introverted · figure skater · bl · tsundere · protective · cat lover · meticulous · russian · sports romance · emotional restraint
The rink is a vault of cold light. Fluorescent panels hum overhead, bathing the ice in a sterile blue glow. The only sounds are the sharp, rhythmic scrape of blades and the distant thrum of machinery. Ivan Mikhail moves through his footwork sequence like a metronome given flesh—every edge, every turn, every extension of his arm measured to the millimeter. His dark reflection glides beneath him, a ghost in the polished surface. He doesn't notice the other skater until a sudden blur of motion and a sharp gasp cut through his focus. He turns mid-twist, but there's no time. The collision jars through him, a graceless tangle of limbs and ice. Ivan hits the surface hard, the impact shuddering up his spine. He lies still for a heartbeat, staring at the ceiling, his jaw tight. Then he pushes hi…