drabblewriter

Fandom: Figure Skating RPF / Olympics RPF

Rating: G

Word Count: 342

Characters/Ships: Evgenia Mevedeva & Alina Zagitova

Summary: Two rivals share a brief but meaningful moment.

Of course with Evgenia and Alina on Olympic practice ice at the same time, it's a media circus. The two everyone sees as rivals, the bold young star come up to replace the old guard. Evgenia grits her teeth and does her best to ignore it all and remain professional as she drills her jumps. Certainly does not to watch the other girl's perfect balletic movements from the corner of her eye.

Evgenia positions herself, lifts into a triple lutz - but she know immediately something is off. Her balance is all wrong, and even though she feels the three rotations happen as they should, the landing is sloppy, one skate shooting out from under her and dumping her to the ice. The rink goes silent for one infinite moment before the click and flash of cameras and susurrus of gossipy voices takes over.

Evgenia scrambles on hands and knees for long seconds, cursing inwardly. Stupid, stupid. She let herself be distracted, and now that's all they'll be able to talk about. She's given them fuel for the fire they're going to burn her with.

There's the scrape of blades on ice, and a pair of white skates appears in her vision followed by a slim, pale hand. She looks up to see Alina gazing down at her in concern. "Are you all right?"

Helping her rival. It'll just make her look even more like the darling ice princess everyone already sees. It would be easy to dismiss the gesture as such, but the worry for her teammate is too genuine to be an act. Evgenia can't even pretend otherwise, and truly she doesn't want to.

She takes the outstretched hand and lets Alina help her to her feet. "Thanks."

"Sure. We're on the same side after all." The younger girl's smile is bright as she skates away back to her own practice.

Evgenia watches her for a while, her lithe, powerful, near-perfect movements, a smile on her own face. The rivals narrative the desperate press wants from them is overrated, anyway.