Hello! This is a short one-short involving Christophe Giacometti. He's not a fave character of mine however I thought this plot was interesting and there doen't seem to be many fics on him out there so I thought I'd contribute.
Content warnings: eating disorder/ low self-esteem mentions (it has a happy ending dw!) and slight sexual themes (its a fic about chris of course its going to be sexual..)
Disclaimer: I only own the plot and backstory of the character
Christophe Giacometti. Two-time silver-medallist, sex icon of Switzerland, owner of an Instagram account with half a million followers. Recognisable by his illegally long eyelashes and jawline that could slice a brick.
Also his height; Chris was a tall man, standing proudly at a grand 6 foot. "All the more length to show off my body… And other things." He said once during an interview, winking at the camera and moving his hips seductively, no doubt making thousands of men and women alike shriek with glee. It was debatable whether he was talking about his skating or something more private (if he knew the meaning of 'private') but regardless, his confidence and ability to woo even the straightest man had to be admired.
"What can I say? I have self-esteem, and I encourage everyone watching to work on theirs. It wasn't always easy, I had my struggles, and maybe my performances do get…. Nsfw at times… But I regret nothing. Feeling content is nice." The Swiss explained once to the many cameras pointing his way after he bagged his second silver, missing the gold by only a few points. I'll beat Viktor one day he promised himself afterwards. But for now, skating was a passion, and enjoying himself on the ice was just as precious as that winning medal. 'Enjoying' describing many different things.
Some call him stuck-up. Some call him arrogant. Some demand that he should be made to restrict his energy on the ice. However, there was no denying that Chris deeply understood the concept of Eros, and brought an aspect to figure skating that people didn't even realise they were missing.
Due to the short career of a skater, Chris was nearing the end of his competitive days; being 25 meant he was standing on his last legs. Though of course he wouldn't give up once the crowd moved on to support the younger, fresh skaters. He would remain skating for fun until his legs didn't work anymore. The passion he brought into the rink would be historic in the sport, and he took great pride in knowing he would inspire many developing skaters to delve into their Eros and increase their confidence, help their self-esteem.
Interviews only brushed over the basics of his routine and style. They rarely delved into the true passion that motivated a routine and crafted the personality of whoever wore the blades on their feet. Chris was unfortunately viewed as a simple man, perhaps someone who put on an entertaining performance to please his fans and raise some eyebrows, therefore few knew about what truly encouraged his sexuality and so-called egotistical nature.
He would be willing to explain if they asked. Or if they gave him time to say more than a few words after a competition.
From the age of 10, Chris struggled with his self-image tremendously. His father talked down on him a lot. His mother was one to comfort-eat in any stressful situation; since she was stressed most days the skater in question grew up in an environment that seemed to encourage an unhealthy lifestyle and way of seeing oneself. Such situations would be damaging on anyone, but the fact that he was a developing preteen meant it hit hard. Hard and deep.
Years of self-hatred and striving to be the best followed after this, made worse by the arguing between his parents, who would often drag him into their violent disagreements. "Do you agree with me or her, Chris?", "why bother trying if you can't succeed, no wonder your mother is stressed all the time." Memories that still hurt years later.
As he crept into his early teenage years, and then late teenage years, the young boy turned into a man and received his own fair share of anger-inducing hormones that every 16-year-old male deals with. Not being taught to cope with his emotions caused this time in his life to be one of the worst. Various eating disorders, therapists and lost skating competitions later and he was ready to quit his childhood sport and work in retail for the rest of his years. Completely unrecognisable from the confident man that dominated the ice in the Russian Grand Prix final and bagged that silver medal, completely unrecognisable from the healthy, good-looking Swiss that made fans cry in their standings. There seemed to be no hope.
Then something happened. He checked his bank account one day and realised that years of saving had accumulated to the exact amount he needed to fulfil another dream that was less spoken about: moving into another city, renting an apartment, escaping from the household that had damaged him for as long as he could remember. Maybe now he could be free and get back on the ice and show the world what he was really capable of.
Living alone was daunting at first- lonely at times and frustrating at others, although it was all worth it. Everything seemed to be falling into place. The skating rink he practiced in gave the first genuine source of support he had ever experienced, he met friends who helped him through rough times, he found reasons to love himself. After searching for the perfect therapist Christophe Giacometti became a new man and could finally wave goodbye to the burdens that had previously lay across his shoulders like limp bags of cement.
Self-love was a new, exciting concept, and he couldn't wait to explore what he knew he could achieve.
"To anyone struggling with their self-image, I promise it gets better. Hang on." He once managed to say during an interview. And he was right. Discovering the power of Eros was the best thing that had ever happened to his career, resulting in a new era in skating and a wondrous magnitude on the ice that left nothing to be desired.
He could finally love himself, he could finally showcase that confidence doing something he felt deeply for, and if some shook their heads of furrowed their brows- so what?
He didn't need to please anyone but himself.
I hope u liked this! please review etc it really helps my confidence to write more fics/ update ongoing stories!
Chris is so precious he needs more love
lov u all