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What is ‘The Atelier’ and why should you keep an eye on its skaters this coming season?
By International Skating Union
The Atelier is the training academy headed by Qifrey and Olruggio, retired Olympic medallists from Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Pyeongchang 2018. Established after the two friends retired following the 2018 Winter Olympics, they have since been training four different junior skaters as the years progressed.
For those of you living under a rock, Qifrey and Olruggio have been trading golds since their debut into seniors many years ago. Representing Sweden and Norway respectively, they’ve both brought their home countries many medals and built up a legacy to be proud of. Skaters such as them will have their names remembered many years into the future, even if they don’t compete anymore.
They currently coach four junior women’s skaters: Agott (representing the Netherlands), Coco (representing Belgium), Richeh (representing South Korea), and Tetia (representing Denmark).
(click here to read more)
“A-go-tt!” Coco called in a sing-song voice, spinning on the rink and throwing her hands up when she stopped. “Hi.”
“You’ll bite your tongue out if you speak while you spin.” Agott warned her, stepping onto the rink and skating closer.
“It’s fineee, I wasn’t even going that fast!” Coco waved her off. “Did the outfit fit okay?”
“The shirt felt a little loose, and I think the trousers need to be shortened.” Agott hummed, skating loops around Coco to warm up.
“Okay, okay,” Coco twirled, hands behind her back as she followed Agott’s movements with her eyes. “Try it on again later and I’ll see what I can do.”
“It’s fine, it’s no big deal.” Agott muttered.
“I want to!” Coco shook her head, hair bouncing around as several strands escaped the loose ponytail she had it in. “Besides, I have some changes of my own I want to run by you if that’s okay?”
“After practice.”
“Sure!”
“Enough chit-chat!” Qifrey clapped his hands. “Coco, I want you running your triple Loop1 today, alright? You’re still a bit wobbly coming off the landing, and I want you holding the running edge2 longer.”
“Okay!” Coco nodded excitedly, zooming off to a corner of the rink.
“Start with doubles! You can move onto triples when Olly gets here!” Qifrey called after her and she threw up a thumb-up with both hands. “And you, kära du…3”
“Can I work on my step sequence4? I think I can go deeper on the edges.”
“Only if you do some spins too, I think you could really go for more level 4’s5.” Qifrey gave her a soft smile.
“Fine.” Agott sighed, waiting for Qifrey to start her music. Her gaze drifted to Coco while she did, watching her practice double loops. She focussed on her skates, noting with a thrill how much deeper her outside edge was. She improved at a startling pace, Agott would never have guessed how late she started skating if she didn’t know Coco personally.
“This is Coco, she’ll be skating with us from now on,” Qifrey introduced one morning at practice, his hand on the shoulder of a young girl around their age, her green-yellow hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. “She’s pretty new to figure skating, so I want you all to welcome her with open arms.”
Agott eyed this newcomer with disdain, toeing the ice with her blades and sniffing, head tilted up. Tetia beside her cooed over Coco’s embroidered shirt, and Richeh merely hummed in response.
“I look forward to working with you all!” Coco replied brightly, her tone soft and warm. She won’t survive in this sport, Agott thought.
“See here?” Coco said after practice, pinching the fabric at the bottom of Agott’s trousers as she lifted it up slightly so it didn’t cover Agott’s feet fully. “It is long, so I’ll shorten it. I was thinking of adding embroidery around the hem?”
“What were you thinking?” Agott looked down, watching Coco tuck her hair behind her ear as she concentrated on marking the fabric with a white pencil.
“Some diadem herbs? Your shirt is blue and the trousers are black, it’d be a nice contrast.” Coco looked up, locking eyes with Agott.
“In red?” Agott murmured.
“Yeah! We could kind of match.” Coco smiled. Her own dress for her short program6 was the same red as a diadem herb. The thought of sharing even the slightest bit of colour felt so thrilling to Agott, she felt a shudder run down her spine.
“Your Loops were looking better today.” Agott commented as Coco continued marking her trousers.
“Really!” She beamed. “I keep going back and forth on the entries, I think I want to do the three turn7.”
”You should do it.” Agott nodded.
“Well, if Agott says I should, then I have to, don’t I?” Coco teased. “I’ll have to practice it more, it’s still a bit finicky.”
”Hi, hi, switch back to English. What are we talking about?” Tetia bounded in, followed closely by Richeh who was untying her hair.
“Dutch is better, though.” Agott continued in Dutch, earning a giggle from Coco.
“Not fair!” Tetia complained.
“English, English.” Richeh chanted.
Agott paused in her tracks outside of the locker room, eyes wide in surprise as she heard Coco speaking Dutch inside. She waited until the other girl hung up her call before barging in, excited all of a sudden.
“Dutch… was that Dutch?” Agott herself switched from English to Dutch then.
“Yes…?” Coco looked surprised.
“You can speak Dutch?” Agott demanded.
“I’m from Belgium?” Coco cocked her head to the side.
“So?”
”So! Most of us speak Dutch!” Coco exclaimed. “I thought you knew!”
”If I knew, why would I continue speaking to you in English?” Agott pulled a disgusted face.
“I don’t know! Maybe you were practicing?” Coco pouted. “I’m sorry, Agott, I really did think you knew…”
”I… whatever.” Agott turned her head away from the pout, cheeks flushed.
“From now on, we’ll speak Dutch, okay? It really sucks not having people around who speak your language, doesn’t it?” Coco gave her a warm look.
“Mhm.” Agott looked back, her chest all fluttery.
“We were just talking about Loops,” Coco said, getting to her feet. “I can fix your trousers tonight, Agott.”
”I love Loops!” Tetia gasped.
“Loops suck.” Richeh frowned.
“They only suck because you’re not practicing enough,” Agott ducked behind a curtain to change out of the trousers and back into her training leggings. ”Also… you should try the same three turn entry Coco is, you might like it more.”
”Seems like more work.” Richeh protested.
“It’s more fun than the regular entry everyone else does!” Coco replied, an urging tone to her voice. “You might like it, Richeh. Try with me tomorrow.”
”I’ll watch you train and then decide.”
“That works too.” Coco accepted, catching the trousers Agott tossed her way and tucking them into her bag.
“Coco…” Tetia drawled.
“Yes, Tetia?”
”Can you do little hearts on my sleeve cuffs?” The pink-haired girl pouted. “I want them to match my hair.”
”Sure!” Coco smiled. “Just give your costume to me tomorrow, I should be done with Agott’s by then.”
”Yay! You’re the best!”
The following morning, Agott’s newly embroidered trousers were left outside her door. Coco was chatting with Tetia when the brunette arrived at breakfast, waving her arms wildly as she spoke.
“You’re going to poke someone’s eye out.” Agott commented, taking. a seat beside Coco. A plate of eggs was placed in front of her by Qifrey and she dug in.
“I’m careful!” Coco sounded aggrieved, her voice muffled as she stuck a piece of pancake into her mouth.
“Be more careful,” Agott nudged her hand down gently and Coco simply let her, pouting. “Idioot.”
“Rude!” Coco gasped before she noticed something behind Agott. “Good morning, Richeh!”
”Coach, Richeh said she would watch Coco do her Loops today and maybe try the three turn entry.” Tetia blurted out as Richeh slumped onto the table, resting her cheek on the grain.
“I think that’s a great idea!” Qifrey smiled warmly. “Olruggio is overseeing Coco’s three turn today, which by the way is progressing very well.”
”Thank you!” Coco beamed.
“Agott, Tetia, we’ll be working on spins. Agott, if you do well enough on them then I will let you practice your triple Axel8 for a bit.” Qifrey bargained and Agott straightened, her eyes glimmering.
“Really?”
”Only if you promise to do spins for as long as Tetia does. No bailing out early to practice Lutzes in the corner, okay?”
“Fineee.” Agott grumbled.
“Hey, hey, we can do toe pick9 jumps tomorrow, okay?” Coco nudged her, voice dropping to a whisper. “Lutzes and Flips10.”
”Not tomorrow… day after?” Agott proposed.
“Deal!”
After breakfast, they separated into two groups: Coco and Richeh off with Olruggio to one of the rinks they commonly used, and Qifrey took Agott and Tetia to the other one. She often wondered how they could possibly afford to rent two rinks and house four teenage girls who also did skating, but then again… Qifrey’s adopted father was filthy rich and he doted on all of them like granddaughters so it made sense.
The only thing the girls spent their prize money on were skates and occasionally costumes. Coco oftentimes volunteered to make them herself though. Before joining them to figure skate, she helped her mother at a skate shop back in Belgium. This meant she grew up surrounded by skates, blades and costumes; that she helped her mother make them for other skaters before, that she sharpened blades for skaters before, but just hadn’t had the chance to compete herself.
The girls learned when Coco came to them that she had grown up wanting to figure skate, that she had seen figure skaters on the television alongside all the ones that came to their shop, and had simply fallen in love with the sport. Unfortunately, the shop didn’t make nearly enough to sponsor Coco, to find her a coach and pay for the ridiculous coaching fees most of them charged. So, she was content to continue with mediocre lessons, where she learned how to spin and do complicated little tricks but only ever got up to singles in jumps.
Then, tragedy struck.
Coco’s mother passed away, leaving a will behind that detailed every last bit of money in her bank account was to go to Coco and funding her figure skating career. As it just so happened, Qifrey spotted Coco skating one day in Belgium and was mesmerised by her lines and the beauty she put into her spins. Thus, he offered to coach her. He charged much less than coaches usually did, and she promised she could make her costumes herself, reciting all the experience she had under her belt from helping her mother in the shop. So, Coco became their designated costume maker and designer. They’d all spend their prize money on the fabrics they wanted and she would be more than happy to design them.
For how late she started learning her doubles and triples, it didn’t take long for Coco to catch up to the rest of them. It took her longer to soften Agott up enough to be friends, but they got there in the end.
“Agott? Coach said we should meet up with him to discuss some things and…” Coco trailed off, seeing Agott standing with an unfamiliar person, fists clenched by her side and an upset expression on her face.
“New friend?” The other person, a boy their age, simpered. “You should know what Agott did before you go around talking to her and being friends with her.”
“Agott…?” Coco whispered, but the darker-haired girl didn’t speak a word, turning her head down to stare at her trainers.
“She’s not replying because she knows it’s true,” The boy snickered. “Agott Arklaum, figure-skating in her blood and multiple medallist in her family… and yet she felt the need to steal someone else’s program… choreo, costume, and everything. How disgusting.”
“You’re wrong!” Coco shouted. “That’s not… Agott wouldn’t do that!”
Agott’s head shot up, turning to look at Coco with wide eyes and an open mouth. “Coco –”
“You don’t know her, Coco… was it?” The boy continued. “It was a whole thing, she was kicked out of her family’s academy for it and disqualified from that competition.”
“Don’t lie!” Coco exclaimed, stepping forward with a furious expression on her face. “My Agott would never do such a thing! Don’t lie about things like this, don’t spread rumours, you… you asshole!”
“Coco!” Agott gasped.
“What did you just call me?” His voice went dangerously soft. “Better not have been what I think it was.”
“I said you’re an asshole,” Coco frowned. “You’re spreading rumours about Agott. If you knew anything about her, you’d know how hard she works and the effort she puts into her skating. Agott is the last person who would steal someone’s program. So screw off!”
“I’ll be speaking to the officials about this.” The boy said grimly, flouncing away.
“Are you okay?” Coco’s tone instantly softened as she turned to Agott, a concerned expression on her face.
“Am I – you just swore at him!” Agott’s eyes widened further.
“He deserved it,” Coco huffed. “He was being really rude.”
“You’re crazy.” Agott breathed out. Later, officials would inform Qifrey that due to unsportsmanlike conduct, Coco would be disqualified from the competition.
“It was worth it!” Coco declared when Qifrey told her.
“Coco…”
“He was saying mean things about Agott, I couldn’t stand there and let him,” She frowned. “I’d do it again next time.”
“How about next time, we just avoid him, alright kära du?” Qifrey hummed, bending to her height and placing a hand on her head.
“I will try.” Coco sighed. But when Agott thanked her silently later that night after the short program, she beamed brighter than she had since she joined their team. It made it all worth it.
Agott smiled as she recalled how Coco hadn’t hesitated in stepping up to defend her against someone she didn’t even know. She didn’t even know Agott very well at that point but she decided she knew her enough to protect her.
”Oooo, Agott’s smiling.” Tetia teased, poking her cheek.
“Shut up.” Agott scowled, looking away and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Less gossiping, more spinning!” Qifrey called from where he stood on the sidelines.
“Ugh.” Agott groaned, building up some speed to go into a flying sit spin. She would endure it if it meant she could practice her triple axel today. She wouldn’t have time tomorrow, after all.
As much as she wanted to practice jumps with Coco, she need tomorrow to fine tune the last bits of the program she had been working on since the end of last season. Olruggio was to supervise her tomorrow as she skated it for him to point out any minor flaws she hadn’t caught herself. It was a program that she had made for Coco. Agott prided herself on her routines, ever since that incident all those years ago where she was kicked out of her family’s academy over a false plagiarism accusation that everyone believed, she took her programs much more seriously.
She made them all herself, or if she didn’t, she watched every part of the process while either Qifrey or Olruggio made them. Never again would she let a coach steal someone else’s program for her, and then throw the blame on her when he was caught. Never again. So, she prided herself on the routines she made. And what better way to show her appreciation for Coco than by making her a routine. Coco already had programs for her short and her free11, but what she lacked at the current moment was an exhibition skate12.
Agott watched Coco a lot, especially when she skated, so she was decently confident she had made a program to capitalise on all her strengths and enable her to perform a skate worthy of the medal she would no doubt be earning. She worked tirelessly, week after week, whenever she was away from Coco and could brainstorm whatever new ideas she could, or make changes depending on Coco’s growing strength.
She only reached out to Olruggio for help in the last bits of the work, to finalise everything and now… to watch her perform it before she presented it to Coco.
“Thank you for this, Coach Olly.” Agott said, sincere in a way she normally wasn’t with anyone but Coco.
“Think nothin’ of it,” Olruggio ruffled her hair, gruff. “I’m your coach, aren’t I? ‘S my job.”
”Still, you didn’t have to put up with me making a whole exhibition program for Coco,” She shrugged. “Anyways, please record it so I can actually give it to her.”
”So demandin’.” He sighed, digging for his phone in his pockets as Agott skated to the centre of the rink. Olruggio had the music ready, pressing play on it and starting to record as soon as Agott gave him a thumb-up. The music from Madama Butterfly13 by Giacomo Puccini began playing and Agott skated
”How was that?” Agott approached when she was done, not even breathing heavily. It wasn’t a very technically challenging program, being something that embodied the elements Coco liked. Besides, exhibitions were supposed to be fun, a showcase rather than just jumping constantly.
“Brilliant, Agott. No notes, I think it’s perfect.” Olruggio said honestly, and Agott went pink.
“Really? You’re not just saying that?”
”Promise I’m not,” Agott seemed to sag in relief at the confirmation, leaning against the barriers around the rink with a sigh. “If you hurry, you can catch Coco wrappin’ up with Qifrey at the other rink.”
”Send the video to me.” Agott ordered, stepping out of the rink and putting her blade guards onto her blades. She grabbed her phone from where it was connected to the speakers and dashed out of the room. Olruggio watched her go with a fond smile on his face, shaking his head. He attached the video to a message and send it off to her.
Meanwhile, Agott raced to the other rink, arriving just in time to see Qifrey clap his hand the same way he always did when he signaled it was time to end for the current session. Coco was bent over at the waist in the rink but she looked up with wide eyes when Agott slammed the door open.
“Coco, I have to show you something.” Agott declared, marching in Qifrey’s direction.
“Agott?” Coco cocked her head to the side not unlike an inquisitive bird. Qifrey cocked his head the same way and the first time Agott had seen them both do it, she was so floored at how similar they looked.
“Agott, dear?” Qifrey asked. “What is it?”
”Coach, I have something to show Coco if that’s alright. I ran it by Coach Olly.” Agott explained, twisting her fingers.
“Quite alright, just don’t tire yourselves out. I’ll be back in thirty minutes to close up, alright? Then we’ll go make some lunch.”
”Okay!” Coco nodded, skating over to where Agott stood beside Qifrey, just beyond the barrier of the rink. “Agott?”
”I… have something for you,” Agott said softly when Qifrey left the rink, switching to Dutch.. She connected her phone to the speakers. “Watch me?”
”Always.” Coco breathed, her eyes glimmering. Agott took a deep breath as she stepped onto the rink. She played the music and raced to get into the right position. Coco had moved to the side to allow Agott space to do what she needed to do, and the brunette closed her eyes for a second before she began. It was the same program she had just skated, but for some reason now doing it in front of Coco, performing for her felt all the more meaningful. She poured her heart and soul into it, coming to a stop after she finished and heaving for breath. She had barely a second to catch her breath before Coco launched herself at Agott, wrapping her arms around the other girl.
“Coco?” Agott sounded alarmed as she hugged back.
“Agott! That was beautiful!” Coco sniffled as she pulled away, reaching out to instead hold Agott’s hands.
“It’s for you…” Agott replied. “I made it for you. An exhibition skate.”
”For me?” Coco’s eyes widened. “You made a whole program just for me?”
”Yes.” Agott’s cheeks flushed.
“You’re the most wonderful person ever!” Coco declared, wrapping Agott up into a hug again.
“Don’t exaggerate!” Agott squawked, hugging her back.
“I’m not! You’re just brilliant, Agott.” Coco pulled away to kiss Agott’s cheek before she sped away, spinning in the middle of the rink, leaving Agott with flushed cheeks and a hand pressed to where the kiss was dropped.
“You’re the brilliant one.” Agott murmured under her breath.
“I have to make a costume!” Coco gasped, coming to a stop. “Hmm, I think it should be purple.”
Purple, like the colour of Agott’s eyes. Purple, like the colour of most of Agott’s clothing. Purple, like the colour that was so obviously Agott’s favourite colour. She shouldn’t think much of it, maybe Coco just thought purple was the right colour for Madama Butterfly.
“Because it’s your colour!” Nevermind. “What do you think, Agott?”
”Purple sounds good.” Agott nodded, her voice lower but the smile on her face was as genuine as it could be.
Only a few weeks later the Junior Grand Prix14 qualifiers began. Agott was the first of their group to compete and the only one in Latvia for the first qualifier.
Coco ☘️
[image: a laptop screen showing the competiton being live-streamed]
cheering for u from home!
do your best agott!
<3
<3
Agott smiled down at her phone, switching it off and tucking it into her bag before she lined up with the other skaters in her group, ready to head into the rink. She was in the final group for the short program15, so it was just the six of them left to wrap up the first portion.
Thirty minutes later, Agott stepped off the ice and into Qifrey’s arms, letting him hug her tightly and tell her she did a good job. She got her score, which was exactly what she had hoped for and settled in to watch the last two skaters before the short program would be done.
“Agott!” Coco called later that night. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you.” Agott allowed herself a smile.
“You did so well!” She could practically hear the smile in Coco’s voice. “It’s no surprise you got first, honestly. I thought it all looked so lovely together, the program and the music and…”
“And the costume?” Agott asked. “Thanks to you.”
“Aw, you’re exaggerating.” Coco giggled.
“I don’t exaggerate.” Agott sniffed.
“Okay, okay. You’re welcome then. I’ll let you get some rest now, but good luck on the free skate16 tomorrow!”
She won. The second she got back home (to Coco), the three other girls tackled her into a hug.
“It’s only a qualifier,” She complained. “And it’s not like it’s my first time winning one of those.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t still be proud of you.” Coco said softly, a fond smile on her face. Agott flushed, but relaxed against the warmth surrounding her on all sides.
It was only a few days later that Coco was off to her first qualifier in Turkey. Richeh and Tetia were both set to compete in JGP Italy days after that. Just like Coco, Agott settled in with her laptop to watch Coco’s competition. She felt a shudder run through her body, thrilled once again when she saw the bright red of Coco’s costume for her short program17, the same shades as the diadem herbs on her own trousers.
She came first after the short program, because of course she did. Agott had no doubt she would, she knew Coco would come out above them all, just like she knew she would win after the free skate the following day.
“I! am going to throw up.” Coco declared when she picked up Agott’s call after the press conferences for the short program concluded.
“Why?” Agott furrowed her brows, curled onto her side in bed.
“I’m in first! I have to go last tomorrow after watching everyone else skate! That’s so scary!” Coco exclaimed.
“Coco…” Agott sighed.
“I know, I know…” Coco’s pout was obvious even through the phone call. “I know I feel like this every time, I can’t help it.”
“Coco, you’ve beaten me at competitions before despite how late you started skating compared to the rest of us. You’ll be fine.” Agott said, patient in a way she only ever was with Coco.
“You think?”
“I know.” Agott said firmly.
“I wish you were here.” Coco sighed.
“I’d beat you if I was.”
“Hey!” Coco scolded before she burst out laughing, joined by a soft, amused huff from Agott. “I wouldn’t let you.”
“We’ll be competing together in the Final, not before then. So you have to keep winning.” Agott said.
“You too.” Coco’s voice was earnest.
“Obviously.”
“Thanks for talking to me, Agott. I feel better.” Coco softened.
“You don’t have to thank me for that.” Agott flushed.
“I know, but I will anyways.” Of course she won the free skate18 the following day, and subsequently the qualifier as a whole. When Agott saw her on her return, she hugged her with everyone else.
“Told you so.” Agott muttered quietly, earning a beautiful, blazing smile from Coco.
“You’re the best.” Coco gushed, flushed.
“Ugh, it’s like we’re not even here,” Tetia grumbled. “They’re not even speaking English, guys we talked about this!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Coco apologised, giggling.
“Less time scolding us and more time practicing, your first qualifier is in a few days.” Agott said to Tetia and Richeh.
“So. Many. Competitions.” Tetia swayed against Richeh who stabilised the both of them, patting the pink-haired girl on the head.
“It’s the price we pay,” Richeh said solemnly. “Let’s retire and become professional figure skaters19.”
“We are sixteen.” Agott replied, aghast.
“We still have many years of skating together to go!” Coco cheered.
“So bright,” Richeh shielded her eyes. “My eyes.”
“Coco is right, you have many years of youth left.” Qifrey said softly.
“Provided you train properly and don’t neglect your health.” Olruggio nodded in agreement.
“Yes, yes, we’ve heard the lecture a billion times.” Tetia sighed.
“And you’ll hear it until you’re retired!” Qifrey said cheerfully. “Coco, kära du, unpack your things and get some rest.”
Coco had an early night that night but when Agott woke up the following morning and went down to the kitchen, she saw the yellow-green-haired girl already there, sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming mug cradled in her hands.
“You’re up early,” Agott commented, going to the kettle only to see it filled up and steaming.
“Filled it up for you, it’s hot still,” Coco gave her a soft smile. “And yeah… I guess I crashed early last night and got enough sleep.”
To be loved is to be seen, Agott thought as she flicked the kettle on just so it boiled once more. It was quick, considering it was already hot like Coco said, and soon enough she was sat beside Coco with a mug of her own.
“Still tired?”
“I’m all rested now!” Coco shook her head, flexing one bicep before she giggled and put her arm down. “Want to practice Lutzes with me today?”
“Mhm.” Agott nodded. They sat in silence, Coco’s head eventually dropping to rest on Agott’s shoulder. It was peaceful, quiet in a way the kitchen normally wasn’t when everyone else was in there. They stayed in that position until Qifrey woke up to make them breakfast, revelling in each other’s company.
Their next qualifiers went well, and so did Richeh and Tetia’s. Soon enough, they were all packed to go to the Junior Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. Coco and Agott were both in the final group for the short program, with Richeh in the second to last group, and Tetia in the third to last group. The two watched their friends compete from the training room by the rink, stretching and doing some warm-ups until it was their groups time to skate.
Agott didn’t think she would ever tire of watching Coco skate in person no matter how many times she saw her. It was different, watching her on the ice right there in front of her very eyes instead of on a small screen hundreds and thousands of kilometres away.
There was something so magical about her skating. The elegance with which she went about it, the deepness of her blades edges not just in jumps, but in her step sequences too. And the flexibility and tightness she had on her spins was something Agott could only dream of doing. She might have Coco beat when it came to jumps, but she thought no one skated more beautifully than Coco.
“You did good.” Coco smiled after the short program. Agott had beat her in the short program, just barely eking out enough points with her Lutz-Toe combination over Coco’s Flip-Toe combination.
“So did you. You should have gone with a Lutz like I told you to at the start of the season.”
“My Flip is better than my Lutz. I’d rather be very sure I was going to land it than risk a Lutz and fall. I’ll beat you in the free skate, just watch.”
Agott would watch alright. She was right there rink side just before Coco went onto the ice for her free skate. The girl before was finishing up when Agott tugged on Coco’s arm.
“Agott?”
“Good luck.” Agott said in a low voice, hesitating for a second before she leaned in and brushed a kiss to Coco’s cheek, drawing away as fast as she could and disappearing to stand beside Olruggio. She saw Qifrey place a hand on Coco’s shoulder and speak to her, earning a nod from the other girl.
And then she skated.
Call Agott biased, but she thought that must have been the best Coco had ever skated in her entire life. That was a medal-worthy performance, definitely gold-medal potential. But, she couldn’t let Coco have it so easily. They were rivals first and foremost, and Agott would never give up a medal that easily.
So she gave it her all, but for the first time… Agott lost.
She was sat at the Kiss and Cry, Coco only a few metres away in the leader’s chair, surprised that she lost and surprised by how happy she felt for Coco. This was the first time Coco had won the Final, despite her many medals in the qualifying events over the last few years.
“You did good, Agott,” Olruggio drew her into a warm hug. “Silver’s somethin’ to be proud of.”
“Thank you,” Agott allowed herself a moment to close her eyes and mourn her gold medal, relishing in her coach’s warmth before she drew away. “Where’s –”
“Still there.” Olruggio gestured to the leader’s chair where Coco was sat, wide-eyed. Qifrey appeared to be on his way over so Agott got to her feet and ran over, wrapping her arms around Coco as soon as she was close enough.
“Coco.” She breathed, feeling the other girl’s hair tickling her neck.
“I won.” Coco said, almost in disbelief.
“You won.” Agott drew away, grabbing Coco’s hands and lifting her to her feet.
“I won!” Coco repeated, her eyes filling with tears that instantly started spilling down her cheeks. “Agott!”
“I know, crybaby.” Agott grumbled, drawing her into another hug, tighter this time.
“I won, and you kissed me! I double won!” Coco sobbed into Agott’s clothing.
“You –” Agott cut herself off, sighing. “Is that really comparable?”
“We’ll talk about this after. Properly.” Coco drew back, looking at Agott with a serious expression. After the medal ceremony, and the pictures, and the press conference… that’s what she meant.
“Okay.”
Later turned out to be after the sun had gone down, when both of them were exhausted still… Coco gave her a radiant smile when they sat on the floor of their shared room in the hotel, remnants of dinner laid out around them.
“I’m grateful I got to meet you, you know?” Coco started, earning herself a wild blush from Agott. “After… after my mother died, I thought I wouldn’t be happy again. But then Coach Qifrey found me and I met you all… you specifically, Agott.”
“I didn’t make things easy for you back then…”
“You didn’t,” Coco shook her head fondly. “But I didn’t think you were used to friends so it was okay to me. Besides, we’re friends now… best friends! And… you kissed me.”
“I… I did kiss you.” Agott turned her attention to her hands, fiddling in her lap.
“Agott,” Coco said gently, reaching out to take Agott’s hand in her own. “I like you too.”
“How did you –”
“You blush all the time around me,” Coco giggled. “It was a little obvious.”
“I thought I hid it well.”
“Maybe to someone who doesn’t know you. But I know you.”
“Too well maybe.”
“Psh, nonsense. No such thing,” Coco waved her hand. “Hey, look at me.”
Agott lifted her gaze and Coco reached out with her free hand to cup Agott’s cheek, brushing a thumb over her cheekbones tenderly. A shudder ran down Agott’s spine as Coco inched closer, her breath fanning against the brunette’s face. She held her breath for a second before Coco finally kissed her, and then it was like all the tension drained from her body.
It felt so right, kissing Coco. It didn’t feel awkward, or dramatic like all the romance stories Tetia liked to gush about… it just felt like it made sense. Of course it was Coco, who else could it be?
“Be my girlfriend.” Agott murmured when they pulled away to catch their breaths.
“I thought that was a given,” Coco giggled. “Of course I’ll be your girlfriend, Agott.”
“My girlfriend.” Agott breathed in, a smile growing on her face.
“Mhm! Your girlfriend!”