Katsuki Yuuri Solemnly Swears That Time-Travel/Alternate Universe Bullsh*t Did Not Happen With The Intent to Piss Off Yuri Plisetsky - Eldestmiddle (2024)

Chapter 1: time travel inadvertantly happens

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When Yuuri wakes up, a sweet-faced twelve-year-old, he bursts into tears and his mother calls him in sick to school.

He spends a day in bed, crying and pinching himself until he can really believe that he’s really doing all this over again. Then he starts laughing because he’s really doing all this over again. It feels like it should be easier but when he tallies up, the losses are almost too much to bear.

When Yuuri finally looks at the calendar, he has to go hunt down his birth certificate, baffling his mother once again. When he finally verifies the date and year with his entire family, he starts laughing all over again, hugging Vicchan to his chest.

All he can think is, “Yura will be furious.”

Yuuri spends the weekend reacclimatizing to his body. He is still soft with baby fat but he spends a lot of time jogging with Vicchan and dancing with Minako the same as alwaysthough there is a newfound maturity and poise to his dance that even he can feel. Minako-sensei definitely notices and asks him if he’d like to make a go at being a real danseur with a competitive gleam in her eyes, but Yuuri stubbornly sticks to ice-skating. He knows his limits but he also knows how far he can push it so he eases up on the jumps (triples for now, quads later) and focuses on his step sequences and spins to polish them up to what he became renowned for. The Viktor Shrine gets cleaned up. Yuuri keeps everything but he restrains himself to one large poster next to his door, everything else is packed away.

Competition-wise, Yuuri knows the Japanese Junior Figure Skating Championships are coming and he plans to meet Minami Kenjiro there. Yuuri goes into competition knowing that he’s even better than the last time but reminds himself that with a new competition group, there may be a dark horse. As it turns out, he’s the dark horse competitor. He skates to Lohengrim in his short program as a nod to his inspiration to Minami.

He also wears a dress. The costume had a split skirt last time, but you don’t live with Victor and not pick up a few tricks. So he tosses the pretense and wears black tights and a shimmery, lilac, long sleeve dress, which Minako enthusiastically approved of, and when he takes off his borrowed long trench to get on the ice, he hears the crowd begin to riot. He skates his improved Lohengrim and leaves the ice to a standing ovation and a smug sense that he has broken twitter.

Minami goes right after him and Yuuri makes sure to watch him especially.

The crowd is, at first, a bit disappointed when he gets on the ice in a more conventional male costume with a white collar top and black pants for the free skate but he moves to the music the way he did with Phichit in Detroit. When they were reveling in acing jumps (A quad! I did it! My first quad!) and showing off steps (I can’t do that! I never took ballet! You can do it!). Yuuri cries a bit as he fills the ice with his friendship with Phichit that never happened here, but he keeps it as joyful and fun as his memories because they are precious and real.

On the podium, he accepts gold and meets Minami who had just accepted silver. Minami at fifteen is even more enthusiastic than Minami at seventeen. The poor bronze medalist, Ryuichi Kihara, is completely bowled over and shouted on top of.

“You were so amazing! You’re younger than me but you really inspired me! I was so moved by your free skate and your short program was so dynamic! It was really cool! You can call me Kenjiro, okay!”

Something of the old man devil in him pricks Yuuri. He knows exactly how chubby cheeked and wide eyed he is, so he looks up through his lashes at Minami, blushing, “Aaah, Kenjiro-senpai?”

Minami becomes even more red and starts to fidget, “Ah, actually, I think you’ve been competing longer so really, you’re the senpai, Katsuki-senpai.”

“You can call me Yuuri.” A beat. “Kenjiro-onii-san.”

Kenjiro-onii-san nearly passes out right then and there as Yuuri smilingly invites Ryuichi-san to also call him Yuuri.

The goal is the Junior Grand Prix in Sochi which will be in two years, when he is fourteen. Any earlier and Victor will forever see him as a child on par with Yurio, though the tantrums probably didn’t help. It has to be age fourteen because he has to get to Sochi. He doesn’t have the money or a coach to take him internationally but the Junior Prix competitors are chosen by national federations, not seeded, so he just needs to do well nationally. Luckily, he has Minako and years of choreography behind him. Unluckily, he cannot skate some of his best pieces yet. (No Eros at twelve. Not even at fifteen, seriously, what was Yurio thinking?) He only takes that as a challenge to look up fun pieces and texts Kenjiro a lot, who is really upbeat and playful.

Yuuri tries really hard not to make Kenjiro a replacement-Phichit. He gets to know about Kenjiro’s family and even makes a weekend visit for a sleepover that sends Kenjiro over the moon in joy. The Minami parents are very approving of Yuuri’s polite and retiring nature in contrast to his risqué short program costume. The fact that he shows up in pants and a plain jacket probably helps as well because Kenjiro confessed over skype that he had been considering wearing a dress on ice as well. His older brother, Mori, is kind but very busy with his studies and mostly appreciates that Kenjiro’s exuberant affections are being diverted elsewhere.

Kenjiro is, in turn, invited to Yu-topia and the Katsukis think that they’re adorable with the way Kenjiro says “Yuuri-senpai” and Yuuri replies “Kenjiro-onii-san”. Kenjiro enthusiastically helps out around the inn and they spend their free time at the Ice Castle and hot springs afterwards. It’s the kind of weekend he never had in his first childhood and he feels so happy to be with Kenjiro that he thinks he can probably try to contact Phichit soon.

Maybe.

But before that, the Japanese figure skating federation shows up at his doorstep.

They want him to go to the Junior Grand Prix. They are really excited. Yuuri is a strong Japanese competitor and, though he is very young, they feel that he can really make an impact on the international stage with his performance. They are devastated when Yuuri rejects them. Though it had been a reach, they had hoped that by sending representatives personally, they could persuade him to go internationally. He cites his growing body and his schooling as reasons to delay his international debut and makes a deal with them. He will work for two years to polish up his skating and accelerate his schooling and then he will enter for the qualifiers for the Sochi Grand Prix. Both parties leave the negotiations satisfied. Everything is going so well that Yuuri is now waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It happens.

Phichit isn’t skating anymore.

Chapter 2: yuuri's first freakout

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Yuuri eats a bowl of katsudon to comfort himself and calls the Minami household (because Kenjiro isn’t picking up his cell) only to be told that Kenjiro was at the dentist’s. (He knew that. How could he forget that?) So he spends the next two hours in a panic talking to Mori on the phone about everything from the seagulls to the sand. Poor Mori gamely talks to him until Yuuri’s wound himself down enough to hang up even though there is an anatomy test coming up that he should really be studying for.

The Minami brothers are true treasures.

After apologizing profusely, Yuuri sits down to really dig though Phichit’s insta.

It feels a bit bittersweet looking at all the group photos. Yuuri remembers Phichit’s pictures in Detroit back then were mostly of Phichit dragging Yuuri somewhere to have fun and let loose a little. Now, Phichit was almost always in a groupshot before his photos turned into beautiful landscape and solo shots of Bangkok as he took a season off.

Had he… held Phichit back?

Yuuri wallows for a second before reminding himself that he wasn’t the one in trouble, Phichit was. That season off… It sounded like the beginning of Yuuri’s season off after Sochi except Phichit was eighteen and should be hitting his stride in the seniors. It was a cry for help. And no one seemed to notice because Phichit kept taking pictures of temples, beaches, and food.

So Yuuri thinks back really hard to Detroit and tries to remember the day-to-day.

Like how none of their rinkmates talked to Phichit until he spoke English well enough to be understood easily. How fifteen year old Phichit had clung to the only other international rinkmate despite the three year age gap. Their talks about how their schoolmates never really understood about their passions even in their home countries. How lonely it felt to be ignored and talked to as if he was stupid for not knowing English.

sh*t.

sh*tsh*tsh*t.

Yuuri wants to take the first flight to Bangkok and give Phichit a hug.

Yuuri had always planned on going to meet Viktor on the ice. He had, at eighteen, already studied English extensively because it was the international language that pretty much everyone knew a bit of and had started Russian self-study to get close to Viktor. Phichit had been fifteen and probably had just started to really delve into English in school when he got scouted at the rink. And Phichit being Phichit, he had grabbed his adventure with both hands and run off to follow his dreams.

He imagines Phichit only being invited to skateclub group events out of obligation. The groupshots were really spaced apart.

sh*t.

“sh*t!”

Three years. Phichit had stuck it out for three years pretty much by himself. Oh god, now he’s having flashbacks to helping fifteen year old Phichit with his homework. And finding him restaurants for the American food he wanted to try. And getting kicked out of movie theaters for spending the entire movie telling Phichit what each actor said as they said it. Talking that pole studio into letting Phichit learn there while he was still sixteen and being dragged into it. Teaching him a little ballet to improve his posture on ice.

“sh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*tsh*t! f*ck! DAMN!”

There is a cautious knock at his door.

“Yuuri? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Yuuriis just fine. He is having sleepovers and eating katusdon. Phitchit isn’t fine. Oh god.

“You sure? You didn’t sound fine. Do you want me to call Kenjiro-kun? Do you want to talk to Mari?”

“No, no. I’m fine. I’m sorry for being loud and disturbing the guests.”

“It’s fine. If you need to talk, remember we’re here, okay?”

“Yes, yes, thank you. I’m sorry.”

“You’re a good boy, Yuuri.”

But he is a sh*tty, sh*tty friend.

“I might need to go to Bangkok.”

“What? Why?”

Kenjiro stares at a pale, determined Yuuri-senpai. Who took a train to meet with Kenjiro at a café near his house. Out of the blue when Yuuri-senpai is one of the politest, most organized people he knows

Okay, not totally out of the blue.

Kenjiro remembers getting back from the dentist’s and being told by Mori-aniki that Yuuri called in a panic but never got around to telling him why. He had felt totally jealous that Mori got to be there in Yuuri-senpai’s time of need, then totally bad that he was being so selfish. Besides, Yuuri hadn’t told Aniki what the problem was.

Apparently, the problem was that Yuuri needed to go to Bangkok.

“Someone there needs me. I can’t leave a friend like that.”

“This is crazy!” Kenjiro clutches at his hair. “What about skating? What about your schooling?”

“I’m getting schooling online, remember?”

Kenjiro remembers now. Yuuri-senpai had decided to accelerate his schooling so he had moved his classes online. Yuuri-senpai had also admitted that it was a relief because now his school knew him as the boy who wore dresses on TV. Which… Okay, fair enough.

“And I can always skate and dance anywhere.”

Kenjiro whines and pulls at his hair.

“Noooooooo…”

Soft hands push away his own hands and start to pet his hair.

“Kenjiro-onii-san. It won’t be forever. I still have competitions here as well. And it won’t even be a year.”

He suddenly grabs Yuuri’s hands and looks him in the eye, demanding, “You promise, right? Your base is definitely still Hasetsu!”

And Yuuri-senpai looks at him with fond eyes and says, “I promise!”

Then there are discussions with his family about his sudden need to go to Bangkok. He keeps everything very secretive, only insisting that there is someone who needs him.

This is completely out of the character. There is no way that Yuuri met anyone in Thailand in sleepy, little Hasetsu, but he is desperate and it clearly shows.

The Katsukis give in. Despite the drain on the money, they have always supported Yuuri’s skating and he did use the opportunity at competitions to namedrop Yu-topia as often as he could and greeted all the guests who came to see him despite his shyness. Yuuri also posts regularly on Instagram about his home and Hasetsu has seen a minor boom in domestic tourism from it.

He makes a promise to keep up on his schoolwork and skating while helping his friend. And apparently, that's enough. They trust him.

Yuuri is reminded that he doesn't deserve his family.

Yuuri sends a PM to Phichit on Instagram.

“I’m coming to visit. Please pick me up from Suvarnabhumi.”

Chapter 3: phichit+chu update

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Phichit is a little confused, which is a better feeling than slightly depressed.

He had come back from the US and everyone had asked him what it had been like and he had said, “I learned a lot.”

And he had learned a lot. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all that happened in the States.

Phichit doesn’t regret going to the US of A. He did learn a lot from Ciao Ciao and the multi-cultural experience in Detroit was amazing.

But it was lonely.

Phichit didn’t realize how lonely it was to be in a foreign country with no friends. He had, perhaps brashly, assumed that he would make new friends who would show him a brand new and exciting parts of the US.

It didn’t quite happen that way. It wasn’t that people weren’t nice. They were nice, except for those who weren’t, but they weren’t worth his time anyways. It was that he was a lot of work. He didn’t know English very well, so you had to speak clearly to him. Some people thought that meant speaking very slowly and repeating themselves constantly with overdone hand gestures and that was humiliating. He always had to hold himself back from snapping at people who did that. There were cultural mishaps and idioms and the slang that peppered the high school talk that he could barely keep up with. He could understand how that could get tiring. It sucked on both ends of the conversation to stall while someone frantically google translated.

So social media had become his best friend. You could post an image with a short caption (!!!!! Mah bae~ <3 I am SHOOK) on instagram and that was everything. phichit+chu had so many followers and he loved how he could reach out and get so many reliable replies.

But it was lonely eating alone at fun, hip restaurants. Ciao Ciao had tried but he was the coach, not an on-call bestie. So the museums Phichit had wanted to go to and the illicit underground clubs he had wanted to explore were only half-heartedly attended if at all.

After he got better at English, he was salty enough that he didn’t want to get too close to people who though he was too much of a bother to be friends with.

It had impacted his performance. He had gotten better and, yes, learned a lot, but his spirits were flagging and it showed. He had suggested this season off to Ciao Ciao and had gotten permission with a promise for weekly updates and regular practices. So Phichit had headed back to Thailand to try and recharge.

Which brings him back to his confusion.

“I’m coming to visit. Please pick me up from Suvarnabhumi.”

Um? Okay?

He checks out katsuki+yu who is an adorable little cinnamon roll from Japan. He mostly posts food shots and some smiling selfies with family and friends. The account is fairly new and he has been following phichit+chu for only about a week. Phichit doesn’t recognize the face and he’s usually really good with faces. Also, katsuki+yu looks about twelve years old so there is a really limited number of ways they could have met.

Phichit scratches his head. Is he being catfished? katsuki+yu looks really young though. Will Chris Hansen show up? But that message had been so abrupt. Had it been mis-sent?

What if the underage Japanese cinnamon roll shows up at Suvarnabhumi and no one is there to meet him?

That is a thing of nightmares. Phichit waits until there is an instagram update from katsuki+yu with a picture of Bangkok from the sky and heads over to the airport to look for the most lost looking person there.

Phichit actually finds him rather quickly.

katsuki+yu is waiting very calmly in front of the main doors and he is wearing a hamster hat.

Chapter 4: shall we skate?

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The first words Phichit says to Yuuri are, “I really like your hat.”

Which is not what he meant to say at all. But now he has a feeling that katsuki+yu might actually be here for him because Phichit loveslovesloves hamsters and he’s always wanted some.

katsuki+yu immediately hugs him with a smile and says, “Thank you. Is there a place I could skate?”

That answers how katsuki+yu might know him rather neatly but Phichit is still not sure how this might have happened. All this. As in, the sudden visit, the hug, and the hamster hat, but he’s inclined to trust the cutie for now.

He takes katsuki+yu to a rather nice rink he practices at and watches as katsuki+yu slowly, painstakingly asks, in Thai, for the manager to play a song on his phone. When he tries to intervene, he gets a pouty look that just- How has this kid not gotten more follows?

Phichit snaps a picture.

He posts it to his Instagram.

[image]

What a precious little cinnamon roll. #hamsterhat @katsuki+yuu #skatingrink #cutiepatootie #cinnamonroll

“I’m not a cinnamon roll.”

Phichit looks into katsuki+yu’s entirely serious eyes. Phichit smiles cheerfully, because he is a bit of a little sh*t, and says, “But you are~” and gets interrupted.

“I’m a katsudon bowl.”

Wait. What.

katsuki+yu scrolls through his phone and shows off one of his foodie shots.

“I’m not a cinnamon roll; I am a katsudon bowl.”

And- okay. Phichit can respect that. His shoulders are shaking with suppressed laughter as he edits his post.

[image]

What a precious little katsudon bowl. #hamsterhat @katsuki+yuu #skatingrink #cutiepatootie #katsudon

katsuki+yu checks the alert and nods with satisfaction before handing over his phone to the rather bemused manager. Then he looks seriously at Phichit and says, “Keep your eyes on me.”

katsuki+yu heads onto the ice and starts to circle with a sense of purpose that moves the few stragglers there to the boards to watch. Phichit brings up his phone and gets ready to record as katsuki+yu takes a loose standing pose.

Then he moves.

The music laughs with his step sequences and katsuki+yu laughs with his partner. There might not physically be anyone on the ice with him but by following his line of sight and the way his body angles, you can see a presence on the ice with him. A friend who learned with him and beside him. You can see the way they circle and chase each other across the ice, egging each other on.

katsuki+yu moves the way Phichit wants to. Lightly and with a sense of joy. Phichit can appreciate the heavy, emotionally distraught pieces and delicately intricate, effortless performances but he had always felt that his skating was supposed to be fun. Phichit had gone to Detroit with the dream doing what he loved for a living. He is fiercely proud of his Thai heritage and he had wanted to be the one to bring a greater awareness of figure skating in Thailand to the world because he loved to skate.

He wants to laugh on the ice again.

By the time katsuki+yu finishes to the applause of his audience, Phichit knows the only reason he is not crying is because he has frozen up. He doesn’t quite think he has taken a full breath since katsuki+yu started skating. Phichit checks his recording before going to rescue katsuki+yu from his new fans. After extracting themselves from the gaggle of admirers who kept ruffling the katsudon bowl’s hair, they go to sit at a table in the corner and fall into silence.

After a few moments, katsuki+yu squares his shoulders and looks Phichit dead in the eye.

“My name is Katsuki Yuuri and I am your best friend from another dimension.”

And Phichit believes him. Completely and utterly.

Because Katsuki Yuuri is still wearing his hamster hat.

Chapter 5: magic is really real

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Phichit’s eyes sparkle and Yuuri knows he’s made the right choice.

“How?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I woke up like this.”

And Phichit laughs but he’s looking better already. Brighter.

“Tell me,” he begs. “How did we meet and become friends?”

“Phichit, you must brace yourself,” Yuuri intones gravely. Phichit nods and leans closer over the table.

“In this alternate dimension, I was older than you.”

Phichit freezes.

“How much older?”

“Three years older.” Yuuri hesitates then says, “Phichit, we met in Detroit. Ciao Ciao was my coach too.”

Phichit slumps back in this seat and stares unseeingly into the distance.

“We met in Detroit.”

“Yes. We started at the same time.”

“And we became friends in Detroit.”

“Yes. Best friends.”

Yuuri looks at Phichit then pushes on.

“It was mostly you, really. I was so shy though I was already eighteen. But you pushed me out of my box and we had a lot of fun. You would persuade me to do the craziest things and I never regretted it a single moment of anything. But I woke up here and I was scared because I’m thirteen now and I really missed you and Phichit, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here-.”

“What are you talking about?” Phichit sits up, focusing sharply on Yuuri. “I don’t blame you for that! Yuuri, magic is real! Don’t you understand? I was so lonely and so alone! Then the universe sends me my best friend!”

Then he bursts into tears.

“Phichit, you moved into my apartment when you turned sixteen and bought three hamsters as a birthday present to yourself because Ciao Ciao wouldn’t let you keep them in his house. And our whole friendship was like that.”

“That sounds so awesome.” Phichit enthuses softly.

They had left the rink after Phichit stopped crying and they are now wandering around comparing and contrasting their lives so far. Yuuri is very careful not to comment on anything past Phichit’s eighteenth year no matter how tricky Phichit tries to be.

Phichit is quieter in some ways but he is, essentially, the same. He actually starts perking up and an old familiar bounce starts up. He makes a game of learning about Yuuri and Yuuri answers eagerly about Hasetsu, his family, his friends, and his competitions so far.

It is because everything is so familiar and warm that Yuuri stops dead in the middle of the street.

“Phichit, did you ever get pole lessons?”

Phichit tilts his head slightly, “I actually took those over there? I wish. I wanted to but I never got around to it.”

Yuuri grips Phichit’s hand and points to a strip club.

“Let’s start now.”

“Wait, what? Yuuri, if I take you in there, it’ll be a crime. I’ll get arrested.”

“They’re not open yet. But the managers are probably already there setting up. We can ask to borrow the stage for a little while so I can teach you.”

“You’re crazy.”

They stare at each other.

“Let’s do it.”

They do it.

It took all of Phichit’s fast-talking charm to not get the police called but they did it. The two managers watched as a small hamster-hatted boy taught an older man how to do some simple spins and poses. They get kicked out just as the talent started to check in for their shifts.

After they’re back out on the streets in the early afternoon, Yuuri turns to Phichit and says, “Show me Thailand.”

And Phichit does.

He does all the crazy things he was too young for before he left Thailand and all the things he was too lonely for in Detroit. He drags Yuuri everywhere between skate practices and homework and Yuuri lets him, enables him, and encourages him. They go dancing everywhere that allows Yuuri and sneak into everywhere else that doesn’t. Yuuri eats everything Phichit puts in from of him, even when it makes him cry, and gets revenge by getting him actually stuck up a pole at the strip club and both the managers and the bartender have to help get him down.

When Phichit gets the courage to try his programs again instead of just practicing components, he can feel himself start to lift up off the ice. And he thinks, “This is happiness. This is joy.”

Phichit starts to plan for his next season with Ciao Ciao again.

Then it’s time for Yuuri to go home.

Chapter 6: brothers and sisters are like hands and feet

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Yuuri is really lucky their parents didn't know how to navigate social media.

They leave all that up to Mari. Which meant Mari knew all about what was going on in Bangkok becausephichit+chu kept tagging her brother in all his photos.

Frankly, she is a bit alarmed about the shenanigans (there might have been a hastily deleted pole picture that had her hand inching towards the emergency call button).The only reason she isn’t more worried is that the second post of Yuuri that phichit+chu did was of Yuuri doing his free skate. The friendship one.

Mari takes a long drag of her cigarette and continues perusing phichit+chu’s instagram. She likesa pictureof Yuuri weeping into a plate of tom yum with her personal account.

The online tutor says that Yuuri is ahead in his studies already and steadily working through the rest. Yuuri’s own instagram seems to be pretty fun as well if not more sanitized. There are a lot of clips of him doing step sequences to Thai pop blaring over the loudspeakers with phichit+chu.

Yuuri will be just fine.

Munchmunchmunchmunchmunchmunchmunchmunchmunch.

Kenjiro vengefully chews through his shrimp crackers, elbowing away Aniki when he tries to take them away. Mori only sighs, “At least, drink some water” and leaves a cup by his elbow.

It’s not like he’s mad that Yuuri went to see another older man!

Even if it looks like they’re having so much fun!

Kenjiro had followed phichit+chu as soon as he had posted that adorable picture of Yuuri-senpai pouting in a hamster hat. Then came a steady stream of dancing and food and selfies next to anything that could be construed a landmark and there had definitely been a pole picture at one point.

Kenjiro isn’t mad. He had immediately looked up Phichit Chulanont’s career up to that point and the increasing complexity that tried to cover up his declining performance had made him wince. Then taking a season off at eighteen after entering seniors? Yeah, he needed help.

Kenjiro just can’t figure out why it had to be Yuuri-senpai who had to help Chulanont of Thailand who studies in Detroit. They never even met before! Kenjiro is very sure of this and Yuuri senpai had only started following Chulanont recently, after the confirmation of a season off.

But Yuuri-senpai had flown to Thailand to help Chulanont out of his rut.

Yuuri-senpai is really decisive. And cool. And brilliant. That comes of being a skating prodigy. Maybe he saw something in Chulanont that was worth knowing? After all, Yuuri-senpai had chosen to keep in touch with Kenjiro and even calls him Kenjiro-onii-san. His chest puffs out a little at the thought. That meant Yuuri-senpai looked up to Kenjiro, at least a little, the way Kenjiro looked up to Yuuri-senpai.

He prints out a black and white A4 promo picture of Chulanont and pins it next to his life size full color poster of Yuuri-senpai in his Lohengrim dress. Looking into Chulanont’s dead, colorless eyes, he declares, “I am your rival.”

Mori quietly steps back from the doorway and shuts the door. He goes downstairs to the living room where their parents are.

“Do you ever feel that Kenjiro’s chosen career might be taking over his life?” the medical student asked the neurosurgeon and the pathologist.

Chapter 7: a storm builds

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Yuuri goes home and dances in Minako’s studio right after he gets off the plane to her delight. He dances about all the new, crazy things he did with Phichit again. Yuuri runs the way they did from the bouncers at the club they snuck into and leaps the way they did from the swings at the park. Then he goes home and thanks everyone for allowing him to up and run to Thailand without much prior notice.

Minako enthusiastically supports his decision, burbling on about the inspiration he must have gotten and how beautifully he had danced. Mari catches Yuuri’s eye and smiles knowingly. Yuuri feels himself begin to blush, remembering how Phichit had posted everything.

Poor Kenjiro seems to gone through a sort of withdrawal. He pleads for Yuuri to come by and critique his programs and give him tips on spins and teach him new step sequences so often that Coach Odagaki looks embarrassed every time she walks into the rink to see Yuuri again. She jokingly asks if he would like to be named co-coach and actually get paid for his time but he assures her that teaching is the best way to learn and only asks that she helps spot him on jumps to improve.

He spends the year having fun because next year will be preparations for the qualifiers for the Grand Prix Finals as he promised the JSF.

“That Katsuki Yuuri is such a snob, right?”

Kenjiro’s head spins around so fast that he almost gives himself whiplash.

“Right? And it’s not like he’s that great either, prancing around like that.”

Poor Coach Kanako tries to physically carry Kenjiro away but he bats away her hands and jumps up quickly.

“You take that back.”

A group of beautifully bedazzled skaters turn to look at him. It’s backstage after his free skate and Yuuri-senpai had greeted him at the Kiss & Cry with Coach to his delight. Yuuri-senpai had decided to stay by the boards because his slot was coming up anyway but told Kenjiro to go do a cooldown and rehydrate. Kenjiro had obediently gone, hoping to get done fast enough to go back and watch Yuuri-senpai skate.

A rather pretty brunette in a white dress tosses her ponytail and huffs, “Please, we all know by now how much of an otaku you are about him but it’s just facts. He just wears dresses to scandalize people and he has a little talent but he never leaves Japan. Even you’ve gone out to some international competitions. There are a lot of better skaters out there and that scares him. Face it, he’s just a big fish in a little pond hoping that no one notices.”

“That’s-!”

Coach Kanako’s hand comes down on his shoulder and he shuts himself up. Yuuri-senpai’s finances are a private matter that shouldn’t be shared with strangers. But it nags at him. Kenjiro knows he’s lucky that both his parents have high income jobs, trust funds, and encouraging attitudes that allow for him to get the best opportunities in skating, whether it be his coach, costumes, or travel expenses. Yuuri-senpai is different. His family onsen has gotten more popular since he’s promoted them but they’re not exactly booming. Yuuri-senpai told him that he is grateful they supported his selfishness to skate. Even when money was tight in his earlier years, they never told him he should stop skating. They had always encouraged his passions and Minako-sensei even gave him free lessons and allows all access to the ballet studio. After he takes out his expenses, all the competition winnings go toward the onsen without keeping anything back to save for himself.

The JSF had been aware of his circ*mstances and as long as Yuuri keeps to a certain standard and keeps consistently winning gold in Japan over the other competitiors who do go to international competitions, they are willing to submit his name for the Junior Men’s Single for the Grand Prix. The Katsuki family is already saving up and budgeting for the international flights, new costumes, and Coach Kanako’s time on the rink.

Kenjiro looks at the brunette and remembers that she’s Tanaka Mio who won silver last year in the junior woman’s singles. He decides, rather uncharitably, that she really isn’t that pretty and if he’s remembering right…

“Your boyfriend should spend more time on the ice and less time kissing his rink manager. Maybe he’d make it on the podium with Yuuri-senpai.”

Mio turns brick red as the rest of her coterie gasp.

Coach Kanako quickly steers him away before the girls recover from their shock. Once they’re out of earshot, she frowns at him, “That was very unkind, Kenjiro.”

“You heard what she said! And it wasn’t just her, either! It was all of them.” Kenjiro fumes.

“That’s the price of winning. People get jealous. And Yuuri does keep himself apart from them.”

“He’s shy!” Kenjiro remembers how surprised he was by that. In some situations, Yuuri-senpai takes charge and you get swept along by his pace, but in others, he will blush, shake, and sidle behind Kenjiro to hide. It’s really, really cute.

“Yes,” Coach Kanako smiles at the memory of Yuuri holding onto Kenjiro’s sleeve and inching behind him when faced with some of his more enthusiastic fans. “But they don’t know that. And imagine how Yuuri would feel, knowing you said something like that.”

Kenjiro huffs but falls silent as they head back to the rink. They make it just in time. Yuuri is just stepping onto the ice. Yuuri sees him as he does his laps and does a small double loop, waving at him with a smile. Kenjiro excitedly waves back.

“Coach Kanako?”

“Hm?” She turns to look at her student. Kenjiro is staring, already rapt, at the ice as Yuuri starts to take his pose.

“How can anybody hate him after seeing him skate?”

Yuuri wins gold again and Phichit comes to visit before heading back to Detroit to train.

Phichit and Kenjiro’s meeting is… weird.

In his first life, Kenjiro and Phichit had gotten along very well. They are both very friendly and Kenjiro had been a long-time follower of phichit+chu because Yuuri rarely posted about anything and Phichit always posted about his best friend.

Now…

There is a strange tension? They are always smiling at each other in front of him and there doesn’t actually seem to be any hate or distaste, but whenever Kenjiro comes to visit while Phichit is staying at Yu-topia, there seems to be a heavy pressure bearing down on everyone. The Katsuki parents just leave them to it, mildly murmuring to not disturb the guests while Mari grins at them from behind the counter. Yuuri doesn’t leave them alone much. He’s afraid of what will happen.

Other than that, Phichit’s visit is fun. They don’t paint Hasetsu red because, frankly, there isn’t enough shade around to even paint it pink, but they go to the ninja castle and walk along the beach and they talk, a lot.

Yuuri feels sad to see Phichit leave but he’s happy that Phichit is bouncing around again. Phichit makes him promise to interact more with competitors but when he tries, they don’t seem to like him that much and Kenjiro starts looking really mad. So he labels that experiment a failure and updates Phichit who responds by posting three “super-cute” photos of Yuuri in Hasetsu on Instagram.

[image]

My magical angel~ could this hat lie to you? @katsuki+yu #cutiepatootie #myson #hamsterhat #hasetsu #hamsterhatsetsu #yu-topia #skatingrink #skating

katsuki+yu gains 12,985 new followers.

“I am very honored to be Japan’s choice for Junior Male’s Singles. I will endeavor to do my best to represent our country in the qualifiers and bring back a gold in Sochi.”

There are cheers as Yuuri bows on the stage. There was a press conference called after the JSF had announced their selections for their junior competitors. Though Yuuri is young and only a Junior skater, he is considered the rising star of Japan to the Senior division’s disgruntlement. He is cute with a very mature demeanor and advanced steps and spins. His shyness endears him to his fans who quickly rally to protect his honor on the internet from fans of other jealous juniors. His backstory of struggling to pursue his passions with his family’s wholehearted support touches hearts all across the nation. When the official fan club sends him a gift basket with flight mile donations toward his plane tickets and gift cards for new blades, he actually shows up for a meet and greet with the club and melts the hearts of everyone there with his blushing face and stuttering thanks.Yu-topia experiences a sharp upswing in business as people flock to have a chance to have their meals served to them by a smiling Yuuri after his practices.

Yuuri feels better about the family coffers as he prepares to leave for the Skate Canada with Minako-sensei. He is much more aware, now, how much his family must have pushed themselves before just so he could do what he loved. Everyone decides that it would be unfair to Kenjiro, who had his own competitions to prepare for, if Coach Kanako traveled with Yuuri who was mostly self-sufficient anyway and they certainly couldn’t just drag Kenjiro around with them willy-nilly, despite Kenjiro’s vocal protests. Mari is needed at the onsen with the sudden influx of guests. Fans were planning to watch his competitions from his home and they were completely booked. Minako enthusiastically volunteers, joking that she’d finally meet all the hunky skaters she watched on tv. That might have not been entirely a joke.

When he gets to Skate Canada, fourteen years old, never competitively left Japan, with his ballet teacher by his side, everyone side-eyes him. He knows what they think about him. How can he not? First-life Yuuri would have gone to the bathroom to collapse and ride out his anxiety attack in private. Now Yuuri steps forward after giving Minako-sensei a nod.

He wins, he wins, he wins.

One of the female Senior skaters takes a liking to him. Gabrielle is actually a katsuki+yu follower and she thinks that he is just adorable. She takes him and Minako to a sushi restaurant and laughs at them when they see sushi rolls. They take selfies together and Yuuri remembers that she makes it to the Grand Prix Final twice though she never gets on the podium.

Sometimes, it hurts to know certain things.

Chapter 8: cup of china

Chapter Text

Yuuri meets Guang Hong for the first time here and isshook.

Is- is he supposed to be this short?

Guang Hong was already quite small at seventeen but he is now sixteen and though Yuuri is smaller still...

Guang Hong is definitely too short.

"You're that guy,katsuki+yu, right? I'm a mutual with Phichit! I'm Guang Hong!"

Guang Hong looks Yuuri up and down before smiling even more brightly.

"My insta is+guanghongji+. Wanna add me on SNS?"

"A-ah, sure."

As they both add each other, Yuuri can't help but feel...

Are you just happy that you found a guy shorter than you?

Yuuri had become friends with Guang Hong through Phichit at the Cup of China leading up to Barcelona. Guang Hong had been about 160ish cm then. Which meant....

T-that is his height after a growth spurt???

As Guang Hong smilingly invites him to dinner, Yuuri smiles helplessly at Guang Hong andthinks, 'Sorry, but I'm going to end up taller than you."

Guang Hong is feeling pretty... refreshed? Yes, that's the word.

Phichit had cooed all over SNS how adorable and magicalkatsuki+yu was. Some people had teased him about how doting he was but he had declared that his son was amazing, a gift from the universe.

Guang Hong still isn't quite sure how they met, exactly, but those pictures of Yuuri in a hamster hat are too cute. Phichit had asked him to look out for Yuuri at the Cup of China and frankly, it isn't a chore at all.

Yuuri is exactly as short as he seemed in the pictures.

Also, he's really respectful which is a relief after meeting Yuri Plisetsky at Skate America. Though they share a name, they aren't alike at all!

Yuri Plisetsky looks delicate at first glance but... in the course of the competition, Russian Yuri had shattered his phone by throwing it against a wall, been seen shouting at Viktor Nikiforov, blatantly ignored his coach, and prefaced any and all entrances by kicking the door.

That intensity is... truly frightening.

Katsuki Yuuri, on the other hand, is still slightly child-like with his chubby cheeks. He walks close to Guang Hong, sometimes grabbing his sleeve in a crowd, and has the sweetest smile that crinkles up his wide brown eyes. Guang Hong had taken a lot of selfies and laughed over Phichit's despairing replies together with Yuuri.

[image]

With @katsuki+yu at #cupofchina #cutiepatootie #katsudon @phichit+chu #yourson

Guang Hong glances over at Yuuri over his soup dumplings. Japanese Yuuri might seem less dramatic with his small yet solid frame but his programs... they are really something. Guang Hong had checked them out and is really impressed. There is a also lot of hype about him. He's traveling without a coach and though Odagaki Kanako had been credited, everyone knows that she had only helped him leading up to the Grand Prix. He choreographs his programs himself and actually wins with them while on his first international championship. Yuuri is Japan's pride and joy.

Back at the hotel, Yuuri looks up at him with a slightly crooked smile.

"Guang Hong, thanks for taking care of me."

Guang Hong smiles back, feeling fluttery.

"But, I need to get to the Sochiin the strongest position I can, so that if means stepping over you on the way to the podium, I will."

Guang Hong freezes.

Yuuri no longer looks as angelic as Phichit had claimed. Though he's still smiling, his eyes are blazing as his gaze pierces right through Guang Hong.

Gulp.

Guang Hong snaps a picture.

[image]

A-A challenger arrives! @katsuki+yu #cupofchina

Guang Hong looks up from his phone and brings up his fists. "I-I won't back down!"

Yuuri suddenly hugs him.

"Guang Hong, let's do our best!"

T-This intensity is... truly frightening.

Guang Hong manages to scrape a gold by 0.04 points with Yuuri snapping at his heels.

Yuuri turns to Guang Hong on the podium holding the silver medal and smiles.

"Let's meet at Sochi!"

"A-ah."

Chapter 9: sochi-all that and a bag of chips part 1: yuuri's second freakout

Chapter Text

Right before they fly for Sochi from the airport, Yuuri turns to Minako. Seeing his serious mien, she focuses all her attention on him.

“Minako-sensei, while I’m at Sochi, I’m going to do some things that will be very necessary yet incendiary and controversial. You may, at one point, need to defend me with your own body. Will you be willing to come with me anyways?”

Minako feels herself began to sweat under Yuuri’s intense eyes.

“I will completely understand if you feel you cannot go any further with me.”

What is this?

Yuuri is known to be, hmmm, passionate but he is remarkably low-key off the ice. Usually. She suddenly remembers him insisting on going to Thailand to help out a friend while he was thirteen.

Well, Yuuri is an artist and a dancer besides. Minako remembers some of her more high-strung contemporaries from her own performance days. In particular, a young lady who had pointed at her at her first practice with the American Ballet and declared Minako her arch-nemesis and hissed that she would call a star from the heavens to crush Minako on stage with her first solo.

“Well,” Minako tries to smile, “who will the opponent be?”

And Yuuri immediately replies without blinking, “All of Russia.”

Which.

Um.

Minako’s clothes start sticking to her as she sweats even more profusely. Her smile has become a rictus of uncertainty.

“And this is necessary?”

“Absolutely necessary. This will define my life going forward from now on as well as the lives of other significant individuals.”

…okay.

Minako takes a deep breath before slamming her hands down on Yuuri’s shoulders. He doesn’t even flinch.

“Yuuri,” she says resolutely, “I will protect you with my life.”

Yuuri’s face lights up as he stares deeply into her eyes.

“Minako-sensei, thank you so much for everything.”

He gives a short bow before turning to lead the way to their gate, his posture set and steady. Minako follows him, feeling increasingly worried as she goes over the events in the last few years of Yuuri’s life.

Is… Yuuri part of the yakuza? And… was I just recruited?

The truth is, you never really get over something like Sochi. (except for the parts you're blackout drunk)

Viktor became his lover/husband, Yurio became his rival/friend, and that podium became his f*cking bitch.

But Sochi never faded from memory.

Sochi was the sore spot that never healed and no one ever addressed.Perhaps they thought that Barcelona overwrote it. Certainly no one ever thought it really counted on his list of accomplishments. It actually (very kindly, he always thought) barely rated a mention on his wikipedia page.

It was rather ironic considering how it led to the rest of his life.

Yuuri was asked about the Grand Prix Final in Sochi in an interview exactlyonce. He doesn't know the kind of face he made but he was never asked again, not even by the paparazzi which is an accomplishment that hasn't yet been repeated by man, woman, or god.

It stained every competition in Russia.

His scores there were comparable to his scores on his homeground of Japan. They called Russia his second home. Because of Viktor.

Right.

So you see, Yuuri isn't heading to Sochi now for redemption. He's going for vengeance.

Viktor Nikiforov is tired.

It's not the jet lag and it's not the practices. He is bone deep tired.

He only allows himself to rub his eyes once in the hotel by the elevators where the press and fans won't see.

"Keep it together, Viktor."

"Yes, yes, Yakov."

Looking up, Viktor sees a young boy, probably a Junior skater judging by the JSF jacket. He is standing very still in the lobby, looking at Viktor. It's not the usual adoring gape or even Yuri's competitive glare but it is a gaze. Viktor straightens up to smile sunnily, "A commemorative photo? Sure!"

The boy blinks before shaking his head with a bow and walking off with a nervous looking woman by his side. Viktor is taken aback and Yakov leans over to see who Viktor had been talking to.

"Ah. That's Yuuri Katsuki."

"What, Yakov?" Yuri snaps, only just catching sound of his name. He doesn't even look up from his phone.

"Not you, you brat. Yuuri Katsuki. He'll be in the Juniors with you."

"What." Yuri finally looks up and focuses on what Yakov is saying. "There is another Yuri in the competition against me?"

"Haven't you been keeping up with your competitors?" Yakov looks like he might burst an artery.

"It's not like Viktor does."

"That doesn't mean you should imitate him." Yakov covers his face for moment before taking a deep breath. "Yuuri Katsuki. This is his first international competition and he's already made it to the Grand Prix Finals. He's been winning without any quads in his free skate like you are."

"No,not like I am." Yuri looks like he might run after the Japanese Yuuri. "I am the Yuri in this competition. The only Yuri."

"Don't be so spoiled!" Viktor laughs. "You have to learn to share."

"f*ck you, Viktor."

"Shut up, both of you. Yuuri Katsuki is serious competition in the Juniors and he-"

"Shut up, Yakov."

As Yakov's face starts to purple, Yuri steps into the opened elevator doors. He turns to stare at them and grits out, "That backwater country bumpkin isn't Yuri.I'm Yuri. And I don't need to know a single thing about him to turn him toborscht on the ice."

Then he punches his floor button and the doors close.

Leaving Viktor and Yakov behind.

Yuuri is curled up on the hotel bathroom floor, hyperventilating, as Minako-sensei periodically knocks on the door, calling out for him in a worried voice.

How could he have forgotten Viktor was twenty-six.

Viktor's age had never been a factor for Yuuri besides a joke about thinning hair. Viktor always seemed ageless and forever young. Even travelling back in time like this, Yuuri had only worried about his own age. Now, at fourteen, Yuuri is keenly aware of their age gap.

Twenty-six.

Yuuri is fourteen, hasn't even gone through his major growth spurt (it's coming in about a year and then again at eighteen), hasn't finished puberty (thankfully his voice hadn't cracked that much), and he hasn't even gotten his glasses yet.

Viktor is twenty-six. He is the oldest skater at this competition, no matter how good he is. He is already considering retirement.

Yuuri stuffs his fist into his mouth to try and muffle a wail.

He might not get to have Viktor.

He dissolves into a puddle of hysterical sobs.

Minako-sensei pounds on the door and yellsfor him to tell her he's okay.

After Yuuri finally cries himself out, snotty and cold, his neural synapses start to fire and tell him the logical conclusion of his realization.

Someone else might get to have Viktor.

And no.

Just.

No.

Yuuri's reddened, tear soaked eyes snap open.

Viktor alone is a terrible thing. Yuuri knows how lonely Viktor was, had it whispered in his ears in the dark of night, felt it in the grasp of his fingers in the light of day. He wouldn't wish for Viktor to suffer that way for the rest of his life.

But he isn't giving Viktor up to anybody else.

Yuuri picks himself up from the bathroom floor and opens the door.

Chapter 10: sochi-all that and a bag of chips part 2: protect me, minako-sensei!

Chapter Text

“He’s good.”

Yuri had stormed off in a huff after receiving the highest short program score so far, but Viktor and Yakov had lingered to watch Katsuki Yuuri take to the ice.

Yakov looks over at Viktor from the corner of his eye.

“He’s better than you were at his age.”

“Haa…”

Viktor knows what Yakov is doing. Viktor’s retirement is a heavy cloud on the horizon. Yakov wants to hold it off for as long as possible, as long as Viktor can skate, but Viktor already feels the death of his career. He barely cares anymore. Yakov had hoped that Yuri’s ferocity would call up an answering passion from Viktor, but Yuri’s performances, while technically, mechanically correct, were tedious, alight with his rage but with no variation in tone and sentiment.

Viktor watches Katsuki Yuuri’s skates flash as he comes out of a triple flip and goes into a rapid step sequence to cheers from the crowd. Yuuri’s performance has, in contrast, an entire story. A boy rises to from a metamorphosis to find himself unlike completely unlike how he had been. He spirals into confusion, finding himself capable of greater things, without his previous limitations. He dares to raise his eyes to greater heights than previously dreamed of. His program ends with a triple axel as the boy jumps forward at a prospect but leaves the conclusion ambiguous and uncertain.

All the jumps are clean and precise. His step technique is delicate and dynamic. His spins are, incredibly, on beat with the music.

Viktor’s heart stirs and wishes that he was a decade younger, watching a star rising to meet him.

“Don’t burden a boy with such heavy expectations, Yakov,” Viktor chides softly. Yakov only snorts.

They watch quietly as Katsuki Yuuri beats Yuri’s SP score by eight points. Viktor whistles lowly.

If only, if only.

“Hey, Yakov...”

Yakov turns to see Viktor sparkling at him, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

“Let’s not tell Yuri the placings, okay~?”

“What do you mean, I’m second to last in the free skate schedule.”

Yuri feels his blood pressure spike at Viktor and Yakov’s,Yakov’s,smiling faces.

“Well, after you left, Yuuri did his short program and my~. It was so lovely! His jumps made you feel hiswhooshand his spins werewhoomwhoomwhoomwhoomwhoom.And I have never-.”

“Don’t call him Yuri.”

Yuri grips Viktor’s RUSSIA jacket collar and drags him down to smash their foreheads together.

“I am Yuri.”

“That’s funny. My name is Yuuri, too.”

Yuri slowly turns around.

“Oh. Will he be alright?”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Minako-sensei.”

Viktor had yanked Yurio’s jacket up and inside out, trapping his arms above his head while Yakov had quickly clasped Yurio’s ankles together and, together, Viktor and Yakov had hustled Yurio away in an improvised two-person carry, Yurio’s screams trapped within his own jacket.

That looked… well-practiced. Though probably not on Yurio before or they wouldn't have gotten the jump on him

Yuuri snickers quietly to himself. Catching Minako-sensei’s worried glance, he adds confidently, “He’ll be skating right before me, today. I’m sure they’ll be very careful with him.” He braces against a wall to start his stretches.

Minako stares into the distance.

That just now…. mafiya?

As soon as Yuri gets to the Kiss & Cry, Yakov is there, already steaming.

“What the hell was that?”

“What are you talking about, Yakov? I nailed all my jumps.”

“But you messed upeverything else.”

“I did all the steps and spins!”

“Sloppy! It was a mess! You would have been better off eliminating them all together!”

“He’s right, Yuri,” Viktor looks uncharacteristically grave. “You missed out a lot on PCS.”

“I did them.”

After the scoring, placing him in first so far, Yakov grabs Yuri roughly by the shoulder and shoves him back to the boards.

“You’re going to watch this. It’ll be good for you.”

Yuri huffs and crosses his arms. He knows he’s not going to get out of this. To his surprise, Viktor moves up behind his shoulder to watch as well.

“Old man, I thought it was time for your nap.”

Viktor smirks at him before returning his gaze to the Japanese Yuuri. “Watch and learn, Yurachka.”

As Yuuri steps onto the podium to receive gold, he glances over at Yurio, who is strangely silent at his right. He had expected Yurio to snarl, “this isn’t over” or something of the sort. Instead, Yurio has an eerie, flat expression that actually worries him.

“You did a good job.”

“Ah!” Yuuri looks at Cha Jun Hwan at his left. “You too! I really liked your energy.”

“We had very different programs. I liked your intensity. I’ll have to work hard to catch up.”

Yuuri blushes at the compliment but he can feel Yurio at his side, ominous and silent.

This is not what he intended.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?”

Viktor peeks in at Yuri where he’s shuffled under the covers.

Yakov just continues to put on his coat.

“He’ll be just fine. Let’s go, Viktor.”

Viktor is baffled by Yuri’s silence. Yuri is loud, everything about him is loud, including his fashion sense. He can’t understand why Yuri is so quiet now.

“He got a big head about it.”

Yakov is grinning to himself.

“That kid, he thought he was growing up to be king of the world. Then this little nobody pipsqueak smears him across the ice. It’s good for him.”

“So what we did wasn’t cruel?”

“Oh, it was definitely cruel but he needed it.” Yakov side-eyes Viktor. “You could’ve used a bit of that yourself.”

“There were times I didn’t win gold, in the beginning.” Viktor protested lightly.

“You always made it to the podium. Always. And everybody knew you were going to be something. You never got that smackdown stopping you from what you really wanted. Getting gold was an inevitability for you.”

Viktor stays silent. It was true. It is why he was considering retiring already. He knows his body. Barring any serious accidents, he has a good three years maybe left in him, even with his aging. He is lucky but he’s not feeling the gold, really, anymore.

“Yuri will get over it. If he doesn’t, he wouldn’t have made it anyway.”

As Viktor stands on the podium, kissing his gold medal, he hopes Yuri gets over it.

Minako is feeling pretty good. She’s gotten over the fright Yuuri had given her at the airport. So he came to Russia to grab the gold, okay. He had a bit of an anxiety attack on that first night, that was normal. He snatched the top of the podium from the clearRussianfavorite to win, which was fine with her. It’s fine, everything is fine. Yuuri had been asked to do an exhibition skate and then there would be a banquet tomorrow night withdrinksand hot, hot men.

Yes.

She looks fondly at her little dance student, standing ready to get on the ice. He is so cute in his little slacks and button-up with an open vest thrown on top. Really, she had a lot of fun watching everyone get completely blindsided by Yuuri.

Right after Yuuri takes off his blade guards, he suddenly grabs her hands.

"Minako-sensei. It's now."

She stares at him, nonplussed. "Wha-"

"Minako-sensei," Yuuri's expression makes her stomach drop, "what I asked of you, it begins now."

"What?"

But you're about to start your exhibition.

As Yuuri takes a lap to loud and happy cheers, Minako grips the edge of the board as she feels her knees begin to give out.

What do you mean it starts now? What was everything else up until now?

As the FS music starts, the Japanese Yuuri kicks forward to start a glide back. His bent head rises and Yuri feels agony race down his spine.

He sweeps his arms forward and out before-

Hey, you're just a kid. What are you remembering out there?

"You're not running off?"

Yuri sullenly glares at Viktor before looking over the ice.

Yakov is smirking.

"Ljiliana," one of the competition organizers asks another, "are you sure we got this right? The music wasn't mixed up?"

Yuuri takes a vaguely familiar pose on the ice before very familiar strings start.

"Hey, wait a minute."

Yuuri's face lifts to the heavens as his arm slices upward to reach in supplication before floating back and down behind his head, his face tormented.

"Wait. He's not really..."

Hisarms sweep in to clutch at his chest in as if in pain. His bodycringes back before tentatively reaching out.

"What the f*ck."

The crowd builds up to a roar as Yuuri descends to one knee.

Yakov grabs Viktor's arm. "Viktor!"

Viktor can't take his eyes off the figure. Yuri is as stone.

"Viktor, he's skating yourStay Close to Me!"

And everything explodes into pandemonium.

Minako slowly descends to the ground.

Yuuri... I think I know why you asked me to protect you.

Viktor is a crowd pleaser. He'll take from them and reflect back their desires, enamoring the audience with theglory of their own greed while giving up inside.

Yuuri can't live like that. He is, despite his highly publicized career, an anxious introvert who is always silently begging strangers to leave him alone. But he's the skater with thebiggest glass heart. So he rips out his heart and dashes it on the ice.

We danced to this, Viktor. We made a promise on the ice. Where are you? Why didn't you stay close to me?

As the song winds down, Viktor is already rushing to the the Kiss & Cry, shoving past a woman who looks like she's given up the ghost.

He grabs Yuuri as the boy comes off the ice and hugs him. After a moment, Yuuri shoves him back to stare into his eyes, "Viktor, will you wait for me?"

And Viktor is crying hysterically from seeing his program as he clutches Yuuri's upper arms. He can't help himself. He says, "Yes."

Six hours later, Viktor sits up from his bed and stares at the far wall.

"What the hell did I just promise?"

Chapter 11: the people who love: an interlude

Chapter Text

“You need to get out of Russia, now.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

Phichit’s right eyebrow slowly ticks upward. He can see over Yuuri’s shoulder to where Minako is frantically packing their bags.

“Yuuri, it’s bad. The SNS has gone mad. They can’t decide if they love you or hate you but Russia is furious.”

Even over Skype, Phichit can see that Yuuri is enjoying this.

“It’ll be fine.”

“No, no, it won’t, because there’s some crazy, scary people out there and you are actually fourteen right now and Russia is huge and you’ll get kidnapped by the cartels and taken to a gulag where the mob will flay your feet!”

“You’re mixing terms, Phichit.” Then, turning slightly, Yuuri addresses his ballet teacher, “Minako-sensei, if you pack everything now, no one will notice when we get snatched from our room.”

Minako gives out a wail and drops everything all over the hotel floor.

“Seriously?”

“I’m just addressing your concerns.”

Phichit and Minako do a perfect synchronization of the face palm. Minako might be sobbing behind her hand.

“Yuuri, you need to take care of yourself.”

“I am, Phichit. I’m having fun.” Yuuri gives a small wink.

Phichit smiles wryly as he remembers Bangkok. He then frowns slightly as he remembers all of Bangkok.

“Yuuri…”

“Phichit. There’s still the banquet. Then we’re heading out first thing.”

“Skip the banquet.”

“No, there’s something I need to do there.”

“What.”

“What.” Minako whips her hand off her face and starts to look even more wild-eyed.

“I promise it’s for their own good.”

Phichit starts to grin. “Is that what you were doing up to now?”

“Oh, no.” Yuuri smiles smugly. “All that was for my own good.”

“Yuuri-senpai, you were so good.”

Kenjiro blubbers all over the keyboard.

“Thank you, Kenjiro-onii-san. I’m really happy for your support.”

“You were better than Viktor Nikiforov. He should’ve given you the gold.”

“That’s not how things work. I already won the gold for my division and it was an exhibition skate.”

“When you did that triple loop, it was so beautiful. And your spins were so clean.”

“I’ll practice with you when I get back. You’re entering Seniors this year, aren’t you?”

“Yuuri-senpai, I don’t wanna. I wanna compete with you always.”

“That’s no good. You’re good enough and old enough to move onto seniors. You’ve been improving your quads, right?”

“You can win without them so I’ll win without them too.”

“Kenjiro-onii-san,” Yuuri-senpai looks exasperated but also fond, “that’s not really a viable gameplan for the Seniors.”

“Yuuri-senpai, when you did that-that sequence that ended in the spread eagle, the FS one, I want you to teach me that one. It was amazing. I cried so much. And in your SP, the part where the violins started up again and you went into the layback-.”

Yuuri listens patiently as Kenjiro goes on to give a weepy play-by-play of all his routines and what he liked best about them (everything).

“You’ve got guts, little brother. Mom and Dad are proud of you.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t get killed before you get back.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Chapter 12: sochi-all that and a bag of chips part 3: yurious

Chapter Text

“He’s here. He actually got the nerve to show up here. Good for him.”

Viktor looks up to see Yuuri walk into the banquet. There isn’t quite a hush but the noise level and the energy changes as people become aware of his presence. There is a tangible space around him that no one dares approach. His ballet teacher/chaperone looks in dire need of a drink.

Viktor wants to go over there, really he does! He has no hard feelings about the exhibition skate. It had been amazing and he is actually quite touched by having his program elevated but… um… that promise. One can argue that Yuuri merely wants to meet him on the ice but then Yuuri hadlookedat him and… um.

Viktor quickly tosses back his champagne.

As he sets the glass down, he catches Christophe's eye. Christophe actually looks amused.

Viktor turns away, right into Mila's laughing gaze.

...damn it. He's trapped. He reaches for another flute of champagne.

Guang-hong stares at his phone.

phichit+chuHey! my smol son will be at the banquet and something might go down. Keep an eye on him, 'kay~? (>xo)

His hand starts to shake.

"Let's go congratulate the winner, Yuri."

Yakov nearly gets his hand bitten off where he rests it on Yuri's back.

"No way, old man." Yuri twitches his shoulders before resettling. "You've made your point already. Leave me be."

He looks up to see Japanese Yuuri watching him and then starting to make his way over.

"sh*t."

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Mila dragging Viktor over to watch with Christophe and Georgi following.

"sh*t."

Yakov is an immovable object at his back.

"sh*t."

"Hello, we didn't really get a chance to talk earlier, did we? I'm Yuuri Katsuki and this is my mentor and ballet teacher, Minako Okugawa."

"I know."

Yuri gets his head smacked twice, courtesy of Mila and Yakov.

"Don't mind this grumpy cat. This is Yuri Plisetsky and I'm Mila Babicheva."

Yuuri f*cking Katsuki gives this sweet little angel smile and blinks at her, "Nice to meet you, Miss Mila."

"You are so cute!" Christophe Bad-Touch Giacometti coos.

"Thank you, Mister Giacometti."

"Call me Chris, darling. I wasn't sure you even knew who I was considering..." Chris eyes Viktor who takes a quick nervous sip of champagne.

"I'm not sure that I'd do justice to any of your programs, Chris." Yuuri laughs and everyone laughs with him at the thought of a tiny fourteen year old popping his ass out and slapping it at the judges with a wink.

It makes Yuri sick.

A nervous Chinese competitor hovering at the fringes of the watching crowd seems to deflate asJapanese Yuuri waves him forward with a smile. "Hello, Guang-hong!"

"Hi, Yuuri." Guang-hong dredges up a smile for Yuri then turns towards the others to greet them.

"You're Guang-hong Ji?" Yakov demands. "You're debuting in Seniors next season?"

"Y-yes."

Yuri barely holds back a sneer at the timid answer. Looks like he won't have to worry about this one next season, with his spineless stuttering.

"So what are your plans for the future, Yuuri?" Georgi asks.

Yuri barely holds himself back from snapping at Georgi. He will not talk. Yakov can't make him.

"Geez, Zhora! Don't be such a reporter!"the old hag waves off Georgi's question,butJapanese Yuuriaddresses Georgi who looks flattered by the attention. Yuri can feel Yakov leaning over him to better hear the answer.Everyone else in the conversation and some outside perk up.

"I don't really have any concrete plans, though my performance at the Finals have opened up some options I had not previously considered."

And a nice, neutral press conference answer comes out. Everyone in the vicinity deflates.

"But I guess I am hoping to go against Yuri again next year in the Junior Grand Prix."

"What." Yuri finally turns to look Japanese Yuuri in the eye. "No, you're not. I'm having my senior debut next year."

Yakov makes a disapproving noise behind him but Yuri doesn't care. He's going to compete at a higher level against real talents, not the babies in Juniors who can barely do triples much less quads, and he's going to crush Viktor under his skates.

"No, you're not."

Everyone turns to look at Japanese Yuuri. The Chinese guy seems to be slowly edging away.

"Yes, I will, you stupid little piggy. Why the hell do you think I wouldn't?"

"Because I'll still be in Juniors' next year."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Yuuri remembers Yurio, the IceTiger of Russia, theRussian Fairy. He remembers Yurio breaking Viktor's SP recordatfifteen at his senior debut in theGrand Prix.He remembers the Yuri winning gold in his first ever Grand Prix Finals.

He remembers Yurio beingforcibly retired from skating at nineteen. He remembers Yakov having to bar the doors of the rink against Yurio to keep him off the ice. The crash at the Russian Nationals when Yurio had tried to compete independently. The doctors who had stressed that overtraining during his critical growth periods had crippled him from ever reaching competition level again. Yurio's tears in his shoulder.

He remembers fifteen year old Yurio who had pushed himself to rise above twenty-three year old Yuuri.

The brightest stars burn the fastest.

But he also remembers Yurio who had told him to quit after Sochi and being kicked and shoved and knocked down and degraded.

There are always two sides to love.

Yuuri looks right at Yurio with a big smile.

"Because ifyou go on to Seniors' while I'm still in Juniors', everyone will say you're running away from me, little mister Silver Medal."

The little sh*t is right.

Yakov starts to chuckle while everyone else takes two quick steps back.

Yuri knows his face is red.

The little sh*t is right.

He had been outperformed on the ice in every possible way. Records had been broken. Shots have been fired. A glove had been thrown.

For Yuri to immediately leave the junior division to go to the senior division after today will be seen as an admission of weakness. Of his fleeing a bigger, badder predator.

f*ck that. He's the Ice Tiger of Russia.

He's trapped unless he outdoes Yuuri next year. And even then...

"When are you debuting?"

"Probably in about three or four years."

FOUR YEARS?!

Yuri will be eighteen! He'll be older than when Viktor debuted!

"Do it in two years."

"No." Yuuri pouts. Yuri wants to smack it off his fat, little face. "I need to take care of my body."

Bad-Touch lights up and barely looks to be keeping himself in check. He nudges Viktor who gulps down his champagne.Hag snickers but stays quiet while Georgi and f*cking Yakov nod approvingly. Guang-hong clutches his phone and stays silent.

"You need to get your ass in gear, is what you need to do."

"I plan on having an actual future in skating, not being a one hit wonder."

Somehow, that stings though Yuri can't imagine why. He shrugs off the sensation.

"A future? With that kind of exhibition?"

"What was wrong with it?"

"You did none of the quads."

"I made up for it in height and distance on my triples. I'm not doing quads until Seniors'."

"Your costume was sh*t."

"It fit my interpretation."

"Speaking of, what the hell were those sequences? Did you forget the choreography half-way through?"

"I did it better."

Everyoneturns then to Viktor who is completely caught off guard.

"A-ah, yes!" Viktor perks up, bubbly as his new flute of champagne. "The steps were modified, especially to fit the new theme, but I found the new interpretation to be lovely! He kept the arms the same which were rather the focal point rather then the steps to tell the truth, but the nuances were completely different and frankly, the transitions were smoother and-and..."

Viktortrails off under the amused and disbelievingstares around him. He catches Yuuri's eyes which are rather soft and fond and pretty and desperately gropes for more champagne as he drains the flute in hand.

"You're quite cool, Yuuri."

"What?!"

"Thank you?"

The hag snickers into her palm. "Oh, dear. I meant Yuuri Katsuki. You have no cool, Yura."

"Go to hell, hag."

"However," she continues, "it is getting quite confusing." Georgi, the suck-up, nods from beside her.

"How many times do I have to say that I'm Yuri?"

"I'll fight you for it."

Yuri whips his head around to look at... the side ofYuuri's head, the little sh*t wasn't even looking at him.

Mila and Guang-hong immediately raise their phones.

"What."

Yuuri turns his head very slightly to look at him out of the corner of his eye and grins like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"I'll fightyou for it. Let's have a dance off."

The hag looks absolutely f*cking delighted. Georgi is salivating because this is exactly the kind ofdramatic afterschool special he loves. Bad-Touch is brightly attentive, scenting a performance, the f*cking queen he is. Yakov and the chaperone drift slightly back for plausible deniability. Viktor immediately appoints himself judge because he's an attention hog. The Chinese guy finally starts to look happy.

"f*ck this, sure. Prepare to get your ass beat."

What kind of Russian got drunk on champagne?

Yuri is fuming. After the dance battle, for which Bad-Touch, of all people, had supplied the music (that should have been the first sign that sh*t would go wrong), Yuuri had been declared the winner by the obviously biased and totally tipsy Viktor. The pig had proceeded to point right at him and declare, "I dub thee, Yurio."

And everyone had used it.

Even Yakov.

Even the spineless Chinese guy.

Then Viktor had proceeeded to drink more champagne and actually get smashedand be a huge disgrace to Russia.

By hugging the little porker.

Viktorhung all over him like one of the stupid fangirls that pop up everywhere and babbled about how lovely and artistic and talented and perfect Yuuri was and had, at one point, just gently folded over the kid's head and went to sleep, snoring, before jolting himself awake to scream "Stammi vicino!"

How was this loser Russia's living national treasure?

At one point, Viktor had complained about things being too hot in a loud voice and lost his jacket and tie. Yuri and Yakov had quickly started to converge on the pair as Bad-Touch's head swiveled around, but luckily, a jacket and tie is all Viktor had taken off though that might have been with the help of the kid as he clutched Viktor's waistband up before pulling away.

The chaperone looked torn as she hovered just out of hearing, clutching the parts of the suit Viktor wasn't wearing.

Yakov had decided to stay by the two after that and he forced Yuri to stay by him which meant he heard all the gross sh*t Viktor kept drunkenly muttering abouthis angel of inspiration.

Gag.

Finally, this sh*tfest is deemed over and Yakov decides that Viktor really must be seperated from his angel and Viktor is too drunk and sleepy to protest. As the transfer of Viktor from Yuuri to Yakov happens, Yuuri warns them, "Watch out for the safety pins."

Yakov, Yuri, and the ballet teacher still for a minute.

What.

"I safety-pinned his shirt to his pants so he wouldn't get naked."

Yakov checks the waistband and, sure enough, there are safety pins there, keeping Viktor's dignity intact.

Yuri and Yakov are reluctantly impressed.

Yakov actually shakes the kid's hand and nods to the ballet teacher before dragging Viktor away. Yuri doesn't bother replying when Yuuri says bye to him and stomps ahead to call a taxi before the paparazzi get a picture of Viktor smashed on champagne.

For f*ck's sake.

At the curb, Yuuri runs up to them, holding the rest of Viktor's suit, which, yeah.

After handing it over Yakov, Yuuri takes Viktor's hand and calls his name softly until Viktor pulls himself together enough to raise his head.

"Viktor," Yuuri says softly while Yakov and Yuri stand right there and hear every word, "I know you promised to wait for me, but if you can't last that long, I'll understand, okay?"

Viktor whines something about promises and Yuuri gives him a short hug before bowing to Yakov and walking back to his chaperone who clearly isn't doing her job if the pig is allowed to go around confusing and traumatizing people like this.

Yuri and Yakov stand quietly, jointly supporting a crying Grand PrixSenior gold medalist and watching the Grand Prix Junior gold medalist walk away.

What.

What the f*ck.

After Yuri dumps Viktor onto his hotel bed because Yakov claimed his old man bones needed to sleep already, he's turning away to go to his own hotel room when Viktor speaks.

"Yurio."

"Don't call me that."

"Yurio, I'm really jealous, you know that?"

"Jealous?" Yuri turns around to look at Viktor sprawled on his back and trying to catch Yuri's eye. Pathetic. "Why the hell are you jealous?"

"Yurio... is going to have Yuuri by him."

"Don't give me that sentimental bullcrap. He's your f*cking whatever of inspiration."

"You have no idea."

Viktor manages to prop himself up on his elbows and he looks remarkably serious apart from his flushed face.

"You... you don't know. You're just a brat. I would've given up every one of my medals for a Yuuri by me."

Yuri feels weird and he doesn't like it.

"Don't call me a brat."

Viktor smiles but it's not a nice or a happy smile.

"You really have no idea."

Then he drops back and starts snoring.

Yuri stares at him before swearing. He was stupid for taking Viktor seriously for even a moment.

He's at the door when he remembers the safety pins.

Yuri looks at Viktor from the doorway.

"I hope you sh*t yourself."

Of course Viktor doesn't sh*t himself. He manages to get himself in the shower and cleaned up in a fresh set of clothes before they make it to the airport for their flight. He drops back to sleep witha blanketimmediately once in the plane and Yuri anticipates a quiet flight for once.

Two hours into the flight, Viktor startles awake so badly that his limbs fly everywhere and smack Yuri in the face repeatedly.

Yuri is gearing up to scream the plane down when Viktor yanks his eyemask up and grabs Yuri by his shoulders and yells.

"What the hell does that mean?!"

Yuri is speechless.

Chapter 13: a naked victor arrives!

Chapter Text

When Yuuri gets back to Japan, it is to a mob of the JSF, fans, and media.

Everyone had seen him go to Russia and show up their junior and senior favorites. What’s more, he made it look easy. The Senior coordinators are panting at the thought of a strong future contender for Senior’s Gold.

There are definitely tears.

Some of the tears are his.

Yuuri always felt keenly the burden of everyone’s expectations. Even the kindest of assurances couldn’t make him forget how people had looked to and hoped for him. To go into an international competition with your country’s device on your jacket meant more than just showing your best. It meant representing your country’s best. For as long as you are there, you are your country.

(Do you still wonder why Yuuri cannot forgive himself Sochi?)

There is a barrier put up by security when Yuuri disembarks last from the plane but there are actual officers holding the crowd back when they surge forward upon seeing him.

Yuuri greets the JSP officials as is appropriate and accepts their congratulations, first. There are the requisite publicity shots of him wearing his gold and shaking their hands.

Then he steps forward to greet his fans.

They are so happy.

He holds their hands and accepts their congratulations. Yuuri can understand what Viktor means about keeping your fans happy. There is an energy passing in each interaction, buoying his spirits as he raises theirs. Yuuri starts to feel, despite the jet-lag, somewhat rejuvenated.

Then one fan shoves her way to the front and offers him a wreath of sakura.

Yuuri accepts it with a bow, and after being crowned, he catches her eye and realizes that he recognizes her.

After the first Sochi, after parting ways with Ciao-ciao, he had flown to Tokyo from Detroit. There had been a much smaller group at the airport, holding signs with his name, silent but determined. Yuuri had avoided them out of shame. How could he face them after letting them down so badly at Sochi? After shaming family and country on an international stage? It had been easy to creep past them because they had been watching the wrong gate and he had on his glasses and medical mask, but he remembers a girl had been waiting, watchful, holding a wreath of sakura.

Yuuri’s eyes overflow.

He hugs her, his steadfast, devoted fan, and tells her, “Thank you, thank you,” and she doesn’t understand, really, but she hugs him back and cries into his shoulder, happy with acknowledgment from her idol.

When Yuuri gets back to Hasetsu, there is another gathering of his greatest fans waiting for him at the train station, but before anyone else, there is Mari with Vicchan on his leash.

Vicchan runs up to him and Yuuri cries again as he kisses his dog.

And that is another victory of its own.

“Coach Feltsman, how do you feel about the exhibition performance by one Yuuri Katsuki?”

“I feel that it was completely necessary.”

“I-excuse me, what?”

“It’s not so good to rest on one’s laurels. It is better to be shown how you can improve. Yuri Plisetsky has been much more motivated since Sochi.”

“How does Viktor Nikiforov feel about having his Free Skate appropriated?”

“Didn’t you see him run up and hug the kid on international television?”

“Um, do you have any words for Yuuri Katsuki himself?”

“Yes.”

Coach Feltsman looks directly at the camera with a grin.

“Yuuri Katsuki, there’s room for you at my rink.”

“This is BULLsh*t!”

“There goes Yurio again.” Mila sighs as she inspects her nails.

“At least it’s not Georgi crying over Anya.”

“Ugh.”

That breakup had been a long time coming. Georgi was the only one who had been shocked by it.

Yurio kicks his way into the rink and skids to a stop in front of the boards to shove his phone in Mila’s face.

“Look at this, look at it!”

She bats his hand away and snatches the phone to look at it from a decent distance.

“Oh, it’s an article about Yuuri Katsuki. What a surprise.”

Milaexchanges looks with Anna who quietly wanders away.

“Look at what they call him.”

“Oh… Seriously?”

She starts to laugh as Yurio stomps his feet like a child.

“The Japanese Demon?!”

“Why is he the Demon while I’m a f*cking Fairy?!”

Yuuri needs a coach.

He has been lucky with choreographing his programs at a higher level and working with Coach Odagaki and Minako-sensei. He also shed his performance anxiety and used his emotive dancing to the upmost but that could only get him so far.

Yuuri's body will start to grow soon and he'll need more supervision than Minako-sensei can give him. He knows, everyone knows, that he needs a coach to take his career further after World’s.

“You’re going to Russia, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”

Kenjiro looks at his hands.

“You should. A lot of the best coaches are there. Yakov Feltsman said in an interview that he would welcome you to his rink.”

“Even if the whole country hates me?”

Kenjiro shrugs. “Everybody likes a winner.”

One they can claim, anyway.

“Aaa, that’s true.”

“So, you should definitely go and grow into a stronger skater rather than stay in Hasetsu.”

Yuuri leans his head on Kenjiro’s shoulder.

“Kenjiro-onii-san has become an adult.”

“Yuuri-senpai….”

And Kenjiro begins to cry.

“Hey, has anyone seen Viktor?”

About 12,500 miles away, Yuuri stands in his family hot springs and tells a naked Viktor, “No.”

"VIITYYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Chapter 14: yuuri is sensible

Chapter Text

Yuuri putters around Viktor’s sulking form, curled up in a fetal position, cleaning up messes some earlier guests had left.

He’s already taken a picture and sent it to Phichit.

Yuuri takes the dishes and empty bottles to the kitchen where his mother is checking on the new batch of steamed rice.

“Mama, how long is this guest checked in for?”

“Oh dear,” his mother taps her chin in thought. “I believe that your father put it down as ‘indefinite’.”

Yuuri sighs.

“Could you please tell him to change it to two weeks while I talk to the guest?”

“Of course, dear. He was here for you?”

Yuuri smiles at her sheepishly.

“Un, he’s famous so there might be a commotion later on.”

Hiroko smiles proudly as she smooths her son’s hair away from his face, affectionately.

“Oh, well, that’s fine. We’re used to it from having our own celebrity here already.”

Yuuri blushes.

“Oh, yes. Can you make an order of katsudon?”

There are several good reasons why Yuuri does not want Viktor to be his coach and they all boil down to this:

Viktor is not a good coach.

Viktor is an excellent skater and a superb choreographer, but he is a sh*t coach. Yuuri did not realize this until later, after he retired.

Viktor had decided after two more seasons of skating that he would retire for good and focus all his energies on coaching Yuuri. That was fine and Yuuri had gone on to actually skate and medal into his early thirties which Viktor had attributed, with an eyebrow wiggle, to his godly stamina.

The trouble came after Yuuri retired.

Yuuri had decided to take a year to see what he wanted to do, such as go back to school or open a shop. Viktor had decided to start taking students. Of course people had lined up to be coached by Viktor Nikiforov, who had turned Yuuri Katsuki’s career around at twenty-three to medal into his thirties.

That’s where the trouble began.

Viktor had decided to start off slow with only one Senior student for a couple of years then seeing if he could handle more which was surprisingly practical.

Viktor couldn’t handle his one student.

Or rather, his student couldn’t handle Viktor.

Yuuri was called in the middle of an appointment with his financial advisor to come to the rink by a frantic Viktor to help his student who had collapsed, screaming and crying, on the ice.

Poor Petya.

Yuuri took Pyotr back to the apartment and locked Viktor out. Then Yuuri made katsudon for the distraught boy and hugged him the entire time he ate and sobbed into his bowl.

Pyotr had refused to be alone with Viktor from then on and insisted on having Yuuri at any and all practices and meetings. After witnessing a few practices, Yuuri could understand why.

Viktor had grown up a genius perfectionist and only truly interacted with Yakov, who had the impossible task of trying to keep Viktor from becoming arrogant, Yuri, an adorable ball of caustic rage, Makkachin, enough said, and Yuuri, who Viktor actively, publicly, and privately, loved and praised. Yuuri had only withstood the careless criticism with, at first, stunned idolization and, later, loving exasperation, heavily padded by Viktor’s loving admiration.

So Yuuri became a co-coach out of pure defense of Viktor’s hapless students. This suited Viktor just fine because he now had more opportunities to stay close to Yuuri than if Yuuri had chosen another career. However, Viktor remained deluded that he was an excellent coach and that none of his students measured up to Yuuri, and never learned to temper his antics. It was telling that Yurio flatly refused to train under Viktor, claiming that the Onsen on Ice event had been a hundred times too many, though he would commission choreography from Viktor and occasionally train with Yuuri.

Yuuri drops Vicchan on top of Victor who jolts and grabs the toy poodle.

“Eh? Makkachin, you shrunk!”

Makkachin, hearing his name, runs over and bowls right on top of a confused, yet happy Viktor who hugs both dogs who are enthusiastically kissing him.

“That’s Vicchan. He’s my toy poodle.”

“He looks just like Makkachin when he was a puppy!” Viktor smiles his heart-shaped smile as he nuzzles the top of Vicchan’s head.

Yuuri sits across from him at a table with a smile.

“I named him after you.”

Viktor looks up into Yuuri’s sweetest smile at point blank range and looks back down, blushing. Vicchan wiggles out of Viktors arms to climb into Yuuri’s lap.

“Viktor, you cannot be my coach.”

Viktor pouts and leans over the table to tilt his head and look up under his lashes at Yuuri. Yuuri feels mostly amused by Viktor’s tactics. Extra, as Phichit would say.

“But Yuuri, I’ve never felt this way before!”

Yuuri, who knows that Viktor is mostly serious under all the theatrics, snaps a picture.

“Yuuuuriii!”

Yuuri tucks his phone away after sending the picture to Phichit and looks Viktor in the eye.

“Viktor, have you ever coached before?”

“No….” Viktor moodily traces patterns onto the table as Makkachin cheerfully pants in his ear. “But I’m an international gold medalist several times over and I choreograph my own programs. All of them. And I design my own costumes.” By the end, Viktor has raised his head back up and looks a lot more cheerful.

“But have you ever coached? Especially a Junior?”

Viktor taps his cheek in thought. “Why should that matter?”

Yuuri checks his sigh. “Viktor, I’m growing up. That means that I’m going to be in a delicate state for my body soon.”

Viktor stares at him blankly.

“I’m going to need an experienced coach who knows Juniors and will know what to look out for in regards to my body changing. Preferably in contact with a sports physician for frequent check-ups.”

Yuuri pets Vicchan as he continues, “He’ll also have to be able to stop me from choreographing beyond what my body is ready for.”

Viktor looks away, abashed. He’s famous for pushing the boundaries of what his body is capable of. You only had to see Stammi Vicino.

“I will not be able to skate Stammi Vicino again for a while.”

Viktor whips his head back around to look at Yuuri’s melancholy smile.

“I’ve started growing pains, recently. It’s not good to push my body too far in this condition. I’ll probably rely even more heavily on PCS than jumps this coming season.”

Viktor is quiet, contemplating everything Yuuri said.

“You’re… really mature.”

Yuuri laughs, short and delighted.

“Thank you! But Viktor, I need more from you than you’re prepared to give right now.

Viktor sighs ruefully.

“I guess… I just got so excited and inspired by your programs. Yuuri, I want to see more of your skating!”

Yuuri pats Viktor’s hand with a smile.

“You can start to figure it out while you’re here. I’ll call Coach Feltsman for you but you have to go back to Russia to train for World’s. Okay?”

“Okay…”

“That’s good.”

“Hey, Yuuri, what did you mean-.”

“Your katsudon is ready!”

Yuuri takes the tray from his mother at the kitchen and serves it to Viktor with sparkling eyes.

“This is katsudon, my favorite dish! I promise you’ll love it.”

“Katsudon?”

“Vkusno!”

“VIIITYAAAAAAA!”

“Hello, Coach Feltsman? This is Yuuri Katsuki.”

“Oh. Ahem. Hello. As you are calling from Viktor’s number, I think I can guess what has happened.”

“Yes.” Yuuri laughs despite his ringing ear. “I’m calling to let you know that Viktor will be staying at my family’s onsen. Please don’t worry too much. We have a ballet studio and a suitable ice rink we can practice at and Viktor has promised to be back in Russia after two weeks to train for World’s.”

“…you’re a good boy, Katsuki.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

Yakov sighs his relief, finally feeling the majority of his problems fall away.

“However, I would like to ask a favor of you. Regarding that interview…”

“Oh? Would you like to take me up on it? I was serious. There is room at my rink for you.”

Yuuri smiles as he leans against the wall.

“Well…”

[image]

#VKUSNO! #katsudon was fed to me by my muse @katsuki+yuu who feeds me body, mind, and soul! @Yu-topia_onsen

[image]

@katsuki+yuu said that pictures weren’t allowed in the #onsen so i’m taking a #selfie in the #lockerroom #scandalous @Yu-topia_onsen

[image]

@katsuki+yuu is scolding me…

Yuri starts to shake.

Chapter 15: yuuri's third freakout

Chapter Text

“Phichit, help.”

Yuuri has sequestered himself away from everybody to Skype the only person he trusted with his situation. There is a warm cuddly glow in Phichit’s heart right now.

“With what? You seem to have things well in hand. Also, congrats again for getting out of Russia intact.”

“Viktor is here.”

“Yeah, I saw the messages. Why is he even at your house? Is he really that extra in real life? I need to meet this guy. No wonder the RSF can’t get along with him.”

“Phichit, he’s even more extra than you think because he just turned up and told me he was going to be my coach.”

“What.”

Phichit feels a need to go to Hasetsu to protect his smol son. Like, now.

“What. Like. Just showed up?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s going to be your coach.”

“No. Vitya’s terrible at coaching. But he will be staying here for a little while.”

“That sounds like there was a story behind that.” Phichit starts to relax again.

“Phichit, he was my coach before.”

He starts laughing.

“Phichit, he was my husband before.”

He abruptly stops laughing.

“Who is this?”

“I’m Viktor Nikiforov! Nice to meet you!”

“I know who you are.”

Kenjiro turns pleadingly at Yuuri who looks at him apologetically.

“Viktor is just taking a break before World’s.”

“He’s going back to Russia, right?” (alone?)

“So mean!”

“Yes, Kenjiro-onii-san. I promise he’s going back to Russia.” (alone)

His shoulders, which had been inching towards his ears, fall back down in relief.

His tender heart is not ready to let go of Yuuri-senpai just yet.

“Yuuri-senpai! Let’s go skating!”

“Oh! Let me get ready too!”

“You’re not-,” Kenjiro watches Nikiforov run to his room to grab his things, “-invited.”

Yuuri-senpai cuddles up next to him in consolation. Kenjiro is surprised when he turns and finds that he can’t comfortably rest his head on Yuuri-senpai’s head anymore.

Oh, Yuuri-senpai is becoming an adult too.

A pang of melancholy makes him hug Yuuri even closer.

Someone kicks open the door behind them and starts to scream.

“VIIIIKKTOOOOOOR!”

“Sorry. I forgot that you were three years older than me, before.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, no. Really. You’re asking me for help and I just freaked out.”

“Well, I can understand that the age difference can be jarring, here.”

The awkward silence is killing Phichit.

“So what is the problem, exactly?”

Kenjiro is pouting.

He knows he is pouting.

Kenjiro manages to get permission to go to Hasetsu often because Coach Kanako knows that he’ll be spending a lot of time on the ice with Yuuri-senpai learning anyway. She also knows that Yuuri-senpai will probably go to Russia for coaching. She’s sympathetic. His family approves of Yuuri and how he seems to have his life and education in order. Yuuri-senpai talked over college options for when he turns eighteen with his parents and they were very impressed so Yuuri-senpai has been coming by to stay some weekends and Kenjiro has been going to Hasetsu the times he hasn’t.

Kenjiro knew he was going to lose Yuuri-senpai tothe wider worldsince Yuuri-senpai burst onto the international scene. He’s coming to terms with it. He just didn’t expect the wider worldto follow Yuuri-senpai to Hasetsu and take up his senpai’s time any sooner than it had to.

“I feel guilty because I can’t separate Viktors.”

Phichit leans back in surprise.

“I worked really hard to make new relationships with the people I meet again. Even you, I sought you out in the memory of our friendship but I wouldn’t have kept in touch if I could only handle you being as the other you was. Because you two are different.”

“But Viktor is the same?”

“Yes, or… rather, he had become more mature but he never really grew up. So the way he is now is still familiar.”

Tears start down Yuuri’s face as Phichit hurriedly books a flight on his phone.

“I miss him, my Viktor. It hurts. It’s like he’s dead. But when this Viktor is here, it’s like nothing ever changed. I treat him exactly as I always treated him and he responds exactly the way he always has.”

“Yuuri…”

“And I love him just the same.”

“Yuuri..."

“Phichit, it hurts so much. I want Viktor back.”

"Yuuri, oh god..."

"Viktor is home and when I start thinking about him, I remember everyone else, too."

Phichit watches helplessly as Yuuri cries, hugging himself.

“Phichit, sometimes I feel so alone.”

“I promise that Viktor is not here to coach me. He will be back in Russia after the end of next week.”

Yurio stares at Yuuri suspiciously. Kenjiro can’t stand it though Yuuri is unfazed by the skepticism.

“You think Yuuri-senpai liar?”

“Get your English right, dumb-f*ck.”

“I know English! I know ‘dumb-f*ck’ bad word, dickwad!”

“Right!” Yuuri bodily inserts himself between the two and looks pointedly at Viktor. “We all need to use the rink so let’s have Yurio work with Viktor on this end while Kenjiro-onii-san and I work on that end before we take turns to practice on the full rink.”

Viktor agrees, abashed, while Yurio mutters, “Don’t call me Yurio.” Kenjiro swells with indignation only to deflate when Yuuri takes his hand.

As Yuuri skates away with Kenjiro, Viktor huffs resentfully, “But I want to skate with Yuuri, too. Why’d you have to show up, Yurio?” Yurio turns red and takes a deep breath.

Kenjiro staunchly ignores the commotion since Yuuri-senpai seems to be ignoring it as well.

Yuuri-senpai looks at him with a smile. “Let’s do a warm up and then go over the steps I showed you last time. Then we’ll work on your spin transitions because they’re a bit wobbly and after, you can show me which quad you decided to learn. Is that okay?”

“Yes!” Kenjiro nods happily. This won’t be so different than the usual, after all. “How about you?”

“Well,” Yuuri taps his lip, “I want to practice my transitions out of the Ina Bauer. I feel that I’m getting sloppy in my posture so I need you to watch out for that and I want to go over all my triples again because I’ve been getting taller.”

On the other side of the rink, Viktor watches Yuuri start figures with the other boy.

“Look, Yurio! They’re doing figures side by side! How cute! I wanna go join!”

“Shut up, old man, and start planning for my future program if you’ve got so much free time. I’m going to blow that little porker right off the ice at our senior debut.”

“Eh?” Viktor finally looks at Yurio. “What program?”

Yurio stares at Viktor for a moment before skating off into a screamingquad salchow.

“What are you going to do, Yuuri?”

“You can’t blame me, Yurio. You know how I forget things!” Viktor laughs as he waves it off. “Your debut won’t be for a while anyway and I’ll be going back to Russia soon.”

“Yeah, about that.” Yuri spins to face Viktor. “Were you planning on going back to Russia when you left or is that something Katsuki told you to do?”

Viktor looks him in the eye but at least does him the respect of not denying it. Yuri grits his teeth.

“I hate you, baldy. Now coach me.”

“What can I do, Phichit?”

By the time a break was called, only the Japanese skaters look happy. Viktor is hiding his irritation withhis sparkliest smile and Yurio isn't bothering to hide how he's contemplating murder on ice.

“Yuuri-senpai should go first!”

“Yuuri’s going first!”

Yurio stares in disbelief as Yuuri sighs. “Would you like to go first, Yurio?”

"Hey, Yuuri."

"Mari-nee-san?"

Yuuri is stopped in thehallway on his way to change the towels.

"What's up with Viktor?"

Mari watches her brother blink, taken aback, as she lights up her cigarette.

"That exhibition. You did that on purpose. With purpose. So. What's up?"

Her babybrotherlooks down at the towels, fidgeting in silence. She waits patiently forhim to lookback up at her.

"Mari-nee-san, I'm going to marry him."

It might be the smoke blurring her sight but,ah,he's so young to be looking like this.

"Yeah? And how's that's going?"

Yuuri grins, mischevious and precious.

"Well, he's here, isn't he?"

And, well, good point.

Chapter 16: two steps back and one step forward

Chapter Text

Phichit is skating, pensive and melancholy.

Celestino really hopes that this isn’t a sign of another depressive spiral. A break in Thailand did Phichit a lot of good. It’s why he agreed to move there as a homebase at the beginning of the off season. Maybe he should start preparations early?

Phichit heaves a sigh before skating over.

“Celestino, I have a question.”

“Yes, Phichit?” Celestino is relieved that Phichit has opened up about his emotions again.His cheerful and dynamic studenthad grown quiet and withdrawn in the last two years before his break which really broke the coach’s heart.

“What do you do when your son is crying and you can’t stop it?”

Celestino falls over.

Phichit, in the throes of his own misery, actually has to help Celestino up, lead him through some breathing exercises, and assure him that no, he didn’t get anyone pregnant on his break, he promises that that isn’t the reason he wants to move bases to Thailand, really, it’s his son but not his son he promises that there wasn’t a pregnancy, yes, he knows he’s too young and committed to skating to be a responsible father and yes he knows about safe sex practices but he promises, Ciao Ciao, that there isn’t a baby really though his instagram likes would shoot through the roof calm down it was a joke he really, really, really promises that he didn’t go too crazy on break, yes there are a lot of clubbing pictures on his insta but Ciao Ciao calm down, calm down, there’s my son. That one. Yes. That’s my smol son.

Yuri is sick of Hasetsu.

They should just change their name to Yuuripolis because it seems to be populated solely by the pig’s fanclub. Viktor fit right in. He would go around saying “Yuuri! Amazing! Sugoi!” and the residents would pull out their phones like trained dogs to proudly show Viktor video clips of Yuuri around town singing softly as he walked down a street or gamely carrying deliveries for the onsen. There were posters of Katsuki everywhere, it actually papered the train station.

A brat had asked him if he had been named after Yuuri.

As if the fatty had been born famous and talented. As if the fatty wasn’t most of a year younger than him.

The video had gone viral from Viktor’s instagram.

#armageddon

The only thing that makes the stay bearable is Yu-topia.

Despite their pride in Yuuri, the Katsukis keep bragging about their son quite low-key unlike the Leroys. The food is good enough to make a stone statue weep and the hot springs are a god-send after practices. The dogs are annoying but the littler one is better behaved and shy of anyone besides his master. It almost makes up for the fact that it's named after Viktor.

Urgh.

Katsuki isn’t that bad either. He isn’t a braggart and, despite his incendiaryGPX antics, he's definitely the adult whenever they go out and keeps Viktor from buy half the town's trash marked up for tourists. Also, he can stand still and calm while Yuri emotes from less than than six inches away which even Yuri admits is an accomplishment.

Yuri ends up spending more time with the pig while Victor choreographs his new short program, flush with inspiration, staring up adoringly at the rink lights, when he isn't clinging to his muse. They critique each other and the piggy listens, which is new for Yuri who is the youngest athis homerink and, thus, the most hazed.

It isn't that bad, really, except for when the pig spends more hours at a dancestudio than any skater should want.

Viktor adores Hasetsu.

Although it was a bit off-putting at first to not be the focus of nationwide adoration, it became soothing after the initial dejection. The entire town was skate-crazy with a hometown hero so everyone recognized and greeted him but the fans were much more respectful of his time and space. Mari explained thata lot of the more extreme antics were inappropriate considering Yuuri's age and nature sothetown was very proud but also quiet and that was atrend that Yuuri's official fan clubfollowed and enforced. Viktor found that mentioning Yuuri in broken but glowing terms would have the town welcoming him to the fold and showing him adorable pictures of Yuuri and his puppy which he would return by showing them pictures of Yuuri, Vicchan, and Makkachin.

Hasetsuis paradise of love.

When he expresses that to Yurio, he gets threatened with castration because he seems to have lost his balls already.

How can he help it when he stays in an onsen run by the saintly Katsukis who pamper him so lovingly? He trains in a local ice rink owned by friends of the family who allow him to skate at anytime he likes The local ballet instructor, Minako, lovely woman,gave Yuuri a key long ago which he uses regularly. The townspeople welcome him with affection and share their joys with him. Makkachin has never been so happy. Heis allowed to goto the rinkwith Viktorand little Vicchan is so sweet, following Yuuri all around town. His heart, and his instagram, has never been so full.

St Petersburg is not like this. It is too large a city to allow this closeness. The culture too different. Makkachin is often lonely while Viktor is away practicing.

And there is Yuuri.

Yuuri does not expectViktor to be a star, to be cool and smiling and distant. Yuurilaughingly appeaseshim whenhe acts out and sulks instead looking at him with shock and disillusionment. Yuuri smiles whenViktor is goofy and unglamorous. Yuuri improvises to riduculous pop music on the ice even with his classical ballet training. Yuuri tells him to tighten up his spins and control his arms.

"Viktor,I want you to do something different this season. Instead of competing, Iwant you to have fun."

Viktor is discovering a different kind of love for the first time. Viktor is living his life in a way he's forgotten.

"Yuu~ri! Come watch my newshort program! It's called On Love: Agape!"

Viktor doesn't want to leave Yuuri.

Yuuri and Mari escort them to the airport though it's probably also to makes sure that Viktor actually gets on the plane. Yuuri hugsViktor and promises to text, facetime, email, and call. Viktor is crying and he's only appeased by the fact that Yuuri is crying too. Yurio, shoves past them and boards with a grumble about embarrassments. Yuuri promises to see him soon and urges him toward the plane at the last call for passengers.

Viktor drags his feet to his seat, still weeping. Yurio scoffs and turns his face to the window, but as the plane takes off, Viktor sees Yurio cover his mouth and lower his head.

Yurio doesn't want to leave either.

Yuuri arrives back at Yutopia with a heavy heart.

The leave taking had been harder than he expected. Mari is quiet and sympathetic, hugging him close to her side. Vicchan greets him with a whine, nosing at his ankles. Yuuri kneels down to gather him in a hug, needing the comfort.

"We're home."

"Yuuri, there is a visitor waiting for you in the banquet hall."

"Again?" Mari groans. "We just got rid of the old ones."

Yuuri pokes her side before making his way down the hall, holding Vicchan to his chest. The day was wrong for it to be Kenjiro and his mother would have told him so if that were the case anyway.

"Hello? I'm sorry for the wait- oh!"

Yuuri smiles ruefully.

"You're early."

Chapter 17: in viktor's russia...

Chapter Text

Yakov won't allow Viktor to go to Junior World's because Yakov is a monster.

Viktor actually, dramatically throws a tantrum on the ice that upstages all of Georgi's histronics up to then. Yakov, whose heart is cold and loveless, is unmoved. Yurio, the traitorous brat, had sold out Viktor's former plan to leave Russia and live with Yuuri. That storm had raged for a good week in the rink and Viktor is suffering for it still. Yakov is unsympathetic becuse he has gotten oldand forgotten how integral a muse is to an artist. Viktor barely keeps himself from mentioning Lilia's role in taking Yakov to the peak of his career. Instead, he rolls around sadly on the ice, getting in the way of everyone else.

"VITYA, STOP PLAYING AROUND! PRACTICE IS IMPORTANT."

Viktor props himself up on his elbows and glares at Yakov.

"I'm not the one playing."

Yakov throws his arms up in supplication to an indifferent, yet ever-smiling god and retreats to his office. Viktor huffs, blowing his bangs up, and flops back down to continue his sad spin across the ice, eliciting shrieks from rinkmates.

Georgi stops a safe distance away and drops to army crawl over to Viktor.

"Viktor, what pains your heart?"

That makes Viktor pause. Everyone at the rink knew about Viktor and Yuuri. Everyone in Russia knew about how Viktor Nikiforov had made a fool of himself over a Junior Japanese skater. It was quite possible that everyone in the enitre world knew that Viktor was pining over his muse. Viktor made sure of it.

"What rock have you been hiding under?"

"How cruel!" Georgi sniffs. "If you must know, my love, Anya, has been deceived and coldly left me for a hockey player."

Viktor winces and watches with horror as Georgi keeps sniffing and his eyes well with tears.

"W-well! Yuuri hasn't left me or anything! Yakov is keeping me from seeing my angel!"

Georgi seems hurt by the abrupt topic change but he lets it pass.

"Yuuri is that kind Japanese skater in the Juniors? The-,"Georgi abruptly lowers his voice, "the one better than Yurio?"

Viktor grins triumphantly. "Yes."

Georgi nods thoughtfully, a finger at his chin. "I remember him. Well, mostly from the dance battle at the banquet, to be honest."

"Right!" Viktor beams. "Well, Yuuri will be at Junior World's but Yakov isn't letting me go with him and Yurio."

"Well, you did run off to Japan."

"I came back. Besides, you got to go to the GPX Finals and you didn't even make it."

"That's because Yakov has only one student in Juniors." Georgi points out, far too sensibly. "At the GrandPrix Finals, all of his students other than me made it," he continues, still sensibly and a lot more tearfully, "so it is better to have brought me along than leaving me. All alone."

"Uhhhh..." Viktor watches Georgi start to melt into a puddle of tears. Streaks of mascara start to run downGeorgi's facewhich Viktor eyeswith faint disgust. "Look, what I'm saying isthat it's completely unfair and Yakov has completely forgotten what beauty is after spending so long harping about techniques and practice and scores, okay? Figure skating isn't just a sport, it's art and Yakov is a hypocrite because he used to do all sorts of crazy things to be with Lilia-!!!"

Georgi slaps his palms over Viktor's cheeks and stares intensely into his eyes. It is horrifying, especially since his lipstick has also started to bleed outside his lipline.

"Viktor, Yakov married Lilia."

Viktor slaps Georgi's hands away and pouts. "I might marry Yuuri."

In reponse, Georgi grabs a fistful of hair from the top of Viktor's head.

"My hair!"

"Be quiet, you big baby. I haven't even pulled it. Yet." Steely eyes glare out from Georgi's tearstained face. "Now youlisten up and listen good, da?" Viktor is in shock. Georgi is... wibbly. It isn't that Georgi is emotional, Yurio is emotional, it's just that most ofGeorgi's emotions are expressed through makeup and tears streaking multicolored patches on the ice rink. Georgi tends to crumple in a heap when he should stand firm. Viktor hadn't even known that Georgi had a spine at all, he thought it had been longhanded over to Yakov as a coaching fee.

"This Yuuri, you call him your angel? Then you will never say that again. Not like that, you understand?" Viktor's head is slightly shaken from side to side in emphasis. "Yuuri is fourteen, fifteen? You cannot joke like that with the boy. Yakov married Lilia. He was serious. You are not serious. You can't play with someone's heart like that about things like marriage.Yuuri will be hurt beyond imagining.I will not allow it. Do we have an understanding?"

For the first time since they've met, Viktor feels an inkling of respect for Georgi. Georgi has had the misfortune of being overshadowed by Viktor his entire skating career. He started skating after Viktor has started his ascent which meant that Georgi's debut had been buried under Viktor's accolades. He has never medaled above Viktor. When interviewed, he is constantly asked about Viktor. Even if Viktor retires in a year or two, Georgi's too close in age not to be ready to bow out himself. If he sticks to the ice after Viktor is gone, Georgi will be skating in his decline and there is Yurio rising in a few years as Russia's new favorite son. Georgi was a fine skater, he just never had his chance.

Viktor finally recognizes that Georgi has not onceshown how much this must have hurt him.Georgi has not once let on that he felt resentfully of Viktor and has always endeavored to maintain friendly relations. Viktor also recognizes that he will not remember this about Georgi for long. He will forget it and act carelessly with his rinkmate again. Nonetheless, Viktor is serious as hegrips Georgi's shoulders and nods.

"Da. We have an understanding."

Georgi's face softens back into familiar and slightly mournful lines. He releases Viktor's hair and lightly pats it.

"Okay. I will trust you."

They are silent for a moment before Georgi says apologetically, "I think your hair is probably just as thick as ever. It had filled my entire fist."

Recognizing the olive branch for what it was, Viktor says, "I am sorry about Anya. I did hear about it but I forgot while thinking of my Yuuri."

Viktor makes a point of being even more annoying about Yuuri.

He shows off Yuuri's instagram as if it was his own and has an annoying habit of reading texts from Yuuri out loudonly to cut himself off with a smile and refusing to tell his listeners the conclusion.

It drives everyone mad. Mila stoically picks up another coach's student and skates around using him as a meat shield, holding him up whenever Viktor approaches her with another picture of Yuuri and his Vicchanpuppy frolicking (Vicchan is named after me, you know). Tears start to fountain out and stain all of Georgi's practice clothes, probably as an unconcious defense mechanism, as Georgi gamely nods along to Viktor's raptures. Yakov ends up wrestling on the ice with Viktor, trying to part him from his damn phone.

Yurio... Yurio whips out his phone andswipes until hegets to a certain text log before shoving it in Viktor's face.

Yurio, have a safe flight!I had fun!I'll see you at Junior World's ヾ(。◕ฺ∀◕ฺ)ノ Text me once you touch down?

Imade it, PIG

Let's plan a meet up at Junior World's. Skype later for details?

Whatever. I'm free from practice for the rest of the day.

The phone is hastily pulled back as Viktor lunges for it.

"You've been in contact with Yuuri?"

"You've been in contact with Yuuri, you sh*tty old man." Yurio howls as Viktor wrestles him into a hold and wretches the phone out ofYurio's hand.

"Yes, but he didn't leave a cute text for me to see after I landed."

"That's because you were hogging him at the airport."

"Unfair..." Viktor mutters as he starts to swipe through the Junior's phone. "Why are there so many calls on the Skype log? How often are you two talking??" Yurio's furious tackle is dodged as Viktor snoops further into the phone. "Yuuri never sent me these pictures, why do you have them? I'm sending them to myself."

"YYEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!"

"And that's why I hate Viktor."

"He was a bit much."

Yuuri smiles out fromthe phone screen as Yuri tears into some street pirozhki, diet be damned. He deserves this.

"I'm glad that he won't be there at Junior World's. He'd be insufferable and make everything about him again. You'd think he'd grow out of that sh*t."

"I think he's just lonely."

"Lonely?" Yuri spits out half a pirozhki and promptly shoves it back into his mouth. "All of Russia goes gaga for him! He's Yakov's favorite, god help poor Georgi. Everyone loves him so much that it blew up his head like a shiny, bald balloon!"

"But he skatedStammiVicino."

Yuri stops eatingto stare atYuuri.

"Yeah. So?"

"Yurio, (don't call me that) do you know what that program was about?"

"He was doing fan-service. Duh."

"That's part of it. But did you ever look up the lyrics?"

Yuri stops chewing, an ominous shiver making its way down his spine.

"A lonely man embittered by lack of love hears an equally lonely voicecryingand wishes to be by themand held by them."

Yuri's jaw drops. "Are you telling me that he was skating a lonely singles ad on ice for the ENTIRE SEASON?"

Yuuri starts laughing.

"Why didn't he just get a f*cking Grindr?"

"Grindr isn't romantic, Yurio. It can be really gross."

"Viktor isreally gross."

Yurio throws his phone at the wall and bolts out of his dorm, scattering pirozhki and crumbs along the way.

Viktor opens his door to a barrage of fists that take him down.

"Makkachin! Save me!"

"You're disgusting, old man! I hate you so much."

"Yurio?" Viktor peeks out from crossed arms to see a seething Russian fairy as Makkachin barks from behind him. "What's going on?"

A kick lands squarely on his cross block and grinds into his forearms. "You make me sick. You are so-." Yuri's head snaps up and he stares straight ahead with a dawning look of horrified realization.

"Oh, no..."

"Yurio?"

"Holy sh*t, he answered you."

Yurio turns heel and leaves before Viktor can grab him to shake out any answers. Makkachin stops barking as Yurio's backdisappears into the stairwell at a dangerous clip. Bemused by the suddenness of, well, everything, Viktor takes a moment to just sit on the floor and pet his cuddly and sympathetic Makkachin.

"What was that all about?"

YOUR'E DISGUESTING TOAO YOUAJ FCJUKINGPIG!