#olympics!au

About a week before the competition, you were hanging out at the Holland house (as you were wont to do). Tom was out getting food for everyone so you were embroiled in a fierce Mario Kart competition with Harry and Sam.

“I gotta ask you, (Y/n),” Harry said. “Have you and Tom ever thought about dating?”

You scoffed as you drove your character (Yoshi, you were always Yoshi) around the track. “Not even a little bit. We’re good friends, and we’re teammates. Nothing more.”

“Sounds like you’ve gotten that question before,” Sam teased.

“I only get it in every post-meet interview. He always gets the questions about training and all the work we put in and I always get, ‘Ooh, are you dating?!’ It gets a little old.”

“I can see that.” Harry cursed silently to himself as he slipped off the track. “It’s just, you guys have such amazing chemistry on the ice. And you have this really cool relationship off the ice.”

“Yeah,” Sam added, “and I’ve noticed that neither one of you has had a relationship that lasted longer than a few months. Why’d your last boyfriend break up with you?”

“My last three dumped me because they were jealous of my relationship with Tom. The last one especially was like, ‘You two are too flirty on the ice.’ Well, yes. It’s part of my job, okay? We’re telling a story and we have to sell it.” You let out a little whoop. “First place, boys, that’s how it’s done.”

“Race isn’t over yet, stop gloating,” Harry said. “But have you ever thought about it?”

“I told you, Harry, I haven’t. Unless… wait, is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Nope. Just curious is all.”

“Well, i’ve told you. Tom is my friend, and he’s my teammate, and that’s all there is to.. .oh, son of a bitch! Who threw that blue shell? I will cut you.”

“Told you not to gloat.” Harry grinned cheekily at you.

“You cocky bastard, I was winning, you know! I will not hesitate to end you.”

“Harry!” Tom exclaimed, walking in with bags of food. “She’s all riled up now. What’d you do, throw a blue shell?”

Harry just laughed as you threw a pillow at him.

“Help!” he cried. “I’m being attacked!”

“No, you’re being an ass,” you retorted, as Sam and Tom cracked up laughing.

The two of you skated flawlessly at the Olympic qualifying meet. Your short program was perfect - earning you the highest marks all season - but you bobbled a twizzle in the free skate. You were sure it was going to cost you your shot at the Olympics.

“Oh, darling. You were amazing out there,” Tom reassured you as you waited for your scores in the Kiss and Cry area.

“No, I wasn’t!” you argued. “Did you see my feet? I totally bobbled the footwork on that first twizzle pass! I looked like I was out there for the first time! We’re going to get docked so badly for this, I just know it.” You rested your head in your hands, sighing deeply. “And now we’re not going to make it to PyeongChang, and it’ll be all my fault, and…”

“Easy, now.” Tom wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “We’re going to make it, you know. Our short program was the best it’s been all year. You really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, you’re a better skater than you give yourself credit for. And I...oh, they’re going to announce the scores now.”

You peeked at the scoreboard through your fingers. Despite the fact that you totally messed up the first pass, you were only deducted a tenth of a point. Your free skate put you at the top of the country’s leaderboard.

“We did...we did it!” you shouted. “We’re going to the Olympics!”

“I told you, darling!” Tom excitedly pulled you into an embrace as your coaches celebrated around you.

This hug was not like your normal hugs - quick, gentle squeezes. This was different.

Tom had a tight grip on you, as if he were afraid that you’d blow away if he let you go. His nose was buried in your hair. You could smell his cologne, and you could feel his rapidly beating heart.

Probably just excited, you thought to yourself. But then you thought back to the conversation you’d had with Harry a week prior.

Could...could Tom really be in love with you?

What’s more...could you really be in love with him?

Damn you, Harry, you thought to yourself.

But you didn’t really have time to ponder it; you were officially an Olympic athlete.

You were in Korea, and you were living your best life.

The Olympics were, so far, a lot of fun. You were having a great time getting to know the athletes from the other countries. (Adam Rippon was your favorite, but then again he was everyone’s favorite. But he was sweet, and funny, and immediately started following you on Instagram and leaving vaguely inappropriate comments on your pictures. And asked you if you had a brother.) It was fun trying local Korean cuisine. Going to see some of the other sports was interesting. (Tom pulled some strings to get you into the curling mixed doubles final; you had no clue what was going on but you were having a good time anyway.)

So far, the highlight was the Opening Ceremony. As you walked in behind the flag bearer, you started to feel a little nervous. Sure, you’d skated in front of big crowds before. But this crowd was nothing like you’d ever seen. What felt like a million people were in the stadium, and every single one of their eyes were on you.

Sensing your anxiety, Tom reached over and gently grasped your hand. “Feeling alright?” he asked.

“Just a little nervous. There are so many people here.”

“They’re not all here to see you, y’know.”

You scoffed loudly. “Gee, thanks for the pep talk there, Dr. Phil.”

“Hey, gotta bring you back down to Earth somehow.” Tom laughed as the two of you walked into the stadium with the rest of your teammates. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, you know. So just relax and enjoy it, eh?”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

“Always am, darling.”

You just giggled as you smiled and waved to the crowd. Tom held your hand the entire ceremony.

Practices were going well, so far. This was the first year that music with words was allowed in Olympic competition, so for your free dance you had chosen “All of the Stars” by Ed Sheeran. You had to play the part of long-distance lovers.

And boy, was Tom ever good at it.

The way he stared after you longingly when you were apart on the ice, as though he truly wanted to be with you. The way his hand lingered on your hip a touch longer than it was supposed to, as if he didn’t want to let you go. How he held you close to him during lifts, how he gripped you protectively before he had to throw you. And how he beamed at you when you nailed the landing.

“Girl,” Adam Rippon (who’d crashed practice to heckle the Shibutani siblings) said to you. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s really in love with you.”

“Whatever, Adam.” You rolled your eyes. “And I know what your next question is, and no, you cannot meet my brother. Not that I wouldn’t love it, but you’re bugging me today so it’s not happening.”

“Ooh. You cold,” Adam pouted, as you laughed.

But, you thought as you skated off to the sidelines. Was he? Could that explain the lingering touches, the longing looks?

You shook your head. It’s all part of the act.

And what’s more, why did you care so much? Why were you noticing the way he looked at you? The way you didn’t want his hand to leave your hip? Why didn’t you want his hand to leave your hip?

You groaned as you slipped the blade covers over your skates.

“I have got to lay off the hotteok,” you mumbled to yourself.

Finally, it was the night of the free skate finals. You and Tom were in first place after the short program. You were in the last group of skaters; of the 24 total couples skating, you were 23rd.

“How’re you feeling, darling?” Tom asked. “Nervous?”

“A little,” you admitted. “Remember I fucked up the opening twizzle sequence at qualifying. I’m just scared I’ll do it again.”

Tom reached over and grasped your hand. “Nah. You’ll get it. You’ve been getting it in practice, so you’ll get it in competition for sure.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Practice makes perfect, I hope. I just have to nail this hot move is all.”

Tom snorted. “That’s what she said.”

You smacked his shoulder. “Shut up, you div. We’re about to go on.” You took a deep breath.

“Ready?”

“Pep talk first.”

“Okay.” Tom leaned his forehead against yours. “Go out there.”

“Skate until the ice melts.”

“Kick ass.”

“Then kick more ass, because we ain’t got time to take names.”

Tom smiled brightly at you. “That’s my girl. Now, let’s go do this.”

Whatever worries you had before the free skate, you needn’t have entertained. You performed your routine flawlessly. That twizzle sequence you were so worried about? Went perfectly.

As the routine ended, the crowd roared and burst into applause. You bowed for the judges, then Tom threw his arms around you.

“Darling, that was brilliant!” he exclaimed, picking you up and twirling you.

You giggled as he spun you. “We’re going to medal for sure now!” You both waved to the crowd as you skated to the rink exit, hand-in-hand. You made your way to the Kiss and Cry area, hugging your coaches. You both slipped on your blade covers and you slid on your team jacket as Tom sat down with the coaches to receive your scores.

“Here you go, darling,” he said. “Made a spot for you.”

You sat down next to him and nervously grasped his hand as you awaited your marks.

The crowd erupted again as the scores were revealed. You’d earned a career best for your free skate, and were currently in first place.

“Oh my God, Tom,” you said breathlessly. “We’re in first place!”

“Yeah!” Tom punched the air excitedly. “There’s still one more couple to go, though.”

“I hope they fall,” you muttered to yourself; Tom cracked up laughing.

“Darling, you don’t mean that!” he wheezed between giggles. “But I kinda do too.”

Well, they didn’t fall. They also skated well. Tom and your coach were pointing out all of their technical inconsistencies, but you were just too nervous to think of anything other than how you were going to end up placing.

You and Tom stood, frozen in place, as you waited for their marks.

“I can’t look, Tom,” you said nervously as you buried your head into his shoulder and a hush fell over the crowd. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be, darling. They didn’t skate nearly as well as we did. Now look up, they’re about to post.”

The scores flashed on the screen…

...and the last couple? Ended up in fourth place overall.

“WE DID IT!” You shouted excitedly. “We won! We won the gold medal! This is the greatest day of my life!” You threw your arms around Tom; he returned the embrace, gripping you tighter than you thought was humanly possible.

“I can’t believe it!” he said. “We’ve done it!”

Tears of joy rolled down your cheeks as you held onto Tom for dear life. “I just… all that hard work we put in, and it’s paid off.”

Tom pulled away to look at you, his own face wet with tears.

And then, before you could fully process what was happening, his lips were on yours.

You know how, when people have their first kiss, it usually starts out slow and tentative, while the two parties involved get to know each others’ mouths?

This was not that kind of kiss.

This was also not a kiss that said, “You just helped me win a gold medal and I’m so excited right now.”

This kiss said, “You just helped me win a gold medal and I’m so excited right now. Also, I’m madly in love with you and I’m desperately hoping you feel the same way.”

It was deep, passionate, like nothing you’d ever experienced before. His hands gripped the back of your head as yours made their way to his auburn curls, tangling in the strands. It had the potential to knock the wind completely out of you.

When the two of you finally parted, you looked at each other, mouths slightly agape, chests heaving as you struggled to catch your breath.

Tom broke the silence.

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, I…”

You reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Tom, are you in love with me? Please be honest.”

He nodded wordlessly, looking absolutely terrified.

You smiled softly at him. “I’m in love with you too,” you admitted. “Fairly recent development; I blame Harry, honestly. But… yeah. I am.”

His face softened into a wide smile. “Oh, thank God,” he muttered as he leaned in to kiss you once again. This one was more gentle than your first; this one said, “I love you so much. I’m so glad you love me too.”

“See? I knew it!” Adam Rippon shouted as he ran by you to congratulate the Shibutanis on their bronze medal. “Oh, and congratulations!”

You just laughed as Tom wrapped an arm around your waist. “They’re going to start the medals ceremony soon. We should get down there.”

“Yeah.”