thin ice | childe x reader

four. two texts and a call

"oh, hey, coach," you replied, flipping off childe before heading to your dorm. the night breeze was calming and the moon was stitched into the sky. the campus' frat houses were alight, the library was still flooded with students from the seven nations.

"hey, kid. how are you holding up?" she asked as you opened the door to your dormitory hall, barbatos hall. you waved at your dorm director as you passed by her.

"fine, i guess. i'm working under coach zhongli as a hockey manager," you hummed, opening your door to your room. toeing off your shoes, you sat on your desk chair, spinning around.

"zhongli, huh? he was an incredible player when i was skating professionally, nice to hear that's he all settled down. barbara used to talk about his prowess all the time."

"yeah, he's a good guy. teyvat's arena is good under his and coach ningguang's guidance. good skating programs, too."

"the university has always bred the best of the best," coach jean laughed, before sighing softly. "speaking of the best of the best, how's skating going for you? i heard that you were teaching lessons to the little kids the way i do now."

"it's going well. my knee is much better than a couple months ago. of course, no jumping just yet."

"no jumping," she echoed, like she said when she went with you to your physical therapist for the first time. "good. i wouldn't want you out of commission. speaking of which, i had a question for you, if you don't mind."

your eyebrows raised as you stopped spinning in your chair. could she be asking for you back on the national team? or to jump, or to watch you, or– "shoot for it, coach," you eventually settled on, voice hitching in your throat. please be some good news.

"in february, i'd like to discuss your career with you. i'll be in the capital for the national circuit team's championships against the other regions. i would visit sooner, but you know how it is in mondstadt."

you tilted your head, a little curious at her statement. february? that was almost six months out. it was better than bad news, though. "that sounds good with me. maybe we can skate together and i can do a double salchow for you."

"you always did like doing salchows," she laughed briefly, before sighing. "alright. plan for february 12th, then. i'll see you soon."

"thanks, coach. see you then," you bid your goodbyes, before getting up from your chair. you flopped on your bed, letting the moonlight paint your skin. sighing, you squirmed on your bed. a meet up with coach jean would be a make or break moment of your skating career, and you didn't know whether or not you wanted to even go at all.

you looked to an overcast moon, thinking of your newfound team, your old coach, and the ever-thinning ice.

—

mondays were no different from when you were a simple skate guard at the arena, now that you were a hockey manager. you woke up, ate breakfast, and went to your sports medicine classes.

walking to the lecture hall, you stared as the orange leaves wisped around in the wind. the warm summer winds had faded in favor of a cold snap of fall. banners from each dorm hall waved bright flags with its emblem. as you headed to your class for the day, your phone buzzed suddenly.

an unknown number appeared on the screen. "you're heading to the health and sciences hall? nerdddddd."

"childe, quit being crass. it's not like you're actually going to class."

"hey–i go to my advanced entrepreneurship class at noon!"

sliding open the text, you responded. "i'm assuming this is the team, right?"