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Chapter Text

JJ was one of the best figure skaters in the entire world, and he sure as hell knew it. So you can imagine the disappointment he felt in himself when he came third in the Grand Prix Final. If only he hadn't let his nerves get the better of him... That gold medal was rightfully his. And now, he has to stand on a podium in front of the entire world and show off the fact that he'd just been beaten by some fifteen year old punk. Still, he flashed his usual charming grin as he posed for various pictures, trying not to show just how humiliated he felt as he somewhat retained his dignity. "You said you wanted to climb the podium with me, didn't you?" A voice none other than Yuri Plisetsky's came from beside him. "How does it feel knowing that I'm better than you?" He smirked tauntingly at him before kissing his gold medal.

JJ just hid his annoyance, putting on his usual overly confident act. "That's JJ style, princess. I'll make sure not to go easy on you next year." He smirked with a wink, grabbing and pressing a kiss to Yuri's gold medal much to the blonde's displeasure. "You're such an asshole." Yuri growled at him as he wiped his medal on his costume whilst poor Yuuri Katsuki just stood there, pretending he didn't hear the two arguing and posing with his silver medal.

After what felt like hours of picture taking, JJ stepped down from the podium and made his way over to the edge of the rink, breaking out into a wide grin when he saw Isabella stood there talking to his mother. "Izzy!" He called out, all the cameras managing to capture the moment he ran over to her and flung his arms around his fiancée. "I'm sorry I didn't win gold like I promised... But I swear on my life that I'll bring you a gold medal next year!" JJ beamed as he pulled her into a gentle kiss. "Get a room, assholes!" Yuri called out to them as he made his way over to Lilia and Yakov whilst flipping the couple off and making JJ chuckle into the kiss.

Isabella pulled back, giving JJ a soft smile with a strange glint in her eyes. "I'm... So proud of you..." She said, her voice giving off an odd tone. JJ didn't think anything of it, kissing her cheek before gazing at her with a loving smile. They'd been together for almost five years now, the first time JJ laid eyes upon her being in their classroom in high school, with him being far too nervous to go and speak to her, which was extremely out of character for him. He could still remember the day they had their first kiss, him thinking about how lucky he was to be kissing the most beautiful girl in the world the entire time. And now here they were, at the Grand Prix Final together with her cheering him on. And JJ still thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen...

"You should get some rest tonight, honey..." Isabella said, her eyes fixing on his medal and looking a little sad before forcing a smile again. JJ pouted in response. "But sweetie... It's the banquet tonight. You know I can't miss it..." He said as he played with Isabella's hair, to which she almost looked... Annoyed..?

Isabella sighed. "Darling, you've done a lot today... You can go if you'd like. But I won't be there..." She said. JJ frowned, taking her hand and forcing a smile as he waved to the cameras, dragging her out of the rink as quickly as he could to somewhere a little more private. "Bella... What's wrong..?" He asked softly as he began to play with her hair again. Isabella looked as if she was about to snap, but instead, she just smiled softly at him. "Nothing... I'm just tired. And I wanted to celebrate your success tonight together..." She said with an innocent smile as she hugged JJ tightly, beginning to press soft kisses to his neck. JJ blushed when he realised what she meant, becoming flustered as he stepped away. "Bella... You know how I feel about that..." He said, staring down at the ground as he ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly.

Isabella let out a frustrated groan. "Come on JJ! We've been together for so long! We know we're going to get married. Who cares if it's a few months before the wedding?!" She asked as she folded her arms with a scowl. JJ frowned a little. "A few months..?" He asked, chuckling a little awkwardly in confusion. "Bella... I didn't win gold, we can't get married until I win. I made a promise." He sighed, Isabella's expression twisting into one of anger before chuckling bitterly. "Of course we can't!" She said, mocking his tone before glaring at him. "This is one of the things I hate most about you... You're always so stubborn!" She hissed.

JJ sighed, pretending that the words didn't hurt him. "I love you, Bella... And I want to marry you. But I can't go back on my promise..." He said as he cupped her face and gave her a small smile. "Please... It's only a year..." He whispered as he hesitantly leaned in to kiss her.

Isabella immediately stepped away from him, shaking her head. "If you loved me you'd want to marry me as soon as possible instead of keeping some stupid promise you made!" She snapped at him. "But no, you go finish your interviews. We'll talk properly later." She said as turned on the spot before storming off, leaving JJ stood there rooted to the spot in shock.

Of course they'd argued before, they were a couple after all! But there was something about this argument that seemed odd to JJ. It wasn't like their usual arguments of who finished the last of the milk or when Isabella went on a shopping spree using their joint account. As much as he hated to be pessimistic... It was almost as if she was breaking up with him... JJ just shook his head, chuckling at himself for even thinking about something like that. He loved Isabella. And Isabella loved him. They'd been inseparable since high school and there was no way they would break up over some dumb medal. She probably needed some time to cool off, it had been a stressful few months for the both of them after all.

*

Once JJ was finally done with his many interviews, photography sessions, meet and greets and various panels to speak about his success and plans for next year's Grand Prix Final, he made his way up to the hotel room, wanting nothing more than to see Isabella and make up with her. He'd always hated it when they argued, often finding himself apologising to Isabella despite her being the one in the wrong just so that they could go back to normal. That was one of the very few things that JJ found a little irritating about their relationship, she never apologised for anything...

"Bella!" JJ called out once he'd unlocked their door. "I'm done." He smiled, sitting on the bed where Isabella was curled up reading a book, barely sparing him a glance. "How was it?" She asked in a cold tone, making JJ frown a little. "I... Uh... It was okay. Are you still not coming to the banquet tonight?" He asked, hoping that she had changed her mind.

"No. I'm not." Isabella said as she sat up, closing her book before placing it on the bedside table and looking up at JJ expectantly. "Well?" She asked, making JJ sigh. "I want to keep my promise to you, Bella... I'm sorry." There it was. The apology again... Isabella rolled her eyes in response to him. "Okay. Goodnight then." She muttered, clearly annoyed as she lay back down and pulled the blankets over herself. "...I love you Bella." JJ said as he ruffled her hair and pressed a kiss to her head, his fiancée moving away from his touch coldly.

JJ just sighed, stepping back and just deciding that she still needed some more space for a little while. He quickly changed into his suit, saying goodbye to Isabella and still not getting a response from her before he finally just gave up and left her by herself.

"JJ! There you are! We were worried you'd be too tired for the banquet tonight!" His mother beamed at him when he entered the banquet hall, trotting over to him in her slightly-too-high heels and handing him a glass of champagne. "Here, you can enjoy yourself tonight. You've earned it." She smiled, hesitating for a moment before pulling him into a tight hug, his father suddenly appearing out of nowhere and ruffling JJ's hair. "We're both so proud of you, kid." He chuckled, JJ breaking into a wide grin as he hugged both of his parents tightly. "Thank you..." JJ said quietly. "I promise I'll win gold next year. I won't let you down this time!" He smiled, the look of determination on his face making his mother laugh. "Oh, JJ... You could never disappoint us..." She grinned as she kissed his cheek before stepping back. "Is Isabella not coming tonight..?" She asked, suddenly noticing her lack of presence.

"Ah... No. She was a little tired tonight." JJ said as he took a sip from his glass, his father tutting. "She's the one that's tired, eh? She's not the one who just won bronze at the Grand Prix Final!" He laughed, his wife elbowing him. "Alain!" She exclaimed, giving him a stern look and making her husband chuckle. "Hey, I'm just saying, if JJ can make it down here, so can she." He laughed, making JJ let out a small chuckle. "You don't want to be stuck with us all evening. Go and talk to the other skaters, we'll handle the sponsors." His mother smiled at him, making JJ hesitate for a moment, weighing up his options for a moment. "Thanks mom... I'll see you two later!" He beamed before walking off, having absolutely no idea where he was going or who he was going to talk to.

"JJ! Over here!" An overly enthusiastic voice came from somewhere in the crowd, none other than the living legend himself waving at him excitedly. JJ chuckled, making his way over to him. "Viktor! Congratulations on your first year of coaching being a success!" He greeted him politely. Viktor laughed, clearly tipsy. "I should be the one congratulating you~ Third place!" He beamed. "I thought I'd take it easy on the other two~ Give them a boost of confidence." JJ purred with a laugh, Yuuri quickly running over to them with a chuckle. "I-I'm sorry about him... He did a few shots when we got here." He said, wrapping an arm around Viktor's waist and making the Russian suddenly gasp excitedly when he saw him. "You'll come to our wedding, right JJ~?" Viktor giggled, throwing his arms around JJ's neck. "Promise me you will!!!"

"You two are still getting married..?" JJ asked, making a small blush appear on Yuuri's cheeks. "W-We talked about it earlier... We agreed that we want to get married as soon as possible..." "I'm so in love, JJ~ How do you do it?! I just want to kiss Yuuri all the time..." Viktor pouted before grinning as he turned to Yuuri who squeaked in surprise as the Russian suddenly lunged at him. "Wha?! Vitya! N-No! Not in public!" He squealed as Viktor tried to kiss him. JJ just laughed. "I guess I'll leave you to it! Be safe~" He teased before walking off.

Viktor and Yuuri were still getting married... Despite Yuuri not winning a gold medal like they'd agreed... The two had only known each other for a year, while he and Isabella had known each other since high school. Was he being unreasonable for keeping his promise and postponing the wedding..? He told Isabella that he would only marry her if he won a gold medal. Did Isabella think he was kidding? It wasn't like he didn't want to marry her! He was completely and utterly head over heels in love with her.

So why wasn't he marrying her as soon as he could..?

"Get out of my way, loser!" Yuri Plisetsky growled, drawing JJ out of his thoughts as he walked past with Otabek who trailing behind him a little awkwardly. Yuri stopped in his tracks when he didn't get a reaction from the Canadian, deciding to taunt him in the hopes that he'd at least get something. "Look at you. Even dressed up like a silver medal, how pathetic." The blonde sneered as he looked JJ up and down, mocking the metallic suit he was wearing. JJ just let out a little chuckle, deciding to let the kid have his fun. "What does that make you, kitten? You're not exactly best known for your fashion sense. Who picked that suit out for you?" He teased Yuri, taking the hem of Yuri's black and white striped blazer between his fingers and pulling him a little closer as he pretended to examine the fabric.

"I did." Otabek said in his usual monotone voice, making JJ feel a wash of guilt overcome him and immediately regretting all his life decisions that led up to that very moment. He immediately let go of Yuri's jacket, quickly downing the rest of his champagne before praying to god that Otabek was a little more understanding of his sense of humour than he was when they had trained together all those years ago. "You did a great job at picking out your own suit, but I think it's best if Yakov and Lilia pick out the kitten's clothes." JJ said as he winked at Otabek who practically recoiled in response.

"They're not the bosses of me." Yuri hissed at JJ with a glare. "I can pick out my own clothes, but Otabek helped me, you know? Friends do that for each other. But of course I wouldn't expect you to understand that since you don't have any." He smirked, JJ holding back the scowl that was trying to form on his face and instead forcing a smile. "I don't need friends to do that for me, kitten. I have my future wife. But of course I wouldn't expect you to understand that." He said in a mocking tone before laughing as he rested a hand on Otabek's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Don't be afraid to put the kitten in his place when it comes to fashion. You seem to know what you're doing." He purred, looking him up and down and winking at him again. He gave him a small smirk before walking off, holding back a laugh as Yuri began to shout obscenities after him.

Despite their silent alliance, it was normal for JJ and Yuri to tease and taunt each other like that, somehow knowing each other's boundaries despite not mentioning them even once. JJ never brought up Yuri's parent, and Yuri never mentioned JJ's glaringly obvious anxiety.

JJ would consider Yuri a friend, believe it or not. Although now that the blonde had brought it up, he suddenly realised the lack of real friends that he actually had... Sure, he had acquaintances that perhaps bordered on friendship. But he'd never had any clear-cut friends despite how hard he tried... All the other skaters just seeing him as cocky, self-centred and unapproachable. Even all the years that JJ spent training with Otabek, he knew Otabek wouldn't label them as friends despite how much time the two had spent together.

Yuri Plisetsky was the closest thing JJ had to a friend...

"You seem to have a talent at angering the tiger, but the real question is, can you tame him~?" A voice purred from behind JJ, none other than Christophe Giacometti moving to rest a hand on JJ's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. JJ laughed, turning around and giving the other a wink. "I have my methods." He said as he took another glass of champagne from one of the waiters making their way past, taking a sip. "What about you? I don't see your kitten anywhere?" He said teasingly, making Chris laugh in response. "He's stuck talking to my sponsors, that's the best thing about having your boyfriend as your manager, he does all the dirty work for me... Well, sometimes." Chris winked at him.

JJ had always felt welcomed by Chris, whether it was at a competition or the banquet, he knew that if he needed to start a conversation with anyone just to appear as if he was being social, he could go straight to him. His usual charm and wit intimidated him at first, but now? He has no idea what he would be like at competitions without him...

Still, just as he'd thought before, Chris also wouldn't exactly consider him a friend, seeing him more as someone to flirt and talk with until he was whisked away by his godlike boyfriend to go and make out in a corner somewhere.

JJ just smiled, taking another sip of his drink.

"I'm sure he does..." He winked at Chris, the other chuckling a little. "Where's your soon to be wife..?" He asked. "Too exhausted to walk? I've seen the amount of stamina you have on the ice. I bet her p-" "Chris!" Chris was cut off by his boyfriend, walking over to him and throwing his arms around the blonde's waist before kissing over his neck. JJ couldn't help but breathe a silent breath of relief, not wanting to answer any more questions about Isabella tonight.

"You'll have to excuse my boyfriend... He hasn't even started drinking, that's what's worrying." Chris' boyfriend laughed. "I don't believe we've met, my name is Masumi." He smiled sweetly, practically having to tear his arm away from Chris to shake JJ's hand. "You must be JJ. Mr bronze medal himself." He winked at him with a chuckle. JJ just laughed. "The one and only." He smiled, relaxing a little in the other two's presence.

Maybe JJ could make friends after all...

"I'm so impressed with your routines this year. I know you'll be able to get silver next year, Chris being the one to get gold of course." Masumi giggled with a wink to JJ, making him laugh in response. "Thank you. But I can assure you, I'll be beating your boyfriend next year too." JJ teased, more determined than ever to win that gold medal. Chris smirked in response. "Oh? Is that a threat or a promise?" He chuckled a little with a wink, Masumi pouting a little as he kissed at his boyfriend's neck again, clearly getting a little jealous of the other two's interactions.

"What would you like it to be?" JJ purred as he downed the rest of his champagne. Chris opened his mouth to speak before groaning when he heard his name being called from somewhere in the crowd. "Chris?! Masumi?! I turned around for one second!" Chris' coach yelled. Masumi chuckled. "That's our queue to leave. It was nice to meet you, maybe see you next year!" He smiled sweetly, Chris nodding before pressing a kiss to JJ's cheek. "Au revoir..." He purred, hand brushing against the other's ass as he turned to leave with a sultry wink.

*

After many, many hours of socialising with people that JJ simply could not give two shits about and having to watch what could only be described as a strip club performance from Yuuri Katsuki, he finally made his way to the hotel room, feeling himself break into a wide smile at just the thought of crawling into bed with Isabella and holding her until they fell asleep.

"Bella..?" JJ called out softly as he walked in, just a little tipsy from the amount of champagne he'd consumed. Isabella didn't respond, facing away from JJ as she snored softly.

JJ broke into a small smile, clumsily tugging off his suit before crawling into bed beside her. He shuffled closer, pressing a gentle kiss over her cheek as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close. It was times like this that JJ knew that this was all he ever wanted in life. To hold someone in his arms like this, for it to feel as if there were nobody else on the entire planet except for the two of them...

He loved Isabella more than anything in this entire world...

He let his eyes drift shut as the thoughts of their future together lingered in his mind, too tired to notice the bruises on his fiancée's collarbone and the already fading red scratch marks on her back...

Chapter Text

“Finally… Home at last…” JJ sighed happily as he made his way through the front door of his and Isabella’s shared apartment, his fiancée lingering in the doorway and just watching him with an unreadable expression upon her face.

She’d been acting… Strange… Ever since the banquet. JJ couldn’t quite put his finger on it but it was almost as if she was hiding something from him. He’d tried his best to push all the worst-case scenarios to the back of his head and try to keep look the positive side of life, but he couldn’t help but wonder what she could possibly be hiding. After all, he was her fiancé, she knew she could tell him absolutely anything, right..?

“Kraken! I missed you!” JJ beamed widely as he made his way over to the large, cylindrical fish tank that was in the corner of the living room, watching the small squid inside as it swam around, suddenly diving down and burying itself in the sand on the bottom of the tank as JJ watched in amusement.

“JJ… We need to talk.” Isabella sighed as she took a seat on the couch, staring down at the ground. JJ frowned as he turned to her. “What is it, honey..?” He asked, his fiancée just shaking her head. “Sit down.” She said in a monotone voice, JJ’s heart immediately beginning to pound as he took a seat beside her, desperately trying to get some kind of answer from the look on her face. “W-What is i-“

“It’s over, JJ.” Isabella blurted out, JJ’s veins running cold at the words and unable to comprehend just what she meant, just chuckling nervously. “What..? My skating career? Because I can totally-“ “Jean. Shut up. Us! We’re over!” She cut him off in a rather cold tone of voice, shooting a glare at JJ who shrunk on the spot, too numbed by the shock that came from hearing those few little words to do anything. “But… We were going to get married…” He whispered as his voice cracked, staring at her as the tears began to form in his eyes. “W-We had our whole lives planned out! We can still do it if I can pull next year off!” JJ said, the desperation clear in his voice as he pleaded with Isabella.

“I’m done waiting for you, JJ!” Isabella yelled at him, a fire in her eyes that JJ had never seen before, making his stomach twist and turn with the anxiety that began to build up. “There is no next year for us, I’m done, okay?! I slept with someone else, I’m moving on!”

JJ felt his heart sink at the words, staring up at Isabella in shock as he blinked back the tears in her eyes. “Y-You slept with someone else..?” He asked in disbelief, heart pounding in his chest. She smirked at JJ. “Damn right I did. At least he was actually willing to sleep with me, unlike you.” Isabella said smugly. “This is it, JJ. I’m not putting up with your shit anymore. Face it, you’ll just never be enough. For me or for your skating career.” She stood up, grabbing her packed suitcase that was waiting by the door since they’d only just gotten back before turning to leave.

“W-Wait! Bella! Please don’t go!” JJ whimpered as he jumped up, slamming his hand against the door to hold it shut. “P-Please! I love you! Don’t leave me!” He begged, swallowing the lump in his throat before pulling Isabella into a rough kiss as the tears streamed down his cheeks.

Isabella melted into the kiss and hesitated for a moment before shoving JJ off of her, glaring at him. “What the hell do you think you’re-“ “I’ll do it! If it’ll make you stay, I-I’ll do it, okay?!” JJ cut her off as he wiped away his tears, giving her a pleading look with the desperation to keep her clear on his face. “JJ. I don’t-“ She cut herself off as she watched JJ pull off his shirt, hands visibly trembling as he gave her a shy, desperate smile.

It wasn’t as if JJ never wanted to have sex, lord knows the urge had been there ever since he was a teenager, he was just very… ‘Traditional’… He believed in sex only after marriage, that it was a very intimate thing that you should only share with one other person that you love and cherish enough to trust with such a big moment in your life. Even if Isabella couldn’t keep her end up of that belief, JJ still wanted to keep his. But right now..? He was willing to do anything and everything to keep his fiancée, even if it meant giving up everything he’d ever believed in for her.

That’s what you do when you love someone, right?

“P-Please… Bella… I-I’ll do anything to stop you from walking out that door no matter what it takes. Even if I have to call a minister right now to marry us…” JJ said, feeling his heart pound even more with every word he spoke. He shouldn’t have to make sacrifices like this… If she loved him, she’d stay regardless, right? And yet here JJ was, offering everything he had out to Isabella no matter how badly he didn’t want to.

No matter how badly it hurt to know that she’d had sex with someone else.

No matter how bad the pain in his chest got when he knew he was sacrificing his entire life for this woman.

This stupid, selfish, beautiful, perfect woman…

Isabella just stared at JJ, gnawing on her lip as her eyes stayed fixed on JJ’s toned chest, eyeing him up like he was some kind of piece of meat… And it made JJ feel absolutely disgusting, wanting nothing more than to put his shirt back on and pretend these past few days had never actually happened.

“Alright.” Isabella hummed after a while, much to JJ’s relief after having just being stood there awkwardly for a while. “But you’re not getting anything out of it. I’ll let you eat me out, and I’ll stay with you, got it? But if you even consider for a moment that you’re going to put your dick in me, I’ll make sure everyone finds out that I didn’t want it and your entire career will go to shit. What do you say?” She smirked at JJ as she slowly ran her hand up and down JJ’s abs.

“O-Of course! I promise!” JJ blurted out before he even had a chance to think and breaking into a wide smile, not even taking a moment to consider what he was about to do as he pulled Isabella into another kiss only to be shoved away again. “Oh no you don’t, you don’t get to kiss me until I say so, got it?” She hissed at him, making him flinch a little before nodding obediently.

Isabella gave JJ a smirk. “Come on then…” She said as she grabbed his wrist, grasping it just a little too firmly as she led him into their shared bedroom where the reality of the situation suddenly hit JJ, feeling a pit of dread in his stomach as he watched her close the curtains.

He wasn’t ready… But he had no other option…

“Hurry up already, I haven’t got all day.” Isabella rolled her eyes as she pulled off her shirt and gave JJ a smirk as he kept his eyes fixed on her, hands shaking out of both nerves and fear. “Why are you acting like you’ve never seen me like this before..? I’ve seen you sneaking a few glances at me whenever I change…” She said teasingly as she upclipped her bra and tugged it off. “But you haven’t seen me like this. Have you?” She asked as she took a seat on the bed with giggle that made JJ’s stomach turn, the feeling of nausea building.

“N-No, Bella…” JJ spoke in an almost monotone voice as he tried hard not to show any of the emotions he was feeling out of fear of Isabella suddenly changing her mind and leaving anyway. He hesitantly stepped forward, watching as Isabella kicked off her shoes in an almost seductive manner before laying down on the bed and propping herself up against the headboard, staring into his eyes with an unreadable expression on her face. She hitched up her skirt for a moment, never once looking away from her ex-fiancé as she tugged off her panties before finally lifting up her skirt a little higher.

“Go on then. Be a man for once and I’ll stay with you.” Isabella sneered, pretending not to notice the tears in JJ’s eyes as he lay between her legs, now trembling violently.
He had to.

He just… Had to. He couldn’t lose the only woman he’d ever loved over something like this…

He took a deep breath before forcing his usual, confident smile on his face and staring up at her again.

This was quite possibly the most degrading moment in JJ’s entire life…

*

“S-See..? It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Isabella laughed teasingly, slightly breathless as JJ moved to lay beside her, feeling as if he’d just done the most disgusting thing in the entire world as his fiancée wrapped her arms around his waist and shuffled closer, a sly smirk upon her face. “I know you enjoyed it really, you’re just too stubborn.” She laughed as she kissed JJ’s cheek.

How was he ever going to be able to look his parents in the eye again after doing something like this..? He felt repulsive… And he wanted nothing more than to just tear himself out of his fiancée’s vice-like arms and shower until he felt clean enough to face the world again. Or at the very least, face someone. Anyone.

“What’s this..? You’re soft..?” Isabella snorted in amusement as she glanced down at JJ’s crotch. “Did I really neglect you that much..? Well… I suppose you have earned it…” She hummed as her hand slowly ran down JJ’s chest… Down his stomach… Making JJ feel sicker and sicker the lower her hand moved. He tensed the moment she unzipped his pants, unable to hold back any longer and jolting away from her.

“D-Don’t touch me!” JJ choked out as the tears returned, rolling down his cheeks as he trembled violently, expecting Isabella to at the very least yell at him. But instead there was… Nothing..? No shouting… No comforting touch. Hell, she didn’t even get up and leave him. Just… Nothing.

After what felt like hours of JJ sobbing loudly, Isabella just let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re so pathetic… You know that?” She laughed bitterly as she turned over, turning off the light before getting under the covers, completely ignoring JJ.

JJ just lay there, desperately trying to keep his sobs under control in order not to wake up his fiancée. He would get through this, right..? It was all temporary. He felt disgusting now, but in a years’ time he’d have Isabella as his wife and a few days of feeling like this would all be worth it…

At least, that’s what JJ tried to tell himself as he let his eyes shut, drifting off into a restless sleep.

*

JJ was woken up the next day by a loud thud coming from within the room, making him let out a groan as he sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes. The first thing that he noticed was the fact that Isabella wasn’t in bed with him. No, instead she was walking around the bedroom with her suitcase open on the bed for some strange reason.

“Why didn’t you wake me up, Bella..? I would’ve helped you unpack…” JJ muttered sleepily as he ran a hand through his bed hair in an attempt to tame it.

“I’m not unpacking.” Isabella replied coldly as she rummaged around in her wardrobe before pulling out almost all her clothes and just dumping them in her suitcase, giving JJ a glare. “I’m still leaving you.” She smirked at him and made JJ’s blood run cold at the words. “B-But… Last night… I-I did-“ Isabella cut JJ off with a laugh. “You really think I’d want to stay with you after that? Don’t flatter yourself, Jean.” She teased him.

“B-Bella! No! Please! Y-You promised m-me! We would stay together! You c-can’t leave me!” JJ yelled at her, quickly getting up and yanking everything out of her suitcase only to earn himself a hard slap in the face. “Don’t you fucking dare try to stop me! I’m not yours anymore!” Isabella hissed as she yanked the engagement ring off of her finger and threw it at JJ before gathering up her things, shoving them into her suitcase again and closing it.

“B-Bella you don’t have to do this! We can talk about this!” JJ begged her, clutching his cheek that now had a reddening mark slowly beginning to appear on it.

He couldn’t lose her… He did everything she asked for!

“I don’t want to talk, Jean! I’m done with you!” Isabella yelled at him as she gathered up all her bags and made her way out of the bedroom, JJ stumbling behind her desperately and falling to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her leg as he began to cry again. “P-Please don’t leave me! I-I’ll do anything!” He begged her with a loud sob, the look on her face unchanging as she just stared down at him almost pathetically.

“Goodbye, Jean.” Isabella said monotonously as she barged him out of her way.

And just like that, she was… Gone.

Gone from JJ’s life.

And all he could feel was… Empty. He felt empty without her. His fiancée… They were supposed to be together for the rest of their lives! How could she just walk away from everything he’d ever given her and act like it didn’t even affect her?! How could his perfect, kind Isabella suddenly turn into this cold, uncaring shell of her former self over a stupid gold medal?!

JJ felt the bile rising in his throat as the reality of everything suddenly came crashing down on him, sprinting into the bathroom just in time before vomiting into the toilet as the tears streamed down his face. He suddenly collapsed onto the cold, tiled floor, each sob wracking his body harshly as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

He had nobody…

And now he was… Tainted. Who the hell would want him now?! He was supposed to be the ‘pure’ JJ Leroy. And now he was unclean… Unpure… And it was all his fault for succumbing to Isabella’s temptations.

JJ suddenly jumped up, not even bothering to take off whatever clothes Isabella had let him keep on last night as he turned on the shower and climbed into the bathtub, beginning to cry harder as he felt the water cascading over his body, trying desperately to visualise that it was washing away all his sins that he’d wrongfully committed to try and keep his ex-fiancée.

JJ felt his stomach lurch again as the memories of last night flooded his mind, feeling even more like this vile, revolting creature that he knew he was slowly becoming. And there was nothing he could do but sit back and let himself succumb to it’s foul ways.

Jean-Jacques Leroy was turning into a monster. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Chapter Text

Three weeks.

Three whole weeks since Isabella left.

And JJ had felt every single agonising second that went by. He had practically isolated himself from the world in his own little apartment, not wanting to hear the rumours anymore or have anymore cameras or microphones shoved in his face. The only social interaction he got anymore was from his mother coming over every couple of days to force him to take a shower and eat something, even if it was only a few bites.

He would probably feel grateful, he knew just how lucky he was to have a mother that took such great care of him, especially when he needed it the most. But he still just felt… Numb.

And it was clear that his mother could see that.

He pretended not to notice the fact that the knives in the kitchen had been very well hidden on the rare occasion that he actually got out of bed to fix himself something to eat or to greet his mother.

He pretended not to noticed the fear on his mother’s face every single time he disappeared into the bathroom, or just how frantic her knocking was when he took just a single minute too long.

He pretended not to notice the shake in her voice every time she called out to announce her arrival at the apartment, fearing that she would find her own son hanging from the ceiling by his neck.

But no. He was always there. Just… In bed. Waiting for the storm to pass. Like every other day.

Despite the support he received from his mother, he still barely ate, he never slept, and he absolutely under no circumstances would leave the house.

Not after last time…

*

It had only been two weeks since JJ and his fiancée had broken up, and it was still just as painful as the day she walked out that door. Still, he needed groceries despite eating almost nothing the entire two weeks, surviving purely off of whatever cans of beer he had in the refrigerator left over from one of his ‘house parties’ and the occasional piece of toast when the hunger got far too much for him to handle anymore.

A diet completely unheard of for a world champion figure skater…

Not that he cared anymore. He had no motivation for anything. No motivation to skate. Compete. Win. And certainly no motivation to live anymore.

In the past few weeks, he had lost far too much weight, his once well-fitted clothing now far too baggy on him and his muscle had began deteriorating more and more by the day from him staying in his bed all day, blankly staring at his phone with the hope and desperation that Isabella would call him and say that she had changed her mind.

Of course, by now it was common knowledge to the whole world that they had broken up, and Isabella had been spreading some nasty rumours about how she never really loved him. Although… Are they still considered rumours if they’re true..?

JJ shook the thought from his head.

He needed to focus right now, he can worry about her later.

JJ stared down at his empty shopping cart with a sigh as he idly pushed it around the aisles, hood pulled all the way up and a pair of sunglasses perched upon his nose in an attempt to somehow hide his identity in public. Of course, the words ”King JJ” written in big bold letters on the back of his hoodie didn’t exactly help his disguise, but upon rummaging through his wardrobe earlier that day, he discovered that he didn’t actually own any casual jackets that didn’t have his name embellished over nearly every inch of the fabric. Still, at least he could say he tried.

He loved being centre of attention, after all. But not now. Not after everything. For once he didn’t want to meet any fans, sign any autographs or be harassed by the paparazzi. He just wanted to get what he needed and leave.

A wish that was short lived when he turned the corner of an aisle only to be greeted by a bright flash from the photographer’s camera that had been shoved in his face.

“JJ Leroy! The king himself! What a delight. Do you have time to answer a few questions regarding yours and Isabella’s breakup?” The man clutching the camera asked in a cheerful voice that made JJ wince.

Paparazzi. Always the same. They’d take any opportunity to get any information they could get their greasy little hands on.

Any other time JJ would’ve happily obliged, flashing his usual grin to the camera and giving the reporter any information that they wanted. But now? So soon after his and Isabella’s breakup? Did they seriously have such little sense of morality...?

“My apologies. You must be mistaken; my name is not JJ. And I have no idea who this Isabella is.” JJ said, making his voice sound just an octave deeper in an attempt to fool the reporter.

Of course, there was a reason why JJ was a singer and not an actor…

“Oh JJ. Always the goofy one!” The reporter laughed as he snapped another picture, JJ wincing at the flash. “Come on, you can spare a few moments just for me, can’t you? I won’t take too long, I promise you.”

JJ sighed, knowing that the act he was trying to keep up was futile.

“I’m sorry, I’m just not up to it today. Do you have a business card? I will gladly give you a call when I feel read-“ JJ was cut off by another flash from the man’s camera.

“Aw come on, JJ. Not even a few little questions? Is it true that you and Isabella broke up due to you refusing to give up your virginity?” The reporter asked, eagerly pulling out a pen and paper and looking up at JJ expectantly, a grin upon his face that made JJ feel sick. JJ wrinkled his nose at how little this man seemed to care about keeping personal information personal, rolling his eyes as he simply ignored him and walked off, abandoning his cart and making a beeline for the exit.

“There he is! JJ!” A woman called out when he managed to step outside. JJ turned his head to find the source of the voice, only to be greeted with a swarm of reporters all hurrying towards him…

He couldn’t remember much more after that, only knowing that he had somehow managed to escape the swarm and make it home, breaking down in floods of tears when the second he closed the door...

*

And now? Here he was, sat on his bed after having woken up from what was probably a far too long nap, hands trembling as he stared at the multiple text messages from his friends and family, all offering to support him through whatever awful lie Isabella had spread to the news companies.

He took a deep breath before opening the messages from his manager, all containing links to news articles and a block of text which he would worry about later. Right now, all he cared about was how bad the lies that the news companies had written about him were.

He tapped on one of the links which opened up, only for him to be greeted by a picture of him and Isabella at the banquet the year before, both smiling widely and clinging onto each other. Beside the image? A picture of JJ at the supermarket, a scowl on his lips as he hurried out of the supermarket exit. Only now did he realise how much weight he had lost when he saw just how loose his clothes looked on him.

FIGURE SKATING STAR JJ LEROY’S SPLIT WITH FIANCEE ISABELLA YANG AFTER EATING DIORDER SPECULATIONS

Eating disorder..? He was a figure skater for Christ’s sake. He couldn’t afford to have one and risk it ruining his career.

Figure Skating ‘star’ JJ Leroy has broken up with fiancée Isabella Yang! Leroy, 18, won a bronze medal at the latest Grand Prix Final of figure skating (We know! We didn’t think it was a relevant sport either!) despite promises of gold and marriage to Yang, 19.

Yang, tells us in an exclusive interview; (Full interview on our website!) “JJ promised to marry me when he won a gold medal, I told him that he could come last for all I care and I would still want to marry him. But after the banquet, I was told that he simply did not want to marry me anymore. At least not until he won gold. And as much as I loved JJ, I knew that he would keep me waiting at least another five years until that happened. He was a great figure skater, sure. But he’s no Viktor Nikiforov.”

Leroy, was spotted at the supermarket the other day. And look just how skinny he is! (Shown Right) Pictures from the Grand Prix Final of him surfaced wearing the exact same hoodie (Shown Left). We mean, just look at that difference! When questioned about her ex partner’s sudden, dramatic weight loss, Isabella was more than happy to give us all the juicy details!

“Yeah. JJ would come home at night, eat almost everything we owned and then make himself throw it all up again. It was such an awful thing to see him do to himself, but he rejected all support that I attempted to offer him. He told me that he did this for me. That this would make him win gold for me, despite me telling him that I didn’t want the gold medal, all I wanted was my future husband to be happy and healthy. JJ, if you are reading this interview, please. Reach out to someone. Get some help. We may not be together anymore but I still care about you.”

Well? What do you think, folks? Leave us a comment down below and don’t forget to share with your friends!

JJ just stared at his screen blankly, unable to comprehend what on earth he had just read. Now the entire world thought he was bulimic..? He could lose his entire skating career over this!

He felt his heart begin to pound, vision beginning to blur from tears that he didn’t even expect to come. He couldn’t do this… He just… Couldn’t! Even if he were to deny it, nobody would believe him! They would just think that he was trying to cover it all up!

JJ wiped away the tears that were now freely flowing down his cheeks, about to throw his phone against the wall when a new notification caught his interest.

The Hero™
”Hey. Saw the news. You okay?”

Otabek, of all people, was texting him..?

Before JJ could stop himself, he had already opened Otabek’s message and was typing a reply purely out of curiosity and to find out the other’s ulterior motives. There just had to be something... There was no way in hell Otabek was messaging him purely because he cares. He must want something!

”Isnt it like three in the morning for you”

“Saw the news earlier and was debating whether to message you or not. I was worried.”

The reply took JJ aback for a moment, just staring at the message in genuine surprise.

Otabek was worried about him. They barely spoke anymore apart from at competitions and yet… He was worried..? No… This was just like Isabella. It was all lies, he must want something.

”Its not true you know?”

“I know. I wanted to make sure you were okay. God forbid something happens to the king of figure skating himself.”

JJ wasn’t exactly sure how to read that last part. Was that supposed to be a joke? An insult? Why would Otabek be messaging him? To tease him? To get more information out of him just for gossip-

JJ stopped himself right then and there. Otabek and gossip? This was just his anxious mind talking. It had to be… Right?

”thanks for believing me. Ill be okay I swear”

“Alright. If you need anything just message me. Night JJ.”

“Night”

*

That invitation.

That damn invitation.

JJ sat up in bed, staring at the very obviously expensive and hand made wedding invitation that he had received for Viktor and Yuuri’s wedding, which had been strewn across his bedside table carelessly. It had been there for days. Taunting JJ. Reminding him of what he had missed out on if he had just won that stupid gold medal… Of course he was happy for Viktor and Yuuri. He had never seen a couple better suited for each other than them since him and Isab-

He just wished he wasn’t jealous of them…

He wished that he would be able to turn up at the wedding and not have everyone give him that sad, sympathetic smile or have someone not-so-subtly follow him every time he went to the bathroom to see if the rumours were true or not.

Most importantly?

JJ didn’t want to take away from Viktor and Yuuri’s big day.

All the newpapers and trashy magazines were all so focused on him that they had barely even covered the fact that Viktor and Yuuri were getting married in less than a few months. And JJ felt absolutely terrible about it.

He knew the couple didn’t mind, and that they wanted JJ to be better more than having a newspaper talk about their wedding, at least that’s what they said in their almost daily text messages to see if he was okay. After all, all they needed was each other…

JJ took a deep breath, pulling open the drawer and grabbing a pen before finally picking up the invitation that he had been avoiding for the past few days.

He had to face everyone eventually. Maybe Viktor and Yuuri would even be happy to see that he made the effort to leave his house just for their wedding.

Besides… Perhaps it would give people to opportunity to see that JJ isn’t as sick as Isabella told everyone.

But what if the paparazzi harassed him at the wedding instead of focusing on Yuuri and Viktor?!

No. He had to do this. This was the perfect opportunity to show his face and let everyone know that he really was okay.

He hesitated for a moment, not even thinking before ticking the box beside ‘Will be attending’ on the invitation.

Shit.

He needed a new suit.