denial on her lips but couldn’t give voice to it.

“Everyone is so great with each other. It’s always just Chloe who is kind of on the outside. I know you’ve seen it.”

She hadn’t, actually. Because it was never Chloe on the outside looking in, it was Chloe looking down on them. Whether it was because she genuinely thought she was better or because it made her feel better to do so.

He hesitated for a moment before looking at her. And there was something in his expression that told her he was about to ask something. A gut feeling told her that it was going to be something she wouldn’t like.

“Do you think you could talk to them?” He asked her, looking so sad and despondent that she just wanted to hug him and agree to anything to make that look go away.

“M-me?”

He wanted her to convince her classmates to help Chloe?

“I know you and Chloe have had your differences, but you’ve been able to see past her front. And you’ve done a lot to help her before.” He smiled. “Like the party you threw for her after she became Queen Bee.”

A traitorous voice asked if giving her a second chance with the Miraculous she had previously stolen wasn’t enough? Why did she have to feel bad for her leaving and throw her a party to make her feel special?

“Chloe really needs the help right now. And you’re always so good about that sort of thing.” He looked to her imploringly. “Do you think you could try to get them to at least give Chloe a hand? I don’t know what impact it’ll have in her hearing, but any little bit helps, right?”

Go back in there? With the tension and the suffocation to try and convince her classmates to help when she was questioning whether to herself?

But she had to, right? After all, couldn’t she have prevented this if she had acted sooner? Couldn’t she have helped sooner instead of being focused on her own petty problems? Isn’t that what Ladybug should do?

“Please, Marinette? They listen to you. If you asked them to, I’m sure they’d be willing to at least try.”

Her vision started to dim, seeming to tunnel in on Adrien and his sad and hopeful expression. Her thoughts crying about CHLOE and poor CHLOE and how hurt CHLOE was and how it was her fault for CHLOE—

“I—”

“Oh no! No, you do NOT.”

Marinette suddenly found herself torn away from Adrien by a sudden grab of her arm and pulling sensation. She felt as if she was pushed out of the way by a fierce gale. Like a raging whirlwind had spun her around and behind it.

That whirlwind’s name was Alya.

“How dare you? How dare you try to make my girl be responsible for this!”

Marinette floundered because she had not expected this and oh no now her best friend looked ready to tear her crush’s head off!

“Alya, we don’t have to do this!” She pleaded, trying to calm the other girl down.

“Oh, we most certainly do.” Came another voice. And sure enough, the rest of the class had stepped out as well. All of them looked in varying ranges of frustrated and that frustration was clearly directed at her and Adrien.

Or rather just Adrien, as Marinette discovered when Rose and Juleka pulled her aside and out of their direct line of sight. They were all looking at Adrien, and those were not nice or understanding expressions.

Oh no! This was a disaster! Now everyone was upset and she should have just agreed or said something sooner!

Completely unaware of Marinette’s inner turmoil, Alya stepped forward and jabbed at Adrien in the chest. “You are not going to make my girl feel bad and try to help someone who has never done a single nice thing for her or anyone.” She spat out, forcing him to back away.

Adrien held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Come on, Chloe is not that bad.“

“Not that bad?” Nino exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief at his friend’s words. “Adrien, Chloe betrayed us!“

“She took over Paris!”

“She turned us into her servants!“

“Not to mention the other things…”

“Do we really have to name each time?” Alya started to count on her fingers. “Chloe CHOSE to take the Miraculous for herself instead of returning it. She CHOSE to transform in front of everyone and reveal her identity to the world. She CHOSE to try and crash a train, risking the lives of EVERYONE on board just to show off. She CHOSE to run off with it when Ladybug tried to take it back.”

“She also chose to continue being horrible to everyone even after Ladybug gave her a second chance.” Nathaniel added, bitterly. “She didn’t get better after becoming Queen Bee. It just became another thing for her to lord over people.”

Alya nodded. “And when Ladybug made it clear to her that she wasn’t going to be Queen Bee again, she felt ENTITLED to something that was never hers in the first place. And because of that, she made the active, knowing, and willful choice to work with Hawk Moth.”

“And out all of us while she was at it.” Kim added. “Turning us into her personal ‘guard’. Making us fight our heroes against our will.” He shuddered. “I don’t know if you were hit by those things, Adrien, but it was NOT a pleasant experience having your body turned into a puppet.”

Adrien wanted to argue that he understood full well, but that was only as Chat. He couldn’t say that here.

Unaware of his inner turmoil, Alya continued. “So no, we are not going to forgive Chloe. We are not going to try and ‘get along’ with her because her own poor choices have led her to have a ‘rough time’.”

Adrien grew nervous at the way the others drew closer to Alya as she spoke, clearly backing her statements as she continued.

“We are not going to defend her or speak up on her behalf to the entirety of Paris she ALSO betrayed. Whatever consequences Chloe has to face—quite possibly the first ones she will EVER have faced in her LIFE—are nothing less than what she deserves.”

“Yeah!” Came the exclamations from the rest of the crowd.

“She didn’t know what she was doing!” Adrien argued.

“Not know what she was doing?! Adrien, she willingly accepted an akuma! She used it to take control of us and revealed us to Hawk Moth!” Alya exclaimed. “That’s just—how can you even justify that?”

With as angry as Alya was, any lesser or wiser man would have backed off.

Adrien…well, she certainly would never call him unwise, so it had to be because he was more strong-willed than that to be willing to stand his ground here.

“Hawk Moth was the one who manipulated Chloe!” He insisted. “And he’s the one who got away scott free and left Chloe to take the fall.”

“And whose fault was that?” Alya countered. “Chloe HELPED him. He only got as far as he did because of her and he only got away because she helped him!”

“Don’t you think this is cruel?” He argued back. “Yes, Chloe was wrong, but she was already called out for what she did by Ladybug and Chat Noir. The entire city hates her. Isn’t that enough?”

“NO!” Alya shouted. “No, it isn’t! Because Chloe has always gotten away with her antics in the past but you’re actually trying to get us to let Chloe off for a legitimate crime here! If Chloe is going to prison, it’s only because she deserves it!”

Around them, several of the others in the class nodded in agreement.

“How can you say that?” Adrien demanded. “Chloe made a mistake and she’s suffering for it! All this time, she’s felt left out and cut off and this only further emphasizes that for her! She’s been alone all this time and now she’s alone and miserable!”

“Then why should that be OUR problem?” Alya questioned, raising her hands in exasperation. “Why are you trying to MAKE it our problem?!”

Adrien drew back, looking genuinely hurt.

"But treating someone badly never made them become a good person."

"Yeah, because letting Chloe have her way all this time has totally made strides in her path to becoming a good person." Alix called out sarcastically.

"If anything, it's made her worse." Max added. "She's gone from simply causing akumas to intentionally becoming one."

“But—”

Alya cut him off. “But nothing, Adrien! You have to have some gall to be trying to get us to make nice with Chloe after she betrayed us all! And here I thought your little lecture to Marinette to make her feel bad for being relieved that Chloe was leaving Paris was pretty hard to beat.”

Nino blanched at that. “You did what?” He turned on Adrien. “Dude! You know that happened after Chloe tried to crash that train!”

“She was just trying to prove herself.” Adrien weakly argued.

“PEOPLE were on there!” Nino bit out. “They could have DIED because Chloe was showing off! And you got on to MARINETTE? Where was this attitude with Chloe?”

“I’ve called her out!”

“Yeah, one time.” Alya groused. “AFTER the rest of us had spent the better part of the day cleaning up after HER mess. Which she never apologized for or admitted to doing, by the way.”

“And in response, she threw a party.” Juleka muttered.

“It was a nice party, sure.” Rose added quickly.

Alya though shook her head. “But being a good hostess is nowhere near the same thing as being a good person. And before the night was over, you rolled over for her and she went RIGHT back to acting as she always had.”

“She made Mylene cry.” Ivan glared. “She made Mylene cry and you just laughed.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“You said it yourself: ‘she’ll never change’. Except you said that like it was a good thing.”

Marinette looked back and forth between the two, everything inside her screaming at her to help. But she was completely lost on which one she was supposed to help. Because Adrien had a point about what Chloe’s going through but Alya was right about what Chloe did and she needed to do the “right thing” and help Chloe but why did everything Alya say resonate so strongly with her and bring such a feeling of vindication—

No. She was getting distracted. She needed to help. And right now, it was Adrien against the rest of the class.

But Alya was worked up. And Adrien was looking past her to Marinette, eyes begging for help and still so hopeful that she would step in. And Chloe was still in prison and Marinette could fix everything if she just tried so why can’t she try?

“Alya,” Marinette tried. “You told me to give Chloe a chance before after the fire alarm incident, remember? You said we were a lot alike.”

“That was to get you to go to a party!” Alya shouted, making Marinette step back in surprise. “I never meant it like this!”

She stepped forward and took Marinette by the shoulders, holding her sternly.

“Marinette, you are nothing like Chloe! Not where it counts! Yeah, you both can be short sighted when it comes to trying for what you want, but you at least notice and CARE how other people feel! And when you make a mistake, you at least TRY to make it right!”

She shook her head.

“Chloe…doesn’t.”

“She doesn’t try to.” Alix cut in. “If Chloe was feeling sad and lonely, that was pretty much her own fault.”

Adrien looked like he wanted to argue, but Alix didn’t even give him a chance.

“It wasn’t like we left her out. We went well out of our way to try and befriend her. We invited her to things. We tried to help her. Hell, you said it yourself—Marinette has tried to help her more than anybody! And each and every time, Chloe only took what we offered like it was something we owed her but that she was also too good for. I mean, I certainly can’t recall a time she ever thanked me. Can you?” She asked, turning to the other classmates.

All around them, there were murmurs of agreement. Maybe a couple hesitated as they tried to recall a time—one single moment of kindness on Chloe’s part only to come up empty.

“Chloe’s had a hard time.” Adrien insisted. “You know how her parents are—”

“Oh yes, her ‘Daddy the Mayor’.” Alix rolled her eyes. “Like we don’t hear enough about him every time it comes to something Chloe wants. She only threatens us or anyone with him every other day.”

Adrien shook his head and tried to explain. “It’s only because her parents aren’t there for her emotionally.”

“Again, not seeing how this is our problem? Or justification for anything she’s done to us? Or how this excuses her willingly helping a supervillain?”

“Because we’re her classmates!” He argued back, gesturing to all of them. “Out of everyone, we’ve all had the most interactions with her.”

“All of which were negative.” Came a cutting remark, followed by grumbling.

“There were good times, too!” Adrien insisted with a frown. His eyes spanned over the assembled classmates before they came to rest on one in particular. “Kim, you have to have seen Chloe’s good side. You liked her before.”

“Before.” Kim replied, emphasizing the word and the timeframe it referred to. “But being humiliated and her sending out that pic to everyone in school kind of crushed that crush.”

“How did she even have our numbers?” Ivan asked.

“But there had to be something that made you like her in the first place.” Adrien encouraged.

The taller boy shrugged, uncertain and uncaring. “Maybe so, but was it something that was really there? Or something I just wanted to see? Because I’m looking back and quite frankly, I don’t know what past me was thinking.”

“Wow, that’s deep, man.” Nathaniel whispered.

“Thanks!”

Seeing Nathaniel gave Adrien an idea. “Wait, Nathaniel! Didn’t Chloe let you put her in your comic?”

“Forced us to, more like.” The artist bit back. “And even when we tried to fit her, we got nothing but complaints from her. It was no wonder we never got past the initial concept art for her character.”

Adrien winced. “It was an attempt, at least?”

Nathaniel wasn’t buying it. “A poor one.”

“She’s been trying to be better.” Adrien was getting increasingly frustrated. This was not how he was expecting this argument to go. “Rose? What about you? You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

After all, Rose was sweet and caring, always willing to see the good in anyone. Surely she would have something nice about Chloe!

Juleka frowned at him over his focus on her girlfriend and moved to stand beside her. “Don’t push her.”

Still he tried.

“Rose?”

“I’m sorry, Adrien.” Rose said, hugging herself. “But Chloe has done nothing but hurt people. And going out of our way to protect her has only ended up biting us.”

That wasn’t true. Not...all the time at least. There had to have been at least one instance where she did the right thing!

Adrien brightened in realization. “Didn’t she catch you when you fell after being deakumatized during Heroes Day?”

The blonde girl frowned. “Well, yes…but she wasn’t very nice about it. Even though I did the same for her before.”

“Rose, come on…”

She shook her head. “I put myself at risk to help Chloe when she was being chased by zombies, and only got turned into one for my efforts. Chloe never appreciated it. She never thanked me. She didn’t even do anything to help when we were trying to keep her safe!”

“We all ended up kissing zombies because of her.” Alix accused, crossing her arms and looking particularly annoyed. “And not just because she caused the akuma in the first place.”

“Why are you pushing this?” Mylene asked. “We’ve been asked. We said no. Isn’t that enough?”

“But—”

“Adrien, you’ve got a good heart.” Ivan started.

“Easy for him when he’s not the one who has to be on the receiving end of Chloe’s tantrums.” Alix cut in, clearly sounding bitter.

“You’ve got a good heart.” Ivan repeated, sending Alix a look that asked her to back off. “But Chloe…doesn’t.”

Adrien shook his head, remaining insistent. “That’s why she needs help.”

“If she needs help,” Mylene spoke, “It should come from her parents. Her teachers. Any of the adults in her life. She has plenty of adults who are fully capable of helping her. It should not be expected to come from the kids she’s spent years tormenting.”

She gestured to herself and the others around her. “And that’s what she’s been doing: tormenting us.”

“To great joy, might I add.” Max droned.

“She hasn’t been cruel to everyone.” Adrien muttered.

That brought out a backlash of outrage.

“She outted my crush!”

“She insulted Mylene’s cooking and made her cry!”

“She got Aurore akumatized and nearly caused Paris to be incinerated in a volcano!”

“She tried to push Mylene out of the lead role of our movie!”

“She locked Juleka in the restroom!”

Wait...

But that hadn’t been Chloe. She had stayed with the class at the time. The one who did do it was...

He glanced around until he saw her—a redhead in the background behind the rest of the class. She looked anxious and uncomfortable, and almost seemed to be trying to edge around the class to get to the stairs.

Adrien did seem aware. Or rather, he was focused on the fact she was there.

“Sabrina? What about you? Chloe was your friend!”

Of course she would help! Because who better than her own best friend to speak on her behalf?

The rest of the class broke into mutters as they realized the same.

But Sabrina...bit her lip and looked away. Refusing to even meet Adrien’s gaze.

“Sabrina?” Marinette tried, concerned about this reaction. Sabrina had been Chloe’s best friend—or at least the closest thing she could have to a friend. “Minion” or “Servant” would be more accurate. “Slave” would be more honest.

The girl had been Chloe’s only real fan and follower, and had assisted Chloe in some of her worst plots.

Marinette had briefly seen another side to her. A girl who was so desperate for friendship that she latched onto even the slightest bit of kindness and went to the greatest of extremes to appease the “friend” so they wouldn’t leave her. It was no wonder she had fallen in with Chloe—someone like that was perfect for the spoiled girl. Compared to her, Marinette’s anxieties and need to please were nothing.

And Chloe had pretty much been her world for years.

What must she be feeling now?

“Should we really be getting her opinion?” Ivan whispered. “You know how she and Chloe were…”

“Well, if anyone would have anything positive to tell the courts about Chloe, it would be her.” Mylene whispered back.

Sabrina took a breath and spoke quickly—almost shouting in her rush.

“I’m sorry but my therapist said I shouldn’t!”

That got a surprise. The rest of the classmates glanced to each other before looking back to the girl. Adrien in particular looked shell-shocked. Marinette couldn’t blame him. She felt the same.

Sabrina for her part seemed to tense up, as if ready to defend herself from the rest of the class.

Marinette stepped forward. “Sabrina? Are…you okay?”

The other girl shook her head, looking close to tears.

“After word got out what Chloe did, the police had to question me about Chloe. They were able to see that I wasn’t involved, but they…didn’t like what I told them about our relationship. Afterwards, my dad decided to have me see a counselor and she…has been telling me things that I hadn’t really considered.” She curled in on herself. “They all think I should stay away from Chloe and anything directly related to her…for my own health.”

Adrien frowned at that. “But don’t you want to help Chloe?”

Sabrina jumped. “Of course, I do!”

“Hold up, Adrien!” Nino stepped in. “She just said police took her in because of Chloe!”

“But they let her go…”

“It still happened!” Mylene argued. “It doesn’t matter how nice they are, how innocent you know you are, or if you’re released in the end, it’s still terrifying when it happens!”

"And it only happened to her because of Chloe." Alya added.

Rose, in her infinite sweetness, reached out to take Sabrina’s hand in support. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

Sabrina sobbed and covered her face. Aside from Rose, no one else really attempted to comfort her. Most of them simply watched her, pitying her current state. But they also remembered how complicit she had been in Chloe’s schemes, so they were conflicted. While they did feel bad for her current situation, there was a part of most of them that noted how she had brought it upon herself by being Chloe‘s lackey for so long, so their sympathy was limited.

Perhaps it was out of awkwardness, or maybe an attempt to give some respect for Sabrina’s privacy that the classmates turned away from her and instead focused on the heart of the argument.

“Man...” Nino tried. “Maybe you should let it go?” Though it was clear from his tone that he knew it wasn’t likely.

Because Adrien had still not given up, it seemed.

He looked around between of the classmates, growing more desperate. But those that remained either looked at him straight on as if daring him to call on them or looked away. A few of them even closed ranks as if to block his view of certain others. It was clear none of them were willing to help him on this.

None of them except…

“Marinette.” He called out, drawing her gaze to him instantly. “You understand, don’t you?”

She bit her lip. “I…”

“Back off, Adrien.” Kim said, giving the other boy an angry frown as he stood in front of her to shield her from his gaze. “It’s not on Marinette to help Chloe.”

“Yeah! She suffered more than any of us!“ Ivan shouted.

“She has been Chloe’s main target for years.” Nathaniel agreed. “She is the last person who is obligated to help Chloe now.“

Adrien winced at the harshness of their words and in their tone. “I just thought that Marinette could help. Like before.”

“Just because she could doesn’t mean she should have had to.” Alya countered. “She’s a teenager. Dealing with Chloe should have been the job of adults. Her parents. Bustier. Damocles. Any one of them should have done something—and if they can’t, the courts will. It’s their job. Not ours.”

“And getting her to help you wouldn’t make a difference anyway even if you had convinced us.” Max said, shifting his glasses. “Chloe helped Hawk Moth. There is nothing we could say that could undo that. And even if we did try, we would either be guilty of committing perjury or aiding in a conspiracy.”

“What?” Adrien jerked in surprise.

“The best we can do is be character witnesses.” Mylene explained. “But this is a court and we can’t claim something that isn’t true! We can’t say anything nice about Chloe when she hasn’t done anything nice!”

Max nodded and shifted his glasses. “Furthermore, our testimonies—even if they were positive—would only serve to create a narrative about Chloe and the type of person she is. They can’t explain away the current evidence against her.”

He rubbed the back of his head. He knew there were issues, but he also knew Chloe. He knew what she could be like. He knew she was a good person deep down. “I know she’s made some mistakes—”

“No.” Alya stated sharply. “Calling them ‘Mistakes’ implies that her actions were unintentional. ‘Mistakes’ implies that people were harmed by accident. ‘Mistakes’ implies that she would have any point learned from them. They weren’t mistakes, Adrien. They were willful acts of cruelty every single time.”

Ivan shook his head, pityingly. “We can’t save Chloe from this. We have nothing to say in her defense. The kindest thing we can do for her is stay silent.”

“She’s better than you think she is. She threw that party once for everyone, remember? You all went.” Adrien reminded them.

“That only proved that she could throw a party and be a good host, not that she could be a good person. There is a difference.” Nathaniel pointed out.

“Not that Chloe could tell.“ Alix sniped.

Adrien ignored the barb. He had given up on getting any of them to listen and now only had eyes for her. His last hope.

“Marinette….come on…please.”

She hesitated.

Everything in her that was Ladybug and her crush on Adrien and her desire to make people happy and take the high road and give second-third-fourth chances wanted nothing more than to give it to him.

Except...

There was a long pause. No one spoke.

The other classmates have had their say. They were letting Marinette have hers. And she knew in that moment that if she spoke up…if she did as Adrien wished and tried to help Chloe…she knew they would go along with her. It may be more out of respect for Marinette than it would be out of any sort of forgiveness for anything Chloe had done, but it would still help Chloe and it would still make Adrien happy.

…and hadn’t Marinette already done that enough?

“Did you know?” Marinette started, not looking at anyone. “I would have been well within my rights to press charges against Chloe?”

Adrien balked at that.

“She’s stolen from me at least three times now.” She shrugged. “I mean, sure, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about my diary since she had Sabrina steal it for her, but she did steal my hat design for a competition and I had proof. I could have pressed charges against Chloe and let her face some consequences…but I didn’t.”

She looked up at Adrien. “I also could have pressed charges for what she did to my gift for Madame Bustier. Since she did break into my locker and vandalize my property while it was still technically mine…but I didn’t.

“Adrien.” She spoke almost in monotone, the only sign of her emotions being how she clenched her fists. “Did you know that after the fashion show, my parents and I took a train to get home?”

He furrowed his brows in confusion. What did that have to do with anything?

“It was the same train Chloe took control of and nearly caused to crash.”

Several gasps resounded around them. Apparently this had not been common knowledge.

“Even if Chloe could have bought her way out of any consequence for the other things, we all could certainly have had her face some major trouble for that one…” Marinette took a shuddering breath. “But we didn’t.”

Adrien frowned. “I…I see that—”

“No, I don’t think you do.” She cut him off. “Because instead of any of that…rather than hold Chloe accountable at any point, I catered to her. I tried to understand Chloe. I tried to make things nicer for Chloe. I tried to excuse Chloe. Time and again. Just like everyone else. Just like you wanted me to. Just like you’re asking me to now. And what did that get us?”

The more she talked, the more words filled out and she was unable to stop the torrent.

“I defended her from Alya after Madame Bustier was akumatized, and Chloe stole a Miraculous and nearly got my family killed. I helped Chloe bond with her Mom—costing myself any chance at a once in a lifetime opportunity in the process—and Chloe tried to get me banished from Paris just for saying she wasn’t a superhero. I threw Chloe a party to show her some appreciation, and she willingly worked with a supervillain to take over Paris. Just to fuel her ego and because she felt she was owed something that wasn’t hers.”

She tilted her head, considering.

“What is that American saying? Three strikes and you’re out?” Her eyes narrowed. “I have given Chloe more than three chances. I have done nothing BUT give her chances. And clean up after her. And just…try to help her. At no point has she been grateful. At no point did she ever apologize. Or show the slightest bit of remorse for anyone she hurt. Or just…try to do better.”

She stepped forward. Past her classmates. Past Alya, who looked ready to tear into Adrien herself.

“So tell me, Adrien. How much more am I supposed to do? What miracle am I supposed to achieve to help Chloe to be a better person that I haven’t already done?”

“You can just try.” Adrien begged. “Chloe’s alone. She has no one in her corner. You’ve given her chances before! Can’t you find it in your heart to give her another chance this time?”

“Why haven’t you?” Alya demanded.

Adrien drew back in surprise at that.

But the girl wasn’t letting him off. “If you’re so certain Chloe is the victim in all this, then why aren’t you stepping up to help her? Why are you pushing Marinette and the rest of us to do it?”

Alya wrapped an arm around Marinette in support. “If you truly believe Chloe has some sort of inner goodness that only needs the right person to bring it out, then it’s pretty clear Marinette is just not that person. She’s tried enough.”

Alix nodded. “I’m pretty sure she could’ve demolished a brick wall with how many time she’s banged her head against it by this point trying to drag a decent person out of Chloe.”

Others in the class also nodded and gave sounds of agreement to that.

Adrien frowned, lowering his head despondently. “I’m just one person. There’s only so much weight my word will have. I just...I just want to give her the best chance.”

“That’s nice for Chloe, I guess.” Kim muttered. “But not much for us.”

Adrien looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Alya stepped forward, releasing Marinette in the process. “Adrien, why should we as Chloe’s victims have to help protect her? That’s the thing we’re not getting here. WE are the ones she hurt. WE are the ones she betrayed to Hawk Moth. So why are WE supposed to try and save her from her own consequences? Why are you wanting us to?”

Adrien hesitated.

“Can you even imagine what it was like? Being frozen in time. Unable to move or speak? Only able to hear her voice in your head? Feeling your body respond as she’s calling you and being unable to stop?” She clutched her arms, as if trying to hug herself. “Do you have any idea how terrified I was knowing what she was doing to us but being completely unable to stop it? How humiliating it was when she had us bowing to her and calling her our Queen? And then…” She took a breath. “She made us fight our heroes. Ladybug and Chat Noir trusted us to help them and we used the Miraculous they entrusted to us to try and kill them.”

“We were just lucky that they were able to turn the tables on us.” Kim muttered. “I don’t even want to know what would have happened if we had won.”

“Luka still has nightmares.” Juleka whispered. “He won’t talk about it, but he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks.”

Marinette winced. She hadn’t even considered that everyone else could be suffering ramifications of Miracle Queen as well.

“We could have killed them.” Max stated. “Given the nature of the Snake Miraculous’s power, we very well could have more than once for all we know.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t have killed them?” Rose suggested, trying to be positive. “I mean, Chloe wanted all of the Miraculous, right? She probably wanted them as her servants as well.”

Max glared. “I’m pretty sure I attempted to send Chat Noir into space. Even a Miraculous can’t protect someone from that.”

Adrien tried not to wince at the memory. How he managed to even move enough to activate the Miraculous, he still wasn’t sure.

“We fought against them. We never wanted to, but we did.” Alya bit out. “Not even because of Hawk Moth this time, but because of Chloe. And now you are wanting us to just…overlook the trauma of the whole thing to help Chloe after what she did. For something she hasn’t shown even the slightest remorse for.”

She shook her head.

“I know you’re nice, Adrien. But this level of kindness is a cruelty.”

He winced. And it looked like he wanted to argue. But he just…wilted.

“I just…it feels harsh. What’s happening to her. The amount of hate she’s getting. That her entire life could be over.”

That was true. While they felt her current status was well deserved, it was a harsh sentence for anyone. Especially a teenager.

Nathaniel sighed. “Adrien, it is harsh. Maybe cruel. But fact is that she still brought on herself.”

“Isn’t that just victim-blaming though?” Adrien countered, frustrated now. “I mean, Hawk Moth manipulated her! How was that her fault? He’s the one who did it. She was…” He clenched his fists in anger. “Chloe is a victim.”

“No, we are the victims.” Alya insisted, gesturing to herself and the other revealed former heroes. “We were the ones used to fight our heroes. We were the ones who had our identities revealed to the world against our will. And now we are the ones having to live with the results of Chloe‘s choices, just like we always are.“

Adrien looked ready to argue. And maybe he would have, except...

Nino rested a hand on Adrien’s shoulder.

“Adrien. Dude. Just stop. We have enough to deal with and this…this isn’t helping.”

Adrien frowned at that, concerned by his friend’s attitude. “Nino?”

Nino lowered his head. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Really, I was trying not to think about it. But my parents are currently talking with police about their options. Now that I’ve been exposed as one of the temporary heroes, they’re questioning if it’s not safe for us at home anymore. There is a chance of us having to go into protective custody.”

Alya winced at that, drawing attention to her. “My parents have been talking as well. My mom quit her job. She said she doesn’t want to work for someone who would let their daughter do such a thing and put me in danger. She’s looking at drawing me out of school since it was pretty much Chloe‘s base of operations. And since Chloe is the Mayor’s daughter…and Hawk Moth…and just…everything?” She looked away, clearly anxious.

“There’s a chance we may have to move out of Paris altogether.”

Marinette gasped.

Alya looked to the other girl, sad and guilty all in one. “I’m sorry, girl. I guess I’ve been hoping it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ve been trying to talk them out of it, but it’s hard given everything that happened. Currently, the only reason they’re willing to stay is to see through to the end of the trial. But after that…” She shrugged, shaking her head uncertainly. “Who can say?”

“No…” Adrien whispered in shock.

The others in class came closer around her, trying to offer some comfort and reassurances—what little they could give, at least. This was a situation that was clearly beyond them. Marinette herself hugged Alya tightly for all she was worth, and the other girl held her back just as much, neither wanting to be parted.

Adrien, however, remained on the outside looking in. Watching the people Chloe had tormented even before Miracle Queen and realizing just how badly they’ve been hurt by this. It hit him then—for what was perhaps the first time just how much pain Chloe had caused his friends. And how unfair he had been to expect them to simply deal with it.

He stayed the lone person outside of the circle. By this point, did he really deserve to join in the comfort? To try to be the one to give comfort? After what he had tried to push on them all?

After minutes passed, they were finally able to draw away from each other.

“I’m sorry for not saying anything sooner.” Alya told Marinette. “I guess I was just hoping…y’know…that it wasn’t real. Or that it would go away and things would work out on their own.”

Marinette smiled. “No, I understand.”

And she did. That’s exactly what she herself had been doing for the past few weeks as well. Trying to deal with things without really dealing with them. Working without acknowledging just what it all meant because she was scared she would break down and that would be just one more thing Hawk Moth would have won because of this whole mess.

“I was kind of the same way.” She admitted, and it felt like a slight relief to be able to say aloud to someone. “I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to you about it.”

She still couldn’t, unfortunately. Not about Ladybug and the kwamis and the Miracle Box.

But…she could talk about Fu. How she lost him. How she feels. She could help support Alya and her classmates and be there for them in the meantime.

She…hadn’t lost everything.

Not yet.

And that was the scary thing…

Adrien gaped at the group. He had thought the trauma was bad enough, and that at least could be worked through. But this...

“I’m sorry. I...I didn’t even realize...”

“Adrien, what Chloe did put a major target on our backs.” Alya explained. “Nobody knows how we became heroes, or that Ladybug was the one to specifically choose us and give us the miraculous to use. Nobody knows WHY we were chosen. It’s not just Hawk Moth, any regular criminal can come after us now in an attempt to get a hold of that power. And we can’t exactly protect ourselves.”

She shrugged helplessly.

“We kind of have enough to worry about with the fallout of Chloe‘s actions. And now you want us to try and protect Chloe on top of that?“

Seeing it now, in this light...it was cruel. It was cruel and unfair and hurtful, and Marinette felt horrible for considering letting herself be talked into it.

Adrien himself felt horrible for even suggesting it.

“We all have to live with the consequences of Chloe’s choices.” Alya stated. “So why shouldn’t she?”

Silence followed. It practically echoed throughout the entire hallway.

He said nothing in response. What could he possibly say? He’d known that Chloe was…difficult with other people, to say the least. He’d known the type of person she was. But she was his friend and friends forgive and support each other, right?

But they were right as well. It wasn’t fair to expect them to help Chloe after what she did. Especially once he knew of the level of harm she’d caused them. He felt the horror trickle in. The trauma everyone felt. The knowledge of what they’d been forced to do. The fact that…

He suddenly found it harder to breathe.

Nino could leave.

Adrien could lose his best friend because of this.

And who knew how many of the others would be forced to leave as well. Aside from Nino; Kim, Max, Alya, and Luka were other heroes as well. Juleka was Luka’s sister. And how many of the other classmates might be pulled out of this class and school because it’s unsafe? And Kagami—oh god, she was outted as well. He hadn’t heard from her in a while. Her mother is probably furious. She could move back to Japan because of this. And Marinette…she had been lucky to not be caught up in that fight since she was a hero only the one time, but that could have been just one more thing Chloe ruined for her…

…what about himself?

He paled.

He was longtime friends with Chloe. Went to school with Chloe. Was in class with Chloe. Chloe, who was currently getting a lot of heat from all of Paris. How was his Father going to react to that? The man was always focused on the company and appearances…what would he do now that Chloe had fallen from grace in such a way? Would he forbid Adrien from talking to Chloe again? Would he pull Adrien from school?

…would he ban Adrien from leaving the house altogether?

How was he only just now considering the impact? For himself or anyone else? Of course people would be hurt. Of course they would be upset. Of course people would respond. Somehow, he knew that, and yet he had only been focused on Chloe that it hadn’t actually hit home until now…

And in that light…

It had been selfish to ask. Honestly, he’d known that when he first tried to approach Marinette. But he felt he had to try. Honestly, part of him had known better than to ask in the first place. But at the same time…there was a part of him that still believed things could just go back to “normal”.

…how foolish. That was a “normal” that nobody else wanted. And even more, it was one that was now impossible…all because of Chloe herself.

“I just wanted to help.”

He deflated, losing all remaining fight.

“I’m sorry.”

The classmates glanced between each other. There was much they could have said, but really, anything they could have said already had been. And with him seeming resigned, it appeared there was no longer a need to defend themselves.

Marinette—ever the mediator, stepped up and hugged Adrien.

“Adrien, this isn’t something you can help with. None of us can. What happens in the trial is up to the courts. And what happens to Chloe is up to her.”

Slowly, he reached up and hugged her as well. The warmth and comfort brought some limited solace in this situation. He felt lost. Out of control. Like the world was moving around him and he didn’t know where he was standing much less where he was supposed to be.

They weren’t ready to forgive Chloe. And he couldn’t force them to be. Given the circumstances, he couldn’t blame them. And it was really unfair of him to try. Especially…

“I’m sorry, Marinette.” He whispered to her.

He had tried to use her. Looking back, he had a bit of a tendency to rely on Marinette to fix things when she shouldn’t have had to. Especially when it was for Chloe’s sake. He knew plenty of times Chloe had done things…but he always seemed to overlook how hurt Marinette was because of it, simply due to how well she always appeared afterwards. She was strong and confident, but also a good listener and willing to forgive. It was like nothing really brought her down.

It was due to this that Marinette was often the one he turned to whenever things happened. Because she would listen. She would understand. And she would always try to help, regardless of her position.

In this light…he may have over relied on her too much.

“I wasn’t fair to you.” He admitted. “I just saw Chloe hurting and only thought about how to fix things for her. I didn’t consider your feelings.” He hugged her more strongly. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t speak. But she squeezed him back.

He felt another body press against him. A quick glance showed it to be Nino.

“I’m still super mad with her. And I don’t like how you tried to push us to defend her after what she did. But I get that she’s your friend and you care about her. I’d do the same if it were you in her place.” He gave a small laugh. “Not that I think you ever would, of course.”

Adrien smiled back. “Thanks.”

This…this felt much better.

Things weren’t okay right now. He still wanted to help Chloe. His classmates were still hurt. People were still angry. Hawk Moth was still out there.

But whatever happened...in this moment, he felt they could make it.

[broadstflyers]

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first ever fic! It's really just an idea I've had for months, and then wrote, and then couldn't figure out which hockey boy it fit, until some mutuals were kind enough to help. I settled on our boy Barzy! It's inspired by Taylor Swift's "Gold Rush", and I really wanted to do my best in reflecting the beautiful imagery this story creates for me. I hope I did it justice. It's a little terrifying putting my writing out there, but I hope people enjoy it!

Word count: 3.4k

Warnings: Two curse words, it's really just internal conflict within the reader

Summary: You're celebrating your dad's 50th birthday with some friends and family at a dinner party. You happen to land your eyes on a beautiful stranger, who you can't seem to get out of your head. You spend the rest of the night wondering, should you go up to him?

Or do you let him walk out the door?

___________

They say when you first lay eyes on your soulmate, time stands completely still. As you gaze into their eyes, it feels as though you’ve known them for multiple lifetimes. It feels like home. Is that even remotely true?

You start to take a sip of your drink and turn your head slightly to take in your surroundings. Your eyes dance around the room, until they stumble upon another pair of wondering eyes. Your eyes lock, and you’re instantly sucked into the mysterious yet intriguing twinkling grey-blue color that compliments his navy blue suit. Suddenly, your breath hitches in your throat, every part of your body stiffens, except for your lips that part slightly and eyes that widen. The drink is long forgotten, you’re even struggling to keep it from practically falling out of your hands and onto the wooden floor. The party is now just a blur, the noise? What noise? The world is muffled, as if someone stuck your head into a hundred pillows. Images stream through your mind like an endless movie reel wrapped in shimmery gold. Endless laughter on a first date over coffee. Him rubbing the back of your hand as you take a stroll through the park. Holiday mornings, exchanging gifts. Would he participate in the tradition of opening small gifts first, or would he want the biggest gift right off the bat? Ice skating and him catching you as you stumble on a pesky track in the ice. Him tossing you into the pool while you’re trying to put up a fight in a losing battle. A sweet and quiet proposal where he promises his forever love. A kiss at the altar in front of all your friends and family. Chasing after rambunctious little kids trying to get them to nap. All these gold dripping images of a pure love plow through your brain. Your heart is the unmovable object. They are the unstoppable force.

You and him only shared a look for what was probably half a second, but the thick air that seemed to only be affecting you made time feel like it stood completely still.

You burst back into reality with the help of a slight head shake. “Woah,” you quietly whisper. You blink a few times and finally get around to taking a sip of your drink to quench your parched throat. Did you just see a whole future...with a stranger?

“Hey, are you okay?” Stella asks. Her hand gently touches your arm as she cocks her head to the side. Her brows are furrowed in what can only be described as pure confusion. Did you really space out that badly as she was talking? What were you guys even talking about?

“Oh,” you say as you gently shake your head, “yeah.” You chuckle, “yeah, I’m just fine.” You wait a beat then say, “Hey, I’m going to use the bathroom really quickly, okay?”

“Sure thing,” she nods. “Do you need me to come with?”

“I’m totally fine, I promise,” you reassure with every bone in your body while giving her your drink. You really just needed to be alone to calm your racing mind that has now turned a complete stranger into a romantic interest with the power of a golden montage.

You make your way over to the exit of the dining hall and push the creaky open with your shoulder, and the amount of force you had to use honestly hurt. Your heels click down the tiled hallway of the golf club to find the bathroom door. The rectangular bathroom mirror framed in an intricate gold design holds your reflection. You slightly tilt your head as you take a look at your face. It’s like someone took the color of a clown nose and colored in your face with it. Jeez. You shake your head and sigh. This isn’t good, and deep down, you know that. You hate when you’re like this, all flustered over someone who just happened to lock eyes with you. His eyes. They were gleaming and just all around beautiful. What were you thinking again?

Oh, right.

Well, it’s pretty obvious he has this power over you, and you don’t like that. Now is your face going to become red everytime you see him? You check your phone. There’s still two hours left, plenty of time to possibly see him again. You can’t tell if that’s necessarily a good or bad thing.

You pace around the bathroom trying to reason with your begging heart. He was pretty good looking, which means that so many people naturally want him. Who was he even talking to, anyways? You gasp and stop in your tracks, blood running cold. “He was talking to a girl,” you mumble. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t sound completely and utterly crushed. In the heat of the moment, you completely failed to realize the blonde standing next to him. You lean over the counter, the cold marble feeling on your arms making your arms break out in goosebumps. You take one last stern look in the mirror at your face. “See, this is why we can’t allow ourselves to fall that hard,” you whisper angrily, “everyone wants him, and I just...I don’t like a gold rush like that.” You shake your head again and take one last deep breath to shake out any other thoughts. You can see yourself standing barefooted at the bottom of a hole looking astounded at how tall the walls have grown, and how distant the light looks. It feels like you soared lightheartedly into the sky, just to fall and crush every bone in your body.

You roll your eyes to yourself while slightly cursing yourself out. Pushing the bathroom door open, you step out into the hallway and make a beeline back for the dining hall. Your purse starts spastically vibrating, so you hastily fish your phone out to put an end to the obnoxious noise. Scanning the text, you read that your mom is asking where you went, as the cake for your dad’s birthday is going to be cut soon. You sigh as you text, “I’m hurrying back now.”

That’s all you see before you feel a slight brush tickle your bare shoulder. Your eyes don’t dare move from your phone screen. You reason that it’s not someone you know, as they would have said something to you. Your hands shake as you put your phone back in your purse.

“Oh, sorry,” the voice trails off as he continues to walk down the hallway after he brushed up against you.

“It’s okay,” you whisper, without turning around, which is admittedly ridiculous.

As soon as you can judge his footsteps are far away enough, you make a quick glance behind to see if it really was him. And judging by the navy blue suit, it was.

Suddenly, the golden montage flows through your mind once more, showing an image of yourself wearing an old shirt of his, maybe one from when he was in high school for whatever sport he played, if he played one. Your feet feel the coolness of the wooden floor of the supposed home. The home both of you share? It’s so tangible, so real that you almost reach out to touch it. It’s right there...

Your head jerks yourself out of the vision once more, or rather the fact that you’re now faced with a white wall in front of you. You sigh a long frustrated sigh. I can’t believe I really walked by the entrance, how embarrassing, you think as you turn on your heels to backtrack. Why does this stranger have you so wrapped around his finger? No one else has been able to even come close to doing that. You feel your face with your hand, and it’s burning. I’ll go in there looking like a tomato, it’s fine.

You do your best to quite literally shake off those thoughts as you push open the dining room hall door. “There you are!” your mom says. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Come on, we’re going to sing happy birthday to Dad.”

“Can’t wait,” you beam. After all, your dad only turns 50 once, and this night is about him, afterall. You follow your mom to a table with a white tablecloth resting on it.

Stella pops out from behind your dad to approach you and whispers, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You resist the urge to gently shove her in front of everyone. “Yes,” you pleadingly insist, “now stop asking me in front of Mom and Dad, they’ll think something is wrong.”

She side eyes you with an attitude. “Fine.”

“They’re my girls,” your dad says with a smile.

You and Stella laugh while leaning into him for a quick hug. “Hey dad,” you both say in unison.

The room completely dies down, people could hear a pin drop. “Ready?” your mom asks the guests. The room takes a collective deep breath.

And so the melody of Happy Birthday rings joyously through the hall, you can see the mystery stranger out of the corner of your eye. Heat radiates off your skin, it’s almost like you can feel his eyes boring into you. It takes all the willpower you can muster, but you resist the temptation to look over at him all throughout the song.

When the song is over, the room breaks out into obnoxiously loud clapping. You, Stella, and your parents share loving looks and warm smiles.

Eventually, everyone proceeds to return to normal chatter at the one rectangular table of two that they’re sitting at, and so do you, Stella and your parents.

You pull out your seat next to your sister near the middle of the middle of the table and sit, fixing your dress.

“Ahem,” Stella says in an ill attempt to cover her suspiciousness with a clearing throat noise. Queue whatever accusatory question she’s got.

“Let me just set something straight,” she starts.

“Go for it,” you say as you reach for some water.

“It’s definitely that guy a few seats down, isn’t it?” She smirks. She’s got you trapped in her little web, and she knows it.

You may or may not have fought back choking on your water or pulling a ridiculous spit take on the nice white table cloth.

You lean in and harshly whisper, “Well you didn’t have to say it that loudly.” You glance over at the mystery stranger and see his hand wrapped around his glass as he goes to drink it. He has a thick silver ring on his pointer finger?

“Hello?” Stella shifts her head to selfishly cut off your view of him.

“Okay,” you sigh in defeat, “yes it’s him. Happy?”

“Very,” she says, very satisfied because she finally pried it out of you and got you to admit it. Someone else has you wrapped around their finger. She didn’t even have to know all the details of the montages to know. She could tell by the way your eyes glossed over and how your lips would slightly part like you were in a hazy daydream.

And you were.

“Who is he anyway? And why don’t we know him?” You ask.

“I don’t know, honestly. A little strange, isn’t it? Why don’t you ask mom who he is?” She suggests, but her cheshire smile suggests that she will somehow find out, with or without your mom’s help.

“But mom’s going to absolutely harass me until I say something to him. Just you on my tail is enough,” you say with an eyebrow raised as to say ‘don’t test me.’ And Stella knows you’re right.

“Alright, fine,” she concedes, “But why don’t you, I don’t know, talk to him?”

“I did,” you nonchalantly float.

Her eyes widen and her mouth forms an “O” from disbelief. Did you really not talk to people that much?

“Really?” she practically squeals.

“Yeah, he brushed by me and said, ‘Sorry’ so I said, ‘It’s okay.’” Okay, now you get why your friends and family get mad at you for refusing to talk to people. But cracking this joke was one you could not pass up.

Her face scrunches up and she exhibits the biggest eye roll you have ever seen. She opens her mouth to start saying something, probably to scold at you, but you open your mouth to cut her off first.

“Alright no, I haven’t. And do you know why?” As you’re about to get your thought out, you’re interrupted by a fit of laughter down the stretch of the table. Your eyes scan but freeze on the stranger, whose nose is adorably scrunched up as he laughs with multiple, yes multiple, people about goodness knows what. And there’s that other blonde that you still don’t know, laughing with him. You tear your stare away and focus back on your sister.

“Look, that right there. That’s why,” you say, anger burning through your chest.

Stella raises an eyebrow in her own judgemental manner. “He talks to people? You know people do that right?”

Now it’s your turn to return the favor of a judgemental eye roll. “No, Stella, I mean just look at him and the people he’s surrounded by. It’s so obvious that everyone wants him. Just look at that girl with him. I’m not the only one who wants to love him.”

Silence ensues between you two. She picks up her phone and shoots a quick text. After a moment she says, “Well, I think if you just talked to him, you’d be pleasantly surprised with what could happen. I have to help mom with distributing gift bags. You stay here,” she instructs.

You can only assume you’re not being called to help because Stella graciously told your mom that you’re potentially working up the courage to talk to someone that’s not one of your three friends or your family. How generous of her.

A few friends of your dad stop by your seat to say goodbye before they head out. The noise slightly dies down enough to scarcely hear some other conversations. You hear nothing out of the ordinary, just a girl talking about getting into her dream school to some guy. Your ears slightly move as you pick up on a voice that sounds like the one in the hallway earlier.

“Yeah dude, but did you see the fake out on the goalie on the second goal? That had to have been the best part.”

Out of instinct you open your mouth to interject, but quickly shut it and put it under lock and key. You blink in disbelief. Hockey? Did this man just speak on hockey?

You circle the rim of the coffee cup and stare at the brown liquid. In a different universe…

In a different universe you would have actually kept your mouth open, and maybe even squeezed some words out, too.

“Actually, that seamless stretch pass down the neutral zone from the defenseman after a pretty difficult forecheck set up the play pretty well. I’d give him a lot of credit, too.”

He’d probably look a little shocked, as do most guys when you interject your two-sense about hockey. But maybe he’d break out into a small smile and offer a rebuttal. Yeah, that sounds nice. Maybe one day…

Maybe one day you’ll be sitting next to him on the couch, watching a game while cuddling and brushing the hair out of his face. Oh who are you kidding, you’ll be up and screaming at the TV. It’s your staple.

A noise of someone dropping something behind you slightly startles you and pulls you out of your once again golden daydream. You finally stop mindlessly circling the rim of your coffee cup to take a sip, but only to find it’s now ice cold.

This is why you hate looking through a pair of rose colored glasses. It distracts you from enjoying things. You glance over at your dad who’s still talking to one of his good friends that lingered after festivities. You’re supposed to be celebrating him right now, but instead you’re literally stuck in this cursedly pure golden daydream that is almost too good to break.

You can see him. He’s still there, at the end of the table, chatting away with some dude. The blonde left at some point, though.

“Well, I gotta head out, man, good to see you. My sister needs help with packing her stuff for college tomorrow, so we’ve got a busy day coming up.”

Could that girl have been his sister?

“Congratulations to her on getting into her dream school by the way,” the guy says. “I talked to her when she was here earlier, and she seemed super excited.”

A wave of cool relief washes over your body, remembering the conversation about college you picked up on earlier. It was his sister.

“Yeah she is, she worked really hard, and it also involved a whole lot of crying,” he chuckles.

Ain’t that right, you think to yourself.

The table shakes as he pushes out of his chair. Your eyes remain glued to your coffee cup no matter how much you want them to move. You just can’t gather the courage to say something, and you’re cursing yourself for it. You don’t want to sit here and dream about him anymore. You want to actually let these things happen, for once. You want to just unleash all these swirling and sickeningly sweet emotions from your body and drown him in it. You want so badly to leap up and say something, anything. Step on those voices taunting you and mocking you saying that it could never happen, it could never be so it will never be. He’s so inviting that you can’t resist any longer. You go to reach out to him, but the door shuts before you know it.

And just as fleeting as he came,

He’s gone.

Fuck. It feels as though a brick is sitting on your chest, suffocating you. You really let your worries control you, and this time it feels as though you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life. You just can’t believe you let it happen when your mind was begging you to talk to him. You always do-

“Shit,” you mumble. In your frustration, you knocked over the remnants of the coffee onto the not-so-white-anymore table cloth. Tears prickle up in your eyes, your throat closes, and your nose begins to sting. You quickly swallow these emotions down your throat and begin to use a napkin to soak up the excess coffee. Drinks have really not been your friend tonight.

For the first time, you notice as you clean that it’s just you left in the room, besides a few people cleaning up on the other end. You’re not sure where your family has gone, but you haven’t received any texts prompting you to leave yet. It’s so silent that you can hear some muffled chatter down the hall.

Suddenly, you hear the same creak of the door open with an “oof” that doesn’t quite sound like your dad. Your blood runs cold and you freeze mid press into the tablecloth. You glance up without turning around to see a lone jacket hanging on a chair suspiciously close to the chair he previously sat in. Your eyes widen and dart around the room, but you dare not move, waiting to see what he does. Even after cursing yourself out for ten minutes while cleaning up spilled coffee, you still haven’t learned to make the first move. His presence feels like a forcefield, you can feel it heavily pressing into your back.

But he isn’t moving to grab the jacket, no.

A pointer finger with a silver ring taps your shoulder.

“Hey,” the clarity of his voice rings in your ears like a bell. Your heart is racing so fast that it feels like it’s going to burst out of your rib cage and run its own 10k. You slowly crank your head around to meet his eyes for the first time-- face to face.

And you must say, his face is really pretty when you actually talk to him face to face. Maybe you should do this more often. You take in his golden features, and struggle to hide a small smirk creeping up on your face. His messy hair falls perfectly into place on his head, and his kind face makes you feel as though a mess of metallic gold swirls are playfully swirling and dashing around you both. You’ve found him in this lifetime.

“I’m Mat, can I help you clean up before I grab my jacket?”

[blueberry-sunghoon]

"meet me at the ice rink after school" | park sunghoon

words: 5.3k

genre: high school romance, fluff

warnings: none that i can think of

i hope you like this story :))

☆September 2013☆

One late summer afternoon, you and your best friend Sunghoon were at the ice rink, your all-time favorite hangout spot. Of course, your skating skills weren’t nearly as stunning as Sunghoon’s, but throughout the years he had taught you enough so you could manage yourself on the ice. Sunghoon liked to show off new moves he had learned every time he saw you, and he loved to see how your face lit up with amazement when he pulled it off perfectly. 

You mainly liked each other’s company, though. When you both were skating with each other, you were free to tell each other everything from your joys to your worries, trusting that the other would laugh with you or be there to comfort you. To each of you, skating with the other felt like home. Today especially, you both needed that. It had been a long day for the both of you; it was your first day of fifth grade, which also happened to be your first day of middle school.

“Today was rough,” you said as you skated alongside Sunghoon. 

“Yeah. I didn’t think we would end up not having any classes together. Being apart from you for the whole day… ” Sunghoon sighed before he finished his sentence, “that’ll take some time to get used to.”

“By some miracle, we ended up in the same class every year from kindergarten to fourth grade,” you replied. “Obviously I didn’t think we would have every single class together until 12th grade, but I didn’t think about how hard it would be to be without you.”

“Me neither,” said Sunghoon. "After we got off the bus in the morning and I said goodbye to you, I only saw you once more the whole day. Unfortunately, we were in the hallway and you were way too far away for me to say hi to you. But sitting through eight classes without you in any of them felt really weird, like there was something missing.”

“I didn’t see you at all. All I could do was sit through all my classes, lonely because I barely knew anyone. I missed you, Sunghoon. I don't know how I’m going to do this,” you said with a cracked voice. 

Sunghoon noticed you were about to cry, so he stopped skating and hugged you tightly. He let you rest your head on his shoulder as you cried. “It’s okay, y/n, don't cry.” 

“It’s not okay!” you retaliated. “How am I supposed to survive middle school without you?”

“We won’t be without each other,” Sunghoon assured you. “I’m still alive, you know. We can still hang out like this after school. And once school clubs open up, we can find one we both like. In the meantime, I’m sure you’ll make some new friends; you’re good at that. You won’t be lonely for long, I promise.”

There was something so reassuring about Sunghoon’s voice that made you feel better. He was right; he wasn’t going anywhere. Even if you couldn’t be together in class, you would still see each other all the time. “Thanks, Sunghoon,” you said softly.

“Mm-hmm,” he said as he pulled away from the hug and wiped away one last stray tear from your face. “Are you good to keep skating?”

“Yeah,” you answered, and the two of you continued to skate. The two of you were quiet for some time, and then a lightbulb went off in the boy’s head.

“y/n, what’s your locker number?”

“56. Why?” you asked.

“Nothing,” Sunghoon said slyly as a sneaky smile crept up onto his face, “I was just curious.” 

~~~

The next morning in second period, you were daydreaming instead of paying attention to the teacher. Among many other things, you were thinking of why Sunghoon wanted to know where your locker was. I’m sure it was nothing, you reasoned, but for some reason you couldn’t push the thought away.

After what seemed like forever, the bell rang and the class was dismissed. Your locker was right outside of that classroom, so you went there to switch out your things. As soon as you opened your locker, however, you were surprised to see a sticky note posted on the inside of the locker door. You were more surprised to see Sunghoon’s handwriting on it. Sunghoon had written you a note. It read,

What do you call a factory that makes okay products? Satisfactory!

You playfully scoffed at the joke before you continued to read the note. 

Now you have this corny joke to remember me by all day so you won’t miss me as much. I’ll see you after school :)

From, Sunghoon your favorite person

P.S. My locker number is 179. Do what you will with this information ;)

You were so happy that your best friend had done something that special for you. You took the note and carefully placed it inside the cover of your binder so you would never lose it. 

179, huh? You made sure to write Sunghoon a note in reply and put it in his locker before the day was over. 

And so began a tradition between you and Sunghoon. Every day you would place a note in the other’s locker, whether it was a corny joke or a word of encouragement if one of you had a big test or a blank note on April Fools day. You never skipped a day; the only way one of you wouldn’t receive a note was if the other person wasn’t at school that day. This continued far beyond the fifth grade. You kept this up all the way through middle school, and now, almost all the way through high school.

☆March 2021☆

You and Sunghoon were now high school seniors, still each other’s closest friend. 

Friend. You now shuddered to think of the word. You didn’t regret being by Sunghoon’s side for as long as you both could remember, but over the last two or so years you had developed feelings for him. You wished so badly that you could be more than friends, but you never brought the subject up to him because you didn’t want to risk what you’ve had since you were babies. The sophomore version of you figured that it was probably just a phase, that soon enough your little crush would go away and you wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. 

How you wished that was the case.

Instead, your feelings were stronger than ever, and you found yourself constantly worrying. High school graduation was only three months away, and after that, the two of you were heading off to different universities. Would I have missed my chance by then?

Sunghoon, who was sitting next to you in history class, tapped his pencil on your desk, shaking you from your thoughts. You whipped your head in his direction, confused. He then pointed his pencil at the teacher, who was looking at you and expecting an answer. “I asked you a question, y/n.”

You glanced around the classroom and noticed that the whole class was staring at you. Embarrassed, you mumbled, “I’m sorry, Mr. Kim, I didn’t hear your question.”

Mr. Kim sighed in frustration. “I asked you what year the French Revolution started.”

You hesitated for a second. “Um, was it 1799?” you guessed, unsure of yourself.

“No,” he replied sharply. “1799 would be the year it came to an end. The revolution started in 1789. y/n, this is the third time I’ve caught you daydreaming during my class this week. I suggest you start paying attention.” And with that, he continued teaching.

You heard a few snickers around the room and you felt humiliated. You felt more blood than you thought you had rush to your face and you slouched down in your seat in shame. 

Sunghoon glanced over at you sympathetically. He gave you a sympathetic smile as if to say, “I’m sorry,” and you reciprocated his smile.

You tried your hardest to pay attention to Mr. Kim for the rest of the class period, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, you were so far gone that the bell’s ringing at the end of class escaped your notice. As Sunghoon was packing up his things, he noticed you staring off into space, so he tapped his pencil on your desk once again. “Class is over, y/n,” he said. You saw that half the class was already gone and Mr. Kim was giving you an evil look. “Oh,” you said as you began packing up your things. 

By the time you started to pack up, Sunghoon had already finished. You were lucky that he was nice enough to wait for you. “I’m sorry, Sunghoon,” you said apologetically.

“Don't apologize, y/n. I have no problem waiting for you,” he replied. “I have lunch right now anyways, so it doesn’t matter if I’m late.”

What did I do to deserve such an understanding friend?

Finally you finished packing up your things. “I’m ready to go now,” you said to Sunghoon as you put your backpack on.

“Okay, then,” he said. “Let’s go.” You walked with Sunghoon into the hallway.

“Is it an A day or a B day?” you asked as you walked alongside him. “I’m either going to study hall or AP Bio right now and I have no idea which one.” You hoped it was an A day, because you needed some time to yourself after what just happened in history.

“Today is a B day. You have a double period for Bio.” 

You sighed in frustration. “Ugh.”

The two of you went quiet for some time. Then Sunghoon finally broke the silence. “y/n, are you okay?”

You quickly glanced at your friend, not knowing what he was referring to. “Yeah. What made you think otherwise?”

“You seem so unfocused lately.”

“Okay, Mr. Kim,” you said sarcastically.

“I’m serious, y/n. And I’m not just talking about history class. Like, you’re always on top of things. These days you seem so forgetful. For example, you’re the one to always remind me whether it’s an A day or a B day, yet today you had no idea. I know you tend to daydream easily, but these days you just seem so out of it. Is there something on your mind? You know you can tell me anything.”

I like you, Sunghoon. I like you a lot, but I have no idea how to tell you. I’m scared of ruining our friendship. I have the constant feeling of running out of time before we go to college, and I don't want it to be too late before I finally get the courage to tell you how I feel.

Of course, you couldn’t tell him any of that. All you could say was, “Don't worry, Sunghoon. I’m fine.” You felt a bit guilty because you rarely hid things from Sunghoon. He was aware of nearly everything that had ever worried you. But you just couldn’t bring yourself to tell him about this.

Sunghoon didn’t believe that you were as fine as you said you were. He thought that there was no way something wasn’t bothering you, not with you like this. However, he wasn’t the kind to pry, and he trusted that you would come to him once you felt comfortable. He said, “Okay. If you ever need anything, you know I’m here for you.”

You simply nodded, and the two of you continued to walk in silence until you approached the AP Bio classroom.

“I’ll see you later,” you said.

“Yeah. Um, I have ice skating practice after school today, but I’ll FaceTime you as soon as I get home. I’ll see you then.” He then smiled at you and said, “Keep your head up, okay?”

Once again, you responded by nodding your head. Sunghoon waved you goodbye and he was off to his next destination.

You watched hopelessly as he walked away, and you didn’t enter the classroom until he was completely gone from your sight.

~~~

As soon as you got home from school, you went straight to your room and onto your bed. You pulled your sheets over your head and closed your eyes, trying hard not to think about anything. You were mentally exhausted from thinking so much. Of course, your efforts to not think about the things that stressed you only made you think about them more. Finally, you felt yourself drift into sleep.

After some time, your eyes fluttered open and you checked your phone to see the time. You were out for two and a half hours. You wanted to face your problems instead of avoiding them, so you sat up on your bed and decided to call your friend Sunoo. Sunoo’s good with stuff like this, you thought as your phone rang. You bit your nails as you anxiously waited for him to pick up.

“Hey,” you heard Sunoo say finally.

“Hey Sunoo,” you replied. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, how about you?”

“Well, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.”

You took a deep breath to get rid of the nervous energy before you explained. “See, there’s someone that I like. A lot. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way, but I don't know how to tell him how I feel. We’ve been friends for a long time now, and the last thing I want to do is ruin our friendship right before we head off to different colleges.”

“Oh,” said Sunoo. “Sunghoon, right?”

You felt your heart skip a beat and you raised an eyebrow. That’s suspicious. That’s weird. I’m pretty sure I never told Sunoo that I like Sunghoon. In fact, I didn’t tell anybody… “Um, yeah. How did you know it’s Sunghoon?”

Everyone and their uncle knows you and Sunghoon like each other. I’m pretty sure you two are the only people who don't know. You guys make it painfully obvious, Sunoo thought. “Um, uh, well I know Sunghoon has been your closest friend for a long time now. I figured if there was anyone you liked, it would be Sunghoon.”

“I suppose so,” you said.

“You should tell Sunghoon how you feel.” 

You didn’t answer. You wished there was another way around this problem, but there wasn’t. The only option you had was to tell Sunghoon how you felt about him.

“y/n? Are you there?”

Shaken from your thoughts, you hopelessly said, “I can’t, Sunoo. I’m too scared.”

You heard Sunoo sigh before he responded. “There’s a chance he might like you too. But you have to shoot your shot, y/n. Because if you don't, one day you’ll be forty years old, wondering what might have been if you had told the boy you liked when you were 17 how you felt.”

You hated how right Sunoo was. “Sure, there might be a chance that he likes me too,” you started, not believing for a second the statement you just said, “But what if he doesn’t? I will have ruined our friendship.”

“I doubt something like that would ruin your friendship,” said Sunoo. “The bond between you two is incredibly strong, probably stronger than you realize. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to break you guys up. Of course, if he didn’t reciprocate your feelings, things might be awkward for some time, but eventually things will return to normal. Sunghoon would never leave you no matter what, and I know you wouldn’t leave him either.”

“Yeah, I guess so. But how do I even go about telling Sunghoon that I like him?”

“y/n, you’re way overcomplicating this. It’s a lot easier than you think. All you have to do is say the words: ‘Sunghoon, I like you.’ Repeat after me: ‘Sunghoon, I like you.’”

“Sunghoon, I like you,” you mumbled with clenched teeth.

“Louder, y/n, I can’t hear you,” Sunoo teased in a singsong voice.

You took a deep breath. “Sunghoon, I like you.”

“That’s more like it,” Sunoo said, satisfied. Then, all of a sudden he got an idea. “Don't y’all leave notes in each other’s lockers every day?”

You weren’t sure where Sunoo was going with this. “Yeah, why?”

“Slip a note in his locker asking him to meet you at the skating rink tomorrow after school. It should be easy to tell him then.”

You had to admit that it was a good idea. Wait. Tomorrow? “Tomorrow? That soon?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Sunoo answered without hesitation. “I don't see why not. Otherwise you’ll keep pushing it off and you’ll never actually do it.”

At this point, you were almost infuriated by how right Sunoo was. 

“Okay, bet. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“You better. In fact, I’ll make sure I call you before I go to bed to ask you how it went.” 

You laughed a little. “I hear you laughing!” said Sunoo in a playful tone. “I’m serious, I will call you.” 

You heard your mom call you for dinner. “Yeah. Listen, Sunoo, I have to go now, but thanks so much for the talk. I really needed that.”

“No problem, y/n, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.” 

You put down your phone. I can do this, you said to yourself, feeling more determined than ever.

~~~

Not even five minutes after Sunoo got off the phone with you, he received another call. Who could that be? He thought to himself as he looked away from his homework and at his phone. A sneaky smile appeared on his face when he saw who was calling him. 

“Hi Sunghoon,” said Sunoo as he picked up the phone.

“Hey,” said Sunghoon. “Uh, I called because I need to talk to you about something.”

Sunoo could see where he was going. “Of course. I’m all ears.”

“Well, there’s someone at school that I’ve liked for a while, but I really don't know how to tell them. I’m also worried that I might ruin our friendship.���

The smile wouldn’t come off Sunoo’s face, no matter how he tried. Are y/n and Sunghoon really that oblivious? “Park Sunghoon, it’s about time you talked to me about this.”

Sunghoon was confused. “What do you mean?”

“It’s y/n, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Sunghoon, more confused than before. “But what do you mean ‘it’s about time’?”

“Sunghoon, everyone knows that you like y/n. I’m not sure you could make it any more obvious. The way you look and smile at them when they’re talking to you says everything. You’re obviously whipped. When I first noticed, I was so excited for you, and I wanted to talk to you about it. But I didn’t want to bring it up first because that might have made you uncomfortable. So I waited. It’s been two long years.”

Sunghoon could feel his face flush red with embarrassment. Sunoo really said “This you?”

“Oh,” Sunghoon replied softly. “Well, does y/n know? Do you think they like me too?”

No, they don't know. They’re just as oblivious as you. It kills me how unaware of each other you guys are. Sunoo took a deep breath and chose his next words very carefully. “I can’t say. The only way you’ll know for sure is if you ask.” 

“But I can’t tell y/n how I feel. I might ruin our friendship.”

Oh my god, thought Sunoo, it’s almost like they share the same brain. Sunoo assured Sunghoon that he wouldn’t ruin his friendship by telling you how he felt about you. Then, to spice things up, he decided to give Sunghoon the same suggestion he gave you.

“Wait, you might be on to something,” said Sunghoon.

“I know,” said Sunoo, “it’s a gift of mine.” 

“That’s actually a good idea, Sunoo. I’ll try it. I have to go now though, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Alright, see ya.”

Sunoo hung up the phone, feeling quite proud of himself. “I love it when a plan comes together,” Sunoo said out loud as he continued his homework. 

~~~

It was third period the next day. Calculus was your favorite subject, and the one you usually paid the most attention in. Not today, though. All you could think about was going to Sunghoon’s locker and putting the note in there. Once you did, there would be no going back. 

You pulled out the note you had written from your folder. Meet me at the ice rink after school today, there’s something I want to tell you :) was what you had written. You stared at the piece of paper as if it would eat you alive. Your hands became sweaty and you could feel your heart racing. How could something so simple torment you so much?

The sound of the bell ringing interrupted your thoughts. Calculus was over, and it was time to go to lunch. You packed up your things and left the classroom. This was usually the time of day when you would slip your daily note into Sunghoon’s locker, so today before you went to lunch, you started to make your way there. It was the same time that Sunghoon would normally do the same thing (except he was on his way to physics), so you two would cross paths in the hallway. 

Today when you crossed paths, you quickly said “hi” with a smile to each other. Of course, you both knew that you were going to each other’s lockers, but what you didn’t know was that you had the exact same message for each other. 

As you approached Sunghoon’s locker, your heartbeat quickened and your temperature rose, making your glasses foggy. With shaky hands, you put in the combination on the lock and opened his locker. You stood there for a moment, negative scenarios flashing through your mind. You thought about what you would be risking (which, by the way, was everything). We’ve built so much over the years. Do I even dare? 

You fixed your gaze on the small, blue, diamond-shaped magnet on the door of Sunghoon’s locker. Every day since fifth grade, you would use that magnet to attach your message to his locker. He had managed to keep the same one all these years. You were so used to seeing it everyday, yet soon enough you wouldn’t be seeing it anymore. That reminded you that you didn’t want to lose your chance with Sunghoon. It’s now or never.

You took a deep breath, then attached the note to the inside of the locker door. Before you could think about taking it back, you closed the locker shut and headed off to lunch. There was no turning back.

After lunch, you went to your locker to switch out your books. Once you opened it, you saw Sunghoon’s note... It wasn’t anything near what you were expecting. Your heart skipped a beat, and your eyes opened wider than you thought they could. "Meet me at the rink after school, there’s something important I need to tell you."

As if you weren’t more nervous today than you had ever been in your whole life, Sunghoon’s note sent you into anxiety overdrive. What could Sunghoon possibly have to tell me? There were endless possibilities. You thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to tell you the same thing you wanted to tell him. But you immediately rejected that idea and laughed it off. Don't be ridiculous, y/n. 

You convinced yourself that it likely had something to do with his ice skating - he probably had been invited to a championship or something like that. It wasn’t the first time Sunghoon had invited you to the rink so he could tell you something important. It was just a coincidence that you both had big news that day. You switched out your books and walked to your next class feeling confident. 

~~~

When you made it to the rink after school, you saw that Sunghoon was already there, putting on his skates. “You’re late,” he teased. 

“Yah, no I’m not! Just cuz you got here first doesn’t mean I’m late. I’m here after school, aren’t I?” you said as you playfully punched his arm. 

Sunghoon burst out into laughter. “y/n, what was that? That didn’t even hurt.”

“I could have made it hurt if I wanted to,” you teased. “You’re lucky I’m nice.”

You went to get your skates, and a few minutes later you both were skating alongside each other. You and Sunghoon were talking to each other, but it was mostly small talk. It was obvious that you both were preoccupied with what you wanted to tell each other. 

“How’s your sister?” you asked.

“She’s doing good.”

A pause. 

“Have you decided on a topic for the English essay?” Sunghoon asked.

“I’m most likely going to do the Civil War. You?”

“I’m doing the Industrial Revolution.”

“Nice.”

Another pause.

Sunghoon sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, a habit you noticed he had when he was nervous. “Let’s get rid of the elephant in the room. We both have stuff to tell each other," he said.

You felt your heart rate go up and you found yourself playing with your fingers to ward off the nervous energy. “Mmm-hmm.” 

Sunghoon noticed that you were a bit uneasy. “Do you want me to go first?”

As much as you wanted to say yes, you didn’t trust yourself to not chicken out at the last minute. It took every nerve in your body for you to say, “I’ll go first.” 

“Okay. I’m ready when you are.”

“It’s definitely a big one,” you said. You stopped skating, and Sunghoon followed. You were so nervous that you couldn’t even make eye contact with him. I can do this, you thought to yourself as you began.

“Well, Sunghoon, we’ve been best friends since the beginning, you know? And, um, through all these years you’ve been there for me through thick and thin. You’ve honestly been the best friend I’ve ever had. Well, you see, it’s been about two years since I started feeling differently about you. I’ve been dying for so long to tell you how I feel, but I was scared that I might ruin our friendship. But I’ve been thinking a lot about my feelings lately, and I just can’t hide this from you anymore.”

Are they about to tell me what I think they are? Sunghoon thought to himself.

You took a deep breath before you continued. “I guess what I mean to say is,” you said as you finally looked up to make eye contact with Sunghoon, “is that I like you, Sunghoon. Could we be more than friends?”

At this point, you were insanely anxious. Your heart was beating out of your chest, and you thought you could faint. And it didn’t help that Sunghoon wasn’t saying anything, just staring at you. What you didn’t know was that he was just as anxious as you; he was just better at keeping it all in than you. He could hardly believe that he had just heard those words from you.

You immediately broke eye contact with Sunghoon and looked off to the side so he couldn’t see how embarrassed you were. “Or not,” you mumbled. “I mean if you don't wanna be more than friends that’s okay I mean we can still be friends that’s completely fine I just hope I haven’t ruined everything oh God who am I kidding what have I done-”

You were interrupted by the sound of Sunghoon sighing. Out of the corner of your eye you could see him smiling from ear to ear. You turned your head to face him and said, “What?”

“Stop rambling already.” 

Before you had time to process what he said, he leaned in and quickly, yet softly, kissed your cheek. You were in utter shock and disbelief, and you felt your face go hot. A tiny smile came across your face.

Sunghoon saw your glasses fogging up and that’s when he knew you were blushing. He decided to tease you. “Aw, I make you flustered.”

You became playfully defensive and flicked his hand. “Yah! No you don't.”

Sunghoon laughed. “Yes I do,” he said as he swiftly took your hand and intertwined it with his. He swung your hand up and down and his smile got even bigger as your eyes lit up. “You look like the pleading eyes emoji right now.”

You let out a nervous yet happy laugh. “Sunghoon, you’re killing me.” Never in your wildest dreams did you think this moment would ever come to be.

Sunghoon cleared his throat. “In all seriousness though, y/n, I really like you too.”

“I’m so glad I was able to get that out,” you said as you let out a happy sigh. “I’d been keeping it in for a long time. I was so worried about messing up our friendship and especially over the past few weeks I’ve been worried about once we go to college, we’ll be physically apart. Thankfully, though, yesterday I talked to Sunoo about everything and he really helped me muster the courage to tell you how I feel.”

Sunghoon’s heart skipped a beat when you mentioned Sunoo. There’s no way. “Oh, you talked to Sunoo? I heard he’s good with stuff like that. What did he say?”

“You know, he told me that it was better for me to shoot my shot so that down the road I wouldn't regret not taking a chance. And he was right. I don't regret this at all.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me, because I would really like to be more than friends with you. And, um, I’m not worried about going off to different colleges or being physically apart. I believe in us; we’ll find a way.”

“Then I’m not worried about it either,” you said, relieved. 

“I’m glad,” Sunghoon said. “Does Saturday work for a date? I can pick you up at your house around 7:00.”

“That sounds great, Sunghoon.”

“Perfect,” said Sunghoon, his smile bigger than ever. “You wanna keep skating now?”

“Yeah,” you answered. “I’d like that.”

You and Sunghoon continued to skate, and the rest of the afternoon was filled with happiness and laughter. The smiles never came off either of your faces, and neither of you had even thought of letting go of the other’s hand. The two of you were so happy in this moment and you didn’t want it to end. 

All good things must come to an end, though, and your afternoon with Sunghoon was no different. Sunghoon felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his hoodie and he pulled it out. His mom had sent him a text. “My mom’s asking me where I am,” said Sunghoon with a twinge of disappointment. “I guess I can’t blame her; we’ve been here for almost four hours. I should get going.” 

“No problem Sunghoon. I should probably get home as well. I need to get started on my homework.”

You and Sunghoon left the rink, still holding hands. You two were parked next to each other in the parking lot, and there you said your goodbyes. Before you went in your car, however, you thought of something. “Hey, Sunghoon, did you have anything in mind you wanted to tell me when you invited me here? You know, anything not related to what I told you?”

“Nope. That was exactly it,” Sunghoon said with a smile. “Believe it or not, I also talked to Sunoo yesterday evening.”

“No way,” you said, a bit dumbfounded. “Did you actually?”

“Yeah. Looks like great minds think alike.” He gave you a wink, and before he turned around to get in his car, he said, “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

[theanimeview]

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SKATE-LEADING☆STARS (Spoilers)

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial​

I have said it before, and I will say it many more times--of that I am sure. I used to be a competitive figure skater. It was a long time ago, I had stop in high school due to several consecutive head injuries but I still love and follow the sport (I also still skate, just not competitively). 

When Yuri!!! on Ice was out, I loved it because it showed a lot of the cultural parts of skating. The travel, the personality types (in some cases, though not as much), the publicity, the news coverage, etc. We had cameos of famous skaters, we got to see competitions in a pretty realistic way, costuming, the dance and/or gymnastics that skaters must do on and off the ice, and so much more! (I could probably nerd about all the easter eggs and everything else all day long.) The skating in Yuri!!! on Ice is good too. The sounds are near perfect and the movements, though a bit stiff due to the use of CGI, are accurate. 

THAT ASIDE I think Skate-Leading☆Stars is better. In regards to the culture of skaters, SL☆S falls way short but that’s alright. After all, this is a sports anime set in a high school where sports is an all consuming entity and reality takes a back seat to guys with eccentric hair colors. The skating is what's important here and OH LET ME TELL YOU it is near perfect.

Let’s look at this: 

This is our MC, Kensei Maeshima, doing a triple axel (I think they called it a quadruple in the anime which would mean 4 spins but I counted 3 so I’m calling it a triple for now). It’s the only jump that takes off going forward in skating and is one of the most difficult jumps. All of the movement here is accurate--from the way he jumps up and straightens his legs as soon as possible with arms tucked in to help the spin, to the way he lands with a slight bend of the knee, curving around and throwing out the arms for balance (and flare). 

It’s gorgeous. And it continues. When we see Kensei practicing, we get these shots: 

A Sit Spin ^

Crossovers ^

And a Salchow ^ (I think it is Salchow, but if could be a Lutz--the uncertainty comes from me finding it difficult to decipher which edge he’s on before jumping).

ALL OF THESE are beautifully animated and correct--from the way he pulls his arms in quickly and straightens his legs before bending for the landing again to the way he moves after landing. 

Crossovers are especially good as they help build momentum quickly before jumps, allowing a skater to travel more during their jump. 

And when he falls, you see something else that they train you for in skating--how to fall. It’s literally the first thing I was taught when I began taking lessons. Let me explain--in the gif above where he falls coming out of the Salchow, we see this:

He landed on the correct foot, but was still coming out of the last half of his last turn. His other foot, which is meant to swing out, around, and behind him, before guiding the glide out of said jump, hits the ice at an angle as he lands thus causing most of the ice shaving we see happening to the top layer of ice as his other foot slides out from under him. 

Now, if your feet went out from under you--the first thing that you might do automatically is go to your knees or hands to protect your fall. In skating, it’s a bit different. If you fall, your aim is to quickly move to try and let your butt or thighs take the hit while trying to avoid joints (knees, elbows, and wrists) and head injuries. What does Kensei do? He quickly turns to land on his butt first:

His hand skims the ice, but he moves it up, and off the ice as he bounces:

He then turns during the bounce, aiming to land on his thighs (less painful in my experience, and less risk of a tailbone or head injury as you continue to bounce and slide on the ice). His arm extends outward to avoid hitting his elbow directly on the ice with the weight of his upper body against it, while moving the arm up, placing his bicep closer to the head (which will help prevent his head from smacking against the ice):

Finally, he stops sliding and has, officially, “landed” his fall:

Note how the head is tucked in, resting a bit on the bicep, his elbow is not being leaned against (or broken after this fall) since it is laying flat, and how he is on his side? Yeah. That’s a pretty great fall. 

You’d be a little scratched up after that if the ice was rough and since he wasn’t wearing a jacket/gloves--but you’d probably avoid bruising or any severe injuries. The reason for the fall was probably a combination of the scratched up ice (which he credits), being out of practice, and his need for more muscle training.  Still, AWESOME. He’s doing really well for being as out of practice as he is. 

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STORY??

Okay--Now that I’ve nerded out about the skating I’ll talk about the larger story.

Kensei is hated by his current team. It reminds me a lot of the hate that was given towards Ren Mihashi in Big Windup! prior to transferring schools. 

Kensei is obviously very talented--I mean, not everyone can come back from being off the ice FOR YEARS and do jumps like that without seriously hurting themselves and falling all over the place. It’s not like riding a bike--it’s more like highly skilled dancing... on blades... on a very slippery surface where you are likely to seriously break something. His team hates him for some reason, and act like he’s not a team player or something but he doesn’t come off that way. Perhaps a bit overly confident for their liking, but he clearly has the skills to back it up and we have proof that he can play on a team since we’re shown him playing basketball in Episode 1 and told that he’s played on and been scouted by a number of other teams at the school.

If they dislike him because of him quitting for a while, I’d say they need to get over it because we learn in the first few minutes of the anime that before Kensei’s last competition he lost both his parents--who were professional ice-skaters--in a traumatic accident. 

In the flashback we see of him as a child, the reference point for why so many of his current teammates seem to hate him, we see that Kensei doesn’t seem to have any friends. In fact, our antagonist Reo Shinozaki is the one seen surrounded by people and other kids. While Reo doesn’t seem to regard any of his peers as being friends or equals, it’s pretty clear that he is at least liked more by the other kids than Kensei who is alone. 

As a teen, Kensei has made several friends outside of skating which we see in the current episodes but he still hasn’t made much headway with the other skaters--though at least one of the older kids, Yukimitsu Mochizuki, is nice to him. Some of the members are obviously mad at him for something and wish he wasn’t part of the team and maybe that’s because of his boisterous personality but more likely its due to something more petty, like jealousy or envy at Kensei’s skill or some sort of lack in communication. (Remember, they were all individual competitors going against each other at one point, and when your friends are also who you actively compete against it can get pretty ugly.) 

That’s not to say Kensei is without flaws. As mentioned, he is overly confident at points and makes careless statements about a few of the other members’ being of lower skill or caliber than him despite knowing that he is out of practice and that they take the sport very seriously. If I was to apply this to my own experience as a former skater, it may be like when I had a falling out with many of my skating friends after I had to stop competing and no longer attended lessons. Many of them, particularly at our young age and level, couldn’t imagine giving up skating for any reason aside from losing life or a limb. Concussions or the after effects didn’t feel real to them (nor to me), and yet the pain I felt doing simple spins or moving quickly left me in pain and feeling like I had just slammed my head against the ice. Some felt like I was quitting just as the real competitions were getting started (entering adult competitions). One friend later told me that she felt like I had quit while I was ahead, “robbing” her of the chance to beat me, as though I would have know that. A few others said that it felt like I didn’t care about them or the sport anymore when I stopped coming to group lessons. Meanwhile, I felt like I was being abandoned and lost now that I couldn’t do the one thing that had consumed much of my free time and focus in life at that age... But it’s okay now, because I found anime. (JK--it all worked out as we got older and talked things through.)

I’m sure that as the series progresses, these combative issues within the team will work themselves out and I’m looking forward to it!

Comparatively, it feels a LOT like the Free! series (you remember that swimming anime we were all obsessed with?), though the focus on ice skating that we see within the series thus far (such as news stories, the number of clubs and schools that have ice skating clubs, youtube-videos, and other media) imply that ice skating is as prevalent there as basketball or volleyball. Which, as much as I’d love that to be true, is simply not the case. It’s fictionalized, obviously, and the story is really laying on the drama pretty thick from inter-team disharmony to a larger rivalry with our antagonist that said antagonist doesn’t even seem to register, think about, or give two hoots towards.

As for the rest of the fictional universe of this world... Uh. It’s a high school sports anime so what do you expect?

Simply put, it’s a standard story for this genre. 

I have not yet read the manga--but I plan to immediately. 8/10 recommend streaming on Funimation.com, and 10/10 on animation (if only for the skating). The next episode comes out on the 10th, so now is a great time to catch up! 

[kevindayscrown]

The one where Kevin Day falls in love with an ice hockey player.

Extra Content Part 1

Anything included in this head canon takes place the semester after the Foxes won the championship against the Ravens.

Head over to the directory to find the main parts.

Words in italics are spoken in Mandarin by the characters.

This is sort of extra content, it’s not a main part and no, I promise it won’t be as bad as Nora’s extra content is.

Eric liked to believe he was a pretty chill guy. There were very few things that could really affect him emotionally, he rarely got angry, and he raised his voice even less.

But somehow, Kevin Day had the ability to turn it all upside down.

He could remember the first time they’d met very vividly. Back then, he’d thought that Kevin was nothing more than a stuck-up celebrity, who apparently didn’t have time for those he considered inferior.

However, Eric found that he enjoyed riling Kevin up.

And secretly, he also enjoyed when Kevin himself wouldn’t go down without a fight.

When they started spending more time together, Eric couldn’t help but want to find out more about him. It was clear there was a lot more behind that cold façade.

From the yakuza story, the pretend dating, that kiss in the attic and eventually, the ‘break up’, Eric was not sure what to think anymore.

He knew he felt something for Kevin.

Correction.

He knew he very much wanted to take the ‘pretending’ out of the ‘dating’.

Despite everything, Kevin didn’t seem to have the same idea. Eric knew he’d been through a lot, but there was only so much he could tolerate. Perhaps when the two of them would eventually cool down, they’d be able to at least stay friends.

“Perhaps this was a waste of our time after all.”

That’s what he’d said before rushing out of the restroom, leaving the striker behind. He’d figured that both of them needed space and time to think things through.

Neil Josten hadn’t been very willing to give Eric his space, though.

The short red head followed Eric outside, saying nothing at first. Eventually, Eric stopped and turned to look at him.

“Is there a particular reason you followed me outside?”

Neil shrugged and then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pockets. He held it out to Eric first, who shook his head, before taking one from inside and lighting it up.

“Let me guess-,” he started and took a drag, letting the smoke out before he spoke again, “- Kevin is being an idiot again.”

Eric ran his fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, not sure how to respond to that. Kevin hadn’t been an idiot. He’d just been incredibly blind and stubborn.

“You’ll get used to it. He’s like that. It takes him some time,” Neil said and blew out more smoke.

Eric didn’t at all doubt that. It was clear Kevin’s mind worked in patterns that were hard to break. But was Eric willing to sacrifice his own sanity in trying to help Kevin?

“I figured. I’m not sure if I’m the one suitable to be there for him.”

Neil’s snort caused some smoke to blow out through his nose.

“I’ve never seen Kevin like that. Lying to Andrew and skipping Exy practice to go to the rink at night with you? Even going there willingly in the first place? Trust me, whatever it is you’re doing is working wonders already.”

Eric wasn’t so sure about that, since he had just left Kevin alone in a restroom after he had literally returned Kevin’s words against him, telling him he’d been a waste of time.

“What do I do?” Eric asked, almost desperately. He didn’t want to mess this up. He definitely did not want to become another reason why Kevin was cold and closed off.

“Give it some time. We’ll handle it. I’m sure you’ve seen what the foxes can do if they get too stubborn.”

Oh, Eric had. The Exy team of the Palmetto State Foxes had risen from the bottom of the ranks and won the championship, in an impressive way to say the least.

“Fine.” Eric wasn’t sure if he liked how this gave him hope, but he decided to hold onto it regardless. He was already too deep into this to be able to back out. He didn’t want to give up on Kevin, but he couldn’t be the only one doing most of the work.

“Where are you planning on going? Not the hotel I suppose,” Neil said and then threw the cigarette down, stepping on it.

The last thing Eric wanted was to spend a whole awkward night sharing the same bed with Kevin. In any other case, it might have been something to look forward to, seeing how he had imagined that scenario many times. But not like that. Not with the two of them barely exchanging any words.

“No. I’m leaving. Figured I should give us both some space. A lot has happened these past months. Maybe the winter break is all we need,” he said with a shrug and then shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll head back to my parents’ place. Was already planning on it. I’ll just show up earlier.”

Eric wanted to give Kevin time and space, wanted to believe Neil. He generally wasn’t the pessimistic kind of person so it was easy for him to cling on the hope that Kevin and him could have something more. Something real.

Going home, he thought, would help him forget and clear his head for a couple of weeks.

Except, it didn’t.

His childhood best friend, Riley Pierce, wasn’t exactly keen on letting Eric forget about Kevin. Mostly because Riley had been obsessed with Kevin growing up. They weren’t a sports person, but they were an Exy fanatic.

And there was no chance they would let Eric forget that he’d started dating national champion Kevin Day without telling them anything.

Two days prior to leaving his home town in Atlanta for the start of the new semester, Riley still wouldn’t drop the subject.

“I can’t believe you went on dates with him. What is he like? I mean, I know you hate him, but really, you went on dates with Kevin Day.”

They were gliding across the ice of their neighborhood rink, a regular hang out spot for the two of them. Riley’s smaller frame and hate for physical violence led them down the path of figure skating instead of playing ice hockey with Eric.

“It was fine,” Eric mumbled, though his mind went straight to the nights spend in the attic. “He is-,” he stopped, knowing he couldn’t start talking about Kevin without Riley figuring out the truth. He had tried to avoid it throughout the holidays, but now it was just the two of them and Eric had no idea how to change the subject.

“Wait-,”

Too late.

Riley halted and made Eric do the same, watching him and studying him the way no one else could. Growing up next to each other was the cause for that.

“You actually like him. It wasn’t just fake dating for you, was it?”

Eric sighed and eventually gave in, nodding slowly. “He is... not used to this. We had a fall out and I figured out that giving him some time might help clear things out.”

Riley’s expression softened. They smiled and then crushed Eric in a hug that almost had them both tripping over the ice.

“If anyone can figure it out, it’s you. Even if sometimes you are a bit thick in the head. I’m telling you; ice hockey isn’t good for you.”

That had Eric laughing, lifting his spirits a bit. Riley pulled back and patted his shoulder.

“Look, Kevin Day or not, at the end of the day, you should do what makes you happy. If you want to be with him and think it’s going to work out, I know you can do it. If not then, well, you have my shoulder to cry on. Or you can tell Kevin I’m very much available.”

They grinned and Eric rolled his eyes but smiled fondly.

“Thanks, Riley.”

Eric knew he had his family, his team and his best friend whom he could count on. He couldn’t help, however, to worry about Kevin and how he spent the winter break. Sure, he had his team, he had people surrounding him, but was he still punishing himself?

Riley eventually suggested they go back for dinner at Eric’s place. They gathered their stuff after they got off the rink and then started heading back.

“Mom?” Eric called as they walked inside the house.

“Eric?” His mother asked as she looked at them from the living room, immediately walking over to them to welcome them. “You are back! Good. Someone very special is here to see you.”

The smile on her face had something mischievous about it that instantly got Eric’s attention.

Eric heard Riley squeal even before he spotted Kevin Day, sitting on the couch, watching him with bright emerald eyes.

[bookstaninthesoul]

Meeting At The Library

WORD COUNT: 736

SUMMARY: Elain and Azriel meet in a library after class.

Okay, first of all, I want to apologize for any grammatical mistakes. English is not my native language, so I did it in Portuguese (my native language) and then I translated to English. I hope you like it!

Elriel Month Day 12: Dark Academia

Elain was in the library, in one of the parts that had romance books. She was looking for some book to interest her while waiting for her boyfriend.

Azriel was still in class. After it was over, he would go straight to find her there. However, she was so anxious about it that she had to start looking for a book to see if it would calm her spirits.

The two had not seen each other for almost a week, because of the tests. They studied in different schools, so it wasn't even possible to study together. Not to mention that Azriel was a year older than her.

And while she was thinking, she began her search for books. She saw everything from classic to contemporary. She loved that library, as it had books for every taste. Even bestselling books of the year.

She walked and searched until she found a book called From Lukov, With Love that caught her eye. She turned the pages of the book and decided to rent it. She went to the counter and gave her name to the attendant, registering.

Then she went back to the same section with the books, leaned against one of the shelves and started reading, since all the chairs were occupied.

After reading while standing, she decided to see if she could find an empty place to sit, until she felt two arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck.

It was him. She knew it by the perfume.

She then smiled and turned her body around, gluing their bodies together and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. The book still open in her hand.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi." he smiled and then looked at her face, as if he was killing the longing that was inside him. The longing to look her in the eye.

Then, she ended up with the space between them kissing him with passion. Lips between lips, tongues intertwined, gasping breaths. A beautiful cocoon of love.

As they kissed, Azriel leaned Elain's body back to deepen the kiss.

They stayed there for minutes, until they remembered they were in a library.

She laughed. He ran his fingers through her hair, running a strand behind her ear.

Then, she lowered one of her hands to the nape of her boyfriend, stroking the part with fine strands, making Azriel shiver.

Ah, she knew exactly his weaknesses.

Then he leaned her against one of the shelves and they stood there, facing each other, just looking and enjoying each other's faces.

"How was your day?" Elain broke the comfortable silence.

"It went well. Next week I have a test, but I understand the content, so I'm more relaxed." he replied, now running his fingers over her cheek.

"Good. Mine was cool. I had botany class today, so ..." Azriel laughed, watching his girlfriend's smile grow. He loved how passionate she was about plants.

"What are you reading?" Azriel asked, noticing the book in Elain's hand.

"It's a book that tells the story of a figure skater on ice. She used to skate in pairs, until something happened between her and her ex-partner and they split up. Since then, she never got a new partner and only skated alone. Only one day, the older brother of her best friend, who by the way she and he hate each other, came along with his coach and offered her the position of his partner for a year. "Elain said, explaining the story .

"What happened next?" Azriel asked, interested. He loved it when his girlfriend explained the stories from the books she was reading, he was delighted. Besides, she always ended up convincing him to read the books.

His smart little angel.

"Well, you're going to have to read it to find out." she said laughing. He accompanied her. "Not to mention that I started now, I don't know what happens next."

He kissed her again, this time, a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm going to stop by a bookstore and buy a copy for myself later. I'm not going to miss this story, not to mention that we'll be able to talk about the book together later, as we always do." He smiled. It was all a show of smiles.

She then looked into her boyfriend's eyes and said "I love you, baby."

Then he said "I love you, angel."

And the two smiled and kissed again. The first kisses of many.

If you liked it, please reblog it. It helps me a lot! ♡

[wanderlustinwonderland18]

Stepanova & Bukin: “Our Fans Really Want Us To Be Together”

How do you feel about being the new Russian National Champions?

Vanya: Wow! To be honest, we didn't get enough sleep. It was a busy time. We sat, talked with the team, discussed a lot. This was our first competition in a long time, so we were a little exhausted.

Sasha: So far, we don't really feel that something major has happened, but the assessment of our coaches is very important for us. They didn't know how we would perform. Yes, the coaches did everything to make us perform well. But from the very start, everything depended only on us... And we managed to perform well so many thanks to our team for this.

Vanya: In general, we liked everything very much. We missed the audience a lot and we hope to perform somewhere else soon. Yes, there are nerves, but they are very pleasant nerves. Competition is great.

Is this national title the main award of your career?

Sasha: No. We have silver and bronze medals from European Championships. We have also performed well at World Championships. The situation here is completely different in all aspects. We had a different task... But overall, we are very pleased with the title of Russian National Champions.

Vanya: Yes, indeed, this is the first time for us. The support was great. Even though the arena was only 35 percent capacity, we felt incredible warmth.

Is the lack of vivid emotions due to the fact your main competitors were not here?

Sasha: Yes, many skaters were missing in Chelyabinsk. It’s a pity that this is the case. We, ourselves, were not able to participate in early competitions such as the Grand Prix in Moscow.

Vanya: For instance, Dima Aliev did not compete here although we were expecting him. We are friends with him, and we communicate a lot. We hope to meet the entire Russian team after the New Year.

Did this situation personally blur the impression of the Russian Championships?

Sasha: Of course. In addition, the federation indicated that this is not the final selection for the World Championships. We simply perceived it as a certain stage where we need to show what we are capable of.

Vanya: On the other hand, the fact that it was our first competition in a long time added more importance to it.

Is it a shame that Europeans got cancelled, while everything goes well in other sports?

Vanya: Of course, it's upsetting.

Sasha: I don’t really follow what is happening in other sports, but the cancellation of our Europeans was not a surprise. Everything pointed towards this direction gradually. We were ready for this news. We understand that holding a competition in such conditions is difficult and unsafe.

How do you feel now?

Sasha: I’m good now, thanks.

Vanya: Yes, we have already recovered.

You guys joked at the press conference that you were unlucky, because you were ill with COVID at different times.

(Sasha and Vanya laugh)

Sasha: Well, yes, we were really out of luck.

How did this happen? You spend so much time together.

Sasha: At first, I just caught a cold. There was bronchitis or something like that. I got better and then fell ill again, but with COVID. I don't know why that happened, but after I got sick, the coaches and Vanya fell ill.

Vanya: Why this happened is still a mystery to us. It is very incomprehensible.

How did you handle the disease?

Vanya: It was not easy. I had palpable lung damage. The temperature was monitored for a very long time, and the dose of antibiotics was quite strong. The hardest part is not how I got sick, but how I went back to the ice. It was very strange and a little scary.

Sasha: You may be fine at home, but as soon as you go out on the ice, you immediately start coughing due to the cold air and the slightest exertion. Usually for us, skating in circles is nothing at all... But after the illness, the body perceives it as a serious threat and reacts instantly. It is scary. You start thinking: "How am I going to skate now?"

Did it come to hospitalizations?

Sasha and Vanya: No.

Vanya: Fortunately, it didn't come to that. I didn't have extreme temperatures (around 37.5 to 38 only). The only problem is that it lasted a long time. Sasha’s condition was different though. High temperatures in the beginning, but the illness quickly disappeared.

Sasha: In my case, it started with a common cold, then the whole body began to ache. I came back from training and it felt like someone was breaking all my bones from the inside. Then, body temperature began to rise. The maximum was over 39. I immediately took antibiotics. The state itself was unpleasant - you go to the kitchen, or to the bathroom and you are already very tired. You also hear how you breathe.

Sasha, I looked at your Instagram and came to the conclusion that you love black and white tones. Why is that?

Sasha: In black and white, there is...

Vanya: Magic.

Sasha: Yes, some kind of charm. Many photographs look better in black and white. I like the lines and shadows.

Do you hear from fans a lot?

Sasha: Very much! Just yesterday, one fan gave gifts through the coaches. She loves our group very much, follows us to all competitions. From my understanding, she is not alone. It is just her who communicates with us. I called for a photo session, but unfortunately, this has not yet happened because of the virus situation. But yes, they write a lot! They post stories, write long messages. Sometimes I read and tears come, people give a lot of themselves. You think how this is possible. Many are busy with family and work, but they take time for us.

Vanya: Most of the times, they post our reactions to performances. This has already become a meme! We have been compared to animals. Sasha recently reposted a picture where I am a dog who smiles, and she is a serious cat. In many shots, myself and Irina Vasilievna (Zhuk) are explosive, and Sasha and Alexander Vasilievich (Svinin) are more restrained. It’s cool and funny!

Does this reflect your nature?

Vanya: I’m probably more emotional after performances. I keep everything to myself so much that it just breaks at the end. Sasha, on the other hand, gives so much to the performances and at the end, she has nothing left.

Are you offended by any comments?

Vanya: Some comments are very interesting. There have certainly been times where I wanted to respond, but realized that it was pointless. It is nonsense.

Sasha: Because you will be invested in it.

Vanya: Now, I laugh at such comments. If a person doesn't like something and expresses their opinion, please, especially if it is really constructive criticism. When you see that this is not the first time a person has written, and really understands figure skating, you can listen to this... But there are some that just write for the sake of saying something.

Sasha: Yes, there are some who throw out unnecessary emotions based on nothing.

Has it ever happened that thanks to a person's comment, you changed something in your performance?

Vanya: A couple of times.

Sasha: It is not with regards to steps and technical issues though. Most comments are like “I want power, brightness.” At such moments, you can reconsider and decide that, indeed, something is missing somewhere.

It happens that unpleasant things are written by fans of other teams.

Vanya: I'm okay with this, but if you like another couple, why are you writing under our post? Go to your guys and write good things.

Sasha, you are sometimes compared to Victoria Sinitsina? Are you okay with this?

Sasha: Yes, absolutely! We sometimes laugh about our similarities. We also have common views on wardrobe sometimes.

What about the comments that you and Vanya would make a good pair in real life?

Sasha: It's fun too.

Vanya: On one hand, that is a compliment because it means that we can show real emotions on the ice. People believe in our story and think that we are also together behind the scenes... But we have already said many times that we are not a couple in real life, so it is quite strange when people ask about this.

Sasha: It's very cute though!

Vanya: Those who have been with us for a long time know that we are not together, but our fans really want us to be together.

Do you follow the situation regarding Russia's two-year sentence? You guys already had some bad experiences in the past with this decision.

Sasha: Yes, we heard this news. As far as I understand, the consequences could be much worse - all athletes from Russia could be expelled indiscriminately. They could say, "Russia, goodbye." But we are still allowed to compete. Let it be without the anthem at the World Championships and the Olympics, but on our form, the name of the country can still be written. This is already pleasant for us. I do not know all the little details, but in this situation, I want to find something positive.

Vanya: Of course, we are upset, because this is our country. We would very much like to perform with the flag and anthem. But the decision has been made, and nothing can be done. We will calmly prepare for all the major competitions. It remains to be seen how athletes will be admitted to the Olympics.

What would you change in ice dance to make it more popular?

Vanya: Ice Dance is a very creative sport. Everything should look simple, easy, and unpredictable with us. In my opinion, to make our sport more popular, teams must be given more freedom for creativity. Then, the couples will not be alike. We have many rules that do not allow us to go beyond.

Sasha: In general, the rules are made for judges. Previously, ice dance judging was based on "like it or not like it."

Do you have long-term career plans?

Vanya: This season has shown that it is difficult to plan the future. We have decided to live day by day, and prepare for specific events. There have been many times where we plan a lot, and in the end, the plan does not come true.

Do you think about life after sports?

Sasha: I do not have any serious thoughts. Maybe participate in shows, but there are no specific plans. However, I can definitely say that I want to stay in figure skating and take a new role in the sport. For now, we still have a lot to accomplish. We have just reached the top level. We have just started receiving recognition from the audience.

Vanya: And we are very grateful to our fans. When new broke out that we were sick, many wrote to us and supported us. It is really motivating!

Do you have plans for the New Year holidays?

Sasha: I would like to go to the skating rink in front of the Red Square. I have never been to massive street skating rinks, so I want to feel this atmosphere.

Vanya: Oh cool! Let's go and invite everyone!

A small wish to your fans at the end of the interview?

Sasha: Health and love. Be happy no matter what. Live everyday.

Vanya: To make all your dreams come true in the New Year.

[ashsreads]

live reaction: check, please! (webcomic by ngozi ukazu)

(as a figure skater, i just had to make my first post about an ice sports webcomic :) so here we go!!) (also, to clarify: these are notes i take in real-time while i read whatever i'm reading. i take the notes in my notion bookshelf, then copy/paste them over to here once i'm done!)

i’ve never enjoyed reading about hockey players before

they’re all such himbos, i love them

the way they talk about substance abuse in this is actually?? very nice?? like it’s not romanticized, they call it like it is, and it’s shown to have real consequences on the characters and their lives

i also enjoy that the Haus is shown to have baggies of condoms on their message board alsdkdjl safe sex ed at its finest

hockey shit with ransom and holster works better than my zoloft

the way the teams foster environments of inclusivity is so important to me; many queer athletes really worry about what their teams are going to say, and seeing these fictional teams be so warm and accepting makes me so so so happy :,)

only con: i would’ve liked a more developed ending! it felt very sudden, and a lot of strings left untied.

like what happened with bitty’s parents? how’d the press conference go? how was bitty’s senior year? i have QUESTIONS

edit NEVERMIND I SKIPPED 20 CHAPTERS ON ACCIDENT ALKSDJFLS BRB

edit edit: the ending is incredibly well developed when you actually finish it!! it’s such a sweet, adorable, happy ending that celebrates queer joy.

i would also like a copy of bitty's cookbook please, his pie recipes must be phenomenal

just found out the author doesn’t skate herself??!! i’m ASTOUNDED, her research must have been insanely extensive. i will say the figure skating knowledge isn’t quite up to par with the hockey knowledge, but overall bravo!! bravo indeed

i do wish this story had was some trans/nonbinary rep. we get approximately zero of that in ice sports.

however, when considering that this comic launched in 2013, the representation for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people in hockey (and ice sports overall) was absolutely a step in the right direction.

like is this another piece of queer media focused on two cis white men?? yeah. is it also a webcomic that includes representation for many marginalized groups, was created by a black woman, and started when gay people couldn't even get married in the US, much less be out in pro sports?? YEAH! this comic tackled so many topics that were seen as fairly radical/controversial in the early 2010s, and i've gotta give kudos for that.

also would've loved to see some more exploration into the figure skating part of bitty’s past!! like how that helped in his journey w/ hockey, why he switched, etc.

i will also say that at some points the panels were kind of hard to read in webcomic format. especially some of the ones that take up like longer/narrower rectangles(??), the text gets super tiny and hard to read. most of it's perfectly readable though!

overall an incredibly enjoyable read!! it's cute, it's hilarious, and took my mind off all the horrible things in the world for a moment.

and if we could possibly get a live action tv show of this one day... the world would know peace 😌😌