Work Text:
Adeliia, alone.
The skater became numb to her circumstances. The only warmth in this sport — the radiant smiles and laughter of her teammates she’d spent her years with — were nowhere to be found.
From the plane ride to Milan, she spent with Gleikhengauz’s company, to the bustle of the Village check-in, and the final plop onto her bed assignment: she would not imagined that this would be her first Olympics. She knew from a young age she would carry the weight of the country on her shoulders, but not like this. It was the reality she had to overcome.
Petrosian was here to skate and show the world what she could do. Who could she defeat, overcome. But there had been something — no, someone — a feeling? She couldn’t get out of her head.
The girl with the stupid face who’s all over her social media feed. Her stupid ringed hair. Petrosian didn’t even want to mouth her name.
Who even let her dye it that color?
“If she weren’t so beautiful, no one would take her the slightest bit seriously, “ she told her coach.
“What about her skating? Don’t people take her seriously for that?” teased Gleikhengauz.
“Good one”.
Petrosian couldn’t get the image of the American’s cheeky smile with a pop of metal poking out. Her lashes. Her eyeliner complementing her twinkling eyes.
Seeing me, would the star-faced Alyssa Liu feel anything? She said the Russians would be more interesting. But if she met me, Adeliia, not the blue-and-white figure skater, the girl, the person. Would she have any interest in me?
A heat ran through Petrosian. It wasn’t wrath, yet she still felt a strain of guilt. It was heat & guilt from her desire. Desire she had for her competitor, the one she could not get out of her head. A need for the girl who shared her first initial, A: Alyssa Liu.