Matvey Potseluev

The day promised to be fun. A trip to the Moscow training camp always felt like a free pass to the circus. Those who gathered there were real clowns. Matvey thought so, and believe me, he could very well think so, based on experience. Matvey was infuriated by how everyone here was showing off, trying to get the coaches' attention, fawning without knowing any bounds. Usually, people like that couldn't do anything on the ice. They just skated back and forth, and were lucky if they didn't fall. The kisses were laughably annoying. Unlike all that rabble, he was used to putting his money where his mouth was. He really wanted to sleep. Matvey hasn't been getting any sleep lately. He has to cover the dark circles under his eyes with foundation so they don't make smudges on his beautiful face. He trains until he's exhausted, staying on the ice until nightfall. Today he also had to fly. But he didn't get much sleep there either – he was watching performances by the world's leading figure skating athletes. As parents and coaches constantly say, you need to learn from other people's mistakes.

"We've arrived. Come out." The familiar voice of the Camprada coach sounded from the side, bringing me out of my trance. I seemed to have dozed off while driving to the training camp.

"Oh... yes, of course." Matvey took a second to gather his thoughts, so he could open his eyes again and see the picture in front of him clearly. It was hard to concentrate, his head was heavy. "Will you pick me up after seven?"

"No. This time you're living with everyone. You're not made of sugar, you won't melt," the coach snapped rudely and curtly, clutching the steering wheel in his hands.

Usually, at Kissing Training Camps, he always asked to live separately. It was better to travel to training every time than to live in the same building, and, God forbid, in the same room with idiots pretending to be figure skaters. Matvey was used to solitude and treated nights as a time when he could finally exhale. But not this time. Matvey nodded quietly, agreeing to the other person's condition, even though he wasn't happy with it. After getting out of the car and waiting for it to drive away, Kissev sighed heavily. Something in his chest was squeezing his breath. Matvey headed inside the building.