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The score of the former contestant just got revealed, leaving them in shock, because they just beat the score of the last person in first place.
Lohen, however, wasn’t even aware of whatever was happening outside of the waiting room. He heard the audience go wild, yes, and there were two TVs broadcasting the competition, but it all was in the background. He stood there, ready to go on the ice already, he just had to wait for the contestant that had just received his score to leave the stage, and then he could finally step on the ice. His heart was drumming in his chest with nervousness. He rarely felt it, not even when he found himself in the Olympics.
“Next up is… we know him as the Killer Hare; Lohen Nightingale!”
As soon as his name was announced by the commentators, he stepped onto the ice and let himself glide a few rounds in the rink as a final warmup.
Focus on the routine.
“The Killer Hare, the title being created from his brutal routines and for stripping first place from his competitors time and time again. He chooses quick music, loud music, whatever gets people’s blood pumping… In one of his most famous interviews, he stated that he does not skate to romantic songs, because it’s too boring, and because he doesn’t have the capacity to feel the emotions the music carries. Color the judges surprised when he revealed his routine!” The commentator yapped, as per his job description. “Tonight, he’s skating to Lovesick sung by Laufey,”
Once Lohen deemed himself ready, he skated to the center of the rink, and got into his starting position. The lights dimmed, the commentator’s voice hushed, and the spotlights went on. He did a final circular motion with his wrists by his sides right before the music started, and when the lyrics came in, he started his performance by skating backwards. His hands flowed in front of him, following his sway as he went to his right and continued to skate backwards, his feet leading his way without him looking and his arms carrying the performance for now.
“This song is about an intense, deep longing. Lohen confirmed that he chose this song because he, as he states, resonates, and feels a connection with the song due to recent changes in his life. We also, per his request, were allowed to announce him by his soon-to-be new surname for this performance in connection to this change.”
‘When the gold rays fell on your skin and my hair got caught in the wind the choir sang a melancholy hymn’
He turned around so that he was skating forward now, and he raised his hands up in the air when the artist sang about the rays, and brought them down and made it look as if he was hugging himself when skin was mentioned. He then prepared himself for his first move-
“First up is a camel spin and- yes, done flawlessly!”
‘In the morning, you would be gone, I’d be mourning trying to hold onto the memories of your lips, God, I’m so lovesick. What have you done to me?’
He glided out of the camel spin smoothly, and he then lowered himself until he was actually kneeling on the ice with one knee, still gliding with the foot that remained on the ice. He arched his back and leaned his head back, as if empathising on the mourning mentioned in the song. He ran his hands through his hair to put even more emotions into his motions, and he then got back up to prepare himself for a toe loop jump, which he got a short applause for, for landing it smoothly. In the midst of it all, he could see the ring around his finger, wrapped around it above his thin glove, shimmering in the bright lights of the rink.
“It is said that Lohen has found someone to fancy to the point beyond words, drastically twisting his words from the past interview.”
‘Let me in your atmosphere, inching closer, but I fear that I’ll love so much you’ll slip away’
He stretched his arms in front of him, and sped up slightly at the ‘inching closer’, as if showing desperation. He then slowed down again, and actually stopped abruptly for a singular second to make himself skate backwards again.
“Next up is a layback spin. Man, he really is defying himself-”
‘Getting twisted in my head-’
“There it is! Absolute perfection.”
‘-dreams are nightmares in my bed since the last night that I spent with you’
.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆
And then the part came where the music artist sung her heart out without anything other than an ‘oh’, and that’s where-
“There’s the Biellmann spin!” Even the commentator sounded dreamy just spectating and voicing the performance. “As said prior; we had the honor of announcing him by his future surname, which, honestly, explains more than enough as to why he chose this song and routine. The Killer Hare is defying his past words, and is proving to the world that he is capable of going into the complete opposite of his usual genre… He doesn’t even feel like the Killer Hare right now! Perhaps this upcoming chapter in his life is changing him already-”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆
And then, when the song ended, he did his final move- a triple axel. He landed, and right after, as the final instrumentals of the song sounded, he went back down, but this time on both of his knees. He came to a halt right when the music stopped, but instead of facing the judges, his head was bowing to the opposite side of the rink- an act of submission towards what created said submission. He looked down at the ring, wordlessly taking in what exactly he had just done, how unlike him this performance had been, but he couldn’t possibly feel upset about it. In fact, it felt right. So, so right. Like his heart belonged in this performance.
The moment that he knew his performance was deemed complete, when he knew that he was allowed to move out of his final stance, he got back up on his feet, but instead of getting off the ice, he skated towards the edge of the rink he had his head bowed towards. He could see the silver haired man on the other side of the rink had already lowered his camera, smiling brightly at the skater. He stood up from his seat, and then placed his hands on the edges, waiting for Lohen to reach him.
(On the TV, Lohen in his final position was perfectly in line with the silver haired photographer sitting in the lowest tribunes, reserved for Lohen’s team. It almost looked like fanart- like a picture from a planned photoshoot, but it was a real time, live broadcast sensation.)
The crowd silencing was a mere thing in the background, completely unimportant to both men.
Lohen’s hand with his ring rested on Illuga’s bare hand on the edge, while Illuga’s hand that bore his own ring was brought up to Lohen’s face, resting gently against his cheek. Lohen laid his other hand on it, adding a slight pressure and warmth to Illuga’s hand.
“That was beautiful,” Illuga murmured under his breath, loud enough for only Lohen to hear. He should keep to himself, he should remember that they’re in a big stadium and that Lohen is still planted with his skates on ice, but he doesn’t as he brings the skater into a chaste kiss, which quickly turns into a deeper one after a mere second of separation.
The crowd suddenly erupts in cheers and clapping, bringing both men back to reality, but both were rather unphased about it. Lohen’s performance was supposed to be a mere hint, or a mysterious reveal. Illuga wasn’t supposed to enter the frame until after they got married, but when both yearn so deeply, it’s not wrong to reveal it all on the same day, in the same hour.
And when Lohen takes gold once again, he remains to be more interested in the silver band around his finger.