❴knife boots❵ xiao x reader
"i'm actually a professional knife boot dancer, thank you very much."
after a 3 year hiatus, the former world champion joins the liyue coaching team.
➳ genshin impact
➳ figure skating au
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The Wednesday 6:00 AM session is the best, in Xiao's opinion. There's usually nobody there, maybe Shenhe and occasionally Ganyu or Keqing. It's specifically reserved for international competitors, so everyone knows their way around the ice—including how to stay out of each other's way. Xiao can run through his program as many times as he needs, without popping a jump just because an inexperienced skater got in his way.
Not that he pops his jumps very often. Or at all. He might fall sometimes (no, he doesn't), but if he starts one, he'll see it through no matter what.
It's now 6:31 AM, and Xiao finishes working on his step sequences. He moves on to freestyle, deciding the rest of the session will be spent on jumps. Maybe just a spin or two at the end if he has time.
He starts with his triple salchow. The first triple he learned, just like everybody else does, and it has been loyal to him ever since. Running through the rest of his triples is a formula that's stuck to him like glue. Toe loop. Loop. Flip. Lutz. Axel. Then repeat, but as quads this time. Easy as pie. All goes well, and he's about to do the final one, his quad lutz.
That is, until you walk in.
With a slam, he falls hard. Literally.
Zhongli glances over with slight concern, before going back to converse with you.
No, it's not that your looks particularly catch his eye or anything. Of course not. But it's you, Y/N L/N. Someone nobody has seen or heard from in three whole years. What are you doing here of all places, with his coach no less?
Whatever, he thinks, deciding to mind his own business considering there's only 5 minutes left on this session. Ice time is expensive. But it's too late, Zhongli and him make eye contact.
"Ah, Xiao! Good morning. Could you please come here for a second?"
Well, it's not like he could say no, so he skates over to the boards, although begrudgingly, where Zhongli seemed to be showing you around.
"This is Y/N. Although I believe you've seen her before, haven't you?"
Of course Xiao has seen you before. At the Grand Prix Final, then at Four Continents, and finally at Worlds. But that was all three years ago, and he hasn't seen you since.
"I have. A while ago," he responds.
Zhongli smiles. "Well, you have plenty of time to get acquainted now. Y/N will be skating here with us from now on."
Skating with—wait, what?
"I thought she skated for Snezhnaya?"
"Used to. But um, not anymore," you speak up for the first time, and Xiao looks over at you, as if seeing you for the first time, finally registering your presence. His brows furrow in confusion.
