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•~• Nathan/Shoma — Worlds 2024 •~•
Adam was absolutely over the moon. He had delivered a clean skate, with a backflip. He had won a Worlds medal. He was second in the free skate. Most importantly, he had redeemed himself from the short.
Benoit was talking to him in rapid-fire french as they walked towards the dressing room.
"I'm very proud of you," Benoit told him. "Not because of the medal, although that was a very impressive comeback, but because you really skated with your heart. I could physically feel every emotion you put into that performance."
"Thanks," Adam felt unexpectedly emotional at the praise from his choreographer. Benoit wasn't exactly the most liberal with his complements, so to get so many in such a short span of time felt special.
The stopped just short of the door, Benoit clapping a hand against his shoulder. "You deserve this. Well done."
Adam smiled shyly. He still wasn't quite used to Benoit, let alone when he was very happy.
Ducking his head, he slipped into the dressing room. There were a couple of other skaters milling around.
Ilia was talking to a brown-haired boy with braces, (Misha? Adam only vaguely remembered his name), a light dusting of pink covering his cheeks. He wondered if that was just from the excretion of his skate, or maybe some other reason.
Jun and Jason were having a very in-depth conversation, the American's hands moving at a mile a minute.
He sat down heavily, letting his head tip back against the wall. He was so happy, but also exhausted.
"Congratulations," Shoma said from next to him. "You skated well."
"That was absolutely insane," Nathan piped up, beside Shoma.
Despite the complements, Adam groaned internally. Nathan and Shoma in the same place could only mean one thing: PDA.
Sure enough, when he opened his eyes to thank them, he found the pair absorbed in each other.
Mentally wishing he could be anywhere else, Adam set upon untying his skates. He did his best to ignore the couple, who seemed to be trying to devour each other, but it was just so annoying.
Couldn't they have chosen a spot further away then two meters from him? Preferably in an empty room, out of his eyesight?
Still, he just tried to untie his skates as fast as possible, not-so-discreetly inching closer to Deniss. The latvian shot him a sympathetic look.
Finally, he was called for the press conference. Never before had be been so happy to do media. It just went to show the horrors that being in the same room as Shoma and Nathan bring.
As they left, he noticed that Yuma also looked slightly traumatized, (he was Shoma's teammate, after all), but Ilia looked unfazed. Adam wondered if there was anything between him and the Kazakhstani boy. Maybe something to investigate later.
•~• Ilia/Misha — Worlds 2025 •~•
Adam's heart ached as Yuma stumbled into the dressing room thirty seconds after him. The Japanese man beelined towards Shun, collapsing into the arms of his teammate.
Secretly, he was glad that they had managed to secure three spots for their country. He was also glad Yuma had Shun their to support him, he knew how bad it was to be alone after a performance like that. Especially at the world championships.
Adam wondered briefly if they were dating, they certainly had some moments that indicated it, but he didn't want to think too hard about it. He'd already accidentally manifested Ilia and Misha, and he didn't want any more insufferable PDA to put up with.
Speaking of Ilia and Misha…
Ilia had just entered the room, and was currently crowding the brunet against the wall.
Unfortunately, Adam knew enough Russian to understand what they were saying.
He and Deniss (why is it always them?) locked eyes just as Ilia said, "Holh shit Misha, your quad Lutz is sexy as fuck."
This was, apparently, the final straw for Deniss, who let out a pointed cough. "I'm right here, you know. If you two start fucking because your quad jumps turn the other on, I'm going to report you to HR."
Thankfully, it made the couple back off of each other. Misha, at least, had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.
"Ilia, I can't believe you called Mikhail's quad Lutz sexy. Also, poor Yuma, having to put up with the two of you together on a podium." Adam backed Deniss up.
"We aren't that bad," Ilia tried to defend himself, as Adam scoffed. "Also, it's not the Lutz itself, it's-"
He was so grateful that the Latvian cut Ilia off, going on a rant about how they were worse than Nathan and Shoma.
Adam thought the jury was still out on that one. At least they were called for their medals quickly. He smirked to himself as Ilia and Misha were forced to leave, but grimaced when Shun practically had to peel Yuma off of himself. He really didn't envy the older japanese man right now.
•~• Kaori/Wakaba — GPF 2025 •~•
Adam was sitting in the crowd with Ilia and Misha, having just finished watching the women's free skate. The grand prix final hadn't been a great competition for him already, and now he was sitting here third-wheeling the two other skaters.
Don't get him wrong, it wasn't that they weren't friends, but sometimes they could be insufferable when they were together.
He wished Stephen was here with him. He had grown used to the blond's presence during Finlandia, and found he sorely missed it.
"I'm just going to get some air," he murmured to his companions. "Excuse me."
He fought his way through the crowd, making it out to a little secluded spot outside the back doors that he'd found after the short program.
Except his secret spot wasn't so secret anymore.
Kaori and Wakaba stood there, talking to each other. Wakaba was smiling gently, looking up at Kaori.
He watches from a distance as Wakaba pushed up onto her toes to plant a kiss on her lips. Kaori still had her skates on, giving them an even bigger height difference than usual.
Adam turned away, letting them have their privacy. Why was it always him?
•~• Yuma/Shun — Olympic gala 2026 •~•
The dressing room was bustling with activity after the gala. Adam found himself talking to Piper and Paul about Van Gogh programs.
Over the past week, he had probably spent more time with the canadians than with his own team. At first he had been apprehensive around them, a bit scared they might tell him he wasn't good enough for Stephen. He wasn't sure where that thought had come from in the first place. Eventually, as he spent more and more time around them with Stephen, he grew comfortable being around and talking to them.
Piper had really helped him after his freeskate. Initially, he hadn't wanted to step foot on ice anytime soon. She was the one who convinced him that he should go to worlds, and then made him get on the ice and just skate.
Paul, along with Max, had reccomended some different sports psychologists for him. He really needed to have that conversation with Benoit soon.
Excusing himself from the conversation, he grabbed his water bottle and headed towards the door. There was no fountain in the dressing room, so he had to go outside to the warm up area.
He was back in the room three seconds after his failed exit. Yuma and Shun had been wrapped up in each other.
"Fuck no, why is it always me?" he complained faintly go himself.
"Yuma and Shun are out there, aren't they?" Ilia asked him, smirking.
"Unfortunately," Adam groaned. Why did Ilia always have to laugh at his misery?
He let out a long-suffering sigh. Hopefully, worlds would be more peaceful.
•~• Stephen/Adam — Worlds 2026 •~•
Adam was wrong, of course, because when did he ever get what he wished for.
At least Misha not skating gave him a reprieve from him and Ilia. He had no such luck with Shun and Yuma. Two weeks away from each other for training had only served to make them more clingy. Adam didn't think he'd seen them apart this whole time.
He managed to get changed out of his short program costume and into his french team gear before Stephen had even entered the dressing room. Having skated before Adam, he was also already changed.
"Sorry, I was talking to Benoit," Stephen excused his absence.
Adam pushed Stephen down onto the bench, settling himself upon the canadian's lap. "You're here now, that's what matters."
The room was empty, save for Yuma and Shun, but they were so focused on each other that they might as well have not been there.
Adam leaned in, pressing his lips to Stephen's. He allowed himself to melt into it for a couple of minutes, folding completely at the feeling of Stephen's arms around his waist.
He was just moving a hand up to curl around Stephen's hair, when they were interrupted by a sharp cough.
Ilia stood there with his hands on his hips. "Seriously, you guys? You have a whole hotel room to go to, but you chose to make out here, in the locker room?"
"Yeah." Adam shrugged. "It was pretty empty except for them," he jerked his head towards the two japanese boys, who still hadn't stopped talking to each other, "Untill you got here."
"I won't do backflips with you at the gala if you keep doing this."
"Backflips are boring now that they're allowed anyways. I need to find another banned move to get legalized."
"Fine," Ilia huffed. "Be like that."
Adam laughed. He knew they would be doing the backflips, no matter what Ilia says right now. It was tradition.
"Should we go, Ads?" Stephen asked him.
"Yeah." Adam smiled fondly at him. "Let's get out of Ilia's hair. We can be kind to him today."
"Thank god," Ilia breathed a sigh of relief.
The two of them left, hand in hand, exhausted and ready to sleep.