#united states figure skating

[figureskatingcostumes]

Amber Glenn skating to Heads Will Roll for her short program at the 2024 World Championships.

(Sources: Ester Ayerdi Photography and Wilma Alberti)

[memenewsdotcom]

US gets gold after Valieva disqualified

[markashtonlund]

Scene One

An AI rendering of the opening scene in First Launch. Many have asked me over the years how I come up with ideas for my screenplays and other endeavors. The truth of the matter is that it isn’t easy. There isn’t some sort of switch to turn on and off. But what does happen is that suddenly an idea pops into your head and from there you begin to build off it. With Justice Is Mind, the spark was a…

[puck-luck]

luke x older reader anon again! congrats on 1k! submitting the same request, with hearts and prompt 25 🫶🏻

warnings: unprotected p in v, age gap (not major.), religious themes & motifs, pining, childhood friends to lovers vibes, best friend's brother ofc, jealousy, occasionally insecure statements from luke, really just the sweetest sex you can imagine. i LOVED writing this. hence... the length.

WC: 4,351

You’ve been friends with the Hughes boys as long as you can remember. The first time you met Quinn, it was during your first pee-wee skate. 

Your dad was a big hockey fan, so he wanted to teach you how to skate. The debate had been between figure skating and hockey– your mom loved gymnastics, dance, and figure skating, having been an artistic athlete herself. Your dad wanted you to skate regardless, but hockey felt more suited for your talents. You were a competitive child– and territorial over your toys– so your dad thought it would translate well into a hockey environment. 

He took you to the Olympics in Salt Lake when you were three years old. You went to see figure skating and two of the United States hockey games– one for the men and one for the women. To your dad, it wasn’t a surprise how your eyes grew into saucers when you watched your first live hockey game.

He’d enrolled you in peewee skate the following week. There were no girls-only leagues, so you were put into a coed league. Quinn was in the same league. You became very fast friends– you liked to talk, your new little buddy liked to listen, and then you finally got him out of his shell midway through the season and your friendship was fully cemented. Actually, the second you learned his last name was Hughes– like Sarah Hughes, who won the Olympic Gold in single’s figure skating when you were in Utah– he was stuck with you. Just because you’d preferred hockey didn’t mean you didn’t love ice skating, too. It just wasn’t your passion.

You and Quinn stayed in touch after that peewee hockey season, enrolling in the same league and requesting to be on the same team until you both graduated into the boys- and girls-only leagues. You still remained friends, staying in contact as best you could when he moved to Toronto. You’d send letters back and forth and you became a pro at interpreting Quinn’s boyishly terrible handwriting. He’d tell you about his brothers, his parents, his school, and his hockey teams. You’d keep him updated on home, but then it stopped being home to Quinn. Soon enough, you were only talking about hockey and family. ‘Did you see that Crosby won the Hart Trophy?’ ‘Yeah! Ovi got the Calder though, so we’re still on even playing field. Canadian boy.’ ‘Hey, Ovi is Russian. Choose a real American and get back to me.’

It wasn’t long until you secured an invitation to visit the Hughes during the summer. You and your family went up to Toronto to visit them and you got to play with the Hughes boys for a whole week. It was so much fun, so the next summer, you begged to invite them to your place for a week.

The tradition continued for years, alternating houses and hometowns. You and Quinn both applied to Michigan– he played hockey, you did not. You were a good player, but you’re more of a beer league girl. You weren’t recruited to play college hockey– which, for a while, you thought was weird, because there are so few female hockey players in America. You’re hoping that your lack of recruitment means that there are hundreds of amazing women who are better than you at the sport, and that helped you accept your fate. After all, Quinn would sometimes bring you to the rink when it was empty. You’d get to play for a little while– and it was nice, in college, to have someone who knew you so well.

A lot of people assumed that you and Quinn were together, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Quinn was like your brother. There was that weird month when you were thirteen and you’d gone to visit him over the summer and you’d thought, maybe… but it turned out that you were just thirteen and confused because of your rampant hormones and puberty. Quinn is just your friend, your best friend. 

All of the brothers were pretty off-limits. You’d seen the way girls had started flirting with Jack as he’d entered his teens. You’re able to admit that he’s a cute boy. Luke was an absolute sweetheart, always trying to play with Quinn (and, by extension, you) as you’d grown up. You felt so fond of Luke in a ‘look at how precious he is, I need to protect him’ sort of way.

And then, last night at the lake house, he’d helped you line up a shot in pool and kept his hand on the small of your back when you bent over the table, and your mind had been spinning ever since. 

You can’t tell Quinn, obviously. That’s his baby brother. You’re not even sure how you feel about it– Luke’s always been your little buddy. Now, he’s over half a foot taller than you, so he’s not so little anymore. Still– he’s four years younger than you and Quinn. It’s the equivalent of a freshman hooking up with a senior and you feel icky. 

Regardless, you can’t keep your eyes off of him. He likes to twirl his fork between his fingers when he’s done eating dinner. He’ll spread his legs and sit forward when he’s playing video games with his brothers. An absent-minded, crooked smile falls on his mouth every time he’s only half-listening to you or the other boys. It’s paired with a look in his eyes that you can only describe as warm and content. In twenty-four hours, you’ve noticed more things about Luke than you’ve ever seen before. 

He’s grown up. It’s still a little weird to you, but he’s 21. You’re still 24, even though your 25th birthday is slowly creeping forward. You find yourself justifying the three year age gap, persuading yourself that it’s fine to look at Luke like that, but then you catch yourself and look away. You’re pushing the idea out of your brain.

But he’s goofy, and cute, and so sweet. He’s the same Luke as always, but you’re seeing him in a brand new way.

You’re able to keep yourself at bay for over a week. The boys throw a party and invite some girls over. Normally, you’re not jealous. You’re calm. You don’t care. 

Across the room, there’s a girl flirting with Luke. She’s got a hand on his arm and you’re nursing a drink, seeing red. You’re using Jack as a shield, but you’re still able to look over his shoulder. You think you’re being slick, but it turns out… you’re not.

“What are you looking at?” Jack laughs, tilting his head at you exaggeratedly before turning.

Unfortunately, you know you’ve been found out. There’s only one thing that would have you glowering in such a way. Nothing else in sight is nearly as interesting as Luke and the girl beside him. Jack clocks it right away.

He turns back to you with a tight, knowing smile, like he’s trying to hold back laughter. He pushes his tongue into his cheek and quirks his eyebrows at you. 

“Interesting,” Jack says, swirling his drink in his solo cup and then bringing the rim to his mouth. He maintains eye contact as he sips. 

You pop the bottom of the cup, making the drink splash into Jack’s face. “Fuck off.”

He wipes his mouth and crosses his arms, cradling the drink in the pocket of his elbow. “You and little Lukey?”

You grind your teeth and glare at him in the most menacing way you can. Jack has known you for too long to be intimidated by your glares. He also never really cared that much in the first place– he’s too shit-eating to be concerned about the repercussions of his words.

Jack smirks some more. “Don’t worry,” he says, popping his jaw like he’s turning a piece of gum over in his mouth. “Your secret is safe with me.”

You clench your teeth and continue glaring. You suck your cheeks in and bite down on the inside of your mouth, lips curling with annoyance. 

“You know, he wouldn’t mind if you went over there and staked your claim,” Jack says with a one-shouldered shrug. “I don’t think he’d be upset at all.”

“Fuck off,” you repeat again. 

“C’mon, Y/N.” Jack pushes your shoulder lightly, jokingly. “You’re being obvious.”

“Quinn’ll kill me. And– it’s Luke, Jack.”

“So what? It’s not weird. We all grew up together. We’re all around the same age. It’s not a big deal. He’s had a crush on you forever.”

“It’s different,” you sing-song. “He’s younger than me.”

“Let’s go, Cougar,” Jack teases, reaching up to high-five you. 

You don’t take it, instead deciding to punch his stomach. 

Jack doubles over like you actually wounded him, but straightens up smiling. “You oughta go make him jealous.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

“Dude, I’m serious. Let’s go flirt with Trevor or something. Someone who Luke thinks you’re better than– I guarantee he’ll be over here in a second.”

Jack actually tugs you toward Trevor and explains the plan before you can even get a word in. So much for keeping your secret. Trevor, to his credit, is a very willing subject. He keeps a hand on your waist during the whole conversation and you do your best to ignore the niggling desire to look over your shoulder at Luke. 

Turns out, you should’ve been worried about Quinn.

“Get your hands off her, Zegras,” Quinn snaps, pushing Trevor’s hand off of your waist and stepping between you. “You’re not allowed to fuck my friend.”

If that’s how he feels about one of his friends touching you, then you feel a bit faint at the idea of Quinn’s reaction to Luke getting together with you. That might seal the deal– you really can’t fuck Luke.

“I’m not fucking her,” Trevor says. “We’re working an angle here, Quinn.”

Quinn scoffs. “Yeah? What angle is that, Trevor?”

“We’re trying to make Luke jealous, hello?” Trevor says like it’s obvious. 

“Oh my God,” you groan, covering your face in your hands. “Trevor, you fucking moron.”

“What?” Quinn demands, but his look turns into sheer bewilderment. “You’re doing this for Luke?”

“I’m going to bed,” you announce, stomping away. 

Trevor, somehow, is free to follow after you. Quinn hasn’t stepped in to stop him. You wish he would. He’s probably too confused. “This is good,” he says. “He’s definitely going to see us going upstairs together. Hold my hand.”

“No.”

“Dude, it was working. Luke was looking over at us the whole time.”

“I don’t care, Trevor.”

“Don’t you want him?”

“Not like that,” you hiss between your teeth. “I don’t want to make Luke jealous. I want him to come to me because he wants to, okay? Go downstairs. I don’t want to be with you right now.”

Trevor holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright. I’ll go. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

You disappear into your bedroom, changing into pajamas and climbing into bed. It’s nice to have your own bedroom in the lake house that Jack and Quinn bought with their NHL salaries, but tonight it’s bittersweet to be able to hear the party going on as you lay in bed. It’s not at all like when you fall asleep during a holiday party and your parents put you to bed, and you can still hear the laughter of the guests in your dreams. Now each bout of laughter reminds you of her, the girl whose hand was on Luke like she already owned him, and you wonder if he’s making her giggle with his stupid corny jokes.

God, last week you didn’t even like Luke. Now you’re burning with jealousy– or maybe it’s the fires from Hell, because you’ve got a completely inappropriate crush on your best friend’s little brother. You can never come back to the lake house like this, at least not until you’ve gotten over this shit. Why are you so affected? It’s Luke, for fuck’s sake.

It’s Luke again when someone comes knocking at your door. You thought it would be Quinn, ready to chew you out or question you extensively about this crush. To your surprise, the problem himself appears. 

“You okay?” Luke asks, hovering awkwardly in the doorway. His silhouette is burly and big and you have to close your eyes to shake the pang of emotion that penetrates your chest.

“Just tired,” you reply quietly. “Couldn’t stomach the party anymore.”

“Did Trevor say something to upset you?”

Quieter: “No, Luke.”

He hovers silently. You can hear the cogs in his brain turning. His pitch matches yours when he speaks next, although his tone is much more melancholic than despondent. “Are you mad at me?”

You hesitate for a second too long. You’re not mad, but you’re certainly taken aback by the uncertainty in his words. “No, Luke,” you say again, but this time the pang that goes through your chest is more familiar. You don’t want to upset him. You’ve always wanted to protect Luke from the world, but now you’ve made him unsure and insecure. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Luke asks, and you have to take a shaky breath. He sounds so small. It’s like the time that you didn’t let him ride bikes with you and Quinn to the store, even though he begged, and then he cried and ran to his mom. After seeing Luke’s puffy red eyes and resolute determination to ignore you for the rest of the night, your soda and candy bar didn’t taste as good. In fact, they tasted a bit like cardboard. You ended up throwing half of the bar away and going home early. You swore you’d never make sweet little Luke feel that way again.

“You wouldn’t get it, I don’t think,” you tell him quietly, pushing yourself up in bed and resting on your elbows. You take a deep breath and look at him, sure that he can see the way your chest rises and falls. 

Your eyes have adjusted enough that you can see the way Luke’s mouth opens, as if to say something, then closes with a shake of his head. You notice his eyes fluttering towards the corner of your room, removing you from his line of vision. “Okay. You don’t have to tell me,” Luke says, biting his lower lip in a dejected and heartbreaking way. “I get it. I’ll go.”

“Luke,” you sigh. “Don’t be like that.”

“No, it’s fine. You don’t wanna talk to me,” he says with a shrug. “We’re not friends like that. I’m not Quinn.”

“Luke.” You push yourself up further, pushing the covers down and criss-crossing your legs. “It’s not that.”

“It’s always that. And if it’s not that, then it’s that I’m not Jack. I just– I don’t want to hear that from you.” Luke shrugs again, always defaulting to that motion when he’s deflecting because he’s big and awkward and he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. As if he’s thinking the same thing, you watch him shove his fists in his pockets and keep his shoulders tense.

“Come here,” you request, head tilted and mouth turned down with sadness. You shift your position so that both of your knees are under you and you’re sitting back on your heels. “Luke, please.”

You hold your arms out for a hug, not for the first time in your life, and Luke shuffles over. He takes his time and he refuses to meet your eyes, just stooping down so that he can wrap his arms around your middle. It’s a weird position, given that you’re kneeling on the bed and he’s half-bent over. You can feel the pout and doubt all over Luke’s face, so you reach a hand up to his curls and run your thumb over one of his more perfect spirals. He’s letting it grow out a bit and you like how messy it looks.

“Jack told me something,” you reveal softly, still petting through his hair. Luke stiffens in your arms, but doesn’t pull away. “He said you like me.”

Luke groans and struggles in your grip, even sinking to his knees to try and get out of your grasp. He’s kneeling beside the bed, and you bring your legs around so that he’s situated between them. You keep a hand on his shoulder, the other still playing with his hair. He’s evading your eyes again, looking stoutly at the floor.

“I have feelings for you, too,” you whisper, the admission feeling heavy and wrong and like a knife to the gut. Admittance is the first step, but you just feel silly. “And I don’t really know how to deal with those. You’re– I’ve known you since we were so little, Luke.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Luke says bluntly, a hint of a complaint in his sentence. “You’ve been acting weird because you like me, too?”

“I was upset that there was a pretty girl talking to you,” you say sheepishly. “And I just didn’t want to go along with Jack’s plan. He wanted to make you jealous. Thought that would work.”

“I’m always jealous when you talk to another guy,” Luke tells you like it’s obvious. “I just, kind of, gave up. I didn’t think you’d ever feel that way about me. I thought I’d get over it. Stupid childhood crush, you know.”

“Yeah,” you agree, understanding that you yourself just experienced a similar line of thinking. You said you’d get over it, but you don’t really want to. Not right now, at least, when Luke’s sitting in front of you and he’s got a tentative hand on your calf, rubbing his thumb over the muscle and staring up at you with big eyes. You bite your lip, trying to think logically about this, but all you can do is examine Luke’s features like you’ll never get to see them again. Maybe you won’t– not like this. Not in this liminal space between something and nothing. This is one of those moments that you know won’t last– because the next one will change everything. So, for a moment longer, you just reach out and run your thumb along Luke’s cheekbone, eyes flickering between his cheek, his lips, and his eyes. 

“What do we–” Luke loses his words and presses his lips together, looking up at you, expression completely tortured. He turns his head and kisses the side of your knee, which makes your heart split a bit more.

“I don’t know,” you admit. You wish you had a better answer for him. You truly aren’t sure what you can do from here. There are too many things to consider– so you won’t consider them at all.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” Luke asks. 

A fond burst of laughter escapes from your chest. “Lukey, this is a twin bed. We can’t both fit.”

A pout comes over Luke’s face again. “We can too,” he insists, furrowing his brow a bit. “I’ll prove it. Move over.”

He’s climbing into your bed before you can tell him no. His long and spindly limbs are coaxing you to lay back, then warming you as he holds you tight. It’s a tight squeeze, but that just means that you’re touching him everywhere. It’s nice and you suddenly wish you were facing him, so you roll awkwardly in his arms until you’re face to face. Your noses are nearly touching and Luke is staring at you, really taking you in. 

Your eyes find his lips… and then he’s leaning in.

It’s charged with tension and electricity, but it’s soft and hesitant. Neither of you want to test the boundaries and you don’t think this feels quite real. Your stomach is swooping with bats, not butterflies, and it’s exactly what you wanted. This is what you expected when you found yourself imagining kissing Luke this past week, even if you shook yourself out of it because it felt inappropriate. Here, it feels so right that you swear you could start crying from relief. You’ve never felt that way before from just a kiss. Your chest could burst.

When he pulls away, you feel frozen in time. Your eyes are closed and his lips are right there, a hair’s breadth away. You swallow, touching his chest, palm flat. 

“Was that okay?” Luke asks.

You nod, then slide your lips over his again. 

You come together in a way that can’t be described as anything other than desperate. Your hands touch him in any way they can and Luke’s do the same. You move in tandem like you’ve got a language of your own– an indignant hum from you followed by a sweet “I know” from Luke before he touches you exactly the way you want.

Kissing the whole time, Luke gets you on your back. Your lips only part to remove your shirt, then his. Luke’s big hand cradles your jaw and neck, keeping your head and mouth exactly where he wants them. He guides you with a surprising amount of experience and sureness, although maybe he’s fueled by the same feeling of rightness as you are.

He opens you on his other hand, snaking his hand into your pajamas shorts because he can’t be bothered to remove them. His hips roll against your thigh, his long torso displacing your pelvis from his as he kisses you. He’s big– you knew it height-wise, but now you can feel him against your leg, and you want him to fill you. You want him to claim you, to take you– you want to give all of yourself to Luke. It’s madness and though you’re sure you’ve lost your mind, the crack in your chest that pours out love for Luke has taken control of your body.

After three fingers and a lot of whimpering from you, clutches at Luke’s hair and bruising kisses working in tandem with your noises, Luke works your shorts down. He breaks from your lips so that he can take you in beneath him. He touches your waist and the curve of your stomach, the one that you cringed at for so many years as a teen but finally accepted in your grown age. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he says reverently, eyes portraying nothing but sincerity.

You can’t say anything to that, nothing that can match his utterly genuine sentiment or portray how grateful you are that he took the time to say those words, so you kiss him again. You muster up an embarrassingly wanton ‘please,’ which you draw across his lips like a paintbrush. 

You can’t get enough of saying his name as he presses into you, his heavy body blanketing yours. You can feel his every muscle move as he works into you and you’ve never felt more like a masterpiece. There were times when you made fun of the phrase ‘making love,’ but sex with Luke feels intensely like you’re creating something tangible by coming together in this way. 

The moans and cries that you’re trying to stifle so that no one comes barging in should be enough to convince Luke that this is everything to you. Sweet, sweet Luke– he seems choked up when he says, “They can’t fuck you like I can.” He says the sentence like he has to prove it to you, like you’re not falling apart under his touch. He pleads with you between the words, in the spaces where you can see his breath hitch in his throat.

You’re still not sure where this night will leave you tomorrow morning. Everything, everything has turned on its head. Somehow, you feel a bit like you’ve been leading up to this for a while, not just in the past week. Luke knew it before you did.

“No,” you agree, touching his cheeks and keeping his eyes on yours. “They can’t.” You kiss him briefly, feeling his tongue swipe into your mouth before you pull away. “I’m yours.”

Luke actually keens at that, his arms straining as he shifts his weight to fuck into you harder. Because you’re so close, the bed isn’t moving enough to bang against the walls or creak on its boxsprings, and you’re glad. This is a moment for just you and Luke– you don’t want anyone hearing. You don’t want anyone to be around. You hope that they’ve all miraculously disappeared and you and Luke are the last people in the house, maybe even on Earth.

“I’m yours, I’m yours,” Luke repeats, his forehead meeting yours. You squeeze your eyes shut and inhale, his breath automatically syncing with yours. You’re overwhelmed, but deep in the back of your mind, there’s a voice reminding you about an ancient tradition in Polynesian culture where forehead-to-forehead contact and breathing together is sacred, like you’re sharing the breath of life– like there’s some power in the universe, a god or many, clicking things into place.

He unravels first, fucking you through his release with urgence akin to the sentence he said before. Always trying to prove himself– but Luke has always been enough for you. Maybe not always in this way, but now, there’s nothing he can do to shake your favor. All of the feelings in your heart have been poured out, shared and mixed with his own, and it’s created a puddle– or a bubble– around the pair of you. 

It’s been written that sex is when two people come together as one. You finally understand what they mean, joining Luke in the seas of ecstasy.

Sweet nothings and touches like worship follow. Your hands can’t get enough of Luke’s strong figure. He runs his fingertips along your body like he’s in awe of your figure, like he gets to touch a statue so lifelike and beautiful that he can’t believe it was ever a block of marble at all. 

The concerns about what will happen tomorrow don’t exist here, in your dark bedroom with Luke stuck to you like glue. For now, it’s just you. Together, breathing, touching, loving– there’s nothing else that could matter. This is it.

note: i have to work on my grad school app in the coming days, so this will probably be the last blurb/oneshot until i finish the application. but, i might get bored of writing that and could pop in to do another smut piece here and there ;) hopefully i'll chat with y'all soon! but i don't want to rush this grad school app LOL

[gasstationlady]

right person, right timing, right? | a charles leclerc social media au | pt. 1

pairing: charles leclerc x figureskater!reader (fc: jennie kim and some yuna kim)

after almost a decade, monaco's two-time olympic women's figure skating champion, y/n l/n, moves back home for her retirement.

notes: y/n's career is inspired by kim yuna's career! hopefully it’s not too confusing to read and follow 😭

disclaimer: typos. swearing. chatgpt french. i'm not the most educated in figure skating, so pls excuse any mistakes! photos aren't mine, nothing here is factual.

masterlist ⋆ next

nbcsports

92,932 likes

nbcsports Y/N L/N announces retirement after 2024 World Championships

The Queen of Figure Skating has taken her last bow.

NBCSports writer Kyle Smith tweets word that Y/N L/N, whose bid to become a fourth-consecutive World champion was narrowly denied today by the United States's Carolyn Rivers, has confirmed that she will retire at the age of 25.

The Monegasque superstar will end her stellar career with the 2018 and 2022 Olympic gold, three world championships, and the distinction of never finishing off the podium in her senior-level international career.

Read the rest of the article now on our website.

View all 508 comments

user no. fucking. way. please say sike rn

user God I don't blame her, figure skating is turning into math these days. She deserved that gold.

user ik monaco is depressed as hell rn LOL bc same

↳ user The way that's so accurate because imagine the #1 athlete representing your country is all of a sudden retiring. 😭😭 Monaco literally only has 2 Olympic medals EVER and they were both won by Y/N, if that doesn't say how significant she is to the country then idk.

↳ user i heard they even nicknamed her "Ice Queen Y/N" 😭😭

↳ user Yes, she is called "La Reine des Glaces" in Monaco!

user no hate to carolyn at all but she isn't rlly a complete skater. i'm extremely disappointed with the judging today

user wow i suddenly can't read

user Nooooo not my favorite skater ☹️

user i can't imagine watching a competition without y/n present :( such a major loss for the fs community, but i wish her the best in her retirement! 🥺🥺

user she just did one of the best performances i've ever seen, just to end up winning silver?? make it make sense fr

yourusername

liked by _kagavovskay_14, mlnmarta and 140,861 others

yourusername chez moi est là où est mon cœur, je t'aime monaco 🇲🇨 SEE TRANSLATION home is where my heart is, i love you monaco 🇲🇨

View all 1,816 comments

graciegold95 Beautiful 💞

↳ yourusername 💞💞

user are you quiting skating forever? :(

↳ yourusername i’ll be taking a break for a while but i will always skate, just not competitively! ❤️

user Nous regretterons de vous voir compétitionner, mais nous espérons que vous passerez une retraite incroyable, notre reine des glaces. SEE TRANSLATION We will miss watching you compete, but we hope you have an amazing retirement, our ice queen.

↳ yourusername Merci beaucoup ❤️ SEE TRANSLATION Thank you so much ❤️

isabeau.levito 🥹❤️❤️

mae_meite Je te souhaite tout le meilleur, jolie 💞 SEE TRANSLATION Wishing the best for you, pretty 💞

user so beautiful

user Bienvenue chez toi ! SEE TRANSLATION Welcome back home !

user i can’t be the only one wishing for charles and y/n to reunite (and get back together) now that she moved back to Monaco 😅

↳ user STOP BC LITERALLY ME TOOO 😭😭😭

↳ user omg i thought i was the only one who remembered they dated

y/nupdates

5,211 likes

y/nupdates Y/N attending a fundraising event in Paris! This is her first appearance since announcing her retirement three weeks ago 🥹

View all 55 comments

user I already miss seeing her on the ice 🥲

user omgg her wearing chanel is everything

user aww she looks so happy!!

user How did charles fumble her

↳ user i'm pretty sure that it was just the wrong time for them :(

↳ user Ik that they broke up bc she moved to Canada for skating but why couldn't they just do long distance 😩😩

user y/n will forever be my celebrity crush 😍😍

leclerc16

2,332 likes

leclerc16 Charles in Paris with fans today!

View all 30 comments

user seeing everyone surrounding him overwhelms me and i’m not even there 😩

user am i delusional for thinking he’ll somehow see y/n in Paris 😭😭

↳ user I mean they also both have been in Monaco the past two months and so far no interactions between them 😐

↳ user well no interactions that we know of 😁🤔

user charles looks so bf here

yourusername

liked by chanelofficial, lorenzotl, arthur_leclerc and 160,323 others

yourusername merci @/chanelofficial de m'avoir invitée 💞 SEE TRANSLATION thank you for inviting me 💞

View all 433 comments

chanelofficial 💞💞

user face card never declines

user so pretty 😍😍

user omg not arthur AND lorenzo liking this pic?? 👀

↳ user the logical side of me thinks it’s normal bc they all grew up together but at the same time it’s kind of sus since it’s usually just Arthur liking and not both🤔

↳ user 😭😭😭

user wait i’m confused why did she retire at such a young age?

↳ user It’s actually quite common for competitive figure skaters to retire “early.” Y/N hasn’t stated an official reason but I’m assuming the physical and mental exhaustion just got to her, especially because the sport has been favoring difficulty over artistry lately 🤷‍♀️

mlnmarta

liked by yourusername, charles_leclerc and 33,522 others

mlnmarta Les aventures avec sa tante Y/N sont ses préférées ❤️ SEE TRANSLATION Adventures with her Aunt Y/N are her favorite ❤️

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yourusername le temps avec Chiara est mon préféré 🥰 SEE TRANSLATION Time with Chiara is my favorite 🥰

user the cutest duo 🥹

user Why is this y/n girl suddenly everywhere

↳ user umm y/n and marta are childhood friends lmao they’ve always posted each other! i think the internet has just amplified everything recently

user so does y/n have no job now lmfao

↳ user I'm like 98% sure she's gonna end up being a figure skating coach or an influencer or both

↳ user guys she's literally still working with her sponsors and i don't think they're dropping her any time soon

↳ user Chilllll she deadass just retired

user NO WAY CHARLES LIKED

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, lorenzotl and 597,390 others

yourusername Je voulais juste remercier tous ceux qui sont venus me soutenir lors de ma dernière présentation à Monaco. Je suis infiniment reconnaissante. Ce n'est pas la fin, mais plutôt le début d'un nouveau chapitre. ❤️

I just wanted to thank everyone who came to support me at my final showcase in Monaco. I’m endlessly grateful. This is not the end, instead it’s the start of a new chapter. ❤️

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yourbestie À couper le souffle. Je t'aime ❤️ SEE TRANSLATION Breathtaking. I love you ❤️

user je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de pleurer en regardant 😭😭 SEE TRANSLATION i couldn’t help the tears from falling while watching 😭😭

user you’re amazing 🫶🏼

chanelofficial 💞💞

adidas A true queen 👑

user WAITTTTT CHARLES LIKED

↳ user It’s aggravating to see Charles constantly being mentioned in Y/N’s comments. Other than that, this is a reach. I think everyone is forgetting that Y/N is highly respected in Monaco so it’s not unusual for Charles to like her photos. You can even check; all of Charles friends and other well known individuals from Monaco are also in her likes.

↳ user lmfaoooo it’s truly not that deep girl, it’s okay to smile

user her adding in her own translation is so real of her 😭

user There will never be another skater as graceful and talented as you 🥺🥺

f1gossip

12,388 likes

f1gossip Charles Leclerc seen with ex-girlfriend Camille Dubois driving around Monaco. Many fans were convinced he was back with a different ex, Y/N L/N, after Charles and his family were spotted at Y/N’s retirement showcase last week. Always Mr. Indecisive 👀👀

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user bruh 😐

user This is crazy wtf i’d be pissed if i were y/n

user CAMILLE AND NOT Y/N BYEE i’m sliding down the wall punching the air sobbing bc what the hell

user i’m going insane contemplating the possibility that y/n and charles were always just friends and never had any intentions to get back together

user not what i wanted to see first thing in the morning 👎

user guys was it all in our heads

[j4gm]

SPOILERS!!! REFERENCES AND EASTER EGGS IN F&C ep. 1: FIONNA CAMPBELL

Here's a bunch of stuff I spotted. Feel free to add more.

During the anime girl hero dream Fionna mentions Hans Brinker, a character from a novel which introduced speed skating to the United States.

The BMO style alarm clock has BMO's voice.

The ducks that steal Marshall Lee's money look like one-headed versions of the two-headed duck from the original Adventure Time title sequence.

Cheers is a real sitcom. Simon previously sang its theme song in the episode Simon & Marcy, and now it seems to have manifested in the human AU due to his connection with it.

Fionna says "stop acting crazy" to Cake with the same meter as Marceline said "stop acting crazy" to Ice King in the episode I Remember You.

We all spotted this in the trailer but there's a Magic Man hat in this shot. Magic Man's hat was most recently seen being worn by Betty.

The Betty statue also suggests that Simon's psyche has significant influence over this world. The fountain includes frogs, a symbol of change that was previously also used in Temple of Mars. And Fionna mentions the statue underwent renovation twelve years ago, which is the same amount of time that's passed in the prime universe since Betty's amalgamation with GOLB.

It would seem Mrs. Abadeer runs a vacuum cleaner company as well as being Fionna's landlady. And Queenie runs an accounting business as well as the tour bus.

The stickers on Marshall Lee's guitar case are all references to real life punk rock bands. X-Ray Pex = X-Ray Spex, Daikini Kill = Bikini Kill, PM might be a reference to AM as in the Arctic Monkeys. I'm not sure what Las Crudas and Dark Eyes are references to. Perhaps someone more familiar with punk rock can let me know?

In case you were wondering, the credits confirm that this is human genderswapped Fern. It's a bit more obvious now that we can see all her green clothes and backpack, and given what she said about her dreams being super messed up. I'm not gonna go through the rest of the cameo characters in this episode because most of them are pretty obvious or already got figured out when the trailer dropped. That said, if anyone knows who the bus driver is meant to be please let me know.

The sword in the window of this games shop looks very similar to Fionna's sword from the original comic series.

The latte that Gumball - ahem I mean Gary - makes in this scene features PB's swan.

Okay one more cameo mention because I feel like it might become significant later. This is Ice Queen.

Fionna and Cake are dreaming about their apartment block in the credits of this episode, but it has a roof like the Tree Fort and the same little boat with a telescope and parasol.

Episode 2 to follow!

[khloxxy]

hello! i hope you're doing well ^_^ i just wanna ask about your favorite headcanon of rus, cana and ame (if you're up for it, no pressure, i wanna see what kumajirou looks like in your style)

i like your art! don't mind me if you see me liking your posts hehe

Hello (^_^) thank you... Your art is very beautiful I'm honoured... Sorry if this is kinda late(?) my brain works best when it's the middle of the night. I wrote this in my notes at like 3am...

My headcanons are really messy and subject to change so keep that in mind 🙏 Gonna put them under a read more cause they're pretty long and I rambled on and on.. Got carried away sorry!! Also it's kind of cringe at some points but that's okay. To be cringe is to be free.

---

Rus: My beloved... He's cute, yes, but also very creepy. (I love a creepy rus) I see him as this character that's always looming over everyone, always watching... He likes how docile and obedient Cana is, and with Ame... well... He likes the challenge.

He likes the arts... And I believe he's an incredible poet and dancer. I like to think that Rus spends his free time writing hauntingly beautiful poetry in a journal of his since there are a lot of beautifully written Russian literature... That journal could also probably work as his diary too because why not. He also does ballet and figure skating, and Ame probably calls him gay for it, this irks Rus but that's okay. He'll rip the tongue out of that American's loud mouth one day. He just has to be patient. (that last part is cringe but my rusame brain told me to write it)

For music I think he'd like classical (tchaikovsky) and metal. I also think he'd visit old abandoned buildings just to see the ruins. Maybe even appreciate the architecture? He finds beauty in the decay.

His relationship with Ame is a game of chess (Rus loves chess, so he loves whatever he has going on with Ame), each move calculated, each interaction charged with unspoken tension (they never reveal their love for eachother... the only time that would happen is probably in life-or-death situations but with their immortality that's practically impossible – actually you know what?? Scratch that. No confessions... Unless drunk or under the influence of something maybe.) With Cana, it's more like a delicate dance, appreciating his gentleness but always aware of the fragile nature of their bond – he's aware that cana and him are only really bound together through Ame.

---

Cana: Neglected boy (eng and fra both coddled Ame more) ... Envious of Ame but still loves him – he's frustrated. He knows so much about Ame but Ame knows nothing about him. Ame doesn't care enough to bother learning about him. It's unfair. I believe he actually has Kumajirou for comfort... But even his pet bear doesn't remember him (to be fair, he doesn't remember Kumajirou's name either.)

For music taste, I think he'd like shoegaze actually... it's calm yet messy-ish and it matches well with his vibe. (Totally not just projecting my music taste onto him)

He dislikes being in the shadow of his brother but he does appreciate his brother sticking up for him. Doing all the talking for him. He doesn't like new people usually. They never understand. (Never understand his freak.. yes Cana has a hidden freak to me.)

He genuinely gets along with rus. They're more similar than they initially thought after all. I mean they're both shy (to a point), both live in cold climates, both have weird relationships with ame... And both are connected through Ame... Rus and Cana both recognize that they are intrinsically tied together only through Ame.

---

Ame: Insufferable (put him in the eternal torture chamber!) Even so, Rus and Cana are still drawn to him like moths to a flame. Type of guy to test the limits of his immortal body... I wish Hima did more with their immortality because that is such an interesting subject. Probably has more DUIs than you can count. Has crashed a plane on purpose. No way you can be the United States of America and not end up crazy.

For the Cold War... Ame was genuinely disappointed when the USSR fell, he was like "well... what now...??" Because for several decades he had a villain to match his hero... But now that Rus fell off... what now? He misses the thrill and rush of it (he's a thrill-seeker... Type 3 fun typa guy). Also, he knew nothing would actually happen anyhow because of M.A.D (Mutually Assured Destruction) no one would actually drop bombs.. right? (they had a few close calls). Maybe the cold war was just one big edging session... (Lmfao sorry had to say it)

Okay adding to the above thing but the paragraph got too long for me. Another reason why Ame thrived in the cold war is that Rus had his singular attention on him. Just him. He loved that. He loved having all of someone's attention. He can't help it. He's just a girl! 🎀 (Kinda yandere-ish vibes but I fw yandere ideas so... Actually all 3 of them could be yandere in the right mindset.)

To me, Ame is the kind of person who thrives on adrenaline, always seeking the next big rush – he's also a huge sucker for attention. That's why he does the crazy things he does. For attention. After all, what is he without attention?

With Cana, well this is a me thing but I like to think that Ame is actually quite clingy with his brother.. He's one of the only people Ame allows to touch him.. Ame's not a very touchy person. Ame does crave genuine connections and Cana is one of the few that can offer that. They're each other's one and only brother after all. That has to mean something.

His relationship with Cana? Complicated... They seem good from the outside but Ame barely knows anything about his brother. Cana could say a million things about Ame but Ame could only respond with maybe a few hundred or so things about Cana – heck, maybe even that would be stretching it. Although, Ame does care for his brother in his own way, truly.

Last little thing I'd like to add: Ame has a collection of vintage stuff. I don't know why. Vintage things just scream American to me. Like old comic books..

[enhadiares]

“GAME OVER”

Chapter 1 | Let the game begin

👾A/N: I AM FINALLY STARTING A SERIES! It's very exciting but since it's my first time after my hiatus so I hope you guys like it!

👾Pairing: enha x fem!reader

👾Warning: This is all fictional!

👾Synopsis: Bound within the confines of a virtual realm, a group of friends must decipher its mysteries to secure their freedom. Amidst the labyrinth of challenges, they encounter a formidable adversary - a lurking shadow who controls their fate. As alliances fracture and betrayals unfold, they must confront not only the puzzles of the game but also the sinister presence that seeks to keep them imprisoned. Only by overcoming both external threats and internal conflicts can they hope to break free from the shadows within the game

A new dawn breaks in one of the bustling state of the United States, with the sun casting its usual bright rays, offering a glimmer of hope to some for a better day ahead.

Amidst it, boredom creeps in, despite the anticipation of summer vacations being fun and exhilarating, right?

Well, not for you.

The shrill ring of your black device snaps you out of your reverie, prompting you to answer.

"Look who's on the line! It's the white sheep!" you exclaim upon picking up the call.

"Why the crankiness, woman? I called because we're considering checking out the new arcade that recently opened" Jungwon, the young man, explains.

"A new arcade? Count me in!" you reply eagerly, rising from your seat with excitement finally brewing. You've always adored arcades and never shy away from expressing it.

"Alright, my lady, come over to my place at 5, and we'll head out together" he chuckles at your enthusiasm.

"Sure thing, Mr. Sheep Garden" you retort playfully before hanging up. You flop onto your bed, letting out a scream into your pillow while kicking your feet in the air.

Now, that's what a vacation should feel like.

••••••

The following day dawns, and you wake up a bit later than usual due to the excitement from the previous night hindering your sleep.

After completing your morning routine in the bathroom, you emerge in a robe, pondering over what to wear.

After much deliberation, you settle on a stunning Y2K fashion ensemble.

Once dressed, you gaze at your reflection in the mirror, feeling thoroughly satisfied with the result.

Hailing an Uber, you head to Jungwon's house as planned, the journey taking approximately 15 minutes.

Upon arriving at the house, you press the doorbell, and a familiar face greets you with a beaming smile.

"She's here, guys!!" he announces excitedly, his happiness infectious.

"Didn't expect such a warm welcome! You're like a ray of sunshine, so bright" you remark, sharing in his enthusiasm.

This is Sunoo, the embodiment of cheerfulness within the group. His actions are naturally endearing, and his voice resonates like that of an angel.

"Hey, what's the hold-up? Let her in first" another voice interjects, followed by a playful tap on Sunoo's head.

It's Jay, the nurturing figure of the group, known for his caring nature and impeccable sense of style. Though he plays the role of the group's guardian, his fashion choices exude sophistication and elegance, earning him admiration from all.

With a smile, you step into the house, unaware of the lurking presence in the shadows nearby.

Inside, the rest of the group awaits, each offering their own unique greeting as you enter.

Jake bounds toward you like an excited puppy, his invisible tail wagging with joy as he envelops you in a tight hug.

"Calm down, Layla's dad" you giggle, reciprocating his affection.

Sunghoon follows with a firm handshake, his demeanor as cool as ice, a nod to his past figure skating exploits , but he doesn't lack warmth nor humour.

"Oh yes, Mr. Icy" you wink, returning his handshake with equal firmness.

"Look here comes the sheep" you proclaim with a hint of sass as Jungwon greets you with a lively laugh, his playful demeanor belying his natural leadership qualities.

"Call me something cool, woman, 'sheep' sounds so childish" he teases, adding to the playful banter.

Next is Niki, the youngest of the group, greeting you with a wide smile and a brotherly hug. "Yessir," you both exclaim simultaneously, sharing a bond forged in mischief and camaraderie.

Finally, Heeseung, the group's ace, joins in, his mastery evident in everything he does.

"What are you waiting for, Bambi boy?" you jest, opening your arms for a hug, which he accepts with a smile.

As the group settles in, a figure emerges from the bushes outside, a smirk playing across their lips.

"All the players are assembled," they declare with a hint of mischief.

And with that, the stage is set.

Let the game begin.

[sywtwfs]

CAS Dismisses ROC Appeal in 2022 Olympic Team Event Case; Canadian Appeal Pending

CAS Media Release

Lausanne, 25 July 2024 – The CAS Panel in charge of the appeals filed by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) (CAS 2024/A/10355), the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (CAS 2024/A/10360), and Russian skaters Aleksandr Galliamov, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratiuk, Anastasia Mishina, Victoria Sinitsina and Kamila Valieva (CAS 2024/A/10356) (collectively, the Appellants) against the re-ranking decision announced by the International Skating Union (ISU) on 30 January 2024 (the Challenged Decision) in relation to the final standings for the Team Event in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 has issued its decision: the appeals are dismissed. The Appellants had sought a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event and awarding the gold medal to the ROC. Following the hearing that took place on 12 June 2024, the Panel deliberated and concluded that the results of Ms Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified in the Challenged Decision, and that the ROC Skating Team could not be awarded the gold medal. Consequently, the above-mentioned appeals are dismissed. The Panel issued the Operative Part of the Arbitral Award. The full award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued as soon as possible. The second CAS Panel, different from the first, constituted to resolve the related, but separate, appeal (CAS 2024/A/10354) filed by Canadian skaters Madeline Schizas, Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier, Kirsten Moore-Towers, Michael Marinaro, Eric Radford, Vanessa James and Roman Sadovsky, together with, Skate Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) (collectively, the Canadian Appellants), held a hearing at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on 22 July 2024. The Canadian Appellants also seek a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event, as follows: United States of America (Gold); Japan (Silver); Canada (Bronze). The second CAS Panel is now deliberating. It is not possible to indicate at this time when the second Panel’s decision will be issued.

Following the CAS decision on ROC’s appeal, the IOC stated that they would work with the ISU and US/Japanese Olympic Committees to hold a medal ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

IOC STATEMENT ON CAS DECISION: This decision comes just in time to still be able to make the medal allocation for gold and silver possible during the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The IOC will now work with the @ISU_Figure, USOPC and the JOC to bring the athletes to Paris in order to hold the ceremony here in the Champions Park based on the amended results from the ISU. We are glad that this opportunity can be offered to the athletes and teams who, unfortunately, had to wait for a very long time for their medals due to the ongoing legal case.

Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports reports that the medal ceremony is planned for August 7, although this is yet to be confirmed with the IOC.

[figureskatingcostumes]

Isabeau Levito skating to Nella Fantasia for her short program at the 2024 World Championships.

(Sources: 1, 2 and 3)

[tiredtxmblrvet]

Fic rec friday!

Got this idea from @mediumgayitalian (thank you!)

Below are 5 fics I've enjoyed this past week/recently. (They're all solangelo)

FAR GALAXIES by @rosyredlipstick

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49263694

Summary:

She didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled out her PADD from her coat, slow enough that Nico only slightly twitched. Jason’s transmission was loaded up on the screen—at the bottom, their signature tag was spelled out. “Guardians of the Galaxy. That supposed to be a joke?” “More like an aspiration,” Jason said. - Space, the final frontier. Or whatever.

--

Rosy is still working on it, but when I tell you this is absolutely worth it. Nico is 1 part of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and him, along with Piper, Jason and Leo get into many shenanigans in their journey across the stars. I'm just obsessed with Will and Nico's dynamic in this. Rosy is just such an incredible writer, her fics will probably pop up in more of these if I'm being honest.

Solace by @solisaureus

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38228998

Summary:

solace (n.) comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.

solis (n.) the Latin word for "sun."

--

I am an absolute sucker for fics that are "rewrites" of canon but that are Will Solace-centric, and when I tell you this absolutely delivers. I loved reading about Will's journey as a healer, how he deals with love and loss, it's just a beautiful fic!

i'm put in awe (of something so flawed and free) by CordeliaRose

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53629369

Summary:

Right. Well. Nico squares his shoulders, reminds himself that nobody’s perfect and this guy has to be ugly, and knocks on the door.

He is met with a Greek God, and forgets how to function.

|||

AKA: the archaeologist!Nico & trauma surgeon!Will AU.

--

If you're not familiar with Cordelia, they wrote the solangelo bible (AKA August) and are currently writing August(Will's version). However, they decided to bless us with this absolutely adorable Trauma Surgeon! Will and Archaeologist! Nico AU, and it's such a pleasant read. Will and Nico's dynamic is flirty and adorable, and the rest of the seven are such sweet friends to Nico. Plus Nico is autistic coded in this and I'm a sucker for that.

my lover's the sunlight by demigodbeauties

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30187689

Summary:

It’s his Olympic debut. In a few short hours, he’ll be the only man skating on the ice sitting before him. He’ll be skating in the Men’s Singles Short Programme and representing all of the United States. He’s in a city he hasn’t seen in years, skating a brand new set of routines, and he wants so desperately to win. 

--

Figure Skater Nico di Angelo has a run in with Ice Hockey Player Will Solace. It doesn't go too smoothly, but then again - when does it ever?

--

Olympic Skater!Nico and Olympic Hockey player!Will. This story is warm and heartfelt, and the "enemies" part of the "enemies to lovers" tag is more misunderstanding than anything else. I felt myself wanting to cheer for Nico as he performed right there along Will, and #Solangelo even trends on twitter in this LOL.

Got a Pretty Face (Pretty Boyfriend, Too) by @buoyantsaturn

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33772453

Summary:

Was Will flirting with him? Or was this just his attempt at being a friendly neighbor? Either way, just to be safe, Nico should probably make it known that he’s off the market. Right? A casual mention of a boyfriend would work - he’d never had to let anybody down easy like that before, but he’d seen it in, like, movies. Thanks, I’ll see if my boyfriend is interested. Perfect. Now, he just had to say it.

-

Will moves from Austin to a small town in Texas, where he immediately takes up three jobs, and does not have the time to be flirting this much.

--

CJ never ceases to amaze and impress with their work, and this fic is no exception. I'm not normally one to read Leo/Nico, but I found I really enjoyed their dynamic in this fic, and the use of "sunshine" and "freckles" as nicknames for Will absolutely made me smile. Basically Nico and Leo live in Texas and Will works two jobs, and meets both Nico and Leo separately, and the two both start crushing on him. Shenanigans ensue. I adore this fic.

--

Okay that's all! I'll probably keep doing this until I run out of fics to recommend. Have a good friday lovelies!

[markashtonlund]

Last Chapter

[sh4wty18]

girl of your dreams.

read chapter one here!

pairing: chris sturniolo x reader

background: this fic will be a series, dual perspective, and told in first person, but y/n will be used in reference to the MC! it is rivals to lovers, angst, and fluff!

synopsis: you and chris are polar opposites. you’re the captain of your university’s figure skating team, with a 4.0 GPA, and years worth of awards in your sport. you don’t party, you don’t fuck around, and you don’t fall in love. chris, on the other hand, is the captain of your university’s ice hockey team. he’s no work and all play, known for throwing ragers at his frat house and scoring the winning goal in the united states collegiate championship three years running. everyone loves him. everyone except you, that is. you’ve been rivals both on and off the court since freshman year. you’re seniors now, and your rivalry is still strong as ever. but what will happen when you’re forced to share the rink for your final seasons? what will happen when you get to see a whole new side of chris, and maybe, just maybe, you like what you see?

★ if you want to be tagged in this series, please comment! ★

dividers by @plutism

[myloveforhergoeson]

Online Songs - Chapter 2

Find me on wattpad + ao3!

Chapter 2: Who I Am Hates Who I've Been ~ 3k

Kendall Knight usually found the Mountain Aire High School hockey arena a place of comfort. Coach Finnstock had given him the keys to the facility after he’d been unanimously voted captain of the team, and there was rarely a time when Kendall wasn’t spotted inside shooting across the ice on his skates.

He’d led the school hockey team to the state championships last year - youngest captain in the school’s history at age sixteen - through hard work, determination, and hours and hours of practice on the ice. It wasn’t a position just handed over to any sophomore; It was a spot he’d been vying for his entire freshman year and had rightfully earned through his impressive physical prowess and natural leadership skills. 

The home of the fighting Albatross was supposed to be packed this time of day, from his teammates warming up for practice, coaches and managers noisily discussing which warm-ups to start with, classmates filling the stands to catch a glimpse of the finest athletes MAHS had to offer, but for now, it was quiet. Kendall was the only one around.

Finnstock had sent out an email earlier stating he’d gone home sick in the middle of the day, so practice was canceled for the afternoon. 

The team already had a hard workout that morning, one that left his best friends practically crawling into first-period pre-calc, so Kendall supposed, for the first day of school, things could be a lot worse. 

As he slowly made his way to the metal stands overlooking the playing field, the blonde shook his head to no one in particular. James, Logan, and Carlos are always trying to get out of practice.

Though he loved his three best friends, he could tell hockey was only a fun pastime for them. It wasn’t their passion, their purpose. At least, not like it was for him. 

James Diamond, from the ripe age of five years old, has been shooting for the stars… Of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There was hardly a moment where he wasn’t rattling off about some daydream he had about starring in the world's biggest and most popular movie musical alongside whoever he deemed the hottest celebrity at the time. One of the centers on the team, such a showboating position certainly fit well for him and his fantastical ego. 

Logan Mitchell, resident sports statistician, and all-around know-it-all knew he wanted to be a doctor from the moment he learned the meaning of the word. His brain absorbed information like a sponge, and his friends often relied on him for help with their schoolwork. He and Kendall often worked on game strategies to determine which plays would run best against their opponents. While this was his unofficial team role, on the ice, Logan was an impressive right-winger and quite the speed demon.

Carlos Garcia, like most other teens their age, was still trying to figure out his life’s passion. Often found volunteering at local animal shelters or his church, his calling seemed to be helping just about anyone he could out of the pure kindness of his heart. He was probably one of the most loyal people the three of them knew, which translated well to his role on the team. Though he would never admit it if asked, Carlos was one of the best goalies, Kendall would gladly argue, in all of Minnesota. Maybe even in the entire Midwest. 

And while Kendall loved that they had goals of their own, just like he did, it often led to distractions when it came to game time. 

He couldn’t afford distractions, not if he wanted to make the Minnesota Wild starting lineup right out of college. 

Air from the massive AC units cooling the space nipped at the pieces of bare skin poking out from his heavy flannel and jeans; Kendall preferred to be a bit colder than was comfortable. It reminded him of the adrenaline rush of flying down the ice, the roar of a jam-packed arena. Duluth, Minnesota often had the perfect weather for that feeling to hang around permanently, so that even if he was nowhere near the arena, simply stepping outside and taking a breath of the fresh air helped emulate those sensations. 

Besides, the team had worked hard these last few weeks, getting prepared for the upcoming season and going over the drills each member would help run for freshman tryouts. Depending on when Coach was feeling better, that was supposed to happen at the end of the week. 

A few fresh-faced fourteen-year-olds had already run up to Kendall and his friends in the hallway during passing period, chattering about this and that as they tried to get in with one of the team’s most popular members. 

With a sigh, Kendall maneuvered his way down onto the freezing metal bench, so thoroughly chilled he felt it prickle through the rough material of his pants. Dusty Vans kicked up on the row in front of him, he surveyed the expanse of ice in front of him. A place that, for the last two years, had nearly been more important to him than his own home. 

Of course, his mother, and secretly, his little sister, would kill him if they knew he thought that, but considering everything that had happened over the last few weeks, he suspected they might give him a pass just this once. 

It wasn’t anyone else’s fault but his own. Not really. Everybody knew that hockey is a full-contact sport and that accidental injuries are more than common. If Kendall hadn’t stayed up so late filming that stupid YouTube video the other three had convinced him to make, he wouldn’t have been so tired at practice the next day. 

James, Carlos, and Logan had caught Kendall singing “Check Yes, Juliet” in the locker room, thinking he was all alone. 

Singing was more of James’ thing, he and his current musical theater kick were killing the rest of their friends, but all four of the boys had accidentally been put in choir together their freshman year. From his year of singing practice, Kendall wasn’t terrible, but he certainly didn’t think possessed the same star quality the tall, brown-haired wannabe seemed to be filled to the brim with. 

So, when James asked, “Why not pick up that old guitar in your room and film a cover?” Kendall nearly laughed in his face. 

He would’ve seen senior Armando King sneak up on his right side to steal the puck. 

In theory, the play would have been amazing, the check, perfectly legal. King’s torso slammed into his, leaving him scrambling to keep control of the puck, and since Kendall was running on fumes, his usual lightning-sharp reflexes weren’t there to stabilize him from such an intense hit. 

What had transpired after that happened so fast, if someone sat down next to him right now and asked him to explain, Kendall wouldn’t have been able to give them a straight answer. All he knew was that he was flying down the ice one moment and in the blink of an eye, he was falling face-first, screaming out in pain as his right knee twisted, popped, and gave out below him. 

His vision had gone stark white, agony nearly blinding him as his padded hands reached down, attempting to clutch the area to relieve even a sliver of the feeling to no avail. Had he not fallen directly onto it, now writhing around in an attempt to relieve the pressure he felt building up in the area, the tear in his ACL might not have been so bad. 

The hospital visit with his mother had been nearly worse than the initial injury itself. The nurses had pumped Kendall full of the maximum dosage of morphine a teenager of his size was allowed and slapped a bulky, black brace over his knee to hold it in place. A pair of crutches had been shoved into his hands faster than he could ask why he’d need them. 

So loopy on the painkillers, he barely remembered much of the visit, other than the faint echoes of Jennifer Knight’s worried voice, pleading with the ER doctor to tell her that her son would be okay. 

The black-haired woman placed a hand on her shoulder, a comforting gaze flitting back and forth between Kendall and his mother as she referred them to an orthopedic surgeon. 

Her words almost send another wave of shock through Kendall’s body. 

Surgeon meant surgery. Surgery meant a long healing period. A long healing period meant no hockey. 

No hockey. No college scholarship. No first-round draft pick for the NHL. No contract with the Minnesota Wild. 

No way out of the shithole that was Duluth, Minnesota. For him or his family. All because he let himself get sidetracked and make that ridiculous video. 

How stupid he’d been to lose sight of his goal for even just one evening. 

Now, it left him sitting on the sidelines, eyesight tracing the red and blue lines forged into the ice as he ran over the last few practices in his head. Coach still expected him to show up to support the other members of the team, and Kendall did because that’s the kind of guy he was. Even in the face of his world crumbling down around him, he wouldn’t let any of them see anything but the inspiring and confident captain they knew him to be. 

Sitting on the sidelines felt like even more of a punishment than his injury, but there was nothing more he could do at that moment besides show up for his team - Even on days they weren’t playing. Just being in the arena was close enough to playing for now, because he knew it would be a good, long while before he would be allowed on the ice again. 

Backpack under his legs, Kendall shifted to grab the blue JanSport, unzipping the large pocket that held his binders and notebooks for assignments and whatnot. From the classes he attended today, it didn’t look like this academic year would be any challenge.

When he signed up for courses last year, he’d picked all on-level classes in hopes of skating by with as many A’s as he could and using his athletics as a shoo-in for a good scholarship; Logan, though picking nearly all AP’s for himself, had advised him that that was the best plan for his desired career path. But now, as Kendall looked over all his syllabi, a little voice in the back of his head worried an all-on-level year minus his spot on the hockey team might ruin any chance he had at getting into a good sports school. 

That is, of course, if his mother ever let him near a pair of ice skates ever again. 

Buzz buzz

Kendall’s phone chime went off in his back pocket and his hand froze as it slid out of his flannel sleeve to retrieve it. 

Incoming call: Mama K

Instantly, the boy rolled his eyes. To say she’d grown overprotective over him in the last few weeks would be the understatement of the century. He was almost happy school had started up again just so he could get out of the house and escape her incessant doting upon him and his injury. 

Just thinking about it drew his attention to the dull ache in his knee he’d been trying to avoid acknowledging all day.

Pressing accept, he took a deep breath out, watching it condensate in the cold air. “Hello?”

“Hi Honey, I just saw the email from Coach about the cancellation. Did you see it before you had to trek all the way to the arena?”

“Yeah,” He lied, feeling slightly bad about it. The doctor said he wasn’t supposed to use his crutches for long distances and the MAHS arena was about as far from his sixth-period class as could be. “I’m in the library now going over some homework.”

On the other line, he could hear a bell ding a few times and someone yelled, “Order up!”

Blueberry Hill, Duluth’s most popular 50’s-themed diner, had served as her employer for nearly a decade. Just closing his eyes, Kendall could envision the pale blue dress she wore to work nearly every day and smell the delicious pancake stack he and his little sister, Katie, always ordered.

“My boss won’t let me out early to come get you. Can you wait until five for me to pick you up like we planned or can you catch a ride from someone else?”

That was another terrible thing about his injury; Kendall, despite just getting his driver's license, no longer had the freedom to drive himself to and from places anymore. Just another shitty thing to pile onto his already miserable circumstance.

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Kendall clocked the three o’clock time at the top of the screen and sighed. “I’ll wait. Thanks, Mom.”

The last thing he wanted to do was make his limitation someone else’s problem.

“No problem, baby. I’ll meet you outside the library then.” The sound of a ceramic plate shattering across the tiled floor rang out behind her. “Gotta go! Love you!”

“You too,” Her son grumbled, though he meant it with as much sincerity as he could muster. All she had done for him since the injury, and frankly, his entire life, was beyond appreciated, but his sixteen-year-old brain refused to let him communicate as such. 

When he hung up the call, the picture on his lock screen, obscured by too many cracks in the glass to count, caught his eye. One, because of the shining silver cup, he and his three closest friends clutched in their gloved hands; Winning the Minnesota State High School hockey championships had earned them a faux Stanley Cup to keep in the MAHS display case. And two, the dazzling ear-to-ear grin he had on his face as he shared the victory with Carlos, James, and Logan. 

Kendall couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt happy enough to smile like that. If only the boy in the photo knew what would come in just a few more months, he would have savored his time on the team as much as possible. 

Hockey was something he’d taken for granted his entire life and he hated that it had taken something so drastic to get him to realize that. 

Screen going black, he sighed, and now, his sad reflection was the only thing taking up his field of vision… Until his phone buzzed again, a notification from the YouTube app popping up on his screen.

One new comment - Check it out now!

A bushy brow instinctively quirked up. One new comment? I posted that video ages ago…

As much as he despised the recording now, he was trapped at school for another few hours. It was either look at the comment now and sulk about it or look at the comment later and sulk about it. 

Biting the bullet now would at least let him do it in the peace of the hockey arena. 

When he clicked on the pop-up on his lock screen, the app opened, and he was immediately assaulted with the sound of his voice flooding through his phone’s small speakers. “Hey, this is Kendall…”

“Shut up,” The boy muttered, cringing at how horrible the microphone quality on his mom’s old camera was as he quickly hit the mute button. How could anyone find this shit enjoyable when it sounds like it was filmed underwater?

Scrolling down to the comment section with his thumb, Kendall almost dropped his phone onto the hard metal flooring when he saw the sheer size of the essay someone had dropped below the video. 

Probably some asshole with way too much time on their hands…

But, out of pure curiosity, he let himself begin to read.

Kendall K - 

I accidentally stumbled across this video while looking for a history documentary. While it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting in the slightest, I wish to inform you that after multiple times rewatching this stunning work of art, I can safely say this is the best song I’ve ever heard. It was appalling to me that no one else had taken the time to send you a comment saying the same. 

Based on the lyrics you’ve carefully constructed for this song, I assume that you, like I, are a fan of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The modern twist you have given such an old tale is such a fresh perspective. It nearly holds a candle to the source material! I am intrigued by your choice to give Romeo and Juliet in your song a happy ending - One that is such a stark contrast to that of the original play. What inspired this when you were writing? I always thought their tragedy ended so tragically, so I adore that in one version of the story they “forever will be.”

Additionally, you have a beautiful singing voice. It blends very well with the guitar, which you seem to be a master of as well. Are you self-taught? If so, that only adds to my astonishment of you and your craft. If not, your talent is still impressive nonetheless. 

Thank you for sharing your work with the world. I eagerly await your next masterpiece. 

With appreciation, 

Daisy-Mae Denton

Kendall blinked at his screen, eyes jumping back to the top of the comment before reading the entire thing again.

Was this some kind of joke?

Every single person his age with access to the radio or the internet knew the song “Check Yes, Juliet.” That knowledge, mixed with the commenter's interesting choice of words and phrasing, sent some mixed signals surging through the teen’s brain. 

Someone’s grandma being the only person to comment on his video was simply embarrassing… But at the time, their words had been filled with so many compliments, that Kendall couldn’t deny the small boost it sent to his ego. 

Regardless, he didn’t plan on picking up his guitar and filming another video ever again - Lest he curse himself into something worse. Like a broken neck. 

Whether it was boredom or kindness that sent his fingers flying to the keyboard to reply, he didn’t know.

Thx 4 the kind words Daisy-Mae, but the song isn’t mine + you’d probably like the original even better. Pls don’t expect anything else on this channel. I’ll be a one-hit wonder. 

Hitting send on that message was nice; A sweet sign-off from his channel from a heartwarming interaction with someone who may well be halfway across the globe. 

And with that, Kendall locked his phone and placed it back in his pocket, zipping up his backpack with the other hand. Enough time had been spent in the arena for the day, tips of his fingers and toes starting to sting from the cold without all his gear and padding. Besides, it would take him quite some time to reach the library on his crutches, so if he started now, he’d be able to hide the journey from his mother better when she picked him up.

The sound of the rubber tips of the crutches ends on the metal stands was unpleasant, echoing in the large, empty space around him, but Kendall did his best to ignore the sound by humming the chorus of “Check Yes, Juliet.”

Damn it, now that song is stuck in my head again…

When he made it to the doors, he maneuvered through them the best he could without assistance - refusing to push the button to open them automatically - and swirled around to lock the doors when he finally made it outside. 

His phone buzzed again, and thinking it was a message from one of his friends, Kendall didn’t think twice about opening the notification without paying much attention. 

YouTube popped up again, displaying a new reply to his comment.

I do not believe I need to hear the original song to know I like your version better, Kendall K. 

It’s disappointing to hear you are choosing not to make any more videos. You have a gift. 

Please reconsider, 

Daisy-Mae Denton

[luvmmarner]

ANDREI SVECHNIKOV - HATE HATE HATE

Written for @comphy-and-cozy sorry if it was a bitt late. My editing for chapters take awhile, especially if working on other stuff. I decided to cut this up, as it didn't make sense to put another scene I've written with this one. Thank you @jackhghes for helping me to semi edit this. I'm horrible at editing and it probably would take me a whole month to edit this. Also, very sorry about the delay. My ADHD just distracts me all the time, but when's not a good time to release this then now! Also for the part about reader not thinking much into it or acting on it. It's because I kinda wanted this to be a semi-slow burn, where reader is oblivious.

TW: the reader gets drugged (nobody knows, so we just say we drank a lot), drinking, reader is very depressed but is fine later on, sexual tension (briefly). Words marked with this font mean it's a flashback. People included in flashbacks will be a key part in later chapters :) Word Count: 4k? 3k? Idk.

CHAPTER 1 - Hatred

Hatred…

That’s one word you thought you would never use. Except, of course, for the times when you were younger when you would say it to your siblings when they were being annoying or making you angry, but you never meant it.

You didn’t know you were capable of hating someone so much until you met Andrei Svechnikov. 

As soon as you met the Russian, you were already certain that the two of you would have little chance of getting along. You hated his arrogant behaviour and his ‘I don't care’ attitude. You usually didn’t mind when people were arrogant and had big egos; growing up, you had to encounter that a lot between your siblings. You didn’t remember much growing up, only that you were raised in Finland before you decided to move. Although it's difficult for you to recall specific memories from your time in Finland, they frequently come back to you when your siblings bring them up. Your favourite memory that constantly comes back to you is when you and your brother both learned how to skate at the same time. You both instantly got the hang of it. You had always wished that your parents could have afforded hockey lessons for both of you, but unfortunately, they could only afford to pay for one of you at a time. You decided to let your brother play hockey and wait until they could afford the lessons for you. However, by the time they were able to pay for you, you had already lost interest in playing hockey. Your love for skating and hockey did not go away, but you figured that because it had been so long since you last played, you weren't very good at it anymore. As a result, you decided to stop playing and concentrate on your studies instead. When you reached maturity, you found that you enjoyed skating more than you had in your younger years, and as a result, you chose to enroll in figure skating classes. You didn't have to necessarily turn professional; even if you weren't the best, you could still find fulfillment in what you were doing.

The day your brother got drafted into the NHL was probably the best day of your guys life. You were very proud of your brother, but also upset that he would be leaving and you wouldn’t be able to hang out with him as much anymore. The day you got a green card and were finally permitted to live in the United States forever was the most exciting day of your life. Your brother made a quick offer to live with him, and you agreed instantly. You didn’t want to agree initially and said you’d find somewhere, but you made the decision a few days later to live with your brother after you couldn’t find a place. You moved in with him shortly after you got to the United States and got settled into your new home.

You were very glad that you were able to live with your brother. It wasn’t like you could live without your brother’s help, but both of you guys were so used to spending time together and being together that it only made sense that you guys would live together growing up. 

You didn’t mind living with your brother at the start, but when it turned into months, it was more annoying than ever. You didn’t think it was your brother that was specifically annoying; it was the friends he brought over. He always had you introduce yourself to his friends; you didn’t mind some of his friends, especially the ones that weren’t his teammates. It was his teammates that you were most annoyed about. You didn’t want to introduce yourself to them since you could never see yourself being friends with any of them.

There’s always multiple parts that come with missing someone. One being is waiting, and the other is loneliness and quietness. You never expected you’d be waiting for your brother to return home from his trip with his friends in Sweden. You never expected the loneliness and quietness that came with him being gone. You were definitely used to it when he was on road-trips with his team, but he would always come home eventually. The days you wait eventually turn into a few months. You didn’t even know it was July until you got a text from your brother saying, “Happy 4th of July.” It wasn’t like you were just sitting at home all day; you did go outside from time to time, but you had no motivation to do anything else beyond that. 

You have never experienced this before. You knew it was bad for your general health and body, but you were just tired and exhausted all the time. It wasn’t like you were eating unhealthy as well. You just didn’t go outside much and slept for most of the day. It ended up with you getting fired because of it, but you didn’t care. You disliked your job anyway, and you knew it was only a matter of time before you got the call that you were fired and when you got it. You weren’t surprised at all, only replying with an ‘Okay’ before hanging up.

Today was no different from any other day. You decided to watch Netflix and just chill in bed all day. You were probably just going to order a pizza or something since you haven’t had it for awhile and you weren’t in the mood to really cook today. You were so wrapped up in your TV show that you didn’t pay any attention to the commotion downstairs. Even if you did pay attention to it, you were way to tired to go downstairs anyways. It was most likely your friends coming over to check up on you.

“Yeah, you could just put it in my room for the time being.” The voice echoed through the hallways. You heard the voices travel to the living room before dying out. You didn't find it particularly interesting to pay attention to it, so you chose to bring your focus back to the show. After hearing your brother's room open, you finally made up your mind to pay attention to the ruckus that was going on. You waited for a bit, just listening. It wasn’t until you heard footsteps coming from his room that you stood up straight away, and nothing else was going through your head except irritation. You made it very clear to your friends that they were not to enter your brother's room. You didn’t even go in there. It was His room, Nobody else’s. You were just about to go into his room, but a voice made you stop in your tracks. It sounded oddly familiar… too familiar. You heard that voice growing up. You muttered an inaudible ‘no way’ under your breath. There’s ‘no way’ you constantly repeat those words over and over. He wasn’t supposed to be back until August. It's all just in your head, right?

It was then that the door to your brother's room opened. It wasn’t your brother, though. It was the Russian you only met briefly; your brother called him Andrei; you never talked with him before; you only introduced yourself to each other before engaging in conversations with others. 

“Like something you see, milyy?” There was no mistaking the inquisitiveness behind that smirk of his as he spoke.

You never heard the word ‘milyy’ and even if you didn’t know the meaning. You decided then and there that you hated the word, regardless of the meaning it holds. “Don’t call me that, and thanks, but no, I don’t. I’ve seen better.” You smiled as you watched the smirk slowly disappear. "Sure, milyy whatever you say.” His voice was rolling to a whisper as he approached you, inches away from your face. “You definitely wouldn’t be saying that soon.” His smirk reappeared as he stepped away, watching you. You couldn’t help the redness on your face after he said that. Your throat going dry immediately. “I would rather die than ever date you.” You bit back the irritation in your voice, trying to be respectful and not let it show that the comment effected you like it did.

“Keep saying that. We both know it’s not true.” He said, walking away, before adding, “Your brother is looking for you.” 

If you weren’t shocked before, you’re definitely shocked now. When you first saw Andrei, a part of you kind of suspected that your brother was already at home, but the realization didn't fully hit you until now. You pay little attention to the previous sentences and are just focusing on the fact that your brother is at home. You nervously head downstairs, multiple voices seemingly bouncing off the walls until it just goes quiet. Your mind going blank, shutting out all the other voices. The only one you cared about hearing was your brother’s. “Hey sis.” Sebastian said, already pulling you into a hug. The warmth of the hug made you feel safe and happy. A feeling you haven’t felt since he’s been gone.

“I missed you, Seb.” You mumbled low enough that only he could hear. You didn’t need any of his teammates laughing, especially Andrei.

It seems like eternity, but when you both pull away, you’re smiling something that you’ve refused to do for awhile. 

“I missed you too, sis. Sorry for being gone for a while.” Seb says this before pulling away.  Andrei cuts in. “Sorry for ruining this reunion, but we really should be getting going. The boys wouldn’t be happy to wait any longer.”

“Wait what.” You ask, confusion hitting you. “Where are you going? You can’t just leave; you-” 

It was like your brother could instantly sense the sadness in your tone. Because he was quick to reassure you. “We are just going to the club. You are welcome to come with us if you'd like.” 

You give a nod. “Okay, I’ll come, I guess.”

“We ain’t going to babysit you all night. If you want to go home, we ain’t leaving to drive you.” Andrei said abruptly he didn’t even wait for a response before he left, probably to start up the car.

You decided at this very moment..

You hated Andrei Svechnikov. You usually don’t go out clubbing; the last time you did, it was with one of your friends. It was an experience that you never wanted to experience again. It wasn’t bad in any way, but it was the fact that your friends all left with somebody, and you were left all by yourself.

“Come onnnn!” Kimberly said. She’s been trying to convince you for hours now to come with her and Lena to the club. “I don’t know.. I don’t have anything to wear.” 

Kimberly opened your closet like she already knew the answer. She sorted through your clothes before deciding on a few she liked. "Here, look! Here's some that’ll look good on you.” You glance at the clothes before turning away with disgust. “I’d rather stick to jeans or something.” Kimberly's smile turned into a frown. “Alright, then how about this?" She showed you a few more options before you decided on an outfit.

You made the decision to dress down for the occasion by donning some jeans and a tank top. You chose to wear something that would be comfy, even if it is not what the majority of people would wear out, because you weren't really in the mood to go to begin with. You weren't typically choosy about the clothes you wore, but there are certain items that you either don't want to wear in public or you just aren't really feeling in the mood to wear at the moment. - - -

You were unable to recall much of what happened after that. All you can think of is how badly you wanted to leave...

Escape…

“Leave her alone.” A voice spoke from behind you as the laughter of the guys around you died down. You didn’t bother looking at who said that. You just got up, pushing through the crowded room, trying to look around for your friends, but to your luck,  they were nowhere in sight.

You felt your chest tighten, and it was harder to breathe by the minute. Your whole body felt dizzy. 

You didn’t remember anything after that, but somehow you made it back home safe.

There wasn’t much conversation during the car ride. You just mainly focused on your phone, unless you asked if they could skip songs you didn’t like. Thankfully, they didn’t complain; you really didn’t want to argue with Andrei about something as dumb as music.

Once you made it inside, you quickly made an introduction to a few of your brother’s friends, who all rode in different cars together. You knew a few, but it wasn’t any of the friends you usually had conversations with and enjoyed talking to. You made your way to the bar, telling the bartender what you’d like to get - on the rare occasion when you do decide to leave the house.

You made the hasty decision to go to the bathroom, hoping that your drink would be ready by the time you arrived back. You thought that if the bartender saw you leaving, that he would hopefully put your drink to the side or at least look after it. If you weren’t back in time.

It was once again the worst decision you could’ve ever made.

When you immediately returned to your spot, you found your drink already there. You weren’t too long in the bathroom, so you just made a guess that it was just made. You took a few sips. 

“Is that what you usually order?” A random guy who happened to be in front of you asked. 

“Yeah. I don’t drink that much, so this is the only thing I’ve tried.” I laughed slightly.

He gave a chuckle back. “I’m the same. I only like a few drinks, most of which my friends actually offered me to try. I’m way picky with my choice of drinks, so I only stick with a few I like.” 

You nodded, smiling slightly. It was good to finally have a normal conversation with someone, and this guy seemed nice. You gave a quick look around. Your brother was nowhere to be found, but you did spot Andrei. He was already staring right at you, and he seemed pissed about something. You rolled your eyes. He’s always got to be mad about something; he can never be happy.

You moved your attention back to the guy in front of you. “What’s your name?” 

“Tyler.”

You extended your hand to shake it as you said your name as well. Out of nowhere, you felt your head start to pound. “It’s loud in here, ain’t it?” You say, once again chuckling. You brushed it off, stating it was merely because there was loud music playing. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Tyler asked, his fingers going out to softly touch your back. 

It was somewhat relaxing; you couldn’t lie. You would never allow any stranger to touch you at all, yet the kindness and the gentle touches made you feel somewhat better, and you liked it. “Uh yeah. Wanna go dance?” 

He had no chance to speak as you took his arm, lightly tugging on it as you led the way. 

After that, everything started to happen all at once. There was no apparent cause for the sudden sensation of lightheadedness and dizziness that came on suddenly. To prevent yourself from falling down, you had to maintain a firm hold on Tyler. When he inquired, "Are you okay?" you opened your mouth to respond, but no words materialized in your mind. 

The last thing you heard was Andrei’s voice.

Then it went black.

You let out a low grunt. It felt as though a thousand bricks were being thrown at your back. You muttered to yourself that this would be the last time you ever drank. You opened your eyes, and although it took a moment for your vision to clear, you immediately realized that you were home, safe, and in bed. 

The headache that you had been experiencing prior to this was, of course, was still present. You were in a terrible mood. You had no idea how you got home. You didn’t feel like getting up at all… You just wanted to sleep, and hopefully the next time you wake up, it wouldn’t feel like this. 

The next time you woke up, you were in bed. You checked the time on your phone. The brightness of it makes your eyes fully open. It was 9:27am. You groaned. It was too early, and you didn’t feel like getting out of bed. You took a few minutes to try to fall back asleep, but all the attempts were unsuccessful, so you eventually decided to give up and get up. 

The headache that you previously had seemed to pass over during your sleep. Thank gosh. You really didn’t want to have to experience that throughout the day. You quickly shower and get changed into fresh clothes. You didn’t remember much about last night, only that you met this guy and that your brother disappeared for most of the night. You were definitely going to bother him about that later on. 

Right, now you were starving. You head towards the kitchen, quickly grabbing an apple before making your way towards the living room. You planned for this day to just be a relaxing day. However, as soon as you glared at the couch, you rolled your eyes.

Andrei was already awake; he was on his phone, listening to something on his headphones. As soon as he saw you, though, he took them off. "Are you okay, milyy?” He asked, sounding worried but not making any moves to get up.

You rolled your eyes. Why does everyone ask that? Of course you were okay. You would certainly know if you weren’t. You walked over silently, asking if you could sit here. He seemingly got the message and gave a nod of approval. “Uh. What happened to my brother? The last time I saw him, he was having drinks, and the next he was nowhere to be seen.” “Tony took him to his place. He had too much to drink. He said they were planning on hanging out later today, so he thought it would be easier to take him to his place.”

You couldn't help but laugh; that was so typical of your brother. It is impossible for him to control his drinking; after only a few sips, he becomes extremely inebriated. "Oh, well, that's not good at all. I should have known from the beginning that he was not a good drinker. 

Andrei grinned again. You already knew what this meant. He was probably going to say something stupid to embarrass you. “Last night, it looked like you didn’t handle it well either. Compared to him, you were actually much worse.”

What do you mean by that? " I only had one drink.” You were more confused than ever. There’s no way. You've had numerous drinks before, and it’s never been so bad that you couldn’t recall how you got home. You just assumed that you ordered yourself an Uber and went home, or that your brother drove you. 

“Milyy… I drove you home. Do you remember?” Andrei questioned. You shook your head in disbelief. “No? I just thought my brother drove me home or that I ordered an Uber.” 

Andrei started to explain what happened, as you did your best to tell him what you already remembered so he could explain what transpired there. You were never this embarrassed until this moment. As he explained, you began to remember most of what happened. 

“I got you, milyy.” Andrei said his arms were wrapped around you to hold you steady so you didn’t fall. “It’s okay, baby. Let’s get you outside, okay?” You nodded; you felt sick, and the heaviness in your head wasn’t stopping.

“Can you take me to your place?” “No, milyy. I’m taking you home.” The strictness in his tone had you squirming.

You pouted; this was so unfair. You didn’t want to go home. You wanted him to take you to his place. “Ok, but I want you to take me to your home. I want to be in your bed.”

Andrei ignored your comment as he led you outside in the cold air; it felt amazing against the hotness of your skin. You loved it. You closed your eyes. This was so relaxing. 

The next thing you remembered was being in Andrei’s car; he was quick to turn on the A/C due to your request. You mumbled thanks before staring out the window.

“Why don’t you like me?” 

The question that came from you was so out of nowhere. You knew it, but you didn’t care. 

“I do, milyy.” Andrei reassured you, his hand just slightly brushing against yours. “Then why wouldn’t you want to fuck me?” You already felt tears coming down. Were you not good enough for him? Did he not like you? You didn’t understand. The question made him immediately silent. He didn’t even give you an answer right away.  After a brief time of being silent, he replied “I’m not interested.”

That’s at least what he told you. You shouldn’t care, really. It wasn’t like you guys were ever going to be a thing. You hated him, and he hated you. It was obvious, even if he said he didn’t.

“I’m sorry that I said that, but yeah. I’m not interested either. It was just the alcohol talking, not me.” You laugh, attempting to release the mood. 

It’s seemingly worked because Andrei laughed with you.

“Alright, well, I’m just going to head out. Seb asked me to see if you were alright in the morning.” Andrei said, not allowing you to respond before he was already gone.

You were left feeling confused. He lied. You knew exactly what he said. It was constantly repeating in your head. “You hate me, milyy. As much as I do. Trust me, if you weren’t out of it right now. I’d give you everything you want.”

You brushed it off, assuming he may have just had a few too many drinks as well.

Right?

—

You didn’t see Andrei for a month after that. You were very grateful, and you seemed to forget all about that night. You wish it could’ve stayed like this. You knew it wouldn’t last long until your brother was once again bringing his teammates over. You didn’t mind, and you even joined them when they started to play a few games.

You decided to drink once again, but only because you knew your brother wouldn’t leave again. Plus, it was in your own home. If you didn’t feel good, you could easily just go lay down. The night had been going well until Andrei had to ruin it.

“I’d be careful if I were you. You wouldn’t want to drink too much like last time, right, little one?” 

“Why? Don’t you want to hear me ask you to fuck me? Oh right, I forgot we both aren’t interested, so I know that wouldn’t happen.” You smiled; you weren’t drinking a lot this time only having small sips, so you knew exactly what you said. It was only to piss him off, and it worked perfectly. Because he shut right up after that.

You hummed in amusement before you made your way to where your brother was, joining him in whatever game they were playing. You felt Andrei's eyes staring at you every now and then, and you couldn’t help but smile every time you looked at him. He deserved it.

If Andrei expected you to just listen to whatever he had to say without saying anything back, he was very wrong. You hated him, and you were going to make that very clear.

[endless-summer-soldier]

ice ice baby - chapter six

pairing: CollegeHockeyPlayer!Bucky x CollegeFigureSkater!Reader

summary: Bucky is a college hockey player, Y/N is a figure skater without a partner. What's happens when these two opposites start sharing the ice...

warnings: enemies to lovers trope, some alcohol use

word count: 3.7k

taglist: @sebsgirl71479 @whiskeyrosepoetry

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series masterlist

Y/N and Bucky had just checked into their swanky hotel in downtown Chicago. The National Championship was tomorrow and the top three skating pairs would represent the United States in the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. This was one of the biggest stages Y/N would ever compete on, yet for some reason she felt okay. The nerves would surely set in the next day, but for now she was enjoying Chicago.

“Should we grab dinner?” she offered. 

“Oh,” Bucky said. “I wish I could, but I’m meeting with some NHL scouts. Coach set it up when he heard we qualified.”

“Oh, of course. That’s awesome!” She mused. “It’s probably better if I just order room service and stay in.”

“I can text you when I’m back through, if it's not too late.”

“Nah, don’t stress about it. I should relax a bit and focus on tomorrow.”

“Yeah, run yourself a nice bubble bath and enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks Buck. I’ll meet you down here in the morning?”

“I’ll be here.”

Y/N returned to her room and followed Bucky’s suggestion. She ran a bath and closed her eyes, trying to relax for tomorrow while also running through the routine in her head. She was bummed that Bucky had already made plans. She sort of just assumed they would grab dinner and that he might distract her from the pressure of the next day. She enjoyed spending time with him off the ice, though she’d never tell him that.

As the night progressed, she found herself filling the time with Law and Order: SVU. She ordered a salad to the room and prepared all the things she needed for the next day. Y/N wasn’t accustomed to having free time so she wasn’t entirely sure what else she should do. Eventually she decided to head to bed early in an attempt to be fully rested for the next day. But the minute she climbed into bed, she couldn’t shut off her mind. She found herself tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, and repeatedly setting the sleep timer on the TV to lull her to sleep.

After what felt like hours, she decided to go for a walk and grab a snack from the lobby. She was craving Oreos and milk, a snack she enjoyed with her mother growing up. She threw on a crew neck sweatshirt over her T-shirt and grabbed her wallet and room key to walk down to the lobby.

It was 11PM which wasn’t as late as she expected. If she could snack quickly and head to bed shortly after, she’d still get a decent night’s sleep. She expected things to be quiet, as the hotel was housing all the participants for tomorrow’s competition, yet there were quite a few people sitting at the bar as she passed by. One of them being her partner.

She was just about to walk over to him and urge him to get to bed, when another figure slid into the chair next to him. Sharon. She watched the two of them chatting and felt a pang in her stomach when Sharon placed a flirtatious hand on his thigh. She had seen enough. She continued to the vending machine for her pack of Oreos and retreated to her room as quickly as possible.

Once her door was shut, a pair of tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, in denial that she even cared. If anything, she was more upset that he lied. She thought it seemed weird that he had plans with NHL scouts and never mentioned anything to her. Because it wasn’t true. He was on a date with Sharon. And knowing Sharon, she was probably just doing this to get back at her or to get in her head. She couldn’t figure out what was worse: Sharon using her partner or Bucky actually being interested in her.

“You ready to win today?” he said, strolling over to her in the hotel lobby.

“Yeah,” she said, not making eye contact with him.

“Now this time again, but make me believe it,” he joked.

She peered up at him as he handed her a cup of coffee. “Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Nerves?” he asked.

“Something like that.” Truthfully, she couldn’t get the image of Bucky and Sharon out of her head. She took a big sip of her coffee and tried to avoid Bucky’s stare. He studied her, trying to put his finger on why she was acting differently. 

Once they were on the bus, she asked, “How’d the dinner go? With the scouts.”

“I think it went well, it’s so hard to read those guys.” Vague answer. That was a flag.

“I’m sure it was great,” she faked a smile. She pulled out her airpods and said, “I’m just gonna…” and mimed putting her earbuds in.

“Of course, pre-competition ritual. Go for it,” he said. She gave him a tight lipped grin, put on her music, and looked out the window as they drove to the rink.

The start of the competition was much like every other figure skating competition. They dropped off their equipment in the back and found a seat on the bleachers to watch the other competitors. Y/N was avoiding eye contact with Bucky and while he was attempting to make conversation, she barely replied. He sensed something was wrong, but whenever he asked her she said she was fine. At first he thought it might be nerves, but he knew her nervous ticks. He knew she fiddled with her jewelry and stopped herself from biting her nails. Today she was more…resigned. Distant almost. Which made him worried for the competition.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked again.

“I’m fine,” she said for the umpteenth time.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Not mad at you.”

“Are you nervous about the routine?”

“No, the routine is great.”

“Then what is it!” he urged.

“Nothing.”

“You’re being weird!”

“I’m fine,” she calmly repeated.

“No, see you’re not even fighting back with me. You should be arguing with me. You love that.”

“James, I’m just tired,” she said.

She called him James. She hadn’t done that in a while. He stayed quiet, thinking through what had changed to cause her to freeze him out.

“Hey Bucky,” a voice called from behind them. Sharon sauntered down the bleachers and took a seat next to him. “Y/N,” she greeted coldly.

Y/N rolled her eyes in response. 

“I had a great time last night,” she said, placing her hand on Bucky’s strong shoulder. “We should do that more often.”

Before Y/N could hear anymore, she departed, walking down the bleachers away from her nightmare.

“Y/N!” Bucky called after her, but she acted like she didn’t hear him, continuing to avoid the situation. She wasn’t even sure where she was going but she found herself at the concessions stand buying a pack of peanut M&Ms. Bucky searched frantically for her, struggling to spot her small posture in the crowd of fans and skaters.

Eventually he found her. She had walked back to the bleachers to watch the competition and was sitting in a row by herself, eating peanut M&Ms. She didn’t see him slide into the row behind her.

“Peanut M&Ms, huh?” he said, to get her attention.

“Yeah they help calm my nerves,” she responded in monotone.

“So…what was that about?”

“I just can’t be around her.”

“Y/N, come on,” he pried. 

She let out a sigh and turned to face him. “I saw you.”

He gave her a confused look, “What are you talking about?”

“Last night. I saw you with Sharon. And I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that you’re dating my nemesis or that you lied to me about it.”

At that, Bucky let out a genuine laugh. “I am not dating Sharon.”

“I saw you with her at the bar last night.”

He sighed and smiled at her. “Here is what happened last night. I went to dinner with the scouts and when I got back, I had one beer at the hotel bar. I was nervous and I was looking for something to take the edge off. She approached me and started being all flirty. I barely responded and then she started touching me and then I left. I don’t know what you saw but I can promise you I have no interest in Sharon. There is only one reason that I’m still here.”

She considered his words, realizing she had overreacted. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I jumped to conclusions.”

“It’s okay. Not a big deal. Just talk to me before you storm off next time.”

She nodded, feeling sheepish. “She just gets under my skin, and she does it on purpose.”

“She’s just jealous, she wishes she had the talent you had. Are we all good though?”

She nodded, “We’re good.”

“Great, now pass me some of those M&Ms.”

The day carried on as usual. The two watched their competitors and made small talk until it was time for them to get ready. Bucky was being stubborn and wouldn’t let Y/N see their costumes until it was time to get ready.

“You promise me this skating costume is functional?” she asked him yet again.

“Ye of little faith,” he chuckled. They reached their assigned area to get ready and Bucky hung her costume up alongside his.

Y/N went to unzip her garment bag when Bucky intervened.

“Oh no no. No peeking,” he said, pulling her away from the hanger.

“Bucky, I have to do my hair and makeup. I need to see what I’m working with.”

He shook his head. 

“High ponytail. Black eyeliner and mascara. Dark red lip.”

She looked at him in shock. “Um…I…” she stuttered, unsure of how to respond.

“Just trust me,” he said, giving her a wink.

“...Okay.” She sat in front of the mirror and started on her makeup. She was extremely curious with what Bucky had up his sleeve. And she found it adorable how serious he was taking this task. She continued on with her hair and makeup routine.

Once she finished prettying herself up, she turned to Bucky for his approval.

“This okay?” she turned to him, batting her false eyelashes dramatically. 

“You look perfect,” he said, more serious than he intended. She gave him a small smile and scurried over to the garment bag. “Hey, I said no peeking!”

“I’m about to change!” she argued.

He pointed to the dressing room, “Get in and I will hand it in to you.”

“So secretive,” she joked as she made her way to the dressing room. Once she was situated, Bucky handed her the costume and she eagerly unzipped it, getting her first look at the outfit.

Initially she was stunned. It was so unlike anything she had worn before, but she loved it. He had picked out a leather biker vest embellished with gold studs along the zipper and collar. There was a black spandex catsuit to wear underneath the was skin tight on her legs but left her arms bare. 

As she changed and studied herself in the mirror, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her. She tended to wear fairly simple costumes with a frilly skirt and bedazzled torso. What she was currently wearing made her stand out from her competitors and it made her feel…powerful. It was hard to feel insecure when wearing a badass leather vest. 

She emerged from the curtain to find Bucky sitting outside waiting for her to come out.

“So, what do you think?” she asked, giving him a little pose.

“Wow,” he was frozen for a moment, eyes glued to her form, before allowing a small smile spread across his face. “Give us a turn,” he instructed.

She gave a slow twirl and he said, “Damn, your ass looks fantastic.”

“Bucky!” she stated, blush spreading across her cheeks.

“What? It’s true.”

“I’ve never worn pants for a competition before.”

“Well I personally think you should do it more often.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she deflected.

“And what will you be wearing?”

“Nothing as exciting as yours. Black T-shirt and slightly less tight black pants.”

“Well go ahead, let’s see it.”

He took his turn in the dressing area and came out in a similar outfit to hers. His pants were fitted but not too tight and he was visibly more comfortable then than the last competition. His shirt was a skin tight black T-shirt that could have been a second layer of skin. It perfectly hugged his biceps and pectorals and the outline of his six pack was visible if you looked close enough. His hair was pulled back into the man bun he tended to sport while on the ice.

“From Fabio to Danny Zuko. You look great.”

“High praise,” he commented.

“Well if we don’t win, we’ll at least be the best dressed.”

“I’m sorry, if we don’t win? It’s that kind of negative thinking that we don’t need today. I was under the impression that we came here to win.”

“Winning it is then,” she grinned at him.

They finished getting ready and neared the ice, waiting for the team in front of them to complete their routine. It just so happened that Sharon and her partner were skating before them. She was dressed in ice blue and skating to a song from Frozen. Y/N had to give them credit, their routine was good. It seemed likely that they would land a score at the top of the pack.

“We’re following a Disney song? Oh the judges aren’t gonna know what hit them,” Bucky whispered in her ear.

“They look really good. It’ll be tough to beat them,” she admitted.

Sharon and her partner finished their routine and walked off the ice near where they were standing.

“Good luck,” Sharon said in an overly sweet voice. They stood there for a moment, watching the scores populate on the jumbotron. Sharon and her partner hugged as their scores put them into first place. “You’re going to need it,” she whispered in Y/N’s ear as she walked off.

“Hey, look at me,” Bucky said, putting his hands on Y/N’s shoulders and turning her to face him. “We’ve got this. You are the most talented skater on that ice. You have crafted up an incredible routine that everyone will remember. Who cares what people think, let’s do this for us.”

Normally, this sort of speech wouldn’t have an effect on her. She always cared about what the judges thought and if she wasn’t going to win, what was the point in skating. But his words really resonated with her. Skating was supposed to be fun. She had devoted almost all her life to this sport, what was the point if she wasn’t enjoying herself.

“The judges are probably going to hate this,” she said.

“Probably,” he shrugged. 

“Fuck ‘em,” she said with a devious smile. Bucky liked seeing this side of her.

“Next up is Y/F/N Y/LN and James Barnes skating to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.” The announcement came and she looked at Bucky with a smile and a slight nod, ready to take the stage.

The two skated out to opposite sides of the ice and she took a deep breath as she waited for the music to start.

The familiar guitar intro started and they started the routine, skating backwards in a circle. Y/N took the inner circle and Bucky skated in an outer circle in the opposite direction. As the song picked up, they started changing their technique, alternating between skating forwards and backwards, creating a mesmerizing spiral on the ice. Once the two met in the middle, Bucky took her hips and they both leaned left to right, almost headbanging in time with the music. Then they skated backwards in tandem as the more complicated moves began.

Each time the word “thunder” was muttered in the intro of the song, Bucky and Y/N completed a different move, like a quick jump, a brief spin, or a skating pose. Nothing too crazy yet, just a little flash to get the crowd warmed up.

As the intro picked up and blended into the first line of lyrics, the two of them completed a side by side spin that transformed into a sit spin, picking up speed with each rotation. They pulled out of the spin and came together, preparing for their first stunning move of the routine. Bucky took the lead spinning the two in a circle, then he released one of her hands and she stretched out parallel to the ice in the perfect death spiral.

Bucky continued to spin her as she balanced on one skate. They couldn’t hear the applause from the crowd over the guitar riffs, but they were certain the crowd was impressed. Bucky slowed their rotations and then released her hand, sending her flying across the ice as she adjusted her position into the shoot the duck pose. Normally she would flash a smile to the crowd in a moment like this, but today she just gave a smirk and raised an eyebrow. 

Bucky skated around the rink to meet her on the other side. They came together and skated toward the center of the ice. Bucky took his position, shifting his skates back and forth ever so slightly. Y/N found her mark and skated full speed toward Bucky. A part of her felt like she was in Dirty Dancing, running full speed at Bucky only for him to lift her into the air.

In reality, as she skated toward him, he brought his arms out prepared to catch her. She completed a fan spiral and then launched herself into Bucky’s waiting arms, so that he was holding her horizontally above the ice. He skated around with the two of them, building momentum and waiting for his cue. 

Once he heard the words “You’ve been,” he threw Y/N up into the air as high as he could. She pulled herself in tight and used the momentum to turn her body as many times as possible. When they practiced this, Y/N had successfully completed three turns, which was a feat in itself. But tonight, Bucky was buzzing with adrenaline and tossed her slightly higher than he had previously. Y/N completed four tight turns and perfectly landed on the ice, just as Brian Johnson sang “Thunderstruck!”

The crowd was stunned. Not only was the routine technically impressive, the coordination with the AC/DC song was unmatched. Y/N did have a talent for choreography and she was happy that Bucky pushed her to change things up.

They completed the rest of the routine without a single flaw and when they finished in the middle of the ice, they both stuck their tongues out, Gene Simmons’ style, and made the sign of the horns with their hands. Once the music stopped, the cheering from the crowd was deafening. Y/N glanced up at Bucky and was beaming. She truly felt like this was the best she had skated in such a long time.

Once they evacuated the ice, Y/N immediately lunged into Bucky’s arms. He effortlessly picked her up as she squeezed his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Thank you,” she breathed into his neck. She knew he was the reason they pulled off this routine.

He pulled back slightly and looked at her with a look of wonder. “What are you thanking me for? You did all of this. The routine, the tricks, whipping me into shape. This is all you babe.”

She shook her head, and said, “You reminded me that skating is supposed to be fun. And that was the most fun I’ve ever had on the ice.”

He wasn’t sure if it was the buzz from competition or the twinkle in her eyes, but Bucky couldn’t help himself at that moment. He acted without thinking, leaning in to press his lips against hers. He was immediately enamored by the crisp taste of peppermint that was embedded in her lip gloss. The taste was invigorating but it also woke him up to what he had just done. He pulled away suddenly and saw her staring back at him with a shocked expression. He instinctively put her down with care and tried to excuse his behavior, “Sorry, I’m sorry. Just feeling a bit of a natural high from the routine. I got carried away.”

Her stunned expression was merely because she didn’t expect his lips to come crashing onto hers. And now that she had a taste, she wanted more. She reached up and put both hands on his jaw, looked into his eyes, and said “Don’t you dare apologize for that.” She pulled him even closer and kissed him again, this time slower and deeper. Bucky felt lightheaded, he wasn’t even sure that this was really happening. But the smell of Y/N’s sweet perfume and the feel of her delicate fingers tangled in his hair kept him grounded. This was all real. 

They emerged from their bubble momentarily, when an announcement sounded indicating the scores were ready. 

“You ready to go to the Olympics?” he whispered in her ear. She turned to look at him and couldn’t hide her smile at her red lipstick currently coating his lips. She pulled him closer and ran her fingers along his lips to remove it much to Bucky’s appreciation.

But the smiles were immediately erased from their faces as the scores flashed on the screen. Y/N was so sure they had nailed it, and she was expecting the highest scores of the day. Yet, their scores were…mediocre, placing them well below the bronze place spot.

“What…?” she murmured to herself, not understanding what was going on.

“That’s bullshit!” Bucky erupted. She turned back to him and placed a hand on his arm to try and settle him down.

“It’s okay Bucky.”

“It’s not okay. That routine was flawless and more advanced than anyone else here. How can they score like that?”

She shrugged, unsure of how to answer him. “I…I don’t really know.”