Work Text:
Kimi knew what he was getting into when he began dating Sebastian, he swears he did.
Still, he had never expected the level of distrust their fans would have for him. He had expected some people to not like him — to hate him even — but not to the extent he had seen in the last few weeks.
You see, dear reader, Sebastian was music royalty. They were one of the most famous musicians of all time, currently on a huge world tour. The legion of fans that listened to their music even had a name for themselves, Vettelheim, and they were really loyal to them.
And Kimi? He was a championship-winning hockey player from Finland, notorious for showing no emotion on - and off - the ice. So much so that the fans had even given him an iconic nickname, “ The Iceman”.
So it was logical that Sebastian’s fans would question why their beloved sunshine-personified singer would date someone who barely showed any emotion when his team won the championship (which was an amazing accomplishment not only for his team, of course, but also for his own career, and still he remained indifferent).
It didn’t mean the fan’s distrust didn’t bother Kimi though: he wanted to be liked by them because Sebastian was really important to him, and he knew how much the fan’s approval meant for the singer.
It also didn’t help Kimi’s cause that Sebastian had just broken up with Jenson Button, an equally famous British actor. Their relationship that had lasted five years and Jenson had been well loved among the fans.
Sebastian had told him over and over that he just needed to be more himself, more of the person he is with Seb rather than the mask he put on for everyone else.
That, as it turns out, was easier said than done: Kimi found it was really difficult for him to break the “Iceman” persona, especially around the media and fans. Hell, the cameras had even caught him with a flat expression on his face while Sebastian had twirled around on the stage singing Karma (a song known to be about Jenson).
Sebastian, to his credit, had made a show of getting multiple photos taken with Kimi in the various places they went together, and had also showed up at his big games so the fans knew just how much Sebastian loved Kimi…they just weren’t sure that Kimi loved Sebastian as much as the other did.
And so the fans had collectively decided to test him.
The next time Sebastian had performed Karma, fans present live changed the line about Jenson into a line about Kimi, eager to see his reaction. And, as precise as a clock, a camera had caught Kimi’s face when he heard the line “Karma is the guy on the ice!” being chanted by the whole stadium.
This time, though, his reaction had been quite different from the one the fans had expected: he had smiled — he actually fucking smiled! — and the fans had a meltdown when they noticed. The man that was infamous for not even smiling at his biggest sporting achievement… smiled at a line change the fans had made. It was undeniable proof at last!
After that moment, Sebastian had spontaneously decided to change up the choreography and costumes of their sets: now that Kimi was coming to their concerts, they wanted — needed even — to give their boyfriend a show he wouldn’t forget.
And so during the 1987 set, Sebastian had not only started to wear very short skirts and a sparkly bra, but now their dances on stage began to include lots of hip swaying and seductive poses. It was all for Kimi, of course, because they wanted his eyes on them the whole time (even the fans had noticed those changes and had commented about them, but honestly no one was against seeing Seb doing all that).
Sebastian’s plan, predictably, worked like a charm: Kimi’s eyes were glued to his partner, and there was the little smirk on his face that Sebastian knew all too well. They felt like a genius after, when the two could finally be alone together again, and it was an amazing feeling.
Still, Kimi wanted the fans' approval. The Karma change had done some good, getting the fans to approve of him and like him more than before, but what he really wanted was for them to love him.
He tells Seb as much one night, as they both sit on the stage after their first London show, the quiet of the starry night giving them some much needed privacy.
The other listens to Kimi’s feelings, looking out over the empty stadium: “I might have an idea for that… but only if you’re ok to be right there in the spotlight with me.”
Kimi looks in Sebastian’s direction, a confused glint in his eyes as he tilts his head. “What are you thinking of?”
“You could come up on stage with my dancers during the costume change for ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’. You would carry me to the couch and then push me to perform.” They say, lowering their eyes to not look towards Kimi.
He knew perfectly what that piece of choreography meant, as he was there when it happened: Sebastian being broken after their breakup with Jenson and having to force themself to get the pieces of their heart together to perform each night, doing it all so perfectly while no one saw the storm inside them.
“You think that’s a good idea?” Kimi asks softly, worried it might upset Seb too much in the end.
“You are still carrying me, Kimi. You started doing it when you gave me that friendship bracelet with your number on it. You are the one who put my pieces back together, so it’s only natural it should be you” — Sebastian nudges him softly, turning their head to smile at him now — “I swear it will help. Just be yourself, like you always have been with me”
Kimi thinks over Sebastian’s words, swallowing the fear threatening to overwhelm him at the idea of being so exposed in front of so many people: he has never liked being in the spotlight, not unless he was on the ice. But the look in Sebastian’s eyes makes him want to be brave, and so he decides to accept.
It’s all worth it when Sebastian gives Kimi one of their most brilliant smiles and they lean in to kiss Kimi, soft and passionate. Kimi absolutely melts and cups their cheek, feeling so lucky to get to have this.
He starts to regret it — and all his life choices — once he’s backstage in his tuxedo, Charles and Lewis, the other dancers, on each side of him.
Lewis flashes Kimi a comforting smile. “You’ve got this, man. Just be yourself!”
‘Be yourself, right…’ — he thinks mournfully — ‘Easy to say for you, but I’m never myself in public. How the fuck am I supposed to pull this off?!’
The stage begins to rise and so does his panic… until he’s on there and his partner lies prone on the ground in their beautiful dress.
The fans go wild when they notice Kimi is there, screaming and yelling his name.
Kimi feels powerful .
He walks across the stage with the other dancers and he lets a small smile grace his face as he gives a little skip while Charles and Lewis reach Sebastian and start to pick them up by their arms and legs. But when Kimi reaches them, he gently hoists Sebastian into his arms and carries them across the stage like they weigh nothing to him.
He can’t resist looking down at his beautiful partner and whispering softly, only for Sebastian to hear: “I will always catch you when you fall.”
The tiny smile Sebastian tries to hide is worth everything.
Kimi continues to perform, giving Sebastian a little shake to try to “wake them up” and then placing them gently on the couch, sat up and ready for the costume change.
As Lewis and Charles start to remove the jacket from over the dress, Kimi claps his hands and Sebastian “regains consciousness”, looking confused and petulant as they remove their dress and stand on stage in just a bra and pants (Kimi can’t resist himself, letting his eyes roam all over their body).
Kimi plays along and does a little dance to show Sebastian what to do as a jacket is slid over their shoulders and a microphone is handed to them before they get pushed onto the center of the stage.
Sebastian still pretends to be angry and confused for a moment, but just before the music starts they turn around and blow Kimi a kiss.
The crowd goes wild .
It’s safe to say that, after the performance, Kimi is taken in by the fans. He’s still hearing the cheers as his section of stage begins to lower down into the shadows.
The last thing he sees is Sebastian, shining under the spotlight with a big grin on their face, and he falls even harder in love somehow, he's completely taken by them.
Maybe this was what he needed to do all along: embrace the way Sebastian makes him feel, be the real him more. As it turns out, people do actually like him more that way.
It certainly gave its own rewards.