Chapter Text
The drive back from the arena was tense. It shouldn’t have been, both Stephan and Adam had skated clean, but it was.
Really, it was all Adam’s fault. If he hadn’t kissed Stephen in the locker room after his skate, it wouldn’t be like this.
The man in question was half asleep in the car, head lolled against the window. Benoit, silent as always, sat in the passenger seat. He had tried to break the ice in the beginning, perhaps sensing the unusually awkward nature between his two students, but had taken the hint when Adam turned his music up slightly. This wasn’t without a raised eyebrow at Adam’s (admittedly, depressing and lovesick) playlist.
The frosty silence continued all the way back to the village, until Benoit broke it as he was parking. “Adam, how about you walk Stephen up to his room? I think he might pass out on the stairwell otherwise.”
“I won’t pass out,” Stephen mumbled. Adam felt his heart twinge.
“Sure you won’t,” he mocked, trying to sound casual. “Come on. It’s really late.”
“Good night, I’ll see you both tomorrow,” their coach bid them goodbye. Traitor.
And now Adam was alone, with only the man who had just broken his heart for company. Not even two hours ago, when he’d left Adam standing, spiralling over what had happened. Embarrassingly, it had taking Ilia coming over to congratulate him on his performance to shake him out of his stupor.
The worst part of all of this was that Stephen had kissed him back.
It would’ve been easier to take if he had shoved Adam away immediately, spat in his face, done literally anything other than bring his hand up to Adam’s face and gently embrace him.
“Come on,” Adam repeated stupidly, walking towards the stairs. “It’s not that far.”
“Yes it is.” Stephen dragged himself out of the car. He didn’t speak again until the got to his room, the only sound between them their light footsteps and breathing. “Thanks for walking me.”
“Goodnight,” Adam gave him a tight smile, before turning and leaving. He wouldn’t give himself hope by lingering.
He was all the way down the hallway before he heard the door shut. It was then that he allowed himself to finally burst into tears. The ones he didn’t want to show around Stephen, an definitely not in front of Benoit.
Luckily, he only had to go up two flights of stairs to get to his room.
Unluckily, he encountered Kaori on his way.
Look, it’s not that he didn’t like her. It would be hard for anyone not to with her infectious smile and amazing sportsmanship. Its just that he didn’t know her particularly well, and he really didn’t want her to see him crying.
Hastily wiping his eyes on his pale blue french fleece, he tried to angle his head as he walked passed her, praying she didn’t say anything.
Naturally, luck was not on his side.
“Come.” She told him. “I will make you instant ramen. It’s all I have.”
Adam let out a laugh, but it probably sounded more like a sob. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t, but I want to. I would do it for any member of my team, and I don’t think I should ignore you just because you’re French. Also, I can tell you haven’t eaten since skating, and I bet you didn’t have much before that either.”
“How can you tell I haven’t eaten?” Adam asked curiously.
“Because you are sad, and people are never sad with good food in front of them.” She told him matter-of-factly.
Adam laughed again, but accepted her offer. She took his wrist in her hand and practically dragged him down the hallway.
“Do you want spicy?” She asked him as she clicked the kettle on. Adam shook his head no. Usually he did like spice, but it just wasn’t what he wanted tonight.
Damn, she was right. Now that he had the bowl of noodles in front of him, he was absolutely starving. She let him have a few quick bites before the began her questioning.
“So, I watched your skate.”
Adam nodded, mouth too full of noodles to respond.
“And you didn’t skate like someone who should be crying at two in the morning,” she said, giving him a golden opportunity to talk it out to someone.
“I…” Adam hesitated, but Kaori’s kind smile made him keep going. “I kissed Ste- someone after my skate. And I regret it.” Embarrassingly, the tears began welling up in his eyes again. “And I don’t think he wants to be friends with me anymore.”
“Ok,” Kaori said, “So he didn’t kiss you back.”
“But he did!” Adam sobbed. “He did and it was amazing and then three seconds later he just ran away! And all I did was stand there like and idiot and watch him leave.” He gratefully accepted the tissue in her outstretched hand, dabbing at his eyes with it.
“Ok ok ok. This might exceed my area of romantic expertise. But have you talked since?”
“No. I drove him and Benoit here, and he was practically asleep in the car. Then Benoit told me I should walk him to his room, so I did. But he barely said a word to me the whole time.”
“Here’s what I think you should do. First, go and sleep. You’ve earned it. Tomorrow, you two have to talk. Neither of you can go into the free skate this this hanging over your heads.”
“We’ll talk,” Adam promised her. A still silence filled the room as he finished eating, but not an uncomfortable one. Kaori’s presence alone was comforting, however she managed that. “I actually thought I might make it through a competition without crying for once.”
“No one ever makes it through the Olympics without crying. It brings out those extreme emotions in people,” she reassured him.
“Now, you need some sleep. Being tired makes everything seem worse.”
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done tonight.” Adam really meant it. He actually felt like he could sleep now, rather than anxiously pacing around his room before collapsing from sheer exhaustion at six am.
He stood up and wiped the last of his drying tears on the sleeve of his jacket. What he wasn’t expecting was for Kaori to wrap him up in a massive bear hug, and oh… he understands why everyone else always melts into her arms now.
“Really, thanks for this,” he said again as he drew back. “You really helped me.”
“Anytime,” Kaori smiled warmly at him. “You’re welcome to come back anytime.”
Adam grinned back and took his leave, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.
•
A sharp rap on his door woke Adam up the next morning.
“One minute!” he called out to the person on the other side. Probably Benoit or Cedric.
He changed into a pair of black pants and his french team quarter zip (currently his favourite piece of team gear), as well as a pair of white socks.
Practically wrenching the door open, he found himself face to face with- Stephen?!
“Adam,” the taller breathed out. “I think we should talk.”
He felt his chest constrict. Of course, he knew they’d have to talk eventually, but he thought there would be more time to emotionally prepare. “Yeah. I think so.”
They stared at each other, tension mounting. “Are you gonna let me in, or are we doing this on your doorstep?” Stephen teased with a half smile.
“Oh yeah. Come in.” Adam stepped aside to he could enter, closing the door behind him. He shoved his hands in his pants pockets so Stephen couldn’t see how badly they were shaking.
He hoped the tremor didn't show in his voice.
Truth be told, Adam wasn’t just nervous; he was terrified. Stephen was the only true friend he had in skating. Sure, he was friendly with most of his competitors, but there wasn’t anyone else he would casually message constantly.
Outside of skating, he found it hard to make friends. He was well aware that long training hours, many weeks away for competitions, and a truly incredible amount of emotional instability didn't make it easy to keep friends. Of course, he had some, but nobody he was as close with as Stephen.
“Am, Adam, Adam.” He was pulled out of thoughts by Stephen calling his name. “You with me?”
He nodded, refocusing his eyes onto the younger man.
“Oh, Adam. You literally trembling. Fuck, I’ve made a mess out of this, I’m so sorry.”
“No, I’m the one who should be so-” he was pulled tightly into Stephen, so that his face was positioned right over his chest.
“You have nothing to apologize for. Now please let me say what I came here to say?” Stephen asked gently.
Adam bobbed his head into the other’s chest.
“I handled last night very poorly. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve talked to you instead of going silent. I would love to call you mine, if you’d like that.” Stephen caressed a hand through the frenchman’s hair, tilting his head up to look him in the eyes.
“On one condition,” Adam smiled, pushing up onto his toes.
“Anything,” Stephen beamed down upon him.
“Kiss me.”
Stephen bent down and gently pushed their lips together, both smiling into it.