Stick To The Stuff You Know || Thayne Jasperson x Reader

22

The flashlights of the cameras make me feel like a deer in the headlights of a truck.

Literally.

These flashlights make me feel dizzy to no end, but I deal with it.

Three days after the Grand Prix Final "Drama of a lifetime". Three days after my win of the gold medal. Three days after the worst injury I might have ever sustained in my career.

I'm still high on painkillers. I left the hospital this morning and immediately was called in for a press conference.

Since I had missed the official one, they chose to do a second one just for me.

Especially since I had something to announce.

After a while, the flashlights died down and an announcer said "We will now open the second official press conference, hosted in regards of Y/N Rippon's incident last Saturday."

Cameras were aimed at me, filming, capturing every moment. I take a deep breath, before I finally open the round myself.

"US figure skater Y/N Rippon is now sitting in a press conference in Barcelona, regarding her injury as well as her win last Saturday at the Grand Prix Final. Let's take a look."

Thayne snuggled the blanket closer around himself, sitting on the couch. It was around 7 in the morning here in the States while it was easily around lunchtime in Barcelona. He shouldn't have stayed up that long last night.

"Miss Rippon, congratulations to your gold medal. How are you feeling?"

Thayne can sense her hesitation. He knows what she has to say today and it breaks his heart to already see her this down.

"Considering the circumstances, I am feeling quite well."

She doesn't smile.

"How is your knee?"

Of course this question would be asked sometime. Why wouldn't it be? Thayne pursed his lips and rested his chin on top of his knees that he's now pulled to his chest.

"The doctors said I tore my ACL. I'm already talking with a doctor I know in the States about further procedure in this." Meaning she'll need surgery.

Thayne felt sad for Y/N. Not really pity, he just felt the sadness she felt along with her. He couldn't imagine how hard it must be for Y/N to be forced to take a break now and for god knows how long.

"Miss Rippon, you've been working towards the Grand Prix Final for years, finally made it here and won the gold medal. How does it feel to not know if you could ever return to this sport after achieving this?"

Thayne knee this question hit hard. He had a feeling though that told him this wouldn't be the only thing in this conference.

"The thought is terrifying, so I try not to think about it."

She laughs a little and the reporters join her, but the laugh doesn't reach her eyes.

"During the free skate, your coaches didn't join you at the rink side, instead they sat in the audience. Rumor has it that you and your coaches parted ways. Is that true?"

Now that definitely hit her and it hit her hard. Thayne could see the tears starting to build in her eyes and they were, through the screen, roundabout five meters apart. He didn't know if others could tell.

Y/N looked down at her hands and pressed her lips to a thin line, her brows furrowing as she tried to put her words together. Tried to figure out how to tell the world this one thing nobody really saw coming.

"My coach Sarah Kamenetz, choreographer Megan Nordle and I have indeed decided to part ways." Y/N almost went under in another rain of cameras flashing. "We decided to part out of personal reasons only. We haven't decided on when we become a team again, but all we know for now is that this isn't a goodbye for us, it's a see you later. And we will. It's only a matter of when."

Even though her voice sounded calm and collected, Thayne knew how much of a mess she had to be on the inside.

"What are your plans now?"

"For now I plan to head back to the States and get on with my recovery. I'll be sitting out for the end of this season and will decide as I go if I will sit out season 16/17 or if I maybe make a slow start."

The questions continue to move back and forth, everyone curios as to what exactly she's got planned for the next season, when she and her coaching team will get back together, why they even broke up, all of those things.

The press conference ended after about half an hour later, with the official announcement of its end and Y/N leaving on her crutches.

Thayne's got a wild imagination but for the love of god, he couldn't imagine how Y/N must feel. He'd seen her, how devastated she'd been when Sarah had threatened to leave her should she injure herself. Now that it's actually happened, Y/N had to be a complete mess.

In moments like these, Thayne damned himself for not being there with Y/N when she probably needed him the most.