Ilia should have just given you a bit of a break. But there was something about you that just got under his skin.

Ilia was well aware that he was, for all intent and purpose, almost unbeatable in the figure skating world, a three-time world champion, and aiming for Olympic wins too, he shouldn’t feel threatened by you. But emotions didn’t always obey logic.

Maybe it was the way he’d see you act so unbothered towards him, like his quad axels weren’t impressive enough. Or the way his blue eyes would catch you blatantly ignoring him, causing a lance of frustration to flicker through him.

Ilia had found himself wanting to tear his blonde hair out in frustration a few times. He knew there were bigger priorities than one person liking him, you shouldn’t have been so important to him. But it felt like an ego blow, and the dislike he felt was starting to spiral.

It felt like you’d been put on this earth, entirely just to agitate him, and you were doing a good job at that.