Little by little, Bek recovered from those beautiful words. He didn't hesitate to take Jake's hands to stop him while he dried his tears, and after a few minutes of silence, he took a slow breath, filling his lungs before letting it out in a soft sigh—one heavy with the fear of what he was about to say.
"Jake, I accept being by your side. I love you too, even if we haven't spent time together as an official couple... but yes, I want to be by your side forever. I'm afraid I'll ruin it, but I'll give everything I have to be with you and not make you go through hard times... I..." Suddenly, he was interrupted by two soft, warm fingers that signaled him to be silent.
"No, baby, don't go on. Don't keep believing that you'll be a burden. You are my everything, Bek, don't forget that. I want to marry you, to live by your side; I'll make you fall in love with me even more, and I'll make you feel like my queen. Yes, you will always be my queen," he smiled softly as he saw the younger man blush at the suggestion of being called "his queen." Of course he would be; he would give him everything he deserved.
"Jake, don't say such things..." Blushing, he looked at the older man before lowering his gaze in shyness. He felt embarrassed by his own thought: that Jake was "his king," just as he was his queen. His Jake would be his king.
"But, darling... you are my everything and I want to fill you with love," the Canadian spoke with such sweetness that it melted the Kazakh's heart, who tried not to blush even more as he looked at their intertwined hands.
"Jake, I love you so much..." he whispered softly before smiling more calmly, squeezing his hand. Even so, as he closed his eyes, he felt a brief flash of fear. Suddenly, he felt something cold slide onto one of his fingers; he opened his eyes slowly and noticed a beautiful sapphire ring. It was so precious that he could only stare at the older man in genuine surprise.
"It's my promise that you're wearing. I will make you fall in love, we will get married, and... I desire with all my heart to spend my life by your side." With a charming smile, the Canadian kissed the ring and then the back of Bek's hand with affection.
"Jake, if I win the gold medal, I want to marry you. So let it be our mutual proposal: it doesn't matter who wins, I will marry you. There is no doubt about that, Jake, I want to marry you. Let that be our promise..."
While they were in their own world, they didn't notice the curious glances or the phones around them. Patrons were sharing that moment of commitment on social media. The news spread like wildfire; soon, the restaurant's television screens began broadcasting what was happening: photos of their engagement, the moment of the proposal, and comments like: "What a beautiful couple, right?", "They are so cute!", "Such happiness! We'll have a wedding next year."
"Jake..." Bek whispered, frightened to see the news. However, the Canadian was smiling in a way the Kazakh couldn't decipher, but he looked happy.
"This is amazing, Becky! Now nobody will bother us! They won't even be able to meddle in our lives!" The joy in Jake's eyes made him understand that he was happy because their relationship was now public and no one would separate them. But he didn't expect what came next: a beautiful kiss in front of the public and the reporters who had arrived at the scene. That kiss was broadcast live, generating reactions all over the world.
Taishi, Aibek's coach, spat out his coffee upon seeing the news. On the other hand, a Russian named Zinov was furious. He had thrown his thermos of hot chocolate to the floor, shattering it with the force of the impact. His breathing was ragged as he watched the one he considered his friend—and, deep down, his love—kiss the idiot, JJ. A blind rage began to consume him; no one could have Aibek. If he wasn't his, he wouldn't be anyone's!
His threat was clear: he would kill Aibek before allowing someone else to be by his side.
"I'll erase that stupid smile! I'll take you out of the way, no matter the cost..." A cold, sinister laugh echoed through the room. Zinov was already plotting a plan to destroy the newly formed couple's happiness. The nightmare was about to return, and it would be the cruellest of their lives. He was determined to finish Aibek off that very day, during the competition. He would make him fail and, furthermore, turn the idiot Jake into the villain of the story.
With a smile that did not bode well, he looked at his skates. Aibek was skating almost last, so he had enough time to execute his move before the Kazakh went out for his short program.