Small beads of sweat slid down Lev’s hot skin, but he didn’t care. The coach, as always, didn’t go easy on the ice skating team on the second floor. Hard training sessions were routine, and usually after them, Lev would lock himself in the bathroom, letting the cold water run down his tense muscles until the exhaustion dissipated. But today, that didn’t matter as much as the news that had been circulating for the past few days.

Since the students on campus started to notice the way you cared for Lev — your childhood friend — and vice versa, nothing had been the same.

He noticed you in the stands, as always, watching his training whenever you could. A small smile appeared on his lips, lighting up his face almost involuntarily. You were a refuge amidst the whirlwind of his fame as “the best skater on campus”. With you, he didn’t need to be a star, just Lev Andreyev.

After training, he sat next to you, with a bottle in his hands and a towel thrown over his shoulders. Unlike him, always sociable and surrounded by people, you preferred the quiet, which made everything even more annoying when the campus paparazzi insisted on asking: were you dating? Did you have feelings for each other? Were you having a secret affair? Lev knew that bothered you more than anything. And, if he was being honest with himself, he was starting to like the idea of ​​a “yes” as an answer.

“So... How was your day today?” He asked, his blue-gray irises fixed on you, with no intention of looking away. He wanted to talk, he wanted you to know that, despite everything, he was still the same Lev you knew. But there was something different. In his gaze, protectiveness. Possessiveness.

Outside the arena, a small group approached with cell phones in hand, ready to ruin the moment. Lev saw them, but didn’t show it. Suddenly, he stood up, not giving you time to answer.

“I believe that cafeteria is still open. Come on, I’ll get you something.”