Chapter Text
The soft sound of a piano played loudly through Hyunjin’s headphones as he slowly paced around the locker room in his skates. Letting the tune of Merry Go Round of Life radiate through his head. Closing his eyes he let his routine play through his mind feeling the nerves begin to kick in. He could picture where he was supposed to move and jump across the ice dancing slightly around to mimic the moves.
This was the final competition of the season, Nationals. This was his year, this was the year he was going to win against his toughest competition, Lee Felix.
Lee Felix .
The Ice Pixie.
Lixie the Pixie.
His rival .
Feeling the anxiety brewing in his mind as thoughts of Felix began to overwhelm his mind distracting him from focusing. Feeling a tap on his shoulder Hyunjin jumped slightly, opening his eyes he could see the “Ice Pixie” himself standing before him.
“Oh well if it isn’t Lixie the Pixie.” Hyunjin groaned, rolling his eyes at the smaller figure.
“You’re in the way.” Felix snapped.
“Really? What’s got the little pixie upset today?” Hyunjin fired back putting a fake frown on and reaching out to ruffle Felix’s hair.
The rivalry between him and Felix had been going on for years now, ever since he took first place over Felix that opened the door to his career. Hyunjin was a new face to figure skating with little training at that time. His win took the figure skating world by surprise at his ability and talent on the ice knocking Felix from the spotlight.
“Don’t call me pixie.” Felix spat back, slapping his hand away.
“Lixie the Pixie!” Jisung whooped jogging over towards Felix, his skate guards clicking on the floor.
“Shut up!” Felix hissed at Jisung as he took notice of Hyunjin standing there.
“Oh! Hi Hyunjin, happy to see you!” Jisung smiled, giving him a small wave.
“Hi Jisung, good to see you as well! Good luck out there today.” Hyunjin spoke softly, flashing him a smile.
“Ahh The Ice Prince with that smile! Melting hearts, good luck to you as well.” Jisung spoke dramatically, clutching his heart, making Hyunjin chuckle at Jisung’s dramatics.
“You are so two faced Hwa–” Felix began before Jisung placed a hand over his mouth.
“Good luck.” Jisung smiled.
Hyunjin could see the irritation burning under Felix’s skin causing the tips of his ears to turn red. Jisung was friends with everyone and tried to calm the treacherous waters that were created between him and Felix. Although it often always fell short Jisung tried and Hyunjin did as well in the beginning.
Nodding his head at Jisung he began to turn and walk away from the two. He appreciated Jisung’s efforts to keep the water calm between them as he and Jisung were also friends. Nearly all the skaters in the division were, just him and Felix are the ones that shared words the most.
When Hyunjin first entered the spotlight he was kind towards Felix, always wishing him luck, supporting his programs, and congratulating him on his wins. It was Felix who was short, rude, and a bit of an asshole towards him and it didn’t take long for Hyunjin to grow tired of how he was being treated.
The energy between the two shifted once Hyunjin grew tired of Felix’s attitude and the media picked up on the tension between the two and took off with their rivalry. It always bothered him that they were rivals because he did once look up to Felix when he entered the figure skating scene but seeing the true side of Felix turned him away quickly.
“Hwang, Han, and Lee you are on deck to go out next about 10 minutes before they call you.” A voice announced over the speakers in the locker room snapping Hyunjin’s attention.
“Shit! I’m not ready.” Felix frantically spoke as Hyunjin watched him hastily apply his signature glitter freckles across his face while Jisung helped.
“Hope that pixie dust doesn't make you late.” Hyunjin smirked as he walked past Felix and out of the locker room.
Staring ahead not turning to see Felix’s reaction knowing his face would be red with anger at the comment. Walking the long hallway letting his skate guards echo off the walls Hyunjin began to clear his mind.
As he neared the end of the hallway it opened up to the giant ice rink. Bright lights shined on the white glistening ice that had freshly been cleaned making his skin rise in bumps from the beauty. Feeling his heart flutter knowing this was the place he was happiest he let a soft smile across his face forgetting about his earlier interaction with Felix.
“You ready Hyunjinnie?” The voice of his coach spoke as he felt his hands rub his shoulders letting the muscles relax.
“Ready as ever.” Hyunjin smiled.
He could hear the crowd screaming and cheering as the announcers began informing the crowd of the next set of skaters. Hyunjin watched as his fellow competitors walked around with their coaches when the small blonde caught his attention as he walked by frantically.
Felix was stunning, causing Hyunjin’s eyes to linger longer as he passed by. Felix was in a new skating uniform that highlighted his elegance, hugging his body in all the right places.
The legs were a black spandex that rose up past his navel forming an upside down V. The dark black made his legs look long despite his shorter stature making Hyunjin feel his breath get caught in his chest.
Crystals slowly transitioned the stark black to the bright white of the top where tracings of feathers blended the seams of the white to the black creating a swan like effect. A deep V was cut into the neck exposing a good portion of Felix’s shoulders, collarbones, and chest making an unknown heat warm his body.
He had his usual glitter freckles dusted across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. His hair was bright blonde with a soft yellow undertone to it that curled just behind his ears and rested against the back of his neck. His lips were a soft pink making Hyunjin feel his heart skip a beat feeling his mind begin to wander.
“Don’t get distracted, stay focused, we got a medal to win.” Hyunjin’s coach spoke as he turned him the opposite direction of Felix before he could let his mind travel any further.
Nodding his head, Hyunjin rolled his head and began shaking his arms, letting the excess energy building in him loose. His coach would ask him questions about his routine and they would go over his routine as the announcers continued talking.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder Hyunjin turned to see one of the staff pointing towards the ice motioning for him to get ready. Nodding at him he and his coach walked towards the edge of the ice brushing past Felix as he stood nearby.
As he stood at the wall that bordered the ice he could feel the excitement begin to buzz through his body. The same excitement he got when he first stepped on the ice for the very first time in middle school. Popping his golden skate guards off the bright silver blades of his black skates he handed them over to his coach.
“Good luck you got this.” Hyunjin’s coach patted his back.
Taking a deep breath Hyunjin closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and stepping out onto the ice just as the announcer called his name. Pushing off his skates he looked out to the white ice as the sounds of screams and cheers came from the stands. Softly smiling out towards the crowd he skated to the center of the ice positioning himself elegantly before the judges holding his arms out at his side.
As the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers above him he let his whole demeanor shift. His usual soft look shifted to the look of The Ice Prince ; strong and enchanting, pulling the attention of those who didn’t want to look at him.
The sound of the crowd dimmed as he felt himself settle into his character on the ice allowing his heart rate and breath to steady. Letting the cold air hit his lungs as he took a deep breath, Hyunjin could feel his body come alive just in time for the music to start.
Letting the first set of notes play, Hyunjin looked straight ahead to see Felix standing at the edge of the ice with his coach watching. Pushing off his skates Hyunjin let the music guide his movements as he gracefully began to dance across the ice.
Starting off with simple easy combinations and maneuvers that made him look like he was floating across the ice with ease. Although simple he had a way of enchanting the crowd with his fluidity in the movements.
As the strings began to play and the merry-go-round tune began Hyunjin stood on the toe pick of his skates adding small little hops to his skating like he were dancing with someone who wasn’t there. As he skated across the fresh ice he would change between the male and female position by standing on his toe pick to waltz and switching to gliding in between notes to change the role.
Looking over his shoulder as he imitated the waltz style dance across the ice he could see Felix still watching with awe in his eyes, causing a small smirk to pull at his lips just as the sound of the violin picked up in the music.
As the music sang through the air he stood off the toe pick of his skates setting the blade of his skate on the ice gliding with ease across the slick surface. Slowly he built momentum around the corners letting his arms splay out like wings at his side.
As he rounded a corner he turned to face forward, setting up his double Axel. Just as the dramatic beat hit, Hyunjin pushed off the pick of his skates jumping and spinning two full rotations in the air before landing backwards and pushing off the ice again bringing his arms in close for a Lutz.
As he landed on his skates he could hear his coach yell and cheer from the edge of the ice feeling his chest boom knowing he did it.
He landed one of the hardest jumps in male figure skating.
The adrenaline began to pump through his veins as he could hear the crowd getting louder with each push off his skates .
With each jump, spin, and footwork combination Hyunjin felt the world slowly melt away. The sounds of the crowd silenced as he smiled and danced across the ice like he was the only one in the arena.
As the song neared the ending and the familiar tune boomed through the speakers Hyunjin began his waltz across the ice again letting his body move freely with each motion. The building sweat on his forehead and the back of his neck began to fall the faster he waltzed across the ice, making him want to give it his all for the final portion of his program.
Hyunjin pushed, building momentum for his signature layback spin that won the hearts of his fans, competitors, and judges. As he set off into the spin he let his body fall into place circling his arms in front of his chest to build momentum. Feeling his speed pick up he began to lean back creating an arch to his back letting his encircled arms rise above his head creating a beautiful pose as he spun.
Closing his eyes letting the feeling consume his body and mind, allowing the music to push him through the increasing momentum of the spin. Hearing his skates carve deep into the ice as he spun the music reached its end. Placing the pick of the skate harshly into the ice and facing the judges with an elegant pose as his chest pounded and a smile beaming across his face as he tried to steady his breath.
Feeling the sweat drip down his neck and the side of his face as the crowd rose to their feet screaming. Hyunjin could feel his eyes begin to burn as the feeling of happiness overwhelmed him.
Smiling brightly, he bowed, turning away from the judges to see the crowd chanting his name as the burning tears began to fall from his eyes. His signature white roses flew from the seats of fans landing on the ice as junior skaters went around collecting the fallen flowers.
Waving and smiling at his fans, Hyunjin skated around the ice making a heart with his arms to everyone as he circled around the arena. As he reached the center of the ice again he slowly skated backwards towards the exit where his coach stood bowing one last time before stepping off the ice.
“That’s my boy! You did it!” His coach cheered as he handed Hyunjin his jacket and skate guards to slip on.
“Thank you.” Hyunjin panted out, still trying to catch his breath.
As he snapped his skate guards on the blade of his skates he could hear the announcers talking over the speakers while the judges prepared the final score for him. As he stood up straight he could see Felix leaning against the wall that opened up to the rink.
His jacket was unzipped, letting the stones on his costume twinkle in the light. As Hyunjin stood up straight he watched as Felix flicked his attention towards Hyunjin causing his eyes to slightly widen and for him to turn away.
Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Hyunjin turned around and began walking to the bench in front of cameras at the results sitting area. Smiling as he sat down, Hyunjin looked into the camera, winking and making a heart with his hand as he waited for the scores to be announced.
“The judges have calculated their scores…”
Hyunjin could feel his throat tighten as he straightened his back, readying himself to hear the scores.
“5.8, 5.9, 5.8, 5.7, 6.0, 5.7, and 5.75 putting Hwang Hyunjin in first place with a combined total of 312.9!” The announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers.
Hyunjin felt his heart leap out of his chest as he brought his hands over his mouth in utter shock. He couldn’t hold back the tears as his coach jumped up cheering at the high score, landing him in first place breaking the national record score.
Everything around him seemed to slow down as the overwhelming emotions took over him.
All the hours, days, and years he spent training led to this exact moment.
Every bruised hip, every blistered heel, and every tear shed was worth it.
He could feel himself begin to hiccup at the happy sobs in the back of his throat as he cried into his hands.
“Hwang Hyunjin has done it! Broken his own record and now a national score!” The announcer’s voice continued.
The air was filled with screams as Hyunjin stood up hugging his coach tightly as he felt his arms wrap around his shoulder still whooping and cheering while doing so. Turning towards the crowd beaming with a smile he waved and bowed deeply. As he turned back towards the cameras he could see all his fellow skaters staring back at him smiling and clapping at him for his accomplishment.
All except one.
Swarming toward the edge of the stands reporters had already begun to click their cameras calling his name to get his attention. Not letting his face falter as anger brewed deep in his stomach he turned to face the reporters smiling, wiping away the tears that had stained his cheeks and waving out towards everyone with his other hand.
As he was being ushered out of the results area he couldn’t help but feel hurt and anger begin to eat away at him. Walking past Felix still leaning up against the wall he could feel Felix’s cold stare pierce through his skin.
“Now welcoming to the ice Lee Felix skating to
The Swan.”
The announcer’s voice echoed as Hyunjin followed his coach to the athletic medicine room as he looked over his shoulder watching Felix take to the ice.