"Family of Aibek Kenes?" The feminine voice of a nurse echoed off the waiting room walls, causing a Russian man to stand up, searching her face for any hopeful sign.
"I'm his family..." he replied, testing to see if she would talk to him. Although he saw her hesitate, he understood that, in the end, she couldn't refuse.
"Fine, follow me." She turned around and walked toward the hallways leading to the patient rooms. This time, Aibek had a private room; as a celebrity, it was clear his privacy had to be guarded at all costs.
"He's doing well. He didn't suffer any permanent trauma... so once he recovers, he'll be able to skate again. Still, he must wait for his wounds to heal... some were deep, but they didn't puncture anything vital," she explained as they walked toward the elevator to the 5th floor.
"So he's okay? That's a relief... his accident looked so brutal..." he replied with sincere relief. Being the cause of that accident, he had never intended to kill his only childhood love.
"Of course it was horrible! We were all in shock seeing it on TV after the surgery... someone was incredibly cruel to do that to him... well... that's what the rumors say..." she commented, suddenly shy for oversharing, though she was clearly angry at the cruelty of those ruined skates.
"I'm sure it was to keep him from winning the gold medal..." he muttered under his breath. That had been his wish—that he wouldn't win. Not out of envy... no, but to prevent the promise he made to that idiot Jake from being fulfilled.
"What do those idiots even gain! It was a clean competition until they ruined it with their actions!" The nurse finally snapped, and Zinov was the one who suffered, listening to her huff and grumble.
"We know... still... there will always be those who want to destroy someone," he spoke nonchalantly, like a hypocrite who wouldn't hesitate to do just that just to keep the boy for himself. As they stepped out of the elevator, he froze for a second.
"I just remembered! You're Zinov! The skater who was always with Aibek! Yes! I remember you! You were a great team," she remarked suddenly, looking at the Russian with new eyes. He swallowed hard; yes, he was Bek's former skating partner. He simply nodded with a hint of sheepishness.
"You were so good... and such close friends. You should skate together again... you look good together," the woman continued to chatter as they walked to the room, until she made one more comment.
"Even though many are waiting for Aibek to skate with that Canadian skater, with Brown..." She spoke again, and this time the Russian was about to explode. However, something stopped him: the sight of his only love in the hospital bed.
"Yes... I don't think that's happening. I... would like to be alone with Bek..." he requested once inside the room, looking at the Kazakh boy still asleep, connected to monitors.
When the nurse granted his request, he was left alone with the boy, who was still drifting under the effects of anesthesia.
"Bek..." he called out softly, subtly brushing his hand against a cheek that felt cold from the room's AC. Carefully, he placed his coat over the delicate body and smiled gently, as if being there with the love of his life were a singular dream.
"Hmm..." A soft rasp from the boy on the bed startled him slightly, but he remained calm, sitting in a chair near the bedside.
"You're okay..." the Russian whispered, finally releasing the breath he had been holding. His intention had only been to get him off the ice; he never imagined it would go so far as to hurt him like this. Seeing him stable eased his guilt slightly.
The dark-haired boy finally forced his eyes open. A beautiful gaze, the color of onyx, silently searched for the owner of the voice. He was surprised when he saw who it was.
"Zinov... what are you doing here?" he asked suddenly, trying to sit up despite feeling heavy.
"Hey, take it easy... I'm here to keep you company. That idiot you came with left... he said he wanted to keep his spot in the competition and that he had an interview to give... you know how he is... so... egocentric," he said naturally, smiling softly as he noticed Aibek's expression tremble with sadness..
"He said it would be good for his image to talk about how he saved you and all that shit that idiot would say..." Zinov boasted again as he stood up and approached the Kazakh boy, stroking his silky, wavy hair, just as he remembered it from years ago.
"I see..." Aibek felt that what the Russian said was true, and his expression softened. He thought Jake had changed, but it had all been a game—just a way to maintain an image. He knew Jake was a world-class egomaniac.
"But don't worry, I'm here for you... just like old times." He gave him a genuine smile. Zinov truly wanted to be by Bek's side again—his childhood friend, his first love. He took his hand in a sweet gesture of support. There was no rejection; instead, his heart felt warm when the other hand clung to him. He was more than happy to be his support system now.
"Relax... look, I brought you this!" From his coat, he carefully pulled out a beautiful keychain: a little bear holding a sweet bouquet of flowers. The Kazakh boy blushed, stroking the plush toy.
"Thank you... it's very pretty, and so soft..." He smiled calmly before letting out a small laugh, though his gaze met the shimmering emerald eyes of the man before him.
"And that's not the only thing I brought you..." Zinov said, his voice dropping an octave, making the fair-skinned boy blush.
"Really? What is it?" he asked shyly, feeling nervous to be interacting with this man again.
"Something you've always loved!" He pulled out a cold can of chocolate—Aibek's favorite. Seeing it, the boy was so excited he couldn't help but laugh as he held the can gently.
"Thank you... it's my favorite... but... we're in a hospital, I probably can't eat or drink anything yet," he said with a sweet pout, looking into those emerald eyes that had once made him fall.
"It'll be our secret... I'll stay with you until they tell us how you're doing," Zinov explained, smiling as he sat on the edge of the bed, putting an arm around the younger boy's shoulders to take a photo.
"Sorry... it's just so your followers know you're okay. we don't want the press saying otherwise." He spoke as he posted the photo with a caption that read: "Everything is fine, he's doing better and looking cuter than ever!" He knew that sentence would fill the Canadian with rage and spark a fight, exactly as he planned.
"That makes sense... it was so... hard to handle when the accident happened... I hope I can skate again soon," the Kazakh boy commented calmly, playing with the bear keychain. Its arms and legs moved subtly, allowing him to pose it. He felt a sense of peace with the Russian in that hospital room; for now, he was his rock.