"Welcome back to our Pre-Olympic Skate Show! I am Morooka Hisashi, and I am joined by current Worlds' champion, Victor Nikiforov, and my cohost, Michelle Hamilton, the retired gold medalist in Women's Single Figure Skating." The Beta host's messy brown hair was wild and untamable, while his round brown eyes lit with excitement as he continued in English. "We are counting down the hours to the most anticipated event of this year's winter games: The Men's Singles Figure Skating!" He finally took a breath, "Hello, Victor. Thank you for being here with us today."

"Hello, Morooka, Michelle," Victor said in his best English (it was their only shared language after all). He grinned the current iteration of his public smile for the worldwide audience. "And hello, to those at home! Thanks for having me!" Waving to the camera, Victor tilted his head and let the lights twinkle off his eyes for the viewers, knowing full-well their effect.

"Well, considering you seem to be the man to beat this year, how are you handling your first Olympics? And at 18 years old, no less?" the Japanese sports caster asked.

"You know, ever since I put on skates as a child, I knew I wanted to be on the Olympic ice, so it is a dream that is coming true for me," Victor said. His coach had prepared a few practice questions he would be expected to answer, not that he had read any of Yakov's notes more than once. "I have always wanted to skate on this international stage."

"Well, you certainly aren't a stranger to winning international competitions, Victor," Michelle chimed in with a predatory look in her brown eyes that were hidden beneath a frame of dyed blond hair. It unnerved him, but if it wasn't for Morooka, he never would have said yes to this interview. The man had saved him one too many times at press conferences to not repay the favor. The Alpha female co-host with flashing, unnaturally white teeth, however, was making him reconsider talking to the nosey American. "It was only last season when you set yet another world record in Tokyo!" she squealed for the global throngs behind the camera. "There were rumors floating around after your performance, when you ran off. It was almost a transnational episode, some might say, that followed that skate. Care to tell us what happened?"

No. Victor would rather not share being left in a puddle of tears by his true mate, thank you very much. Instead, he was saved by the man sitting to his left.

"Having been there, Michelle, I can tell you I was more enthralled, and I bet the world would agree with me, by his performance rather than his leaving early. Tell us, Victor, do you think we will get to see another spectacular performance from you?"

"I will definitely try my best, Morooka," Victor promised, thankful for the save, but still feeling the weight sit over his chest.

"Awe, no fair, you two!" Michelle play pouted with laughing chestnut eyes that ruined her act at being hurt over their verbal dodge. "Off the ice gossip is just part of the fame, am I right, Victor?" She laughed, and bumped his shoulder with hers. "If you aren't going to share why you ran off in Tokyo, then weigh in on the International Skating Federation's newest ruling on scent blockers. What do you think the new guidelines will mean for the sport? I hear Christoph Giacometti is a close friend of yours. What are his thoughts on the ruling?"

Damn. She'd cornered him. Hmph. What was he supposed to say? The truth, obviously, but his public image could only protect him from the ravenous media if he protected it. Yakov had mentioned something in those note cards about avoiding condemning the ISF for their decisions, but he guessed his opinion was necessary this time. Maybe a politic answer?

The ISF had decided last month, just on the cusp of the Olympic games, that it would now only require private disclosure of a skater's dynamic to the Federation (for health and public safety reasons) instead of making it public, as had been their practice since the Federation had formed in the early 1890s. It would now require all competitors use scent blockers and wear scent blocking material for their costumes, where they had simply recommended it before. As a compromise, however, the ISF would allow Omegas to choose between wearing either a collar or using suppressants.

Victor felt the new bylaws gave false modesty to those competitors who still wished to wear their collars because no one wanted to be the obvious Omega on the uni-dynamic ice. Chris had told him privately that it made no difference to him so long as he could skate. For Victor, though, he could only foresee one outcome; if no other competitor disclosed their secondary gender, no one in their right mind would willingly stand apart. To put themselves at intentional disadvantage? No. Victor couldn't see another result. The ISF would get their competing Omegas to use suppressants, just as they did now, only this time under the banner of fairness; a claim no one could refute.

On the other side of this unfortunate arrangement, he hoped dynamics would play less of a role in any preconceived biases the judges might have had before. It had been whispered, but never mentioned out loud, at least not publicly, until now, but Alpha privilege continued to play a role in professional sports. Only in the last 50 years had anyone even seen the questioned inclusion of Omega sports figures in competition on co-ed teams or as individual athletes.

After his true mate had left without a word in Japan's capital, Victor had had plenty of Omega related thoughts. Primarily, he had wanted, desperately if he was being honest, to know why his mate had run off. Could it have been Victor's fame? His notoriety? Maybe his Omega did not want to be in the spot light. Was it his nationality? Russia was not particularly Omega friendly. Did his mate fear disclosure? Why had his mate needed to go to the infirmary? Did he get hurt? Or was it something else entirely?

The care staff had mournfully told him they were bound by law not to share confidential, private medical information with him. Not even a name or an address. Not even a dynamic, which was ridiculous, since Victor already knew his unclaimed, unofficial mate was an Omega. Everything about that day had caused him quite a few sleepless nights. The least he could do was try to understand his Omega's point of view, and give his Omega the benefit of the doubt, even if his mate had run after that record-breaking skate.

"Ah," Victor stalled, trying to come up with the simplest way to answer Michelle's provocative question. "As I can only speak for myself and not for either Chris or the ISF, I would have to say that having all skaters on an even playing field is a good thing. Whether Alpha, Beta, or Omega, I want to be scored on my performance and not on my dynamic. That is as it should be. If we can do that, and not ostracize or discriminate against anyone for their own choice to disclose or not, I think we will be able to focus on the skating, and not how someone identifies."

"Glad to see you have a good head on your shoulders, Victor. Nothing less from this year's Men's skating favorite! Thanks for talking with us, and good luck!"

"Thank you for having me, Morooka! Michelle." Victor smiled his heart shaped smile at the Beta commentator. "I'll be fighting for gold!" He waved to the cameras as the hosts closed out the segment.

After his little performance dancing for the cameras, Morooka tracked him down before he could get away completely.

"Victor," the sports announcer called out to him. As much as the young Russian liked the man, he just wanted to get away from the crowds and wonder through Turin on his first trip to Italy before Yakov locked him in his room for ditching his coach before the event in Tokyo.

"Hi, Morooka," Victor replied, wondering what his friend (can he call sportscaster a friend?) wanted.

"I just want to say, 'sorry about Michelle.' Since she stopped skating the only way for her to still feel involved in the skating community is to commentate and gossip," Morooka confided. "I didn't think she would bring up Tokyo after I told I wouldn't ask."

Victor smiled his public mask, trying not to let the sharp pain at the reminder of an empty examination room with the elusive smell of ice, sweet pea, and lemongrass surrounding him.

"It is alright, my friend," he said instead. "I have had much more intrusive questions, and not just from nosey reporters," Victor tried to laugh, but it hurt his heart.

"Just so you know, I don't think anyone else will ask, either," Morooka said compassionately as he placed an understanding hand on Victor's shoulder. It made him wonder if the older man knew more than he was letting on.

"It does not matter," Victor said with false cheer, his Russian accent thickening with his waning energy for the topic. "That was my only interview. If I win a medal, I do not think they will be asking about Tokyo." Nor would he be thinking about it, Victor hoped.

"I meant it when I asked for the interview, Victor. I won't ask you what happened, but from what it looked like, you were an Alpha looking for his lost mate," the young Beta laughed, patting Victor's taut shoulder before removing his arm slowly, considering. Victor must have given something away because the next thing the skating enthusiast said hit him hard. "You'll find them one day, Victor. There's no need to rush. Mate or no, you will be fine, just give yourself some time."

Yes. Time.

A/N:

Thank you all for being so supportive of my fight with evil writer's block! You guys are definitely the reason I have kept going! Your lovely comments feed my starved muse, and she is once again whispering in my ear!

Fun facts:

The 2006 winter Olympics were held in Turin, Italy. I figured if Victor was 28 in 2017, and was 18 at the time of this story, then that would be the Olympics he would have participated in. ;)

Michelle Hamilton's name is a mash up of Michelle Kwan and Scott Hamilton, two great skaters I grew up watching. They have nothing to do with my OC, who is a gossip monger – that, and she is just really bored in retirement.

The International Skating Union (ISU) is the real-world skating organization my ISF is based on. It was founded in 1892, making it "the oldest governing international winter sport federation," according to their website!

All of the moves/skating stuff described throughout this story is based on research and watching tons of videos on YouTube. I am not an expert, so if I make a mistake, please let me know (nicely) so I can fix it! I swear I still can't visually tell the difference between the six types of jumps, except that 3 use a top pick for the jump. These athletes are all so incredible!

Lastly, don't forget to check me out on tumbr under 'storylip.' I've been posting some Omegaverse lore for my world there. Feel free to chat with me or send me an Ask! I'd love to know what is drawing you into my world!