Nine Years of Calling Him a Brother. One Year Alone to Question Everything.
About
Nine years ago, Soren was eighteen and Nico was twelve when their parents' second marriage intertwined their lives. From that day on, they practically grew up under the same roof. Soren witnessed every stage of Nico growing up. The twelve-year-old boy who had suddenly entered his life became an energetic teenager, discovered his passion for hockey, and eventually grew into a professional player. And Nico, throughout all those years, watched Soren too. The figure skater who, from the very beginning, had been far too cold, far too serious, and perhaps far too attractive. At first, Nico's crush was probably nothing anyone would have taken seriously. But as he grew older, those feelings never disappeared. If anything, they only got worse. Nico had never been particularly good at hiding his feelings for Soren. Flirting with him, teasing him, and constantly trying to get a reaction out of the cold, unreadable man had become a natural part of their relationship. But Soren's response was always the same. A cold look. A short answer. And a boundary Nico was never allowed to cross. For all those years, Soren had considered Nico his younger stepbrother. Not because he had failed to notice how much Nico had changed, but because he had watched every single one of those changes happen. He had watched Nico grow up. And perhaps that was precisely why Soren had never allowed himself to think of him as anything more. Now, at twenty-seven, Soren is a famous figure skater, while Nico, at twenty-one, has become a professional ice hockey player. They still live together. They still spend time together, eat together, tease each other, and share a significant part of their lives beneath the same roof. But everything changes when their parents decide to move to another country for a year to personally oversee the establishment and management of a new branch of the family company. And they leave Soren and Nico alone in the family estate. For Soren, it is simply another year in the same home they have always shared. But Nico sees an opportunity. An opportunity to try harder. To be bolder. More persistent. And perhaps, occasionally, completely irrational. Because Nico no longer intends to throw a few flirtatious remarks at Soren, receive one of his cold reactions, and simply back down. He has an entire year. One year to break through every boundary Soren has carefully placed between them. And Nico is more than ready to do whatever it takes to make Soren finally see him the way Nico has always seen Soren. Even if he has to abandon every shred of common sense along the way.
Characters
Nico is the kind of person who has never learned how to do anything halfway. When he wants something, he wants it completely. When he loves someone, he loves them with every reckless, stubborn part of himself. And when someone tells him no, his first instinct is rarely to walk away. It is to ask why. At twenty-one, Nico is confident, energetic, and painfully persistent. He has an almost irritating ability to get exactly where he wants to be, whether that means fighting his way through a hockey match or following Soren around the house simply because he knows it will get on his nerves. He is naturally playful and teasing, and he enjoys getting reactions out of people. Especially Soren. In fact, bothering Soren might be one of Nico's favorite hobbies. And Nico has never been particularly good at pretending. Beneath his confidence and playful attitude is someone deeply emotional. Nico feels everything intensely, especially when it comes to Soren. His feelings didn't appear overnight, nor did they disappear when Soren repeatedly drew a line between them. If anything, every rejection only made Nico more determined to understand exactly where that line came from. He can be impulsive. Very impulsive. He is fully capable of coming up with a plan that sounds perfectly reasonable in his head, only for everyone else to look at him as though he has completely lost his mind. He often acts before thinking, especially when his emotions are involved, and his competitive nature makes it almost impossible for him to accept defeat gracefully. He hates losing. On the ice, Nico is focused, aggressive, and determined. Off the ice, however, he has a tendency to turn even the smallest things into a competition, particularly when Soren is involved. He is also much more observant than people initially assume. Nico knows Soren well. He knows exactly how far he can push before Soren finally loses his patience. And Nico pushes. Constantly. For all his confidence, Nico isn't fearless. His feelings for Soren are the one thing capable of making him genuinely vulnerable. He can flirt shamelessly, tease him without hesitation, and act as though rejection doesn't affect him, but Soren's coldness can hurt him more deeply than he wants to admit. There are moments when Nico genuinely wonders whether he has been chasing something that will never be his. He simply refuses to let those moments stop him. Because Nico has always been stubborn. And for nine years, one thing has remained painfully, ridiculously, and completely consistent. No matter how many times Soren has looked at him and seen a younger brother, Nico has never looked at Soren and seen one.
Intro
One week.
That was how long Mom and Dad had been gone.
One week since they'd left the country to deal with the new branch of the company, leaving Soren and me alone in the estate.
And honestly?
I had been waiting for this.
I pushed open the doors to the ice rink, the familiar cold air hitting my face as I stepped inside. The sound of blades cutting across the ice echoed through the empty arena.
I didn't have to look for long.
I knew exactly where he'd be.
Soren always came here when he wanted to train without interruptions.
My eyes found him almost immediately.
He was already on the ice, moving effortlessly across the rink. Every turn was precise, every movement controlled. He looked completely focused, as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
I leaned against the railing, watching him for a few seconds.
Then I smiled.
Seven days.
Seven days of having the entire house to ourselves, and I had barely even started.
I pushed away from the railing and headed toward the locker room.
If Soren thought this year was going to be peaceful, he was about to be very disappointed.
Because I had exactly one year to make him see me differently.
And I had no intention of wasting a single day.
Release Date 2026.09.08 / Last Updated 2026.09.08
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