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Stevie stared around the arena, taking in the crowd around her. It was easy to tell who people were cheering for as they brandished flags or were wearing the colors of their country's flag. The arena was filled with the thrum of the crowd as they waited for the event to begin, occasionally interspersed with the sound of the announcers.
She was still amazed that she was even at the Olympics, but staring at the mat in the center with what looked like a hula hoop on the front edge of the mat and the Olympic signage dotted across the edge of the performance area was a good reminder.
“You know, I thought you’d want to see the more popular competitions,” she mused turning to look at David. “All those bulging muscles and glistening skin. I saw you eyeing that tidy little gymnast during Men’s rings. What was his name, Patrick? If you’re looking to hook up while we’re here an Olympian is the way to go.”
David rolled his eyes, “Been there done that in Beijing and Vancouver, besides I’m here to watch Alexis compete.”
"When you said your sister would be here I thought she'd be a spectator like us, not a competitor," Stevie said as she gestured to the floor.
David huffed, "I thought you knew.”
“How would I know that? All I know about her is that she’s always busy.”
“I said we’d be meeting Alexis here and of course she’s busy, she has to practice.”
“Oh, sorry my mind didn’t instantly think ‘Olympian athlete.’”
They moved past a few more people before they sat down in seats in the second row.
“So, what is her sport exactly, is it hula hooping?”
David snorted. “Oh, she’d love to hear that. No, it’s rhythmic gymnastics.”
“The only gymnastics I know is the kind with the beam and rings and shit.”
David turned to face Stevie. “Okay, let me explain a bit of it before this gets started so you don’t interrupt with questions every twenty seconds. So, this is kind of similar to the floor routine in artistic gymnastics except the gymnasts perform with four different apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon." He ticked each one off with a finger. “In the past, there’s been the rope, but they left it out of the senior competition but kept it in juniors for some reason.” David rolled his eyes and tsked. “Anyway each person performs with all the apparatus and gets a score for those performances, at the end they’re totaled and that determines who places. Any other questions?”
“How do you know all of that?”
“I’ve been watching Alexis compete for years.” He turned his head away from her. “and I might have competed when I was younger.”
Stevie stared at David, the same person who refused to be a back-up for her softball team and didn’t understand any sports when they watched it on TV. “Why aren’t you competing? Did your sister get all the talent?”
David glared, “I wasn’t that bad, I won a few events. It’s really a technicality, the Olympics only has rhythmic gymnastics for women so after a while it wasn’t as much fun to compete, especially when your younger sister is an Olympic athlete.” He reached over and squeezed Stevie’s hand. “The prelims are about to start!”
Stevie turned her attention to the floor as a young woman holding a hoop walked to the center of the mat. The woman adjusted the hoop putting it in between her feet, before settling in the pose. The music began and the woman burst from her pose to throw the hoop in the air and began to twirl before catching it.
"Holy shit," Stevie murmured. She watched, transfixed, as the gymnast manipulated the hoop with her body, hands, and feet all the while moving across the mat. As the gymnast caught the hoop with her feet while in a handstand, Stevie couldn’t believe this was humanly possible.
Stevie could feel herself smiling and as the crowd cheered when the gymnast caught the hoop from behind. Between the crowds’ energy and the gymnast’s enthusiasm, she easily started to sink into the excitement of the routine.
The gymnast dropped to the floor, catching the hoop in her outstretched hand. A moment later, she popped up from the floor, stood and waved, and headed back to the waiting area. The whole routine went by so quickly. It seemed like the performance was just starting and suddenly it was over.
Stevie clapped with the audience and looked over at David who looked unmoved and calculating.
"Didn't you think that was good?"
David broke out of his trance and looked at Stevie. "Yes,” he said, “but she lost control of the hoop for a second so she's going to lose some points for execution."
Stevie hadn’t noticed the gymnast lose control of her hoop and wondered what else David had paid attention to during the performance that she had not.
The rest of the event pretty much went like that. Stevie watched mesmerized as each competitor got up on the mat to perform, and David made technical comments about performances. At one point, he opened his notes app, she didn’t think this was a sport people took notes for, but as she saw him switch to the calculator there must be something she was missing.
Stevie felt David grip her arm. "There she is," he whispered.
She turned her gaze back on the mat in time to see another woman, who must be Alexis. If Stevie had never met Moira once before then she would never have guessed this was Alexis, the family resemblance non-existent between her and David.
Stevie watched her confidently walk to the center of the mat. Her eyes caught to the little Canadian flag on her shoulder as it stood out against the light pink dress she wore. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun with a full face of make-up with light pink lipstick. In one hand she held a ball the same color as her dress. She stretched her arm out in front of her and smiled brilliantly into the crowd.
Once the music started she threw the ball in the air, twirling then catching the ball behind her. She quickly moved into a standing split, rolling the ball along her body. Stevie watched as Alexis wielded the ball as if it was an extension of her body. As she continued her performance the crowd cheered whenever she caught the ball after a tricky maneuver. Instead, Stevie’s eyes strayed to the little glimpses of inner thigh that were revealed whenever Alexis twirled or spread her legs.
When Alexis finished, she curled up on the ground with the ball behind her back. The song ended and the crowd roared once again. She could see a small contingent of Canadians across from them standing and waving a giant flag. Stevie realized that she had basically been holding her breath.
“She’s amazing,” Stevie murmured.
David grinned. “Of course she is, she got gold at the last Pan American and was fourth at Worlds.”
Stevie turned back to the mat to see it empty. The jumbotron closest to them showed Alexis sitting down on a bench, wiping sweat off with a towel while still smiling for the public.
When they announced her score, her grin widened and she lightly clapped her hands before getting up and leaving the bench. While the audience's attention moved to the next gymnast, Stevie's was still on Alexis's retreating form.
Before she could stop herself, Stevie blurted, “Do you think I could meet her?”
David didn’t seem to notice her probably bashful expression. He wiggled his head back and forth contemplating. “Mmm, I could try and arrange something.”
Stevie tried to keep David from noticing her enthusiasm too much and mocked, “God, you sound like her manager. ‘Oh, let me check her schedule and get back to you.’”
“Okay, but you are trying to have me help you meet up with an Olympic athlete while she’s still trying to compete, it’s gonna be a little difficult.”
“Don’t worry David I won’t forget to thank you when I meet her,” Stevie replied.
The competition lasted three hours, which was two hours longer than Stevie had expected, although she enjoyed watching Alexis’s second performance just as much as the first.
---
The next day Stevie woke up excited. Alexis’s prelims weren’t until the afternoon, leaving her and David time to visit London. David took her away from the area where the Olympic events were held and while it was still crowded it wasn’t as bad, allowing for Stevie to breathe a little.
They ate outside, Stevie picked at her scone while David told her a story, gesturing with a muffin in hand.
Her thoughts drifted back to yesterday. Stevie knew she liked women, that wasn’t anything new, she’d just never had such a visceral reaction before and she didn’t know what to do. Her relationships in the past hadn’t been the best and really she was overthinking if she already was thinking of being in a relationship with Alexis. Instead, she thought back to yesterday and Alexis’s performances. Before watching any of the performances, Stevie would not have believed that someone’s body could move in that manner, but the effortless way in which Alexis moved made her wonder how far that flexibility stretched. She was all long lines and firm muscle and really just a sight to behold.
“Alexis said we could meet her after she finishes the prelims this afternoon.”
Stevie jerked her head up, looking at David who was avoiding her stare.
“Did you say you wanted to see her or…?”
"I might have mentioned that I was bringing a friend," David replied as he fiddled with his rings.
"Oh, okay," Stevie said with all the nonchalance she could muster.
David grinned. "So when we go is this a 'you want me to stay' situation or 'you better have a back-up plan because I'm going to kick you out' situation?"
Stevie schooled her face to look neutral. "I don't know what you're trying to insinuate, but a back-up plan wouldn't hurt." She looked back up to see David smirking. "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything."
"No, but your face basically did."
"It's not my fault I think it's a little amusing my best friend has a crush on my sister."
"You make me sound like I'm in high school."
"Just remember that if this goes well it's all because of me," David said as he got up from his chair.
Stevie got up as well and walked over to punch his shoulder.
"It's rude to harm the person that's helping you," David grumbled, rubbing at the spot.
“Don’t act so cocky then.”
---
Back in the arena, Stevie started bouncing her foot as she waited for the competition to begin. Yesterday she’d paid attention to most of the gymnasts but she knew between being nervous about meeting Alexis and actually eagerly waiting for Alexis to perform it would be hard to concentrate. In fact, it wasn’t the concentration that was hard, but that the performances felt like they dragged. By the time Alexis walked onto the mat again Stevie was relieved.
Today she wore a sleeveless black dress with a high neck, the edges in neon pink, highlighting her curves. She wore a matching shade of lipstick. In each hand was a club, the handles that same neon pink with the rest black.
She had the clubs crossed and above her head. When the music started Alexis beat them against each other to the beat then threw them one after the other into the air. The music in most of the other gymnasts’ clubs performances was bass-heavy, but Alexis’s made it feel more like they were at a club than at an Olympic performance. The crowd seemed mesmerized and were clapping along to the beat. Her hands twirled the clubs so fast they seemed to blur, her legs moving into a standing split as she pirouetted. Her body rolled to the beat and Stevie fleetingly wondered what it would be like to dance with Alexis, having their bodies close together in a crowded club. By the end of the performance, Stevie could see from the jumbotron Alexis’s chest heaving, a bead of sweat moving down her face. She looked over at David and saw him leaning over his seat, beaming and clapping.
“I think that was my favorite so far.”
“Clubs is her favorite apparatus,” David replied, eyes focused on the overhead screen to see Alexis’s score. He started clapping again when the score was released. “She’s going to be happy about that.”
Stevie looked at the score. She could not glean much but knew it was higher than the ones from yesterday.
Her attention waned until Alexis came back to do her ribbon performance. When it ended and they revealed her score, David grinned wide and lightly shook his hands in celebration. “Alexis has a really good chance at medaling this time.”
“Like gold?” Stevie asked. The idea of potentially knowing an Olympic gold medalist felt bizarre.
David shook his head. “Oh, she would love that but no. The best chance she’s got is bronze.” He stood up as they waited to leave the arena. “She was in the top ten in Beijing and she’s done well the last few years so we knew it could be a possibility.”
As they left the arena, it occurred to Stevie that, in a few hours, she would get to meet Alexis. It’s just a meal with David’s sister , she thought. It did nothing to stop the butterflies in her stomach.
---
“Are you almost ready? You told me we were meeting your sister at seven and I’m pretty sure if we don’t leave in the next five minutes we’re going to be late.”
David peeked his head out the bathroom door and scowled at Stevie. “You can’t rush perfection,” he replied, gesturing to his face.
Stevie raised her head up off the bed. “We’re meeting your sister, you don’t have to impress anyone.”
“Uh, one, she’ll know and make a comment if I don’t at least try and do something with my hair.” David stepped out of the bathroom, arms crossed. “And two, we’re going out in public so there’s always someone to impress.”
She got up off the bed and walked toward him. “You trying to impress is going to make us late, come on.” She left the room without looking to see if he followed.
Halfway down the hallway she heard a door open and then heavy steps before David came up next to her. “Okay, one of the first things to know about my sister is that she’s usually late. So really I’m just helping you get some practice.”
Stevie gave him a look as they got into the elevator. “Is that supposed to mean something?”
David gave a small smirk. “It can if you want it to.”
He didn’t mention anything about Alexis for the rest of the trip but he did provide one or two sideways glances when he looked up from his phone. When they were almost at the restaurant Stevie heard a loud “David!” When Stevie looked over, she saw Alexis run up to David, giving him a hug.
“God, Alexis you can’t just jump on me like that,” David reprimanded before wrapping his arms around hers. Stevie had to hide a smile when she saw the grin on his face that he hid from Alexis’s view.
“And who’s this?” Alexis pulled back and turned to Stevie. “I would know if I’ve met you before.”
“This is my friend, Stevie. She’s the one who wanted to meet you.”
“Oh my god, Stevie it’s so nice to meet you,” Alexis said, all smiles. She took Stevie’s hands in hers.
The nervousness that she had felt prior to arriving was nothing compared to this moment. Her hand felt sweaty clasped in Alexis’s and had she eaten before she would probably be throwing up now. Up close, Alexis looked even more stunning. Her make-up was more subtle then it had been during competition but it was still done with an impeccableness that was impressive. Her dress was short and slightly translucent. Stevie was pretty sure she could see the slip underneath. “Uh, yeah, I’m Stevie. You’re an amazing gymnast,” she managed to stutter.
Alexis let go of one of her hands and used it to flip her ponytail. “Mmm, thanks. I’m hoping the judges think so too this year.”
“They’d be dumb not to think that,” Stevie blurted. Get it together, or you’re going to end up embarrassing yourself more than you already have. “So, uh, thank you, David.” She turned to look at him and saw his smirk before he took out his phone.
“Sorry, Alexis I have to go. I promised I’d meet up with someone and they finally have time to talk.”
“You have the worst timing David, but don’t worry I think Stevie and I are fine all by ourselves.” She booped Stevie on the nose. “Isn’t that right, Stevie?”
Stevie felt her face flush. “Yeah, we’re totally okay by ourselves.”
David grinned. “Oh, I’m sure. Bye Alexis and good luck tomorrow.” He turned around and walked away.
Stevie turned towards Alexis who still grinned at her. “So, we should probably go in.” She pointed to the restaurant.
“We are going to have so much fun, Stevie!”
Alexis opened the door and walked up to the host. Stevie didn’t listen to their conversation, but a tug on her hand turned her toward Alexis who beamed at her. “Come on they have a table for us.”
Looking down Stevie fully realized she was still holding Alexis’s hand. When Alexis took her hand outside the restaurant, Stevie felt nervous, but at some point, she must have gotten comfortable because she never let go. Should she let go? They were about to sit down so they’d probably let go then. Was there a reason Alexis hadn’t let go of her hand? From the little she saw, Alexis seemed to be an affectionate person. But then, Stevie only saw her around David so maybe she was only affectionate around people she felt comfortable with. So then why did she hold Stevie’s hand? Before she could overthink it any more they arrived at their table.
She opened her menu and concentrated on the words in front of her, trying to calm down. Except then she thought about Alexis sitting across from her, David no longer there. Is this a date? Stevie thought. Just because there were only two of them didn’t mean it was a date. But it could also be a date.
Looking up she saw Alexis and their waiter staring at her expectantly. “Oh, sorry, um—” She quickly scanned the drinks section until she found one that was vaguely familiar. “—I’ll have a glass of Moscato d’Asti.”
“So, are you having fun so far?” Alexis asked when the waiter left.
“Uh, yeah. David’s taking me to a few places and we watched a few other events.”
Alexis put her elbows on the table, hands under her chin. “Ooh, which ones.”
“Men’s rings and horizontal bar.”
Alexis’s eyes widened. “Mmm, love those arms.”
“They’re alright. I’ve seen something else I like instead,” Stevie replied, trying her best to be casual. She was surprised that she was bold enough to say that instead of her usual default of replying with a joke.
Their waiter returned with their drinks and took their order. To have something to do with her hands, Stevie took a quick sip of her drink, focusing on the sweet taste.
“So, what do you do when you aren’t gallivanting around the world with my brother?”
Stevie raised an eyebrow. “Actually this is the first time we’ve done this whole thing,” she emphasized by circling her finger around, “At most, we gallivant around New York. I help him with his gallery. He just told me one day that he had extra tickets and asked if I wanted to come and I thought why not. ” What she didn’t feel comfortable telling Alexis was that in the two years she had known David she had watched how people had taken advantage of him because of his money and if he hadn’t confessed to her that he saw her as his best friend she would have told him no. She dragged her finger along the tablecloth. “David never mentioned you did rhythmic gymnastics. How did you get started? Like who finds out about that?”
“It’s all David’s fault.” Alexis smiled fondly. “He got into it after we saw a performance in Japan and begged our parents to let him get lessons. Adelina and I went to a practice once and I grabbed a rope and tried to copy the others.” She laughed. “Everyone thought it was cute so the instructor asked if I wanted to practice with the girls. I said yes and by the next day, I was going to my own practices. And now I’m here.”
“How do you feel about tomorrow?”
Alexis rested her hand on the table, fingers lightly tapping. “Excited. Nervous. I want to do well, but there’s so much that could go wrong.”
Feeling a little bold Stevie reached out her hand and put it over Alexis’s, “Well, if what I’ve seen is any indicator. I think you’ll do just fine.”
“Thank you, Stevie,” Alexis replied, a small sincere smile on her face.
They were silent for a few minutes, Stevie didn’t know exactly what to say after that. She should probably move her hand back, but she liked the heat of Alexis’s hand and the faint feel of her pulse. Their food arrived and made the decision for her. She moved her hand away from Alexis so her plate could be placed in front of her.
Looking down at her dish, she realized how hungry she was. Stevie took a few quick, big, bites, hastily swallowing with a swig of her wine. Glancing up she could see the laughter in Alexis’s eyes. “Sorry about that. I swear I have manners.”
Alexis waved her hand in front of Stevie. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen David stress-eat three bagels in an hour.”
“That’s probably where I got my bad habits from.”
Stevie took a few more bites, slower this time, savoring the nutty flavor of the pasta, and the creaminess of the sauce. “So what are you going to do after all this? What do you even do after competing in the Olympics?”
“Well, depending on how you do, you celebrate, might take a small break.” Alexis sat her fork down. “And then you go back to practice. There’s always more competitions, new routines to create.” She glanced down, pausing before she looked back at Stevie. “I’m actually thinking about retiring after this.”
“Oh, wow.” Stevie searched her mind for something to say. “How does your family feel about it? Were they surprised when you told them?”
Alexis squirmed slightly in her seat. “Um, actually, I haven’t told anyone yet? My mom and dad really aren’t that invested, they’ve only gone to a few of my competitions. David will probably be a little relieved. Ever since I missed my flight and then found this cute shipping heir guy who loaned me his private jet, David's always worried something is going to happen to me.”
Stevie felt a mix of emotions. In some ways, she felt flattered that Alexis trusted her with something so huge, but maybe she told Stevie because she didn’t really know her, and wasn’t as invested in her career. She tried her best to give a playful smile. “So, what’s one thing you won’t miss?”
That made Alexis brighten. “I don’t have to hear these often, but I will not miss the commentators calling my body ‘supple.’” She shuddered. “If I could go my whole life without hearing that word again it would be too soon.”
Stevie smirked before putting on a posh voice. “But Alexis, a supple body is important for movement,” Alexis stared at her for a beat, before dissolving into laughter with Stevie.
---
Stevie felt bubbly as she approached the door to her hotel room with David. She and Alexis stayed at the restaurant long after their shared piece of chocolate cake turned to crumbs and their wine glasses sat empty. Then, Alexis mentioned she needed to leave since she had an early start in the morning and they got up from their table.
They waited for Stevie’s Uber and once it came Alexis gave her a hug before she left. The hug was just the right mix of gentle and firm and she could still smell the flowery scent of Alexis’s perfume once she was in the car.
When she shut the hotel door behind her, she was blinded by a bright light. She blinked frantically, and when her eyes adjusted, she saw David on his bed, the lamp next to him on and facing straight at her.
“You took your time getting back here,” David said with a smirk.
She kicked off her shoes and flopped on the bed. “And what if I did? I didn’t realize I was rooming with my dad and going to get a whole, ‘Do you know how long I’ve sat here waiting,’ bit. Nice touch with the lamp, very dramatic.”
“Ew, I can’t believe you just called me your dad. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a little concerned when it’s midnight and my friend hasn’t updated me or anything, especially when she’s with my sister who has a history of ending up in the worst-case scenario.”
Stevie grabbed her sleep shirt and headed to the bathroom to change, leaving the door open. “So how was it with the mysterious person you ditched us for?”
“It went fine, although you won’t get the nitty, gritty details even if you ask.”
She stuck her head out of the bathroom a wolfish grin on her face. “But David, you know you want me to ask.”
“We’re going to shut that down before you get any farther.” Stevie walked back to the bedroom to see David looking bashful. “I kind of actually want to keep some things private right now because I think this could go somewhere and I don’t want to ruin it.”
Stevie softened. It had been a while since David had thought a relationship was going somewhere or at least a while since he had admitted it to her. “That’s fine by me, and I know we don’t do this often but if you want to talk about it I’ll listen.” She moved to her bed and snuggled down into the blankets.
Right before she closed her eyes she heard a whispered, “Thank you, Stevie.”
---
At brunch the next day, Stevie felt nervous. She could put some of the blame on David who was stressing about Alexis’s performance later in the afternoon and it seemed to be rubbing off on her.
“David, if you don’t calm down we both are going to be useless when Alexis competes.”
He waved his hand in the air before tearing at his muffin. “I know, but I'm worried. This isn't the most dangerous sport here but she could still get hurt."
Before Stevie could yell at him for saying that, someone knocked at the door. She got up opening the door revealing a stocky man with curly brown hair, his smile waning.
"Uh, sorry I must have gotten the wrong room."
He started to turn around but Stevie reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "Were you supposed to meet someone?"
He couldn't make eye contact when he replied, "I was supposed to meet David, uh, David Rose?"
Behind her, she heard a gasp and a thump. "I'm Stevie," she said holding out her hand. He took it and they shook hands while Stevie's other hand pointed behind her. "And the sound behind me was David. Come on in." She let his hand go and turned around to head back into the room.
“I’m Patrick,” the man said behind her.
“Stevie,” David hissed.
She could see the top of his head from the side of the bed. “You didn’t tell me we had a guest coming, I would have laid out the red carpet,” she teased.
“Patrick if you could just step out of the room for ten minutes and then come back that would be greatly appreciated.”
Patrick laughed. “Of course David.”
Stevie watched him go, surprised that this Patrick person seemed so willing to comply. As soon as the door shut she turned toward David, who popped up from the ground.
“Sooo,” she drawled, “is Patrick who you met last night?”
“He might have been,” David said as he grabbed a sweater and pants before heading to the bathroom.
“He seems nice,” she said, and then because it occurred to her where she had seen Patrick before, “You know with those arms he could probably fuck you up against a wall.”
David ducked his head out, hair half-finished. “Stevie!”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just saying good for you.”
“Ugh, why did I bring you here again.”
“Because I’m your friend and you don’t know what you’d do without me.”
There was a knock at the door again and David walked towards it, pausing for a moment to sweep his hand through the top of his hair before opening the door.
She couldn’t hear what the two said, but when they turned around she saw a fond smile on David’s face.
---
They were back in the arena and the energy of the crowd was different. The past two days had been more jovial, now Stevie felt a weight of tension. She felt some of that herself, she wanted Alexis to do well and by the end of the day, they’d know if she medaled or not. She was in fifth place now, but David had said she still had a chance. Of course, Stevie didn’t know what scores she needed to make that happen, but David’s facial expressions would tell her how Alexis was doing.
Patrick was sitting with them this time, to the right of David whose hand he was loosely holding. He’d spent the afternoon with them and Stevie quickly warmed up to him and soon they were lightly teasing David about his past athletic career.
The hoop was once again going to be the first apparatus and Alexis would start it off. They chatted back and forth while they waited for the competition to begin. Eventually, they saw Alexis confidently strode towards the center of the mat, the crowd cheered loudly. During her time here Alexis had become a bit of a darling of the arena and quickly garnered other fans from various countries.
She was breathtaking in a red skirt, red roses coming up on the side and covering her chest to become the top. It was a clear nod to her family, but Stevie would have loved to trace her fingers along the roses’ path and kiss the visible skin the roses didn’t cover up. Alexis placed her red hoop in front of her, her hands at the ten and two positions, a determined and confident grin on her face.
The music was lyrical, reminding Stevie of classical music. It was softer than the other music Alexis had performed to and it was reflected in her choreography, giving it a tranquil, relaxing feel. Alexis jumped through the hoop, throwing it in the air and doing cartwheels, catching the hoop with her foot, and spinning it. Pushing the hoop along the ground she did a few jumps before the hoop came back and she caught it.
When the performance ended Alexis walked to the waiting area for her scores, when her scores were given Alexis smiled and the crowd cheered.
As the competition moved on to ball and then clubs, Stevie looked over at David who was leaning over in his seat and anxiously clutching Patrick’s hand.
“You doing alright David?”
“Do I look alright?” He replied with a touch of hysterics.
Looking over at Patrick she noticed his grim expression. Glancing down at their joined hands again she noticed how hard David was gripping.
“You might want to lighten up on Patrick. I’m pretty sure having functioning hands is important for his career.”
David looked down and loosened his grip. “Five of them are vying for third and Alexis is the last of them to perform. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not, or if I can even watch at all.”
Stevie grabbed his other hand. “You can do it, David. You’re doing this to support Alexis. Just be confident in her, you know she’s got this.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “Thanks, Stevie.”
---
Alexis took a deep breath. Her coach was giving her encouraging words while updating her on how her competitors were doing, but she was trying her best to block it out. She didn’t want to know how they were doing. Her routine was already set so execution was truly the only factor at this point. She held the ribbon and stick in one hand, moving her other hand to smooth out her skirt overlay and then up to her bun.
She walked to the entrance, trying to keep her cool now that the cameras were focused on her. When she heard her name from the announcer she broke out into a smile and strode forward, giving a few waves to the crowd.
Once she reached the center of the mat she laid the ribbon on the ground, using the stick to twirl it into a circle. Shifting to one foot she raised her other hand into the air. Taking another deep breath she smiled for the judges, in a minute and thirty seconds she’d know if she earned bronze.
---
When Alexis entered the arena for the final time, Stevie gasped. Her outfit was black, and along with the skirt overlay she had black tights. Around the wrists were a design mimicking fire, when she turned slightly Stevie could see a keyhole back that began at her shoulder blades and ended at her lower waist. She looked bubbly and confident and Stevie didn’t know how she did it. If it was her she probably would just look sick.
The music started and Stevie was transfixed. Alexis’s ribbon was gradient shades of red, orange, and yellow and as she twirled the ribbon around it looked like fire.
The whole crowd was captivated by her performance, cheering when she successfully caught the ribbon as she flung it into the air or as she threw it across the mat only to whip it back. A story seemed to be playing out, first of Alexis being cautious of the fire, then embracing it, before ending by being consumed by it. She ended by having the ribbon wrapped around her and as soon as she paused and the music stopped, she dropped to her knees, raising her arms.
Stevie, David, and Patrick all stood up and cheered, their cheers being overwhelmed by the audience’s.
Stevie watched as Alexis got up from the mat and walked to the waiting area. She held her breath as she waited for the scores. When they were released it showed that Alexis had indeed won bronze.
The crowd erupted into cheers once again, the Canadian contingent hooting and hollering with a few whistles thrown in. Stevie was clapping her hands so hard she felt them going numb. Alexis was on the jumbotron, mascara running down her face, a wide grin on her face. Turning to David, Stevie could see tears in his own eyes as he beamed at Alexis’s direction.
---
The medaling ceremony wasn’t as exciting as Stevie thought it would be. They had the medalists walk around the mat and bask in the applause one more time before moving to the medaling platform.
Alexis was first and as her name was announced the crowd erupted into cheers. Stevie stood up and clapped, watching how Alexis waved towards the crowd before bowing her neck and having the medal placed there.
As the Russian Federation’s national anthem played, Stevie’s eyes drifted towards Alexis. She was wearing her warm-up outfit now, but seemed radiant, akin to the sun. If Alexis was the sun, Stevie would gladly bask in any warmth or attention Alexis sent her way.
---
Stevie couldn’t stop bouncing her foot. She, Patrick, and David were back in the hotel room. They decided that it was easier for Alexis to meet them there, after the medal ceremony than for them to wait for her. She would have to move past all the well-wishers and press and change back into her normal clothes. Two hours already passed.
When the knock on the door finally came, Stevie shot straight up out of bed. She heard David give a small laugh before he walked over and opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him hug Alexis before letting her in.
Alexis looked as breathtaking as she did the night before. She wore her hair down, and some kind of floaty, diaphanous dress.
“Stevie!” Alexis exclaimed before wrapping her up in a hug.
Stevie felt a rush of warmth and if David wasn’t in the room she would’ve melted into it. Instead, she pulled back. “Congratulations Alexis, you were fantastic.”
Alexis gave her a fond look. “Thanks, Stevie.”
“So, how does it feel being an Olympic medalist?” Patrick asked.
Alexis sat down on Stevie’s bed. “Strange, I’m still trying to process it. And now I’m just thinking—what do I do now?”
Patrick hummed. “Yeah, that’s how I felt after I finished my competitions. You spend your whole year on these routines and they’re done in minutes and then it’s like what’s next?”
“Stevie, sit next to me,” Alexis said, patting at the spot next to her.
She felt butterflies in her stomach. "Okay." Sitting next to Alexis she could feel her body heat and the gentle press of their thighs touching. If she just moved her foot to the right she could touch Alexis’s foot.
As the evening progressed, they started trading stories about their experience with the Olympics. Patrick and Alexis talked about how it felt performing and living in the Olympic Village, while David and Stevie talked about how it was to navigate it as a spectator and for Stevie, how daunting it was to be around that many people.
They called for room service, and once it arrived David held up the ice bucket. "We need some ice, can someone get it?"
Alexis jumped up. "Stevie and I can do it!" She grabbed Stevie's hand. "Come on."
Stevie stumbled as she got up and managed to get the bucket from David on their way out.
“Is that really a two-person activity?” David called.
They were quiet as they walked down the hallway. Stevie idly tapping the side of the bucket. She wasn’t sure why Alexis wanted her to come with her, and she didn't want to ask.
When they got to the machine, Stevie opened the door and scooped ice into the bucket. She shut the lid and turned around to see Alexis with a contemplative look.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Stevie asked.
Instead of replying, Alexis moved forward and kissed her. The worried thoughts Stevie had quickly disappeared and instead all her focus was on Alexis’s soft lips. It was gentle and reminded her how she felt when she watched Alexis’s hoop performance, calm and self-assured.
The bucket was squished between them and Stevie dropped it so she could press herself up against Alexis, moving one hand up to cup her face. They slowly moved to little kisses before breaking apart.
Alexis was smiling and her eyes lit up. “I’ve wanted to do that since last night.”
“Why didn’t you?” Stevie replied, eyes still on Alexis’s lips.
Alexis didn’t answer at first, instead, she picked up the ice bucket from the floor before speaking. “I told myself if I did well today then I should ask you out.”
“Well, you still haven’t actually done that,” she teased.
“Okay, well then, Stevie can I take you out on a date?”
Stevie gave Alexis another kiss before replying, “Yes.”
---
Six Months Later
Stevie opened the door and entered the gymnasium. She could see some gymnasts training, some with and without an apparatus. Sweeping her gaze she noticed Alexis helping a little girl with her ribbon, using her own ribbon to demonstrate a deep circle. She knew when Alexis saw her, her eyes slightly widening before breaking out into a grin.
“Babe!” Alexis dropped her ribbon and ran towards her, ending in a crashing hug before picking Stevie up and spinning her in a circle before lightly setting her down and giving her a kiss.
The first time Alexis had picked Stevie up she had been a little surprised, both in Alexis’s strength and how much she liked it.
“What’re you doing here?”
Stevie smiled. “I thought I could take you out. You’ve been so busy this week and I just want to spend some time with you.”
Alexis gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let me finish up this lesson real quick, and then we can leave.”
“Okay, I’ll go wait in your office.”
Stevie watched as Alexis went back to the little girl before turning around and heading to Alexis’s office.
After the Olympics, Alexis announced that she would be retired from competing. While some had been surprised most had been supportive. She headed back to Canada and helped train the younger gymnasts. They both were traveling back and forth between Toronto and New York, until finally Stevie and Alexis, both exhausted sat down and had a talk.
They talked about what they wanted in their relationship and what was the best way to go about it. Alexis discussed wanting to go to college and study public relations and Stevie talked about wanting to move back to Canada. They agreed Stevie should move back and they’d move in together. It had been a month and already Stevie could tell it had been a good idea.
Sitting down in Alexis’s chair she smiled when she saw the photo of her, Alexis, and David in the hotel room and Stevie gave a small smile. She didn’t think anything would come out of going to the Olympics besides some good memories, but hey a girlfriend was pretty good.