Icing Those Hurts (NOT MY STORY. READ DISC)

Part 2

Techno will admit that he gets a bit on-guard and antsy whenever Wilbur is quiet for too long, but once they're checked in and settled, he's back to his normal self, excited and grinning and making a big deal about everything they see.

"It's the Olympics, Techno," Wilbur says when he brings it up. "Why shouldn't I be excited?"

And that's true- Techno can't argue with that.

The rest of the team is just as excited as well, and that feeling carries over into the morning as they gear up for their first practice in the olympic practice rink. Breakfast is, as usual, a loud and chaotic affair and it's only made worse by Sapnap, their resident extravert, inviting other players to come and sit with them.

"Guys, guys, this is Ranboo and Tubbo," Sapnap introduces, ushering them over. "Here, pull that table closer- yeah. These guys snowboard. Isn't that fucking sick?"

"Sapnap," Wilbur says. "You snowboard."

"Yeah, but they're olympic athletes."

Again, Wilbur just looks at him.

"Hey," waves the one with the green trapper hat on. It's so big that it keeps slipping down and covering his eyes, making him push it up so he can see. "Are you gonna eat those waffles?"

Techno raises an eyebrow. The kid next to him, the taller one, grabs Tubbo's shoulder and stops him from just taking the food. "Sorry, forgive him. He thinks with his stomach. Hi, I'm Ranboo. I snowboard. Sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Techno asks. "You're at the Olympics for it."

"Yeah, I'm still not quite sure how that happened." Ranboo laughs sheepishly. "Everything here is so big."

"And everyone is so old," Tubbo complains. Somehow, without them knowing about it, Tubbo's managed to swipe a waffle and is chewing on it happily. Sapnap stifles a laugh. "Well, not everyone, I guess- the kid in our room is our age, I think. He might be younger."

Wilbur perks up. "Does he ice skate?"

"Yeah, he does. He's got these sick skates and everything." Tubbo explains. "He's quiet though. We tried talking to him, but..."

"But?"

Techno take another look over at Wilbur. He seems a touch urgent about knowing more on this kid. It has to be more than just normal curiosity.

Tubbo shrugs. "He's quiet. He doesn't talk much. I guess he's busy."

"Or maybe," Sapnap starts, "he thinks he's better than you."

"What do you have against figure skaters, man?" Ranboo asks. "You hate sequins or something?"

"No, no, I get it," Schlatt huffs. "Figure skating is just ballet on ice. Boring shit, I don't know how people watch it."

"Schlatt's just mad cause he can't dance on regular ground without tripping on his own feet." George snips. "His big dumb brain only knows how to tackle."

Schlatt glares, but doesn't say anything- yet again, George wins. Rank is everything, and the man who wins every fight he picks on the ice, is never truly challenged off of it.

"I don't think he's stuck up," Ranboo says quietly. "A lot of people are quiet. He doesn't talk. I don't know, it's weird. But maybe I'm wrong. I guess we'll never know unless he tells us."

Sapnap opens his mouth, probably to say something stupid, but Techno, seeing Wilbur's furrowed brow out the corner of his eye, nudges him to shut up and pushes his plate at him. There's only one waffle, but Sapnap takes it anyway.