thin ice | childe x reader

six. flashcards

"bucket - a helmet."

that was what was on one of childe's flashcards. it was accompanied by a neatly drawn picture of a hockey helmet. you bit into your apple as you sat in the dining hall, laptop open with homework, and cards in hand. few residents of teyvat university were in the hall, leaving you to your devices. you looked at the image once, before flipping it over, reading the definition again.

"bucket," you said aloud. "a helmet."

you tucked it back into the pile when you were done.

—

"stick - a hockey stick."

you recalled what the flashcards in your back pocket read as xingqiu called for you at the end of the hallway. his helmet was tucked under his arm, and he wore the rest of his equipment. "y/n, mind handing me my stick?" he yelled, voice barely audible over the rest of the team's bustling in the other rooms.

"sure," you replied, reaching over to the rack beside you. walking over to him, you handed over the black hockey stick. "don't overdo it before practice. coach will get mad."

"i won't," he responded before smiling and slipping out to the arena.

you pulled out the flashcards from your pocket, quickly looking through the notecards. you were pleasantly surprised that you had gotten correct. tucking them away, you continued about your day, a skip in your step.

—

"nickname - your title bestowed upon you by the hockey gods."

"the kingsmen are trash tonight," childe muttered under his breath. the player's lounge was relatively quiet following a late night practice. the team was propped on the couches surrounding the tv, cuddling up to blankets and pillows. blue and black jerseys flew across the screen, and the puck fluttered around the ice. "it's the knights they're up against. they should be demolishing them."

"it's the knights' court tonight, childe," diluc responded from his spot at the table, sipping on another one of strange shakes. "plus, the grand master is back in town, isn't he? from his therapy session?"

"'the grand master? who's that?'" you asked, leaning forward on the coach.
"you don't know?" xingqiu turned around to face you. varka's an alumni of teyvat university. he's one of the league's greatest forwards. six cup wins, trophies for miles, and he's heading for the hall of fame next year. he's one of the most revered hockey players. it's a shame that he's going into retirement after this season. varka's incredible on the ice."

"how'd he the nickname 'grand master'?"

"it was given by the hockey gods, of course," kaeya chuckled. "kidding. he's had that title since his time here. the guy knew how to win nationals three times in a row, so the nickname was only fitting. it just stuck, and now he's captain for the knights."

"incredible. so, do you have any nicknames?" you asked.

"the snow king is mine," the blue-haired wing replied. "i've had it since i was a junior in high school. i accidentally shaved a ton of ice with my skate and it landed on the goalie. the announcers at our championship called me that, so it followed me to college too."

"mine is the dark knight," diluc replied bitterly. "apparently, i use underhanded tactics, which always takes the other team by surprise. it's stupid, but it stuck."

"since playing together here as the stars, we have quite a few nicknames circulating throughout the country," his brother piped up. "dynamic duo, double trouble, red and blue, fire and ice, the ragnvindr brothers, et cetera."

"and you, xiao?"

"the yaksha," he responded curtly. "yaksha relating to the legendary guardian of liyue."