Chapter Text
Sport is a very difficult thing. especially if it's an ice sport. Especially figure skating. Complex workouts and elements, that's why it's worth doing since childhood, for the sight, jumps, axels, beautiful movements, and most importantly elegant. And it's all on the thin blade of skates, on very hard ice, for that it's very beautiful.
And ironically, both of the younger Aftons were doing it. Michael Afton with his sister Vanessa. As a child, Michael really wanted to do this, and Vanessa, wanting to imitate her brother, also put up a fight, it's good that the age difference is not big, so as a child they mostly performed together, and their father insisted that if they decide to do this, they would not dare to quit this sport.
But after they were eighteen, they started performing separately, mostly Vanessa's wish, but Michael didn't mind, even though it hurt then. But this is not the end, Michael has already managed to show that he is doing a great job himself, and continued to take prizes on his own.
Moving on later, Michael is 29 years old, and he's not going to give it up, and unlike Vanessa, he gave himself completely to this business. To make his father proud of him.Although I did not receive any recognition from him in the end. Sadly. After all, Michael tried, and in childhood and later he was injured on the ice more than once, even in competitions, but he did not give up, he is not as weak as his sister...
One day, or rather the competition, he was waiting for the right time, lacing up his skates better, or perhaps he was just trying to occupy his hands with excitement.
Not knowing yet that hockey players are playing with the skaters today. But Michael didn't care, what did hockey matter to him? Aggressive play, and twice as many injuries as in figure skating, but only three times less sense and beauty. Pf. Stupidity.
But Michael decided to keep an eye on it, it's still not too soon to perform. Although Afton was lost in thought, not particularly following the game. Here the puck is being rolled on the ice, here someone is being scored, the team is happy, here it's all happening again, someone is being pushed and bullied. It doesn't make sense. Behind it all, Michael didn't fully understand when it was over. But then one of the teams comes off the ice, and the team captain takes off his helmet. And then Michael realized that he wasn't breathing, and he couldn't hear anything, his heart was louder. Curls. A sweet smile. He was all red and out of breath. Michael looks like he's going to faint right now. Whether it was because of the increased pressure in his body, or because he forgot to take a breath, but still took a breath, followed by a deep breath exhale. What happened to him just now...? Some kind of stupidity. It's not like he could fall in love with some hockey player guy, even at first sight... or..
– Hey, why are you hanging?
Michael's friend nudged his shoulder slightly, grinning. Afton looked at him with a click
"Fuck off.".
–Come on, don't get so mad. You're not usually this nervous.
"I'm not nervous..
"I noticed
Michael snorted again. Looking away. He's not worried. It was just an accident. Or not...Let the guy who knocked him out go to hell.
That guy was Mike Schmidt, who is only a year younger than Michael, and has been playing hockey for a long time with his friend Jeremiah, he was standing on the gate, and Mike was the leader and captain of the team, And surprisingly he did not have a girlfriend, perhaps because of his height, although everything is not so bad, perhaps for another reason- Actually, Mike wasn't particularly interested in finding a mate, despite his age, there were attempts, but it wasn't that successful.
In any case, sport was also important to him, and he played well, but compared to his team, he was very good, and the captain of the team was not for nothing.
He was calm about figure skating, he understood that he himself did not like doing this, but sometimes it was beautiful to watch, when he crossed paths with figure skaters and figure skaters, he really liked to admire them and their work.
At the moment, coming off the ice, he noticed how many skaters were preparing for performances. Unlike Michael, Schmidt knew that there would be more performances after them, and he wanted to see it, but first he had to change out of his hockey uniform and skates.
The interest was conditional, just to observe the beautiful elements.It was something of a rest, because they would go to celebrate the victory later anyway, and they wanted to sit and relax after the game. So after 20 minutes, he returned back to the ice, sitting down in the empty stands. Schmidt didn't really follow the performances, although sometimes he looked at the girls more carefully, smiling. But then one tall guy with dark hair came out on the ice, and he was pretty thin, but that made the costume he was wearing look even prettier. Mike did not look away, not even noticing that he had been sitting with his mouth slightly open and wide eyes all this time, waking up only when he finished, and then the guy realized that he was blushing, so he frowned slightly and left there as quickly as possible. Yeah, yeah... It's been an interesting day. All that remains now is to keep your face calm and not show what just happened. Let that figure skater go to hell.Or maybe not..It's beautiful..!Something's not right here..
×××
Somewhere in the distance, my father's voice is heard commanding something. He's coaching hockey players again. As usual,
Michael still dreams of playing hockey so that his father would be proud of him, but no, he's too weak for that...
then his mother puts her hand on his shoulder.
"Mikey, come on, Vanessa's already waiting."
The boy nods, and leaves with his mother, who trained him and his sister in figure skating, but what if...
×××
He shook his head, not deciding to remember it again, it was so long ago, but the resentment and desire remained the same. A lot has changed. Michael remains a figure skater and is making good progress. Mom is dead. And Vanessa is now coaching children instead of her, as Mrs. Afton herself did, coaching her own children, and she was proud of them. But Michael needed his father's approval, which made him angrier every year because his efforts seemed to be in vain. William is not interested in this at all, he is only interested in what he does.
But Michael has not crossed paths with his father for so long that he hardly remembers what kind of team he coaches, but he remembers that he set great expectations for them. I wonder if they came true? Who knows, but Afton doesn't really want much in his heart, so that his father would understand that he made a mistake rejecting Michael. Although knowing my dad, it wouldn't have done anything.
And so he walks through the corridors of the sports complex, thinking about something, or rather about that hockey player, it's been two months since he saw him, he runs his hand through his hair, pushing it back, closing his eyes, exhaling, and then.. Someone bumps into him, Michael already wanted to be rude and say something, but he couldn't see who it was. The hockey player.. Curly-haired, shorter than him, but so cute..
– I'm sorry! I should have looked where I was..
"nothing, just be careful next time."
Michael left quickly, unable to stay any longer. My God, what is he saying? What's the "next time"? Of course Michael wanted to see him again, but it sounded like an invitation to meet! Or maybe he's winding himself up..?
Schmidt didn't even have time to figure out what had happened, but he hoped that everything was fine, especially since Mike was late, so he adjusted his gym bag on his shoulder and hurried to the locker room to prepare for training.practically running inside, he catches glances and chuckles saying, "really, who came." He was already distracted today, and he bumped into some guy. Wait, that guy.. That's the figure skater he saw at those competitions, oh shit! Mike just hoped that no one would notice that he was blushing, and no one would care on the ice, and that was the start of training if he didn't stop thinking about that guy.... A ram in the shoulder, one blow to the side, two blows to the side, the third time too. He couldn't stop thinking. God, he's the captain of the team, he needs to focus. The coach is yelling somewhere nearby, but Schmidt exhales, getting into a position ready to play
"You're kind of distracted today."
Already in the locker room, Jeremiah notices, poking his friend lightly in the shoulder.
"it's just not a good day."
– come on, Mike, even on the most terrible day you played better than today, it's obviously not easy here. Have you fallen in love?)
"Oh, come on..
– the main thing at the match is not to be so stupid, otherwise in less than six months the cup, I would not like to lose just because the captain of the team is thinking about some girl.
Yeah, if it was a girl, it would be half the trouble, but this way.. And I really didn't want to screw it up just because of some stupid feeling towards another guy.