Eteri x Wiwiana ~age gap • not realistic timeline~
Its been a long, cold winter day in Moskau and after Wiwiana has been resting at Eteri’s place for the day, Eteri comes back home. Wiwiana is half asleep on the bed as Eteri sees her and the little sheep plushie in her arms. It breaks ger heart and shapes their relationship differently.
The clock on the bedside table showed 11:02 p.m. in soft, glowing digits.
Snow was still falling restlessly outside the windows, while the distant sound of traffic drifted faintly through the bedroom.
Wiwiana had fallen asleep only moments ago while waiting for Eteri to return from the walk she did not need but had insisted on taking.
The whole day had been tense. Eteri was no longer her official coach after leaving the federation and stepping away from active involvement in figure skating.
Wiwiana could not clearly remember how she had ended up in Eteri's private apartment instead of a convenient hotel or her own dorm room.
But now, half-buried beneath the grey sheets of the king-size bed, it did not matter as much.
Exhaustion had taken over her thoughts, and she was more or less deeply asleep.
As the key turned in the door and seconds later Eteri's boots crossed the hallway, she removed her coat and brushed a hand through her blonde hair, shaking out the snowflakes.
At first, she only looked at the seemingly empty apartment.
Something she had tried to bury beneath work and the freezing temperatures outside returned the moment her eyes landed on the open bedroom door.
But now it wasn't the same as usual.
Not since she had taken Wiwiana with her the previous night and kissed her beneath the falling snow on a quiet Moscow street.
The memory of the girl's shivering and the small needy sounds she had made refused to fade, no matter how hard Eteri tried to push those feelings away.
After putting her shoes aside, she moved toward the bedroom where Wiwiana was still asleep.
She pushed the door open a little further.
The sight nearly stole her breath.
The blonde girl lay on the neatly made bed, one side slightly disturbed where she had fallen asleep.
In the dim glow of the bedside clock and the pale moonlight filtering through the window, she looked even softer than she had beneath the streetlights the night before.
To sleep in the guest room.
But then she saw the small sheep plushie in Wiwiana's arms.
The same one with the bow and soft pink details that Eteri had given her after her first major victory.
Back when they had only been coach and student.
Now it carried far more meaning than the gift ever had before.
She could hardly believe Wiwiana had kept it all these years, let alone that she slept with it.
A warm, unwelcome feeling spread through her chest.
As Wiwiana slowly began to wake, sensing the other woman's presence, her eyes remained heavy with a tiredness that ran deeper than physical exhaustion.
Looking sleepily toward the doorway, she murmured,
Her voice was soft with sleep.
The sheep remained clutched tightly against her chest while the blankets tangled comfortably around her.
The rush of emotion caught her completely off guard.
For a moment she couldn't answer.
Then she almost whispered,
Wiwiana followed her gaze and looked down at the plushie.
And yet it broke something inside Eteri.
She remembered standing in that ridiculous toy shop after Wiwiana's first major competition victory.
The sheep had only been meant as a small gift.
Certainly not something she had expected to survive years later.
Eteri could suddenly picture it all too clearly: Wiwiana lying awake in lonely hotel rooms, exhausted after training, holding onto the small sheep for comfort when there was nobody else.
The thought settled heavily in her chest.
She sighed softly and brushed a strand of messy blonde hair away from Wiwiana's face.
The younger woman looked at her as though she hung the moon itself.
"D-Don't go..." Wiwiana whispered quietly. "Please."
Eteri looked away for a moment just to keep her composure.
"Shh, милая," she murmured. "I'm here."
She gently lifted the plushie from Wiwiana's hands and placed it beside the pillow.
Then she looked back at her.
Wiwiana hesitated, surprised by the certainty in Eteri's voice.
Slowly, she moved closer until their shoulders touched.
Eteri wrapped an arm around her and guided her beneath the blankets.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The storm continued outside.
Snow tapped softly against the window.
Wiwiana relaxed little by little, resting her head against Eteri's shoulder.
As though she finally felt safe enough to stop holding herself together.
Eteri looked down at her.
The dark circles beneath her eyes.
The way she still seemed ready to apologize for taking up space.
Carefully, she pressed a gentle kiss against the top of Wiwiana's head and held her a little closer.
Wiwiana let out a shaky breath.
The words were quiet but firm.
The kind of instruction that had once belonged to a coach.
Now they sounded entirely different.
Wiwiana's eyes slowly drifted shut.
Within minutes her breathing had evened out.
Eteri remained awake for a while longer, listening to the snowfall beyond the glass and feeling the steady weight of the girl resting against her.
The little sheep plushie sat forgotten beside the pillow.
For the first time in a very long time, it wasn't needed.
And somehow, that realization hurt and healed her all at once.
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