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All Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight 5697 Boarding Gate, Fukuoka Airport (Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan) - Late January, 2022: First leg of travel to 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, roughly 7AM
 As Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov finished his third lap of pacing around ANA Flight 5967’s spacious boarding gate, he heard the text tone he’d set for his husband chime once. And then again, immediately after.Grinning, he wondered what Yuuri would be messaging him for, given that he was seated directly behind him about 20 feet away and could easily walk over. As he struggled to fish his phone out from the pocket of his tight skinny jeans, Viktor’s grin widened, remembering how profuse Yuuri's admiration had been last week over the way his butt looked in them. If he wasn’t far off in his guesstimate, he was actually pretty sure that from where he was seated, his love had a direct view of his spectacular posterior.So, being a simple man, he decided to play a game the two of them were quite fond of when in public spaces.With a furtive glance behind him to make sure Yuuri was indeed looking his way, Viktor made a big show of “dropping” his phone on the ground. Ignoring the protest of his creaky knees, he straightened them and bent directly over, with his hand outstretched. As he wiggled his backside – groaning for dramatic effect, so any passerby would assume his movement was due to the aches that plagued most everyone over the age of 30 – his long fishtail braid grazed the dirty carpet. While he wasn’t particularly thrilled by that, well…sacrifices had to be made, in the name of eros. As Viktor grasped his phone, he laughed at the texts he could now read.

Even after years of being together and allowing himself to be spoiled with luxury designer shopping sprees, his spouse was still rather indifferent when it came to fashion. But, because Yuuri knew how important fashion was to Viktor, he took care to memorize the make of every one of his favorite outfit components.Including, apparently, his new white, patent leather Tom Ford platform loafers that were completely impractical for rushed travel through major international airports. When Viktor had laid them out last night on his side of their gigantic walk-in closet, instead of urging him to wear something more sensible, Yuuri had thrown him a lecherous look and heatedly told him that they made his legs look great.God, he loved him.As he straightened up, an incoming call came through, from the very man he had been hoping for. Turning his head once more to flash a smirk behind him, Viktor swiped his thumb to answer and continued walking, putting a bit more swivel into his hips than usual.“Well, baby?” he practically purred, upon answering. “What did you think of my ass-iduous display? Was it worthy of a nice +4 GOE1, or maybe even a perfect +5, considering the suppleness of that back-end execution?”Yuuri let out a carefree laugh, and Viktor knew that if he turned around, he’d see him hiding his face in the crook of his elbow, the tips of his ears bright red.“I was going to give you a +3, but because of your insistence on using cringe wordplay, I’ll have to drop you down to a +2. What a shame, sweetheart,” his husband replied in Russian, presumably so that Kenjirou couldn’t overhear.Stifling the urge to giggle, Viktor instead gasped in faux outrage, seamlessly transitioning from purring to pouting. He had perfected this delicate back and forth over the last several years, but had gotten especially great mileage out of it ever since the 2020 off-season, when he’d begun coaching Yuri Plisetsky. Though Viktor's far grumpier student would have rather died than outright admit it, he’d missed him and Yuuri greatly when they’d left St. Petersburg in 2019 to move permanently to Japan.The city of Fukuoka had become home to him and Yuuri for the last two-and-a-half years, and when Yura decided to “follow” them and become his second ever student, they had relished the opportunity to welcome him into their Papio Ice Arena family.It had all worked out exceedingly well, since Viktor would often glomp onto his enabling spouse for “comfort” whenever Yuri was giving him attitude during practice. Which, of course, was a daily occurrence.“Wait, wait! I started off at only +3?! Where did I go wrong, my Yuuri?” he whined in dismay, now also in Russian.Deciding to head in a different direction than his previous laps, Viktor began to cross over to the adjoining boarding gate, closest to their terminal’s moving walkway. As he kept moving, he took a scan from left to right, but nowhere did he see his gangly, hoodie-wearing friend/student, who was often easy enough to spot by way of his favorite leopard-printed Doc Martens.“Well, I had to dock you significantly because you didn’t stay bent over long enough. I barely had enough time to enjoy the view, anata2, Yuuri countered, his accent curving around the syllables in a sinful way.In the background of the call, Kenjirou commented that the best spin was yet to come, and Viktor nearly snickered; if the rising star of the Japanese Skating Federation (JSF) hadn’t been so relentlessly devoted to his girlfriend of the past 3 years, he would have felt far more disturbed at the amount of phone storage space the former had devoted to videos of Yuuri's skating.“Ahh, you’re right Yusha, I’m much better than that,” he responded, his tone edging on plaintive.He was about to ask whether “rescuing” was still needed, when his love spoke again, his voice turning sly.“But as it turns out, I happen to have some sway with the rest of the judging panel, Vitya. There may be a supplemental way for you to earn back points, if you’re interested?”Viktor was sure that he knew where this was going, but decided to humor him, anyway.“Wow! Amazing!” he cried out, loudly, causing a sullen-looking teenager with a greasy ponytail to turn and glare at him.He was tempted to respond with a dramatic toss of his braid over his shoulder, but thought that might be too mean; it probably wasn’t even this poor kid’s fault that he’d been using the wrong conditioner his whole life. Settling for beaming in his direction instead, Viktor continued on, now close to the retail area.“Today seems to be my lucky day,” he continued, in a sing-song tone to Yuuri. “What might this ‘supplemental way’ entail, моя котлета маленький3?" he asked, deciding to temporarily give up his search for Yurio in favor of checking out the bookstore nearby.He had reminded Yuri several times over the last few days that he’d need to be at their boarding gate by 6:30 am, which had now come and gone. Thanks to read receipts, he knew that the three unanswered texts he’d sent him had been seen.Viktor swallowed down a sigh. Their first leg of travel to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was by way of Tokyo, and he’d found out this morning that every other flight headed there was fully booked for at least another ten hours. Missing this one would put them significantly behind, and while Yura was more than capable of traveling solo if they decided to go ahead without him, the idea of not being able to keep an eye on him made him feel uneasy.Despite repeated scolding and threats, Yuri had been working himself to the bone the past few months in preparation for the Games, and at times it seemed like he might be close to snapping.“Well…it’s actually quite the elaborate mechanism, and you know how some things don’t translate well over the phone,” Yuuri responded, airily. “But if you come back to where I’m seated, you could escort me somewhere private where I’d be more than happy to give you a full download,” he continued, with a fair amount of heat in his voice.Not even a second passed before Viktor was turning right back around in the bookstore entryway to stride back towards their cluster of seats.Was he even really in need of more books?He had tons!Was his shameless thirst for his spouse increasing with every footstep he took back towards him?Absolutely.And was he also in need of a pleasant distraction from the cloud of worry hanging over his head? A cloud that was teeming with grim thoughts of the Russian skating federation, memories from the last Olympic Games, and heightened anticipation for Yuuri’s last ever competitive skate?Undoubtedly.“What an interesting proposition, Милый мой4,” Viktor replied, nonchalantly, while nearly tripping in his haste to retrace his steps. “This ‘download’ wouldn’t by any chance involve a drunkenly made bet we have going on with two of our good friends, would it?”Yuuri giggled, a sound that always made Viktor’s heart flutter. As he dodged a family outfitted with the cutest set of matching luggage that he’d ever seen (onigiri-printed!), he fondly recalled the raucous Jinjitsu5 party they'd hosted earlier in the month. While it had been an amazing way to ring in the new year, if there was one thing he and his husband regretted the following morning, it had been the fact that their caloric intake that night had been 80% alcohol, and 20% nanakusa-gayu, all mainly thanks to Phichit Chulanont and Lee Seung-Gil.The Thai and Korean skaters, who began dating in 2019 and got engaged last April, had sponsorship obligations in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics, and had arranged a brief visit to see them before returning home to Bangkok. Given the success of their 2021 Jinjitsu party, he and Yuuri had decided to make it an annual tradition, hosting close to fifty guests at their three-story Hakata Ward house.In addition to bringing together their various circles of Fukuoka friends, they’d also delighted in getting to celebrate with a number of their retired as well as active skating friends.To nobody’s surprise, Christophe Giacometti and his partner of the last seven years – a former ice dancer named Uno Masumi, who he now worked alongside at the Swiss Skating Federation – had shown up with no less than 5 different collapsible poles, which made for a total of 6 poles in various rooms of their house, since they already had one permanently installed in their at-home dance studio.During Chris and Yuuri’s second dance-off, Masumi had wandered off, and somehow wound up in their backyard pool along with the Leroys and Leo de la Iglesia, despite it being 4 degrees Celsius outside. Despite much shrieking, flailing, and shivering, their whiskey-induced elation had been quite a joy to behold, from the videos that made it to Instagram. And even though Yura had vehemently insisted that he was too busy to come over, Phichit very helpfully pointed out at the 2am mark that he was one of the last of their friends to remain in attendance.This comment apparently necessitated a karaoke duel that neither skater won, both having been upstaged by Papio Ice Arena’s Head Coach, Akihito Watanabe-Muthalaly. While normally fairly reserved, when drunk enough, Akihito could match even Yuuri in levels of uninhibitedness.As Viktor approached the corner that would bring his love into view, he thought back to how it had been almost easier to spot who wasn’t drunk that night.Somewhere around the 3am mark, he, Yuuri, Seung-Gil, and Phichit had been crowded around their basement-level bar. Thanks to the latter man’s heavy-handed sake pouring, Yuuri let slip to the other couple that the airport was one of the few public places they had never had sex. Now, Viktor hadn’t been especially bothered by this divulgement of the tawdry details of their intimate life, as 1) he had been far too happy attending to his lapful of their dogs, Goya and Meni, and 2) he had always had a bit of an exhibitionist streak, which was common knowledge amongst their friends.Over additional (ill-advised) servings of sake, Phichit had claimed in a stage-whisper that he and Seung-Gil had airport sex every time they traveled, a statement Yuuri called bullshit on several hours later, while stumbling around to find the glasses that were already atop his head. With his guard down due to the high from ample poodle kisses, Viktor’s feelings of invincibility had spurred him on to make a bold declaration. While covering Goya’s ears, he’d claimed that if he and his Yusha ever partook in such an act, it would undoubtedly be the hottest occurrence of public sex the world – ok, so maybe not the world, but certainly, any bathroom voyeurs – would ever have the pleasure of seeing.Phichit’s hearty guffaw had then scared poor Meni, and Yuuri had quickly chimed in that he’d meant “the pleasure of hearing” rather than “seeing” (oh my god, stoppppp, Phichit-kun, we’d at least close the the stall door). Up until that point, Seung-Gil had been suspiciously silent, but with an air of casual indifference, he’d suddenly stated that claims like theirs couldn’t be backed up if they hadn’t managed "to do it even once”.At this point in their marriage, Viktor and his husband had developed a keen sense of the other’s fight or flight inclinations in times of provocation. With only a brief glance at one another, they could tell they were thinking along the same lines. Wearing an expression that was quite reminiscent of the moment when he’d first declared that “Katsudon is my Eros!”, Yuuri had proclaimed that if they managed to do the deed in an airport before White Day, that the two of them would earn the right to organize an embarrassing slideshow of blackmail-worthy material to display at the Chulanont-Lee wedding reception, taking place at the very end of April.After some back-and-forth around what constituted “the deed” (where everybody agreed that even a rushed handjob could count, as long as orgasm was involved), the topic turned to counter-terms. It was a testament to just how rip-roaringly drunk their friends were to agree to such a skewed agreement. Putting pen to paper in Seung-Gil’s sloppy, drunken handwriting, they’d stipulated that if he and Yuuri failed in their mission, they’d be required to perform a coordinated dance routine at the reception instead…something they had already planned on doing.In their inebriation, Phichit and Seung-Gil had never specified who would develop the choreography for said dance, even though it was implied that it would be up to the grooms. But Viktor hardly felt bad about exploiting this loophole, since Yuuri had been seeking pay-back ever since Phichit had displayed a lengthy slideshow (complete with video footage) at their own wedding reception, back in April 2019.When Viktor had woken up horribly hungover with daifuku stuck firmly to a braid in his hair, he’d cursed the other couple, who’d fallen asleep splayed out on their stairs with their faces covered in semi-pornographic stick-figure images (likely drawn on by Yurio). Now, however, he was thankful for the drunken adventures, and really hoped he and Yuuri would be able to sneak away to some private nook of the terminal.“What a curious question, Viten’ka6,” his spouse replied, cheerfully, mirroring his words from earlier.He was now within sight, though still a bit far away. It was perhaps a little silly to remain on the phone when he’d soon get to talk to him in person, but Viktor knew they were both enjoying the excuse to play into the thrill of their “secret” Russian conversation.“I can neither confirm nor deny any association between the download and this supposed bet,” Yuuri continued on, with the ghost of a laugh in his voice. “That being said, it’s rather bold of you to assume I’d be able to remember such a thing, anyway. You’re talking to the same man who pole-danced his way into his soulmate’s life, and didn’t remember a second of it. If my brain can’t hold space for monumental events like that, you can hardly expect me to recall details of bets that may or may not revolve around ripping each other’s clothes off in semi-public spaces…which, incidentally for us, is just a regular Tuesday.”Viktor barked out a laugh, finally close enough to just make out the wide grin on Yuuri’s face.He could also see that a few more members of their Papio travel group had finally arrived – though still no Yuri. To be fair, 6:30am was much earlier than he really needed to arrive, but by now, he’d traveled enough with his younger student and the rest of their crew to know that he had to include a generous cushion.A very, very generous cushion. The rink’s head coach, Akihito Watanabe-Muthalaly, was punctual enough, but his husband, Mohit, was really not a morning person; he practically had to be dragged through the airport. Viktor briefly recalled the last few times that Akihito had accidentally forgotten his breakfast at home. Though Papio had an excellent cafeteria that opened every morning at 6am, due to Mohit’s pride as a relatively well-known local chef in the area, he refused to let his husband eat anything that didn’t meet the standard of “a gourmet start to the day”. He also fully acknowledged that he was a bit of a snob, as at one point he’d raged that the fresh fish they served for breakfast in the cafeteria was “slop”.He and Yuuri had been lost to long fits of the giggles whenever they witnessed the normally-cheery Indian chef stomping disgruntledly through the rink hallways to deliver a forgotten multi-course breakfast. At present, the Watanabe-Muthalalys were slumped over in a secluded corner of the gate, with their fingers interlaced and their heads together. While Viktor sincerely believed that he and Yuuri were Fukuoka’s cutest couple, Akihito and Mohit made for a close second.Or maybe third, he mused, spotting Katsuki Mari and her fiance, Amara Pree. They looked like they had just arrived, and were settling into the row near the phone charging station. At that moment, Mari was dropping a kiss on the younger woman’s forehead and, once again, he was reminded of the transformation he’d seen in his sister-in-law in recent years.When he was first getting to know Yuuri nearly six years ago in Hasetsu, his then-boyfriend had confided in him that he sometimes worried that Mari resented him for their very different life trajectories. While she’d never said anything to either of them to even remotely suggest it, Viktor remembered Yuuri telling him that his decision to pursue elite coaching in the Junior Division had meant that there was less money available for his sister in the future. Especially if she ever decided she wanted to pursue a life outside of Hasetsu as he had.As his coach, Viktor had done his best to get his student to reframe his thinking, but he knew that it was partly the guilt over his parents’ “wasted money” that had plagued Yuuri so heavily after his last place finish in Sochi, back in 2015 at the Grand Prix Final. He made sure to remind him that the JSF and his sponsors covered a large portion of his expenses, but even still, he knew that the perceived imbalance between the two siblings – even to this day – troubled Yuuri very much. So much so, that when his then-fiance won silver at the Barcelona Grand Prix Final, he’d set aside all of his prize money in a savings account for Mari.As that season continued, Viktor observed him quietly add to the fund, with his gold medal winnings from Four Continents and his even larger gold medal winnings from World’s making for sizable contributions. Aided by a number of lucrative sponsorship contracts, Yuuri had managed to amass his end goal for her by mid-summer 2017, and Viktor had been only too happy to add his own share as well. After all, he’d accumulated more than enough money in savings and ongoing sponsorships to support him and Yuuri for years to come. Mari’s pride was a daunting obstacle for them at first, but she eventually relented and accepted the funds at her brother's insistence that he owed a great deal of his own success to her sacrifices.By using around half of the money to hire an additional three full-time staff for the onsen, she was able to free herself from any guilt around exploring her own future. About a week after she’d decided to accept the money, Mari had admitted to them that she’d always wanted to get some college education and hospitality management experience before formally taking over ownership of Yutopia. At their urging, she enrolled in a 3-year business management degree program at Kyushu University that began in fall 2017. It was through this program that Mari met Amara, who she began living with in downtown Fukuoka in early 2019, after half a year of dating.Though he and Yuuri had met Amara prior to their own move to the city, living in such close proximity to the other couple allowed them to truly get to know her. As such, it didn’t take long for them to observe how Mari had blossomed under the gentle cover of her partner’s affections.While she was normally good natured, around Amara, there was a palpable lightness about her; the once-rare sight of her belly-laughing in Hasetu became downright common after the two began dating. His heart-shaped smile came out in full force as he remembered their double date two weeks ago, when Amara had told them a story about her and Mari’s cat, Eider, that had them all laughing so hard they cried.“You have such a pretty smile,” his husband said, dreamily, recapturing his attention as they continued their call.Look who’s talking, Viktor thought, feeling a furious blush creep up his cheeks at the praise.For a second, he hoped that Yura actually wasn’t here yet; if he were, he’d no doubt be fake-gagging at them flirting over the phone in Russian, despite being in direct sight of one another.“Oh, what’s this, what’s this?” he sing-songed in reply, now just two rows away. “Is ~my Yuuuurrrrrriii~ trying to start a compliment war with me?”Viktor delighted in seeing the resulting furrow of Yuuri's brow, as well as the cute ‘o’ shape his lips made as he began to reply.“That’s very adorable,” he plowed ahead, in a wicked tone, “but don’t expect to win. You’re playing out of your league, Katsuki-Nikiforov.”As he hung up the phone, he saw Yuuri's jaw drop, and practically skipped over to enter their row of seats. For the moment, Kenjirou appeared to be nowhere in sight, and he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking their “escape” might be easier than anticipated.As he approached his vacant seat, Viktor nimbly dodged the emerald green scarf – one of his birthday gifts for Yuuri last year – that he’d begun snapping at him. He laughed as it just missed his knee, grateful that he was still fairly limber despite the constant battering his limbs had been subjected to for most of his life.“I could totally – ”
Snap!
“ – beat you – ”
Snap!
“ – in a compliment war!”
Snap!
On his third try, Viktor caught hold of his spouse’s fearsome weapon, and tugged it towards him as he dropped into his seat. Though he felt a brief moment of resistance, Yuuri eagerly leaned in to accept the kiss he was offering. They were both grinning like idiots, so while it was more like giggling with their teeth bumping together rather than a true kiss, it still made his chest feel pleasantly warm.Drawing back slightly, Viktor shot Yuuri a coy look, and began to twirl the end of his braid around a finger.“You always know how to make me laugh, you’re the world’s best kisser, and you look like an angel when you sleep,” he whispered, the words tumbling out in one breath.Immediately, spots of color bloomed high on Yuuri’s cheeks, and he leaned forward to hide his face against his shoulder.“Зайчонок7,” you know how competitive I am! You just love riling me up, don’t you?” he muttered in reply, reaching out to slip his arms around his waist.He was wearing one of Viktor’s favorite sweaters – a cream-colored cable knit that made him look impossibly soft and cuddly – so it was really no hardship to put his arms around him in return.“Of course I do,” he replied, serenely. “Ahh, but wait…”Viktor paused, for dramatic effect. If Yuuri had been looking at him, he would have tapped his lips, too.“How terrible,” he murmured, with mock sadness. “There’s simply no time for you to retaliate, since we have a bet to go win. You know what I always say: better to quit while you’re ahead, so I guess you’ll just have t– ”
Mmmmmmph!
Viktor suddenly found his lips covered by the emerald scarf, which his love, eyes alight with mischief, was wrapping around his mouth and neck. He was being gentle, of course; it wasn’t like he was actually trying to smother him, but the idea behind the action was very clear.“Here’s what I want to know,” Yuuri began, his tone heavy with meaning, “you said I’m the world’s best kisser, but there’d be no way for you to know that unless you kissed a large, random sample of people and compared notes in a very rigorous, scientific process.”Viktor’s eyes widened, already knowing where this was heading.Hell yes; he loved when his husband got possessive.He felt himself grow warm, and it wasn’t just because of the partial cocoon around his face. His braid hung free, so it was actually quite comfortable and cozy.“Tell me, Vitya,” Yuuri continued, his eyes now piercing as he began to tuck the ends of the “wrap” in, “did you conduct a rigorous, scientific process that allowed you to compare notes and kiss a large, random sample of people?”He paused and leaned in slightly, and Viktor felt the urge to shiver.“People that aren’t me?” he finished, his voice dipping low in a possessive tone that he’d heard many times before in a number of settings, though they all usually involved less clothes.He whimpered in reply and began to bat his eyelashes in the way he knew drove his spouse crazy.Yuuri’s breath hitched in response, and he felt a spike of pride at his effect on him.“Up. Now. I’ve already got our supplies ready,” Yuuri commanded, firmly, before standing.Viktor felt flutters of anticipation swarm his insides when he saw how his husband's jaw was clenching. Feeling a little dazed at the sudden charge in the air between them, he stood and began to unravel the cocoon, his fingers moving clumsily in his excitement.Then, like a harbinger of chaos, Minami Kenjirou, Men’s Singles gold medalist in cock-blocking, swooped in.“Viktor-sensei?” his voice rang out, directly behind them.
Noooooooooo! For the love of God, Kenjirou…Right when we’re about to sneak off to have steamy, wanton airport sex? Really??
He took a deep breath and attempted to muster up all the patience he possessed. He liked Kenjirou, he really did, but Viktor already had a lot on his mind…and he suspected that whatever the other man had to say would only add to it. At the same time, he couldn’t ignore all that he had done for them; Kenjirou was the main reason he and Yuuri had even been given the opportunity to join Papio in the first place.While Yuuri had initially found his hero-worship off-putting, Viktor was quite proud of the way he had stepped into a mentorship role for his peer after his move to St. Petersburg, halfway through the 2016-2017 skating season. His then-fiance had kept Kenjirou updated on their lives even while in Russia, so once Coach Watanabe’s skater had learnt of their plan to move to Japan after Viktor’s retirement, he had suggested Papio Ice Arena as a possible training and coaching option.Even back then, he and Yuuri had long-term aspirations to work with the Nishigoris to transform Hasetsu’s Ice Castle into their own skating academy, and they knew that a few years living in a more prominent city first would be beneficial. This interim period would allow them to establish trusted contacts with other skaters and coaches that would serve them well in getting the word out about their plans.Plus, Yuuri was already familiar with the city, having traveled to Fukuoka often as a Junior Division skater. As an added bonus, they’d suspected that the move would allow them the opportunity to connect with potential future sponsors, which was easier to do given that the JSF had a regional office in downtown Fukuoka.Thankfully, Kenjirou’s gregarious nature endeared him to nearly everyone at the federation, and he was more than willing to use these close relationships to nudge JSF leadership into supporting their idea. It also helped that Akihito had been actively seeking to build up his staff and the rink’s notoriety. When news of their potential move began to spread, it seemed that nearly the entire city was thrilled at the prospect. As such, they had been greeted with a very warm welcome that made their transition from Russia easier than they could have ever imagined.Channeling his gratitude, Viktor uncovered his mouth and tried to focus on not sounding too put-out when he replied.“Hello, Kenjirou. How’s it going?” he responded, turning to give him a wan smile.“I’m alright, sensei! It’s just that, I’ve kind of got the impression that you’re worried about Yuri-kun being late, right?” the other man questioned, toying a bit with his hair as he fidgeted.While Viktor had been a big fan of Kenjirou’s red and blond hair – it was exactly the kind of thing that conservative sponsors hated and they could, quite frankly, suck it – he couldn’t deny that his more subtle look now, with blonde and honey-brown highlights really suited him. It gave the formerly-dubbed “Chicken Nugget” a look of maturity.At his silent nod, Kenjirou hurriedly went on.“I actually don’t think you have to be too worried. I know for a fact that he’s somewhere here in the airport.”Viktor sighed. The tension that seemed to have wormed its way up his spine eased a tiny bit, but at the same time, he now felt even more annoyed.“It’s not your fault, Kenjirou, obviously…but I’m a bit frustrated with Yura right now. Why is it that he can communicate with his rinkmate and not his coach?” he asked, in a clipped tone.The question was rhetorical, and they both knew it.He felt Yuuri’s fingers trail up his face to begin massaging his temple, and leaned into the reassuring touch. He knew his own worries sometimes fueled his love’s anxiety, which was one of the main reasons he was so apprehensive about the coming weeks.With the Beijing Games marking his last competition before retirement, Viktor wanted Yuuri to be able to focus on his skating without having to worry about his own preoccupations as well. Suppressing the urge to sigh again, he closed his eyes and focused on the blissful sensation near his temple.“You said that you know he’s in the airport. Is he ok? Does he need help?” Viktor asked.A few moments of silence passed, and when he opened his eyes it was to the sight of Kenjirou worrying his lip with his teeth, fidgeting even more than he already was.“Viktor-kochi…I would tell you if I could, but it’s not my place. I’m really sorry,” he said, sounding like he meant it. His eyes looked almost pleading.Ok…so all signs pointed to the fact that Yura was in trouble, of some sort.Mentally, Viktor was kicking himself. What kind of coach didn’t even know how their skater was doing, or where they were on the way to the Olympics?? He knew he should have been a bit more insistent on picking him up this morning, but the two times he had offered, Yurio had grown irritable and snapped that he was babying him. After those ill-fated attempts, he had conspired with Yuri's co-coach, a man named Kishimoto Taku, who was one of the more senior assistant coaches at Papio. Taku conducted around half of Yura’s training sessions, and when circumstances required Yuuri and Yuri to be at different competitions on overlapping dates, the former stood in as his head coach.While he had later informed him that Yura was at least (mostly) polite in his responses, Taku had also been shut down, with the former apparently claiming that he was fine to get an Uber.Just then, Kenjirou’s phone began to ring obnoxiously loudly, and in his periphery, Viktor saw Mohit cast a small frown in their direction. He’d clearly just been woken from his slumber.“Ah! His ears must have been burning!” Kenjirou cried, looking relieved. With a swift tap to his phone screen, he lifted the device to his ears.“Ohayou, Yuri-kunnnn!”Yura's voice barked out almost instantly, loud enough to render speakerphone entirely unnecessary.“Kenjirou! Is the old man shitting himself yet?”Viktor balked at the note of glee in his student’s voice, and resisted the almost compulsive urge to roll his eyes. Kenjirou wisely chose to dodge the question.“How close are you? Everybody’s here now. Do you need help?”“Negative,” Yuri replied, the sharpness of his voice evident even over a slightly muffled connection.“I’ve been traveling alone in airports since I was twelve years old. I can manage to get myself over to you all without step-by-step guidance. Tell the geezer and Katsudon to keep their clothes on, I’ll be there in five.”Viktor shot a hand out to grab at the device, but by that time, Yura had already hung up. It was Yuuri that chose to break the awkward silence that followed.“I feel like we’re missing something pretty…important. I know you said it’s not your place, Kenjirou-kun, but if Yura’s in actual trouble, Vitya or Taku-kochi8 need to know. He hasn’t texted back with either one of them,” he said, softly, with no trace of judgment. “Are you sure you can’t say more?”Kenjirou's face seemed to crumple instantaneously, and Viktor was pretty sure those were tears swimming in his eyes.“Believe me, Yuuri-senpai…I want to tell you, but Yuri-kun made me promise not to say anything! I can’t break that promise, but still, I’m so sorry that I can’t be more helpful to you and sensei.”Sounding distraught, Kenjirou looked like he wanted nothing more than to throw himself at their feet and beg forgiveness, and Viktor was almost positive he would if he didn’t intervene soon.Lord almighty…how had Yakov dealt for years with not only Yuri, but Mila, Georgi and him without suffering an aneurysm every other day?“Don’t worry about it, Kenjirou,” Viktor responded, trying to inject as much warmth into his voice as possible. “You’re not responsible for Yura’s decisions, or what he does or doesn’t decide to share with me. I plan to have a chat with him when he shows up, so you’re off the hook.”He managed to direct a thin smile at the trembling skater.Kenjirou gaped at him for a few seconds, but eventually remembered to close his mouth. Moving forward abruptly, he caught Viktor in a tight and slightly cumbersome embrace, given the seats separating them. A few moments passed where he sniffled into his shoulder, and once Viktor caught Yuuri's eye, the latter got the hint and joined in.When the extra set of arms encircled their shoulders, he felt Kenjirou begin to tremble with delight.Viktor began to wonder how early in the day was considered too early to order vodka during a flight, but his daydreaming was interrupted when he felt yet another set of hands enter their group hug. Blinking his eyes open, he caught sight of Tanaka Izumi’s impish grin, just over the top of Yuuri’s head.“Why are we group hugging Kenjirou-kun?”It was far more accurate to say that he and Yuuri were the ones doing all the work, as Team Japan’s leading Women's Singles skater had her arms wholly wrapped around her idol. Viktor smothered a laugh as he felt Yuuri smile against his neck; Izumi would readily latch onto any excuse to bestow affection onto him, even more fervently admiring than Kenjirou at times.On her first day of training at Papio back in April 2020, Coach Watanabe’s precocious and talented 20-year-old skater had come right up to Yuuri, and had loudly declared that she would eventually have presentation component scores that were even better than his own, one day. She had then skated away, blushing furiously, and began practicing figures with a sort of crazed fervor.Afterwards, his husband had turned to him, brow furrowed in a way that had simply demanded that Viktor kiss it, and admitted to being unsure of what had just happened. He very happily informed him that they could add yet another name to the ‘Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov Ardent Fans and Admirers List’. He himself was top of the rankings, of course, and took great pride in making sure no one ever had reason to doubt his placement.“Team Papio bonding, Izumi-chan!” Yuuri joked in reply. “It’s good luck for Beijing!”“Oh, yes,” Kenjirou caught on. “But it’s really not the same without Akihito-kochi and Mohit-itamae9.”He broke away from the group slightly, casting a look of fake longing in the aforementioned couple’s direction.“You’re right, Kenjirou!” Viktor exclaimed loudly, making sure that his voice would carry. “We all know Mohit gives the best hugs in the morning! Why don’t you go get him to join us?”He grinned as Kenjirou hurried away, laughing to himself. None of them could resist teasing a sleep-deprived Mohit. The hilarious and melodramatic chef had become one of his and Yuuri's closest friends during their time living in Fukuoka. In both foodie fervor and level of extraness, he was a great match for Viktor’s sensibilities, and it was not uncommon for the Watanabe-Muthalalys to join them for double-dates that very quickly went off the rails. Their last dinner bill had been close to 9,000 yen.“That serves Mohit-itamae right for two weeks ago,” Yuuri said, with a meaningful glance his way.Before they could explain to Izumi about the most recent iteration of the chef’s monthly dinner party, a loud squeal rang out on the left, causing them all to jump.“Ohmygodohmygoddddd, you finally bought them?!?!”With eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, an awestruck Kimura Niko came into view, looking like she wanted to marry the shoes currently on Viktor’s feet. As she drew nearer, practically drooling, he laughed and gracefully extended his leg, pointing his toes in a way that even Lilia would not find fault with.“Yes! What do you think?” he asked, excitedly. “True to the pictures I showed you?”“Even better,” Niko breathed, almost reverently, making Yuuri and Izumi laugh as well.Niko and Izumi had been dating for the last 3 years, and the two of them absolutely adored him and Yuuri. The adoration went both ways, and Viktor knew within 5 minutes of meeting Niko that the two of them would get along. For one, she was a graduate student in fashion design studies at Kyushu University, so the two of them got to bond over their shopping addictions, while their significant others would watch from afar with a mix of fondness and exasperation. She’d been one of the first of their Papio friends and colleagues that he’d come out to regarding his gender fluidity, and her and Izumi’s fierce support as he’d navigated coming out at work had meant the world to him.In spite of his father’s outright disdain for it, Viktor had begun playing around with his gender expression as a pre-teen.As young as age ten, he’d always known that he possessed innate artistry, and regarded the exploration of makeup, hairstyles, and clothing to be a natural extension of it. As soon as he’d become age-eligible at thirteen, he had moved into the skater dorms adjoining the rink, and aside from the obvious joy of escaping Ilia Nikiforov’s stifling presence, he relished the freedom of being able to buy nail polish and cute skirts without having to look over his shoulder.Even when his daily routine had consisted of nothing more than sleeping, school, diet-approved meals and round-the-clock skating, Viktor found ways to honor the duality of both his masculine and feminine nature. As was the case now, it was a very day-by-day thing; some days, he felt very much aligned with the biological sex he’d been assigned at birth, while others, he identified far more androgynously, or explicitly femininely. When his peers had spent their Saturday nights attending parties in their most stylish outfits, sixteen-year-old Viktor would show up to Yubileyny some of those same evenings with a full face of makeup, skating with his long hair flying behind him in elaborately braided styles.But, as with most things in Russian society, as his career had taken off, the pressure to conform to more conservative ideals became too burdensome to fight. Despite Yakov and Lilia’s attempts to champion his personal freedom, Viktor’s sponsors were capable of creating quite a ruckus for the FFKKR10.Short of actual physical threats (though this didn’t make the hate mail any less jarring), it had been made very clear to him on more than one occasion that if he was going to be representing his country in the public eye, he needed to maintain a certain type of appearance when off the ice: one that wouldn’t suggest any desire to “go against the grain”. While he’d been told that he could do whatever he wanted for his performances, when he put his blade guards on, he was expected to flip on the “mental switch” that necessitated his placating and pandering to those too fragile to handle his authentic self, whether it was in regards to his gender or sexuality.When he’d been forced to cut his hair in order to secure his country’s selection for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, Viktor had become so inured to the machinations of the Russian skating federation’s “ego circus”, that he hardly had the energy to fight back against their wheeling-and-dealing.Though he had achieved enough financial security that he wasn’t as beholden to the fickle nature of meddlesome sponsors, he had become an important enough asset to the FFKKR, that he had been privy to the myriad ways besides money that the federation could seek to ruin an uncooperative athlete. So, for over a decade, he’d suppressed that part of himself that knew the stark demarcations of the gender binary felt wrong…maybe not wrong all of the time, but certainly enough of the time that it slowly began to ravage his insides.Until that first season, coaching Yuuri.“Izumi, will you get me a pair just like these?” Niko pleaded, turning towards her girlfriend with imploring eyes.Izumi made a big show of giving him the “look what you’ve started” stink-eye, though he knew it was entirely in jest.“What do you say, Izumi-channnnnn?” he sing songed, pirouetting with surprisingly good form, considering the rough carpet underfoot. “A little birdy told me you finalized the sponsorship terms with Asics, so I think you can shell out a couple hundred for your ~dear Niko~, right?”As he readied himself for another pirouette, Izumi lightly shoved him, and he fell out of his set-up with a giggle.“You don’t have to say ‘a little birdy’, Viktor-kochi, you can just say it was Yuuri-senpai,” she replied, her lips twitching. “Unless there’s some other top athlete you know that has Asics wrapped around their finger?”At this, Yuuri blushed, deeply, and Viktor slung a proud arm around him.It really was true; Asics was one of Japan’s largest companies, and for three years now, Yuuri had been their domestic star athlete, appearing in several of their print as well as digital ad campaigns. He’d designed an entire line of shoes for them, and had been in 5 different commercials “modeling” each.“I wouldn’t say they’re wrapped around my finger,” Yuuri mumbled, looking sheepish.“So modest, sweetheart,” Viktor crowed, twirling him around as Izumi and Niko looked on, happily. “I seem to recall Haru mentioning that the Exec Board members were ‘tripping over themselves’ to make sure the katsudon was up-to-par at their summer awards banquet.”His spouse gave him a somewhat betrayed look, but before he could keep adding fuel to the fire of their “compliment war”, they heard a somewhat familiar chorus of agitation to their right.Yuri and his 3 leopard-print bags appeared to be in the middle of a Mari and Amara sandwich, and the harried skater could be heard loudly complaining that he “was with you losers just a few days ago!”In perfect sync, he and Yuuri scurried over to surround him, and after offering apologetic smiles to both Amara and Mari, and waving a hand to Taku, Viktor began herding his two skaters over to a secluded nook at the adjoining gate. While ushering Yura over, he spotted his red-rimmed, puffy eyes, which were quite at odds with his aggressive insistence that “everything’s fine, there’s nothing to talk about, old man!”.Even in his earliest days of coaching Yuuri, the media and other naysayers often mistook Viktor’s lack of experience for flippancy, but he had always known when the time came to be serious…even if he didn’t always go about expressing his concern in the best way.Now mostly hidden from view behind the charger wall, he placed both of his hands on Yuri’s shoulders, and waited until he met his gaze.“Yura, this isn’t meant to be a scolding for being late”, he began, quietly. “You’ve obviously been crying, and it’s not like you to ignore texts from Taku or I, so…what’s going on? Will you let us help you?”Yurio remained quiet, and Viktor gave his husband a quick glance so he could try his luck.“Is this about the Games, Yura?” Yuuri asked. “We know you’ve been putting a lot of pressure on yourself but try to remember: things are totally different this time around from PyeongChang. Vitya and Taku-kochi told me that your practice runs have been flawless.”Again, no response, but it was hard to miss the viridian-tinged tears that began welling up in his eyes.Even this small show of vulnerability reinforced just how much the once-guarded man had evolved with time.After the death of his grandfather in October 2019 – the impetus for his moving to Japan – Yuri was irrevocably changed.In the aftermath of Nikolai’s passing, he had fallen into a months-long depressive state, and had allowed him and Yuuri to take care of him in a way he had always been resistant to, prior. Though Yura certainly didn’t like to reminisce on that period of his life, he had made it clear that his willingness to be vulnerable around the two of them wasn’t something he easily afforded to just anyone; his ability to (mostly) accept their help without internalizing it as an admission of weakness signaled a turning point in their relationship.Before, he had been desperate to convince himself and others that he didn’t need to rely on anyone except for his grandfather or his best friend Otabek. Now, however, he was more willing to admit if he was struggling.Even if it took some prodding.“Oh, Yura,” Viktor said sadly, giving his shoulder a squeeze.Apparently, this was all it took for the proverbial leap off of the cliff, because in the next instant, Yuri had thrust his face into his hands, beginning to shake. His shuddering sobs were practically silent, though. If Viktor hadn’t been able to see his body shaking right in front of him, he wouldn’t have truly grasped the extent to which Yura was shattering apart. He had seen him cry before, but it was still a wrenching sight.He and Yuuri crowded in simultaneously, his love beginning a soothing cadence of murmured Japanese, while he himself began to dig in his back pocket for some tissues. Knowing there was little use in trying to get him to speak just yet, Viktor began to breathe deeply, hoping that the rhythmic pace might serve as a nudge to Yurio to mimic him. Before long, he heard Yuuri joining in, and after about a minute, all three of them were in sync.They stood there in a huddle while urgent boarding announcements resounded overhead from a crackling intercom. Even so, Viktor wasn’t concerned with anything outside of their immediate vicinity.His marriage and his work with Pasha in therapy11 over the past few years had taught him that it was counterproductive to rush emotional processing in situations like this. When it came to grief, it would take however long it would take, and trying to abridge the experience would be disrespectful to his student. Not to mention that it would send him a message of merely conditional friendship. He remembered Yuuri telling him as much during a “down day” incident he’d had a few years back.Thanks to a combination of his spouse’s support, medication, and talk/EMDR therapy, Viktor’s depression was nowhere near as debilitating as it had been prior to his rediscovery of his “L words”.He naturally still had bad days on occasion, which he and Yuuri had gotten into a habit of referring to as his “down days”. On this particular October afternoon back in 2019, they were excited to meet up with some of their new friends in Fukuoka at a Halloween pet costume party, and couldn’t wait to show off all three of their pups, who they’d dressed up as an adorable dinosaur trio.Viktor had been feeling great all morning and was looking forward to an afternoon surrounded by cute dogs and his even cuter husband. Which was why it caught him completely off-guard when he had burst into tears shortly before they were due to leave. Yuuri had held him tightly while he’d sobbed into his shoulder for nearly half an hour, and Makka, Meni, and Goya had all whined worriedly around them and climbed over his thighs to give him kisses.When Viktor had managed to stop crying and realized how late they were for the party, he had felt horribly guilty; since their move to Fukuoka in May, they had become fast friends with several of their neighbors and he knew that everyone was looking forward to their first appearance at one of the community’s biggest seasonal events.He apologized profusely, but his kind, caring Yuuri wouldn’t hear a word of it.“Don’t worry, honey,” he had said quietly, brushing away the tears on his cheeks with such tenderness that Viktor almost began weeping anew. “Viten'ka, you’re so much more important than any party,” he had continued. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here, holding you.”But Viktor had glumly replied that he was embarrassed and confused, unsure where his abrupt sadness had come from, and why he couldn’t seem to shake it. His wonderful Yuuri had then told him something that they’d gotten into the habit of saying to one another on their less-than-stellar days, plagued by anxiety or depression: ‘My love for you is not conditional. I’ll stay close to you, and together we’ll get through this, for however long it takes’.To which the other person would respond with gratitude.This was another thing they had been practicing with one another: instead of apologizing for needing support, they reframed a “sorry for being needy” into a “thank you for being so attentive to my needs”.During the depressive state following his grandpa’s death, they had even gotten Yuri to adopt the habit as well. Those months had been marked by sudden crying spells such as this one, and the memory made Viktor’s heart pluck with worry for his friend/student.For the moment, Yura’s sobs seemed to have subsided but he still hadn’t lifted his head or made an attempt to break out of their hold. When he did finally speak, his voice was croaky, and Viktor had to keep from wincing.“It is about Beijing…I actually thought about not showing up today. That’s why I was late,” Yuri said, his voice hushed.Viktor felt as if the breath had been punched out of his chest.Whatever he’d been expecting him to say, it certainly wasn’t that. One of figure skating’s premier competitors, the reigning World Champion, missing out on his second ever Olympics?It seemed inconceivable.During the lighter moments over the last few months when the Ice Tiger had taken his and Taku’s advice about not working himself into the ground, he would tease Yuuri about sending him into retirement with his tail between his legs, so the revelation seemed completely at odds with his typical trash-talk.Looking forlorn, Yuri finally broke away from the tangle of their arms, and when he stepped back, he was looking somewhere beyond Yuuri’s shoulder.“Last time around, for PyeongChang, everyone knew I wasn’t at my best,” he continued. “That shitty growth spurt and all, but even in tenth place, grandpa – ”His voice hitched, and Viktor felt his heart squeeze in his chest. Yura inhaled deeply.“Grandpa was still proud of me. I remember him telling me that tenth in the world was nothing to scoff at, but I couldn’t help it, I really really felt like I’d let him down. I was so ashamed.”His shoulders began to shake once more, and Viktor could only watch, frozen. He had heard this, before, but even still, a feeling of dread rose up in him. He suddenly had the ludicrous urge to run away.“I remember he told me ‘Yurotchka, you’ll have so many more Olympics. You’re so young,” Yuri continued, voice raw. “And me, a young, stupid, 17 year-old kid – ”His voice broke on the last word, and ridiculous as it was, Viktor felt as if the sound waves from his student’s throat transformed mid-air into something sharp; it felt as if a piece had chipped off and sliced through his own chest. In his periphery, he could see the pained expression on Yuuri’s face.He wanted to reach out a hand to put it on his shoulder, but all he could concentrate on was keeping his feet still, and resisting the odd impulse to flee. The rest of Yura's words sounded as if they were reluctant to escape his throat. The noise seemed to claw its way out, painfully.“I...was stupid enough to believe him. To believe him when he told me that next time, he’d watch me – ”The anguish in his voice seemed to zap at Viktor’s limbs, and without even being conscious of it, he began to move. Draping himself over Yura, protectively, he cradled the back of his head with one hand. Yuuri joined too and he was grateful for the additional bolstering, as it felt as if Yura's knees had buckled. He was more clinging to them rather than standing on his own.“He told me he’d watch me win an Olympic medal one day,” he said, bitterly, clenching desperately at Viktor’s sweater. “Why would he say that?!” he continued, sounding utterly broken, and more than ever like a lost little boy, instead of a 21-year-old man who had been traveling in airports by himself ever since he was twelve years old.In that moment, Viktor felt intense shame.He knew Yura had been eager to redeem himself this time around after his performance four years ago, but as his coach, his main support, he had failed to connect the dots. In hindsight it seemed so obvious: that so much of Yuri's desire to prove himself might be the result of latent grief over Nikolai's passing. In all of Viktor’s own preoccupation leading up to the Olympics – doubts around his efforts to adequately support Yuuri, worry around how the ugliness from the PyeongChang Games12 might come back to haunt them both – Yura’s well-being had gotten lost in the mix.He and Taku had been so short-sighted…No, Viktor mentally corrected himself. This was on him, not Taku.Taku hadn’t been the one to stand next to Yura at Nikolai’s funeral. Taku hadn’t been the one to help him box up his grandfather’s modest belongings, including the 12 different photo frames around his old apartment that depicted him and Yuri together. Taku hadn’t been the one to learn how to make Katsudon piroshki, as for the longest time, Yura couldn’t find the will to make it himself, even though he was comforted by the taste.As much as Yuri had opened up emotionally with him and Yuuri, he knew in his bones that he hadn’t wanted to burden him, likely aware of how fragile Viktor's own mental health had become the closer and closer they’d gotten to the Olympics.But as his coach, he should have pushed past his defenses, should have probed beyond the surface-level “how are you feeling about things?” inquiry that he had posed to him here and there after a difficult practice. If he had done that, he’s sure it would have become clear to him just how deep his student's unhealed grief ran.Yura was mourning something he wouldn’t have this time around: his grandfather holding an embarrassingly large banner with his face on it up in the stands; Nikolai taking pictures of him against the backdrop of conjoined rings in the ridiculously large arena; and, of course, his biggest cheerleader celebrating with him when he skated a performance he felt worthy of…the one he had wanted to give four years ago. The full scope of what he had missed hit him, and the force of Viktor’s regret felt staggering, causing him to dissociate. He didn’t even realize he was babbling in Russian until he felt Yura's shoulders shaking again – not from weeping however, but from laughter.“Huh?” Viktor questioned, temporarily startled out of his spiraling.The sudden change in tone felt like whiplash, and he was confused by the smile spreading across Yuuri’s face.“I think you’re confusing me for Katsudon, old man,” the Ice Tiger said, breaking slightly from Viktor’s embrace.His heart sank when he saw his mottled face, but the sight was tempered somewhat by the fact that he was clearly trying to hold back a laugh. At his quizzical expression, Yuri sighed, though the sound lacked any true heat.“You just called me “baby” in Russian, and told me that you love me very much, and that you’ll ‘stay close to me’, like you promised in your marriage vows,” he finished, his tone equal parts fond and mocking.Yuuri giggled, and the sound was like a balm for his heavy heart. Viktor felt a flush spring to his cheeks, but couldn't feel too embarrassed over his hysteria-babbling when it had ended up bringing a smile to the other two.“Sorry, Yura,” he said, laughing sheepishly. “You know me…I default to romance and sappiness when I’m panicking.”Yuri just rolled his eyes and gave him a light punch on the shoulder. Viktor had learned over the years that this was his way of saying “you’re such a dork, but you’re also ok to be around… sometimes”.He carefully removed his arm from around his frame and cleared his throat, wanting to get serious for a moment.“First off, if I utter a single word about your diet plan when we get to Beijing, you have full permission to remind me of this very moment; feel free to dunk my head into some hot pot or something. I’d honestly deserve it...”Trailing off, Viktor paused to take a deep breath, feeling thick simmering thickly under his skin.“...given what an utterly ignorant coach I’ve been.”Yura didn’t nod, but he also didn’t try to contradict him, which he was glad for. The last thing he wanted was for him to have to worry about his feelings. He had been careless towards him, and needed to hold himself accountable for it. Still, Viktor was thankful that Yuuri was present for this heart-to-heart. Tears pooled in his eyes, and as they began to fall, his husband wrapped his arms around him.The comfort spurred him on.“You’ve been hurting, and I didn’t even realize how deeply it ran,” he said, quietly, wiping at his cheeks. “Taku and I both saw how you were putting so much pressure on yourself the last few months, but we just thought that was about your wanting to perform the way you know you can. I should have made the connection to Nikolai…”Yuri looked down, his mouth a grave line.“I don’t have an excuse for my neglect,” Viktor went on, with feeling.“Love, you’re being really hard on yourself,” Yuuri interjected, his voice soft. “You’ve had a lot to deal with, not just with skat–”“No, Yuranya,” Viktor cut in, firmly, but choosing to soften his counter with the pet name.While he was appreciative of his spouse’s protectiveness, he didn’t feel he deserved it.“If anything, I’m being too easy on myself.”He swallowed loudly before meeting Yura’s eyes and carrying on.“I’ve been stretching myself too thin, and I’m sorry I’ve been so late to pick up on it. I would never regret giving my Yuuri the support he needs, but in the process of attending to us, I’ve neglected you. And, if I’m laying all my cards out on the table, I’ve probably been a pretty crap assistant coach to Izumi, too, lately. Akihito hasn’t said anything but he definitely wouldn’t be out of bounds to.”With a rueful smile and quick glance at both of his skaters, he continued.“Let’s be honest, though, unlike certain other individuals who are much more practiced in calling me on my bullshit, I think Izumi’s hero worship allows her to let me off the hook far more than she should. All that ‘Viktor-sensei’ business, and whatnot.”Yura snorted. At Viktor’s raised eyebrows, he pinned him to the spot with a defiant stare.“I wouldn’t worry about that too much, old man,” he said, scathingly. “All it took was one instance of you skating into the boards because you were too busy staring at Katsudon’s ass, and Izumi’s fangirling ended pretty damn quick.”He felt Yuuri laugh into his shoulder and resisted the urge to pout.“Though that happens rarely,” he replied, pointedly, raising his voice over Yura’s rebuttal of “try twice a week, you pervert!”, “what I’m trying to get at is that you’ve deserved far better than I’ve given recently. I’ve been too distracted to check in with you about how you’ve been truly feeling, and I’m so, so sorry for that. I want to do better, and at the same time, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that this is something of a pattern with me. I may be a better coach than I was 6 years ago…”Trailing off, Viktor gave his husband’s head a small nudge before continuing.“...but I still fall into the trap of thinking I can be everything to everyone, and I know I need to get better at recognizing when I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I may not be a competitive skater any longer, but I’m still as obstinate as I’ve ever been, so I will work to change. That’s a promise.”Yuri opened his mouth as if to respond, but Viktor knew he had one last crucial point to make, and forged ahead.“There are very few things that I can say that I’m certain of.”He looked to Yuuri, and when his love’s eyes met his own, he allowed himself to get lost in their warmth for a moment, gold flecks and all.“I’m certain that meeting Yuuri saved my life, and made it bigger than I ever could have imagined,” he continued, feeling himself melt at the shy smile that spread across his Yusha’s face at the words.He turned his head back to look at Yuri.“I’m certain that poodles are the closest thing we get to heaven on Earth.”Yura raised his eyebrows. “I’m certain that I’m 90 percent of the reason for Yakov’s hypertension– ”“Alright, geezer,” the Ice Tiger cut in, a bit irritably, “is there a point– ”, but Viktor went on, louder than before. “ – and finally, I am also certain that regardless of what happens in Beijing, Nikolai Plisetsky, were he alive to see it, would be unwaveringly proud of you.”Yura’s eyes begin to glisten, and Viktor forced himself not to look away.“You didn’t let Yakov, or Russia, or anyone down at PyeongChang, and you certainly didn’t let him down,” he continued, fiercely. “I should have told you that four years ago, and if I never did, I am truly, truly sorry. After everything that happened, I wasn’t at my best, either.”His student looked down, and Viktor saw a few tears glance off of his face.“You were Nikolai’s entire universe, Yura, and you were also a kid who felt bad about a performance and allowed his wise grandfather to comfort him, as wise grandfathers do. Your wanting to believe his words and find strength in them doesn’t make you stupid,” he said, his voice slightly choked.Viktor felt Yuuri’s arms tighten around him, and was grateful for the soft kiss he pressed to his cheek. "All he ever wanted was for you to be happy and fulfilled, and I think it would tear him apart if he knew you were carrying this misplaced sense of guilt, as if you owed him an Olympic medal and couldn’t give that to him before he died. You don’t have to carry that weight anymore.”Yuri gave a long exhale and wiped at his eyes.“Free yourself,” Viktor continued, quietly. “He always loved your jumps. Let go of your guilt and every time you jump in Beijing, let yourself be light, knowing how happy he’d be to see you do what you love.”Finally having said everything he wanted to, Viktor wanted nothing more than to embrace his student so he wouldn’t have to face his reaction to his clumsy, insufficient words. But he owed it to him to be brave, so he kept his gaze fixed ahead until Yura was ready to acknowledge him.Yuri was silent for several moments, but then suddenly screwed his eyes shut and brought his hands up to his face once more. Viktor guessed he might have burst into tears again, but instead he exhaled heavily, lowering his hands.“That was a lot better than I was expecting, old man,” he said, voice surprisingly steady. “You might even be right about some of it.”And with that, he reached out to lightly squeeze his shoulder before hurrying away.Viktor blinked after him, nonplussed.He wasn’t entirely sure what kind of reaction he’d been expecting, but it had involved a lot more scoffing and sighing, maybe some mild name-calling. Feeling like he’d missed a step going down the stairs, he looked to his spouse.“Was that– ”, Viktor began, but his would-be verbal ruminations were interrupted by warm lips pressing against his own.He felt Yuuri’s hands reach up to cup either side of his face, and found that the time for questioning could wait.Instead, Viktor allowed himself to sink fully into the moment, melting into the bliss that kissing his husband always provided. Their tongues tangled in the expertly coordinated rhythm that characterized so much of their lives on and off the ice, and he felt warmth begin to suffuse his entire body. Standing there in their own clandestine haven, he and Yuuri were content to ignore everything around them for the feel of the other’s soft mouth and steady arms.Every now and then, Viktor felt the tug of teeth on his bottom lip, and sighed happily into the firm pressure.At some point, he felt his back collide with a hard surface, and realized that he had been pushed up against the barrier separating their wall nook from the rest of the boarding gate area. Yuuri’s kisses became even more insistent, and Viktor gave a very audible shiver of delight.
Hell yes.
Having been together for over five years, it was by now a very well-documented fact in their relationship that Yuuri taking charge had the power to render him a near-instantaneous mess. His husband was aware, relishing in the hold he had over him, and Viktor, in turn, loved that he loved it; every time he observed his Yusha fully wielding his innate magnetism and eros, it took his breath away.Humming contentedly against his lips, Viktor suddenly realized that they were entirely hidden from view of fellow passengers, curious fans, and their friends and colleagues. Feeling blessed by the opportunity that had presented itself, he opted to move his hands from their perch on Yuuri’s hips to begin kneading at his immaculate, highly-squeezable ass. This, unfortunately, put a hasty stop to the skillful job his love had been doing, sucking on his tongue.With a loud squeak, Yuuri shoved his hands all the way up his sweater, beginning to tickle his armpits furiously.“Nooooo!! Yusha, stoppppp!”In between fits of laughter, Viktor managed to grab both of Yuuri’s hands in one of his own, his other shoving against his chest to create some separation between their bodies. His spouse pouted at him, expertly weaponizing his doe-eyed gaze.“Vitya,” he whined. “Why am I the one with my hands captured when you’re the one who introduced ass-grabbing into our completely innocent, not at all premeditated make-out session?”Viktor grinned.“Not at all premeditated, huh?” he purred, pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s nose before continuing. “So this delightful ambush has nothing to do with that…‘download’ you were planning on giving me earlier?”On the word ‘download’, he very deliberately let his gaze settle on his husband’s crotch, wanting to leave him with absolutely no doubts as to what he was actually trying to ask.Yuuri burst out laughing at that, throwing his head back in a way that made Viktor supremely thankful for the opportunity to stare at the mesmerizing column of his throat.“Oh my godddd, Vitya, that totally puts a whole new spin on the phrase ‘dicked down’,” his love managed to get out, which then sent him into his own laughing fit.Releasing the hands in his grip, Viktor sunk down to the floor, finding that he didn’t have the energy to stand, laugh, and talk at the same time.“And you came after me for wordplay, but look where we’re at!” he wheezed, lowering his head to his knees. “My question wasn’t a set-up, I was genuinely asking!”With his gaze fixed on his own lap he didn’t see the way that Yuuri also dropped to the floor, only realizing it when he felt his knees being pushed apart, gently, and came face-to-face with him kneeling in the part of his legs.“It’s true that I did come after you, but I could come before you, depending on your level of effort,” his husband quipped with a wink, sending Viktor’s jaw to the floor. All things considered, he recovered rather quickly.“God, I love you,” he said fervently, to which Yuuri laughed again and leaned in, nuzzling their noses together.“I love you, too, baby,” he replied in a whisper, with so much tenderness in his voice that his stomach literally swooped to hear it. “And, as for your question earlier about my ambush…while I’m certainly not ready to give up on our bet, I was actually just extremely turned on from seeing the way you handled the situation with Yura.”Viktor’s confusion must have shown on his face, because Yuuri gave him a doting smile in response.“Sometimes I can’t believe that my Viten’ka is the same man who once told me in a parking garage in Beijing that he’s not good with people crying in front of him,” Yuuri said, his eyes beginning to shine. “You’d never know it from the way you were with him, just now. You were incredible, anata,” he went on, with arresting sincerity.“I know you feel bad about not paying more attention to him these last few months, but you put your shame aside to prioritize his feelings. You took accountability and were so assertive, and compassionate.”His spouse paused, biting his lip, and when he continued, his voice sounded a bit breathy.“Seeing you like that, it was sexy as hell.”Viktor blinked.For a second, he thought Yuuri was joking around with him like before, but just a quick look at his eyes revealed a desire of such potency that it made him feel slightly dizzy. His blood felt like it was singing in his veins from his husband’s praise, and he preened, possessively, at the fact that he alone got to wake up next to this incredible man every morning.There were many things he could have said in response – in fact, there couldn’t have been a better segue for him to bring up some of the things he’d wanted to share from his last therapy session – but sometimes, a verbal response isn’t needed.Hastening to leave as little space as possible between them, Viktor tugged Yuuri onto his lap, delighting in the look of surprise that crossed his face when he registered it. Without missing a beat, he moved his hands to crest over the jut of his hips, and moved his mouth to hungrily meet its perfect match. The soft moan that he swallowed from his lips seemed to reverberate throughout his entire body, and all too soon, Viktor began to feel a very insistent tightening in his jeans. This only increased when Yuuri gently slid both hands into his hair and grazed his fingernails across his scalp.“God,” Viktor breathed, turning his mouth away just a little bit to catch his breath.But his spouse didn’t let this deter him.He began to plant tiny kisses all over his face; on the bridge of Viktor's nose, on the apples of his cheeks, on the rounded edge of his chin. When he dropped ticklish kisses to his eyelids, he began to giggle, wondering why the hell he had been so worried about missing their flight in the first place…Surely they could just find another one to take later?Preferably much later, as kissing and being kissed by Yuuri was a way higher priority. No, not just a priority…that word seemed entirely too impermanent; it was a vocation. The only mandate for the rest of his life, if Viktor had his way.Sadly, not everyone seemed to appreciate this benevolent mission, a truth he was rudely reminded of when he felt a sharp jab to his side, and yelped, nearly sending his husband toppling from his lap.With a joint chorus of whines and whimpers, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs were hauled up to their feet, and unceremoniously dragged by their ears for a number of feet before Yura decided to take pity on them. Like the world’s grumpiest shepherd, he began to follow behind them, pushing them along with loud footfalls in the direction of their boarding gate.As he massaged his side, Viktor could hear Yuri muttering darkly all the while about how the two of them must actually be horny teenagers in disguise, and smirked. As he and Yuuri neared their seats while grumbling about life’s injustices, he caught Mari and Amara’s amused glances, and grinned and waved at them. A sudden ping from his phone drew his attention, and he barked out a laugh before quickly typing out his reply.

Beside him, Yuuri yawned and nuzzled into his neck as they dropped back into their original spots. “What’s so funny, Любимый13?” he asked, in a murmur.“Your sister,” Viktor cheekily replied, angling his phone screen towards him.Brow furrowed, Yuuri began to read over his shoulder and then, with a loud squeak of “Nēchan14!”, whipped his own phone out and began texting feverishly.Viktor presumed he was scolding her for being nosy and laid down, putting his head in his love's lap. As they continued to wait for their boarding announcement, his mind drifted, thinking back on a similarly eventful kickoff to their pre-Olympic travel exactly 4 years ago…

End of Chapter 1.

Up Next: In Chapter 2, we flash back to 4 years ago, as Yuuri, Viktor, and the rest of the St. Petersburg crew gear up for travel to Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Olympic Games. The next one will be a Yuuri point-of-view chapter
 Footnotes:1. As a reminder, grade of execution (GOE) in figure skating scoring is a number between +5 and -5 that judges/technical panel members assign to the elements of a program, depending on how well the skater is able to perform them. GOE used to be on a +/- 3 scale, but this changed beginning with the 2018-2019 skating season. Back2. ‘Anata’ is a Japanese term of endearment typically used by wives for their husbands, but I headcanon that Yuuri and Viktor would think it cute to use it to refer to one another, especially once Viktor hears Hiroko use it for Toshiya, and Yuuko use it for Takeshi. Back3. Here, Viktor is calling Yuuri “my little cutlet”. Latinized, this is: ‘moya kotleta malien’kij’. Note, the ‘моя’ actually signifies a female-gendered endearment, but given that neither of them care too much about sticking to very rigid delineations around gender, they have grown to be pretty flexible with their use of various pet names, especially when Viktor wishes to be addressed with she/her/hers pronouns, or is in more of a feminine gender expression mindsetBack4. Russian term of endearment (gendered male), latinized as ‘miliy moy’, and translating to “my darling” or “loved one”. These two love using various pet names for one another. Back5. Japanese festival that occurs around New Years’, also known as Nanakusa-no-sekku – the Feast of Seven Herbs – from the custom of eating seven-herb kayu (nanakusa-gayu) to ensure good health and to ward off evil spirits in the coming year. It is usually celebrated on the 7th day of January. Back6. This is a more endearing version of Viktor’s standard diminutive, ‘Vitya’, which Yuuri will use if he’s joking around, or if they’re having a particularly emotional conversation. Yuuri’s standard diminutive in Russian would be ‘Yusha’, but Viktor likes to call him the more endearing ‘Yuranya’ at times. Back7. Russian term of endearment for a loved one (this version is gendered male), translating to “bunny”, and latinized as zai-cho-nak. Back8. ‘Kochi’ (which literally translates to coach in Japanese) is an honorific that is the preferred term for addressing one’s coach. Given Yuuri’s relationship with Viktor and Yurio’s general disposition, I doubt either of them would be in the practice of addressing Viktor this way, but they’d likely use this for other staff at Papio (the rink where they train). Back9. ‘Itamae’ is another Japanese honorific that is based on one’s profession, this time, used for a professional chef. Back 10. FFKKR is the acronym used for the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, the national governing body of figure skating in Russia. The federation plays a prominent role in this story Back11. This story will contain a lot of references to mental health (and, by extension, therapy), as I’m a big believer in not only prioritizing it, but changing the way we collectively think about it. I’ve seen a lot of stories (not even just on ao3) that somewhat problematically make it seem like love is supposed to solve all of one’s problems, and not only is this just not true, it’s also an unfair expectation to put on our loved ones Back12. Certain events that took place at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games (as well as their aftermath) factor heavily in this story, and you’ll see a few more references to this before I touch on the actual events that happened (in Chapter 4). I promise, the reveal will be worth it! Back13. Russian term of endearment for a loved one (this version is gendered male), latinized as Lu-bi-mij, meaning “my love”. Back14. Another Japanese honorific, translating to “older sister” when used by the younger sibling in the family; note that there are different honorifics for when referring to one’s own family, versus speaking about someone else’s. In general, within a family, a younger sibling will use an honorific for the elder sibling, whereas the elder sibling would just call the younger by name Back

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Air China First-Class Lounge, Pulkovo Airport (St. Petersburg, Russia) - Sunday, February 4, 2018: first leg of travel to 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games
 “Yusha!”The jubilant (and familiar) voice rang out on his right side.Suddenly, Yuuri was jolted from the pleasant hold of strong arms, his face abruptly parted from the firm muscles of Viktor’s chest. He blinked, more than used to such aggressive affection by now as a wiry body collided with his own, the collision accompanied by an auroral view of vivid red hair. As Mila’s arms enveloped him in a tight hug, he had to consciously remind himself not to jump, but it was difficult: she was squeezing the day-old bruise on his hip rather hard.“Good morning Mila-chan,” he replied, fondly, patting the top of her head, which was now resting on his shoulder in a very Viktor-like way.After just over a year training alongside her, Yuuri was very used to her morning joviality, particularly when it came to travel. In fact, the only other person in their St. Petersburg faction that managed to equal her at such an ungodly hour was his fiancé…who, at the moment, was pouting rather shamelessly due to the fact that he was now having to share his reserved spot on Yuuri’s shoulder.Mila laughed when she saw the look on Viktor’s face, the sound not carrying far around the spacious passenger lounge that they were currently gathered in. With just under an hour to go before boarding time for their first leg of travel to the PyeongChang Olympic Games, they had decided to check out their current surroundings in the hopes of grabbing breakfast. They knew they wouldn’t be the only ones in their travel group to think along similar lines, and indeed, Yuuri knew that if Yakov was traveling with the likes of Viktor, Mila, and Yurio all at once, it was almost a certainty that he’d partake in robust and complementary coffee offerings.“Vitya, don’t be like that! You can have Yusha back in a second,” Mila said, the giddiness in her voice quite obvious.While a part of Yuuri knew that his friend/rinkmate would have likely hugged him anyway, the last year of carefully observing her behavior led him to conclude that making Viktor jealous was at least forty-five percent of the motivation for Mila’s disproportionate lavishing of affection upon him. After all, he had seen her for dinner just last night. In an attempt to get rid of the groceries in their fridge before their nearly three weeks away, they had invited her and Georgi over for an early meal at their apartment. It had been a fun night, aside from their enviably observing the latter guest, who, in his retirement1, was able to enjoy 3 helpings of food in contrast to everyone else’s far leaner one serving.Yuuri still felt slightly guilty about their decision not to invite Yurio, but they all needed a break from his pronounced sullenness, and had made a pact not to post anything about their hangout on social media. While it was unlikely that the brooding younger skater – battling a growth spurt that had begun three months into the 2017 off-season – would have shown up even if invited, they didn’t want to risk his ire so soon before such an important travel day.It turns out they needn’t have bothered with this worry.Upon entering the lounge, Yurio had taken one glance towards where he, Viktor, and Maxim and Ivanna – Yubileyny’s top ice dancers – had been standing and chatting by the coffee bar. With no hesitation, he had then proceeded to cross the room and stand as far away from them as physically possible, even ignoring Coach Perez’s winsome greeting. The latter was especially surprising, as in the eight months since Ianna Perez had been hired at Yubileyny, primarily as Yuuri’s official coach2 for the Games, she seemed like the only member of the entire coaching staff that Yurio didn’t actively try to irritate.As such, it heralded trouble when the Ice Tiger had breezed right by her and Yakov to isolate himself.Attempting to detach himself gradually from Mila, Yuuri tried to appease both her and Viktor by linking arms with the two of them while attempting to carry his own plate. Shuffling awkwardly, he began leading them back to the group of seats he had claimed earlier with carry-on bags and winter accessories strewn about. Seemingly having forgotten about making his own plate of food despite salivating over the draniki3, his fiance took the opportunity to use both hands to hold him in a cuddle position that made walking inordinately difficult.“Vitya,” Yuuri whispered, slightly afraid of talking any louder just in case Yurio had developed supersonic hearing and was looking for a new reason to rage at them, “what about your breakfast?”As they all sat in a tumble, Viktor sighed and leaned on his shoulder.“I’ll get some later, my Yuuri. I’m too comfortable right now.”He nodded, freeing both of his hands to dive into his plate while to his left, Mila giggled. Holding up a piece of grenki4, that he’d chosen to top with vegetable hash, he missed the sight of Viktor eyeing her from his seat, such was the state of his rapture at the first bite.“And what,” his love sniffed, “is so funny, Milasha?”Mila was fighting a losing battle with her gigantic parka and the numerous scarves looped around her neck, but beamed at the question despite her struggle.“Ah, just thinking back to a year ago!” she exclaimed.“Yusha would turn bright red and wave his arms around whenever you called him “my Yuuri”, and now look at him…not even the barest hint of a blush! I don’t know when it happened, Vitya, but I guess he eventually got used to your extremely extra baseline level of affection,” Mila finished, ruffling Yuuri’s already-disastrous bedhead.He now wore his hair about an inch longer than he did during his Detroit days, mostly due to the fact that Viktor enjoyed playing with it. He had sulked a remarkable amount after Yuuri had gotten his first haircut in St. Petersburg, something that he still enjoyed teasing him over.As Mila had begun her explanation, he had taken another large bite of food which he was very glad for now, for lack of knowing exactly what to say in response.“You’re right, Milasha,” Viktor said, sounding thoughtful.Turning his head, Yuuri noted he was watching him with rapt attention, his fingers tapping his lips in his trademark move.“Especially when I’d call him a pet name, my Yuuri used to get all flustered and his voice would get very high-pitched. It was very cute,” he added matter-of-factly, as if they were comparing notes on something completely mundane, like last night’s dinner entree (Yaki udon).Mila grinned before giving him a final pat on the head and wandering away in Ianna’s direction. Blinking after her, he finally swallowed and turned to his fiance, who was looking at him with an unusually penetrating gaze.“So…” Yuuri said quietly, removing his glasses and starting to clean them absentmindedly with his sleeve.“Baby, wait!” Viktor suddenly exclaimed, making him jump.“What?! What’s the…matter?”Trailing off, he watched as his glasses were pulled away with far more urgency than the situation called for.Viktor began to mutter under his breath, whipping out the Burberry cleaning cloth that he somehow managed to keep in the side pocket of every single one of the million designer coats he owned. He had bought Yuuri a few sets too, but upon realizing that he was engaged to someone who was content to simply use tissue paper or his shirt sleeve, he had been forced to admit defeat. Viktor now just made sure to always have some on his own person.Watching him clean his glasses with the kind of unhurried precision one usually reserved for cross-stitching and other involved crafts, Yuuri did little to suppress the fond smile overtaking his face.“Do you miss it?” he asked him.“Hmmm?” Viktor replied, looking as if he were completely immersed in the task. He was now cleaning not only the lenses, but the frames thoroughly too.“Miss what?” he eventually asked in reply, holding his glasses up, presumably to spot flecks of dirt in the glare from the lights overhead.“When I used to get flustered like that…you said it was cute,” Yuuri answered, shyly.His love turned to him and slid his glasses carefully back onto his face. With his power of sight restored, he could see that he was looking at him, almost proudly.“I meant it when I said I thought it was cute, but I don’t miss it,” Viktor replied definitively. He reached for his hand and pressed a kiss to his engagement ring.“The way I see it, and tell me if I’m wrong…you not blushing when I call you those things means that you finally believe it, that you’re no longer surprised by my words. As much as I love surprising you, I’d gladly trade that if it means you know exactly how much you mean to me…if it means you’re certain of your place in my life.”…Yuuri couldn’t help the startled laugh he gave in response; an answer like that was just so Viktor: so incredibly sweet and sappy and earnest.Ducking his head to hide his heating face, he spoke happily into his fiancés shoulder, cradling his arm between both of his own. It was a bit awkward given the plate perched precariously on his lap, but Yuuri would be damned if he couldn’t octopus-cling to him for a few moments after such a romantic statement.“You’re not wrong,” he said, appreciating Viktor’s taste for luxury clothing; the double-face wool-cashmere of his coat was a cozy haven for his pleased embarrassment.“Thank you, love,” he went on in a whisper, turning his head up to meet his eyes.Their lips met for a brief kiss and Viktor’s whispered “No thank you necessary, mалыш5,” was the last thing he was aware of before he leaned over to cuddle into his side once more, his breakfast momentarily forgotten.Sadly, an exaggerated cough from directly to their right interrupted their snuggling before long. Straightening up from his seated slump, he was met with the view of a hesitant, apologetic-looking Saveliy Romanov.It was actually a sight he was all too familiar with. Despite the fact that Coach Romanov had been Yubileyny’s primary jump coach for going on ten years, he still very much acted like his students were the ones in charge. Though an excellent instructor, as Yuuri had quickly learned from their work together on his two ambitious jump goals for the season, Sava6 had a way of showing deference to his students that someone like Yakov outrightly scoffed at. Indeed, Viktor had told him enough stories about the infamous screaming matches the two coaches would get into, back when he’d been seeking extra guidance on mastering the quad flip. Incidentally, most of Yuuri’s current knowledge of Russian profanity was in large part due to those recounts of the rancor.“Sorry to interrupt, you two,” Saveliy murmured, his soft voice barely carrying. “I wanted to pop over to ask how you’re feeling, Yusha? How’s that hip doing?”Out of habit, Yuuri glanced over his shoulder to make sure that no one else was in earshot before replying.“Thanks for asking, Sava,” he replied back quietly. “It’s been throbbing a bit, but nothing I can’t handle. Vitya reminded me last night to do those flexor stretches you mentioned, so I think that helped.” He flashed a smile at his fiance before turning to meet the other man’s eyes.Saveliy smiled at the two of them, but his gaze quickly turned appraising.“And mentally? How are things?”Yuuri forced himself to pause before blurting out a knee-jerk response. Ianna and Sava had both become adept in discerning when he was answering truthfully, versus spouting what he thought they wanted to hear. Of course, it helped that Viktor had a bullshit-meter that was now fairly precise when it came to him. As a result, he could usually help the other two-thirds of his coaching team in recalibrating their own meters…Yuuri both adored and hated him for that.“I’m good? I think,” he answered truthfully. “I’m excited, obviously, but trying not to hype myself up or anything like that. And Vitya and Ianna forbade me from looking at Twitter or Instagram for more than two hours every day, so I’m mostly staying off of social media. Other than when a certain someone literally forces me to pose for a picture,” he added playfully, with a gentle jab of his elbow at his love.“I can’t help it, Sava!” Viktor grinned, broadly, before tugging him close again. “My Yuranya is so photogenic, isn’t he?”From the corner of his eye, Yuuri saw him turn a surprisingly severe look onto his mentor, as if daring him to disagree.“Oh, yes! Yes, very photogenic!” Sava hurriedly replied, his flapping hands making him look like he was at imminent risk of toppling over. “That’s a good plan. You know that I’ve never been a big fan of social media, myself, so – ”He abruptly cut off, which could only mean one thing: someone outside of their training circle was approaching. As such, any plan to discuss his competition mindset would need to be tabled in favor of safer topics, such as their scheme to get Makka and Meni in as many pictures as possible with Soohorang7, or the logistics for his family’s stay at one of the five hotels arranged for athletes’ family members.While the knowledge around Yuuri’s training for the quad lutz was public, the decision to keep his far more ambitious Olympic goal – to become the first figure skater in history to land the quad flip in combination – under wraps from the media, most other skaters on the Men’s Singles circuit, and even some of his family and friends had been one of the hardest challenges of his life. However, it was a decision that had not been arrived at lightly.Particularly after his gold medal, record-breaking win at World’s last March, the pressure on Yuuri to deliver an equally commanding performance for the PyeongChang Games had ratcheted steadily higher with each passing month. Pre-Olympics press had started in earnest almost immediately after Worlds, but after pleading with the JSF to allow him to first focus on finding his stand-in coach, Viktor had managed to buy him enough time to avoid having to talk to the media until Ianna’s first official week on the job, in late May.When Yuuri had been picked as an alternate to represent Japan in Sochi as a terrified 21-year-old, he’d been nowhere near his current skill level. He had dreaded the idea of having to skate in the event of a sudden emergency, and had marveled, again, at the confidence Viktor must have possessed at only seventeen years old to completely defy his country’s expectations of him by winning bronze at the Turin Games, when he, too, had been an alternate. Though Yuuri ultimately hadn’t been needed during the actual competition, memories of those stressful weeks back in February 2014 plagued his sleep during the entire month of May.After admitting to Ianna that he’d been suffering from panic attacks in the days leading up to his first interview, she had asked how he might feel about keeping things deliberately vague in terms of his goals or programs.He appreciated that she had framed it as a suggestion, ultimately letting the final decision rest with him. This was how Ianna operated in all matters related to his coaching; while she would always offer input, she ultimately trusted that he could discern what was best for himself. Sava and Viktor had needed little convincing that it’d be far kinder to his anxiety to keep their plans around at least one of the jumps a secret, so they’d all agreed to keep mum about the quad flip/triple toe-loop combination, and Yuuri talked sparingly about the quad lutz when he couldn’t outright ignore a question from a reporter.Thankfully, the secrecy agreement had some exceptions: Mila, Yurio, and Yakov, naturally; Lillia Baranovskaya, who had become his ballet teacher shortly after his move to St. Petersburg and had helped choreograph pieces of both of his programs; Minako-sensei, who he’d also consulted for program choreography, especially for his Free Skate; Phichit-kun, who Yuuri knew would become increasingly insufferable if he didn’t share at least a little bit about his plans; Takahashi Haru, his JSF publicist; Gareth and Darius, his and Viktor’s couple friends from the puppy obedience training class they’d taken shortly after adopting Meni; and finally, Oleg Telitsyn, Viktor’s bodyguard of close to ten years.When he’d first been getting to know his new coach back during the 2016 off-season, Yuuri had been horrified to learn of the incident that had necessitated Oleg’s hiring.That someone could have been so unyieldingly possessed by fear and hatred as to have made an attempt on a seventeen-year-old’s life seemed beyond his understanding, and when he himself had moved to St. Petersburg, it was with the utmost gratitude that he’d begun to get to know the man who had been so instrumental to keeping his fiance safe for so long.With regards to being privy to the secret training regimen he’d been undergoing, the bodyguard had actually become quite an important part of said regimen, as a few times every month, Yuuri’s anxiety dictated that he go skate in the middle of the night. As such, there had been more than a few 1am excursions to Yubileyny, where Oleg, Viktor, Makka and Meni had watched over him from the boards as he’d repeatedly fallen on his ass in trying to perfect his combination jump. After every botched attempt, the dogs would shower him in kisses, his coach would give him objectively sound tips on his entry and exit, and Oleg would call out glowing praise, the latter more often than not leading to Viktor whining about how Yuuri might one day like his bodyguard better than him.Middle-of-the-night jump sessions included, navigating the past eight months had required an ironclad commitment to covertness. Navigating day-to-day logistics prior to the Grand Prix Series beginning had been particularly challenging to manage, as Viktor, Ianna, Sava, Lillia, and Yakov had had to work out a complicated schedule to ensure that aside from Mila or Yurio, that all of his practice sessions would be kept private from other Yubileyny folks or rink visitors.This had led to a series of increasingly extreme measures in subterfuge, including the development of a secret hand gesture and “code language” to signal if they were at risk of being overheard or observed. Christophe had come to visit over the summer for two weeks, and one day happened to drop by the rink a half hour before they were expecting him, while he’d been in focus mode practicing his flip combination. Watching Yakov attempt the hand gesture in a panicked frenzy had been the single most hilarious thing that he and Viktor had witnessed the entire off-season. Even months later, their replication of the moment never failed to bring Mila to tears.Even with Ianna as his stand-in coach, it was understood that Viktor was still his head coach, and as such, the latter man had gone so far as to threaten Phichit with mild blackmail if he so much as even hinted at Yuuri’s program layouts on social media. It remained to be seen just how intimidating his Thai friend found this; Yuuri had received a number of drunken voicemails from him in the last several months, all featuring him laughing his ass off at the mere idea that the Living Legend could blackmail him, even after said man had threatened to send Oleg after him. After all, there were multiple incriminating videos from the World’s banquet afterparty of several elite skaters drunkenly stripping and singing off-key to Wannabe8.Phichit-kun was not one of them.At any rate, they wouldn’t have to keep the secret much longer, and it felt surreal that in just a few weeks, he’d get to bare his soul on the world’s largest competitive stage.Yuuri felt especially attached to his Free Skate, as the music was an interpolation of snippets of his three favorite songs from the Princess Mononoke soundtrack: first, ‘The Furies’, followed by 'Lady Eboshi', and finally, ‘Ashitaka and San’. He had been so nervous when reaching out to the legendary Joe Hisaishi to ask permission to skate to the iconic music, but to his pleasant surprise, the famed Studio Ghibli composer had told him that he was a big fan of his. Hisaishi had been happy to grant him permission to arrange an interpolation, as long as he promised that no modifications were made to the music without his prior approval.As for his Short Program, at his love’s urging, Yuuri had taken a major risk, choosing a slightly shortened version of Jazmine Sullivan’s song, ‘If You Dare’. Even with the ISU’s rule change to allow for music selections with lyrics, he knew that most competitors would be playing it safe, choosing the conventional classical pieces instead of a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping R&B pick. But something about that particular song made him feel invincible, and he’d gravitated towards the confidence and empowerment that it awoke in him.“Good morning, Coach Romanov,” came a booming voice, drawing him out of his musings.Looking over Saveliy’s shoulder, he saw that the words had been spoken by a fairly stocky, serious-looking man who looked to be in his early 20’s, now extending his hand in greeting to the jump coach.At Yuuri’s curious head tilt, Viktor leaned over to whisper that it was Ivan Kuznetsov, then called him Otabek 2.0, after which they both giggled. The resemblance to the impassive Kazakh skater was pretty striking, but Kuznetsov was the 24-year-old Moscow based competitor that the FFKKR had chosen to fill9 Russia’s third Olympic spot, once Georgi had announced his retirement.Much like Yurio, Ivan seemed to be having a difficult season. While he’d had a decent placement at World’s last year – coming in 11th, just a few spots under Viktor’s silver placement and Yurio’s 3rd place finish – he had struggled during his Grand Prix Final qualifying competitions. Along with Yurio, Ivan had ultimately failed to make the cut for the Final10, which had taken place in early December in Nagoya. At that point, it had been several months since the three of them had been announced as the official Team Russia Olympic representatives, and Yuuri had gotten his first glimpse at the inner workings of FFKKR skating politics when Viktor had told him about the extremely unpleasant meeting he had been made to attend with the other two just before Russian Nationals.All three skaters had been blindsided going into the video-conference meeting, expecting a routine check-in related to PyeongChang logistics. Instead, what had transpired was an unsettling and vaguely threatening shake-down. According to his fiance, not only was the President of the FFKKR in attendance, but the head of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) had apparently moved his schedule around to call in from Moscow. Yuuri could still recall the fury in Viktor's eyes as he’d talked about both men’s demeanors, at once both condescending and cutting.Blunt remarks were made about “needing to speak with sponsors” and “re-evaluating their list of alternates” if Yurio and Ivan didn’t “shape up” in time for the Games. And even more shocking, instead of being congratulated for his silver in Nagoya (coming within a hair’s breadth of Yuuri’s gold), Viktor was scolded for disappointing his Russian fans. Perhaps most disturbing was the fact that all three skaters’ FFKKR publicists were supposed to be present for the call, but not one of them had actually received a calendar invite or dial-in number.While he and Viktor had already been well aware of Yurio’s foul mood before and after the Grand Prix Final, his temperament had notably worsened since that suspicious ambush. Feeling his own good mood begin to plummet at the thought, he was grateful for the sudden distraction of his fiance’s voice at his ear.“I still think we should retreat to the bathroom so that I can kiss your hip all better, Лучик11,” Viktor whispered against his skin, the ticklish sensation causing Yuuri to let out an embarrassingly squeaky laugh. He felt himself immediately going red, and heard a low chuckle beside him as he buried his head in his hands.“You’re so cute,” his love continued, no doubt with his heart-shaped smile out in full force. “But as I was saying…hip flexors just might not cut it. I think you need some hands-on healing, and best not to take chances this close to the Games, hm?”The musing, sultry inflection of his words was pronounced and Yuuri felt his heart rate pick up. He strived to match it, and leaned over to whisper in Viktor’s ear, feeling a thrum of excitement stir in his stomach.“I think you’re right, Vitya,” he murmured in response, trying for his most eros persona. “My spine and waist have been so tense,” he went on, letting a fair amount of huskiness enter his voice. He was immediately rewarded with the sound of his love gulping noisily, and the sight of his cheeks flushing.“Maybe during our layover in Dalian, you could help me out. I’ve been craving some…”Yuuri let himself trail off, knowing that Viktor was hanging onto his every word.“... release ,” he whispered, thrilling at the palpable current of shock between them.Now his fiance was the one blushing furiously, burying his face in overwhelm in the folds of his cashmere scarf.“Боже мой12,” he groaned in response, the tips of his ears bright-red.With a smug smile, Yuuri rose from his seat, whispering that he’d make him a plate of food since he’d be needing the energy for after their flight. He sauntered away, so lost in pride over his vastly improved seduction skills that it wasn’t until he’d made it all the way to the buffet line before he noticed Mila and Yurio standing on either side of the serving area in what appeared to be a tense stand-off. The sliver of hope he had in trying to make it back to his seat undiscovered was dashed as they turned to him.He was about to utter a wary “good morning” to Yurio, when the younger man suddenly crossed his arms and snarled at Mila in English, no doubt for the benefit of his own understanding.“Go on, say whatever it was that you were gonna say, hag. Don’t let Katsudon here stop you from running your mouth.”While his tone was no less belligerent than anything he’d heard at the rink since June, Yuuri was surprised that he was willing to start up a conflict in public. He glanced nervously over to where Yakov and Ianna were sitting, but they were immersed in conversation, seemingly unaware of trouble brewing.“What’s the matter, piggy?” Yurio continued, voice taunting. “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you and get us filmed on Twitter or anything like that. I know that you have a reputation to uphold at the Games and we wouldn’t want to detract attention in advance of your dumb video, would we?”Said video was Yuuri’s attempt to keep up with other competitors in hinting at his quad/triple jump prior to actually competing in Pyeongchang. In just the last month, Viktor as well as several others, like Chris, Emil, and JJ had shared brief video clips of their refined choreography, which had evolved considerably over the season.Every single video seemed to send the figure skating fandom into a tailspin as people tried to predict the odds of who would end up having the most challenging content. While he’d initially had no interest in breaking from his secrecy, Yuuri had changed his mind after hearing an impassioned plea two weeks ago from an expertly-coordinated Phichit/Mila duo. When he’d brought up the idea of recording his own Free Skate video “teaser”, Sava had been wary, Ianna had been supportive, and Viktor, of course, had been elated – he was always encouraging Yuuri to promote himself more on social media. As soon as the words left his mouth, his love had broken into his trademark heart-shaped grin, pulled him a few feet away from the others, and hoisted him up into a triumphant press lift.More than used to their spontaneously romantic antics by now, Yakov didn’t even bother to tell them to cut it out from his place at the boards. Once he had been returned to stable footing, Viktor had immediately wanted to start brainstorming around how they might best execute the big reveal. Though Yuuri had been anxious to film and drop the video that very day to get it over with, he was squarely outvoted, and it was decided that they’d film the second to last day before their travel to South Korea, and post from Ianna’s social media accounts on Tuesday, February 13th, the day before the men’s Short Program. The Free Skate would be taking place only two days later, so they wouldn’t have to worry about too much fervor building up in the interim.While he had thought the development of the 45-second video (which included the quad-triple at the very end, preceded by a cut of his Free Skate choreographic sequence) would be rather cut-and-dry, Yuuri had been greatly amused by Viktor treating the project with the same level of excitement and planning as a moon landing. No detail was too small to discuss at length, from the music they’d use for the clip (a cut13 of flor’s ‘slow motion’) to what he’d be wearing instead of his actual Free Skate costume (a jade-green Mizuno workout shirt that his fiance had said “clings deliciously” to his upper body, along with compression training pants that he claimed “could make angels weep for joy over your ass”).Given that Viktor was the one who’d ended up recording the final clip, his ass had indeed featured prominently in the clip. As such, it wasn’t really a surprise when he’d been pinned to Yubileyny’s locker room entrance door and thoroughly ravished as soon as they’d finished recording. He would have liked to have reminisced on that happy event, but Yurio’s sharp tone cut through his thoughts, and he knew he needed to act quickly to keep things from boiling over.“The idea of you embarrassing me never once crossed my mind,” Yuuri said, calmly, determined not to give the irascible skater a reason to get even more agitated. Considering that he’d only joined the conversation no more than a few seconds ago, it was clear that the Ice Tiger was looking for a fight.“You’re starting drama for no reason. Cut it out, Сволочь14,” Mila practically spat at Yurio, startling him even further.It was rare to see her so upset; out of all of them, she was most willing to take Yurio’s moodiness in stride, but of course, Yuuri didn’t know what their exchange had been like prior to him entering the picture.“Don’t take your self-loathing out on Yusha, he doesn’t deserve it,” she went on. “We’ve all been more than patient with your soap-opera-level of bitchiness the last few months but everybody has limits. It’s long past time for you to get it together and go to therapy, so for the love of God, think before you speak, and stop putting a damper on my first Olympics experience.”Yurio, looking affronted, opened his mouth to retort back, but Mila was too quick for him.“It’s like you think you’re the first skater in history to go through a growth spurt and suck for awhile. We all, even Gosha – who is retired, for God’s sakes, and wouldn’t even be coming to the rink so much if it weren’t for you demanding his help – have all bent over backwards to be there for you. But you’ve turned your nose up at all of us like we’re out to get you. So I’m done ,” she practically growled.“Let me know when you get over yourself and stop being such an ass.”Without a backwards glance, Mila grabbed her plate, turned on her heel, and stalked off, leaving him and Yurio behind in stunned silence.Not knowing exactly how to navigate the minefield left in her wake, Yuuri focused on the task at hand, keeping his head down to begin assembling two slices of avocado toast. He tried, without much success, to steady his shaking hands.
Holy shit.
He knew that things had been strained between Mila and Yurio lately due to the latter’s horrible mood, but it was jarring to see her so visibly upset. He had to hand it to her, though: she had said exactly what everyone else had been too afraid to over the last few months, Yakov being the one exception. They’d mostly all walked on eggshells around the younger man. Along with Mila, he and Viktor had both tried on several occasions to draw him into conversation around changing up his training regiment, but each attempt had been disastrous. It was clear the Ice Tiger thought they couldn’t possibly understand what he was dealing with.It was in the midst of sorting through various cuts of smoked salmon that he finally heard Yurio speak.“Who pays for your therapy, Katsudon?”The question was the last thing Yuuri had been expecting out of his mouth, and he nearly dropped the tongs he had been holding. The younger skater spoke again, this time meeting his eyes.“Is it the JSF, do they cover it for you? Or…” he trailed off, and silence surrounded them again before he finally remembered how to speak.“Yes,” Yuuri blurted, nodding his head rapidly. “The JSF covers it all.”Yurio took a deep breath; the words seemed to be costing him. “And what about the old man? Doesn’t he see one too?”If it had been even six months ago, he would have hesitated around whether to answer the question. However, as their relationship had deepened and they’d drawn closer to the Games, he and Viktor both had begun to care more than ever about normalizing their struggles with mental health. As the two of them had started to see the positive impact of therapy on their lives, they had, in turn, grown more comfortable with talking openly about it.“Yes, he sees a sports psychologist as well. The FFKKR covers his fully. It’s all very discreet…legally, it has to be,” he replied.His rinkmate just nodded before moving in the direction of his seat.“Yuri,” he called softly, watching his friend coming to a standstill, his face still turned away.“Therapy has helped me a lot, especially in the first few months after I moved here. The culture shock was huge, and the weight of pressure after Barcelona felt overwhelming at times. Then everything ramped up after World’s, of course. Therapy has helped Viktor a lot too…he had to learn how to juggle coaching, competing, and living with me after being alone for so long.”He hesitated a bit before deciding he didn’t have much to lose.“I know you’re obviously dealing with different stressors but I think the right therapist can make all the difference. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about it.”Again, the younger man didn’t say anything, but Yuuri detected a slight nod of his head before he began to walk away. “Well, that was…interesting ,” he said aloud, under his breath.Returning his attention to his fiancé’s plate, he felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket and grinned. He wasn’t a betting man, but he was almost positive that it was Viktor, claiming to be lonely.

Pocketing his phone once and for all, he picked up the fluffiest-looking piece of sharlotka15, slid a few draniki on top of the syrniki (topped off with a few dollops of sour cream for good measure), and grabbed silverware from the end of the buffet line before heading back to his seat.Passing by where Yakov and Ianna were seated and chatting, Yuuri fully expected to be stopped for an interrogation of his plate.He, of course, was correct.“Yuuri!!” Ianna called out cheerfully, as he crossed her path. “Please tell me that you’re at least going to split that piece of sharlotka? Or at least, try to lie to my face convincingly?” she requested, with a grin.He smiled back, though he hoped he wasn’t about to get Viktor in trouble with his own coach.“It’s for Vitya, Coach. I promise! And before you say anything, Yakov, the sweets were my idea… I thought he deserved a treat. He’s been so, so good with his diet plan. Much better than I have,” he added, guiltily.Yakov gave the smallest approximation of a smile, which, coming from him, was basically the equivalent of an incandescently happy, moonish grin.“Yusha, you’re supposed to be a good influence on that boy, but you both indulge each other far too much,” he said, though less gruffly than usual. “See why I insisted on the free coffee, first-thing, Ianna? Those two will kill us all one day.”Yuuri bit back a laugh and continued on his way, thinking back to his early days in St. Petersburg when he’d been convinced that Yakov hated him. It had taken a solid month (plus multiple pep talks from his fiance) before he had gathered up the courage to approach the elder Russian one day for tips on how to pull his arms in more efficiently on his lutzes; due to the fact that a skater couldn’t count on generating momentum on their take-off, proper arm control was one of the only ways to ensure appropriate speed while in the air.That initial conversation, plus their numerous mini coaching sessions had been the entré to his nuanced understanding of the infamously grumpy-but-secretly-a-softie coach. Now, it was clear to pretty much everyone at Yubileyny that Yuuri was one of Yakov’s favorite skaters, an observation that always brought a glowing, prideful smile to Viktor’s face.He could still vividly recall his shock when he’d been given the right-hand seat at Yakov’s 71st birthday dinner last August. At first, he thought that the elderly coach would likely spend most of the meal talking to Ianna on his left-hand side, but, in fact, he had seemed especially interested in hearing from him about the three week stay in Hasetsu that he and Viktor had done back in April. As Yuuri had given him a run-down of some of the very early brainstorming they’d begun doing for their April 2019 wedding, he realized that not only was Yakov listening, he seemed engaged . He’d asked numerous questions about traditional Shinto ceremony components like nan-nan-san-ku-do16, which they already intended on inviting him to, to stand in as Viktor’s father figure.When Yuuri had remarked on his surprise later that night, his love had seemed baffled. (“But, why wouldn’t he be interested? Yakov adores you! You’re probably the only person at that dinner that he was looking forward to talking to for an extended period of time.” )Though he had stuttered and stammered at this assertion, it hadn’t escaped his attention when he had been in the elder coach’s office a week later, only to see that he had bought some beginner Japanese language books. It had given him an incredibly warm feeling to know that the man was so willing to learn his native language; his acceptance of their relationship meant everything to Yuuri, especially given how angry he had initially been when his most accomplished student had taken off to Japan to pursue him in the first place.Fully aware of the idiotic grin he was now sporting, he drew closer to his seat and watched as both Mila and Viktor lit up at his return.“Yayy! My Yuuri takes such good care of me!” his fiance said, while pretending to swoon.“Anytime, ダーリン17 ,” he responded with a grin, handing over the plate and silverware. Waiting a bit until he had settled into his meal, Yuuri turned to Mila, wanting to check in on how she was feeling.Before he could say a word though, she appeared to accurately interpret his facial expression and gave his hand a brief squeeze.“I’m ok. I just…had to get it all out,” she whispered.He squeezed back and gave her a smile. “That was pretty bad-ass…I think you said exactly what we’ve all been wanting to, lately.”She looked a bit sheepish, though, and didn’t immediately reply.“You can be honest…was it too mean? I probably could have left out the part about therapy.”He immediately shook his head.“That was the best part. I’ve wanted to suggest therapy to Yurio for months now but always chickened out. I’ve just resorted to talking loudly about my own sessions whenever he’s around, which is such a cop-out.”Despite his words, she looked a bit miserable, so he put his arm around her shoulders and tried his best to comfort her.“Don’t feel bad, Mila-chan. Like you said, it’s not as if we haven’t been understanding. We’ve tried to be there for him, but it’s like he’s forgotten we’re his friends . He’s been downright paranoid lately. I asked him how he was doing last week in the locker room, and he looked at me like I’d asked him to give me access to his bank account.”She nodded, expression downcast, and he leaned in, conspiratorially.“I think you actually got through to him, you know. After you left, he asked me whether the JSF covers my therapy, and then asked about Viktor’s too.”At this, Mila turned to him, wide-eyed, and they smiled at each other. That is, until his touch-starved fiancé draped his chin over his shoulder.“Are you two talking about me?” Viktor asked, mournfully. “Tell me you’re saying nice things, at least,” he continued, his tone laced with notes of pleading.Yuuri laughed, reaching a hand up to pat gently at his cheek. “Only the nicest things, love. I was telling Mila-chan about how adorable you were a few nights ago when you sleep-talked about our wedding ring designs.”He thought it was a convincing enough lie; after all, he had found it so cute that he had taken a video to immediately send to Phichit and Yuuko. By now, he was used to waking up at least once a week from the sound of his future husband’s sleep-talking, listening in amusement as he babbled about him, their dogs, choreography ideas, and whatever they happened to be reading or watching together at the time. One night last month, he’d gone on for nearly ten minutes about how he couldn’t decide who his favorite Sohma zodiac member was, though they had by then watched the 2001 Fruits Basket anime three times, and he always laughed the hardest at Ayame’s scenes.“Hmmmm,” Viktor replied, nuzzling at his jaw, “…even though I don’t believe you, from the video Yusha showed me, it seems like it definitely was one of the more adorable things I’ve done recently.”It was now Mila’s turn to laugh, and she soon leaned forward so that the three of their heads were close together.“Ok, I’ll give up the ghost; I didn’t do anything wrong, after all. Yusha saw me bite Yurotchka’s head off just a few minutes ago near the buffet. It was quite the smack-down.”His fiancé gasped, and both he and Mila donned private smiles at the predictable reaction.“Noooooo, why do I always miss these thingssss,” he whined, burying his head fully in Yuuri’s neck. He squirmed a bit at the ticklish sensation, and stifled a giggle.Unable to help himself, he decided to lean into the drama; it was just too fun to tease Viktor.“I’m surprised you didn’t hear the commotion, Vitya. Although…” trailing off, he went silent, faking a contemplative, lost-in-thought expression. “…I suppose the buffet is pretty far away. But a bystander almost had to get involved to call airport security.”“No!” his love exclaimed with a whip of his head, sounding awe-struck.“Yes,” Mila said, nodding emphatically, not even a hint of a smile on her face.“It got ugly…if you think him calling me “hag” is bad, you would have been covering your ears in shock. At one point, Yurotchka called me an egg-head and literally reached for the hard-boiled eggs in the buffet line.”“Yeah, and I had to physically step in between them to prevent the attack,” Yuuri added, glad that he was facing away from Viktor, who couldn’t see the quirk of his lips.“So gallant, my Yuuri,” his fiancé breathed, practically swooning. “You’re so brave!”“Truly, he was,” Mila added. “I hate to think what would have happened if he hadn’t been there. If Yura had been hauled off by security, who knows if he’d be allowed to compete in the Games!”“The whole thing was surreal,” he sighed dramatically.Suddenly, Mila quirked a brow, wearing an inscrutable expression. “Surreal isn’t a strong enough word…it all got so egggggs -aggerrated!” she added, meeting his gaze head-on.They both made it approximately one second into eye contact before breaking out into obnoxious hoots of laughter. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes as he visualized Yurio (who for some reason in his lucid dreaming was wearing a Humpty Dumpty costume) pelting eggs at his windmilling arms. In this dramatization, Yuuri stood protectively in front of an unruffled Mila who was more concerned with fluffing her fabulous hair than avoiding the onslaught of eggs.His younger rinkmate had tears streaming down her face and was slumped over, the force of her cackling barring her ability to keep upright. He himself was having a hard time breathing, sagging against the sturdy weight of Viktor behind him. Without even looking, he knew that the latter man was unamused by their charade.“So, wait…was there, or was there not an egg attack?!” he cried, leaning even further over his still-heaving form. Neither of them replied, too caught up in their amusement.“You’re both so mean to me,” he whined, plaintively.Mila was the first to regain some sense of composure and the ability to speak.“No attack – but, actually – ”She cut off, clutching her stomach. “Ohmygodddd, I can’t breathe.”“We have to stop,” Yuuri gasped. “This is getting egggg -cessive,” he continued, sending them both into fresh peals of laughter.His stomach was really beginning to hurt, a matter that was not at all helped by a sulking Viktor, who had started poking him just under his ribcage: a spot he knew Yuuri was particularly ticklish. (Though really, most places on his body were ticklish. He often lamented about this to Makkachin and Meni, though they seemed to have little sympathy for his plight, as they both loved to lick at his absurdly sensitive ankles.)“Vitya, stopppp,” he whined, trying to grab at his nimble fingers. “No more! My stomach is already hurting.”“Ahh, that’s too bad, Yusha,” his fiancé replied, with an air of extreme indifference. “You two should have thought about that before coming up with egg-based stories laced with trickery and deceit.”“You’re being redundant,” he choked out while squirming, his breath coming in disjointed bursts. “Trickery and deceit mean the same thing.”Viktor stopped his assault on his ribcage and gently rotated his shoulders so that they now faced one another.“Really?” he began, looking distinctly unimpressed. One perfectly groomed eyebrow was lifted as high as it could go. “Is now the time to be commenting on my word choices?”“But you’re such a fan of precision. Or should I say… eggggs -actitude,” Yuuri replied, with a breathy grin.Behind him, he heard Mila laugh again and felt the glow of victory when Viktor barked out one as well (which he then tried to cover up with a cough, schooling his features into an unconvincingly stern expression).“You’re incorrigible,” he grumbled in reply, but his twitching lips betrayed his true thoughts.“Mm, very true. And to think, come April next year, you’re stuck with me and my egg-based wordplay for life,” Yuuri replied, with a fake sigh.His Vitya’s expression instantly turned gooey, as it always did at any mention of their wedding.“I can’t wait,” he murmured, eyes beginning to shine. “The very thought fills me with eggggs -uberance,” he added, with his signature heart-shaped grin.Yuuri felt his heart flutter, and gave a happy laugh as they embraced. “I can’t wait, either, honey,” he whispered.“Awww,” he heard Mila whisper from behind them. “Dammit, I should have recorded that for Instagram!”He pulled away from Viktor after a few moments, turning in his seat so that he was angled directly between them once more.“Probably better that you didn’t, Mila-chan,” he said, with a smile. “I’m a little afraid of what would happen if our fans get wind of when it’s all going down. As it is, Vitya and I are already a little nervous about saying yes to GQ…I’m pretty sure most people expect us to get married in Hasetsu, so even without the magazine coverage18, I’d be worried that my parents’ place would get overrun.”“Ohh,” Mila breathed, eyes wide. “I didn’t even think of that, but you’re so right! Don’t worry, the secret’s safe with me.”At this, his fiance leaned across him, propping an elbow on one of his thighs as if intending to make himself at home.“Speaking of secrets…” he said, trailing off with a meaningful look at Mila.“I guess I can fill you in, but just don’t get all overprotective,” she replied, dryly. “And actually, Yusha, doesn’t even know the full story, since he joined part-way through.”“Uh oh,” Yuuri mumbled in reply. “Based on the tone he took with you when I was around, I’m already nervous.”She flashed a grimace in their direction and took her last bite of bacon before beginning.“So, it actually started with a message early this morning. 3am, the little brat texted me, asking what time we’re supposed to be at the boarding gate. I was stunned. I tune Yasha19 out as much as the next person but even I’m not so cavalier about the Games. Seriously, how could he have missed it? We got reminders in person and through email 64 million times the past two weeks.”She took a long swig from her coffee mug, slightly missing her mouth in her frustration.“It had taken me forever to fall asleep, so when he woke me up for that, I immediately got pissy with him. He should know better.”He and Viktor flashed quick smiles at one other; Mila was a fascinatingly light sleeper, something he’d been reminded of during a recent car ride. After a late dinner out together, Viktor had needed to stop at the pharmacy to get refills on his anti-depressants so that he’d be set in Korea. Mila had apologetically asked if she could cat-nap while he went in to wait at the pick-up counter. After assuring her that she was welcome to do so, Yuuri had turned his text tone volume all the way down to one of the lowest possible settings, and had put his ringer on silent mode.He had been astonished, then, to witness her wake from the low chime of just one singular text from his fiancé (who’d sent him urgent notice that he’d spotted Meni’s clone near the waiting area).Viktor gave Mila’s arm a sympathetic pat, bringing Yuuri back from his reminiscing.“So I asked him why he couldn’t check the email from 5 days ago with all our logistics info, to which he said – ”Here, Mila took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, closing her eyes. She appeared to be having trouble regulating the volume of her voice.“ – that he didn’t want to read through it all, and that it would be ‘way easier’ if I just told him the high-level summary. And then that говнюк20 said that there was no need for me to sound so irritated, since I was probably just pretending to be sleeping, while in reality, I was “staying up trying to figure out who to hook up with in Korea”. Fucked up, right?!”Viktor’s look of incredulity summed up Yuuri’s thoughts exactly.
What the hell?
Yurio had always been on the abrasive side, but this felt like an extreme case of aggression (and regression). It had been quite troubling to observe his behavior change, especially given his outright refusal to accept any help. In the first half of last year, the young skater had been a regular fixture in his and Viktor’s lives off the ice. The three of them – often joined by Mila, Georgi, Maxim, and Ivanna – would go out to eat together, watch movies, cook meals at either their apartment or Ivanna’s, play video games, etc. But Yurio’s body began to change in early June, and as a result of his compromised skating, he had become withdrawn and irritable, practically snarling whenever they extended him invitations to hang out.Desperate for some concrete guidance, Yuuri had joined Mila and Viktor for a secret meeting with Nikolai Plisetsky when he’d come to St. Petersburg a few months ago. It seemed that even the Ice Tiger’s grandfather was at a loss as to how best to support him through this transitory time. Their one solace had been learning that Yurio still kept in regular touch with Otabek Altin.“Does he have a death wish or something?” his fiancé muttered, sitting all the way up so that he could scan the lounge to look out for the subject of their gossip.“Or something ,” Mila grumbled, darkly. “Needless to say, I hung up on him, removed him from my “Do Not Disturb” exceptions list, and went back to slightly-murderous REM cycles. When I woke up in the morning, I saw that I had thirteen text messages from him. I only read the first two before I decided it was too early for me to be thinking about causing anyone bodily harm, but once I got in my cab, I actually read them all.”She paused again, throwing a look of deep disgust over her shoulder.“Most of it was him whining, saying that he didn’t get what the big deal was, and that if he missed the flight and never got to skate in his first ever Olympics, that it would be all my fault. And then he called me immature when I didn’t text back!”“What??” he and Viktor hissed out in perfect unison, trying their best to keep their voices down.They didn’t appear to have succeeded, though, based on Saveliy’s curious look in their direction. Yuuri prayed that he didn’t decide to investigate; Mila was generally loved by all at Yubileyny, but the older jump coach had an especially soft spot for her, having coached her through a rough transition from the Junior to Senior Women’s Singles division. He was certain that Sava wouldn’t hesitate to publicly chew Yurio out if he found out about their interactions.“Yes,” she said, shortly, lips thinned in a severe expression that Yuuri wasn’t sure he’d ever seen on her face before.“I chose not to respond even though I really wanted to. Some of the stuff he said…I know he’s not in a good place right now, but it really hurt my feelings,” she continued, voice beginning to wobble.As tears started to glimmer in her eyes, he put his arm around her once more. Viktor must have decided that his need to cling to his back was temporarily outweighed by his duty to alleviate his friend’s distress, because he got up and hugged Mila from her other side. She seemed glad for their comfort, leaning her head on his shoulder. Viktor handed over his Hermés handkerchief so she could dry her eyes, and Yuuri absentmindedly recalled his horror at finding out that said handkerchief had cost almost as much as his nicest pair of skates.“Anyways…there I was at the breakfast bar before Yusha came to my rescue, and I saw him saunter up on the other side of it. I was basically done getting my food so I could have left, but thought that he felt bad and wanted to apologize. But instead, he just glared at me. So I finally asked him, “Is the apology coming anytime soon, or did you come all the way over here just to give me the evil-eye?” And, you guys…”Mila paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, and swiveled her gaze between them. Yuuri wanted to laugh at the way Viktor’s teeth began to worry at his lip in anticipation.“You guys – what?!” his fiance cried, frantically. “Don't stop there!”Yuuri reached his free arm out to pet his head, smiling when he kissed his fingertips.Mila let out a happy hum at this display of affection and, not for the first time, he felt grateful for how supportive she was of their relationship. Unlike Yurio, who in the last few months had taken even more pleasure than usual in scowling at their “gross mushiness” (which was a tamer replacement for his actual words), their other rinkmate couldn’t seem to get enough of the #Viktuuri PDA.Indeed, she had forged a warm friendship with Phichit-kun who was eternally grateful (and profuse in his thanks) for her bountiful supply of couple-y social media content.While it had taken some time for him to get used to the fact that people were so deeply invested in their romantic relationship, once Yuuri realized that the majority of people were actively rooting for their happiness, it made it easier to be a bit more open when it came to showcasing their partnership. While he would never be at Viktor’s, Mila’s, or Phichit’s level of candor, there was something gratifying in knowing that each of them took so much pride in celebrating their relationship so visibly.Mila barked out a laugh, swaying from Viktor’s insistent push at her shoulder to continue.“He told me that he was waiting for his own apology!”Hearing this, Yuuri simply couldn’t hold back. “Kanben shitekure!” he exclaimed, swiping a hand through his hair in frustration.Though Mila was by now quite used to his spontaneous Japanese, she had evidently never heard this expression before. Cocking her head a bit, she gave him a blank look. No sooner had he opened his mouth to translate for her, than he found himself cut off.“Ahh, wait wait!! Can I tell her, Yusha? I think I know this one,” his fiance interjected, excitedly.Yuuri nodded, remembering Viktor’s excellent grades from the most recent Japanese language intensive that he’d completed online.The eight-week Intermediate Japanese series was the third class he had taken since the two of them had begun living in St. Petersburg together, his motivation to keep up with the learning he’d done in Hasetsu still high as ever. Of course, it helped that they’d also established designated “language immersion” days, where for 3 days a week, and whenever it was feasible, he would speak only in Russian to Viktor, while, in turn, his love would speak only in Japanese to him (excepting in cases of emergency, or when it interfered with their training). Such exposure had helped them both immensely, and in addition, Viktor would practice speaking for at least an hour each week with the Nishigori triplets. As young as they were, Axel, Lutz, and Loop often knew how to explain more elementary grammar and vocabulary lessons far better than he could.After a few moments of thinking, a telling gleam sprang to his favorite pair of azure eyes.“It means “for goodness’ sake” or like… “tell me you’re kidding!”. Kind of like, in exasperation?” his fiance explained, looking to him for confirmation.“Good job, miliy moy21,” Yuuri responded, with a proud smile and thumbs up.Mila nodded in understanding, her eyes alight with interest. Upon his move to Russia, he had been surprised but pleased to realize that Viktor was not the only person in St. Petersburg that was invested in the idea of learning Japanese for his sake.Though it was obviously to a lesser degree, others like Oleg, Mila and Georgi had shown a genuine interest in picking up on the basics. To his great amusement, Yakov had told him that his beginner books didn’t include anything on cursing, and he explained that he needed new ways to express how pissed off he was with his skaters. (Yuuri had somehow stammered his way through a few examples before he nearly fainted from stress.)At times when his anxiety reared its ugly head more fiercely than usual, it helped to know that these various people, all busy in their own right, saw him as enough of a fixture in their lives to try to learn his most natural form of communication. Particularly in the first few months after the move, it had provided him with much-needed reassurance as he was still adjusting to his new home.Bringing his attention back to the present, he tuned in just in time to hear Viktor muttering flatly. “Please tell me that this is the part where you cracked a couple of raw eggs over his bumbling head.”Seeing Mila’s own smile emerge at these words, Yuuri gave himself permission to laugh at the mental image.“I wish,” she responded airily. “No I just replied that he should probably drag a chair over because he’d be waiting for an apology from me for a long time.”Looking a little embarrassed, she added in a quieter voice, “of course, I shouldn’t have said what I did, but he was really pissing me off, you know? So I told him the chair would also be good for resting his awkward, clumsy legs,” she finished, biting her lip. Damn.For a split second Yuuri actually felt bad for Yurio: being reminded of his puberty-induced woes was likely a very sore point for him. But then he remembered just how much of a troll he’d acted like lately.“Wow ,” Viktor replied, though his tone was a little different from its usual level of exuberance.But it was Yuuri that Mila looked over at, almost as if she craved his approval of the jab. He shrugged in response, feeling as if she actually could have been much more biting, and said as much out loud.She sighed and went back to looking miserable.“Anyways, that’s when you came up to the breakfast bar, Yusha, so…I’ll let you take over.”He startled a bit, forgetting that he’d have to share his side of the story as well. Given how protective Viktor could be, he wondered just how truthful he should be about Yurio’s aggression.Yuuri thought back to late December, the day before he was due to travel to Tokyo for the All Japan National Championships. St. Petersburg had been chosen as the host city for the Russian National Championships, so Viktor and the rest of the Yubileyny skaters and judges didn’t have to do any travel. Neither he nor his fiance had been looking forward to the week-long separation from one another, remembering how painful it had been the previous year just a few weeks after the emotional events of the 2016 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona.As a result, the two of them had spent most of their last practice clinging to one another and giggling through their latest pair skate routine: an exhilarating, sweet, and incredibly fun skate set to ‘Hello’, by Allie X.When Viktor had first made him listen to the song over the summer, claiming that it was the perfect encapsulation of his feelings about their relationship, and his life pre-Yuuri, he had ugly-cried for a good ten minutes. They had debuted the routine a few weeks prior, during the Grand Prix Final gala exhibition. Almost immediately afterwards, they had been inundated with requests to repeat their performance at a number of ice shows in the coming off-season.While Yurio’s churlishness had been relatively easy to ignore that day, at one point, they had – admittedly, rather obliviously – been blocking the rink entry gate, caught up in their own little world. In his impatience to exit for the locker room, Yurio had pushed past him in annoyance, jostling him to the point that he’d taken a fall on his already-bruised hip. Even though it hadn’t hurt all that much, to say that his love had gotten angry was an understatement; it was rare for Yuuri to hear Viktor speak with such fury in his voice.Emotions only heightened when Yurio later tried to argue that he didn’t understand how it could have hurt at all since “the piggy has plenty of fat to cushion the fall”. The words had stung, especially because he knew what Yurio sounded like when he was joking…in that moment, his younger friend – though he had hardly acted like a friend to anybody recently – wasn’t teasing him with affection. Rather, he was aiming to hit him where it hurt.Although, it had been a perplexing thing to say given that Yuuri had been at the height of mid-season fitness; indeed, his hips and waist had been nothing but strong planes of bone and muscle. Yakov and Ianna had had to intervene when Viktor had begun a profanity-laced tirade in response, a mark of just how triggering the situation had been. Outside of sex or the occasional toe-stubbing, it was extremely rare to hear him curse.Later, Yuuri learned that throughout the entirety of Russian Nationals, the two skaters hadn’t exchanged a single word.Upon his own return from Japan, he had made it clear that he’d gotten over the incident, but even Mila was barely speaking to Yurio, especially when over a week had passed and the younger skater still had made no effort to apologize to him. Though they had had a tense reconciliation at Yakov’s New Year’s Eve party, it was clear to Yuuri that his fiance was still holding somewhat of a grudge against their younger rinkmate. Thus, he chose to tread lightly in his recount of the breakfast bar exchange.Schooling his features into his best attempt at neutrality, he gave a shrug before proceeding.“You know, the exact words are kind of escaping me…but suffice it to say that he was pretty rude when he acknowledged me. That seemed to be the catalyst for Mila-chan to go off on him.”Noting Viktor’s raised eyebrows, he hurried to continue, “which was awesome , by the way! She basically told him that he wasn’t the only skater in the universe to go through a growth spurt and to get over himself and to come find her when he was ready to be more mature. And, after she had gotten the last word on him and left, he suddenly turned to me and asked me about who covers my therapy!”Yuuri paused for a second, suddenly nervous about having potentially overstepped.“So I told him that the JSF fully covers mine, and then…I hope you don’t mind, but he asked about yours so I told him that the FFKKR covers yours, and that it’s very discreet and that we’d both found it really helpful, and that we’d be happy to answer any questions he has about it and…and that’s about it,” he finished, somewhat weakly.At the very least, he hoped he’d been able to stave off a more thorough conversation about what had gone down.Though something in his Vitya’s expression signaled that he’d be interrogating him for the full story later, he seemed to accept his condensed summary at face-value.“Well,” Viktor began, contemplatively, “I have to hand it to you, Milasha, for finally getting through to him when the rest of us couldn’t. The last time I suggested therapy to him, he replied, quote: “if therapy is so great, why are you and your dumb fiance still annoying as fuck?”, end-quote,” he went on, with a dry expression.“That sounds about right,” Mila replied, with a small frown. “I guess we could try being optimistic about things improving afterwards? Even if he bombs at the Games, maybe trying to come back better for World’s will help him lick his wounds so he won’t be too much of a gremlin.”At these words, Yuuri squirmed a bit. The whirlpool in his stomach that had been churning for the last week seemed to get even faster, the perfect mix of nerves and eager anticipation to just get to Pyeongchang making him feel slightly nauseous.Timing his season so that he’d peak at the Olympics had been an interesting task, given his round-the-clock efforts to improve his stamina in order to execute both of his taxing programs. Though at times Yuuri felt close to death because of it, he’d worked harder than he possibly ever had in his entire career from October to January. He’d even sought outside help from his and Viktor’s friend, Gareth, who was a physicist and academic at St. Petersburg State University.With the help of a software program that Gareth was in the process of patenting, they were able to get precise video capture footage of his jump takeoff and mid-air rotation angles for his lutz and quad-triple combination, in order to help further cement his body’s “muscle memory”. Viktor had also been using the software, in his mission to master the quad loop for his own Free Skate. Points-wise, its base value was lower than both the lutz and flip, but given that this was the Living Legend’s last competitive season, he had been excited about the prospect of being history’s first figure skater to cleanly land five different types of quads.The two of them along with Yakov, Sava, and Ianna had had many discussions, both theoretical and practical, centered around the fantastical quad axel. Yuuri had been almost positive that his ever-ambitious fiance would train for the jump in his last season. However, Viktor had ultimately decided that he wouldn’t attempt it, on principle. Points-wise, the ISU had deemed the quad axel to be worth just 1 point higher than a quad lutz, which felt like an insult to most of the figure skating community at-large. There were some hold-outs that insisted that this was a smart move on the part of the powers-that-be, given that it would disincentivize skaters from trying such an injury-prone feat.Most of the top competitors on the Men’s Singles circuit felt this kind of coddling was irritating, however; regardless of the risk, there would always be people that felt compelled to push the limits of what was possible, and skating officials were well aware of that. So why not assign it a fair base value, regardless, and let athletes make their own informed decisions?By the time the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya rolled around, Yuuri was managing a 70 percent landing rate on his lutz, and 75 percent on his quad flip combination. Viktor, Ianna, and Saveliy had all been over the moon when these percentages continued to rise throughout December and into January, but he was wary of being over-confident; he had popped the lutz at both Skate Canada and the NHK Trophy, but had finally managed to land it with positive GOE at the Final.Thanks to Yakov’s string-pulling, once they got to Korea he would have four practice sessions – shared with Yurio and whatever IOC officials were stationed inside, but otherwise private – at Gangneung Ice Arena’s training rink. The elderly coach had even volunteered in advance to ‘keep watch’ during his sessions in case anyone tried to sneak in to record his quad-triple attempts. How exactly the world weary seventy-one-year-old would manage to fight off any rabid intruders (especially with Oleg present as well) was beyond him, but Yuuri had been touched by the offer, nonetheless. He wasn’t especially worried: security at the Games’ competition venues would be on another level, with entry granted only to those with an Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card (OIAC).Back when the Organizing Committee had been making arrangements for each athlete’s Olympic needs, Yuuri had been pleasantly surprised to discover that he would be allowed to issue OIAC’s to five people. As such, both of his parents, his sister, Minako-sensei, and Yuuko-chan would be in the stands, cheering him on as he (hopefully) made history. His heart had broken several times over when Viktor had told him that, other than him, there wasn’t really anyone else he could think to add to his entry card. After he went on to say that he would give his remaining OIAC’s to Takeshi and the triplets, Yuuri had turned the glum mood around by sweeping him up into his arms, and whisking him around their living room in a dramatic waltz.Lost in thought over family – both blood and chosen – Yuuri completely missed the reshuffle of bodies around him. He was finally broken out of his trance by the sensation of an exaggerated kiss to his ear as well the return of Viktor’s standard octopus-hold.“My arms are suddenly soooo achy, but I know my Yuranya will feed me, right, Медовик22?” his love purred, inadvertently bending him at a sharp angle due to his enthusiastic clinging. They both knew that his arms were perfectly fine, but Yuuri was grateful, sure that Viktor had picked up on his subdued mood. He had gotten so much better at reading him.With a fond smile, he began a careful dissection of the sharlotka he’d picked up from the buffet, all thoughts of the future wiped from his mind as he settled in to hand-feed his fiancé.------------------------------

End of Chapter 2

Up Next: In Ch 3, we return to the present, during the plane ride to Tokyo, for the first leg of travel to the Beijing Olympic Games. Ch 3 will be a Viktor POV chapter
Footnotes:1. According to canon, we know that Georgi is one of the oldest figure skaters in the Seniors circuit. I figure he would have held out after the Barcelona GPF to finish out the 2016-2017 skating season, and then would have retired just after the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki. Just imagine his cringe retirement party…he probably invited all of his ex-girlfriends Back2. Due to restrictions laid out by the International Olympic Committee, Viktor would not be eligible to be part of Yuuri’s coaching team while also competing. As such, he, Yakov, and Yuuri made the joint decision in March 2017 to put out the call for additional coaching staff on contract to coach Yuuri through the Games, with the opportunity for extension beyond as a regular coach. Coach Perez used to be assistant coach to Celestino Cialdini at Detroit Skate Club, so her and Yuuri already had some rapport Back3. Draniki is a tradditional Russian breakfast item, these are delicious potato pancakes. They are usually served with sour cream or applesauce, and are loaded with garlic/onion Back4. Russian style french toast. When savory, it is usually topped with vegetables or poached eggs, goat cheese, or butter/cheese/ham Back5. Russian term of endearment for loved one (this version is gendered male), basically translates to ‘baby’, and latinized as malysh Back6. ‘Sava’ is the standard diminutive for ‘Saveliy’ in Russian Back7. The white tiger official mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics Back8. The drunken karaoke classic, by the Spice Girls9. The selection of Olympic representatives is at the national governing body's discretion. Some countries rely on the results of their national championships while others have more varied criteria. This may include reaching a certain placement at the European Figure Skating Championships and Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Eighty percent of the Olympic spots (24 men’s) are allotted to countries according to the results of the previous year's World Figure Skating Championships Back10. For this particular competition, I wanted to note that Yuuri beat Viktor by a razor-thin margin to get gold, Viktor won silver, and Yurio didn’t qualify (more on that later) Back11. Russian term of endearment (gendered male), translating to “little sunbeam”, latinized as ‘luchik’ Back12. Russian phrase which basically translates to “Oh my God!”, indicating great surprise/shock/feeling overwhelmed. Latinized as bozje moy Back13. Listen to 1:34 - 2:19 of the song to get a sense of which part Yuuri would skate to. I imagine that they’d time the landing of his quad/triple to coincide with the swell of sound at 2:12 Back14. Russian insult, basically translates to “jerk”; pronounced Svo-lach'. As far as insults go, I understand that this is pretty mild Back15. Russian Apple Cake; super easy to make. My Russian friend recommends Back16. Ceremonial sake drinking during a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony. The actual words denote the idea of “three-three-nine-times” reflecting three oaths taken three times, represented by three cups, poured three times, and swallowed in three sips. This often includes three pourings from three cups of increasing sizes definition Back17. Japanese way of saying “my darling”, borrowed from English and latinized as daarin Back18. After hinting at the 2017 Grand Prix Final press conference that they’d get married in 2019, Viktor and Yuuri end up fielding multiple requests for exclusive magazine coverage of their wedding. They decide to grant exclusivity to GQ Japan, which in large part was due to the fact that Yuuri already had a good experience with the magazine when they did a main feature with him in October 2017 (as pre-Olympics exposure) Back19. This is the standard diminutive for ‘Yakov’ in Russian. I head-canon that Yuuri would feel shy about using Russian diminutives for anyone other than Viktor or Mila in St. Petersburg initially, so it would take him a little longer to warm up to the idea; he generally calls Yakov ‘Coach Feltsman’ Back20. Russian for “shithead”, latinized as govnyuk Back21. Latinized version of the Russian term of endearment (a version gendered male), translating to “my darling” or “loved one”. Written as Милый мой in Cyrillic Back22. Delicious traditional Russian dessert, called honey cake; this is one of Viktor’s favorite endearments for Yuuri Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

First class section of ANA Flight 5697 to Tokyo, Japan, Fukuoka Airport - January 30, 2022
 "Shimatta!"1Viktor immediately turned to his husband sitting in the window seat next to him, already ready to cuddle his problems away.“What’s wrong, Yuranya?” he asked, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.Yuuri turned to him with a look of panic that made his stomach drop. Had they forgotten to leave the watering instructions for Kito this morning?Viktor had just bought a brand new Alocasia Variegata plant and was considering FaceTiming with their friend/neighbor every single day just so that he could check up on his new baby, which he had delighted in nicknaming Varya. Yurio took every opportunity to make fun of his extreme behavior, but he was unashamed to admit that in his retirement, he’d become a plant-obsessed eccentric. It was not unusual for him to routinely drop hundreds of dollars on fancy grow-lights or heavily mineralized soil befitting the wondrously lush rainforests of Borneo, all for the care and health of his plant children.As indicated by the comments section, the subscribers of his and Yuuri’s YouTube channel (going strong for three-and-a-half years and counting) absolutely loved his commitment. To Viktor’s pleasant surprise, he’d even managed to amass a handful of promotions and brand deals with local plant nurseries and gardening companies over the years. While his spouse didn’t quite share his fascination, he found his enthusiasm endearing, and was happy to record footage of him in his element – cooing over his plants’ new tendrils – with a fond smile on his face.Yuuri’s look of distress had him automatically reaching for his right hand, beginning to thumb at his wedding ring.“Yusha?”Yuuri took his glasses off and barked out a strained laugh.“Sorry, honey…I’m probably making a bigger deal out of this than I should, but I think I left my katsudon pillow at home,” he muttered. “I can’t believe this, you know I never travel without it.”Viktor blinked, and then dove for his carry-on backpack triumphantly.“Not to fear, zolotsye2! You didn’t leave it, I just put it in my bag because yours was looking too full. Sorry I forgot to tell you.”Straightening up, he gripped the katsudon travel pillow that he’d personally commissioned for his love just over five years ago. It was one of several “welcome to St. Petersburg” gifts that he’d organized for the beginning of their life in Russia together. He turned, beaming, but was dismayed at the sight of the glistening sheen in his favorite pair of eyes.“I’m sorry,” Yuuri whispered, in a choked voice. “I think I just – ”But what he just, Viktor didn’t get the chance to find out, because Yuuri suddenly grabbed the pillow from his grasp and burst into tears, right into the plush of the animated egg face. Though momentarily stunned, he reacted rather quickly, all things considered.“Милый мой3,” he breathed worriedly, beginning to rub wide, arcing circles into his back.“What’s wrong? Tell me what you need.”His husband made a small noise of acknowledgment, and after a few seconds of deep breathing, turned his face so that at least his mouth was free of obstruction.“I’ll be ok, love…just…please hold me?” he croaked out, with a small, half-hidden watery smile.At this, Viktor gathered him into his arms.His mind began to buzz, wondering if Yuuri was still feeling raw from seeing Yura so upset earlier. After a few minutes during which the sound of sniffles gradually became quieter, Yuuri lifted his head to begin wiping at his eyes. He had just put his glasses back on when an exclamation of frantic Japanese to their right made them both jump.Whipping his head around (and almost whacking his love in the face with his braid), Viktor spotted two young teenagers around 16 or so, staring at them while completely agog in the aisleway. For a few seconds, the four of them seemed to just eye one another, he somewhat frozen with his arms still wrapped around Yuuri's mid-section. While he was normally more responsive during fan interactions, his mind was still troubled by what had just happened, so he was slower than usual to respond.“Um – are you fans? Would you like some autographs?” Yuuri asked, kindly, with a weak smile.Still awestruck, the two just nodded silently, still gaping. Viktor couldn’t help but feel annoyed that they’d chosen now to interrupt; couldn’t they see this was a less-than-ideal time? But his spouse, apparently, didn’t seem to mind – he had come a long way over the years in terms of acknowledging his supporters.Breaking slightly from his hold, Yuuri reached for his carry-on, as it seemed like the teens did not possess the current mental faculties to procure their own paper or writing utensils. As he rummaged around for some loose paper, their stunned observers seemed to regain their footing a bit.“We’re not just fans…we’re big fans, Yuuri-san!” one of them said, earnestly.“You were amazing in Osaka4…I was there to see you in person. We love both of you, your choreography is brilliant, Viktor-san!” the other added, rocking a bit on some platform Doc Martens that Viktor was almost positive Yura would love. “We’ll be watching closely on TV when you compete in Beijing!”“Your support for Yuuri means a lot,” he responded with a smile, his annoyance fading at their earnest admiration.“Very much so,” Yuuri added, nodding and beginning to write on the notebook he’d dug out. “The Olympics are a very intimidating stage to be on, so it’s always nice to be able to remember the wonderful people cheering me on.” He then turned his head, looking a little apologetic.“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your names…?”“Oh!” Both of them squeaked and looked a little embarrassed.“I’m Retsu!” said the one wearing the enviable shoes, before bowing, “…and this is Shion,” they said, nodding their head to the shorter person at their side, who had spoken first.His spouse smiled broadly at them and wrote out the kanji5 for their names before pushing the paper over to him so that he could add his own signature. As Viktor handed the paper over to Retsu while thanking them both again for their support, they seemed to vibrate with excitement and he had to suppress his laughter. They reminded him a bit of Izumi and Kenjirou.“Good luck, Yuuri-san! After PyeongChang, we wrote several strongly worded letters to the International Olympic Committee, and we won’t hesitate to do the same this year!” Shion exclaimed.Next to them, Retsu startled, flushing violently. They seemed eager to backtrack on Shion’s admission.“Not that we’ll need to, of course,” they said, hurriedly. “What happened last time, it was just so absurd, there’s just no way something like that…”They trailed off a bit awkwardly and Viktor stepped in to save them from the sudden tension.“We understand,” he said, genially. “We also hope that things will go more smoothly than last time, but no matter what happens or what anyone says, my Yuuri is a champion. That’s something no one can ever dismiss.”Retsu looked grateful for the out, nodding silently.“I’m lucky to have fans as dedicated as you both. I wish I’d met you two four years ago,” Yuuri added with a heartfelt smile. “Thank you for stopping to talk with us.”They beamed and began to walk away with a distinct spring in their steps, and the fierce love he felt for his husband in that moment enveloped Viktor completely. He turned to look at him, his chest aching in the best way.Yuuri was now cleaning his glasses with the poodle-printed cleaning cloth that Viktor had gifted him for Christmas, and he could have cooed at the endearing sight. Even after situating them back on his face, he didn’t seem to notice his intent stare.When he did, however, his lips quirked in that way that always made Viktor feel slightly dizzy.“What?” he asked, with a laugh in his voice. “Why are you looking at me like that?”“Yushaaa,” he drawled, extending his head forward so he could rest their foreheads together.“You…” kiss “…know…” kiss “…why.” Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. “Mmmm,” Yuuri hummed, nuzzling their noses together in response. “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. Or maybe I just like hearing you say it.”He made as if to initiate a kiss of his own, and Viktor closed his eyes happily, in anticipation. As such, it took him a few seconds to register that he wasn’t getting the prize he had been tempted with. Blinking his eyes open, he pouted at Yuuri’s smirk and the several inches now unfairly separating them. But then he suddenly remembered the interaction with Retsu and Shion, and felt the resurgent wave of pride.“I’m really proud of you,” he murmured.Immediately, his husband’s gaze softened and the curve of his lips turned much more gentle.“And not just for that specific interaction, though I’m sure you made their day,” Viktor went on. Reaching for Yuuri’s hand again, he smiled at the delicate kiss delivered to the inside of his wrist.“This is the last competition of your career, hanii6…when we get to Beijing, you’ll be dealing with more scrutiny than most of the athletes there. Even when it would have been easy these last few months, to shut down or turn your feelings off, you never did. You’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve, and everyone who is lucky enough to get to be around you gets such a gift from that. Especially me.”He admired the luster of Yuuri’s eyes, hoping he could see the genuine feeling reflected in his own.“Thank you for trusting me with all the parts of you, even the hard ones,” he continued on, seriously. “It’s an honor to care for them. Если я знаю, что такое любовь, то только благодаря тебе7.”His love blinked, wide-eyed, before quickly reaching for him. “Oh, Vitya,” he breathed, his voice hushed. His hand cradled the back of his head, gently, bringing it down onto his shoulder.Yuuri always touched him with such care, like he was absolutely precious to him. The reverence in his movements never made Viktor feel fragile, though; rather, he felt completely cherished.“I should be thanking you – I couldn’t do any of this without you,” his Yusha whispered, lips tickling the slivers of skin that peeked out between his bangs. “Я не могу без тебя жить8.”He sighed contentedly at the heartfelt words, elation making him feel that if it were not for his seatbelt tightly strapping him in, he might float right out of his seat. He imagined himself drifting mid-air about the cabin, bopping the heads of his fellow first class passengers playfully while they tried to take dignified sips of their complimentary drinks. The mental image made Viktor giggle. When he told Yuuri about his momentary day-dream, he gave a chuckle of his own.“You could drop sake right onto Mohit’s grumpy head,” his husband joked, and the two of them laughed so hard that they had to stifle the noise into each other’s necks, fearing their laughter might rouse the man from his precious REM sleep.“やった!9” Yuuri exclaimed, resting his head back on his seat, with his eyes closed. “I needed that laugh. No more crying the rest of the day.”“Speaking of crying…” he replied a little hesitantly, reluctant to sour the lighter mood. But his spouse seemed to read his mind, blinking his eyes open and angling towards him.“I probably worried you earlier…I’m sorry for that, Vitya. I know you know this, but that neck pillow means a lot to me. Ever since you got it for me, I’ve brought it on every single flight and taken it to every competition for the last six years. It’s been with us through so much. I guess I felt like my leaving it at home was some kind of bad omen. And like you said earlier, there’s already a lot of anticipation for what we’re going to experience when we get there…”Yuuri trailed off and Viktor leaned his head against his shoulder, feeling slightly silly. Of course he would be feeling rattled if he thought he’d left behind one of his good luck charms before his last competitive skate ever. Though their beloved Makka was in doggy heaven, they still made sure to bring the stuffed Makkachin tissue holder as well as the katsudon neck pillow to every single one of his competitions. Viktor was proud to admit that he’d also personally commissioned the creation of Goya and Meni tissue holders over the years as well, and it was heartwarming to see the adorable fanart of him and Yuuri in various Kiss and Cry’s all over the world with their doggy family surrounding them. Since Meni had been certified as an emotional support animal since the time they’d adopted him in 2017, he was often able to be there physically as well.“That makes sense,” he replied, hugging Yuuri protectively as they cuddled and watched as the luggage handlers loaded bulky suitcases onto their waiting plane.“If it were me, I’d feel unsettled too – I’m sorry for forgetting to tell you that I packed it. We’ll get through everything, together. Stammi vicino, my love.”He felt a kiss placed to the top of his head and closed his eyes, perfectly content.“Don’t worry about it, baby, there was a lot going on before we left for the airport,” his husband replied. “And on the topic of stammi vicino...what if I cry huge, snotty, tears all over your new Hermès suit? Will you still want to stay close to me then?”Viktor grinned.“Especially then.”“Ahh, I see,” Yuuri responded, with mock seriousness. “Got it. Snot and tears: ok. Nosebleeds: not ok.”He held back a laugh, just barely. With a limberness he could be proud of, he snuck a hand under his love’s sweater to deliver a swift pinch to his side, delighting in the squeal he heard in response.“Six years ago, Yusha. Are you ever gonna let that go?” he whispered with a grin, smushing his face into his shoulder.“Actually – ” Yuuri began, though he was swiftly interrupted. Had it not been for the sudden chime of his phone, he was sure that he would have had a witty retort at the ready to lob back. Years of being together hadn’t dulled their bantering skills.Viktor watched as he fished his phone out of the seat pocket in front of them.“Aww, that’s so sweet,” he chirped. “Look at what Suko10just texted me.”

Viktor began reading, while reflecting on how much effort and intention Yuuri had put into therapy over the years.Yuuri had started seeing Dr. Chiba for weekly virtual sessions shortly after moving to St. Petersburg in January 2017, and the two worked together consistently for nearly three years. Thanks to her, his husband had not only learned a lot of useful information around managing his anxiety, but had also developed new strategies for relying on the people around him, so as to be more proactive around tackling anxiety-provoking situations head-on.On a few occasions, Viktor had been invited to sit in on a session, and had walked away each time feeling immensely grateful that Yuuri had developed such a mutually trusting and respectful relationship with her. In late 2019, after several thoughtful discussions over the course of a few months, Suko had determined he may no longer have needed to see her, and for awhile, all was well.But then one morning last May as they laid in bed together, Yuuri admitted that his anxieties – about Beijing, the end of his career, and the transition to retirement – were becoming unmanageable again, and that he felt like he needed to return to therapy.Viktor had held his love tightly as he confessed to feeling pathetic, claiming that “after years of therapy, I should be able to figure this out on my own”. And he had reminded him, then, vehemently, that he was not pathetic, and that mental health journeys were rarely linear.His own had taught him that much...that there was no arbitrary signal for when one should stop needing professional support. When Yuuri had come to him later that day, asking if he would sit with him as he called Dr. Chiba, he was overcome with pride. And indeed, as he listened to him nervously ask her if they could restart their sessions, he couldn’t help from tearing up; he was in awe of his spouse for prioritizing himself and being strong enough to seek out the help he needed.Now, a younger Viktor – one that was still in the nascent stages of working through his own trauma – would have taken his Yusha’s move to restart therapy as a sign of his own failure as a partner. Rooted in a deep insecurity, as well as societal conditioning, this Viktor would have thought that he alone should be enough emotional support for Yuuri to help him navigate his anxieties. Didn’t the fact that he needed to seek outside guidance mean that he had failed him?Many moments of introspection throughout the years had shown him what a ridiculous conclusion that was. In fact, unlearning that conditioning and challenging his own insecurity had been a main goal and impetus for Viktor starting his own therapy journey with Pasha.“I’m so glad you and Suko have the relationship that you do, lapochka11,” he said once he was done reading, before pressing a kiss to his husband’s cheek. “What’s the kanji she used in the third text mean?”Yuuri glanced back at the screen before his face lit up.“Oh! That’s ‘paatona’, or partner. You know how progressive Suko is…she always tries to use gender-neutral terms if we’re talking about you,” he said, beaming.Viktor nodded appreciatively; his journey around pronouns was an ongoing one, and he was often ashamed to admit that he’d never fully realized just how backwards the sport of figure skating was when it came to honoring the full spectrum of how athletes identified.On the occasions, post-retirement, when he had dared to broach the subject with various leaders of the International Skating Union (ISU), he had been flabbergasted to realize how binary the modality was around competition and so-called ideals of ‘fairness’ in sport. Last year, when he’d made the decision to be more forthcoming around his gender fluidity, he had gotten into a months-long fight with the ISU ahead of his love’s Grand Prix Series assignment, regarding their refusal to include pronouns on coaching and support staff badges.Talk about regressive.That 4 month ordeal had zapped Viktor’s energy, and he knew how much pain Yuuri had been in, watching him have to advocate for himself so futilely. Given the amount of training both of his students underwent in order to be adequately prepared for the Games, there simply hadn’t been any leftover mental energy to spare for any substantive advocacy efforts, but his spouse had been adamant that it was something he personally wanted to spearhead as soon as his retirement came about. Viktor had been delighted to hear it, and they'd both had a good laugh around their permanent titles as The Most Gargantuan Thorns in the ISU’s Side .“I know Suko must be very proud of you,” he said now, meeting Yuuri’s gaze. “She cares about you so much.”“Thank you, Vitya. I’m proud of me, too,” he replied, quietly, before typing his response out.Leaning his head against his shoulder once again, Viktor was struck by a sudden thought.“You know,” he began, whinily, “Pasha never texts me like that. Even before my last competitive skate ever I never got so much as a ‘good luck to my favorite client’.”He watched as his husband checked over his spelling and grammar – he was a bit of a stickler for that sort of thing – before pressing ‘send’ on his reply.“He must hate me, neh neh12, Yusha? Kanashii-desuuuuuu13,” Viktor drawled, with a very prolonged sigh.Yuuri turned to him, lips twitching, but otherwise attempting to look serious.“Honey,” he responded, cupping his jaw, “that can’t be true. How could Pasha hate somebody so sweet, and funny, and cuteee?” he sing-songed, placing a kiss to his forehead.Viktor blushed, loving the fact that his spouse so easily saw through his ploy for attention, yet chose to indulge him anyway. What could he say? He was a weak man when it came to his Yuuri’s wrought affection.“You think I’m cute, husband of mine?” he asked, batting his eyelashes ridiculously.“The absolute…”
Mwah!
“...cutest person in the…”
Mwah!
“...entire world,” his love replied, grabbing his hands and pressing kisses to his fingertips.Viktor giggled and tried to pull them away, though very half-heartedly; it wasn’t a secret that he adored this kind of thing. When he thought about how much his once-shy Yuuri had evolved to be so open with his affections in public, it gave him a thrill like no other. Truly, he would have been perfectly content the entire flight to do nothing more than trade kisses and flirt incessantly with him.“Stoppppp, Yusha,” he managed to wheeze between giggles, freeing a hand and attempting to steal his husband’s glasses to distract him.But Yuuri was relentless, somehow managing to both dodge his grab, and continue to kiss down his palm and the inside of his wrist. Viktor was grateful for his playfulness given the emotionally heavy morning they’d experienced.“I’m afraid I can’t stop,” he murmured in reply. “Not until you admit that you’re the cutest person ever.”At this, Viktor barked a laugh, not caring if the sound would carry to their friends and nearby passengers.“That brings us to a bit of an impasse, malysh14, because it so happens that my husband is the cutest person ever,” he responded, smugly.Yuuri turned his face up, smirking, but the crackling of the intercom above brought them both up short.“Welcome, passengers of All Nippon Airways Flight 5697. Technically, I’m instructed to say “ladies and gentlemen”, but I think the gender binary is dumb – ”The Katsuki-Nikiforovs grinned at one another; whoever was doing the welcome and safety announcement on this flight was already killing it. Viktor sort of wanted to do tequila shots with them, confident they’d have a blast.“ – so to hell with that! This is a non-stop flight with service to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, serving the Greater Tokyo Area. Our expected flight time today is 1 hour and 45 minutes, which puts us at a landing time of around…”As his spouse began to play with the end of his braid, Viktor put his phone on airplane mode and allowed himself to be lulled into a near-sleep state. While day-dreaming of the endless Edo Ko-Ji15 breakfast options they’d get to choose from upon landing, he was suddenly jerked back to reality by strident hooting, coming from the seats in front and diagonal to them.“ – and would like to wish the very best to the accomplished couple, as well as to the other very talented athletes aboard our flight. For those that don’t know of Japan’s Ace, Yuuri-san is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in Men’s Singles Figure Skating, and made history four years ago during the PyeongChang Olympic Games in South Korea. We’ll be rooting for him in Beijing, and know that you will make Japan proud, as you always do !”Viktor began to laugh, spotting Kenjirou, Niko and Izumi’s emphatically pumping fists and jumping bodies, seatbelt sign be damned. Turning his head, he was unsurprised to see Yuuri’s tomato-red face peeking out from behind his hands, but happily noted the pleased smile he wore. An announcement like this on their way to Korea four years ago would have likely killed him due to embarrassment, but over time, he'd made great strides in coming to terms with his accomplishments (as well as the notoriety that accompanied them).Now, whenever he introduced his spouse to someone as the reigning Olympic champion, three-time World champion, three-time Grand Prix Final champion, and multiple-time-winner of the Japanese National Championships and Four Continents’ Championships, Yuuri wouldn’t flush and dismiss the praise of his accolades as he’d used to.On the contrary, he now held his head high, stuck out a hand in greeting, and quipped that even with that impressive list, his favorite title of all was being Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov…all while wearing the most endearing smile.
Swooooon.
He fondly recalled all the teasing the two of them had endured last summer and fall, when the first two parts of their four-part Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel HBO special had aired. It was actually Yuuri’s idea to say yes to the offer – yet another example of what a difference a few years could make – after a Real Sports producer had pitched the idea to them on Twitter.For parts 1 and 2, Bryant – who had been lovely, and excessively gracious in the face of their fangirling – had interviewed them together about the evolution of their personal and professional relationship, and their experiences enduring the various pressures of elite athletics. This had provided the perfect platform for them to talk about what happened during the PyeongChang Games, and how they had tried to achieve closure over that chapter of their lives. While they had certainly done media appearances back in 2018 itself, many sports journalists were curious for their takes now, with the difference in perspective of a few years removed.Part 3, which had come out in January, had featured Viktor solo, covering his coaching and skating career reflections. And finally, part 4 would be an exclusive live interview with Yuuri, which would be broadcast from the Beijing Olympic Village in just over a week.As serious as the subject matter they’d delved into had been, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs had treated the series as an opportunity to do what they did best: fawn over each other, unabashedly. Their authenticity seemed to pay off as they had basked in the positive reactions for weeks , particularly after part 1 came out. Viktor had even had to delete some of the photos on his phone to free up storage for screenshots of their loved ones gushing over how the two of them had raised the bar for married life to impossible heights.Phichit seemed to have reached euphoric levels of delight (Viktor had genuinely worried that his fingers would fall off from the speed at which he had been live-tweeting during the streams), while Yurio had insisted each time on a one-week moratorium on being around them, claiming that he needed a break from their ‘saccharine disgustingness’. In his official capacity as coach, he had been delighted to put the kibosh on this after part 2 aired; his reminder to his younger skater of how badly he needed to practice, given how severely Yuuri had thrashed him in their “jump off” during practice the day before prompted one of the longest tirades of swearing that he had ever heard.He and his husband were especially happy to discover that even non-skating fans had become enamored with the sport as a result of watching.Their post-special “follow-up” from November had become the most-watched video on their YouTube channel, and about half the submitted questions appeared to have come from completely new fans. Of course, not all reception to their candid appearances had been positive. The FFKKR, for one, had made their displeasure extremely clear, but of course, this was hardly a surprise to either of them. Frankly, they had been thrilled to have directed the federation’s ire.Yakov’s reaction, on the other hand, had caught them both completely off-guard. Things between Viktor and his former coach were in a much better place now, but he’d be lying if he claimed to have fully healed from the rift that had grown between them late last year as a result of the man’s reaction to the perceived slight against him. With a slight grimace (as well as fervent thanks for Lilia’s ability to knock some sense into the cantankerous Russian), he redirected his attention to more pleasant territory: namely, Yuuri’s adorably flushed cheeks. He was leaning forward in his seat, in conversation with Amara in the row ahead of them when he suddenly turned to him with a broad smile.Viktor blinked, a bit at a loss as to what he’d just missed.“Neh, neh, Vitya?” he asked, shaking his head a bit. “Amara was just asking how wild my retirement party would be getting, so I told her that was entirely up to the party planner,” he went on, sounding proud.He beamed in response, practically flinging himself forward to join in the conversation.Before the start of their relationship, Viktor hadn’t had much experience with party planning, and hadn’t received many party invitations for that matter, at least in a non-competition capacity.Apart from his faithful Makka, he lacked truly close friends, so aside from doggy birthdays, he wasn’t in the habit of thinking about special events. He’d owned a very nice apartment in the heart of St. Petersburg, but Viktor pre-Yuuri hadn’t hosted a dinner party or even a birthday party for himself, let alone others, in years. For too long, he had used the excuse that he was typically skating on his birthday at the Russian national championships. But this refrain began to feel tired when Oleg or Georgi or Mila would point out that there were plenty of opportunities before or after the championships to have a get-together. In truth, while he desperately wanted to, he couldn’t ever find much cause for celebration, every year bringing him one step closer to losing the one thing he had built his entire life around.Which is why it still stunned him when he reflected on how fundamentally this had all changed over the last handful of years. In a life now bursting with cause for ceremony and memory-making, Viktor happened upon an interesting discovery: he liked the sentimentality and intentionality that went into planning celebrations, and he was good at entertaining not only Yuuri, but others as well. The perfectionism and attention to detail that he had always brought to his skating transferred over well to curating a playlist for one of Mohit’s infamous dinner parties, or in crafting a menu for Phichit and Seung-Gil’s engagement party, which he and Yuuri had co-planned.When his love had first told him early in 2021 that he planned to retire after the Games, his mind had immediately begun churning with ideas around how best to commemorate his career, while also wanting to take into account what kind of party his Yuuri would find most enjoyable (as well as least anxiety-provoking). Thankfully, he had found a great co-planner in Phichit. Initially, the two of them had spent way too much time egging each other on with increasingly implausible concepts, but they finally settled on the idea of renting out a professional kitchen in Beijing to host a mock team-based katsudon-making competition with all the party guests.At the end of the night, Yuuri would get to evaluate the assorted attempts and select a winning dish, with Hiroko playing the part of an honorary judge. Guests that didn’t want to compete could choose to watch the ongoing competition, record video messages of congratulations for Yuuri, view the various media on display (a slideshow with clips and pictures from his skating career), or mingle and eat from the Russian-Japanese menu spread that he, Mari, Hiroko, Lilia, Yurio, and Yuuko would be in charge of putting together.Both party planners had to occasionally remind themselves that an event that paid tribute to Yuuri’s impressive career without making it the entire focus of the night was the best “recipe” for success. (Viktor had literally said that sentence aloud during one of their planning calls and had pouted dramatically when Phichit refused to laugh at the pun).All in all, their preparation was coming along nicely, and the revelry was set to begin at Black Sesame Kitchen; in just over three weeks, the evening after the Olympic Closing Ceremonies. As he chattered away to Amara about the custom chef outfits for the guests – who would be able to choose between hamster, poodle, cat or skate-adorned aprons and chef hats – he felt the plane moving faster in preparation for take-off, and Yuuri subsequently burrowing into his side.Viktor began stroking his hair, hoping to soothe him.Not long into their coach-student relationship, Yuuri had let him know that plane travel could be difficult for him at times. While it wasn’t always an issue, his anxiety could flare up during take-off and landing especially, and sometimes, if the onslaught of stimuli became acute enough, he would have to “shut down” by wearing a sleep mask, putting in ear plugs, and crawling under a blanket to try his best to go to sleep. While Viktor had been sad to learn that this was something that he struggled with, especially given their travel-heavy lifestyles during the season, he was all too happy to serve as a cuddle partner. Now, as the seatbelt sign came on and the overhead announcement to ready the cabin for take-off resounded, he began drawing in slow, steady motions across his husband’s palm.After several years of both classes and weekly practice, his kana proficiency had become quite good. So much so, that he was able to make quite precise kanji strokes while still engaged in conversation with his soon-to-be sibling in law.心16After writing this symbol a few times out, he felt Yuuri begin writing on his palm in turn. Eventually, Amara turned back to her own seat with promises to document the upcoming party through Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, claiming that she’d already begun brainstorming catchy hashtags for the guests to use. Viktor grinned; she was probably the only person on the planet that could go toe-to-toe with Phichit in terms of social media savvy.耳17He made Yuuri repeat the sequence twice more before he eventually picked up on the meaning. “Ear?”In turn, he felt his spouse drop a kiss to said place and began to laugh as he wrote out the corresponding kanji for ‘correct’. 正18"I'm kicking things up a notch," Viktor said, in mock solemnity, before taking his turn. He then began to draw each kanji stroke very slowly.愛でる19Yuuri frowned and asked him to write it again twice, more quickly, before starting to laugh. Viktor angled his head to look at him fondly.“What is it?” he quietly asked.“You’re so silly, Vitya, I know you cherish our dogs, you don’t have to remind me,” his love replied.He guffawed, grabbing his wrist to quickly tickle the skin, prompting an immediate playful slap.“You know that’s not what I wrote!”Yuuri winked and wrested his writing hand out of his grasp before starting to draw again on his palm.“This one was practically made for you,” he whispered.婕20Viktor blushed, always weak for his husband’s praise.“Likewise, Yusha,” he murmured, gently squeezing the deftly moving fingers.Seeming to forget that they were taking turns, Yuuri began to draw again.問21Viktor raised a brow, looking down at the suddenly sedate expression on Yuuri's face. Smirking, he made the corresponding strokes letting him know that he could carry on.更問22In response, his Yusha sighed and stilled, resting his face against his shoulder. Viktor waited patiently, knowing that whatever he was working through, it would make itself known eventually.“We haven’t gotten to talk about it yet,” he mumbled, beginning to play with his fingers.“We were so busy finishing packing and then there was that ludicrous Vanity Fair meeting,” he continued, his tone flat.Viktor smiled in response, knowing exactly the reason behind the particularly strong word choice.Immediately after Grand Prix assignments were announced back in June of last year, Takahashi Haru, Yuuri’s JSF publicist, had received an invitation from Vanity Fair magazine for the Katsuki-Nikiforovs to serve as the main feature for the March 2022 issue. Viktor had posed in the magazine in March 2016 right after winning his 5th consecutive Worlds title as part of a series of various athlete photos, while Yuuri had landed a cover feature back in June 2018. In both instances, famed photographer Norman Jean Roy23 was at the helm. This time, the magazine specifically requested both of them to appear together on the cover.By then, their preference for joint interviews and photoshoots was well-known among most reputed media publications, and when it was revealed that Roy would again be the principal photographer, the decision to agree to the offer was an easy one to make. With Haru’s help, they made arrangements to fly to New York City for the interview/photoshoot after Yuuri’s Skate America obligations (in late October in Las Vegas, Nevada).While they fully expected that their romantic as well as professional relationship would be front-and-center for the story, what they had not expected was Roy essentially ordering them to eye-fuck each other for the shoot. Viktor was not at all shy when it came to openly thirsting over his husband, but even he blushed more than usual that day with some of the directed commands and poses.Between the sultry music that had been playing in the background, the dim lighting meant to evoke a sensual atmosphere, and the sharp, tightly fitted deep green and rust Bottega Veneta suits they had been outfitted in – which Viktor was delighted to learn that they’d get to take home afterwards – it was no wonder that he and Yuuri eventually forgot about Roy or the several makeup, hair, and wardrobe team members on-site.Channeling all the eros they possessed, the two of them became thoroughly lost in one another. By the time all the necessary shots had been captured, they were both quite pent up, and uncomfortable from the tightness in their pants. Pulled from their reverie, neither of them cared to stick around to debrief around how things had gone, instead hastily suggesting that Roy take a first stab at final image selections. With a rushed promise to make time to go over things later via Skype, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs didn’t even make it out of the building before Viktor found a private bathroom for them to rip each others’ clothes off (thanking the gods for the good fortune of having a spare set of clothes at the ready to go back to their hotel in).Afterwards, between Roy’s own packed schedule and the endless spate of remaining Grand Prix and national championship competitions, birthday celebrations, holidays, and both his students’ grueling training and media obligations ramp-up to the Olympics, they’d put off the final image selection discussion for weeks. That is, until four days ago when a very harassed Haru relayed to them that the editorial team insisted that they could no longer delay and needed to set up a Skype call for all of them plus Roy within the next two days. After all, the issue would need to go to print ASAP as the magazine’s circulation for the March issue would officially begin during the last week of February.Needless to say, when the actual conversation took place, neither of them were ready for just how simultaneously embarrassed and turned-on they would end up getting.At one point, Yuuri actually had to turn their video off, claiming they were dealing with internet bandwidth issues and would thus only be able to do audio in order to preserve the quality of the connection. In reality, he’d begun fanning his gradually-reddening face and trying to adjust himself in his yoga pants. Viktor didn’t fare much better, silently repeating the mantra that he would get through this meeting with some semblance of professionalism as long as he didn’t make eye contact with his husband.He’d nearly lost it, though, when he’d peeked an eye open just in time to see an overheated Yuuri switch from drinking from his water bottle to walking over to the kitchen sink and literally sticking his head under the faucet. Disguising his laughter as a protracted coughing fit, Viktor asked for a moment of respite and muted their audio so they could both reclaim their chill.“Ohmygod! VITYA – OH MY GOD!!!”“…Yusha, breathe, honey – I’m worried you’ll pass out.”“I HOPE I pass out – that would be ten thousand times better than sitting through the rest of this meeting. Did we basically shoot porn?!”“Don’t be modest, my Yuuri – this is way sexier than porn!”“Not helping! None of these can go on the cover. We’ll never be able to look my parents in the eyes ever again!”“But Yuuuurrriiii…”His reminiscing was interrupted by a nudge to his side.“Anata24, pay attention to meeee,” his husband whined, tugging on Viktor’s sleeve. “Stop drooling over our soft-core porn shoot.”He laughed a little; Yuuri knew him so well.“I’m sorry, моя котлета маленький25,” he replied. “What did you mean earlier, about not being able to talk about it?”“Your last session with Pasha,” Yuuri answered in a mutter, switching to Russian.With the exception of Yurio, most people around them appeared to be Japanese, so it was an easy way to maintain privacy.“You said you wanted to tell me about it…is now an ok time?”Ah. That.Honestly, there was really never a “good” moment to talk through his therapy sessions, but years of communication ruptures and repairs had taught them that this was part of “the work” of healthy relationship maintenance. And not just in an abstract sense: there were literally multiple chapters about this very thing in How to Do the Work, Dr. Nicole LePera’s book26, which had become his and Yuuri’s “relationship bible” since it was first released.They’d both become a bit obsessed with Dr. LePera and were just waiting for news of a potential book tour, even joking with Haru that if it coincided with the Olympic Games, that they’d have a difficult decision to make (Haru was less than pleased by this weak attempt at humor).Reaching for his backpack, Viktor bent to grab the onigiri-stickered therapy notebook that he was now used to having on hand during his sessions with Pasha. It had been a significant break-through for him to realize years ago that his forgetfulness was likely in large part due to years upon years of untreated depression.Even armed with this knowledge, it had been difficult for him to move past his inner critic, constantly berating himself that he just needed to try harder to remember things. His spouse, of course, had been the one to approach his memory problems with a kinder tactic. Thanks to him, both at home, as well as in his office at the rink, there was no shortage of all kinds of cute writing utensils and surfaces for him to jot down reminders or notes: poodle sticky note pads, markers covered with cartoon onigiri27, notebooks decorated with dancing mochi, and so on.Flipping to the notes he’d made during the most recent session, he took a second to re-familiarize himself with the things he’d jotted down. He sighed and put his face in his hands. His mind had been quite jumbled that day, so it was fitting that the session had felt the same way.“It’s ok, sweetheart,” Yuuri whispered, soothingly, with a gentle hand at his back. “Why don’t you start from the beginning. Did it start with the usual nosy neighbor update?”Viktor laughed, pulling his hands away from his face.Pasha was a mid-40’s, St. Petersburg-based psychotherapist of over 15 years, and could be generally relied upon to open his sessions with Viktor in one of 3 ways: sharing the latest picture of his cute cat Roshka, griping good-naturedly about his latest cooking or baking disaster, or sharing his latest theory about the various ways his neighbors were trying to spy on him. Pasha was convinced that his neighbors found him to be far more interesting than he actually was. Viktor, in fact, could vouch that he was indeed very interesting, and a very good therapist.“Not this time,” he said, turning to his love with a smile. “He told me instead about his utter failure trying to make panna cotta last night. But it was very brief because I think he could see the worry on my face as soon as we got started…”“When he asked me where I wanted to start, I stupidly told him that though I was worried about a few things, that I felt like I had things under control. He could tell I wasn’t being honest with myself pretty much immediately.”He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the seat, staring up at the dim ‘call for assistance’ button on the overhead panel. Viktor grimaced; one of those buttons would be great for when they were on-site in Beijing.“He was right, of course. None of this is anything new, but I just…feel like I need to share it, again,” he said, softly.Yuuri continued to rub his back, and he appreciated the silent show of support.“I feel like I’m back in 2016, Yusha. Kind of like I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, again. Before PyeongChang, I thought I was beginning to manage to get my head around everything that was ahead of us...and not even just the double responsibilities of coaching and competing, but all the extra things. Drama with our federations, namely.”He let out a long breath.“And then, the Games happened. Suddenly, I realized how ill-equipped I was to deal with everything that was thrown at us…”Viktor trailed off, but then turned suddenly to his husband, giving him a small smile before continuing.“You were so patient with me…so much more patient than I probably would have been in your situation. It was a lot to handle, but I’m always so amazed and proud of what we navigated, together.”He watched as Yuuri smiled and opened his mouth to chime in.“I feel the same way, Vitya. We supported one another as best we could. Of course we made mistakes, but who wouldn’t have in our places?”His spouse’s Russian was lighter than air, and Viktor once again took pride in his diligence to keep up with it. Though Japan (and eventually, Hasetsu) would be their permanent home, Yuuri had been adamant that he didn’t want to forget all that he’d learned when they’d lived in St. Petersburg. Now, at least three times a week, they tried to speak to each other the majority of the day only in Russian, which Yurio joined them for. Viktor looked down at the notebook page he’d flipped to, noting the many words and phrases he had underlined.“When you made the decision to take a break and assess if you even wanted to continue competing, I know there were a lot of things the both of us had to weigh. In retrospect, we really needed that time for ourselves, especially so that I could get used to retirement. Sometimes I reminisce on that time and can’t even really believe how smoothly things went for us, with wedding planning, and a cross-country move. Maybe that’s where this all stems from, actually. Once we got to Fukuoka, I think I got a little too used to things going so well, so maybe I got arrogant. Is that the right word?”He frowned, wondering why it was so hard to articulate his frustrations with himself.“Everyone was so quick to welcome us as we adjusted to being at Papio, and I think I fell into that trap of becoming a “yes man”, just…wanting to prove that I could handle anything and everything people might throw at me. I know you’ll disagree when I say this, but I don’t think I thought carefully enough when the opportunity to coach Yurio came along,” he went on, lowering his voice.Yura was sitting far enough away, but still, Viktor didn’t want to take any chances when it came to being overheard. The last thing he wanted was for his student to overhear him and then misinterpret his words; his own lack of introspection was not Yura's responsibility.“Even with Taku’s help, I don’t know if I fully thought through all the implications of coaching two very different students with very different needs, while also trying to set up my own choreography “shop”, so to speak.”He trailed off, not sure if the obstructive fog in his head was clearing at all.“I just...feel like I set myself up to tread on shaky ground. It’s like I told Yurio earlier: I stretch myself too thin. And then the people around me have to suffer the consequences.”He watched as his love’s lips thinned a bit, no doubt disapproving of his blunt self-assessment. But Viktor knew he wasn’t just being overly critical of himself.This last season, especially, he had taken on too much – pure and simple. In addition to coaching and choreographing for both of his skaters amidst the breakneck pace of an Olympic year, he had agreed to curate a number of other programs, most notably a Free Skate for Seung-Gil, an exhibition skate for Mila, and a Short Program for Japanese Women’s Singles skater Higuchi Wakaba (another skater at Papio Ice Arena, and a close friend of Yurio and Izumi’s).Given each skater’s distinct skating style and tonal requests, putting each piece together had been equal parts exhilarating and exhausting. He felt particularly attached to Mila’s routine, remembering the devotion in his dear friend’s expression when she’d requested that he create a program worthy enough of a public proposal for Sara Crispino, her girlfriend of the past three years.Yuuri had outright sobbed when he’d skated the “rough draft” version for him, set to the Leon Bridges song ‘Beyond’. While his husband could usually be relied upon to give him at least two or three points of feedback (especially around the step sequences), he’d deemed it “perfect” as soon as the last notes of the tender melody had faded into the late evening quiet of Papio Ice Arena’s main training rink. The two Women’s Singles skaters had built an unwaveringly committed love on a foundation of deep friendship, and the Katsuki-Nikiforovs both dearly hoped that Mila would skate well enough to be invited to participate in the Olympic gala, and execute the grand gesture of Sara’s wildest dreams.“The truth is, Yusha, when it comes to you, I have never even tried to pretend I could be objective,” Viktor muttered, tearing his thoughts away from sappy, romantic skates to instead re-examine his recent carelessness. “If you’re worried about something, or I feel like I have good reason to worry about you, then everything else pretty much falls out the window.”He watched as Yuuri’s frown deepened, and wished he could tell what he was thinking.“And that’s not fair to you,” he continued, his voice hushed. “It’s not like you’ve asked me to do that, and for what it’s worth, I don’t do it because I think you’re weak, or incapable of handling things on your own,” he added, emphatically.Viktor knew that his love would give him the benefit of the doubt, but still, the sentiment merited explicit mention.“I realize maybe it’s a lot of pressure on you, but I just…don’t even realize that I’m doing it, sometimes. These past few months, it’s not only Yura or Izumi or Mila that have had to deal with my divided attention. I’ve slacked on other stuff too…our ethics reform work, SkateHusbands edits, workshop planning with T– ”He felt a hand gently cover his mouth.“Vitya,” Yuuri interjected, firmly, “I get it. As usual, I think you’re being too hard on yourself, but I get what you’re trying to say.”Though it felt practically involuntary at this point, Viktor managed to stop himself from sighing again before continuing on.“The thing with Yura is such a good encapsulation of it. With how scattered I’ve been, I didn’t make the connection that he might be grieving for Nikolai now more than ever. I bet that every time he even thought about talking it over with me, he stopped himself, wondering if I’d really be able to hear him in more than just a surface-level way. I don’t really know if I’ve ever gotten the hang of doing that for anyone other than you.”His spouse looked like he was going to protest this point, but he quickly raised a hand, signaling that he wasn’t quite done.“Anyways, I don’t fault Yurio for not approaching me, and I plan on making that very clear to him, if I didn’t earlier. If he didn’t feel like telling me or Taku would help the situation, that’s on us, not him. And anyways, this all boils down to a bigger root issue.”Viktor looked back down at his notebook where he’d bolded and underlined the word ‘avoidance’. He’d been working towards this very conclusion over the last few weeks with Pasha, but the exchange with Yura earlier had likely been the best possible confirmation for this “theory”. Though he’d managed to convince himself that he was merely trying to be the best coach, assistant coach, choreographer, partner, friend, etc. etc., all of his efforts the last few months to keep as busy as possible had been tied to distract himself from 1) his anguish over his fall-out with Yakov, and 2) his apprehension around what laid ahead for them in Beijing, the latter likely more than the former."Pasha helped me realize that staying so busy was really just an avoidance thing…both because of the stuff with Yakov, but also because I was pre-emptively trying to keep from fixating on the weeks ahead. I think, more than anything, I’m worried that once we get there, it’s going to be like a switch getting flipped. I can tell myself whatever I want, but it’s like we always say to each other…the body keeps the score, right?”His husband continued to rub his back, his eyes full of worry and empathy.“Four years ago, I became this suspicious, bitter, and frankly, smothering person…you and Chris and countless others have told me over and over again that, at the time, maybe that was who I felt I needed to be, given the circumstances. But I don’t want to remain stuck in the past, especially if that leads to you or Yura or anyone else I care about having to suffer because of it. A lot has changed in four years, but those in power in elite athletics and figure skating haven’t, and…I don’t know how to come to grips with that,” Viktor said, feeling slightly silly as his voice began to tremble.He swallowed, noisily.“As incredible a skater as you were back then, when I think about how far you’ve come, Yusha, I don’t even have words.”At this, Yuuri blushed a pretty pink.“You’ve worked so hard this last year getting ready for the Games. This is your final chance in competition to say everything you’d like to say, and I don’t want to let anything – including and especially me – ruin that for you. I’m just worried that my cynicism and overprotectiveness will turn me into someone that…”Trailing off, Viktor looked desperately into his spouse's eyes, wishing this were one of those times that he intuitively just knew what he was trying to say.“Into someone that, what, anata?” Yuuri prompted, softly. His words were unhurried, and it helped ease the constriction of his throat.“Into someone you find annoying…someone that you don’t like, that’s too much,” he finished, with his face downcast. He cringed a bit; he hadn’t managed to succeed to keep the wobble out of his voice.“Oh, honey-bear,” Yuuri whispered.It was the gentleness with which he uttered his favorite endearment that had Viktor feeling like he was fraying at the seams. Suddenly, he found himself too miserable to even fully register the sensation of being gathered up in his love's strong arms.It could have been seconds or minutes that he sat there, feeling wretched. At some point, it dawned on him that he was being swayed back and forth, Yuuri’s arms tight around his waist and the back of his neck. In this position, the side of his face rested against Yuuri's collarbone. After a solid minute of deep breaths in and out, Viktor pressed a kiss to it, signaling that he was somewhat back in control of his emotions.“I’m here, Vitya,” his husband began, gently tipping his face up.Despite the soft touch, his expression was unflinching and his jaw was set in determination. It was the same face he’d worn in the off-season, when he’d told Viktor that he wanted to be the world’s first figure skater to land a perfectly clean, 5-quad Free Skate program. Back during the PyeongChang Games, he himself had been the first to perform the first perfectly clean 4-quad program (with Yuuri following only minutes later), and if there was anyone that he knew that had the tenacity and talent to accomplish this new feat, it was his Yusha.“First off, baby, there’s no reward for being likable all the time,” his love went on, with the tiniest hint of a smile. “I’m definitely not likable all the time and yet, you accept me, and celebrate me as I am, anyway. And I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make me not do the same for you.”Yuuri’s smile widened, and Viktor, as always, found himself drawn to the warmth of it. Something in him seemed to settle.“Even if you’re singing MUNA28 songs in the completely wrong key, or as you’re cheating me for the Longest Road in Catan, or when you get super mad at me for not taking care of my feet,” he added, with a hint of laughter in his voice.He pouted a bit in response.“Don’t be a meanie, Yuranya. When I win Catan, it’s always fair and square,” he sniffed.“Hmm…I think we should ask Yura, Izumi and Niko what they think about that statement,” his spouse teased.There were a few moments of giggles between them before he resumed speaking.“As for not being able to let go of what happened…it’s just not that easy, anata. We did everything right after PyeongChang. We did so much therapy, so much organizing and advocacy to speak out…so much of skating our feelings out. Maybe a little too much of that last one, if I’m being honest,” Yuuri went on, with a slightly pained smile.Viktor returned it, knowing exactly what he was getting at. Taking to the ice to process complicated feelings and situations had always come so easily to the two of them, but there were many downsides to this as a coping mechanism, especially when skating had served as a stark reminder of the events of the last Olympic Games, becoming its own source of pain.A comfortable silence enveloped them for a few moments before Yuuri began speaking again.“The fact of the matter is: we’re going to be right back in that pressure-cooker environment, and no matter how much internal work we’ve done, there’s no telling what we’ll find triggering. What we went through was traumatic, my love. More so for you than me, as much as some people try to argue differently,” he said, his eyes boring into Viktor’s own.When his husband looked at him like this, it always made something inside of him stir. It was the best kind of vulnerability, to be looked at so intently.“Whoever has made you feel like you have to shut the door on the past has no idea of how human complexity and emotions work. I trust that you’d tell me if so, but I hope I’ve never made you feel that way,” he went on, worriedly, his brow furrowing.Viktor was quick to shake his head, pressing a gentle finger to smooth out the wrinkles on the other man’s forehead.Yuuri gave a relieved sigh and was quiet for a moment.“As for being overprotective, it makes sense that you would behave that way, and, honestly? You know how hot I find that side of you,” he said, smirking, his eyes flashing a bit.Viktor was suddenly more aware than ever of how close their faces were to one another. That smirk could set entire forests on fire.“And you’re right…things have changed a lot over the last four years in some respects, while remaining frustratingly the same in others,” his love went on, his tone having changed. It was now achingly soft.“That’s why I’m so in awe of how far we’ve come together. What we went through last time around, there was no guidebook for us to figure out the aftermath. We had to stumble our way through it, and it’s like you said earlier: I had to be patient with you, and you had to be patient with me.”Yuuri squeezed his hand, his chestnut eyes glinting beautifully. “So we’ll just keep cherishing and being patient with one another when we get to Beijing, and every day after, ok?”Viktor’s chest suddenly felt tight upon hearing these words, that warmth from before having returned with a vengeance.“I love you,” he responded fiercely, his hands reaching for his jaw. “I love you so much, anata.”“本当に大好きだよ29, Viten’ka,” his spouse replied, the words sounding especially beautiful in his native Japanese. He placed his hands over Viktor’s own where they held to his jawbone. “Thank you for trusting me.”The hug they shared felt like pure catharsis, and though they were once more entangled firmly together, there was something completely freeing about the hold they had on each other. He felt extraordinarily safe and secure, tucked in Yuuri’s arms. He heard him laugh against his shoulder, and the sound made him grin from his own spot nestled into the side of his neck.“What is it, my cute little katsudon?” he asked, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice.“Oh, you know…just wondering how many more emotional revelations we’ll have before we get to Beijing,” his husband joked, switching back to English. “Do you think we should start a tally?”Viktor laughed, the sound bubbling up from his throat instinctually. He already knew for a fact that they’d both likely tear up at some point during their Tokyo layover, if everything in Phichit and Seung-Gil’s morning appointment went according to plan.“Oh, we are both definitely crying at least once more before then,” he said, assuredly, breaking slightly from Yuuri’s hold and moving to fix his lopsided glasses.He quirked a smile in response, raising his eyebrows slightly. “You sound extremely sure of yourself, Лучик30,” he replied. “Something I should know about?”Viktor adopted his favorite pose, tapping his lips in mock thought. “Well, I seem to recall that two very good friends of ours may be sending us some photos at some point today. Photos that we made one of them swear not to post to social media, by threat of permanent phone revocation,” he said, smiling broadly.Yuuri looked confused for a second, but then his entire face lit up.“Oh my god!!!” he whisper-shouted. “I forgot that was today!”He then proceeded to sit back in his seat, looking slightly awed. Suddenly, he turned his head sharply to the window, even though nothing in the outside view had changed even remotely in the last three seconds.Viktor couldn’t help how gleeful his next words sounded; his Yusha was so cute.“Awwww, Yuranya,” he cooed, burying his nose in his hair. “You’re tearing up already, aren’t you?“Ugh, I’m amazed my tear ducts still function at this point,” Yuuri grumbled, wiping at his eyes. “But…I can’t help it! You can’t even try to pretend that Seung-Gil “I Used To Have Only One Facial Expression” Lee gushing about his wedding outfit isn’t one of the most heartwarming things you’ve ever experienced,” he said, eyeing him imploringly.Viktor smiled; it was true.Seung-Gil's enthusiasm around his and Phichit’s coming wedding gave him the warm fuzzies.Though some in the figure skating community couldn’t make sense of the seemingly at-odds couple, the compatibility between Phichit and Seung-Gil was obvious to him and Yuuri. To put it simply, they were their best selves with one another. Seung-Gil freely admitted that before his friendship and romantic relationship with Phichit, his life had been very one-note. With the exception of his dog, Gwihan, he had set up his life to focus entirely on skating, leaving no room in his heart for any kind of relationship or ‘distractions’: a stance his ex-coach had been adamant about. The way Seung-Gil talked about his past resonated painfully with Viktor’s own.Then, the 2018 Winter Olympics had happened.Perhaps more so than any of the rest of them, the Korean skater had been heavily impacted by the events in Pyeongchang. Afterwards, Phichit had been one of the only Men’s Singles competitors to reach out to him to offer sympathy and validation. In the aftermath of the Games, Seung-Gil had been very vocally supportive of Yuuri and Viktor (often to his own detriment), which served as a big contributing factor to his gradual friendship with Phichit.What began as a tenuous connection forged through grim circumstances expanded to something more for the Korean and Thai skaters: weekly Skype sessions where they’d coo over each others’ pets (Phichit’s three hamsters, and Seung-Gil’s husky, Gwihan), talk about all the food they craved that didn’t fit into their training diets, and share funny stories about the ridiculous things tourists would do when they came to visit their native countries. Realizing that he had to create room in his life for things other than skating allowed Seung-Gil to open up and express his true personality in a way he’d never allowed himself to before.Things came to a head during the 2019 off-season, when they all gathered in Hasetsu in April for the Katsuki-Nikiforov wedding celebrations, followed almost immediately after by Viktor’s first (now, annual) ice show31. Phichit had been overcome with jealousy when he’d seen Seung-Gil drunkenly make out with Nishigori Takeshi the night prior, and the two had had an emotional confrontation just an hour before the show was due to start. Phichit’s heat-of-the-moment love confession finally broke through to the more reserved Seung-Gil, and after his own stupefied confession, they decided to give long-distance dating a shot. Even with all the Chihoko drama, Viktor always maintained that if it hadn’t been for that ice show, that Phichit and Seung-Gil might never have gotten together; truthfully, they were all just lucky that next to Yuuri, Seung-Gil managed to be the most unpredictably chaotic drunk of them all.His husband’s voice called him back to the present. “So, tell me, Vitya: what do you think the odds are of Phichit convincing Seung-Gil to show him his final Jeogori32 selection after all?”“I’d say the odds are twenty percent,” Viktor replied, with a smirk.While the generally low-key Seung-Gil approached the planning of their Thai-Korean wedding with very few hard-and-fast rules, this was one area he had put his foot down: they could give each other a general idea as well as hints of what they’d be wearing, but they would absolutely not be allowed to see each other until the day of the ceremony, which would be held in Taipei City, Taiwan in late April. When the two had first started dating, they were long distance for just over a year before Seung-Gil made the move to Bangkok, which was now their permanent home together. During that first year, they spent quite a lot of time in Taiwan together, as it was a good half-way point between Seoul and Bangkok. As such, they often mentioned it was the city they’d fallen in love in, and it seemed fitting that they’d get married on the very beach where they’d spent so many of those first romantic dates.“You’re probably right, Милашка33,” Yuuri said, smiling. “Honestly, I think it’s crazy that they thought they should cram full days of wedding preparation in right before traveling to Beijing. I hope Phichit doesn’t suffer some kind of breakdown,” he added, quietly.“I was actually thinking about that,” Viktor replied. “I think Phichit’s packed itinerary was a far more deliberate choice than anyone realized. After all, if they’re too busy running around between florists and cake tastings, that means Seung-Gil is probably too preoccupied to dwell on everything that happened last time around, or get nervous for his skating.”His husband’s brow furrowed and he seemed lost in thought for a moment.“I didn’t even think of it like that,” he murmured. “Here I was, just thinking this was Phichit being Phichit, too hyper to slow down. But I think you’re absolutely right. He’s definitely mentioned it to me, wanting to keep Seung-Gil distracted and happy. I think he knows that these next few weeks will be tough for him, regardless of what happens.”Viktor sighed. Poor Seung-Gil. Speaking of not being able to shut the door on the past…—--------------------------------

End of Chapter 3

Up next: In Chapter 4, the details around what happened during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics are (finally!) revealed. We flash-back to: 1) a younger Seung-Gil around the time that Pyeongchang is announced as the host city of the 2018 Olympic Games, and 2) the press conference held immediately after the Men’s Singles Free Skate during the Games. Part 1 is from Seung-Gil’s POV, and part 2 is from Yakov’s POV
Footnotes:1. Japanese swear word, translating to “damn!” (as an expression of frustration) Back2. Romanized version of a Russian term of endearment, translating to “my gold/my precious”. This particular endearment is gender-neutral (though, to be honest, these two don’t really care much for strict gender delineations, so they play a bit fast and loose with use of endearments) Back3. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment for a loved one (this version is gendered as male), meaning “my darling”; latinized, this is ‘miliy moy’ Back4. Host city for the 2021 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which Yuuri won, clinching his third Grand Prix title Back5. Kanji is one of the three writing systems for the Japanese language. It includes thousands of symbols which came to Japan from China. The symbols represent ideas rather than pronunciation. The other two Japanese alphabets, hiragana, and katakana, express Japanese syllables phonetically. Collectively, these writing/language syllabaries make up kana Back6. Gender-neutral Japanese way of saying “honey”, borrowed from English and written as ハニー Back7. Fluff alert: this essentially translates in Russian to “I know what love is because of you” Back8. And an equally sappy response, this translates to “I can’t live without you” Back9. This is sort of the equivalent expression to “fuck, yeah!” and basically a way to convey exuberance/relief in Japanese Back10. Any other lovers of the 2006 sci-fi movie Paprika? Given the main character’s job as a psychotherapist, I immediately thought of Dr. Atsuko Chiba to base Suko (Yuuri’s therapist) off of. Also, wanted to note that the time for the phone is supposed to say 7:52, not 7:22 Back11. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment that translates to “sweetie”; technically this is a female-gendered endearment, but as I noted in other footnotes, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs don’t really care that much about honoring traditional gender conventions in their use of pet names, especially given Viktor's gender fluidity Back12. Informal Japanese/slang, usually used as a way of asking “right?” or “isn’t it true?” Back13. Kanashii-desu is a Japanese expression for “I’m feeling sad.” This is meant to convey strong emotion but in this case, Viktor is merely joking (and craving some very indulgent comfort from his husband lol) Back14. Russian term of endearment, translating to “baby” Back15. Edo Ko-Ji is Haneda Airport Terminal 3’s spacious food market, with ramen, sushi, soba etc. options. Back16. This is the equivalent of drawing a heart or using a heart emoji, as this symbol (Kokoro) is meant to denote the idea of emotion Back17. Kanji for ‘ear’ Back18. Kanji for ‘correct’ Back19. Kanji for ‘to admire’ or ‘to cherish’. Yuuri joking about Viktor writing about cherishing the dogs is due to the fact that writing the kanji for talking about love for beloved pets/fondness for dogs uses some of the same characters Back20. Kanji for ‘handsome’ Back21. Kanji for ‘question’, or ‘to ask’ Back22. Kanji for follow-up question. In this context, Viktor is basically indicating, “follow-up question: what’s your question?” Back23. Norman Jean Roy: Here is Roy’s official website; his work has appeared on covers of Vanity Fair, Allure, and Harper’s Bazaar Back24. Japanese term of endearment typically used by wives for their husbands; this endearment is a bit old-fashioned, but I figure Viktor would have found it cute Back25. Here, Viktor is calling Yuuri “my little cutlet”. ‘My cutlet’ is моя котлета, while ‘little’ in a softer/cuter way than usual is маленький. This would be pronounced ‘moya kotleta malien’kij. This is a female-gendered endearment, but as I’ve already noted, they don’t really care to play by the rules lol Back26. I don’t get any kind of commission from recommending this book, I am just extremely passionate about it, b/c I found it to be life-changing. Dr. LePera is a clinical psychologist and runs an excellent Instagram account (@the.holistic.psychologist) where she posts regularly about healing, emotional regulation, the manifestation of trauma in relationships, etc. Back27. Also known as omusubi (お結び), onigiri are Japanese rice balls, made by compressing steamed rice into cylindrical shapes. They usually come wrapped in nori (seaweed) Back28. Any other MUNA fans out there? I finally got to see them live this past year and it was life-changing lol. I feel like Viktor and Yuuri would be huge fans of these cute queer gals Back29. This translates to “I really love you” or “Truly, I love you”. I headcanon that when Viktor first began studying Japanese seriously, one major area of learning for him was developing his understanding of the more reserved nature of Japanese when it comes to expressing feeling, as compared to Russian. He was shocked to learn that even amongst long-term committed and married couples, “I love you” is rarely said. Though he respects this, he had made it clear to Yuuri early on that not being able to verbalize his love for him would quite possibly kill him. Yuuri made it clear that as long as the two of them didn’t get too dramatic in public, they could be as expressive as they wanted. LOL. Back30. Russian term of endearment for a loved one (gendered male), pronounced luchik, translating to “sunbeam” or “sunray” Back31. I did not get to watch Yuri!!! On Stage when it first debuted, but through the generosity of fans that have done translations online, I’m aware of the general events. If anyone knows the exact year these events took place, please let me know. If you’re not familiar with the ‘Chihoko’ jealousy/Seung-Gil and Takeshi make-out session, add it to your reading list…it’s pretty entertaining Back32. A jeogori is a jacket that is part of traditional Korean matrimonial dress, and can be worn by either men or women. Back33. Russian term of endearment used for a male, pronounced milashka, and basically translates to ‘cutie’ Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Seung-Gil
Forest Breath, Apgujeong (Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea) - July 2011
Seung-Gil huffed from where he was sprawled out on his picnic blanket, trying his best to look stern. Unfortunately, he doubted he was coming off that way due to his bungeoppang1 -stuffed cheeks: the current reason for his dog’s whining.Though he was normally quite weak when it came to his husky, the newly turned 15-year-old skater found himself unable to muster much sympathy for her pleading. Just before making their way to Forest Breath’s pet playground, Seung-Gil had fed his beloved Gwihan a rather lavish lunch of sauteed pork belly, so consumed with cooking the meat perfectly that he’d forgotten to feed himself. At her last vet appointment, he had endured a lengthy admonishment from Dr. Lim around her excessive sweets consumption, and had walked away – his princess in tow, scarfing down the home-made peanut butter treats he had made for her if she kept her zoomies to a minimum during the visit – vowing to do better with her diet.“Don’t cave now,” he told himself, firmly, feeling his resolve flicker as Gwihan rose up to put both paws on his bulbous cheeks.Looking away from her soulful eyes, he swallowed down the warm red bean filling, and reached for one of the many chew toys he’d brought to toss around. As he flung the rubber squirrel with all of his might towards the top of the grassy knoll just abutting the playground, he laughed at how quickly her attention was diverted. Barking ebulliently, the husky launched herself from his lap, tearing after the squirrel as if it would personally serve her a whole platter of bungeoppang.While he waited for her to retrieve the toy, he glanced around, a bit surprised that aside from himself and his parents, there didn’t seem to be many people around. Given the multitude of activities offered, including the opportunity to watch movies, hike along nature trails, and people-watch at the cafe, Forest Breath was an ideal summer spot for those out of school and looking for a nice summer lounging area in Seoul. He supposed he was grateful for the quiet though, as it allowed him to be less on-guard than usual.As one of Korea’s top skaters in the Junior division, Lee Seung-Gil really had no choice but to eat, breathe, and sleep figure skating, even during the off-season. The intensity of his training and competition schedule didn’t allow for much latitude when it came to other areas of his life, and though one could argue that being a top athlete might make it easier for one to make friends at school, Seung-Gil had found the opposite to be true. Ever since he’d first realized his penchant for competitive skating at the Novice level, he had felt isolated from his peers. The sheer amount of time that his training demanded meant that he generally wasn’t able to participate in the usual kinds of activities that middle schoolers (and now, high schoolers) engaged in. Even aside from his time constraints, he had been told repeatedly by the adults in his life that his reserved personality and intense attitude towards anything other than skating would be a hindrance for his growth and development.After a rather somber parent-teacher conference back in middle school, his parents had tried to to be more hands-on in getting him to be more well-rounded, threatening to stop paying for his coaching fees unless he’d start meeting weekly with the school principal to come up with a plan to take on at least one school-based extracurricular activity. It didn’t take too long for them to realize that these meetings – painful for both taciturn parties – was doing nothing to cultivate his interests outside of figure skating.Ultimately, they’d given up on being concerned once he’d fixated a year ago on getting a dog. Aside from his bronze placement at last year’s Junior Grand Prix Final in Beijing, the day he’d been able to bring his husky puppy home from the shelter had been the happiest day of his life. Though he could never bring himself to laugh when his classmates pulled idiotic pranks in homeroom, just one look at Gwihan when she was chasing her tail could bring him to tears, clutching at his sides mid-gigge fit. She was his best friend, and he felt far closer to her than his parents, or even his older brother, who he got on fairly well with. She kept all his secrets, the most recent being his mortifying crush on his rinkmate, Ga-eul, who would be making his senior debut this coming season.As he contented himself with last week’s memories of watching (half amorously, half enviously) as Ga-eul had pieced together his Free Program, the blare of his ringtone cut through his thoughts. He sighed as his coach’s name popped up on the screen, wondering at the indignity of her trying to get ahold of him on an off-day; it was stressful enough talking with her under normal circumstances, but for the last month, she’d implemented an “English only” rule during their communication with one another, bluntly telling him that he needed to improve his language skills if he ever had hopes of representing Korea on an international scale. Knowing that he was likely in for a very long and convoluted stream of texts if he didn’t speak to her directly, he moved to accept the call. His spirits lifted slightly at the immense quantity of drool glancing off of the squirrel now firmly clasped in Gwihan’s jaw.“Hello, Coach Park,” he began, politely.“Did you hear?” came Min-So’s breathy voice, sounding nothing like its usual stern intonation.“Uhhh…no?” he responded slowly.He’d be participating in a Seoul-based charity ice show with several other Junior-level skaters next week, and guessed that this might be the subject of her inquiry.His coach clucked disapprovingly, and he rolled his eyes, noting her return to form.“Honestly, Seung-Gil, I sometimes wonder if you’re even a teenager at all. If you had a Twitter you’d definitely know what I was talking about!”Now definitely annoyed, he reached out to stroke the top of Gwihan’s furry head, feeling something in him settle as she dropped her drool-covered squirrel, and began to lick at his fingers.“I believe I’ve already told you, Coach Park,” he began, grumpily, not quite caring how rude he sounded. “Twitter would just be another distraction from skating, and you’re the one always telling me I need to ‘get serious’ about my career. Anyways, I’m dying of suspense over here…care to fill me in?”He’d probably pay for that bit of dry cheek in practice tomorrow morning, but he just couldn’t help himself; it was his off-day, and he wanted to enjoy the quietude of nature and the silliness of his dog, not have cryptic conversations with his coach. He was coming up on two years under her instruction, and though she had greatly improved certain technical aspects of his skating, he found her personality to be quite grating at times.“The 2018 Games, Seung-Gil!” Min-So crowed, evidently too excited to scold him for his sass. “We’re the host! Well, Pyeongchang is the host, it was just announced! By then you’ll be several years into your Seniors career, so a strong showing to make your countrymen proud – that’s what we’ll aim for!”Her jubilant words fizzed through him, and then sat like lead in his stomach, heavy and unmoving.2018? That was seven years away!Who even knew if they’d still be working together by then? Any number of things could happen in the interim – an injury, his retirement in pursuit of college...there was still the 2014 Winter Olympics to get through first, for God’s sakes.There was a very slim chance of him getting chosen by the Korea Skating Union (KSU) to compete in Sochi (if anything, he’d be an alternate), but a number of his rinkmates were expected to get placements in the pairs and ice dance categories. Surely those are the people Min-So should be focusing on? He knew that a huge part of his coach’s enthusiasm came from her own vicarious projections onto her students; she herself had retired from Women’s Singles skating before ever getting a chance to represent Korea at a Winter Olympics, and it was hard not to notice her (at times, off-putting) zeal when it came to talking about the global stage of competition.Feeling wrong-footed, Seung-Gil tried to come up with the best combination of words that would express his confusion with only a minimally grousing tone. He ventured that "what the fuck?" might not be received well.“Um, Coach Park…that’s great news,” he began, cautiously. “Very exciting. But, isn’t it too early – like, way too early – to be thinking about the Olympics? I haven’t even made my Senior debut yet, and there’s still an entire Winter Games cycle before all that.”Gwihan seemed to approve of this tactful start, moving from his fingers to snuffle around his bare, bandaged feet. He suppressed a giggle, and reached for another chew toy, this time, a cartoon animated stalk of broccoli. This was a new toy, purchased with Dr. Lim’s disapproving words ringing through his mind. He figured if he could get Gwihan to associate vegetables with fetch, there might be a 1 in 5 chance that she might actually put something in her mouth other than sweets.Moving the phone away from his mouth, he flung the absurdly cheerful broccoli-face in the opposite direction of the hill, towards the lotus pond behind him.As his dog shot off with a crack, he sighed, thinking his life would be a lot less complicated if he was a cute, mischievous husky rather than a socially-awkward, closeted teenager.“Hello? Are you listening to me, Seung-Gil?” came his coach’s irritated voice.With a start, he realized he’d been paying more attention to Gwihan’s adorable bumbling than the phone still at his ear.“Ah, I’m sorry, Coach, you’ll have to repeat yourself. I’m having a hard time hearing you.”“Of course you are,” Min-So said, dryly. It was easy to picture her rolling her eyes.“I was saying that seven years goes by faster than you think. The KSU will be looking to its top Junior skaters for Olympic placement prospects well in advance of PyeongChang, so realistically, we’re actually looking at more like five years for you to really make your mark. Your triples are coming along well, but where you’ll really need to shine these next few years are quads.”At his silence, she carried on, seemingly unaware of the internal crisis she had catalyzed.“I know you’re probably tired of hearing me say it, but you need to study your future competitors way more closely than you’ve been doing. Viktor Nikiforov’s programs in Vancouver last year made a lot of buzz given how jump-forward they were, and the Russian skating federation is already talking about him being the gold medal prospect for 2014 and 2018, if they have any say in the matter.”Here, she snorted derisively, and he wondered at her open disdain for Russian figure skating; she didn’t like to talk about her past, but somewhere along the way, Seung-Gil surmised she had personally been wronged by its federation officials.“I’m sure you remember World’s two years ago as much as I do; since Nikiforov has commandeered the quad flip, that’s out. I say we do some really, really diligent work around your triple loop this season and next, and aim for you to have the quad down eventually. You’ll need to find a way to stand out against competitors like Nikiforov, and that goes for more than just your performances on ice. It’s clear that he’s had media training, so I’ll go ahead and speak to your parents about…”As her voice droned on, lamenting all the ways in which Seung-Gil failed to live up to the intense media standards of elite athletics, his mind stuttered, overwhelmed at the urgency Min-So was displaying around an event that was still seven years away…that was just shy of half his lifetime!Already, he sometimes felt like he was suffocating under the pressure, as if the only moments when he could truly be a normal teenager, doing normal teenager activities always came with an asterisk. As in, sure Seung-Gil, you can go ahead and play video games for the afternoon, but just remember: Viktor Nikiforov probably isn’t wasting time like this. And ultimately, that foolish excursion might cost you a gold medal, if not in one or two years, then definitely in seven years. Do you really want to waste the day in front of the tv if it means that Viktor Nikiforov will get gold in Pyeongchang instead of you?He sighed, feeling a headache coming on. Pinching at the bridge of his nose, he listened for a natural lull in his coach’s monologue, desperate to cut her off so he could get back to Gwihan.At least the stuff about jumps was training-related, things that he knew he’d have to grapple with sooner rather than later. But whenever Min-So brought up the KSU or things strictly outside the realm of training, a queasiness rose up inside of him that was hard to squelch. Young and inexperienced as he might be, he wasn’t stupid. He knew that his role as an athlete wasn’t strictly limited to the ice rink, but still: outside the confines of his athletic prowess was a minefield of internal politics that he had no idea how to navigate. Moreover, he was realizing that his coach wasn’t the kind of person who had the patience to guide him through it.“Coach Park!” he suddenly interjected, unable to wait for the pause he had been hoping would naturally crop up.“Ah, so you are there! I was beginning to think you had stopped listening to me again,” she responded, with a hollow chuckle.“Still listening,” he said, shortly. “But today is my off-day, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to wait until practice tomorrow to talk about all of this. I promise that I’ll be in a better head-space to listen and respond then, but for now, I just want to enjoy my time with my dog.”Without waiting for her to respond that she did, in fact, mind, he hung up, only feeling slightly guilty for his abrupt exit. After all, Min-So barely seemed to care about his feelings, so why should he care about hers?No, Seung-Gil had to care about himself, because, as he was quickly realizing…if he didn’t, very few others would.Yakov
Press Conference room, PyeongChang post-Free Skate media junket for Men’s Singles Division, Gangneung Ice Arena (Gangneung, South Korea) - February 16, 2018
Yakov Feltsman would be the first to admit that he had a tendency to overuse the term ‘clusterfuck’.It left his mouth at least ten times a week, but he figured that he’d earned the right given his 40+ year coaching career in the elite field of competitive figure skating. He’d also practically raised Viktor Nikiforov, which would explain the increased use of the term in the last two decades, closer to twenty times per week.As he surveyed the scene in front of him, just minutes before the PyeongChang Olympics post-Free Skate press junket was due to begin, he had never found the descriptor more appropriate. Over the course of the last two hours, Yakov had observed a spate of events that even his four decades of coaching had not prepared him to navigate.He shifted his weight between both of his aching legs for a bit, before feeling a substantial weight clap down on his right shoulder.“There you are, Yasha2! For such a small room, you would think you and Vitya would be easier to find. Hopefully you're not avoiding me...if I had thinner skin my feelings would be hurt."Tensing slightly, his eyes landed on the most unwelcome sight of Alexander Zhukov, laughing in a manner that most would agree could chill the air around him by several degrees.It was true, he had been avoiding the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)3, already having endured a harsh diatribe from Aleksandr Gorshkov4 – President of the FFKKR – just twenty minutes ago. While Yakov had several years of practice dealing with the latter man (after all, they were the same age, and Gorshkov had been a highly successful Pairs skater during his own Singles skating career), he’d only had a handful of experiences with the former. Even so, each of their interactions had left him feeling rattled for days afterwards.A sour taste bloomed in his mouth as he recalled his and Zhukov’s last conversation, just after December’s Grand Prix Final. Gorshkov had rung him as per their previously scheduled phone call, launching into a highly insincere show of interest in his holiday plans. After he managed to circumvent the meaningless tangent, Gorshkov abruptly notified him that Zhukov would be joining them shortly, and then stuttered an apology about having sworn he’d mentioned the latter would be “dropping by his office”.Almost immediately after Zhukov had made his entrance, the greasy-haired kozyol5 had prattled on about how Yakov seemed to be losing his touch, considering Viktor’s silver medal finish. Never mind the fact that Vitya had achieved a new personal best for the season, or that his PCS marks were higher than they’d ever been prior to his break to coach his fiance.Though he himself had been furious when his long-time student had absconded to Japan, there was no denying that his time away – and his reordered list of priorities – had imbued his skating, as well as his entire demeanor with an authenticity that had been lacking for the last few years. But both Zhukov and Gorshkov were by-the-book leaders: from their standpoint, nervous sponsors and “forfeited” gold medal prospects took priority over the career longevity and personal happiness of the federation’s star athlete.“God forbid Russia lets its prize-horse get used to silver,” he’d fumed to himself after the call.While there were few things that he and his melodramatic student had in common, a strong disdain for the internal political bullshit of their chosen field was top of the list. Even now, out of the corner of his eye, Yakov saw the way Vitya’s gaze had sharpened, seeing the two of them standing so close together. He had a strong urge to shake off the sinister grip on his shoulder, but then thought better of himself. As unobtrusively as possible, he took a half-step back, and kept his body language as closed-off as possible.“Yes, well, it’s been a taxing evening, Alexander. I’m certainly not up to speed on how to handle score tampering…it seems as if the ROC forgot to cover ethics violations in the many prep calls over the last year. Very interesting, considering that I had no less than 4 separate calls around sponsorship cultivation.”Ha! That’s right, mudak 6, he thought victoriously, seeing how Zhukov’s smile fractionally tightened at his words.“Yasha, please,” he responded, eyes glinting dangerously, “let’s be more careful in our phrasing, shall we? ‘Alleged’ score tampering…and that’s just from what a few nobodies are whispering, who even knows what’s truly going on? Besides, why should the Committee waste precious time covering something that so rarely happens? These things are so hard to prove, you know that as well as I do.”An expectant silence followed his words, but Yakov had no intention of breaking it. It seemed that Zhukov could not be bothered about all the many things he was leaving unsaid, because after about twenty seconds of tense quiet, he went on.“Speaking of which…I do wish you would have consulted with me before approaching the Commission7 to file a claim. Makes us look quite disorganized, doesn’t it?”While he knew what Zhukov was getting at, that didn’t mean he would make it any easier for the slimeball. Feigning a puzzled expression, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, and tilted his head, much like Vitya and Yusha’s poodles did when he spoke to them.“I’m sorry,” he began, sure he had never sounded less sorry in his life, “I’m not quite sure what you mean, Alexander.”At his mock-puzzlement, the man’s shark-like smile disappeared, his patience seemingly having run out.“Well, it’s quite odd, isn’t it? You supporting Vitya in raising allegations without even cross-referencing with your federation or National Olympic Committee leadership? Typically, a united front is best in these kinds of situations. It makes things…easier down the road. We can’t think so short-term can we? After all, I believe Vitya intends to compete at World’s next month…or am I mistaken?” he finished, practically sneering.
Ah.
So, Zhukov was not above veiled threats. None of these cartoonishly villainous Russian bureaucrats were, apparently.“That’s right,” Yakov answered back, coolly. “It’ll be the last skate of his career before retirement. Just one more opportunity for his legions of fans – ”, here, he made sure to emphasize the words, not missing the way Zhukov’s eyes narrowed as he did, “ – to see him compete. I can’t even imagine what he’ll say during his last press junket. Those words will certainly carry weight, won’t they?”Though he would have loved to revel in gaining the upper hand of the conversation, Yakov’s would-be gloating was interrupted by a sudden shock of red invading his field of vision.“Excuse me, Coach, sorry for interrupting, but they need you to take your seat,” came Milasha’s strained voice. She wasn’t even bothering to acknowledge Zhukov, and he felt a spike of pride at her insolence.Without another glance at his loathsome conversation partner, he breathed a sigh of thanks and began following her to the front of Gangneung Ice Arena’s spacious conference room. At their passing, a few intrepid reporters from Yonhap News Agency stepped forward, presumably to press him for an initial comment. His glower seemed to speak for itself, because they visibly recoiled. Making their way over to the long table and chairs slightly offset from the speaking podium, he noticed that almost everyone had already taken their seats.International Skating Union (ISU)8 President Jan Dijkema was conversing with ISU Figure Skating Vice President Alexander Lakernik behind the podium, looking extremely frazzled while jotting things down on a notepad. Yakov had met both men on several occasions and didn’t envy either at the moment. Seated closest to the podium on the table’s far left sat a man he didn’t recognize: Kim Jae-Youl, according to the nameplate. He could see from the title line that he was President of the Korea Skating Union (KSU). Completely oblivious to the goings-on around him, Kim was immersed in a whispered conversation with 21-year-old skater Lee Seung-Gil, who was seated at his left-hand side.Yakov was used to Lee’s presence at Grand Prix circuit competitions, and noted that this was the first time he could remember seeing anything other than impassiveness on the young man’s face. While he had the strange impulse to advise him to go to the bathroom and wipe off his tear-streaked foundation, he didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his federation representative or coach, Park Min-So (who he spied sitting on his other side).Though the seat next to Lee’s coach was empty, he could see from the nameplate that it was reserved for a Mr. Lee Kee-heung, President of the Korean Olympic Committee. Yakov grimaced, sure that the man was caught up in a public relations nightmare, given the circumstances. As the host committee for the Games, this kind of aberration was the type of thing that typically plagued Olympic Committee member nations for years.Ishizaki Seiko – President of the Japan Skating Federation (JSF) – was seated next down the line. Yakov had had several conversations with her since Yusha first came to train at Yubileyny, the most notable being after they found out that Vitya would not be allowed to act as his fiance’s coach during the Games. Alongside her, he, Sava9, Vitya, and, of course Yuuri himself, had led the search for an appropriate replacement coach. They'd ultimately landed on Ianna Perez, at the suggestion of Celestino Cialdini.Ishizaki was presently turned around in her seat, chatting with Takeda Tsunekazu, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). The younger Japanese man, while very polite, had an extremely commanding presence. Just before the Short Program three days ago, Takeda had personally thanked him for the support he’d given Yusha in advocating for his being allowed10 to train for the Games at Yubileyny.While Yakov had been surprised at his formal way of speaking, it had been a pleasant conversation. In any event, Takeda was a much more appealing person to talk to than Zhukov. Glancing back, he spotted the latter now in heated conversation with Igor Zhizhikin, coach to Ivan Kuznetsov, the ROC’s third pick for the Games. He grimaced, glad he was out of ear-shot of the dressing-down Zhizhikin was likely being treated to, given Kuznetsov’s performance earlier.Redirecting his attention to the front, he tried to catch Ianna’s eye. She was sitting next to Yuuri, on Ishizaki’s other side. He felt a pang of sympathy for her, as he was certain that this was not what she’d signed up for when the JSF had drafted up her contract. He had grown quite fond of Ianna, who somehow had the knack for getting along with the likes of Yusha, Vitya, and Yura simultaneously, and he quite envied her fluid ability to adjust according to each skater’s varying personality. It was something he, himself had never quite managed to get the hang of.The two of them had been speaking frequently with one another the last two hours, having been added to a texting group chat with some of the other Men’s Singles Division coaches, including Cialdini, Josef Karpisek, Park Min-So, Alain and Nathalie Leroy, and, of course, Vitya. Yakov had been impressed that Viktor had had the presence of mind to organize the group amidst the madness immediately following Yuuri’s Free Skate, which had been the last skate of the competition, directly after Leroy’s.It was through this chat that they all discovered that each coach had independently arrived at the need to file an ethics complaint with Volker Waldeck, chair of the ISU’s Disciplinary Commission. Though Viktor, understandably, had wanted to file on behalf of his fiance as soon as they’d received Yusha’s scores in the Kiss and Cry, Ianna ultimately had to represent the pair, according to the IOC’s regulations. He and Viktor had ended up filing two claims of their own directly afterwards.Yakov sighed again, remembering the drawn faces all around as a seemingly never-ending line of coaches, skaters, and arena staff had approached the ISU Secretariat table (located next to the judging/technical panel). During his annual ISU regulatory overview back in January, Yakov had, admittedly, let his mind wander. He deeply regretted that now, as he knew that updated Disciplinary Commission procedures since the last Games had been covered. Of course, he never would have anticipated actually needing to approach the Commission…something every coach dreaded.Now having taken his seat next to Vitya, who was seated on Yuuri’s left, he glanced over, curious as to how the couple was holding up. Yusha had his face buried in his fiance’s neck, and didn’t seem to be aware of Ianna’s hand on his shoulder. Vitya, in turn, had looped both of his arms around Yuuri's waist, and was resting his chin atop his head; the two seemed to have melted into one another. He might normally scoff at such a display, but given the circumstances, Yakov felt an embrace between them was more than warranted. In any case, no one seemed to have the heart to separate them, though he suspected that Yusha’s JSF publicist might be hoping for him to show his face at least once during the official junket.Hoping he wouldn’t draw Viktor's rare ire, he placed a hand on his shoulder.“His parents, and sister, Vitya…they are…?”Viktor cleared his throat, but did not meet his gaze while speaking.“They’re somewhere near the front, we’ve already spoken to them. They all have their own entry cards, so they were able to bring us some food a bit ago. And I told Phichit – Celestino's skater, Yuuri’s friend from Detroit – to bring the dogs, because I wasn’t sure how long everything would go on for. I think we could both use the comfort.”Yakov grunted in reply, not exactly sure what to say. He hoped he wouldn’t put his foot in his mouth.“And you, Vitya, what do you need?” he asked, trying to sound less gruff than usual.There were a few moments of quiet before the muttered reply came.“Check your phone, but be discreet. I wasn’t sure if you got my last text.”Reaching for his pocket, he fiddled with the buttons of his new smartphone, still not used to it.After years of trying to get him to “move with technology, not against it, Yakov!”, his shameless student had co-opted his fiance to do his dirty work, knowing that it would be damn near impossible for him to say no to Yuuri’s soft voice and pleading eyes. He wasn’t sure which of them had come up with the script that had been used, but it had been aggravatingly effective. (“But Yakov-kochi, this way Viktor can send you videos of his skating directly, and you won’t need to bother with emails. We know how much you hate emails. Please, let us do this for you. You deserve it.”)Finally navigating to the correct spot, he read Vitya’s text11, and then glanced to the empty chair at his left, where Gorshkov’s nameplate rested.Yakov knew he had precious few minutes to act, as the press junket was due to begin in just five minutes.Looking to where Christophe Giacometti was sitting at the table’s furthest seat over, he thought things over for another twenty seconds before grabbing Gorshkov’s nameplate, and walking over to request a somewhat unusual favor of the Swiss skater.Clearing his throat, he waited for him and his coach to make eye contact before speaking, feeling bad for interrupting.“Christophe, Josef – I hope I can ask a favor. I don’t have time to explain, but it’s for Vitya. Can I get one of you to switch seats to sit next to me? Unfortunately, it means the other person will have to suffer through sitting next to one of the most unpleasant men alive...our federation head. As apology, I can treat you each to a beer when this hell is over.”In his effort to keep his voice down, his accent curled awkwardly over the English consonants and vowels but he’d talked to both men over the years enough to know he’d be understood.After a beat, the two looked at one other, putting their heads together to begin conversing in a whisper. Yakov fidgeted a bit impatiently, relieved to see that Gorshkov was still caught up in conversation further back, with a person he didn’t recognize.Giacometti turned to him, standing suddenly.“It’s no problem, Coach Feltsman. I understand perfectly.”He blinked, a bit surprised at the lack of questions. Perhaps Vitya had already spoken to him? After they had filed their dispute claims, Yakov had lost sight of Viktor for awhile, caught up in conversations with Ianna and the other coaches. Truly, the last hour seemed like a blur…he knew that the press conference had originally been scheduled to begin forty-five minutes ago, and given the circumstances (particularly, the need for so many skaters to meet with their publicists to craft statements), he was surprised that it hadn’t been delayed by more than that. He supposed that the canceled medal ceremony gave everyone back some time, however.Setting Gorshkov’s nameplate down in front of the now-vacant chair, he turned on his heel to lead Giacometti back down the line. As he passed the three occupied seats on the way, he gave short nods to the Leroys, who were whispering to one another, heads together.If he had counted correctly, there were a total of fifteen seats at the table, an unusually high number for a press junket.He doubted that all of them would share prepared statements, but still, surely the optics of who and how many were in front of the cameras would stand out when compared to the press conferences for other events. As he and Giacometti settled into their seats, he heard a deep voice over the microphone, and turned to see International Olympic Committee President12 Thomas Bach signaling for all reporters and audience members to begin taking their seats. His presence was unsurprising; as the highest governing body for the Games, it would have presented like a slap in the face to the entire figure skating community if the International Olympic Committee couldn’t have been bothered to send at least one high-ranking official to make a statement after what had occurred.As the room began to quiet down, a thrum of tension began to make itself known, and not just in the pit of his stomach. Yakov could sense it in his fellow seatmates; the throng of reporters standing at the back of the room (having arrived too late to snag seats); in each row of seated journalists towards the front, representing media outlets like BBC, Econet, NHK, TeleSport, CBC, and Grupo Globo; in the arena staff milling about the perimeters of the room just in case any security issues presented themselves; and of course, in the audience members making up the middle and back rows…the friends, family members, and fans anxiously awaiting news regarding their beloved athletes.His lips twitched, spotting Makkachin and Meni in the row behind Yura, the dogs being cradled like babies in the arms of Yuuri’s parents. Though they were a ways back, the furry companions stood out easily in the crowd; he highly doubted any other skaters had managed to wrangle their pets into the room, but again, if it was for his fiance, he knew Vitya’s persistence had no limits.Leaning slightly to make himself heard, he nudged his uncharacteristically quiet student and began to whisper.“I see the dogs, they're seven rows from the back. Try to get him to look up at them a few times, it might help.”At this, Vitya craned his head, scanning the room. Evidently having spotted them, he whispered to Yusha, and Yakov felt a spot of relief at the small smile that made its way to his face. He suddenly had the mad urge to somehow make it so that Makka and Meni could come sit up at the table with them…anything to keep Yusha’s expression from slipping.Before he could act on such an odd impulse, he noticed the overhead lights shifting, throwing the front of the room into sharp relief. Yonhap’s news crews seemed to be seconds away from beginning their live broadcast, and he noted Bach and Dijkema making space at the podium for a third speaker that he didn’t recognize.An expectant hush finally descended, and Bach adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat before beginning to speak.“Hello, and welcome all, to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games’ Men’s Singles Figure Skating post-competition press junket. My name is Thomas Bach, acting President of the International Olympic Committee, the governing body responsible for organizing these, and all Olympic Games. For ease of communication during my remarks, I will be using the acronym ‘I-O-C’ to signify ‘International Olympic Committee’.”A brief pause followed this intro, and Bach shuffled some papers around on the podium.“As some may already be aware, I am typically not asked to speak to the media or public during the Games, apart from Opening or Closing Ceremonies, or in the case of extenuating circumstances, which, I am unfortunate to have to convey, is the reality we are currently faced with.”Here, Bach paused again. Yakov got the impression that he was sizing up the crowd, perhaps wondering what tone to strike.“Towards the end of the Men’s Singles Free Skate segment, which began around ten this morning, and for which I was in attendance for, I was approached by International Skating Union President Jan Dijkema, standing at my left, as well as the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s13 Ad-Hoc Division President Michael Lenard, standing at my right. As most are probably familiar, the International Skating Union is the primary governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, and each of its international member federations has worked tirelessly along with its respective National Olympic Committees to prepare its athletes for the Team Skate, Short Program, and Free Skate events of the last several days.Those present may be less familiar, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport is the permanent judicial body adjudicating any dispute that arises on the occasion of, or in connection with the Games, as mandated by the Olympic Charter. Given the whirlwind of activity both leaders have been facing during these Games, I thank them for their flexibility in accommodating me and other members of the IOC Executive Board, and for their grace in allowing me to open this presser with some very brief remarks.”He noticed Bach pause to give nods to Dijkema and Lenard before resuming, his face looking even more grave than before.“While I will allow President Dijkema and President Lenard to make the most comprehensive remarks regarding the events of concern, I am here to express, on behalf of the IOC Session members and subsidiaries, that the IOC takes very seriously any and all anomalies that present themselves during the course of Olympic sport, especially anything that calls into question the integrity and transparency of the Games – ”Yakov became aware of distinct murmuring after these words, and noted that Bach had elected to pause to wait for the room to quiet. With a start, he realized that Vitya and Yusha weren’t even looking at the podium, their faces downcast, and their arms still wrapped tightly around each other. With a covert glance to either side, he noted that they weren’t the only ones; Leroy and Lee were staring at the glossy surface of the conference table as if the wood-grain had personally offended them. He hoped their publicists would go easy on them, all things considered…media training was generally not given for things like this.Remembering himself, Yakov tuned back into Bach’s voice, annoyed with himself for getting distracted.“ – as the first sports organization to have established an independent Ethics Commission, in order to safeguard the ethical principles of the Olympic movement. The IOC’s Code of Ethics and Implementing Provisions apply to the IOC and all of its members, National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, the Organizing Committees for the Games, and all participating in the Games, whether they be athletes, coaches, Federation delegations, referees, judges or technical panel members, and so forth.As it may be deemed prudent by the International Skating Union’s Disciplinary Commission, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and other governing bodies at these Games, in the event of formal Ethics Commission involvement, I pledge to use all power at my disposal to support the launch of an initial compliance analysis, and, if necessary, a comprehensive investigation into the events in question. With this being said, I urge those who may have any relevant information regarding any breach of the Olympic Code of Ethics to use the IOC’s web-based Integrity and Compliance Hotline, which facilitates a confidential and anonymous way to report violations. With this, I’ll turn things over to President Dijkema, who will outline the events of concern before turning things over to President Lenard. Thank you for your time.”A smattering of polite (if confused) applause commenced, and Bach took a step back, lingering a bit awkwardly behind the other two.After a moment, Dijkema had taken his place at the microphone, and began to rearrange his own set of papers.“Thank you, IOC President Bach, for those opening remarks,” he began, stiffly. “I, Jan Dijkema, stand before you all now as acting President of the International Skating Union, in order to provide clarity on events that occurred during and directly after the Men’s Singles Free Skate: events that were the direct cause of today’s unorthodox medal ceremony cancellation. I will also take this opportunity to outline the official slate of actions the International Skating Union will be enacting in response, effective immediately.I’d like to take this time to first mention how heartbroken I am for our figure skating community to have to make such remarks in the first place. This room is filled with many dedicated athletes, coaches, skating officials, media representatives, and, of course, friends, family, and fans that have all poured their money, talents, physical and emotional labor, and hopes and dreams into being ready and present here at these 2018 Games. I wish that I were able to deliver a very different kind of message – one that would extol the virtues of sportsmanship and global camaraderie – but alas, this is not the reality that we find ourselves in.That being said, I ask for grace and patience during my remarks, as, admittedly, these events aren’t ones I have had to deal with thus far in my less than two year tenure as acting head of the ISU. As is protocol in matters requiring external arbitration and potential investigation, I will recount only the most relevant details, which I have come to agreement with through the aid of my colleagues President Bach and President Lenard. I have also been in touch via conference call with the International Skating Union’s Disciplinary Commission Chair, Mr. Volker Waldeck, as well as President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, Mr. John Coates, and have both Mr. Waldeck and Mr. Coates’ authority to present the following information.”Yakov fought the urge to roll his eyes; of course there had to be a separate Council for Arbitration, surely it wasn’t enough to just have a Court?“Last, but not least before getting into the details, I will borrow a leaf from President Bach’s book, and will use the acronym ‘I-S-U’ to denote ‘International Skating Union’, for ease of communication.”Dijkema could be heard taking a deep breath, and Yakov felt a pang of sympathy for the man; he was looking quite stressed, even though he had only been speaking for a few minutes.“Throughout the course of the Men’s Singles Free Skate, which began this morning at 10am local time, a total of nine separate complaints from competing skaters along with their respective coaching staff were levied by way of the ISU’s Disciplinary Commission14 against the 9 members of the judging panel, and 5 members of the technical panel. As is consistent with ISU protocol, I have received express permission from all skaters and coaches involved to publicly share the details of these complaints, including the names of those involved in filing said claims. These nine complaints cumulatively alleged scoring bias and tampering for 3 competitors in particular, with the suspicion of significant overscoring for 2 athletes, and significant underscoring for the remaining skater. In each case, a request was made for a close examination into competitor Total Segment Score tallies, as well as – ”Dijkema’s voice cut off as a swell of sound began to spread throughout the room.Yakov wasn’t surprised at the volume; though the Free Skate had obviously been televised, it wasn’t as if broadcasters had been fixated on the panel members, or the table nearby for facilitating dispute resolution. While casual fans watching on tv at home might have noted something was up from the reactions from skaters in the Kiss and Cry or those seated in the ‘skaters only’ area, unless they were more familiar with the ins and outs of judging and dispute resolution, or physically in Gangneung Arena itself, it would have been hard to know what all had been going on.After about half a minute of chatter, the noise quieted down enough for Dijkema to resume his remarks.“ – as well as various Total Segment Score breakdowns for specifics on Grades of Execution, and Deductions. These nine complaints are currently in the process of becoming official disputes recorded with the Disciplinary Commission, and it should be noted, that among the 7 skating federations and 7 National Olympic Committees representing the claimants, 5 federations and National Olympic Committees have agreed to support their claimants in contesting the scores, while 2 federations and National Olympic Committees – representing the same countries in both cases – have refused. Before I go furt – ”Once again, Yakov wasn’t surprised by the level of noise that met this revelation; it was largely unprecedented for skaters to go against the wishes of their country if their skating federation leadership did not want to pursue a contesting of scoring; he couldn’t recall an instance in which a National Olympic Committee’s wishes had been ignored. Remembering both Zhukov and Gorshkov’s rebukes from earlier, Yakov felt the beginnings of a migraine building at his temples.“Please,” Dijkema began, with a scan of the room, “I understand that these events are certainly a cause for great confusion and distress, but in order to proceed as efficiently as possible, I ask that all noise be kept to a minimum.”About a minute went by during which the rumblings around the room eventually settled to scattered whispers, and Dijkema spoke again, his face bearing a prominent frown.“Before I go further, I should note that the composition of the judging panel for the Men’s Short Program three days ago differed from the Free Skate panel by 4 individuals, as in line with ISU panel selection procedures. As for the technical panel, the composition remained the same, by design. However, at this time, we have no reason to believe that any undue actions were taken by any member of the judging panel or the technical panel during the Short Program segment on Wednesday, February 14th, and the ISU therefore stands by the Men’s Short Program scores and rankings as they were officially tallied and presented that day.As for the Free Skate, however, due to the details that I will now describe, I have been authorized to announce, that on behalf of the ISU and IOC, all tallied and presented scores for any Men’s Singles Division figure skating competitor that qualified for and participated in the Free Skate will be regarded as null and void until an official investigation into – ”Loud murmurs began to fill the space again, and it was clear that Dijkema was in danger of losing control of the room altogether. Yakov prayed that the man would show some backbone, lest they all resign themselves to the reality of having to spend the next several hours in this room.“Once again, I must ask for quiet!” Dijkema all but barked, the tone of his remonstration managing to cut the noise level in half. “There will be time available for questions once President Lenard has had the opportunity to deliver his remarks, as well as once our panel of skaters, coaches, and federation officials have had the opportunity to deliver any statements they may wish to. The ISU, IOC, and Court of Arbitration will have several official channels available for all those wishing to express their concerns or gain clarity around this matter to do so, so I ask, once again, to please respect the sense of urgency which we must employ.”After an expectant pause, he resumed with his previous statement.“As I was saying, any Free Skate scores will hereby be regarded null and void until an official investigation into judging and technical procedure ethics is completed. I will now detail the claims filed earlier this afternoon with the Disciplinary Commission. The first claim was lodged immediately after scores for Korean skater Mr. Lee Seung-Gil were tallied and presented. Due to his Short Program score, skater Lee performed directly after Czech skater Emil Nekola, and directly before Italian skater Michele Crispino.The complaint was brought forward by skater Lee himself, and his coach Park Min-So, who are sitting on the panel to my left. Thank you both for being here. The second complaint was lodged by Alain and Nathalie Leroy, coaches to their son, Canadian skater Mr. JJ Leroy, also questioning the ways in which Mr. Lee’s scores were calculated. Alain and Nathalie and skater Leroy are also sitting on the panel to my left. Thank you all for your time. Both of the previously mentioned claims were brought forward on account of suspected overscoring, to a significant degree, for skater Lee.”Trying not to make a big show of it, Yakov slowly leaned forward so that he could catch a glimpse of Seung-Gil. His heart gave a pang of sympathy as he saw how the despondent skater – looking more boy than man – had buried his head in his hands. He couldn’t even imagine how he must be feeling; as he’d learned during the pre-competition press conference on Wednesday, this was Seung-Gil’s first ever Olympic Games, and he was representing the host country! Yakov himself had made it to the Olympics once in his career (Sapporo ‘72, the year he also retired), but he had been six years older than Lee was now, and imagined that each of those six years had made a hell of a difference in his ability to feel equipped to take on the challenge.“As many saw, skater Lee opened his program with a stand-alone quad loop, followed by a quad toe-loop, and later in his program, performed a triple-loop/triple toe-loop combination, as well as a quad salchow/double toe-loop combination. Both complaints attested that skater Lee was deliberately overscored on grade of execution for these four jumping passes, as well as on two of his spins. They also questioned the way in which skater Lee’s Program Component Score was calculated, attesting deliberate overscoring for the ‘interpretation’ and ‘skating skills’ components.”Yakov could barely resist nodding his head; he didn’t want to appear heartless. At the same time, he fully agreed with the nature of both claims. Lee hadn’t done a bad job, by any means, but it was clear that he’d let nerves get to him, no doubt feeling the pressure of the enormous burden placed on his shoulders, as the only Korean skater to make it into the Free Skate. He had been baffled by the positive grade of execution marks for many of his jumping passes, and didn’t know how anyone could justify the sky-high PCS marks. Lee was a notoriously stiff skater, and even though he’d improved over the years, he still had a long way to go before he could match skaters like Yusha or Vitya in their ability to story-tell on the ice.“The third and fourth complaints were both lodged after scores for Russian skater Mr. Viktor Nikiforov were tallied and presented, and were, similarly, brought forward on account of suspected overscoring, to a significant degree, for Mr. Nikiforov. Due to his Short Program score, skater Nikiforov performed directly after Kazakh skater Otabek Altin, and directly before Swiss skater Christophe Giacometti. The first of these three complaints was brought forward by skater Nikiforov himself and his coach Yakov Feltsman, who, again, sit here on the panel to my left; thank you both for being here.”Though he was five seats away from the man, Yakov heard Gorshkov audibly scoffing, and felt his blood begin to boil. In his periphery, he saw how Vitya’s jaw tensed in response. The pulses of anger that he’d been trying to ignore for the better part of an hour threatened to overtake his senses, and he felt a momentary relief that the two were seated apart. If Viktor didn’t end up punching their federation leader, he just might…or at the very least, he’d tell Oleg to, as the bodyguard could probably get away with it much easier than he could.Recalling how Zhukov had practically purred the word ‘alleged’ earlier, Yakov felt a plume of disgust unfurl inside his stomach. Turning a blind eye to overscoring was not by any means a new complaint levied against ROC or FFKKR officials at past Games, and he certainly didn’t want to be seen as encouraging the trend. He had wondered more than once during his own skating career if he’d been given special treatment by USSR or USSR-allied skating officials, but his coaches, as much as he’d been indebted to them, hadn’t seemed all that keen on “ruffling feathers” as they’d put it. It was nausea-inducing that decades later, Viktor (who was ten times more talented than he’d ever been) had to worry about the same thing.He could see now that Yusha was whispering into Vitya’s ear, and watched as the tight lines across the latter's forehead relaxed somewhat in response. While he was glad Viktor was allowing himself the comfort of his fiancé, the sight made his chest suddenly ache. He desperately wished that Lillia would return15 his call, or any one of the many texts he had sent her. As she had choreographed parts of Yusha and Milasha’s programs this season, she had originally planned on traveling with the Yubileyny crew for the Games. However, a particularly explosive fight between him and his ex-wife a month ago had scuttled these plans, and she had opted to stay behind, no matter how much he had begged for her to reconsider.“The second claim regarding skater Nikforov’s scores was brought forward by Chinese skater Mr. Cao Bin, and his coach Xu Zhaoxiao16. Though he and his coach have elected not to sit on the panel, they are present in the room. I would like to take this time to personally extend an apology on behalf of the ISU to skater Cao, who had indicated at the beginning of the 2017-2018 season that these Olympic Games would be the last competition of his career. I am deeply sorry that these events have overshadowed what I’m sure has been a very emotional time for you and your loved ones as you navigate the beginning of a new chapter in life with your retirement. You have admirably represented your home country of China and the Chinese Skating Association during these Games as well as during your twelve-year skating career, and the ISU is proud to count you towards a long legacy of talent and sportsmanship. We wish you well in the wonderful things to come in your future.”Yakov winced in sympathy as he searched for Cao’s face in the crowd.Retirement was a tricky thing to navigate in the best of circumstances, but in the midst of such a large potential scandal, he wondered at how Cao must be coping. Did he feel cheated, stripped of his time to shine? The way things were looking, there would likely be no rescheduled medal ceremony, post-competition banquet, or exhibition Gala in the coming days, so Cao’s last skate might literally be his Free Program. Which, while not a bad performance by any stretch, probably wasn’t how he expected to leave the ice for the last time. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortably, as his head continued to pound.“As many saw during his program, skater Nikiforov performed a quad loop just before the half-way point of his program, and later, a triple-axel/triple loop combination, followed by a triple flip. Both complaints alleged deliberate overscoring in grade of execution for these three jumping passes, and also raised concern around deliberate overscoring for two of skater Nikiforov’s spins. They also attested that skater Nikiforov was deliberately overscored for the ‘transitions’ and ‘performance’ components of his Program Component Score.”After decades of coaching, Yakov prided himself on his sharp eyes. He could clearly see that Vitya’s quad loop had been slightly shakier than his GOE would suggest, and his axel combo and flip had been sloppy, likely due to fatigue. His spins had traveled more than his marks would have suggested, and though they'd worked on some challenging entries for some of his jumps, the transition marks he’d received didn’t merit such indisputably high praise.“The final five complaints were all lodged after scores for Japanese skater Mr. Katsuki Yuuri were tallied and presented.”At this, the room seemed to take a collective breath.Glancing over, Yakov felt his heart sink as he saw that Yusha had returned to determinedly staring down into his lap. He watched as Vitya pressed a kiss to his hair, arms visibly tightening around him as if in fear he would drift away.Just as Dijkema opened his mouth to continue, the room filled with overlapping whoops and shouts in Japanese, English, and Russian.“Anata wa hitori dewa arimasen!”17“We love you, Yuuri!”“Yusha, Не вешай нос18!”“Yuuri, we’re so proud of you!”Scanning the crowd, Yakov could see a sizable group of “cheerleaders” in the middle rows of seats, jumping up and down: Sasha (who taught both Yusha and Vitya in her weekly ballet classes at Yubileyny); Sava; Milasha; Gosha19; Oleg; Yuuri's friend, Phichit Chulanont; Celestino Cialdini; Yusha's other friend, Yuuko, along with her husband and three children; Yuuri’s sister and parents; his former ballet teacher, Okukawa Minako; and nearly all of the Men’s and Women’s Singles Division, as well as Ice Dance and Pairs skaters from Team Japan.The ghost of a smile made its way onto his face as he looked over to catch Yusha’s reaction. He was now looking up with tears running down his cheeks, but the smile he wore made his feelings clear.Though he guessed the boisterous group might be in for a fierce scolding, Dijkema merely smiled and waited patiently for the noise to subside.Leaning over behind Vitya, Yakov placed a hand on the very top of Yuuri’s head, and felt a hint of pride when he directed his smile towards him; Yusha was strong, and sometimes just needed to be reminded of how loved he was in order for him to access that strength. His change in demeanor from that first timid month training at Yubileyny to now — sure of his place not only in Viktor’s life, but also in his integral role as part of rink camaraderie as a whole — had been gratifying to observe. More than once, Yakov had kicked himself for the dismissive behavior he’d first displayed towards him, back when he’d thought Yuuri had been Vitya’s glittering distraction, rather than his stalwart fixture.Now, between him, Viktor, and Ianna, Yusha was caught in a tangle of arms and embraces, but didn’t seem to mind, even letting out a quiet giggle at all of their attention. Predictably, the sound made Viktor light up, unabashedly, making Yakov's thoughts flit to Lilia again. Had it really been that many years since a similar sound, bubbling from her throat, had the ability to transform him into the same kind of incandescently endearing fool in love? The ache in his chest resumed, and with a final squeeze to Yuuri’s shoulder, he straightened up, redirecting his attention back to the podium.“Due to his Short Program score, Skater Katsuki was the last skater to perform, directly after Swiss skater Christophe Giacometti. Though skater Katsuki is normally coached by fellow skater Nikiforov – ”Once again, yells filled the air. A few distinct cries of “Viktuuri forever!” – and yes, that was absolutely Gosha’s voice – could be heard, which were immediately followed by ripples of laughter from the surrounding audience.Immediately, he heard Vitya’s delighted laugh, and turned to see both him and Yuuri grinning. Yakov knew they had some long days and weeks ahead, so anything that could make the couple smile amidst the unfolding nightmare counted as a win in his book; he only hoped Dijkema wouldn’t be too harsh towards the vocal supporters.“While I appreciate the comic relief,” the latter man began, a small smile playing at his lips, “I once again must insist that everyone please refrain from any more outbursts, as we still have quite a bit to get through. Those that can’t abide by this request will be escorted out by security.”At this, he paused to look around, as if he might be able to pick out future rabble-rousers from his spot at the podium.“Though skater Katsuki is normally coached by fellow skater Nikiforov, given the latter’s selection to represent his own home country in competition, Mr. Katsuki sits on the panel with his stand-in coach, Ianna Perez, who is here on authority of the Japan Skating Federation. Ms. Perez was brought on last year to join the coaching staff of his training rink in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Mr. Nikiforov also trains and coaches. Thank you both for being here.As many saw during his program, for his first jumping pass, skater Katsuki performed a novel quad flip/triple toe-loop combination, and later, a quad triple toe-loop/single Euler/triple salchow, followed by a stand-alone quad lutz, and later, a triple lutz/triple toe-loop combination. Due to an edge call on the first jumping pass from the technical panel, his quad-triple – ”Despite the earlier admonition, a loud wave of disgruntled mutters could be heard throughout the room, yet Dijkema chose to plow on, raising his voice to be heard over the din.“ – his quad flip/triple toe-loop combination was downgraded. All five lodged complaints questioned the validity of this edge call, and also attested that skater Katsuki was deliberately underscored in grade of execution on the aforementioned three jumping passes. Four of the five complaints also questioned the way his Program Components Score was calculated, noting significant underscoring for his ‘transitions’, ‘interpretation’, and ‘performance’ components.The first of these filed complaints was lodged by Russian skater Nikiforov and his coach Yakov Feltsman. The second was brought forth by Thai skater Mr. Phichit Chulanont and his coach Celestino Cialdini, who, though electing not to sit on the panel, are both here in the room. The third was lodged by Skater Katsuki himself and his coach Ianna Perez, and the fourth was lodged by Swiss skater Mr. Christophe Giacometti and his coach Josef Karpisek, who are both sitting on the panel to my left. Finally, the last was lodged by Canadian skater JJ Leroy, as well as his coaches, Alain and Nathalie Leroy. I’d like to thank all of the aforementioned skaters and coaches for their time and willingness to engage in these proceedings.”Again, Gorshkov could be heard scoffing, and for a fleeting moment, Yakov had the impulse to throttle him, right here and now, while on live broadcast. Instead, he contented himself with leaning forward and glaring at the other man. Even if he received a scolding from the federation later on, he didn’t give a single damn.While the last two groups of skaters had performed, he had found himself doing the calculations in his head during each skate.Yuuri wasn’t even fully finished with his program before Yakov had known that he would – or, rather, should – take first. For one, there was the lead he had on Vitya and the others from the Short Program, due to the mind-blowing quad-flip/triple toe-loop that he’d done in place of his listed quad salchow/triple toe-loop: a history making feat in and of itself, given that, to his knowledge, Yuuri was the only skater who had even attempted such a taxing element in the back-half of a program. And, he’d landed it beautifully, nary a wobble in sight.Then, for the Free Skate itself, there were the inarguably high grades of execution that he was confident would be assigned to his technical elements. Indeed, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Yuuri had been given a nearly perfect +3 GOE on the beginning quad flip in-combination, and later, his lutz and Euler sequence, making it mathematically impossible for others to close the gap.Alas, the judging and technical panel hadn’t agreed.According to their marks, his masterful performance had only earned him fourth place. Vitya’s tallied scores put him in 1st, JJ’s in 2nd, and Christophe’s in 3rd. It was one of the most overtly disrespectful cases of scoring bias Yakov had ever witnessed, and he didn’t have to be active on social media to know that he wasn’t in the minority of people that thought so.Just before he’d been accosted by Zhukov, he’d been chatting with Celestino Cialdini and Muramoto Satsuki, Phichit Chulanont’s two coaches, who seemed to be struggling around their warring emotions: pride for their skater, who had landed one of the cleanest Free Skates of his career only a bit prior, as well as disgust around the other events that had transpired. Like her skater, Satsuki seemed to be interminably attached to her phone, and had pulled up Twitter - an app that he refused to get, no matter how doe-like Yusha’s beseeching gaze was – to show him and Celestino what public perception seemed to be.After a brief explanation for his benefit about trending topics, hashtags, and virality, he’d learned that #CrookedOlympics2018, #OlympicChampionKatsukiYuuri, and #NotThisTimeNikiforov had been the most popular tags on the site, globally, within the last half hour.Yakov was by now very used to Yusha’s tendencies towards being overly critical of himself, but this time around, he had looked thrilled when he’d taken his final pose on the ice. Tears of pride had dripped steadily down his cheeks, and Yakov hadn’t been able to help but crack a smile when he’d witnessed him throwing himself into Vitya’s outstretched arms at the boards, both of them stumbling but still managing to catch each other’s lips. They had, of course, been obnoxiously affectionate in the Kiss and Cry, making Ianna look like the biggest third-wheel of all time. Viktor had been crying as well, kissing Yuuri all over his flushed, beaming face, and he had been looking forward to lecturing the both of them afterwards for their excessive display.But then, everything had nightmarishly imploded, beginning with their realization around the edge call, which they had all been flummoxed by; Yusha was one of the few skaters besides Vitya and Giacometti who almost never had edge ambiguity problems.Then there was the moment, just after the tallied marks were presented, when everything seemed to go still.As Yakov had stared at the bewilderingly low number that was displayed, the churn of his mind slowed, and his thoughts suddenly seemed suspended in a thick, sticky taffy of confusion. Almost as if he were watching himself from afar, he registered the fact that he had turned his head to look to the Kiss and Cry, where Ianna, Vitya, and Yusha’s shift from joy to heartbreak was playing out on the arena’s jumbo screens with a rivetingly painful focus. The summed Short Program and Free Skate score had put Yuuri in fourth place, and it would probably be years before he would be able to shake the image of his smile drooping. And Viktor…Yakov couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his student looking so angry.Honestly, it might have been over a decade ago, when he’d finally cut his self-serving and neglectful parents off in one last tearful, explosive confrontation.In any event, Vitya’s seamless switch from paralysis to action seemed to spur them all on.It was as if words hadn’t even been needed; he and Ianna had been joined by Oleg, and had marched a dazed Yuuri from the Kiss and Cry directly to the Disciplinary Commission table where he had joined them just a minute or so afterwards. On the way over, 3 IOC officials had attempted to intercept Vitya to prepare him for the scheduled medal ceremony, but one glare from his student’s bodyguard had silenced all three of them. As Viktor unleashed a tirade of fury upon the unfortunate officials seated at the Commission table, Yakov realized they had been joined by several others: Chulanont and Cialdini, Giacometti and Karpisek. Milasha too, along with a shell-shocked Yura, who had been sitting together in the ‘skaters only’ area.Even the Leroys had joined the growing throng, which was evidence enough that things had taken a strange turn; as outspoken as JJ and his parents all were, he had never heard of them choosing to contest an ISU score on behalf of other competitors, at least not at such a large-scale competition. While he wasn’t surprised at Vitya’s stance, Yakov had been pleased to learn that both Leroy and Giacometti were refusing to attend the medal ceremony until the ISU acknowledged the need for a closer look at Yuuri’s scores, among others.And, of course, there couldn’t be an Olympic Games medal ceremony with no athletes to stand atop the podium.Yakov now looked to Dijkema, hoping he hadn’t missed anything too important when his mind had wandered.“ – even one formal complaint is a matter the ISU takes seriously, the lodging of nine separate complaints suggests a systematic review of the Free Skate judging and technical panel composition, scoring patterns, and awarded scoring tallies is not only wise, but fundamental to the integrity of this competition. It is too early to say whether or not certain judges and/or technical panel officials did in fact overscore, underscore, or otherwise tamper with scores for the 3 skaters in question, and, in the event that such manipulation did occur, whether or not they were acting of their own volition, or at the request of other parties, such as federation or National Olympic Committee officials – ”As compared to the previous swells – mere flutters, by Yakov’s estimation – the volume of noise that now took over the conference room was a veritable roar.He seethed, silently; given that the panels were handpicked by ISU member nations20, it was highly doubtful that any of them would have acted of their own accord. He realized that Dijkema had to hedge his bets in any public statements, but most of the people in this room were not naive to the reality of figure skating politics. If, in fact, judges and/or tech panel members had exerted improper influence, it would have been at the direction of a National Olympic Committee or federation…very likely, the Russian Olympic Committee, and FFKKR, to be exact.His stomach gave another twist of disgust, and he felt like crawling out of his skin. He wanted to leap from his chair, and storm the room until he had Zhukov cornered. Instead, he swiveled in place, seeking out the latter’s miserable face.Spotting him, Yakov felt a thrill of satisfaction at the other man’s pallid, uneasy expression.
What a thug…
Did he really think ISU leadership was just going to throw their hands up and let things go amidst the instantaneous uproar on social media? That Russian officials (already regarded as corrupt in more than one athletic discipline) could get away with bribery with no repercussions at the Olympics, the most global competitive stage possible? That Vitya himself would just step aside, allowing his own fiance’s hard work to be tossed in the trash, without any attempt to understand what was going on?The level of sheer hubris and stupidity was astonishing. The whole thing reeked of desperation. And given what he knew of the federation’s financial woes, he had an inkling that financial desperation fit somewhere into this tenebrous puzzle.Turning his head, Yakov was unsurprised to see Viktor's murderous expression, and felt a surge of protectiveness rise up in his chest. If it turned out that he had been overscored in addition to Yusha being underscored, Vitya would be crushed. He would blame himself for Yuuri's pain, no matter how much the latter man would protest that it wasn’t his fault. And, of course, seeing him take on that burden of guilt would tear Yusha apart, not to mention kill morale among the other top competitors.The repercussions of these events would have an impact far beyond the Championship competition next month. Yakov suspected that the entire figure skating community would be reeling for some time. His thoughts whirred, unable to keep up with one another, and the pounding in his head became more pronounced as Dijkema continued on.“ – Disciplinary Commission serves as a first instance authority to hear and decide all charges referred to it by any party against any Skater, Official, Office Holder or other participant in ISU activities. However, given the sheer number of disputes, as well as the visibility and global nature of the Games, I have exercised my executive authority as head of the ISU to officially grant the leadership of the IOC and Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Ad-Hoc Division full license to assist the Commission21, and, if necessary, take over in carrying out a comprehensive investigation into potential score tampering.I will allow President Lenard to detail the relevant information regarding Court procedure, but suffice it to say, we aim to be thorough when it comes to investigating these serious allegations. For this reason, I must stress: there will be no easy nor timely answers, and as of now, there is no way to know when our investigation will be complete. In part, it will depend on the speed at which an investigatory commission made up of ISU, IOC, and Court leadership can be assembled, the availability of impacted skaters, coaches, and skating officials to attend mandatory hearings at Court of Arbitration headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the ability for the collection and proper review of relevant evidence, including extensive video footage of each competitor’s skate. As such, all plans for an official medal ceremony, gala exhibition, and celebration banquet are postponed until further notice.”This last pronouncement seemed to suck all the air out of the room.Would the "official channels" that Dijkema alluded to earlier truly put peoples’ minds at ease while they waited for answers? And what implications would there be for other Olympic events, and the functioning of federations in the interim? How would skaters cope with the lack of closure around their performances, especially given the medal ceremony and gala exhibition cancellation?In all 40+ years of coaching, Yakov had never heard of an entire Gala event getting canceled.He imagined that a large number of ticket holders had seen Vitya’s infamous past exhibitions, and would be sorely disappointed to have to miss seeing their favorite skater in such a capacity. He was also sure that an equal number had been clamoring to see Yusha standing on top of the podium again, much in the way of last year’s World’s competition. Viktor had been so thrilled at the realization that his winning streak had come to an end, and it seemed as if the entire figure skating community had been waiting on tenterhooks for the Games ever since.“Please rest assured: once a thorough investigation has been conducted and all necessary parties have been informed of the results, planning and rescheduling of a formal medal ceremony, gala exhibition, and celebration banquet will be top priority. In the meantime, the ISU Secretariat pledges to work in full cooperation with the IOC and Court of Arbitration to conduct an exhaustive inquiry into the Free Skate proceedings, and will commit to full transparency around the investigation’s conclusions, whatever they may be. Though our Communications staff are already working on official statements that we will be circulating and amplifying as needed, I invite media contacts here today to treat this matter with the seriousness and integrity it deserves: to reiterate my earlier statement, at this time, there is no official competitor ranking coming out of the Men’s Singles Division Figure Skating competition at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.Thus, any contradictory assertion – explicit or implicit – by any media news outlet will be met with swift action by the ISU and IOC, with possible future sanctions as dictated by the ISU Congressional Session, and IOC Executive Board22. At the conclusion of our investigation, we will be first and foremost concerned with communicating our findings to the relevant parties: that is, all skaters and coaches for the Men’s Singles Short Program and Free Skate, as well as all members of the judging and technical panels. Of equal priority, depending on the investigation results, will be deciding upon any disciplinary actions needed.This is all I am at liberty to say at this time, and will now turn things over to Court of Arbitration for Sport Ad-Hoc Division President Michael Lenard, who will go over Court procedures, including immediate next steps for impacted skaters, coaching staff, and skating officials. We will then allow all skaters and coaches on the panel to deliver any statements they may wish to, and finally, will allow for an open period for media inquiries. Thank you for your time.”As Yakov watched Dijkema step back from the podium, he exhaled a long-held breath. This was just the beginning of what would surely be a long day. And from today on, a multi-week, multi-month ordeal.Just when he thought he’d seen it all…---------------------

End of Chapter 4.Up next: Now that (some of) the mystery/angst of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics has been revealed, we are due for some fluffy/happy times! In Chapter 5, we go back to the present (February 2022), where worlds collide as Yuuri and Viktor bring together their Russian skate family friends from St. Petersburg and their Papio Ice Arena family from Japan for a dinner out, a few days prior to the Team Skate. After dinner, things get steamy, so note the change in rating from ‘Mature’ to ‘Explicit’. I thought folks might not want to read a long smut scene in the main story, so I ended up separating out the more overtly explicit content into a side ficlet that I will be posting (hopefully) around the same time as the main chapter in a collection of side stories---------------------Footnotes:11. Very common street food in Korea, this is a fish-shaped pastry stuffed with red bean paste. It is nearly identical to Japan’s taiyaki, though bungeoppang tends to be smallerBack2. Play on Yakov’s name using Russian diminutives Back3. Most people probably know that the ROC was banned from the 2018 Games, and athletes that were allowed to compete represented the ‘Olympic Athletes of Russia’ (OAR) instead. Given the complex way that arbitration/ethics investigations are conducted at Olympic events, it was easier for my fic universe to leave the doping claims out, at least for the 2018 Games. So in this instance, Viktor, Yurio and other Russian athletes are still competing under the authority of the ROC, not the OAR Back4. Late President of the FFKKR, since 2010. Gorshkov passed in November of last year, and was an ice dancer along with his wife, who were the most decorated pair skating athletes for both the World Championships and European Championships during their time competing. They retired in 1976. In my fic universe, he is the same age as Yakov Back5. Literally, ‘kozyol’ means ‘goat’ in Russian, but when used as an insult in this manner, it’s taken more to mean ‘asshole’ Back6. ‘Mudak’ is a very offensive Russian term, used only for males. Essentially, ‘shithead’Back77. The International Skating Union’s Disciplinary Commission decides on all charges and complaints referred to it by any ISU authority or party against any skater, official, office holder or other participant in ISU activities accused of a disciplinary/ethical offense. Each complaint before the Commission is decided upon by the Commission chair, as well as two other appointed Panel members. I took sizable liberties with Commission procedures in this story; I don’t believe skaters are able to file claims during ISU/Olympic events themselves, it must be done after the fact, after first discussing with the respective federationBack8. Governing body in charge of administering all official competitive skating events globally, and whose membership is made up of individual country skating federations. Its rules/regulations are decided upon by the ISU Congressional Session. You can see the ISU’s 2017 Code of Ethics here, which contains reference to the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of competitions (ISU Communications 2104, linked on the right-hand side). From June 2016 to June 2022, the ISU was led by former President Jan DijkemaBack9. This is the Russian diminutive version of ‘Saveliy’, and is what Yakov calls his Yubileyny colleague Saveliy Romanov (who first appears in Ch 2) Back10. Another reason for Yakov’s dislike for Zhukov/Gorshkov: once it became clear that Japan would be sending Yuuri to the Games, the FFKKR had tried to make an argument for why he shouldn’t be allowed to train at Yubileyny/in Russia any longer. Yakov managed to quash any interference even at the risk of being disciplined by the FFKKR for going against their will. While a big part of Yakov’s willingness to do so had to do with his personal fondness for Yuuri, it was also more practical: he knew there was no way that he or Viktor would agree to be apart from one another while training for so long, and so intensely Back 11. Content of Viktor’s text to Yakov (since it would be in Russian, it didn’t make sense to me to create an image for this, as I’ve done with previous chapters): "Don't let Gorshkov speak to me. I don't know how, but I am certain he's at least partly responsible for this. I won't be able to control myself if he tries to talk to me or Yuuri. I'm serious, Yakov. Back12. The governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and worldwide "Olympic Movement". First established in 1894, the IOC is responsible for organizing the Olympic Games held in summer and winter every 4 years. IOC decision-making is primarily made through the IOC Session, an annual meeting of IOC members during which each member is able to cast 1 vote. It is currently led by President Thomas Bach, who has been in office since September 2013 Back 13. Governing body with exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute that arises in connection with the Games pursuant to the Olympic Charter. During the Games and during a period of ten days before the Opening Ceremony, this competence lies with the Ad Hoc Division (which is distinct from the CAS’s Anti-Doping Division). For an overview of their role at the PyeongChang Games, see here Back 14. In the event folks are curious, you might want to check out this page, which can give you a sense of what Commission hearings are like Back 15. I am really excited to explore Yakov and Lillia’s relationship in this fic, particularly what may have contributed to their divorce, and their pathway towards reconciliation, which led to them getting back together in late 2019. At the time of the PyeongChang Olympic Games, I headcanon that they have been officially divorced for about a year and a half, and separated for several years before thatBack16. I think most YOI fans are aware that we know next to nothing about skater Cao Bin, other than the fact that he competed in Sochi during Yuuri’s first Grand Prix Final competition. I based his character off of Chinese figure skater Jin Boyang, who used to be coached by Xu Zhaoxiao before switching to be coached by the legendary Brian Orser Back17. In Japanese, this translates to something along the lines of "you are not alone"Back 18. In Russian, this basically translates to "keep your chin up" Back19. This is a play on the name ‘Georgi’, using Russian diminutives Back20. Here is a great overview of the process of judge selection. The TL;DR of it all is that selection is very biased given the direct involvement of sports federations worldwide and is thereby a huge area of concern for regulatory reform. It should be noted that even to this day, the ISU has never taken the action to give an automatic lifetime ban to any judge or referee found to have violated the ethical rules of their dutiesBack21. Based on my research, it seems that for disciplinary matters (versus commercial arbitration matters), the Court of Arbitration for Sport typically only handles appeals cases. Meaning, that if the events in my story actually happened, it would have likely been up to the ISU to conduct its own internal investigation, and, if based on the results, those found in violation of breaking any Olympic Charter rules wished to, they could appeal the final decision with the Court. However, it feels a bit odd to me that the ISU would be in charge of conducting its own investigation for something as monumental as the Olympics; how could there really be a way to ensure objectivity if top ISU leadership were themselves somehow involved? So, I took some liberties, and elected for the CAS to be involved from the outset.Back 22. The IOC’s Executive Board consists of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, four Vice-Presidents and ten other members. All the members of the Executive Board are elected by the Session, by secret ballot from a majority of votes cast, for a four-year term. The Executive Board manages the affairs of the IOC, and among other things, it assumes the general overall responsibility for the administration of the IOCBack

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Uber ride to Duck de Chine restaurant, Chaoyang District location (Beijing, China) - Evening of February 2nd, 2022, around 7 pm
 After the fourth squeeze of his hand in the span of just the last minute, Yuuri looked to his right and grinned at his fidgety husband. Viktor was adorably invested in the evening’s dinner going well, and frankly, it was nice for a change not to be the one worrying about social events.Catching sight of his expression, Viktor pursed his lips in a pout and turned away to look out the window of their Uber.“I’m glad you find my distress amusing, Yusha,” he muttered, removing his hand from their hold and crossing his arms to sulk.Stifling a laugh at the fake grumpiness, Yuuri leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, and hugged both of his arms around his midsection.“I’m sorry, Vitya,” he cooed, “it’s just that you’re being ~so cute~.”With a glance up front to make sure their driver was distracted – they both enjoyed the thrill of exhibitionism, but neither was truly interested in subjecting innocent bystanders to their suggestive activities – he moved his love's long, intricate braid out of the way, and began pressing light kisses to his throat.Under his rapt attention (or perhaps because of it), the skin colored prettily.“Don’t try to distract me by saying sweet things,” he whispered in response, though the words stood in contrast to the way he angled his head to give him more room to work, which he happily obliged.“But what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t try to take your mind off of things?” Yuuri purred in reply, with a nibble to the underside of his jaw.More than ever, he was glad of the secret surprise he had chosen to wear under his suit…With the approach of L-I-F-E, the ‘Libation-Induced Friendship Extravaganza’ – an outing they had arranged so that their Papio Ice Arena friends could properly meet1 their Yubileyny skating family – Yuuri had noticed Viktor growing increasingly consumed with the details of said event. In addition to punning at three times his usual rate (seriously, if he heard the phrase ‘grab life by the horns’ one more time, he would have to text Pasha directly), four days ago, he had asked him for the fifth time if he thought they should change their reservation, just in case Duck de Chine2 wouldn’t suffice.
“Remember, my Yuuri, we want it to be good, but not pretentious, because there’s nothing worse than looking like we’re trying too hard. Of course, I checked to make sure they can accommodate food allergies, because remember, Lilia is now vegetarian. Oh! And in terms of the cocktail menu, Mohit said…”
After a heart-to-heart during which Viktor confessed that he was worried that the meal would be awkward, and that nobody would get along, plans for L-O-V-E, the ‘Lowkey Orchestration of Viktor’s Enjoyment’ began to take root in Yuuri’s mind. Of course, he had also tried other tactics, like verbally reassuring him, holding him, and even joking around that he could just start impromptu pole-dancing if things started feeling stilted. As was the case with his own anxiety, however, sometimes those approaches had limits. Thus, he had decided to employ more eros-based methods.“Baby, th-this is serious,” his spouse stammered between gasps, leaning nearer to the heat of his mouth, while simultaneously using his arms to push his torso away.“What if we all just sit there in silence and no one says anything? Yakov might just glare at everyone,” he continued, in a whine.At this, Yuuri barely caught the giggle that tried to escape his throat. After all, it was virtually impossible for silence to persist if Kenjirou-kun, Mila-chan, Viktor, and Mohit were all in the same room. If nothing else, he was confident that curbing their loquaciousness was an impossible task, even in the presence of the legendarily irritable former coach…a man that he, incidentally, wasn’t the hugest fan of at the moment. At least until the Closing Ceremonies, however, Yuuri had decided to put his personal feelings around the Yakov situation aside.“That’s not going to happen, love,” he whispered, using a hand to tug the collar of Viktor’s sweater aside.“What makes…fuckkk.”As Yuuri’s lips began to work along his collarbone, his husband trailed off before swearing lowly and dirtily, under his breath.“What makes you so sure?”Intent on occupying his space even more fully, he again snuck a glance up front at their driver before sliding a hand underneath Viktor’s leather skirt, appreciating the silkiness of the stockings he’d put on underneath.Since retirement, Viktor had vocalized a desire to return to the more fluid gender presentation that he’d sported during his teenage years: a choice that he would have supported no matter what, but found himself thrilled by once he’d observed how happy it made him. To Yuuri, his love was always radiant, but never more so than when he felt confident in his own skin, as he so often was when he allowed himself the full freedom to play around with his gender expression.Viktor’s gender fluidity was exactly that, fluid, which meant his needs changed day-to-day, mostly as it related to things like their public personas, preferred pronouns, and dynamics during intimacy. Thanks to consistent therapy and communication, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs had gotten to a point where the accommodation of these needs was as natural for them as anything else they regularly prioritized and worked on.Tonight, Viktor had told him he wanted to be addressed with a mix of masculine and feminine pronouns and endearments, and had worn a rust colored sweater tucked into a high-waisted black leather miniskirt, which he’d paired with thigh-high, black suede stiletto boots. It would have been natural to just assume that he liked the elongated leg look, but Yuuri knew better; his spouse had been wearing over-the-knee boots more and more frequently to cover up the knee brace that he occasionally wore for joint stiffness. Given the chill, he wore a white leather jacket, as well as a vibrant, blue wool overcoat, in a shade matching his eyes. And if this all weren’t eye-catching enough, he had styled his hair into an intricate, Rapunzel-like braid that Yuuri had never seen him wear before.It had taken all of his self-control to finish putting on his own emerald green suit instead of ravishing Viktor the moment he’d emerged from the bathroom. More than once just during this Uber trip, he’d had to remind himself that they’d have plenty of time after their meal; Mari and Amara had agreed to take care of Meni and Goya at their hotel for the night, so they’d have the suite completely to themselves until mid-morning tomorrow.Viktor squirmed as his hand trailed all the way up to his inner thigh, his knuckles just lightly grazing over where he knew they were most wanted. Yuuri thrilled in the low moan he heard in response, and grinned against the skin of his neck, before remembering he still hadn’t answered his question. After a few more moments of exploration under his skirt, he shifted to whisper in his ear.“I’m sure because we have lovely, charismatic friends, who can more than hold their own. Mila and Sara can bond with Izumi and Niko over their favorite common hobbies: skating news, cute women, and teasing Yura. Georgi and Aviva want to talk to the two of us about my retirement party, and Kenjirou-kun has been obsessed with Ianna for years, now, so her and Yura and Sava would have more than enough to talk about. As for Akihito, Mohit, and Taku, they’ve already met Yakov and Lilia a bunch of times at competitions. Plus, say there is silence? That seems like the perfect excuse to show everyone our photoshoot results. Even Yura won’t be able to resist that.”Yuuri mentally congratulated himself for thinking of this last recommendation, knowing it was a guaranteed way to make his husband smile.Every year since they had first gotten together, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs had scheduled a themed January photoshoot, with matching outfits and props for their furbabies. This year’s theme had been “Olympic Silliness”, and they had truly outdone themselves by erecting large-scale Olympic medal ceremony podiums, with a gold platform for Yuuri, silver for Meni, and bronze for Goya. They had been able to use Viktor’s bronze from PyeongChang, and ended up crafting their own silver medal replica (which had to be washed, due to the slobber). And even though he’d felt a little shy about it, his coach had insisted they use Yuuri’s gold from PyeongChang. They’d both fretted a bit that the silver medal design would look out of place compared to the other two real medals, and Yuuri had had to stop his spouse from asking JJ to temporarily borrow his 2018 Games medal for the endeavor.Once Viktor had reined in his perfectionistic tendencies, he had gladly played the true-to-life role of #1 skating otaku, allowing himself to be photographed holding up an extremely detailed banner with pictures of all three of his favorite “medalists”, created with the help of the Nishigori triplets. They had been eagerly awaiting the final proofs for weeks, and had received the unbearably cute results just this morning from Hosoji-san, the photographer they had met and befriended during their first summer living in Fukuoka.“Mmmm…you’re so smart, Yusha,” Viktor hummed in reply to his suggestion, before slumping against him, bonelessly.With one last kiss to the addictively sensitive skin beneath his ear, Yuuri removed his hand from underneath his skirt and tugged his clothes back into place.“I know, родная3,” he quipped, fully aware of how smug he sounded. “This’ll be fun. You’ll see.”---------------------

Main dining room of Duck de Chine restaurant, Chaoyang District location (Beijing, China) - Evening of February 2nd, 2022, around 8:30pm
 Though Yuuri had aimed to be the calm and steady one given Viktor’s nerves, he had felt a slight twinge of worry as their massive group of seventeen guests was led to their reserved dining nook. To his relief, however, there had been only minimal awkwardness in the decision of who should sit where. In their seating configuration – two rows of dining chairs on either side of a long, rectangular table – he and Viktor sat towards the middle of one row. Mila sat directly across from him, while Georgi sat across from Viktor. Naturally, Sara Crispino sat on Mila’s right (the two had been dating for nearly three years), and similarly, Aviva Popovich sat on her husband’s left. When Georgi had retired after World’s in 2017, most everyone at Yubileyny had assumed he would jump straight into another whirlwind of volatile and dramatic relationships, in an attempt to fill the void from his career ending. However, to his and Viktor's pleasant surprise, Gosha had taken an almost eight month break from dating to focus on other aspects of his life, namely his first season as a Junior Division coach at Yubileyny.When he’d met and begun dating Aviva late in 2017, it was immediately apparent how mature and grounded she was, and what a positive impact it had on their dynamic. Being four years older than him, Aviva was, simply put, able to put the ex-skater in his place, not standing for Georgi’s off-puttingly possessive tendencies that had been so readily apparent after the demise of his and Anya’s relationship. Back when the Katsuki-Nikiforovs still lived in St. Petersburg, it had been wonderful to go on double dates with the other couple, and they always looked forward to getting together with them during the off-season.“Really, isn’t it time for her to own her first pair of skates? I’ll send you the very best, top of the line.”“Yakov, she only just turned two! Let’s give her at least a few more months. I think you’re even more excited about this than my husband is.”Currently, Aviva was immersed in showing Akihito and Yakov the latest pictures of Nadya: her and Georgi’s adorable two-year-old. Despite Yuuri’s inclination to give his husband’s former coach a wide berth, he had to admit that it was extremely endearing to see the normally crotchety Yakov coo and gaze at the photos of his god-daughter with stars in his eyes.Since the Popovichs’ move to Moscow last year, Yakov and Lilia had been forced to adjust their bearings, bereft at the sudden distance between them and their favorite little one. In their retirement, however, the elderly couple was far more receptive to travel, so they had committed to making the trip to Moscow a few times a year to catch up with the new parents, and help with childcare. Yuuri could still remember watching over FaceTime as a newly reunited Yakov and Lilia had hugged one another, tears brimming in their eyes when Gosha had come out to greet them in the waiting room with the news of Nadya’s birth. For the elder Russians, who were willingly child-free, he knew it had marked the beginning of quite the transformational shift in their lives.“Ever since I went fully vegetarian I’ve been looking for more recipes, so I’d gladly welcome your suggestions. I have to admit: whenever Yusha and Vitya show me pictures from your restaurant, I get undignifiably jealous. I think 99% of their photos are either of dogs or your cooking, you wouldn’t even know they’re figure skaters.”Yuuri grinned at the sound of Mohit’s boisterous laugh, reaching him from only a few seats away, from where he was animatedly chatting with Lilia about Sri Lankan food.It was nice to have the former prima here, as her absence during the last Olympics (when she and Yakov had still been on rocky terms) had been palpably uncomfortable.Despite the travails the PyeongChang Games judge bribery scandal had brought about, not all of the aftermath had been bad. In particular, it had caused the infamously work-fixated coach to seriously reflect on his priorities; after all, if Yakov’s unwavering dedication to his career – a dedication postulate on appeasing the Russian federation, thereby costing him his marriage – couldn’t even protect him from political meddling, was it really worth so much personal sacrifice?The result of his introspection had been a long overdue retirement, therapy, and a healing of old wounds in his relationship with his ex-wife. He and Lilia had gotten back together in late 2019, and planned to hold an intimate wedding ceremony sometime next year.“I’ve never tried it with persimmon, that’s genius! Taku, you’ll have to let me in on more of these secrets, and better yet: you should join me in taking Mohit’s summer baking class. We end early on Wednesdays, you have no excuse!”Next to Akihito, Viktor seemed to be losing his mind at the casual way Kishimoto Taku was spilling his highly prized baking secrets with him and Georgi.Though the excited chatter was a bit difficult to make out – all three individuals were fairly talkative when sober, but put a few baijiu cocktails in front of them and they’d be lucky not to get a few imploring warnings to settle down from the waitstaff – they seemed to be lost in conversation over the best ways to prepare clafoutis5.Yuuri had been a very willing taste-tester for the two-month period last summer when his husband had become obsessed with finding the perfect recipe. It was only after he had (reluctantly) complained about how many carbs he was consuming that Viktor had abandoned his search, settling upon a cherry version he had been experimenting with. Even as the three of them talked, Yuuri kept his hand on Viktor's stiff knee, giving it the occasional light massage under the overlay of his suede boot.“Alina will kill me if I don’t rope you into teaching this summer, so you better say yes. Besides, everyone wants to see the new moves you can do!”At present, he was enjoying the latest gossip courtesy of Mila about all of the former pole-dancing students he had taught back in St. Petersburg. Shortly after moving to Russia in early 2017, he had acquiesced to Viktor’s begging, and began to brush up on his pole skills as a way to make friends and cross-train. It helped that his then-fiance was all too happy to be flexible around their on-ice training schedule in order to accommodate Yuuri’s re-acquired hobby; indeed, he would often “drop by” randomly to watch him, much to the chagrin of his former instructor (and close friend), Alina.After his speedy completion of the Advanced class series, Alina had asked if he might consider co-teaching with her whenever he wasn’t away at competitions, which was how Mila and a group of 9 others in the Beginners series became his first students.Yuuri had been utterly surprised when the demand for his instruction had eventually led to his certification as a group instructor at the studio. As such, he’d ended up leading a sizable cohort of students through Beginners and Intermediate level classes, sometimes with long waiting lists for his offerings. When he had taken his half-season break from competition to “decompress” after the PyeongChang Games, teaching his students and choreographing routines became one of his favorite uses of time.Combined with the fact that Viktor had by then retired, the two of them had had a very fun couple of months; Yuuri still blushed when he thought about some of the solo routines he’d ended up choreographing and performing for him during that time. Sitting there between Mila and Viktor, he had to stop himself from recalling the latter’s reaction (and everything it had led to) when he’d gifted him a surprise routine6 for their second engagement anniversary.Alina had lent him an empty studio for his performance, and when he and his then-fiance had emerged 45 minutes after entering – looking quite flushed and sporting sex hair – she hadn’t bothered to hold back a very knowing look. Yuuri had thought Viktor could at least have had the decency to look sheepish when she pointed out that his sweater was on inside-out, but, of course, he had been as blithely unconcerned as ever, too high on bliss.“No, no, forget the death spirals! I’ve got three words for you both: Synced. Hyperextended. Biellmans.”On his left, a spirited conversation between his rinkmate Izumi (Team Japan’s leading pick in Women’s Singles skating), her girlfriend Niko, and Sara Crispino was taking place. The three of them appeared be taking the ‘libations’ part of the evening quite seriously, though they had eschewed baijiu in favor of a few different kinds of wine. As he’d discovered over the years, all three ladies could easily drink him under the table, and, more than once, he’d been egged on to increasingly drunken and embarrassing declarations of love for Viktor by each of them.Based on the snippets he could make out, they seemed to be discussing the latest internal chatter within the International Skating Union (ISU), which he had disclosed to Izumi last week. Though long-overdue, the ISU Congressional Session was finally considering changing the eligibility for Pairs Skating to allow for same-sex couples, something the younger skater had been hoping for ever since she had first decided to skate competitively.The issue had come up during the last meeting of the ISU’s Athletes Commission7, which Yuuri had been appointed to in March of 2018. Still reeling from the previous month’s drama at the Games, he had barely registered at the time how monumental the 4-year appointment would be, but it had ended up serving as an immensely valuable career experience, particularly because of the ethical issues that had been raised during the Olympics.Largely due to his and Viktor’s visibility as an openly queer, engaged (and then married) couple, Yuuri had been pleasantly surprised to find that his ability to influence certain conversations, particularly around reforming the very heteronormative parameters of the sport, had been substantial. While nothing had been solidified yet, pending the approval of the Executive Board, the motion to approve same-sex couples in ISU Pairs Skating8 would be announced during this year’s World’s competition in Montpellier.On Sara’s other side, Ianna Perez and Saveliy Romanov seemed to be having a ball talking to Kenjirou and Yurio, seated across from them. Viktor had been quite proud of his matchmaking skills when he’d first suggested back in 2018 that the former two should date, and it always warmed Yuuri’s heart to see one of his favorite couples still going strong. Though it was a bit hard to hear exactly what was going on, Sava and Ianna appeared to be sharing embarrassing stories about Yura with Kenjirou, who was soaking everything in with a delighted grin on his face.The Ice Tiger had grown fairly close with Ianna from their 3-year overlap at Yubileyny, a relationship that had grown considerably when Ianna took over as his head coach once Yakov retired. And, though it had taken a little while, Yurio now counted Kenjirou among the closest of his Fukuoka friends. This was in addition to Izumi, Higuchi Wakaba (one of Papio’s other Women’s Singles skaters), and the pairs skaters Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi, the latter three of whom were currently attending a JSF sponsorship dinner that Yuuri felt fortunate to have been able to opt out of.He felt a wave of fondness at the sight of Yurio throwing his head back in laughter, and couldn’t resist pointing out his cheerful expression to Mila.The opportunity to tease her “little brother” in-person appeared to be too great for her to pass up, because the next thing he knew, she had whipped her phone out to record a video of him recovering from his laughing fit. Spotting the phone camera, Kenjirou directed a beaming smile their way, which, of course caught Yurio’s attention. Almost immediately, his face underwent a truly impressive transition from milky white to puce. With a furtive glance all the way to the other end to make sure Lilia’s attention was occupied elsewhere, he flipped Mila off with a scowl.“Tcha! Why record me, baba, when Katsudon’s right across from you? Go ahead, ask him how it feels to know that the last skate of his career will be overshadowed when I win Olympic gold! I wanna make sure his response gets recorded, this should be good.”At this, Yuuri gave a small smile and reflected on the fact that the Ice Tiger had turned into a very convincing actor over the past few years.“Hmmmmm…after I thrashed him in Osaka, I would have thought Yura would be a little more hesitant to trash-talk,” he responded good-naturedly, while looking directly at the phone camera.On either side of him, Niko and Viktor spluttered delighted laughs.“And besides, there’s no way I won’t defend my title. A certain bet has been set into place, which means I have a lot riding on my second gold,” he added, with a glance at Yura, who was blushing, slightly. “What those terms are, I can’t really share, yet,” he finished, with a look to his right at his husband.With a swoop of his stomach, he realized Viktor was gazing at him with that wondrous expression he often wore, as if Yuuri was the only thing in the entire world worth looking at.“You all will have to wait until the post-Free Skate press conference, isn’t that right, Yusha? Though, I suppose we could spill the beans, and swear everyone to secrecy,” Viktor mused, leaning over to wave at the camera.Before Yuuri could formulate his response, Izumi’s excited babbling filtered through to his ears. Apparently unable to contain her enthusiasm, she had embraced Yurio, who, predictably, was making a big show of squirming away.“Oh, whatever it is, Yuuri-senpai, I’m sure it will be wonderful!” she cried, now clinging to Yura as if he were a life vest. (Get off! For Christ’s sake, Iz, pull yourself together!) “And if you do decide to share with all of us, I’ll guard your secret with my life!”Though Yuuri tried hard not to let it show, he couldn’t help the twitch of his lips. Izumi’s enthusiasm was endearing, but he knew that if he said anything at all about the terms of the bet before the end of the Men’s Singles competition, it would end up diverting attention away from his performance, not to mention the skill and talent of his fellow competitors. As tempting as it was to share the terms that he, Viktor, and Yura had agreed upon, he knew holding off was the better option.“Thanks, Izumi-chan. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait, but I think the eventual reveal will be worth it,” he responded, smiling a bit shyly.As Yuuri spoke, he sensed a number of pairs of curious eyes on him, no doubt wondering what exactly was at stake in his quest to earn back-to-back Olympic golds. Of course, he was sure it wasn’t lost on anyone at the table that if he did indeed become a multi- Olympic champion, he’d achieve something that only two other people in the history of Men’s Singles figure skating had. One of them was his own husband, while the other was Swedish skater Gillis Emanuel Grafström.Viktor had won solo golds at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and had been looking to make history in PyeongChang as figure skating’s second ever three-time champion, apart from Grafström. However, it was precisely because of Yuuri that he had failed to achieve the feat…something he still felt irrationally guilty about. He fondly recalled the time two summers ago when he had apologized to Viktor for “stealing” the opportunity from him. His coach had responded by picking him up and throwing him into their ice-cold backyard pool, despite his pleading and shrieks of laughter.Yuuri jolted a bit, the feeling of silky strands against his neck startling him. He had failed to notice that Viktor hadn’t yet leaned away. With a discreet glance around at their tablemates, he observed that the attention seemed to be off of them, for the moment.“It’s a good thing you didn’t mention our second, more…intimate bet, hmm, my Yuuri? Everyone would be too worked up to eat,” his spouse murmured, with a quick nip at his earlobe. The shock of wet lips on his skin sent a jolt of desire zipping throughout his entire body, and Yuuri internally cursed the fact that Viktor seemed to be getting the jump on him; he needed to kick-start L-O-V-E before he started losing his bearings.Leaning away, slightly, he took a deep breath and tried to regroup. Remembering what he was wearing under his suit, he focused on his end-game for the night. His Vitya wasn’t the only one adept at teasing; Viktor often said that he was the only person in the universe capable of driving him crazy, while making him like it. Their games of cat-and-mouse usually led to extremely hot, memorable sex, which 9 times out of 10 involved them devouring each other against the nearest available wall.Yuuri smiled at his husband with a supremely unruffled expression.Figuring he needed a reminder of just how fine a line they were treading, he moved his hand to the inside of his upper thigh, delighting in the sharp inhale he heard in response. Deciding to let a couple of minutes go by so his intentions wouldn’t be revealed prematurely, he listened in on Izumi and Sara’s friendly debate over the cutest Women’s Singles skaters, all the while feeding Viktor a few bites from his spectacular duck curry dish. When a natural lull in the conversation arose, he excused himself for the washroom, and headed towards the rear of Duck de Chine’s tastefully decorated dining room.Locking himself in the single-occupancy bathroom, Yuuri was pleased to note the dark marble of the counter, the deep green, almost-black walls, and exposed-bulb light fixtures, casting a sensual amber glow around the room. It was the perfect setting for what he had in mind: a seductive selfie that would get Viktor all riled up, stealing his breath away. Spying the hook on the door, he removed his suit coat and belt, and hung them both up.After unbuttoning his dress shirt and tugging his pants down to his ankles, he took a deep breath, humming a few bars of Thing of Beauty to bolster his confidence.He knew Viktor adored him in practically everything, faux-silk ties in shades of cornflower blue notwithstanding. However, he went especially wild for him in lingerie, particularly the kind that highlighted his shapely ass. Yuuri bit his lip, thinking of the way his spouse’s pretty skin would flush when he looked at his phone. A slightly evil part of him hoped he’d regret wearing such a tight skirt upon seeing the image of his body wrapped in deep red satin and sequins, in a full set including a brassiere, panties, stockings, and a garter belt.“Fuck,” Yuuri whispered, breathily, practically able to feel Viktor’s gaze raking ravenously over his heated skin. He was glad he’d remembered to put in his contact lenses earlier; it was always more satisfying when he could see exactly how hungry he looked when they were making love.Imagining the slip of their tongues against each other, he fisted himself, making sure not to grip too hard, lest he accidentally knock the sequins off of the deep red fabric. With the hand not tugging at his half-hard erection, Yuuri opened the Signal app9 on his phone, and switched to camera mode. He turned, so that a full-body shot of his side profile could be captured. From such a vantage point, the swell of his ass peeked out temptingly from under the bottom of his dress shirt, and his stocking-covered thighs were on prominent display. The angle also ensured his husband would be able to see the tenting in his underwear. Glancing into the mirror, Yuuri was glad to see that his cheeks were only slightly pinked, providing just a hint of how they’d look later tonight. He briefly wondered how many rounds he and Viktor could manage to get away with before their plentiful stamina ran out.After experimenting with different facial expressions, he settled for his third attempt, which managed to capture a smirk that was the perfect mix of playful and sultry.‘Make sure you save room for “dessert”, beautiful’ he typed, before sending the scintillating surprise off. Yuuri only hoped Viktor wouldn’t be mid-bite when he went to check his notifications.Readjusting his clothes, he faced the mirror, willing his erection to disappear as quickly as possible.Once he was within view of the table again, he had to stifle a laugh when he saw the way Viktor perked up upon sight of him. A note of exigency hung in his gaze, and his cheeks were flushed as they so often were, mid-romp. Maintaining eye contact as he sauntered on with his hands in his pockets, Yuuri flashed him a quick wink, after which his love's face went, somehow, even redder.
Cute.
He couldn’t help the feeling of smugness that began to settle over him as he watched Viktor reach for his glass of ice water, beginning to gulp feverishly, as if parched. This comical guzzling continued even after he resettled into the seat beside him, never mind Georgi’s concerned gaze. Turning slightly, Yuuri placed a hand at the base of his neck and squeezed, gently.“Slow down, ハニー10, you’ll give yourself brain-freeze,” he chirped sunnily, delighting in the small shiver that seemed to run down Viktor’s spine in response to his touch. “I didn’t realize you ordered such a spicy dish, Vitya,” he went on, before picking his silverware back up.“What do you expect, Yusha?” Mila giggled, glancing up from her soup. “You know us Russians have the spice tolerance of newborns. Vitya said she bit right into a chili pepper.”Biting his lip so he wouldn’t accidentally laugh, Yuuri glanced at his husband, who finally appeared to be slowing the pace of his thirst-quenching activities.“Aww, is that true, sweetheart?” he cooed, feigning pity. “Poor Vitya, do you want some of my curry? I know you liked it when I gave you a taste earlier.”His hope that Viktor would pick up on his double meaning was confirmed when he began spluttering next to him, into his water. Finally setting his glass down, his love turned to him with a beseeching expression…one that was just a touch too imploring to be anything but contrived. In one smooth motion, he moved his chair to be as close as possible to Yuuri’s own, while looping his arms around him.“It’s sooo spicy, ダーリン11,” he whined.Loudly.With the way Viktor's arm was angled, what their table mates couldn’t see was the way he was placing slow kitten licks against his skin, and curling his fingers rhythmically into the soft hairs at the back of his neck.
Goddamn.
Well, it’s not like Yuuri could pretend he didn’t enjoy this idea of payback. This was especially true as the sensation of suede brushing against his ankle became known. As the tip of his spouse’s stiletto boot snuck under the leg of his suit pants, he suppressed a shiver, though with difficulty.Viktor could definitely give as good as he got.With a slightly shaky hand, Yuuri pulled his plate towards himself. Spearing a bit of carrot and duck onto his fork, he wasted no time in shoving the forkful into his Vitya’s mouth, once he’d decided to stop ‘hiding’ in the crook of his neck.“Tasty, huh? And no chili peppers for your sensitive throat,” he trilled, putting his fork down and subtly reaching his arm around to begin playing with the end of his husband’s braid. Winding it slowly around a finger, he smirked at the stuttered breath Viktor gave in response to his touch. His amusement was short-lived, however, as the boot trailing along his ankle moved higher up, beginning to rub slow circles against his calf.…so what if Yuuri’s half-hard cock was twitching back to life?Expelling his own shaky breath, he concentrated on his counterattack. Gathering a large bite of Viktor's risotto onto his own spoon, he turned to look at him, affecting his best impression of guilelessness.“You don’t mind, do you?” Yuuri asked, tilting his head in the coquettish way that always got him going. “I’m kind of in the mood for something spicy,” he continued, voice pitching downwards. (Upon reflection later, he would be 100% embarrassed at this blatantly obvious innuendo, but at seeing his favorite pair of eyes widen at the words, he now only felt powerfully alluring.)As he chewed and swallowed the “spicy” risotto (really, Vitya? Chili peppers?), he gloated internally at the way his spouse hungrily eyed his mouth.“Sooo good,” Yuuri exclaimed, exaggeratedly, with a conspicuous lick at his lips.“Ah, I knew you’d be able to handle it, Yusha,” Georgi piped up, with a chuckle. “Vitya, maybe next time you shou– ”“ちくしょう!”12Gosha’s advice was cut off by the abrupt sound of Viktor cursing.Startling, Yuuri felt his husband’s arms unwind from around his neck, and watched as he snatched at his serviette to dab at a spot on the front of his white leather jacket.“And I just got this dry-cleaned,” – a blatant lie – “...ughh, I’m so careless sometimes!” Viktor exclaimed, mournfully, in a tone that was probably convincing to anyone that knew how attached he was to his clothes. “I should probably run to the bathroom to take care of this, I really hope duck curry won’t stain.”Yuuri’s lips quirked as he watched him stand, abruptly, his braid dramatically whipping behind him from the sudden movement. Feeling a flutter of excitement somewhere near his groin, his eyes stayed glued to his love’s retreating figure, noting the way his hips were swaying far more than usual. If his hunch was correct, he’d be receiving an equally steamy picture in a matter of minutes, and he covertly checked to make sure his Signal notifications were turned on.“Oh, Vitya,” Georgi snorted, sounding amused. “I feel like she needs to carry a Tide pen or two with her, for all the expensive clothing she wears. Yusha, out of curiosity, how much do you two pay for dry cleaning? Do they charge extra if everything is designer?”And with that, Yuuri was drawn into giving a detailed overview of the three separate dry-cleaners that he and Viktor frequented. He didn’t realize that several minutes had gone by until Niko gave a loud exclamation, her eyes fixed on a spot over her left shoulder.“Woah! Why can’t I ever get my hair to look that good?”Turning to check out whatever had caught her eye, he was immensely grateful he had just swallowed his food, almost positive he would have choked, otherwise.While perhaps his already being keyed-up might have something to do with it, Yuuri felt his heart promptly go into free-fall as he caught sight of his spouse walking back towards the table.Viktor looked stunning, and as their eyes met, the thrilling, weightless feeling of falling he often experienced when he watched him skate, or laugh, or look at him, took over.His husband was now wearing his hair down, his lightly waved locks cascading down his shoulders like starlight dappled across the surface of water, each wave bouncing ever so slightly with every step of his toweringly high boots. The “stained” jacket was tied around his waist, accentuating its slimness, and without the overlying layer, the outline of his strong, well-defined arm muscles was more than evident in his tight sweater…the same sweater that Yuuri had talked at length about, just two weeks ago.In a rather tipsy state, he had monologued for several minutes about how sexy Viktor's arms looked in it, and how the color set his eyes off nicely. As he got closer to his seat, Yuuri could see that Viktor had put on a fresh application of mascara and eyeliner, and was donning a smirk that indicated he knew exactly how good he looked. It was this last detail that drove the nail in the coffin of Yuuri’s death from horniness, due to his insanely attractive spouse.“Vitya, what a great outfit! I didn’t get a chance to see the whole thing before, since you had your coat on,” Aviva commented, as Viktor settled back into his chair. “You look fantastic!”As he looked her way with his heart-shaped smile, Yuuri willed his brain cells to begin firing again, and waited for a lull in their conversation. When the right moment arose, he placed a hand on his thigh, prompting his love to turn towards him. His smirk was back in place.“She’s right, you look gorgeous,” he said, softly. Even though he’d already told him so, earlier, as soon as Viktor had emerged from the bathroom, it could never be said enough. “I’m so lucky,” he continued, earnestly.Instantly, the curve of his husband’s mouth softened, and he blushed. “I think we’re both very lucky, honey,” he replied, looking uncharacteristically demure.Yuuri gave him a loving smile and tucked an errant strand of silver behind his ear. Furrowing his brow determinedly, he leaned over so only Viktor would be able to hear him.“That being said, you better not expect me to concede,” he whispered, a note of steel entering his voice. “I could play this game all night.”Viktor turned even further towards him, their faces so close that their noses could brush together. Yuuri felt his heart squeeze at the clear lust and adoration visible in his gaze.“I was hoping you’d say that, Любимый13. I look forward to it.”Well, fuck.Yuuri just hoped he’d be able to survive until they finished dinner. For once, he had never wanted to skip dessert more.

------------------------------It was mere seconds after the Duck de Chine bathroom door had shut that he had Viktor pressed up against the wall, kissing him as if starved for his breath.The thought that they should probably keep the volume of their moaning down flitted through Yuuri’s mind, but he couldn’t truly spare much attention for it, not with the way his husband was responding so beautifully to the aggressive way he was sucking on his bottom lip. The sound of his desperate whimpers was going straight to his cock, and together with the uninhibited smacking of their mouths, Yuuri was glad for the bass-forward song blaring throughout the room.Their bodies were as close as they could possibly be without literally fusing together, and Viktor had one hand pressed firm to the small of his back; the heat of his palm blazed through his dress shirt. All four of their coats – both of their luxe, woolen peacoats, plus the “stained” leather jacket, and his emerald green sport coat – were in a heap on the floor, and he had no doubt that as soon as they composed themselves enough to leave, Viktor would set a phone reminder to get them dry-cleaned somewhere in the Olympic Village.Such mundanities were confined to the recesses of his mind, however.The charge in the air between them seemed to have captured Yuuri’s every nerve ending, and this awareness was heightened with every skirting of his spouse's fingers over the crotch of his suit pants.Each torturously light touch made him shiver.He, in turn, had once again snuck a hand underneath Viktor's tempting leather skirt. While he groped shamelessly at his ass, the fingers of his other hand were buried in his loose hair, just above the nape of his neck. Viktor had told him countless stories about the careless past lovers who had treated his hair as a convenient “thing” to grab onto, and Yuuri had vowed, no matter how lost he was to carnal impulse, to never affect such irreverence.“God, anata14,” he breathed, admiring the softness and fullness of his love’s lips as he spoke against them. “You drive me crazy, you know that? If I knew you wouldn’t get mad at me for it, I would rip these stockings off of you right now.”His stomach swooped at the note of desperation in the answering moan. Given that Viktor seemed to need a few seconds to close his eyes and compose himself, he contented himself with licking the shell of his ear as he waited.“My Yuranya15,” he eventually mumbled in reply, dropping his head down to slide his mouth against Yuuri's throat. “Who cares if I get mad…that’s so hot.”The sudden scrape of teeth against his neck made Yuuri jolt.“Viten’ka,” he gasped out, almost unintelligibly.His thoughts felt hazy, suspended in sticky-sweet syrup concentrated by the heady pleasure overtaking his senses. With fingertips constantly roving over the area he most wanted them, his love continued to deliver the most fleetingly agonizing bits of friction to his overheated body.Trying desperately to focus, he managed to continue, his words coming out in a hoarse whisper.“How about if I tear them to shreds so I could touch you properly?”Viktor groaned out as if physically struck by his words, and Yuuri thrilled at the realization of how wrecked he already sounded.The knowledge spurred him on.Nibbling a bit at his earlobe, he ruminated, wickedly, before proceeding.“Tell me, my love: what would I find if I touched you, right now, hmm? Would I find you, hard and leaking, that thick, perfect cock of yours making a pretty mess of your underwear?”“Jesus, baby,” his husband whispered back, weakly, in response to the lewdness.His lips had paused their work against his throat, presumably from overwhelm, and Yuuri smiled, triumphantly. While he had felt awkward about dirty talk earlier on in their relationship, observing the way Viktor consistently unraveled in response to his increasing vocalness had been a powerful antidote for any self-consciousness. Now, he absolutely reveled in using this prowess to make him fray apart at the seams.“I bet you’d feel so good, all hot and throbbing in my hand – ”
another choked groan-wail
“– so wet and messy and gorgeous,” he all but hissed in Viktor’s ear, punctuating the end of the sentence with a sharp bite to the lobe that had him trembling in his hold.His husband didn’t seem to be able to hold back his shuddering cry at this unabashed filth, muffling the sound against the dip in between his collarbones.Moving the fingers that had been rooted in his hair down to his ass, Yuuri now slipped both hands underneath the waistband of his stockings, cupping a cheek in each of his palms.“Oh god, the things you do to me,” Viktor huffed out against his collarbone, sounding as if he were in pain. “That picture you sent – if our friends hadn’t been there, I would have dropped to my knees and sucked you off as soon as you came back to the table.”Yuuri bit back a curse at the images that formed, unbidden, in his mind due to this promise: his love’s alluringly eager gaze, turned up towards him in search of praise; his rosy, sweat-slicked skin, messy with spit and pre-cum; his perfect, shiny pink lips, stretching wide open over…
Fuckkkk.
His mind scrambled, trying to figure out his next move as Viktor began to suck brutally at his neck, no doubt hoping to leave a mark.“Why only when I came back? You could have – kuso!16 – joined me in here,” he replied, breathily, beginning to squirm from the focused attention. With a start, he realized the parallel to their Uber ride from earlier, except the roles were now reversed. He would have to double down on his efforts if he wanted to maintain control, already having a vision for how the rest of the evening would hopefully pan out.“Why didn’t you, honey-bear? Was your risotto so important that you couldn’t bear to step away from it?” Yuuri went on in a tease, glad that his voice didn’t sound as tremulous this time.He was pleased to hear his spouse begin to pant as he carefully trailed his fingers down the cleft of his ass. They didn’t have any lube on them, so he only intended to tease at his entrance.“Never, nothing could ever be – mph! – as important as y-you,” Viktor responded, his short, uneven breaths tickling the base of his throat.Deciding to reward such an earnest answer, Yuuri began to curl his fingertips, but his actions were interrupted by Viktor suddenly switching from a light graze over his crotch to full-on clutching. He gasped; his love was groping his erection like his body was in danger of disappearing.“Боже мой17, my Yuuri. I need you so bad,” he whispered, sounding frantic. “Why didn’t we bring lube? I want you inside me.”Viktor’s longing tone nearly shredded the last reserves of his restraint, and they hung in tatters, growing weaker with every second they remained at the restaurant. Though it went against every one of Yuuri’s current desires, he knew they had to stop, saving any further activity for after they reached their suite in the Team Japan dormitory. That didn’t mean he had to be happy about it, though.Feeling light-headed, he planted his feet before attempting to de-escalate things.“I want that too, but we should head back,” he muttered with reluctance, pressing a kiss to his spouse’s forehead.Indulging himself with one last squeeze of Viktor’s ass, Yuuri made sure he got a firm handful before tugging his stockings and skirt back into place.“We have to be patient, Милашка18. I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he continued, switching from eros mode to cuddle mode, and simply holding him, securely.His husband seemed to sag a bit in defeat, slumping over to rest his head on his shoulder.“But I’m not good at being patient,” he whined in reply, and Yuuri almost snorted, thinking of their exchange just last night.In a fit of anxiety before bed, he had listed every single reason (all 22 of them) as to why he would surely botch the Team Skate Short Program, ending his career in disgrace and earning the hatred of every single one of his Team Japan peers. Though his coach had been half-asleep when he’d brought the topic up, he’d roused himself from his sleep stupor to make himself a strong cup of tea. From there, he’d stayed up for over two hours, offering a sound and thorough counterpoint to every single one of his statements.Contrary to his own perception of himself, Viktor was exceptionally patient, and Yuuri endeavored to remind him of it, frequently.He smiled and tightened his embrace.“Well, that’s just patently false,” he replied, beginning to giggle when Viktor sunk even further down, nearly toppling them over. “Take your response to my anxiety fit last night, for instance. Plus, I’m pretty sure I saw Gosha show you and Taku several pictures of his clafoutis attempts, and you oohed and ahhed over all of them, with the patience of a saint.”His love guffawed and straightened up to look at him.“Oh my god, so you overheard that. I sincerely thought I was having some kind of break with reality, and of course, Taku is too polite to interrupt,” he said, as they both began to giggle. “Gosha insisted that each one was a different attempt, but they literally all looked the same. All fifteen of them!”“And what about Nadya?” Yuuri asked, struggling to breathe in between laughs. “How many pictures did he show you of her?”“Only three! That poor child,” Viktor answered, tears of mirth beginning to well up in his stunning eyes. “Shunted to the side for the real stars of the show: pavlova and clafoutis.”Now both wheezing from laughter, they began to ready themselves to emerge from the bathroom, feeling happy and grateful to be able to exchange observations about their absurd, eclectic, lovable group of friends…their family.  
End of Chapter 5.
Up next: In Chapter 6, we flash back to May 2018, soon after the International Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (ICAS) ethics investigation into the PyeongChang Olympics Free Skate concludes. When the events of this chapter begin, Yuuri and Viktor are spending part of the off-season in Japan, and decide to give their first live interview since the investigation results went public. This chapter will be from Yurio’s POV. ---------------------Footnotes:1. Given the many skating events and holidays that have transpired since Yuuri and Viktor began living in Fukuoka (in May 2019), it’s reasonable to think L-I-F-E would not be the first time that their St. Petersburg friends would meet their Fukuoka friends. However, Viktor is still anxious about this going well due to the fact that this will be the first time that their entire (large) group is going to be spending an extended period of time together
Back2. Duck de Chine is one of Beijing’s most well-respected Peking duck specialty restaurants, run by father-son team Peter and Wilson Lam
Back3. Russian term of endearment that sort of defies translation but is very similar to ‘soulmate’; note, given Viktor’s request to be referred to for the evening with a mix of masculine/feminine endearments, Yuuri is using the feminine version of the term, which is latinized as rodnaya (as opposed to the masculine version, rodnoy) Back4. This is a common diminutive for the name ‘Georgi’, which, in reality, would probably be spelled Georgiy. Others include ‘Zhora’, ‘Goga, and ‘Garik’
Back5. Very tasty and easy-to-make French dessert. I’d suggest using the recipe here if you’d like to try making it yourself
Back6. At some point soon, I’ll be uploading a side story I wrote about this b/c IMHO, there is not nearly enough content out there about Yuuri pole-dancing post-Sochi. His routine will be set to Rihanna’s ‘Yeah I Said It’ Back7. This is one of the governance bodies of the International Skating Union, made up of 5 athletes across the 5 sport divisions. Members serve 4-year terms, and are elected by their peers during the World Figure Skating Championships in the same season as the Olympic Winter Games. To learn more about the commission, you can look up Article 21 of the ISU Constitution
Back8. I don’t believe the ISU is anywhere close to announcing this change, but, as some might have heard, Skate Canada did make the move in December 2022 to announce that they now allow for same-sex couples in Pairs Skating, however, this would only apply to domestic competitions. Still, a big step forward
Back9. One of the most secure messaging apps, allowing for complete encryption of messaging data, as well as audio and video call info. As prominent celebrities, I figure Viktor and Yuuri would be very particular about the apps they use, especially for more intimate exchanges
Back10. Gender-neutral Japanese way of saying “honey”, borrowed from English and romanized as hanii
Back11. Japanese way of saying “my darling”, borrowed from English and romanized as daarin
Back12. Japanese swear word, translating to “fuck!” (as an expression of frustration), romanized as chikushō
Back13. Russian term of endearment for a male loved one, romanized as lubimiy, meaning “my love”
Back14. Japanese term of endearment, often used by wives for their husbands
Back15. Just as Yuuri will sometimes call Viktor a more affectionate diminutive like ‘Viten’ka’, Viktor often likes to call Yuuri ‘Yuranya’ Back16. Japanese way of swearing, generally translates to “fuck!”, and used to express overwhelm (with a positive connotation)
Back17. Russian phrase which basically translates to “Oh my God!”, indicating great surprise/shock/feeling overwhelmed. Romanized as bozje moy
Back18. Russian term of endearment used for a male, romanized as milashka, and basically translates to ‘cutie’
Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yubileyny Sports Champions Arena, first floor break room (St. Petersburg, Russia) - early afternoon, Monday, May 21st, 2018 
 Upon entering the first floor break room of his training rink, Yuri Plisetsky paused, gaping for a good ten seconds. In all the years he’d trained at Yubileyny, he didn’t think he’d ever seen this particular room so full. Not only were each of the room’s three full-sized sectionals completely occupied, but it seemed as if extra couches had been brought in, crammed into the space normally kept open right in front of the flat-screen tv. “Over here, Yura!” he heard, somewhere to his right. He spotted Mila’s bright red hair – piled up in a bun instead of flowing freely as usual – and started to make his way over to where she, Georgi, Saveliy and Ianna all sat, around one of the low card tables off-set a little ways away from the 60-inch flatscreen. “Cutting it a bit, close, Yuri,” Ianna remarked, patting his shoulder as he settled into the chair next to hers. Had it been anyone else making the same gesture, he would have likely tried to bite their hand off, but from the day Coach Perez first showed up at Yubileyny, he had taken an instant liking to her. He couldn’t really explain it; it went even beyond the fact that she never patronized him in the way that Yakov and the other coaches sometimes did. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew she’d come from similar circumstances.When he’d first learned of Viktor's intention to hire her as Katsudon’s coach for the Olympics, he had gone online, curious about the woman who would be (temporarily) filling the geezer’s shoes. Not only had he learned of Ianna’s impressive career in Women’s Singles, breaking barriers for her native country of Mexico, but he had also been emboldened to discover that she had virtually fundraised her entire career, receiving next to nothing in the way of financial help from the Mexican Figure Skating Federation. Almost immediately, he had felt a kinship with her, all too aware of the challenges when it came to not having as many resources as fellow competitors. Even after winning the Grand Prix Final his senior debut season, he constantly felt as if he was just one sponsor withdrawal from complete financial collapse. This past season had been particularly rough, as two of the sponsors that had supported him from his Novice days had withdrawn their support after World’s. Apparently all it took was one lousy season for even the most “loyal” supporters to turn their backs.“What’s with that face?” Mila asked him (in English, presumably for Ianna’s benefit), with a trace of amusement. Apparently, his scan of the room hadn’t been as subtle as he thought. He grimaced before responding, also in English. “I just realized, I don’t think I recognize half of these people. I wonder if most of them have even talked to Katsudon.” Mila took her own scan of the room as Sava responded first.“Well, whether or not they’ve actually talked to him, everyone’s chomping at the bit to hear from them both. I know Dijkema told them to remain tight-lipped until the investigation wrapped, but I think that the near radio silence in the interim has only added to the fervor…I think people are wondering if they have any inside information that wasn’t already shared publicly.”Yuri supposed this made sense…over the last several months, he’d gotten a, frankly, horrifying glimpse at just how desperate people were for news – any news – around the ICAS’ Olympics investigation. Even casual figure skating fans knew that he, Viktor, and Yuuri were rinkmates, so from February 17th onward, Yuri had been inundated with direct messages from Katsudon’s supposed fans asking him whether he could provide any “inside information” on how the couple was doing, and how the investigation was going. He’d had no idea why the hell anyone thought he knew something that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) didn’t, and, additionally, had been enraged to realize how little respect people had for his boundaries, not to mention his rinkmates’. As soon as word got out that they’d all landed back in Russia post-Olympics, the lobby of Yubileyny had been overrun with gawking spectators, hoping to catch a glimpse of the scandal-embroiled pair as they tried to put the nightmare in Korea behind them to prepare for World’s. Oleg had stuck even closer to Viktor than usual, his beady eyes flitting about discomfitingly. A few days of this madness had gone by, after which Yuri realized that outrightly ignoring his inbox didn’t seem to be staunching the tide of incoming new messages. After seeing six separate requests to be a guest on someone’s podcast “to provide an ‘inside scoop’ for avid listeners”, he’d felt compelled to issue a public response on Instagram, directing people to get their heads out of their asses. For awhile, it seemed that people backed off a bit, but that had all changed after the World Championships in March.Between Viktor’s final competitive skate before retirement, and Yuuri outright winning gold – while setting a new world record in the process, an achievement that many people said was proof that he was the definitive Olympic champion – there was no way for either of them to avoid interviews any longer. And, of course, while both tried to make the media stay on topic during the post-skate presser1, several obnoxious reporters seemed insistent on badgering them. This went on for an astonishingly long period of time until an FISG official awkwardly had to step in. It was by far the most cringe-inducing presser Yuri had ever seen, a fact that spoke volumes, given his ample exposure to “JJ style” media moments. He had already been in an exceptionally foul mood after the Free Skate when the junket began, a permanently gloomy mood having settled over him as a result of his 10th place finish. Seeing his rinkmates heckled at turned things from bad to worse, and he’d made Otabek promise to step in, just in case he got up and started shouting. Yuri didn’t think he was asking for much in wanting Katsudon’s record-breaking skate to dominate most of the Q&A. Much to his irritation, the follow-up questions to Yuuri’s initial, elated response had all been framed in terms of the Games. 
Mr. Katsuki, what would you say to those who claim that your marks today are your direct response to the naysayers who think you should have been happy with a 4th place finish at the Games?

During your Free Skate at the Olympics, you received an edge call on your quad flip in combination, as well as deductions on your opening quad lutz jump, yet, today, you performed both elements perfectly. Do you think that with the heightened scrutiny on your technical mastery, the Court of Arbitration will be more motivated than prior to conduct a thorough investigation into what happened in Pyeongchang?
Katsudon had, to his credit, answered these questions as diplomatically as possible, but anyone could see the way his smile tightened after each intrusive follow-up. The tensing of his jaw was painful to watch, and what was even more awkward, Viktor made no attempts to hide his displeasure at the way his student’s time in the spotlight was being handled. More than once, in fact, the former had sternly reminded reporters that the focus of their questions should be on celebrating Yuuri’s current victory, instead of forcing him into a corner to discuss events that were still being handled in an ongoing investigation. His tone left no room for ambiguity, so Yuri had almost lost his mind when one moron had tried to bring up the Olympics again, but this time, under the guise of concern around the geezer’s retirement. 
Given that this was your last competitive skate, Mr. Nikiforov, do you feel like you were able to end your career on your own terms, even with everything that happened in Korea? Surely it must be a strange situation, to finish your competitive legacy without knowing whether you can add another Olympic medal to your collection?
The look Viktor gave in response was cold enough to freeze an entire ice rink; within seconds, the jackass who asked had been reduced to a quivering, bumbling mess. But in just a few minutes’ time, the media as well as figure skating fans the world over would get the answers they had been longing for since February. Via a live NHK-World-Japan2 broadcast from the NHK’s Shibuya headquarters, Katsudon and Viktor were giving their first interview since the ICAS investigation officially closed. Immediately after World’s, they’d had to fly to Lausanne, Switzerland for their official ICAS hearings. Then, after returning to St. Petersburg for less than a week, they’d taken off again with the dogs for Hasetsu, where they planned to stay awhile, keeping a low profile. When news of the investigation wrap had first been publicly announced on Friday, it had promptly led to a widespread Twitter meltdown. Just minutes into the joint press conference hosted by ICAS President Michael Lenard and IOC President Thomas Bach, #OlympicChampionKatsukiYuuri, #CrookedOlympics2018 and #ShameOnTheIOC had started trending (and, in some cases, re-trending) worldwide. As one of the Men’s Singles Division competitors, Yuri had been informed last week, one day after each of the 7 ISU Disciplinary Commission claimants3 and their respective coaching staff and publicists had been notified. It hadn’t seemed like the most efficient way to do things, especially given that Yakov was both his and Viktor’s coach, and had therefore had to sit through two separate video conference calls. During said call, Yuri had been joined by Otabek and Czech skater Emil Nekola, as well as their respective coaches/publicists. ISU President Jan Dijkema and Vice President Alexander Lakernik – looking like they hadn’t slept in about a week – spoke to them about the findings, and allowed time for questions.It was sort of a blur in his head now, but the one thing that he was sure of coming out of that exchange was the fact that the ISU was a bunch of fucking cowards. Hell, not even just the ISU, but the entire IOC. “Uggghhh!”Startled by the harsh groan mere inches from his ear, Yuri jumped, hitting his knee on the table’s low edge. “Christ, Georgi, what’s up with you?!” he exclaimed, scowling; his knee was already feeling tender. He’d taken a good number of falls during practice earlier that morning, as his jumps were still shit. No amount of dedicated work with Saveliy seemed to be helping him fully recover his triples and quads, and some days Yuri found himself trapped in a nightmare of anxious “what ifs”, wondering if he was destined to finish in tenth place for the rest of his career. His melodramatic rinkmate’s response was barely intelligible, Georgi having collapsed face-first onto the table. “I hope they don’t break up,” he moaned. “What if their relationship can’t survive all of this attention? People keep saying that Yusha should blame Vitya for all of it!” He, Mila, and Ianna all snorted in unison.“Who is saying that? How stupid,” Mila replied, her tone biting. “Do they really think Vitya would try to screw over his own fiance like that? That he was so desperate to get another gold that he orchestrated the whole thing? That’s just people talking out of their asses, like always.”The mere idea that Viktor would have been the one to call the shots with federation slimeballs like Zhukov and Gorshkov in charge was downright laughable, as well as the notion that Katsudon would somehow blame the old man for what had happened. While a lot of things had been worrying Yuri over the last few days, the couple’s relationship being “tested” by the findings wasn’t one of them. He was sure that by the time their interview ended, he’d be groaning out loud over their standard nauseating, lovey-dovey behavior.“Ok, bets,” he barked out, with about a minute remaining. “How long until Viktor starts crying about how proud he is of Katsudon? My guess is within the first fifteen minutes.”Ianna grinned, reaching out to give him a light punch on the arm. “That’s pretty generous. I was gonna say within the first ten.”“Nope, it’s definitely going to happen within five,” Saveliy responded, matter-of-factly. “Before Yusha, Vitya was a bit of a robot…I think one of the few times I saw him display genuine emotion was when he showed up here one day, crying, because Makkachin didn’t recognize him right after he cut his hair. But now, he emotes so much more easily…I feel like most things having to do with Yusha bring out the waterworks for him.”Georgi opened his mouth to chime in (likely expressing his solidarity), but a sudden loud shushing swept the room, and they turned to see the flash of the NHK emblem on the tv screen. Thanks to Katsudon arranging for it ahead of time, the broadcasters had been able to set up real-time closed captioning in Russian and Japanese, with the interview itself conducted in English. Though he’d pouted at not receiving Yuuri’s vote of confidence, Viktor was not quite yet learned enough to keep up with interviews exclusively in Japanese.  Noisy murmurs filled the room as Katsudon and Viktor’s images came up on screen. They were in a spacious tv studio, holding hands and seated next to each other on a large cream-colored sofa. It was a striking image, considering that they were both wearing complementary, impeccably tailored outfits. Yuuri was wearing a teal suit with a white dress shirt, thin black tie, and black oxfords, and his hair was slicked back in the way he usually wore it when skating. His signature blue frames were gone, as he’d come around to wearing contact lenses more when it came to interviews and media appearances. One leg was crossed over a knee, and on the sliver of skin visible just above his dress shoe, one could make out the colored edge of his new(ish) tattoo: the interlocking Olympic rings that he and Viktor had both gotten done last month. The old man was dressed a bit more casually, lacking a suit coat, but wearing a black dress shirt and black suit pants, with a tie in the exact shade of teal his fiancé was wearing. On his feet were matching black loafers, and though it was relatively subtle, anyone who spent time regularly in the spotlight could tell that he was wearing makeup: gossamer shimmer high on his cheekbones, and some light eyeshadow and mascara. His hair was pulled back into a tiny bun, as he’d let it grow out the last few months now that he was retired. Yuri almost snorted, remembering Viktor’s nervous disposition when he’d explained his decision to grow his hair out to him several weeks ago. The geezer had asked if he and Yuuri could FaceTime with him, so after yet another dispiriting practice session with Saveliy, he’d called them, immediately feeling unnerved when he spotted the two of them looking like someone had just died. They were sitting next to one another in the bedroom of their condo in Hasetsu, and Katsudon had his arms wrapped around his fiance in an uncomfortable-looking side hug. When he’d finally urged them to spit out whatever it was they were clearly agitated about, Viktor had stumbled over his words, but eventually managed to convey that he’d been waiting until his retirement to officially come out to close friends and family as genderfluid.Without even giving Yuri a second to reply, he’d rushed on to reveal that he’d been wanting to grow his hair back out the minute he’d been forced to cut it (years ago, at age 20, when his hand had been forced by conservative and meddlesome Russian sponsors and the FFKKR). Pausing to allow Yuuri to whisper what were, presumably, words of comfort into his ear, the old man had then noisily swallowed before looking directly into the camera with an enigmatic expression. In a shaky voice, he’d then noted that he “would really appreciate your support, especially because it might take awhile before I could ever be ready to come out publicly”.  Yuri had been a bit stupefied as to why the geezer had looked so nervous to tell him of all people; after all, once a month, if not more, Yuri could be found ranting to whoever was around at Yubileyny about how idiotic and backwards figure skating was when it came to understanding gender non-conformity. Taking a split-second to think about what Dr. Golubev, his new therapist, would have likely urged him to do in the situation, he tamped down on his incredulity and managed to sound halfway genuine when he thanked Viktor for confiding in him. He’d then firmly added that he would support him no matter what – and had meant it. Whatever misgivings Yuri might have had around his awkwardness faded away when the geezer and Katsudon had both fucking beamed at him as if he’d just bestowed a litter of poodle puppies unto them. After clearing his throat to signal that they’d need to veer away from this mushy crap ASAP, he’d then glowered and told the old man that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with his appearance, as long as he didn’t try to copy his own face-framing look.The conversation had then devolved, as Yuuri proceeded to show them an app he’d discovered that could transpose any hairstyle in a realistic way onto a person’s face, and they’d cried laughing seeing what Yakov, Mila, and even Makkachin would look like with a stereotypically 80’s style mullet. (Of course, the dog-obsessed jerks had cooed over their “adorable little rockstar” for an inordinately long period of time, and he’d hung up to go cuddle with Potya). As he eyed Viktor now, Yuri begrudgingly had to admit that he was pulling the bun off well. Somewhere directly behind him, several voices yelled out about how hot the two of them looked. Immediately, he felt himself redden. 
Did anyone at Yubileyny have any sense of shame?
Mila, predictably, laughed at the outburst, with a whispered, “Ok, but seriously, they do look great. I wish Vitya could have grown his hair out long before now. And I wonder where the idea for teal came from?”Ianna leaned in a bit, grinning. “You all know how much I love Yuuri, so it’s with the utmost affection that I say there’s no way in hell he had anything to do with it. If it had been up to him, I’m sure he’d have wanted to wear a sweater and some skinny jeans, and call it a day. I’d guess that’s either Haru or Viktor’s doing…probably a tag-team effort.”Yuri tuned them out to instead focus on the plum-suited woman sitting across from the couple, in a matching cream armchair. “Yamamoto Miki”, the screen caption read, along with the fact that Miki was both a Newsline and NHK-World-Japan anchor. From his vantage point, she looked incredibly young, but since his first interaction with one Okukawa Minako, Yuri had been taught a thing or two about assuming the age of Japanese women. In any case, he was sure that news anchors all across the globe were quite envious of the woman who was now sitting across from the most buzzed-about couple in elite sports’ recent history.Turning to the camera, Miki flashed a warm smile, and began her introductions.“Good evening from Tokyo, and welcome to NHK-World-Japan’s nightly news broadcast. I’m Yamamoto Miki, and today, I’m honored to be speaking with the best of the best of elite athletics here at the NHK studios. I’m joined by Japanese figure skater Katsuki Yuuri-senshu, two-time World Champion, three-time Japanese National Champion, as well as the reigning Olympic gold medalist in Men’s Singles Figure Skating, the latter of which was confirmed mere days ago after a surreal turn of events during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.I have the pleasure of doing a joint interview today, because here with him is his coach, fiance, and former competitor, Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov, five-time World Champion and four-time Olympic medalist in Men’s Singles Figure Skating. Nikiforov-senshu, who retired in late March, won bronze at the 2006 Games, gold at the 2010 Games, yet another gold at the 2014 Games, and was recently confirmed as the bronze medalist at the 2018 Games. These two highly decorated athletes are considered quite the power couple in elite sports. Yuuri-san, Viktor-san, it’s wonderful to have you both here.”By now, Yuri was used to seeing his rinkmates in media appearance mode, and it struck him to realize how nervous Viktor looked, the hand not currently in Yuuri's hold absentmindedly fiddling with his tie. Katsudon looked nervous as well, but that was sort of to be expected; he wasn’t a huge fan of this kind of thing to begin with. His crossed leg was shaking, and Yuri wanted to reach through the screen to land a punch on it to still its frenetic movement. Despite their apparent nerves, however, both gave Miki broad smiles, and thanked her for the opportunity to be interviewed. “How adorable, they’ve got the Makka and Meni tissue holders with them,” Georgi whispered, loudly. Looking more closely, he realized his rinkmate was right. Seated next to Viktor on a small side table was the Makkachin tissue holder that had been a well-known part of his skating entourage when he’d still been competing. Truly living up to his dorky tendencies, the old man had commissioned a matching Meni tissue holder to be created shortly after they’d first brought the toy poodle home, last year. It was there, seated on Yuuri’s other side.“I imagine nearly everyone watching must know why having you two here today is so noteworthy, but for those who did not tune in to the 23rd Winter Olympic Games back in February, you are in for quite the story,” Miki began. “History was made, but not for the reasons one might think, during this year’s Men’s Singles Figure Skating event at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in Korea. More seasoned fans will know that Olympic figure skating outcomes in the Men’s and Women’s Singles’ Divisions come down to a Short Program segment, plus the longer Free Skate, held two days after the Short Program. The highest combined score between these programs decides the Olympic champion and the rest of the rank order, from highest to lowest point total. Before we get into the run-down of what happened, I did want to note that due to International Olympic Committee regulations, Nikiforov-senshu was prohibited from acting as Katsuki-senshu’s coach while in Pyeongchang during the Games. As such, Katsuki-senshu’s official Olympic coach was Ms. Ianna Perez, herself a former Ladies’ Singles figure skater with the Mexican Figure Skating Federation, and a two-time Olympic medalist, having won bronze at both the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, and the 1998 Games in Nagano. She currently coaches at the Yubileyny Sports Champions training center in St. Petersburg, where both Yuuri-san and Viktor-san train.”At these words, whoops and applause broke out around their table, and Saveliy gave Ianna – blushing a very bright pink – a shoulder squeeze. Yuri eyed the two of them, wondering if something was going on between them. It was hard to ignore their chemistry, and Viktor had gushed to him before about how cute he thought they’d be together.“Even before the start of the Men’s Singles competition on Wednesday, the 14th of February, the skating world was abuzz, due to a video Katsuki-senshu’s coach had posted to her Twitter and Instagram accounts, the day before.” The view on screen suddenly obscured, and Katsudon’s 45-second “teaser” video began playing. He still remembered the shockwaves that had rippled throughout the figure skating community when the video had been posted online. Of course, Viktor as well as Phichit had retweeted it almost instantly, which was what really caused people to take notice. The surprised reactions from nearly every elite skater, coach, ISU official and fan had caused a major buzz, and not only on social media. And then, of course, there were the reactions from Yuuri’s inner circle. Yuri smirked, remembering Nishigori Yuuko’s outrage at having been kept in the dark. Just five minutes after the video had been uploaded, the normally cheerful woman had stormed into Gangneung Ice Arena’s training rink, hell-bent on accosting her childhood friend, who had been in the middle of doing a post-practice cool down. The sight of Yuuri in dogeza on the ice, begging her forgiveness had been a bright spot during what had been an otherwise frustrating afternoon. Katsudon’s practice session that day had overlapped with his own, and it had been hard to keep his eyes off of him when his own Short Program run-throughs had been going so poorly. On-screen, Miki began talking as Katsudon began the lead-up to the jump.“The video, recorded during a practice session back home in Russia, showed Katsuki-senshu landing a flawless quad flip/triple toe-loop jump combination, a jump never before attempted in competition. In its captions on social media, the video noted that the jump was Yuuri-san’s opener for his Free Skate. The clip stunned many, given that Japan’s Ace skater had already submitted a very taxing planned element list for his program, leading many to wonder around the skater’s grueling training regimen, as well as how he had managed to keep his true intentions a secret, even from some of his closest friends and family members.”Saveliy laughed outright at these last words, apparently also quite fond of remembering the confrontation between Yuuko and Yuuri. The jump coach had grown quite close to Katsudon over the course of them working so closely together, a development that Viktor had been mostly happy about, except for when Mila would tease him about all the time they were spending together. This was often followed by hilariously jealous fits of whining, and it never escaped anyone’s notice that the geezer tended to be even more PDA-crazy with his fiance after Yuuri and Saveliy had had a spate of 1:1 coaching sessions.Onscreen, the video transitioned to another clip, from Yuuri’s Short Program skate.“However, in yet another surprise move, Katsuki-senshu decided to debut the jumping pass slightly earlier than expected, ratifying the combination perfectly in the second half of his Short Program, replacing what would have been a quad salchow/triple toe-loop. Hard enough on its own, many were shocked that Katsuki-senshu was able to land the jump so well, given that he’d already landed the extremely difficult quad lutz earlier in his Program. Not only this, but Japan’s Ace skater followed up his quad-triple with a stunning step sequence, something that he is quite known in the field for. As such, he took an early lead, and the Short Program’s top ten rankings4 shook out as such.”The video clip gave way to a table displaying the top scores and athletes, and Yuri’s stomach burned with shame when he saw his name missing from the list, having come in 12th after his performance. He felt a light touch against his shoulder. It was Ianna again, offering him a sympathetic smile. He couldn’t bring himself to smile back, but at least he didn’t shrug off her hand. He knew that Coach Perez’s touch wasn’t one of pity, but rather one of solidarity and a sentiment akin to “I’ve been there”. Still, his embarrassment prevented him from being able to meet her eyes for long.“As can be seen, Viktor-san and Yuuri-san both placed with top scores alongside other skaters like JJ Leroy of Canada, and Christophe Giacometti of Switzerland. The real test, of course, would be the Men’s Free Skate.As those who watched Yuuri-san’s incredible Free Skate may already know, Japan’s Ace skater did indeed attempt the difficult feat at the outset of his program. And what’s more, he appeared to land it perfectly, with even more finesse and mastery than his Short Program ratification suggested. Due to the difficulty of his technical elements overall, the lead from the Short, and the typically high marks he receives for his Program Component Score, it was widely believed that he would win the segment. In fact, many suspected he would take gold overall, and set a new World Record in the process. However, in a shocking turn of events, the Men’s Free Skate ended with scores from the judging and technical panels placing him in 4th place overall, with scores for Nikiforov-senshu, JJ Leroy, and Christophe Giacometti placing them in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. Literally unheard of in the entirety of Olympic figure skating history, nearly every single Men’s Singles competitor at the top of the leaderboard – including the 3 would-be podium placers – approached the International Skating Union’s Disciplinary Commission representatives to inquire around the judges’ marks for Katsuki-senshu. Further, 7 skaters and their respective coaches requested a delay or outright cancellation for the medal ceremony in order to file official complaints of score tampering against the technical and judging panel. What’s more? These claims did not just raise suspicions around Yuuri-san being underscored – they also alleged that both Viktor-san and Korean skater Lee Seung-Gil had been significantly overscored. Notably, both skaters filed claims in support of investigating an inflation of their scores.Bowing to the tumult of social media pressure, the International Skating Union (or I-S-U, for short) moved to cancel the usual medal ceremony, going directly into the post-event press conference. During this junket, ISU President Jan Dijkema announced that under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (I-C-A-S, for short), an official investigation would be launched into the judging and technical panel that many ultimately believed had significantly affected the final competitor rankings. In another unprecedented turn of events, Dijkema went on to note that all Free Skate scores would be scrapped until the close of the official investigation. For the first time ever in Olympic history, there was no confirmed gold, silver, or bronze medalist coming out of Men’s Singles Figure Skating.While the ICAS offered little in the way of investigation updates afterwards, public pressure for swift results mounted after the World Figure Skating Championships in Milan, Italy, in late March. In addition to the event marking Viktor-san’s last competitive skate before his retirement, it gave the figure skating community what they had been hoping to see at the PyeongChang Games: Katsuki-senshu set a new World Record for his Free Skate, which also saw him winning the event outright, clinching his second World title.”Yuri hated to admit it, but at these words (as well as the raucous applause that filled the room), ugly tendrils of envy began to unfurl in his stomach. There was no doubt that Katsudon had worked his ass off this last season. Viktor’s pre-Yuuri Olympic training schedule was infamous around Yubileyny for its spartan intensity, but from what he’d seen in the months leading up to and directly after the Games, his fiance was more than capable of giving him a run for his money in terms of work ethic. Still, something in his stomach twisted to think that Yuuri had both been named Olympic Champion and had won gold at World’s, for the second year in a row. Surely, wouldn’t just one of those have sufficed in terms of a noteworthy achievement? And, there was also the fact that people had started to refer to the quad flip/triple toe-loop as Katsudon’s signature moveYuri wanted to be happy for his rinkmate, especially because Katsudon had been exceptionally patient in the face of his trollish behavior most of the previous year. With some prodding from his grandfather, he had finally apologized after the Team Skate to Yuuri and Viktor, Mila, and a host of others for his pig-headedness, and it had felt good to at least have gone into the Short Program on better terms with everyone. Though he had been hoping, karmically, for his good gesture to positively influence his skating, that ultimately had been wishful thinking.Hands beginning to shake, he reached down into his skate bag to fish out his water bottle so that he wouldn’t have to look at the screen. As he drank, he tried once again to think of what Dr. Golubev would say about his jealousy. He had begun seeing her the week after returning from Korea, his head and heart a mess of negative emotions. When he wasn’t struggling to shake off his anger towards himself for his 10th place showing, he found himself mired in apathy towards skating in general; if competitions weren’t even conducted fairly, what the hell was the point? When he looked up again at the television, he saw that the camera was shifting to Katsudon and Viktor, just in time to see the latter man pressing a kiss to his fiance’s cheek. Mila and Ianna both cooed on either side of him, and Georgi gave a ridiculously wistful sigh. The couple was looking at one another with that usual annoying air of adoration, but for some reason, Yuri couldn’t find it in himself to be quite as irritated as he wanted to be. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Yuuri's leg seemed to have finally slowed its shaking. Even as Miki began talking again, the camera stayed on his rinkmates’ faces, capturing their reactions to her narration in real-time.“And now, for the conclusion to this roller-coaster of events. After over three months, the ICAS announced just three days ago that it had finished its investigation. Its verdict? It was confirmed that as far back as late January 2017, top officials of the Russian Olympic Committee and FFKKR – the figure skating federation of Russia – as well as the Korean Olympic Committee and Korea Skating Union – the figure skating federation of Korea – had been colluding in a scheme to bribe Free Skate judges and technical panel members to make pre-determined marks. Though the details of said bribes have not yet been shared, it was revealed that these predetermined scores were meant to guarantee that Nikiforov-senshu would bring home a third Olympic gold for Russia, and that skater Lee Seung-Gil of Korea would place within the top 6 rank order. For those familiar with Olympic sponsorship awards, placement within the top 6 at the Games greatly increases the chances of winning lucrative sponsorship deals and has even been shown to influence the pick of a nation when it comes to selecting athletes for future years.It should be noted that when President Michael Lenard of ICAS and Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (I-O-C, for short), first made this announcement during the Friday press conference, many were upset that the exact names of those involved in wrongdoing were not shared. Indeed, Lenard had merely said: “at this time, we are unable to release the specific names of those involved, but we can share that 4 judges, 3 technical panel members, and a total of 6 officials with Russian and Korean athletics connections were involved in orchestrating the scandal.” Angry mutters erupted in the room, and several near the back of the break room began to shush people. Onscreen, both Katsudon and Viktor looked grim-faced.“Again, elite sports’ top leaders were directly shown the power of the public, via vehement outcry over this disregard for transparency. Threats of boycotts from long-time Olympic sponsors, as well as significant levels of criticism on social media forced the ICAS and IOC less than 24 hours later to capitulate to the pressure, and release the names of all thirteen individuals involved.”The screen again obscured, this time showing the list of names that had been released over the weekend.  
Judging panel
Lee Jungsue (Korean, Judge number 4)Olga Kozhemiakina (Russian, Judge number 3)Agita Abele (Latvian, Judge number 9)Elena Fomina (Russian, Judge number 7) 
Technical panel
Raffaella Locatelli (Italian, Technical Controller)Konstantin Kostin (Latvian, Tech Specialist)Chihee Rhee (Korean, Judge Panel Referee) 
Russian & Korean skating leadership
Alexander Zhukov (Russian, Head of the Russian Olympic Committee)Lee Kee-heung (Korean, President of the Korean Olympic Committee)Aleksandr Gorshkov (Russian, Head of the FFKKR)Kim Jae-Youl (Korean, Head of the Korea Skating Union)Joong Hae-Min (Korean, direct report of Kim Jae-Youl)Maxim Belenov (Russian, direct report of Aleksandr Gorshkov) Though he had already seen the list many times, Yuri felt fresh rage pool low in his gut at seeing both Zhukov and Gorshkov’s names. Not even a half hour after the list went public, judge Olga Kozhemiakina had released a statement to the press, saying she had been coerced by Zhukov to follow his orders by threatening to expose her 10-month-long extramarital affair with Gorshkov. She had also revealed that she had found out that Gorshkov had been having a concurrent affair with fellow judge Elena Fomina. Apparently, Zhukov had implied that he would inform Kozhemiakina’s and Fomina’s husbands of their wives’ infidelity unless they both agreed to set predetermined marks for the Free. How an old frog like Gorshkov had managed to land a wife and two mistresses was beyond Yuri’s comprehension. Then again, he couldn’t discount how effectively alluring the forces of wealth and influence were in the realm of sports politics. Kozhemiakina had gone on to say that Gorshkov had sworn he would do everything in his power to ensure that her actions would neither be discovered nor penalized, only to later go radio silent – a statement Fomina had corroborated. Both women shared with the press that the federation leader had ended their relationship via text message soon after the ICAS investigation commenced, leaving their frantic questions around their futures unanswered. While Kozhemiakina had been unable to face the truth beforehand, she found clarity through the “cold, dismissive manner” Gorshkov approached the end of their nearly year-long affair with. She and Fomina had been collateral damage in the overall scheme, which, apparently, Gorshkov had aggressively pursued. Both women had initially rebuffed him, but he’d not taken no for an answer, intent on using each to carry out Zhukov’s orders. The screen shifted back to the wide-shot of Miki, Viktor and Katsudon, and the NHK-World-Japan anchor continued her remarks.“While the IOC and ICAS has promised to work with Korean prosecutors around potential conspiracy charges, both Bach and Lenard declined to mention what these punishments might be. Nor was any mention made of the parameters for decision-making that will be used to make the final determinations. Many in the figure skating community are calling for lifetime bans for all 13 people involved in any capacity having to do with competitive sport, and it should be noted that currently, the ISU is not in the practice of issuing lifetime bans, regardless of grave misconduct.  Friday’s announcement included a formal apology to all the Men’s Singles competitors, as well as a particular apology for Katsuki-senshu, Nikiforov-senshu, and skater Lee Seung Gil, who have all been mired in a global-scale controversy for months, through no fault of their own. Towards the end of the press conference, Lenard read out the much-anticipated corrected rank order, confirming what everyone had wished to see back in February: Yuuri-san declared the 2018 Winter Games’ Olympic Gold Medalist in Men’s Figure Skating, while silver and bronze went to JJ Leroy and Nikiforov-senshu, respectively. You’ll see from the following table that we’ve bolded the placements and athlete names for which the rank order changed as a result of the ICAS investigation’s correction. As can be seen, in addition to robbing Katsuki-senshu of gold, the Russian/Korean bribery scheme changed the rank order of six of the top ten competitors, with Katsuki-senshu, Phichit Chulanont of Thailand, and Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan rising in rank after the correction, and Nikiforov-senshu, Christophe Giacometti, and Lee Seung-Gil dropping as a result.”

Yuri stared at the chart that had appeared onscreen, discontent continuing to gnaw at his insides.Sure, neither his, Bin’s, Emil’s, or JJ’s rank order had changed, but you could be damn sure they’d also been affected by what happened. During last week’s meeting with Dijkema and Lakernik, there was a brief moment when they mentioned that some competitors’ scores and ranks had been adjusted, when he’d dared to hope that he might have been one of the skaters positively impacted. He had tried to play off the crushing sensation in his lungs when he’d seen the adjusted list, but he didn’t think he’d been very convincing; Yakov had looked at him with the closest thing to pity he’d ever seen from his coach. “IOC President Bach did note that the IOC is working closely with the ISU to coordinate a time to conduct an official medal ceremony for Katsuki-senshu, skater JJ Leroy, and Nikiforov-senshu, as well as a rescheduled Gala exhibition for as many of the Games’ men’s, ladies’, ice dance and pairs skaters as possible. Of course, neither event could truly serve to replace the authentic Olympic celebratory experience these athletes deserved back in February. Bach closed his remarks by announcing that the IOC Executive Board would soon be formally deliberating around penalties for the thirteen involved members of the bribery scheme, with more information “to come”, although a timeline was not specified. While the press conference did ultimately address some of the questions that many have been asking for months, it would appear that the investigation’s closure marks just the beginning of this saga. Indeed, such a controversy will follow the Olympic Games and the sport of figure skating for years to come, and will certainly follow these two esteemed athletes here with me today.”Miki paused, and the camera zoomed from a solo shot of her face to the full-screen shot of all 3 of them.“This interview is the first time that either skater will be speaking publicly about the events of the last several months, so my first question, for Katsuki-senshu, is: what was it first like for you after what happened in Pyeongchang, and how do you feel, now, with the investigation at its end?”There was a brief pause after Miki stopped speaking and, absurdly, Yuri felt his own stomach clench. 
He was nervous. 
He wasn’t even the one on fucking television, yet he felt a certain queasiness as he realized Katsudon was about to open his mouth. Yuuri glanced at his fiancé first, and apparently seeing Viktor smiling at him seemed to lend him some reassurance. “Well, it’s hard to find the right words, Miki-san, but this has probably been the hardest experience of my career,” he began. “I think I’ve mentioned in previous interviews, but I really struggled after my first Grand Prix Final performance in Sochi, back in 2015. That was my first time making it to the Grand Prix, so when I did so poorly on such a prominent stage, I was so embarrassed that I almost considered retiring from skating in the aftermath. This time around, the aftermath of PyeongChang…was 500 times worse.”Katsudon paused to take a breath, and Viktor switched from holding his hand, instead putting his arm around him. “At least in Sochi, I knew that I had done poorly. The marks I got were not a surprise; it was some of the worst skating I had done in my Senior division career, and the judges scored me accordingly. I didn’t want to talk to any media afterwards, so the speculation with everyone wondering what had happened to make me perform so uncharacteristically badly made sense. But at the Games, when I took my final pose after my Free Skate, it was with my head held high. After taking the lead in the Short, I had really been feeling the pressure that day, so skating as cleanly as I did and not letting my nerves get to me felt like a huge accomplishment. I felt so confident in my performance, and felt particularly good around my connection with the music and the themes of my program. The music for my Free has a lot of personal meaning for me, so more than anything, I wanted to make sure I did the interpretation part of the skate justice.”As he spoke, the screen transformed to show a clip from his Free Skate. Yuri had watched it many times over in the last few months, and had envied the way Katsudon had wholeheartedly embraced the personal nature of his programs. Yuuri had shared with him, Georgi, and Mila over lunch one day last year around how much Joe Hisaishi’s music had meant to him growing up, and how the Princess Mononoke soundtrack in particular celebrated themes like hope and unconditional love: two things he now felt he had, thanks to Viktor.“Muscle memory took over for the difficult technical parts, so I was really able to focus on my performance component score, and make sure that I was connecting with the story I was trying to tell. Once I’d finished, it was the proudest I had ever – ”There was a long pause during which Katsudon stopped speaking, and Yuri noticed the tell-tale sheen of wetness that had sprung to his eyes.  Shit.  His rinkmate’s voice had gone wobbly before breaking off, and Viktor brushed at a tear that had begun to fall down his cheek. “Sorry,” he whispered, his lips thinning to a grave line.“Ah, Yusha,” Mila whispered, looking pained. Yuri thought he detected a hint of dampness near her eyes as well, though he quickly looked away before she could catch him staring.“ – the proudest I had ever felt in my entire career,” Yuuri resumed, wetly, after regaining composure. “Afterwards, when I looked to the boards and saw all three of my coaches jumping up and down, I could tell they were happy with the performance, too,” he continued, still sounding a little choked up, but turning to smile, nevertheless, at Viktor. “That meant so much to me; I really wanted to make them proud.”‘Happy with the performance’ had to be the understatement of the year, in Yuri’s opinion. Saveliy, Ianna and the old man had been ecstatic, and he still remembered the searing sensation he’d felt in his chest as he’d watched the four of them hugging in jubilation at the boards. Viktor and Ianna had escorted Yuuri to the Kiss and Cry, with happy tears running down all three of their faces. Viktor, as he’d done so many times before, clung to his fiance like the world’s most touch-starved octopus, and Katsudon had returned each one of his kisses with equal enthusiasm. Both coaches could be heard gushing over the mics about the perfection of Yuuri’s step sequences, the passion he conveyed in his performance, his clean jump take-offs and buttery-smooth landings. It had been a far cry – pun intended – from his own experience, sitting next to Yakov in stony silence. “Of course, that joy was short-lived. When I got my scores in the Kiss and Cry, it felt like I was in some alternate reality,” Katsudon continued, sounding muted. “I’ve been skating long enough that I’m able to tally my score fairly accurately as I go along, so when I looked to the leaderboard and saw something significantly lower than the number in my mind, I had to turn to Vitya and Coach Perez to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Their expressions were reassuring…at least I knew I wasn’t the only one who was confused. Honestly, the rest of that day and the ones following were a blur…I barely remember the press conference afterwards, when President Dijkema first announced the launch of the investigation. I think I’ve blocked those memories for self-preservation.” He laughed a bit self-deprecatingly and Yuri felt a pang of sympathy for him. He’d more or less done the same thing after his own skate, except for the fact that he hadn’t had to sit in a press junket while Jan Dijkema tried to explain what the hell was going on, for all the world to see. “After Sochi, everyone in the figure skating community knew about what had happened to me, but after the Games, it seemed like the entire world knew what had gone down. Suddenly, there were people who know pretty much nothing about my career or figure skating who felt entitled to debate the merits of my performance, or the kind of skater they thought I was, based on a few minutes they’d watched on tv. And not just mine, of course, they debated Viktor’s performance, Seung-Gil’s performance…”Yuuri trailed off and looked a bit hesitant, then. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful for my fans, even those that don’t really follow figure skating, it’s just that…”Again, he paused, glancing at Viktor with a look of uncertainty etched onto his face. The geezer leaned over to whisper in his ear, and even though the sound was muffled, the closed captioning did its job. “Ты отлично справляешься, детка. Я тебя люблю.5” Loud squealing and dreamy sighs erupted around the room, and Yuri shuddered, horrified, when Georgi and Mila joined in this raucous chorus. Ianna began to laugh at the annoyed look on his face, and he gave her a small smile in turn. Yubileyny’s #Viktuuri fervor was damn near mortifying at times. Katsudon didn’t appear embarrassed at all, however. Rather, he beamed at his fiance’s words, and replied with a whispered “I love you, too, Viten’ka” in accented Russian. At this point, Miki was practically giving them heart-eyes from her seat. Clearing his throat, Yuuri continued on, a light flush now on his cheeks. “It was really really hard coming to terms with that scale of visibility, afterwards. I’m no stranger to how cruel people can be on social media, but I think the toughest part of everything was seeing comments online that suggested I was acting “entitled” or “spoiled” because I didn’t win gold. To be clear, it was never about winning gold; for any athlete, going to the Olympics is a dream come true, and when you’ve poured thousands of hours of work into your craft, you want to feel as if it amounts to something…that if you put a certain effort in, you’ll be recognized accordingly.After I read my statement at the post-event presser, I faced more criticism than I had been anticipating. I had worked with my publicist on that statement…shout-out to Haru-senpai, who’s actually here, off-camera. He was such a big help when I was a total mess,” he added on, with a grin and a wave in what Yuri assumed was the place Haru was standing. “So many of the other Men’s Singles skaters made similar statements to mine, saying that they had been confused by the marks the judges gave me and some of the others, and were looking forward to the investigation results, but they didn’t seem to have to bear the same brunt of criticism that I did,” he said quietly, shrugging with his mouth downturned.At these words, Miki’s face changed, her expression transforming into one of sympathy. “That being said, I hope that no one, not even people that dislike me or disagree with the investigation results, will feel bad on my account. These last few months, I had to learn how to brush off the hurtful comments, and focus on the people who love and support me, and who give me the freedom to feel whatever it is I’m feeling, even if it’s not pretty or palatable, For that, I’m especially indebted to Coach Perez, and to Vitya, too. I’m so, so incredibly lucky to have them both in my corner, and I wouldn’t have been able to get through any of this without them.” At these last words, he turned his head to beam at Viktor, who smiled back in response. “Aww, Yuuri,” Ianna whispered, a fond smile on her face. Yuri quickly looked away as she brushed at her eyes. “So I’ve been leaning into that,” Katsudon continued, facing Miki again. “I’m grateful to be able to focus on those people who have supported me, even before the investigation results came out. And now that some of the answers have been revealed, it’s…hard to find the words to do the feeling justice. It had always been a dream of mine to even just attend the Games, so to be officially recognized as Olympic champion feels…”After trailing away, Yuuri shrugged, with a bit of an embarrassed smile before continuing on.“It feels really surreal. I’m actually still trying to wrap my mind around it, but Vitya and Coach Perez have been a big help with that, reassuring me that it’s official, that I really did win gold and that I’m not in the Twilight Zone,” he said, around a grin. “Though it probably goes without saying I’ll insist on saying it anyway: my fiancé and coach, my Vitya, has been my biggest supporter…his willingness to stand by me and just believe in me means more than I could ever say.”Now Viktor was the one beaming, that stupidly happy heart-shaped smile out in full force. “I mean, even being here, right now, is the perfect example,” Yuuri continued on. “When the news publicly came out just a few days ago, we knew that it was the right time to finally speak out on everything we’ve been going through, but even so, I was terrified. I’ve never experienced anything like this, and the idea of having to come on tv and talk about something so raw...I can’t tell you how many anxiety attacks I’ve had the last few days at the thought of it. But through it all, Viktor has reminded me that I have something worth saying, and that all I have to do is to be myself. I know I can get through anything with him next to me.”“Aww, now that’s just too damn cute,” Saveliy whispered, as the geezer leaned over to press their heads together. Yuri vehemently disagreed with Saveliy’s assessment, but refrained from speaking this aloud. On-screen, Miki was back to gazing at them with undisguised adoration, and suddenly remembered herself, directing her next question to Viktor.“Thank you for sharing, Katsuki-senshu. I can’t imagine how difficult this all must have been for you, and I’m glad to hear that you were able to lean on your coaches, and your fiance for support. Nikiforov-senshu, I know you must have also had an incredibly hard time, and I can’t imagine how you must have felt, hearing that it was your own former federation, in part, that was responsible for what happened. What’s it been like for you, these last few months, especially now that you have officially retired? I can’t imagine it was easy to end your career while still not having the answers you were looking for?”Yuri watched as a grim expression made its way to Viktor's face. The change was striking from the dreamy countenance he had been sporting, just seconds earlier.“The last few months have been…you know, honestly, “hard” feels like an insultingly simplistic word to use to describe it, Miki-san. If I had to start at the very beginning, I’d say that the first few days were dreadfully surreal,” Viktor began, shaking his head.“Right after I got my own marks in the Kiss and Cry, I knew something was going on. Like my Yuuri, as I was skating, I was sort of tallying things up in my mind, so when I saw the final result…there was no doubt in my mind that I’d been overscored.”Again, the screen transformed, and a clip from Viktor’s Free Skate began to play. He had, of course, chosen a fittingly theatrical song for his last competitive performance: Rufus Wainwright’s “I Don’t Know What It Is”, though with some slight alterations.Katsudon had actually helped him pick it out, noting how much the lyrics seemed to resonate with the idea of endings as well as new beginnings. Through the process of getting Rufus’ permission for the edits, the three of them had become fast friends, and the singer had actually attended the Games in support. If social media was to be believed, his presence there had apparently led to several gay awakenings in the surrounding audience.“I, of course, had no proof of anything, but I didn’t hesitate to approach the Disciplinary Commission,” he continued, his voice sounding shaky.Viktor gave a noisy swallow, and turned to look at Yuuri next to him.“And then, later…I’ll never have the words to explain the pain I felt at seeing Yusha robbed of the win we all knew he deserved. I hope that none of the thirteen people that are responsible for this ever have to go through the pain of holding their loved one in their arms as they cry…as they cry heart-wren–”Viktor's voice broke, and his blue eyes widened a bit, almost as if he disbelieved that his emotions were getting the better of him.“ – as they cry heart-wrenching sobs, wondering what they had done wr–”At these last words, Viktor appeared overcome, putting a hand over his eyes. Next to him, Yuuri wrapped his arms around his shaking torso, and set his chin on his shoulder. Watching the screen, Yuri felt his stomach lurch; this was definitely a different sort of crying than he’d been expecting to see when he’d brought up the idea of the bet. He had seen Viktor cry with joy plenty of times, the most recent occasion having been at World’s, when Katsudon had begun his Free Skate. Unbeknownst to everyone except for Ianna, Yuuri had reworked his program after the Games, wanting to pay tribute to his fiance during the latter man’s final competition prior to retirement. He had completely stunned everyone in the audience when the commentators announced that he’d be skating to a cover version of Natalie Merchant’s Kind and Generous– a cover that he himself had sung and recorded. Yuri had done karaoke with Katsudon enough times to realize how talented he was when it came to singing, but he had always been under the impression that his rinkmate was far too shy to even think about skating to his own music, especially during a major competition like World’s. However, knowing how large Viktor had loomed as Yuuri’s career inspiration, Yuri figured that he had wanted to mark their last competitive skate together with a brave display, one that would be a complete surprise for the man who had made surprises his trademark.  Viktor had started sobbing as soon as the arena commentators announced Katsudon had sung the cover version of the song, and the tears had kept flowing during their reading of the accompanying message that Yuuri had instructed them6 to introduce his performance with: 
Vitya, I couldn’t have gotten through the last few crazy weeks without your kindness and generosity, or the last two years, for that matter. From the moment my twelve-year-old self first saw you skate, you have been my life’s biggest inspiration, and I always dreamed of the day that I could meet you on the ice as an equal. Now that I’ve been able to do that, I can confidently say, that as incredible as it is, what’s even better is the fact that I get to stand next to you off of the ice as well. As much as I love Viktor Nikiforov, the Living Legend, I love Vitya, my caring, goofy, incredible fiance and future husband even more. Even though today marks your retirement from competitive skating, I know that together, we will have so many amazing adventures to come. Thank you for trusting me with the you of the past, the you of today, and all of the you’s to come. I love them all, and will forever cherish them.
From there, the volume of Viktor’s cries only grew when Yuuri beautifully landed his quad flip/triple-toe combination just before the half-way mark, with a nearly perfect grade of execution. Somewhere after landing the jump, everyone could see that Katsudon had started crying as well, the tears glancing off his face as he spun in mesmerizingly beautiful arcs, so immersed in his message of thanks to his coach, competitor, and fiance. Afterwards, in a gesture that by now had become commonplace after their performances, the two did their signature tackle-kiss reunion at the boards, and it seemed that the entire world had sighed, blissfully, remembering the same thing happening weeks earlier at the Games after Yuuri’s Short Program performance. Apparently, they had both been sternly lectured by several IOC officials, so unfortunately – or, fortunately, in Yuri’s case – the couple had no choice but to exercise a bit more restraint after their Free Skates. Unlike the Olympics, however, instead of looking up at the leaderboard with flummoxed expressions, Ianna, Viktor and Yuuri had all whooped for joy at the resulting world-record-breaking score. The pitiable commentators had seemed overwhelmed, unsure where to focus their praises: by noting Katsudon’s unexpectedly beautiful voice? His enviable footwork and choreographic sequences? Or, the fact that he’d garnered nearly perfect grades of execution for all of his jumping passes as well?The two doting idiots were truly perfect for each other, because Viktor – also quite stealthily – had arranged to surprise Yuuri with his own reworked Free Skate, which he performed last in the lineup, directly after JJ’s. It had been hilarious to see the geezer take his starting pose with his face all blotchy and red from the outright sob-fest he’d gotten caught up in just a few minutes prior. Before Viktor began skating his retooled program, set to an extended, slowed down version of the Griff song Walk, he’d also instructed the suffering commentators to read out an equally romantic (read: nauseating) message for Yuuri: 
Yusha, you’re the strongest person I know, and these last few weeks, you’ve endured more than anyone should ever have to. I am constantly in awe of you, and it’s easy to forget that I am the coach and you are the student, because I find myself learning so much from you about life and love, every single day. When I used to think about my last time on the ice in competition, I used to dread it, not being able to imagine what would be next for me, or if it could compare to what I’ve known my entire life. But I no longer find myself afraid, because each day I get to spend walking through life with you feels like a new beginning. I can’t wait to see where the future takes us, sweetheart. Thank you for bringing so much color to my world. I love you, always.
Though Yuri had never heard the song before, he had to admit that it was a perfect choice, and seeing Katsudon’s happy, weepy expression during said skate had given him a tight feeling in his chest that he knew he’d rather die than admit to anyone. He wanted more than anything to get that warm feeling back as he now watched Viktor fracture apart on live television. It was an agonizing half-minute that they all sat there, eyes glued to the sight of him, falling apart in his fiance’s arms. The break room was completely silent, no one seemingly able to speak a word. Glancing over, he observed Mila and Saveliy’s wide-eyed, horrified expressions. After what felt like an eternity, Viktor lifted his head and managed to resume speaking, though his voice now sounded extremely strained. “...excuse me, this is…really hard to talk about,” he choked out, brushing at his eyes. “I held my Yuuri in my arms that day and the next and the next, and had to listen to him cry these devastating, heartbreaking sobs, wondering what he’d done wrong, why he’d received the score he’d gotten. It killed me, not being able to give him an answer, because I didn’t have one. Until recently, at least,” he went on, bitterly, face twisting with disgust. “Since the investigation began, as we’ve waited for answers, he’s been so strong, and I have been endlessly proud of him.” He paused, proceeding to blush when Yuuri kissed his engagement ring, glinting obtrusively.“My Yuuri has openly talked about his struggles with anxiety before, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how difficult it’s been for him these last few months. But even so, every day, he has continued to fight, and I’m sure everyone saw how that paid off, in Milan. Though he beat me to the punch in terms of surprise romantic gestures, skating to one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever heard anyone sing – ”At these last words, Viktor turned his head to grin at Katsudon, who smiled at him, in turn. “ – I wasn’t the least bit surprised when he achieved such a flawless skate.”His voice grew wobbly again.The sheer emotion and pride in his words made Yuri feel he should look away from the screen, as if to keep watching would be to intrude on a private moment between the couple.“I’ll probably never be able to get over it…just ask anyone, I think I cried for a solid week after that day,” he went on, with a laugh, which Yuuri mirrored.“As most people probably saw, I had my own surprise for him up my sleeve, and truly, I couldn’t think of a more fitting performance to end my skating career. Before falling in love with Yuuri, I found every way possible to avoid thinking about retirement. I had lost my inspiration for skating, and at the same time, I had built my entire life around it, so I didn’t know how to conceive of what came next. But then the most wonderful man came into my life,” he said, his eyes shining.Katsudon shifted to place his head on his shoulder, in a reverse of their prior positions.At this, Georgi burst into a fresh wave of tears, and all around them, loud shush -ing began again.“Being with Yusha…everything feels bigger and brighter than I ever could have imagined. When I wake up in the morning and see him lying next to me, I get excited for the day ahead, and I no longer feel so scared of the future.”Loud sniffles on either side of him alerted Yuri to the fact that most people in the room had started crying at these sappy words, and on-screen, Yuuri had begun to shed tears once more, reaching for the Meni tissue box holder. Even Miki was brushing some tears away.
Jesus Christ.
“So that’s what I was hoping to capture in my last ever Free Skate,” he continued on, a bit thickly. “My love and respect for Yuuri the person, and Yuuri the skater. So in answer to your question, do I wish that we had received definitive answers around the investigation before I officially retired? Of course…But even if we had gotten those answers sooner, it wouldn’t have changed what I already knew to be true: 1) that my fiance is a champion, no matter what anyone else says, and 2) that I’m the luckiest man in the world to not only coach him and help him reach new heights in his career, but to get to walk through life with him by my side. That’s what has given me so much comfort and excitement as I’ve begun my retirement: the knowledge that even though my skating career has come to an end, that as long as I have my Yuuri next to me, that, together, we can get through anything.”Yuri felt an odd tug in his chest at these last words. Leaning down to grab at his water bottle once more, he briefly wondered what the hell was going on with him. Were everyone’s out-of-control emotions in the break room rubbing off on him? That must be it…he desperately hoped he wouldn’t suddenly burst into tears; he’d never hear the end of it from the smartass Junior division skaters crowded together on the front couch.When he looked up again at the screen, Viktor was speaking again, looking much graver than before.“ – big part of me has blamed myself for what happened. I hate the fact that my own federation was responsible for this all…it makes me sick to my stomach, the thought that they so brazenly disrespected Yuuri’s talent, and hurt him in order to guarantee me for gold,” Viktor said, sounding miserable.Still with his arms tight around him, Yuuri pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Not to mention, I find it insulting to the both of us, but also to anyone who competed with us in Korea. I’m a two-time Olympic champion in men’s figure skating, and I’m confident that I got both of those gold medals without any extra “help”, so to speak,” he went on, testily. “And for what it’s worth, I have absolutely no problem speaking about any scoring oddities, to be frank. Most of my fans know that I’ve spoken very candidly about the fact that I do think I was overscored at the 2006 Torino Games, and even to this day, I don’t believe I deserved my bronze medal. If I hadn’t been so young and fearful of my federation at the time, I probably would have refused to get on the podium. Of course, I got a very stern reprimand from the FFKKR anyway after I first made those comments, as any suggestion of favoritism by Russian judges is immediately dismissed and punished. All this is to say, I don’t think I can truly convey how absolutely soul-crushing it feels, to know that my federation couldn’t respect my commitment to integrity, that they didn’t believe I could stand on my own. Their interference – ”He broke off again briefly, swallowing noisily. “Fuck, this is heart-breaking,” Mila whispered, sounding anguished.Sava passed her a tissue, and put a comforting arm around her.“ – their interference never has, and never will be fair or necessary,” Viktor choked out. “I don’t care if I get criticism for saying this, but, sitting here and talking about this openly for the first time…I’ve never felt so ashamed to be Russian in my entire life. I’ll never understand how those thirteen people could justify doing what they did, ruining what is supposed to be a life-changing experience for so many athletes, coaches, and fans. Because of them, I am ending my career utterly disgusted with the politics and backdoor deals of figure skating. The thought of having to skate even one more season representing the FFKKR is repulsive to me, and, frankly, even if I hadn’t been planning on retiring after World’s, I 100% would have anyway, given what happened at the Games.”Even though Yuri had heard him say as much several times in the last two weeks, hearing the overt disdain in his voice now felt like a gut punch. Last year after World’s, when Viktor had first broken the news to him that he’d be retiring after the 2017-2018 season, he’d been royally pissed. What was the point in coming back, but only for a season and a half?! Now, he couldn’t even blame him for his bluntness. These days, more often than not, when Yuri wasn’t hating himself for his slow progression to regain his jumping ability, he was mired in a deep sense of apathy towards competition, and towards his home country. If someone’s performance marks were set before they’d even stepped onto the ice, was there really any point in competing?Couldn’t he still skate and make art, but through a different mechanism, not via the FFKKR or the ISU? Viktor had texted him recently that Katsudon was strongly considering taking a break for the first half of the 2018-2019 season, and that they were trying to plan for the months ahead with this potential longer break in mind. They had already accepted a few offers for ice shows in September and October, and Yuri had found himself thinking about how appealing it would be, living a life where his income came from such purely artistic pursuits…with no competitive pressures or political bullshit to have to wade through. It didn’t sound all that bad, to be honest.Refocusing on the screen, he watched as Yuuri leaned over to whisper something in Viktor’s ear. The latter man nodded, as though in agreement.“I’ll end my answer on a positive note, by saying that Yusha and I have begun discussing what we might be able to do to ensure something like this never happens again, and suffice it to say, we’re passionate about pushing for reforms that would completely overhaul the way judges are selected and trained, as well as overall scoring procedures. For those that don’t know about ISU governance, there is something called the Athletes’ Commission, which is a 5-member body of the ISU, with representatives from each of the ISU’s five sports disciplines. The Commission members get nominated in the year prior to an election, and elections take place at the following year’s World Championships, where members begin to serve a 4-year term. Back in March at World’s, my Yuuri was elected to serve as the Figure Skating representative on the Commission,” Viktor said, sounding proud. “I’ll let him say more about that, but I’m confident that he’ll be an amazing contributor, and I know that he’s excited about using his role to push for permanent changes to the way things currently operate.” Katsudon blushed at his fiance’s praise, wearing an embarrassed smile. With a small cough, he opened his mouth to add on to what Viktor had said. “I’ll be posting a video soon to my Instagram about my Commission role, and other initiatives that Vitya and I will be working on. One of the biggest areas that we both want to push for is the doing away of anonymous judging. For people who are familiar with ISU history, you’ll know that anonymous judging was introduced in response to what happened at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, but since then, many have criticized that far from actually discouraging bribery, it has actually made it way more likely for it to go undetected. From what I understand, the only reason that the ICAS had such a breakthrough in this recent investigation, was because the IOC Ethics Commission already suspected that Zhukov was involved in other illicit activity, specifically in regards to the Sochi Games. Because of this, they had access to over 2 years’ worth of wiretapped data from his personal and office phone records.” A breakthrough, indeed. This particular news had been relayed during an additional press conference by IOC President Thomas Bach. Apparently, Zhukov had been a person of interest for the IOC Ethics Commission since 2015, when he had made comments to a former top IOC staffer suggesting that he had bribed people in leadership in order to secure the bid for Sochi in 2014. In partnership with INTERPOL (which had set up a specific Joint Integrity Intelligence Unit post-Sochi), the Commission had placed a wiretap on his phone lines. However, their investigatory analysts had been backed up in actually reviewing his numerous call records. As such, they had missed the initial conversations between him and Aleksandr Gorshkov, instructing the latter man to offer a deal to the Korean federation leaders to rig the Free Skate. Feeling a shake to his shoulder, he startled upon realizing his mind had wandered; Georgi was looking at him with concern. “You ok, Yura?” he whispered. He nodded in reply, turning back to the screen and trying to forget about the slimy feeling that he got whenever he thought about Zhukov’s highly punchable face.Miki was now talking, appearing to have moved on to her next question.“ – distractions or coping strategies that allowed you to think of things other than the investigation? First, let’s hear from you, Katsuki-senshu, and then Nikiforov-senshu.”Katsudon gave a warm smile before responding.“He didn’t know it at the time, but I had always envisioned my World’s Free Skate this year to serve as a way to thank Viktor for everything he’s done to support me, and for inspiring my competitive career in the first place. Those who know him even on a surface level know that he loves surprises, and I figured that skating to a song I was singing would be quite the surprise for him, given that I’d never skated to anything of my own personal recording. I had finished the final cut of it back in December, but I didn’t have a lot of opportunity to practice with the new music before the Games. I don’t really know how I pulled off being able to get in enough time on the changes I made to some of the choreography, or how I kept things a secret from him, but I owe a huge amount of gratitude to Ianna Perez, who helped me far beyond the Olympics. She really went above and beyond to get me ready for World’s, and I am so grateful for both her belief in me and her friendship.”Next to him, Ianna beamed, and a few people reached over to give her high-fives. “It was also nice to have Vitya’s retirement party to look forward to, immediately after – ”“ – It was amazing!! My Yuuri planned it brilliantly! Or, rather, co-planned it, with our good friend and fellow skater Christophe Giacometti.”“Chris and I had a good time with it,” Katsudon added, sounding fond. “After World’s, we had to fly to Switzerland for our official ICAS hearings, but as soon as those concluded, we headed back to St. Petersburg for a few days. And then we flew with our dogs and way too much luggage to my hometown of Hasetsu, Japan in Kyushu’s Saga Prefecture, where we’ve been for the last few weeks. It’s been really nice, spending so much time with my family and childhood friends, and ignoring everything outside this little bubble. To everyone in Hasetsu, it doesn’t matter if we’re retired or competing, gold medalists or bottom of the rankings, they treat us the same no matter what, because to them, we’re just Yuu-chan and Vik-chan.”He finished his answer with a look at his fiancé, a broad grin in place, which Viktor easily returned at the mention of “Yuu-chan and Vik-chan”.“And what about you, Viktor-san, what were some of your distractions and coping strategies the last few months?” Miki asked.The Living Legend was suddenly perched on the edge of his seat, practically bouncing on his hands with excitement.“Wedding planning!” he exclaimed, with his heart-shaped smile back again in full force. “Lots of people assumed Yuuri and I would be getting married this coming off-season, but what many don’t understand is the relatively long administrative process7 for our marriage to get recognized in Japan. There was never any question about it: from the moment we got engaged, we knew we wanted to get married in Hasetsu, which is where we really got to know one another, and fell in love. But knowing what some of the administrative roadblocks would be and how grueling it would be to train for the Games, we told ourselves that we’d plan for a 2019 wedding, and start deciding on the details after the season ended this year. So as soon as we got here to Japan, we started our hunt for a wedding planning team. Yuuri's family has known the Matsuda family -- a wonderful mother-daughter event planning duo based in Fukuoka -- so it was a pretty quick decision, and now we’re getting to the fun stuff, like scheduling a photoshoot for our save-the-dates, thinking about color schemes, that kind of thing.”“How exciting!” Miki gushed in response. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. I have to ask, since you are both so well known in your respective home countries: will you be keeping your original names, or do you plan to take one or the other’s?”They each beamed at one another before Viktor nodded, signaling Yuuri to go ahead.“We’ll be hyphenating, so starting on some mystery date in 2019, we’ll be known as the Katsuki-Nikiforovs,” Katsudon answered, with a proud smile.“You two are truly a power couple,” Miki said, with stars in her eyes. “And speaking of which, lots of people, both figure skating fans as well as plenty of people who don’t follow the sport, have commented on how well they believe you two have handled everything. In particular, many thought the fact that you both did so well at World’s in March was impressive, considering that the dust had barely settled from the Olympics scandal. How would you respond to this praise…do you think you’ve handled things well, given the circumstances?”Both of them looked thoughtful for a few moments, before Katsudon answered first.“I think the first thing I’ll say, which is something both our therapists have encouraged us to work on, is that we’ve been trying not to be too hard on ourselves,” Yuuri began. “This is a really unorthodox situation for us both, and there’s a lot of factors that make an already complicated situation even more complex. I think the most obvious thing is that Vitya and I are not just fellow competitors, or coach and student. We’re partners off the ice too, so we’ve tried as hard as we could the last few months to enjoy ourselves and try not to let this situation take up more “real estate” in our minds than it deserves. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that, of trying to live our lives and be happy, despite it all.”Beside him, Viktor was nodding and opened his mouth to chime in.“I agree; we made a conscious effort to let the ICAS do their job and not obsess in the meantime. It was strange, we were out on a date in St. Petersburg a few days before we flew here to Japan, and some fans spotted us and took a picture of us at dinner. And in the tweet, the person wrote that it was nice to see us out and having fun, but it was in a way that suggested she was surprised we’d let ourselves be seen in public.”Katsudon laughed a little, shaking his head.“Yeah, we thought that the phrasing was kind of funny…we never planned on becoming shut-ins until the investigation finished. I’ll admit, for me, especially, there were times when it was tempting to become a hermit, but Vitya often reminded me that I’d just be punishing myself if I did that. I soon realized how pointless it would be to hide away when I had done nothing wrong, when neither of us had. We both worked really hard this past season, and especially after World’s, we allowed ourselves to celebrate. And Viktor deserved to start his retirement from a good place, mentally.”Miki began nodding, beaming at his reply. “Certainly – you both deserve to reward yourselves for an incredible season, and, in your case, Nikiforov-senshu, for an incredibly accomplished career.”They both smiled at her and nodded in agreement, waiting for her next question.“I’m sure there is a lot you could say in response to this particular question, but I’m curious as to whether there’s anything you wish had gone differently since the investigation launched? That could be with respect to how it was conducted, how the results were announced last week, and so forth.”Both men shared a knowing look before Katsudon nodded his head, signaling that Viktor could answer first. “The short answer is that there is a lot I wish had been different, it’s actually hard to know where to begin,” Viktor began, sounding subdued. “For one, I really bristle at the fact that the ISU did not make more of an effort to connect with some of the other Men’s Singles competitors throughout the investigation. From what I understand, they really limited their attention to those of us who filed complaints with the Disciplinary Commission. I hope he doesn’t mind that I’m using him as an example, but our friend and rinkmate, Yuri Plisetsky – ”Suddenly, it felt like every set of eyes in the room was on him, and he flushed, grateful that his bangs obscured some of his vision.“ – was called to attend his own official hearing at ICAS headquarters earlier this month. That was the first such communication he had received regarding the ongoing investigation, aside from one very vague email that was sent to him from the ISU Secretariat, shortly before World’s. The fact that Yuri, a top competitor, and, not to mention, someone I share a coach with, did not get any communication from any of the bodies investigating until just a few weeks ago is really troubling. Given the fact that so many from the Games were due to compete in Milan at World’s, why didn’t the ISU reach out with a status update for all competitors, for the sake of transparency? The seven of us who had launched claims were given access to more information on the investigation just by design, but we were also given strict instructions not to share any information that we’d been privy to with anyone else, aside from our coaches or publicists. I’m sure you can understand how awkward that was for Yuuri and I, because we’re quite close with several of the other competitors, and it felt odd that we had a level of inside access that was not afforded to others who had also competed. What happened at the Games affected a whole swathe of people, not just us claimants.”As irritated as he was that the old man had addressed him by name in such a public way, he was grateful that Viktor had chosen to speak up about the weird lack of transparency throughout. Honestly, he had found it fucking insulting that the first communication he’d received from the ICAS was just three-and-a-half weeks ago, the very same week he’d been visiting Hasetsu. And, he was doubly pissed that said communication had demanded that he and Yakov be available the very next week to fly to Lausanne, Switzerland, forcing him to scuttle his plans to hang out with Otabek for two weeks in Almaty.His call with Dijkema and Lakernik had only increased his misgivings. The former had kicked things off by noting that they’d be using the first forty minutes of the meeting to share the investigation results, while allotting the remaining 20 minutes for questions. That initial forty minutes was to be divided between discussing 1) the procedures that ICAS/IOC leadership had taken to conduct the investigation; 2) the findings of wrongdoing; 3) the corrected rank order for the Free Skate and overall competition; and 4) next steps, including the way the findings would be released to the public, and procedures their federation publicists would need to follow.About thirty minutes in, Yuri began to take notice of the balance of what had been covered. Or, rather, the imbalance; item 2, arguably, the most crucial, had been skirted around, while both men had gone over items 1, 3, and 4 fairly thoroughly. At one point, Dijkema mentioned that score tampering had been orchestrated through “leadership-level involvement from Russian and Korean skating interests”, whatever the hell that meant. Then, Lakernik relayed that 4 judges and 3 technical panel members had been involved, but Yuri found himself left wanting when the man swiftly moved on, instead of sharing specific names. Dumbfounded, he had carefully filed that and several other points away as something to revisit. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one mystified by the vagueness.As the eldest skater of the three, Emil Nekola had been allowed to go first during Q&A time, and had jumped immediately into asking for clarification around the comment about “leadership-level involvement”. Yuri remembered watching closely as Lakernik and Dijkema had exchanged meaning-laden glances, before the latter man had responded with some very obviously rehearsed remark about not being able to say more until they had gotten approval from the IOC. During his own turn, he had asked for the names of the compromised technical panel members and judges, as well as their country affiliations, but, to his chagrin, had been met with the same stock response. On and on it went like this, with the exception of perhaps 1 or 2 questions. With each stiff exchange, Yuri had felt himself begin to fume; what the hell was the point of even having a call like this, if full transparency wasn’t going to be a priority? Just who exactly was the ISU trying to protect, and for what reason? Of course, it wasn’t until public outcry after Friday’s press conference manifested that IOC/ICAS/ISU leadership realized they had to be more forthcoming. This, perhaps, was the most insulting thing of all. Didn’t transparency for the athletes who had trained their entire lives for the opportunity to compete at the Games matter at all? Whatever loyalties were demanding that the people responsible should be protected from the scrutiny that they deserved, surely those couldn’t outweigh the sense of duty towards him and his fellow competitors?Apparently so. While he was grateful that the social media protest had forced Bach and Lenard’s hands, Yuri resented that it took such vociferous uproar in order for them to acquiesce. And, there still remained the question around what the actual penalties might be for the thirteen people responsible. The fact that they hadn’t yet heard anything about Gorshkov’s firing from the FFKKR was not a promising sign. Indeed, at least from what he’d seen from social media – which usually was updated at least daily, if not more – the Russian skating federation had been noticeably silent since Friday’s press conference. Yakov knew several people in leadership at the federation, so he had tried to get in touch over the weekend to ask what the hell was going on, but had been stone-walled. He tuned back in to the interview, realizing that Katsudon had already begun his own answer.“ – some concrete details regarding the accountability measures the IOC, ICAS, and/or ISU will be taking towards the thirteen people responsible had been revealed. From what I understand, the actual names have been internal knowledge for over a month, so I don’t understand why at least some preliminary information can’t be shared. Starting with ousting the federation officials that were involved sounds like a basic first step, and it makes me nervous that we haven’t even heard anything about that. The idea that some of these power-holders might be able to keep their positions, it…”Yuuri trailed off, seemingly lost for words. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and began speaking again.“It truly makes me sick to think that that could happen. I don’t know that much about the “insider politics” of figure skating, but I’m familiar enough with the history of the sport to know that some very questionable stuff has happened when it comes to handling ethical violations, both during Olympic competitions, and non-Olympic competitions. I just hope that once the IOC Executive Board is able to deliberate and vote on measures, that we’ll all feel reassured that others will be discouraged in the future from trying something like this. Otherwise, our sport is bound to lose many, many talented competitors.”Miki began nodding, looking a bit grim at these last words. “Very well-said, Katsuki-senshu, we are all eagerly awaiting those decisions from the IOC, and can only hope that they will be making their decisions with intentionality and care.”“I don’t want to say that Yusha is naive, but again, this is the same ISU that allowed Gailhaguet to get re-elected as French federation President8," Saveliy suddenly whispered, looking troubled.He and Mila nodded in commiseration. It had been well before his time when the 2002 Salt Lake City bribery scheme had been uncovered, but Yakov would usually rant about Gailhaguet’s 2007 reelection to the French skating federation a few times a year. This was usually accompanied by a chagrined sub-rant about the overhaul of the ISU judging system in response to the scandal, which would inevitably set Viktor off whining about how “we already know this, Yakov, we’re not completely clueless!” “That reminds me,” Mila whispered, “where is Yakov, anyway? I know he doesn’t have a tv in his office and I don’t think I’ve seen him here, yet.”At this, Saveliy’s frown deepened. “Well, I can give you an answer, just make sure you don’t go telling everybody,” he muttered. “Yasha9 has been having a hard time this past week. From what he’s told me, it’s more or less what Vitya already said…he’s insulted. It was just before my time at Yubileyny, but back during the 2006 Games, he was furious around Vitya’s obvious overscoring; it really diminishes any credibility that those of us who believe in fair competition can garner. So, anyways, this time around, I think he was holding out some hope that maybe this had nothing to do with our federation, but once everything was revealed, I think he couldn’t come to terms with the fact that they didn’t trust Vitya’s scores to speak for themselves. I mean, he was the two-time reigning Olympic champion before all of this, they really thought this was necessary? It’s embarrassing, the fact they didn’t think they’d get caught. The level of hubris is just unreal…”Saveliy trailed off for a second, with a glance towards the screen. Katsudon was laughing about something, but Yuri had let his attention slip, so he wasn’t sure what was going on anymore.“He told me that he planned to watch the interview at home, because he didn’t think he could handle people asking him any questions. He’s probably the person at Yubileyny with the most federation contacts. In any case, I know he’s been in touch with Yusha and Vitya. They talked over the weekend, and he tried to give them tips for the interview,” Saveliy went on, in a whisper.Georgi nodded, barely letting a second go by before commenting. “There’s something I still don’t understand: Zhukov essentially had to convince eleven other people to go along with his wishes, and it’s not like he was on friendly terms with the Koreans before, right? How could he possibly have made such a convincing argument?”At these words, Ianna leaned in, conspiratorially. “In the meetings Dijkema and Lenard have been hosting, they told us not to share any findings until we got express authorization…but honestly, I don’t give a shit what the ISU says, because, frankly, I think it’s crazy that they’re sitting on this: during the 20 minutes for Q&A, Yuuri actually asked that very same question. He didn’t understand how they could have gotten so many of the tech and judging panel members to participate in this.”Ianna glanced around, presumably paranoid about being overheard.“Well, apparently, Zhukov and Gorshkov spent a good six months last year courting hush money from various sponsors, in order to be able to pay off all thirteen of them. And they weren’t even all Russian sponsors, some of them were overall sponsors for the Games. Just imagine if that news got out, how screwed the IOC would be. I think it was something like 70K each for the judging and tech panel members, but I’m not sure if Olga Kozhemiakina will have to pay her share back since she ended up coming clean to the press. They also mentioned that two of the leadership people – the only two that make sense would be the Korean officials from the Olympic Committee and the federation, I think they got 100 K each. So in total, it was a pretty hefty sum…”Ianna trailed off, suddenly looking to him, but he barely registered her next words, too focused on the sudden rushing sounds in his ears.“Do you remember what the exact total was from your meeting, Yuri? I took notes, but it’s a little hazy. They threw a lot of info at us.”
What the fuck? Why was this the first time he was hearing about any of this? 
“Threw a lot of info – ” he repeated, his voice flat.Ianna tilted her head, looking confused. “…yes? I mean, what, did you not take notes? If so, your memory must be way better than mine,” she went on, with a grimace. 
Fuck. 
This was it.This was the answer to the question that had been bothering him incessantly.He had thought it strange when the ISU had first emailed him and Yakov, notifying them that the ICAS’ concluded investigation results would be shared in a series of meetings by ISU President and Vice President Dijkema and Lakernik. The email had gone on to say that each meeting would be set up for a total of 3 athletes at a time, and that skaters could forward the calendar invites on to their head coach, as well as 1-2 members of their publicist teams. Not understanding why all the Free Skate competitors couldn’t find out the results at the same time, he had shared his confusion with Yakov, who had agreed that it was odd that they were planning on doing things in groups. But Ianna’s bombshell now made a lot more sense: if they were planning on picking and choosing what information to share with whom (for what purpose???), it was to the ISU’s advantage to keep them separated and, further, to make sure that they weren’t allowed to talk with one another. Dijkema had sounded pretty strict about this last point in particular, coming off as exceptionally paranoid. At one point, he had intimated that phone calls and text messages could easily be intercepted via hackers, and Yuri had had a brief moment of surreality, wondering who exactly the ISU President thought would take the trouble of hacking into their phones. This was figure skating, not military tactical endeavors.He realized that his tablemates were all staring at him, waiting for his response.“Fuck, this just gets shadier and shadier,” he said, sharply. “No one said anything about the actual bribe details in my meeting. They were cagey as fuck about specifics. The only thing they said to that point, was that it was 3 tech panel and 4 judge panel members, and in terms of generally setting things up, that it was like, ‘Russian and Korean interests’ or something vague, but no further details on the ‘how’ of it all. I guess I just assumed that everyone in those meetings had been told the same thing.”At this admission, Ianna looked shocked.“Damnit, I wish I’d thought to record my meeting, but Dijkema was the host so I couldn’t do that through the Skype application itself,” he went on. “Now that I think about it, we probably wouldn’t have been allowed to record it anyways. There was no mention of sponsors whatsoever…to be fair, no one in my group asked about the actual bribes, but that seems like a fucking huge piece of information not to share.”“What possible reason would the ISU have to only tell some of you and not others?” Saveliy questioned, looking tense. “And why wasn’t anything about this mentioned during the press conference, or afterwards, when they finally released the list of names?”“Yeah, that would have been the ideal time to say anything, I mean what was there to stop Kozhemiakina from telling everyone anyway?” Mila mused, looking equally troubled. “Do they just think nobody talks to one another? I mean, I know that Vitya said that they were asked not to share anything with anyone outside of the Disciplinary Commission claimants, but do they really expect people to go along with that? JJ Leroy, for one, is one of the biggest blabbermouths on the planet.”Even in his dazed state, Yuri managed to snort in agreement.“What I want to know,” Ianna said, speaking very slowly, “is why Yakov didn’t say anything to you, Yuri? He was at both meetings, the one with me, Viktor, Yuuri, and JJ, as well as the one with you, Otabek, and Emil. So during the second one, why didn’t he ask something to get that answer out, or at least tell you something afterwards? We all know he has a fantastic memory, there’s no way he would have forgotten such a big piece of information from that initial meeting.”At this, Yuri felt his stomach sink. He hadn’t even thought of that. Granted, he hadn’t been paying much attention to his coach during the meeting, too busy listening intently. Otabek had even texted him a few times during the meeting, and while he normally wasted no time in replying to his friend, he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Afterwards, Yakov had asked him if there was anything he wanted to debrief about, and he now regretted not taking him up on the opportunity. Perhaps if he had, he would have been confided in…Suddenly feeling more than a little uneasy, Yuri stood up, wanting nothing more than to be at home, cuddling with Potya, and as far away from this room as possible.The sound of his chair scraping against the floor was horrifically loud, and several people turned to him with scowls on their faces. “Yuri, I’m so sorry,” Ianna whispered, looking crestfallen at his abrupt movement. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I truly didn’t know that we were told different things.”“Not your fault,” he replied, grimly, leaning down to grab at his skate bag and water bottle. “I’m glad I know,” he said, though his voice sounded strange to his own ears. “I need to go home. My session with Yakov starts at 2, but I…” He trailed off, not really knowing what to say.“We’ve got you, Yura,” Saveliy said, firmly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell him you didn’t feel well.”With a terse nod, he began making his way out of the jam-packed room, trying to ignore the griping from the people he passed, apparently unable to withstand not seeing the tv screen for even a single second.As he made his way out to the hallway, he realized his hands had started to shake again. 
Fuck.
 
End of Chapter 6.

Up Next: In Chapter 7, we return to the present, for a fun and fluffy Yuuri POV chapter, the majority of which covers the filming of his and Viktor’s Couple’s Quiz game appearance for GQ Sports. As a refreshing break from their usual pre-Olympic media obligations, the two of them compete to see how well they know one another, charming the GQ filming crew with their lovey-dovey behavior. Also in attendance while filming are Minako, Chris, Mari, Amara, and later, Yurio, who enjoy roasting them for their sappiness. 
Footnotes:1
1. You may remember in Chapters 1 and 4 my mention that Yurio did not do as well at the 2018 Winter Games as he’d hoped. He ends up struggling at World’s as well, so he was not part of the post-competition presser, and would have had to watch it separately
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2. International service of Japan's public media organization (NHK). It provides the latest information on Japan and Asia through television, radio and online to a global audience
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3. This is first mentioned in Ch 4, but as a refresher, the 7 skaters that filed official disputes after the PyeongChang Men’s Singles Free Skate were: Lee Seung-Gil, JJ Leroy, Viktor Nikiforov, Cao Bin, Phichit Chulanont, Katsuki Yuuri, and Christophe Giacometti
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4. Top ten rank order after the Olympics Short Program (for the Free Skate, skaters performed in reverse order of the Short Program rankings, meaning Yuuri would have performed last): 1) Yuuri; 2) Chris; 3) Viktor; 4) Otabek; 5) JJ; 6) Bin; 7) Phichit; 8) Mickey; 9) Seung-Gil; 10) Emil
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5. I used Google Translate for this, so my apologies if it doesn’t actually translate in the way I meant. It’s supposed to say: “You’re doing great, baby. I love you.”
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6. I am 99% sure that this wouldn’t be allowed, so consider this one of the creative liberties that I have decided to take, for the sake of that ‘tooth-rotting fluff’ tag
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7. In reality, same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Japan. In my fic universe, I propose that while it is legal, that same-sex couples, unfortunately, have to go through some costly and time-intensive administrative hurdles until they can be awarded legal recognition. My head-canon is that they’d file for official recognition once Yuuri moves to St. Petersburg (in early 2017)
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8. See here for an overview of the scandal that plagued the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Somehow, Didier Gailhaguet managed to get re-elected as the French federation’s President in 2007, shortly after his 3-year suspension ended. I honestly don’t understand how he could have come into such a prominent position of power again when he’d been responsible for corruption on the world’s most visible stage…but that’s skating politics
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9. Russian diminutive for ‘Yakov’; I figure that most of his skaters will call him Yakov, or ‘Coach’ to his face, but perhaps behind his back, they’ll use something a bit more intimate. Saveliy, being his peer, will generally call him by this diminutive
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----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Team Japan Dormitory Media Room 2, Beijing Olympic Village (Beijing, China) - mid-afternoon, February 3, 2022  
 Though Viktor had whined spectacularly – “but Yushaaa, it’s not even that bad!” (except that yes, it most definitely was) – they'd had to make a trip to the Olympic Village drugstore in order to cover up all the scandalous traces of the previous evening’s activities before their GQ Sports “Couple’s Quiz” appearance. Now they sat, with their necks powdered and (seemingly) hickey-free in front of a number of rolling cameras in one of the Team Japan dormitory’s media rooms. “Alright, love. What is my comfort anime?” he read from his next question card, before turning to his husband with an appraising look.Viktor’s face lit up almost instantly, before he schooled his expression and sat back in his seat, looking thoughtful. From just a few feet away, Minako-sensei began to cackle, gleefully, and for what felt like the tenth time in just the last hour, Yuuri wondered if they’d been a little too quick to agree to their verbose group of friends and family tagging along for this; in addition to her, they were also joined by Christophe, Mari, Amara, Meni, and Goya. Well, actually, the dogs were ok, even though their pitiful whines for attention were a little distracting. Though it would have been easier to leave their furbabies at the Olympic Village doggy daycare center, after spending a night apart from them, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs were eager to have their poodles within sight. Currently, Meni and Goya were straining their leashes in Christophe’s hold, acting like it had been 5 whole days since they’d last gotten pets, when in reality it had only been 5 minutes. “Comfort anime…comfort anime,” Viktor mumbled, tapping his index finger to his lips in his signature gesture. “There are tons and tons of anime that you consistently rave about, but comfort anime isn’t the same as your favorite anime…right?” he went on, talking to himself but keeping his arrestingly blue eyes on him all the while.Yuuri grinned, finding this talking-out-loud strategy very cute.“Would you like to use one of your hints, Vitya?” he asked, sweetly. During the course of the game, they each had the option of receiving up to three hints from the other at any time, but so far, neither had opted to use any. If they made it through the whole set of 15 questions each with any outstanding hints, each remaining one would count as an additional two points added to their final score. Now over two-thirds of the way through, both he and Viktor were doing very well, only having gotten 2 wrong apiece. However, because each question was worth differing levels of points based on the answers they’d stipulated ahead of time, it was hard to know definitively who had the better chance of winning. With three questions each remaining, a lot could still happen to tip the scales strongly one way or the other.His love jutted his lip out in a pout before replying.“How dare you?!” he exclaimed, in Russian. “Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov needs no outside help, I shall stand on my own two feet, buffeted by the winds of memory, good sense, and designer shoes!” Yuuri spluttered a laugh around the mouth of his water bottle as Viktor kicked his feet out in front of him, showing off his luxe heeled boots, which had earned him at least ten compliments from the production staff when they’d sat down for their hair and makeup prep, earlier. Before he could reply, Jamie, one of the show’s co-producers, called out to them to ask for a translation.“Oh, he said that there’s no way that he’ll get this one correct even with a hint, so he feels like he should forfeit,” Yuuri responded quickly while making sure to maintain a completely straight face. A gasp sounded immediately at his left, and only a second passed before his husband was tickling him (not even for the first time today).“Noooo, again?! Vitya, stoppppp!”Though he was too busy writhing in-place to be fully attuned to it, Yuuri was distantly aware of the delighted laughs ringing out among the filming crew; it had become apparent over the last hour that there were a number of diehard #Viktuuri fans among the GQ staff, and they’d already promised to do an in-depth photo series with some of them afterwards. “That is most definitely not what I said, Jamie,” Viktor cried, over his laughter. “Let all of your devoted viewers see for themselves: this man is a shameless fibber!” Even with his sweater as a barrier, the scrabble of probing fingertips along his sides proved too much for Yuuri, and he slumped over, not even trying to squirm away anymore.  “Noooo, mercy, Vitya!! HAHAAA, please, honey!”“Not unless you admit that you’re an incorrigible liar!”Their cries overlapped, and in the midst of the chaos, Goya somehow managed to escape Christophe’s strong hold. All of a sudden, Yuuri was completely surrounded, shrinking away futilely from his relentless spouse on one side, and their equally relentless, slobbery poodle on the other. The latter had practically leapt onto his lap.Echoes of raucous laughter filtered through to his ears, and he could only imagine how ridiculous he looked, trying to avoid their Goya's drool, while also shamelessly trying to use her as a tickle barrier.“Good girl! Ok, ok, down, lapachka,1," he heard Viktor praise and command their dog, who immediately obeyed. “We taught Yusha a valuable lesson about honesty, didn’t we, Goya?”At this question, their standard poodle began to wag her tail furiously, and raised up on her hind legs, placing a paw on each of Viktor's knees. Yuuri had readied himself to send a glare towards both of his “attackers”, but at the sight of his husband leaning forward to kiss her floppy ears, his expression immediately softened. For a moment, she looked so much like Makkachin, that a sharp ache bloomed in his chest. Thinking back to four years ago, he recalled how much their late pup had loved running around the Team Russia and Team Japan Olympic dormitories in Pyeongchang, while they'd laughed and chased after her. Especially given everything that had happened after his Free Skate, they had both found it so comforting to have Makka and Meni around to cuddle with.Coughing at the sudden tickle in his throat, Yuuri leaned over to hug both of them, not even caring that Goya immediately took to drooling onto his ear. “Aww, so cute,” one of the camera crew members murmured.The next moment, Viktor was whispering to him, and Yuuri smiled, amazed as always by how good he'd grown at reading him.“What’s wrong, miliy moy2? You look sad all of a sudden,” he said, speaking so that only he could hear.Yuuri shook his head before turning to face him, giving him a reassuring smile.“I’ll tell you later, Viten’ka, I’ll be ok.”Unable to resist Goya’s soulful eyes, he wiped at his ear and allowed her back onto his lap. Given her size, she would have completely blocked him from view of the cameras, but at Viktor’s coaxing, she laid her head across his thighs, distributing her weight over both sets of legs. Not wanting to make their other pup jealous, they called out to Chris, and soon, Meni was happily panting in his spouse’s arms, raising up every now and then to lick at his chin. Their tickle fight diversion had put them slightly behind schedule, but they had been informed by Jamie and his co-producer, Tarneka, that the team had budgeted for an extra hour of filming to allow for exactly such antics. “Enough stalling, Vik-chan,” Mari called out, wryly, which caused Minako’s laughter to redouble; Yuuri was sure both women were recalling all the times when his kid self had raced through manga volumes in between dance recital rehearsals, acting almost comically bereft whenever he’d finish reading a new installment or watching a new anime episode. It was actually because of Yuuri that Minako had even gotten into the hobby herself, and he would forever be proud of the fact that he’d introduced her to her time-tested favorite: Fruits Basket.As his and Viktor’s relationship had progressed, it had been extremely rewarding to observe him develop his own tastes, especially once he’d retired and was able to catch up on the vast quantities of media he’d missed when he’d been singularly devoted to skating.  Yuuri was amused that Viktor actually looked slightly cowed by Mari’s call-out, and he grinned while his spouse hid his face in Meni's fluff, his words coming out muffled.“This is stressful, I feel like there are so many! If I had to guess, I would say…March Comes in Like A Lion?” he offered with a wince, as if afraid to mar his nearly-perfect record. Yuuri felt a surge of nostalgia as he remembered how they’d blazed through the mentioned show back in 2017, when they were still living in St. Petersburg. Together, they had also fallen in love with the manga, and it had given him the excuse to teach Viktor how to play Japanese chess. The two of them were evenly matched in their shogi skills, which wasn’t saying much, because neither of them could last more than ten minutes when playing against Yu-topia regulars like Iwaki-san or Sano-san. And, they stood absolutely no chance against Nojima-san, though, to be fair, the man was a former 6-dan professional; it was truly an act of pity on his part for even agreeing to play against them. The last time Viktor had faced off against Iwaki-san, he had cried actual tears upon losing, as the former had used a series of deft maneuvers to make his naive opponent believe he was far ahead. Afterwards, Yuuri hadn’t been able to stop laughing at his husband’s dramatics, even as he’d brought him a hefty pile of mochi as a consolation prize. “Aw, we both loved that show, didn’t we?” he replied, before turning to face the cameras. “For anyone that hasn’t seen it or read the manga, do yourself a favor and check them out. Rei Kiriyama is one of the most well-written main characters ever – ”At his side, Viktor was nodding rapidly in agreement. “– and the show is a perfect combination of funny and emotional. As another bonus, it’ll kindle your interest in the Japanese version of chess, called shogi. However, as much as I do love that anime… ”With a grin, he turned back towards Viktor. “…March Comes in Like A Lion is incorrect,” he went on, a bit gleefully, before stifling a giggle at his love's plaintive whine. “Violet Evergarden is the answer I was looking for.”At these words, several of their spectators let forth particularly vocal reactions.“Yuuri, are you insane?! Violet Evergarden is so sad!” Chris spluttered, sounding uncharacteristically agitated.Glancing his way, he saw that a few of the film crew were staring at him in utter disbelief, their eyes cartoonishly wide.“I have to agree, my Yuuri,” Viktor chimed in, with a frown. “I think your definition of ‘comfort’ merits examination because I remember us both weeping and clinging on to one another for the majority of the time we were watching that show.”“Little brother, are you allergic to joy?” Mari suddenly asked, a bit sardonically. “Do you need some lighthearted recommendations? Because I have no shortage of– ”“I feel bad for all of you simpletons,” Yuuri said, cutting her off abruptly.He grinned at Viktor’s loud gasp of incredulity from next to him.“I don’t care what anyone says – that show is a perfectly fine choice for a comfort anime, because while yes, it is sad, Violet's journey is so rewarding.”He stopped, bringing a hand up to his chest rather theatrically.“She finally grows to understand the Major’s love for her, that she was never just a tool in his eyes, and that she had always been deserving of unconditional love…of agape ,” he finished with a smirk, turning to look at his husband.Yuuri decided that the stuck-out-tongue that he received in response did not dignify any acknowledgement.“Moving on,” Viktor said, loftily, while glancing down at his next card, “what is my favorite gift that you’ve ever given me, luchik3? As cheesy as I am, I’ll need a tangible answer, so “life and love” won’t count as a correct response.”Giggles filled the air around them, and he joined in before beginning to stroke absentmindedly along Goya’s back, contemplating his answer. Though Yuuri had lacked confidence in his gift-giving abilities towards the beginning of their relationship, once he’d grown to trust himself, he had become quite good at tapping into his romantic side. As his eyes began to roam his spouse’s face – smooshed up against Meni’s squishy cheeks – he thought back on how moved Viktor had been when he had finally gathered the courage to begin expressing his feelings for him through song. As much as Viktor appreciated the romantic skates he’d surprised him with over the years, the fact of the matter was that expressing their devotion to one another through passionate step-sequences and gravity-defying jumps was somewhat to be expected. Verbal exposition, on the other hand, came more naturally to his husband than it did to him.Yuuri had ample evidence of this in the form of a hefty stack of love letters written to him over the years in a myriad of circumstances, including: from the hospital in Sydney, Australia, when he’d injured his ankle last year during Short Program practice at Four Continents’ and had to withdraw from the competition; on the night before their wedding, when neither of them had been able to sleep, stomachs aflutter with a mix of giddiness and the typical nerves (plus a small sliver of irrational fear); and after a rare fight between the two of them a few months ago, when Viktor had vastly downplayed the pain in his knee, having to sit out a jump workshop last-minute that they were supposed to co-teach. For all that his spouse so freely gave of himself in words, Yuuri might never have suspected the depth of his yearning for verbal affection, in turn: just one of many painful scars borne of his childhood.Under the cold and affectless Ilia and Sonya Nikiforov, Viktor had grown up with such little verbal affirmation that he’d begun soaking up every word of praise he received like a shriveled-up sponge; this had inevitably led him to develop an unhealthy reliance on external validation, one that increasingly couldn’t be sated through admiring fans. The first time Yuuri had ever complimented him on something besides his appearance or his skating – during that dizzyingly, deliciously confusing period in 2016 before they’d become official – he’d been astonished to see tears pool in his coach’s mesmerizing eyes. Viktor had laughed off his display of emotion with glib reassurances, but the memory of it had made Yuuri’s heart ache all through the night, as well as several days afterwards.As they’d continued to dance around each other as August gave way to September, and September encroached upon October, how fitting it was that it was typhoon season, because it soon became apparent that every word of praise from his lips was akin to a heavy rain, completely overwhelming the parched surface of his not-quite-yet-boyfriend’s heart. Once Viktor had begun to confide in him about his neglectful childhood, Yuuri had resolved to never let a day go by without letting him hear how utterly wonderful he found him, even though it required him to make veritable leaps outside of his comfort zone. During his brief break from competition in the fall of 2018, he’d found himself so content and inspired by the ongoing planning of their April 2019 wedding, that his decision to pick back up on the songwriting hobby he’d developed as a teenager hadn’t really even been a conscious one; it was as if Yuuri’s body needed an even broader outlet for his happiness, something even the ice wasn’t able to give him. And though he’d already written a few songs for his fiance during their engagement, there had always been a sort of unspoken understanding between them that he might not ever get to a point where he would feel comfortable performing his own original music in front of an audience. But that was the thing about his love for Viktor: it gave him the bravery to do things he never would have conceived of. Thus, Yuuri’s wedding gift to his new husband had been an incredibly vulnerable, reverent song that he had written and performed for him during their wedding reception. It had been the first time that he’d dared to perform his own music live in front of anyone other than Phichit-kun, or Viktor himself. The tender surprise had brought every single wedding guest (including the ever-stoic Lee Seung-Gil) to tears, and Yuuri had almost felt bad at how much his new spouse had happy-cried; his complexion had remained blotchy and uneven long after his performance. Of course, it had also worked out as payback, since Viktor had made him outright weep during their ceremony, when he’d surprised him by reciting his (long) handwritten vows in perfect Japanese.Turning to him now, Yuuri felt a quiet confidence in his answer, and allowed the joyful memories of their wedding day to wash away the lingering grief in his heart from missing Makka.“Final answer, dushen’ka4: my performance during our wedding reception, when I sang the song I’d written for you,” he answered, hoping Viktor could hear all of the tenderness in his words.His Vitya’s effulgent smile warmed him all the way through, and their hands clasped together. “Right again,” he replied, with so much softness in his voice and gaze that it made Yuuri’s heart soar. As they shared in a kiss both chaste and sweet, he brought a hand up to gently hold the back of Viktor’s neck, momentarily glad that Yura was missing from their sizable crowd of onlookers. Of course, he was sure they’d hear enough griping from him when the edited version was released.Drawing back, Yuuri was sure that his husband would immediately start gushing to the cameras about the performance, but was surprised to see that he had merely re-angled so that his voice wouldn’t carry to any of their spectators.“Incidentally, miliy moy, I would have accepted a number of answers from you, including ‘my glorious thighs’, as well as ‘my gorgeous, drool-worthy cock’,” Viktor whispered, before leaning away with a wink.Jaw dropping at his brazenness – dear God, please let the cameras not have picked that up – Yuuri immediately flushed beet-red and hid his face in Goya’s curly fur. “You are the worst,” he choked out, in muffled Russian, sure that the tips of his ears would catch fire. “Awww, but that’s not what you said in your song!” Viktor sing-songed in delight, also in Russian.“It was so so romantic, I think I cried for a solid week afterwards,” he heard him go on, now back to English. “Yusha has the most stunning voice, and when he sings it’s just like his skating: you can’t stop listening, because it’s so captivating. The way he captures emotions in his songwriting is so genuine and earnest. It was unbelievably beautiful.”Yuuri felt a gentle hand begin stroking the top of his head, and felt a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with the heat from his cheeks. “Yuuri, can you tell us a little bit about what that was like for you, performing at your own wedding? Namely, how did you make it through the song without crying?” Tarneka called out, with a smile in her voice.He laughed into Goya’s fur, very glad that none of their onlookers had asked why he had suddenly begun to resemble a tomato. “Funnily enough, I was crying even before I got to the mic,” he quipped, once he’d raised his head to face the cameras. “Luckily, I had practiced enough with my accompanist on piano, so she was able to improvise, and work around the two instances where I had to stop for a bit to get myself together.”He turned to look at Viktor, who leaned over to rest his head on his shoulder. “Our wedding was the first time I had performed my own music in front of anyone other than Vitya and my close friend, Phichit. In Japanese culture, we’re brought up to be pretty reserved when it comes to expressing our feelings, so the idea of sharing my music always seemed like an incredibly vulnerable thing to do. But if there was ever a time in my life when I knew I wanted to be vulnerable and declare exactly how I felt about Viktor in front of everyone we care about, it was on our wedding day,” Yuuri went on, with a shy smile. He dropped a kiss to his husband’s forehead. “I was really happy with how it turned out,” he continued, proudly. “Honestly, the only reaction I cared about was his. As I was singing, everything but his face fell away.” He broke off with a giggle as Viktor pretended to swoon against him.“I could see how happy it was making him, and it made me realize that whatever nerves or insecurity I’d had to confront, that it was all worth it,” Yuuri finished, blushing furiously as he locked eyes with Viktor, who was looking at him with stars in his eyes.                Loud ‘awww ing’ cut through the air – Christophe’s by far the loudest – but he only had eyes for his spouse. 
Thwack!
A mild thump to his shoulder broke him out of his reverie. Upon hearing Amara’s loud giggles, he realized that his sister had thrown one of Meni’s chew toys at him. “Enough mooning over Vik-chan! You do enough of that off-camera as it is!” Mari called.“Sorry, sorry,” Yuuri mumbled sheepishly, though his embarrassment quickly melted away at the kiss Viktor pressed to his cheek. “Ok, next one: What’s my morning routine like?” he asked, reading from his set of question cards. “You could get multiple points based on the level of detail for my training days as well as rest days.”                         Immediately, Viktor began to laugh, and Amara’s voice rang out with a suggestion. “Do your imitation, Viktor!” At these words, Minako-sensei chimed in, egging him on.“So, the thing about my Yuuri,” his husband began, with a grin, “is that he is not a morning person, despite the fact that as an elite athlete, his rink start time is usually 8:15. Except for a few times a week when we’ll do light cardio first and start with a half-hour jog around the neighborhood with Goya. Who’s the best running buddy, isn’t she? Aren’t you, moya khoroshaya5?” he continued on, in a saccharine-sweet tone.Goya panted happily as he played with her fluffy ears.Meni, seemingly distraught at having to share Viktor’s attention, began to whine and nudge his chin.“Awww, poor Meni, you’re being neglected! Isn’t life so unfairrrr?” Yuuri called out, with a laugh.“I’m so sorry, my Meni-moppet,” Viktor responded, in a mournful tone, dropping kisses to both floofy heads to appease each pup’s calls for attention.“Ok, where was I?” he resumed. “On training days, I set an alarm for either 6:15 or so, and pretty much the nanosecond it goes off, my Yuuri will cling to me and hide under the blankets. Every morning without fail, he goes… ”Viktor trailed away and lifted Meni up to cover his face. The fluffy sound barrier couldn’t muffle his “anguished” moan, the volume of which was a great deal louder than Yuuri felt the situation merited.  “ …nooooooo! My coach is so cruel! Is a full night’s sleep a mere pipe dream for an Olympic champion? Where is the justice? Where is the fairness? Where is th– ” “Vitya!!!” he squawked in reply, before bursting into giggles.He tried to lean over to clamp a hand over his mouth, but his cheeky spouse seemed to have anticipated this, springing from his seat, out of reach. Much to the filming crew’s delight, he began to twirl Meni around in circles, and Yuuri marveled at how he was able to move so effortlessly in his 4-inch heels.“Speaking of incorrigible liars,” he quipped, not even trying to hide the idiotically wide grin on his face as he watched him; the sight of Viktor dancing around with their happily panting poodle was just too adorable. “To set the record straight: I do not call myself an Olympic champion in the third-person.” Chris and Mari laughed loudly at this, and Meni woofed in solidarity. He seemed quite content with his current situation, frantically attempting to lick at his dog-dad’s shimmery, argent bangs whenever they were in reach.“So, basically, the loudest possible wailing, plus multiple slanderous comments about my coaching methods,” his love continued, as if he hadn’t heard him. “I’ll generally take pity on him and carry him to the bathroom– ” “ – not true, that’s only when my legs are sore! Vityaaa – ” “ – so that he can start getting ready, and, as he clings to me grumbling about life’s many tribulations, I take advantage of his vulnerability and force my ridiculously detailed morning skincare regimen onto him. Then, I head to the kitchen to start making our coffee and tea, as well as to let the dogs out, and get them fed. Once Yusha’s done in the bathroom, we’ll switch places and he’ll start getting breakfast together, and pack his skate bag. I usually have to double-check it afterwards because he never…”He trailed away and finally stopped twirling Meni around, appearing a bit winded.Seeing his chance, Yuuri nudged Goya off his lap, and sprang up from his seat. As he tugged Viktor back over to his chair, he couldn’t help the quiet giggles that spilled from his throat as he imagined the memes Phichit might make once the final video was released. “How humbling…my 33-year-old legs aren’t built like they once were,” his husband said, a bit poutily as he sat back down. “As I was saying, I have to check Yusha’s bag, because he never packs enough medical tape. You’d think he’d learn, because he gets annoyed at me after practice if I fuss too much over his feet.”At this, Viktor aimed a look his way, which Yuuri promptly returned. “Then, unless it’s a running day (in which case, we would eat after), we’ll have breakfast. Rice and grilled fish are our staples, and it tends to be quite the elaborate affair, considering how intensive training is. After showering and getting dressed, we sometimes end up having some extra time, in which case, my Yuuri helps me braid my hair all prettily,” he said, motioning at his long locks and looking elated. “By the time we’re out the door, it’s around 7:45, and we first drive to doggy day-care to drop Meni and Goya off, before we head to Papio. Yuuri’s parents like to quiz me on my Japanese a few times a week, so we’ll sometimes do a call with them in the car on the way over, since they’re also up early.”His love stopped short, appearing to think a bit before glancing at him. He looked quite pleased with himself.“And that’s it, I think.”“You were mostly correct, aside from the two outright fibs you told with a disturbingly straight face,” Yuuri answered, dryly, while reaching around Meni and poking him in the ribs.“Such harsh accusations, anata6," Viktor replied, sounding forlorn.Amara giggled loudy at this, and he flashed his heart-shaped grin at her before continuing with his answer.“As for rest days, my Yuuri doesn’t set an alarm, unless we’ve planned some kind of activity in the morning like going out to brunch or meeting up with friends for coffee. So those days start off much more relaxed. He’s usually up around 9, and we take it easy, cuddling and lazing around in bed with the dogs. Usually, Yusha will do yoga, and since I’m not nearly as patient to do it myself, I’ll content myself with admiring and thirsting after him in his tight yoga pants– ” Mari’s groan couldn’t drown out Tarneka and Jamie’s loud giggling, nor his own squawk of protest. “ – while simultaneously trying to make brunch, which will usually lead to disastrously burnt bacon. The french toast, eggs and pancakes usually make it out unscathed, though, and I tend to do the latter both Russian and Japanese-style. We don’t like to leave our pups out, so they also get special breakfasts on rest days, usually some sauteed pork belly, or if we’re really feeling fancy, mini katsudon bowls.”Yuuri waited a few moments to see if he would continue on, but his husband just looked at him, apparently done.“There’s one more thing I’ve been doing on our off-days…sometimes before yoga, sometimes after,” he prompted, thinking about the opportunity to plug their ‘SkateHusbands’ YouTube channel.After a few moments of thinking, Viktor squinted at him, cocking his head to the side.“Is it something we’ve been doing together?”Yuuri nodded in response, before face-palming at Chris’s cat-calling. “Chris, you’re a scoundrel,” his spouse responded, cheerfully (and without a hint of bashfulness). “Besides, that kind of thing is usually priority number one, so, typically, we’ll have already gotten that out of the way by the time 10am rolls around.”“Oh, my godddd, baby!” Yuuri groaned, leaning over to smack Viktor’s bicep as he giggled away, madly. “That cannot make the final edit!” he whined, casting an imploring look at the co-producers. For a moment, he contemplated the possibility of doing the rest of his portion of the game from underneath the table. He just knew that a splice-and-dice of all of his tomato-red moments of mortification (contrasted with Viktor's blithe, unruffled expressions) would be making its way onto his traitor of a best friend’s Instagram reels collection. Phichit-kun owed him so big every time they did anything media related.Desperate to reclaim his dignity, Yuuri tried to get things back on track.“We’re nearing the end, Vitya, and you still have three hints you can use,” he reminded his husband.Viktor looked back at him, intently, as if plumbing his thoughts by sheer force of will. “Ooh, I know!” he suddenly crowed, bouncing in his seat (which made Goya begin panting with excitement from her new spot at his feet). “Plant care! It’s become a big hobby of mine over the years, and with Yuuri retiring soon, he’s been having me show him the ins and outs of taking care of some of our more rare and finicky plants at home. We’ve actually talked about filming a video for our SkateHusbands YouTube channel where I would give him a beginner’s tutorial. So, to those already subscribed to our channel, look out for that soon,” his spouse finished, sounding proud. “Good job, sweetheart. You’ll get the full 5 points for your level of detail, plus your little dance number,” Yuuri said with a smirk, before turning to the camera. “You all should see Viktor when he’s talking to our houseplants and watering them. It’s really really cute! He’s even given them all names.”Glancing back over, he relished the blush that was creeping up Viktor’s face at the praise. “Ok, we have to know, what are some of the names?” Tarneka called out. His love’s face rapidly changed, suddenly looking shrewd. He wagged a finger in the crew’s direction.“I can’t give away our secrets before we film the tutorial video! But, I will say that some of the names are directly related to figure skating puns and wordplay because the Katsuki-Nikiforovs love a good pun.”Yuuri nodded his agreement. “Definitely. I’d say we’re pretty axel -ent punners, wouldn’t you say?” he asked.More groans than giggles surrounded them, but Viktor laughed, which was the most important thing.“I concur! Everyone’s gonna flip when they watch it,” he added on.“Tarneka and I may have to dock you both for this corniness,” Jamie called out, though the look on his face suggested he was thoroughly enjoying their buffoonery. “Viktor, your next question?”His husband’s expression sobered a bit as he read over the next question card, and something unreadable hung in his eyes as their gazes met.“Bit of a tone departure with this one,” he said, causing Yuuri to feel a flutter of unease in his stomach. Was it something about PyeongChang? When they’d received the “bank” of 60 question options last month, they’d been instructed to pick and answer 30: five from each of the six categories. He didn’t think Viktor would have chosen to answer anything that would have directly forced either of them to have to talk about the Games, but why else the sudden shift in tone?“What milestone or accomplishment from my career is most significant to me?” his spouse asked, his gaze boring into Yuuri’s.
Ahh, so that made sense, then.
As well as he’d been doing throughout the game, there had been a few questions he’d been hesitant about, but this wasn’t one of them. This answer was one he had bone-deep certainty around.He felt a wave of tenderness crest in his chest as he processed how to articulate himself.At this point, the actual answer itself wasn’t privileged information; post-retirement, Viktor had grown increasingly candid in discussing his career, especially the more painful, less publicly known parts. Even so, it moved Yuuri, irrevocably, to know that the most significant accomplishment during his amazing Vitya’s entire career directly involved him. “It’d been building for awhile, but even so, you began the 2015-2016 season feeling more uninspired and miserable than ever,” he began, feeling that tickle in his throat from earlier make itself known again. Yuuri took a deep breath to steady himself and was grateful for the softness that had entered his love’s gaze after these initial words. “You clinched yet another world title at the 2016 World Championships, and could have spent your off-season enjoying some well-deserved rest, or participating in ice shows to appease your many fans. But instead, you decided to completely upend your life,” he continued on, his eyes beginning to well up. “After watching a grainy, hastily shot video of a perpetually anxious Japanese figure skater performing your Free Skate online, you booked a one-way ticket to Japan, moving to a country where you didn’t know the language…to a town where you didn’t know a soul. Lots of people, your former federation included, said they didn’t understand why you did it, why you took– ”Yuuri stopped short, overcome. The tears he’d been expecting began to drip down his cheeks, and he was glad to see he wasn’t the only one affected; maddeningly beautiful rivulets fell from Viktor’s eyes, and the two of them clumsily bumped hands and giggled, trying to wipe each other’s faces as well as their own. He cleared his throat a bit before resuming.“You took a chance and came to Hasetsu to become my coach, ignoring all the people that said they didn’t understand why you would throw away your career, why you would ‘give it all up to coach some basket-case’– ”At these last words, his husband made an angry sort of noise, and Yuuri gave a watery smile at the righteous anger on his behalf. Those words, verbatim, had run in headlines during the 2016 off-season via Krestyanka: one of Russia’s largest media publications. Incidentally, that same outlet had smeared both of their names after they’d begun doing ethics reform work after the ICAS investigation results post-PyeongChang had been released. “– but despite it all, you stayed, even when things between us got off to a slow start,” he went on, his words laden with meaning, amplified by the precarious wobble of emotion contained in them.Yuuri would probably forever be in awe over the way Viktor had thrown caution to the wind that spring, embracing the unknown and ignoring the naysayers, even when those same naysayers included people he genuinely cared for, like Yakov. It would have been understandable, even pragmatic, for his new coach to have thrown the towel in at Yuuri’s initial stiffness around him, but Viktor had stayed, patiently – well, patiently enough – while they’d learned how to open up to one another. Little by little, they’d cultivated trust and understanding, learning how to meet one another where they each needed to be met. He placed trembling fingers against his spouse’s cheek, smiling when Viktor angled his mouth to kiss at the tips. “For the first time in a long time, you ignored everyone else’s expectations and you did something just for yourself. And, the rest is history,” he finished with a shy smile, feeling himself melt at the way Viktor cupped his hand over the one Yuuri still had pressed to his face…Yura would definitely make fun of them later for this.  “And what a beautiful history it’s been,” his love replied, sounding perfectly content.That blissed-out tone made something inside of him settle, at the same time that a protective instinct flared up in his chest. He turned to the film crew, on the alert should anyone laugh or make light of the sentimental direction things had headed in. As a fan of GQ Sports, Yuuri had watched a few of the Couple’s Quiz episodes in the past, and knew if this question was picked that it was a toss-up; some people went deep, while others treated it as more of a joke. If anyone even attempted to make him or Viktor feel bad for their emotional responses, Yuuri had no qualms around utterly eviscerating them.“Ok, luchik, next question, what am I most afraid of?” he asked, reading off of his question card with more than a little trepidation around the heavier turn things were taking. “You’ll have to excuse me…I’m going to keep my head down, because if I look at anyone, I’ll probably just keep crying,” he noted as a disclaimer, hoping he was coming off as endearing and adorable rather than pitiful.At these words, he registered the hush of sympathetic murmurs around them, as well as Amara’s soft but clear voice. “It’s ok to cry, Yuuri! Let it out!” Yuuri smiled at the words of encouragement from a similarly sensitive soul; he and his sister’s fiance often joked proudly about their self-proclaimed “crybaby” status. He shifted a bit when he felt Viktor’s arms wrap around him. Caught between him and Meni, it was suddenly a very crowded seat.“Amara is right, it’s perfectly ok to cry, schast’ye moy7,” his love said, firmly, pressing a kiss to his temple.As he began to tear up, Yuuri internally cursed Viktor for always having to use the sweetest endearments when his emotions were already running high. Sometimes, it felt like he was trying to make him bawl his eyes out.“It’s like you do it on purpose,” he sniffled in reply, though he wore a smile. “Is that what all your mushy pet names are actually for, Vitya? To make me ugly-cry on camera?”Amidst the laughter that his words generated, Tarneka walked over with a box of tissues, which he gladly accepted. “You love my pet names,” his spouse pouted, bumping their heads together. “And don’t be ridiculous, Yuranya,” he went on, his voice suddenly sounding stern, “you could never be ugly.”Yuuri snorted at this, but he wasn’t sure if his skepticism could be heard over Viktor’s next words, directed at the filming crew.“If I send over some of his baby pictures, maybe you can create a montage for the final cut!” he exclaimed, sounding almost painfully earnest. “Let everyone see for themselves how cute he’s always been!”Wrenching his gaze away from where he had been staring determinedly down at his lap, Yuuri faced the cameras in a panic.“No, no, there’s no need for that! Really!” he begged, even as he spied Minako-sensei skipping towards Tarneka and Jamie with her phone held up. What a traitor.  She’d probably show them the pictures from his very first ballet recital, when his five-year-old self had worn a red taiyaki costume which, unfortunately, had turned out to match the exact shade of his sweaty, post-dance flushed cheeks. For some reason, Minako-sensei had gone through a stretch of at least five years where she’d made her students dress up as various food items, apparently unbothered by the way it made their stomachs growl during dress rehearsals.Gently blocking Meni’s attempts to lick his neck, Yuuri attempted to seize control before things further devolved, turning to look at his husband.“Let’s get back on-track, anata. My greatest fear. Go,” he said, a bit curtly.Viktor could probably sense his eagerness to get this question over with, because he seemed to snap to attention at his tone.“My Yuuri and I have fears that are two sides of the same coin,” he began, with a wan smile. “Whereas I tend to think I’m “too much” for people, Yusha worries that he’ll never be “enough”...that who he is, intrinsically, isn’t enough for him to be loved and accepted.”Yuuri began to nod his head to confirm this answer, and only a split-second later, he was being glomped, swaying back and forth in the cradle of his love’s arms.“But that’s absolutely preposterous!” Viktor crowed, incredulously. “My Yuuri is more than enough, he’s the best, in every single way! Twitter, do your thing: make #YuuriIsTheBestInEverySingleWay trend! I’m counting on you all: do it for love! Do it for world peace! Do it for–”Clamping a hang over his mouth, Yuuri cut off his impassioned proclamation, giggling when this just resulted in his ticklish lips pressing kisses all over his palm.“Christ, please tell me they haven’t been like this the entire time,” a loud, grumpy voice suddenly rang out.Startling, he and Viktor turned in unison to where a hoodie-clad, chewing-gum-popping Yuri Plisetsky stood, watching them with a familiar mix of exasperation and amusement. With a certain honorary uncle in her line of sight, Goya quickly abandoned the spot at their legs to shower him with love.With a joyous bark, she practically jumped into his arms. As much as he tried to deny it, Yura was extremely fond of her, and these days, around half of his Instagram was dedicated to the heart-warming but surprising friendship that Potya and Goya had developed over the last two years. “Yura!!! I thought you said, and I quote, ‘I have better things to do than watch my lovestruck coach be mushy on camera’,” Viktor called out, sounding overjoyed to see him. “You changed your mind? You wanted to support me?” he went on, his tone adorably hopeful. “I wanted to support Katsudon,” Yura corrected, which caused Yuuri to laugh, and Viktor to pout. “Ahh, you see what I have to deal with?” his husband cried dramatically, in Tarneka and Jamie’s direction. “First, my insolent student dastardly attempts to claim the title of our Goya’s Favorite Human, and then, he insults me right to my face. Hold me, Yusha, I was not built to endure such suffering!”Yuuri giggled, but tightened his arms around him, all the same.“I’m already holding you, sweetheart,” he replied fondly, before turning to face Yura.“Don’t be mean to him, Yura,” he said, going for a scolding tone that probably wasn’t all that intimidating. “We’re both very sensitive today.”“Oh, well in that case, I better stop, since that’s so different from every other day,” his friend/rinkmate replied, acerbically, though Yuuri knew his tone was far less biting than it could have been.In any case, the slight stood in contrast to the fond way in which he was petting Goya’s cheeks.Viktor whispered a few things in Meni’s ear, placing him on the floor. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the tiny poodle took off, running over to prance around and tug at the bottom of Yura’s sweats. Smirking, Yuuri nodded towards the remaining two cards on the table in front of them. “Shall we keep going, Vitya? That is – ”Here, he paused to markedly change his tone, allowing his smile to grow sharp.“ – unless you prefer to stall…delay the inevitable? We both know who’s going to win this, after all.”At this point, they were way, way behind schedule. Nonetheless, their various onlookers looked like they were having a ball. Mari-nēchan, Amara, and the film crew members were openly laughing at Yuri’s disgruntled attempts to fend off Meni’s affection (a sight made more amusing by the fact that he was simultaneously holding Goya in his arms as she drooled all over his hood).Chris and Minako-sensei were engrossed in conversation with Tarneka and Jamie, and judging from the way they were crowding around Minako's phone – every now and then glancing up at him and smirking – Yuuri had a feeling they were bonding over any number of embarrassing pictures (or videos?!?) of him.Viktor cast an appraising eye on him in response to the trash-talk.“You sound extremely confident, there, my Yuuri,” he replied, with a matching smirk. “I’d hate to force you to eat your words.”Glancing around to make sure no one was paying too close attention, Yuuri lowered his voice to a whisper.“I guess the way I look at it, losing wouldn’t be so bad, right? If I get something wrong, it means there are still things I don’t know about you, and I love learning new things about you. Those are the kinds of surprises I live for,” he replied, his smile softening. And though, yes, Yuuri absolutely meant every word that had just escaped his lips, he may also have had the ulterior motive of payback for his spouse’s sappiness just minutes earlier. Sure enough, Viktor’s eyes grew huge and (even more) watery. A look of astonishment crossed his face, prompting the glow of victory to burn hot in Yuuri’s chest. “Yuranya, that’s…” With more than a little glee, he passed over a fresh wad of tissues as his voice cut off.“...that’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard!” Viktor crowed, sniffling loudly. Yuuri didn’t even think it was possible, but he seemed to be clinging to him with even more vigor. “There, there, Vitya,” he replied, bringing one of his palms up to his lips for a kiss. “Ugh, not again!!” Yuri barked at them, now sitting on the floor with a poodle head resting upon each of his thighs. “These people have better things to do with their lives than to film you losers crying over each other as if you haven’t been together for literally years. Katsudon, you promised me you’d help me rework my exhibition skate today, I swear to God if you break your prom– ”“Fine, fineeeee,” Yuuri interrupted him, releasing a long-suffering sigh. “Everyone, Yura may actually explode from impatience, and then I won’t have the pleasure of beating him for gold next week. So let’s get a move-on. What’s your second to last question for me, Vitya?”Viktor laughed as Yura's face grew stony at these words, and reached for the closest card. “Ok, question 14, a multi-pointer: what two food items and one drink item would I want to have at my last meal, ever? Both are without any regard for health, calorie-count, any of that silly stuff,” his love said.Yuuri nodded, his thoughts already churning away. The two of them had a great deal of passion for food, and especially with all of the traveling they’d done over the years, he could easily name at least fifteen dishes from their international adventures that they both regularly craved. It didn’t help that this list was constantly growing. Indeed, their first night in Beijing for the Games, they had joined Seung-Gil and Phichit for a double date. Between the delicious Mongolian hotpot, pea flour cakes, and donkey burgers – the latter being something he had been resistant to try but had been bullied into eating for the sake of his best friend’s Instagram – it had been hard for any of them to pick just one favorite dish of the night. For his husband’s very last meal, however, it seemed logical to suggest items that went beyond flavor: things that held sentimental value.“Ok, I’m pretty certain that in terms of something to drink, you’d want to have the Stammi Vicino chuhai, the same kind from our wedding,” Yuuri replied, pleased when he noted Viktor’s eyes begin to sparkle in response.He turned to the camera to explain.“We decided to do a custom drink at our wedding which we nicknamed the ‘Stammi Vicino’, for obvious reasons. A chuhai is a cocktail made with shochu, and ours was a yuzu and ume variety.”“It was a big hit!” Chris called out, twirling around and making a fake toast, “clinking” his phone with Minako-sensei’s. The ballerina/reception bartender had rather shamelessly egged on all of their guests to have third, fourth, even fifth helpings of the cocktail, and it seemed that she’d been responsible for nearly 70% of everyone’s hangovers the next morning. “Yes, some might even say too big a hit,” Yurio responded, with a pointed look in Minako-sensei's direction, which made Viktor laugh, loudly. “Frankly, you should be thanking me, my little ice tiger,” Minako retorted, grinning wickedly, before turning to address Jamie and Tarneka. “Because of me, everyone was so trashed that nobody even batted an eye at the grooms’ eventual shenanigans,” she said, matter-of-factly. Yuuri said a quick prayer of thanks that she seemed properly cowed by his warning message in Japanese; their wedding reception had been one of the most fun nights of his life, but he was really not enthused at the prospect of the entire world learning about the drunken, sappy, and risque messes that he and Viktor had transformed into, right around the 9pm mark.With a loud clearing of his throat, he turned back to look at his spouse, suddenly feeling a bit stressed around the rest of his answer; the thing was, eating had featured heavily during the period he and Viktor had fallen in love during those many blissful, challenging, electrifying months back in 2016. Even before they’d become official, he had relished in introducing his coach to his country’s rich food cuisine, especially during Hasetsu’s local festivals. They’d walked around, making up outlandish stories about their fellow festival-goers (on one memorable occasion, he’d made Viktor snort-laugh iced genmaicha through his nose when he’d shared his theory that Makkachin was having a torrid affair with Nojima-san’s dopey basset hound), all while eating off of the same yakitori skewer, switching back and forth. Plus, with Yuuri’s family having a business to run, they’d spent many an afternoon as taste-testers, coming up with progressively more bizarre ideas around how they might be able to put a Russian spin on Japanese dishes, or vice-versa. Reflecting back on this time, he knew that his parents had been especially touched when Viktor had insisted on learning how to make some of the family’s favorite recipes. As his mother had gone through each step meticulously, Yuuri had served as a translator, and they’d recorded several hilariously chaotic videos documenting these teaching experiences.  Sifting through his memories, his mind stretched back to an indulgent September day back in 2016, during the peak of the chestnut harvest. He could vividly recall how Viktor’s hands had attempted to follow okaasan’s steady lead as she’d demonstrated the proper way to peel a chestnut. Feeling a surge of confidence in his answer, he flashed a grin at his husband before answering.  “Kuri okowa,” he piped up, feeling a thrill of satisfaction when Viktor began to bounce in his seat again. “Yay! Good job, Yusha,” he replied, before facing the cameras. “Kuri okowa is the very first dish that Mama Hiroko – that kaasan –  taught me how to make,” he went on, proudly. “It’s sticky rice made with boiled chestnuts, and usually also sake and azuki, or red bean. It’s mildly sweet and I like to make it as a treat for Yusha during the competition season, as chestnuts are only available during the fall,” he finished, smacking a loud kiss to his cheek.“We’ve both gotten pretty close to perfecting it, but nothing can beat my mom’s version,” Yuuri added on, with a tiny jut of his lip. “She has some secret ingredient or technique that Vitya and I have never been able to figure out.”“I think it’s more the fact that kaasan actually pays attention when she’s cooking,” his sister suddenly called out, with a sardonic grin. “She doesn’t pause mid-way to take part in a make-out session unlike some people.”“Nēchan!” he squawked indignantly, before burying his face in his hands. Distantly, he registered Minako-sensei, Chris, and Yura’s mingled roars of laughter, and felt a sense of deep betrayal.“Don’t be embarrassed, honey, I happen to think our makeout sessions greatly enhance all the flavors,” his love piped up cheerfully, in a very misguided attempt at comfort. “Great food requires passion, requires eros!”“You’re not helping the situation, Vitya,” he mumbled into his palms, his face feeling like it was generating enough heat to fry an egg. “Jamie, Tarneka: once again, please edit this section liberally, basically any and all comments from the peanut gallery should get thrown out…I don’t even know why we associate with these bullies.”“Duly noted,” Tarneka called out, sounding amused. The sound of another voice suddenly broke through all the ruckus. “Heyyy, but that’s not fair…I didn’t laugh!” came his future sister-in-law’s voice, laced with mock-hurt. Raising his head, Yuuri glanced her way, just in time to catch Mari-nēchan wiping the smirk from her face.“Ok, you’re right, Amara-nēchan,” he allowed, while shooting a glare at his sister. “Everyone in the corner except for you is dead to me.” “Hmmm…I suppose I should start thinking about my last meal then, as well?” Chris called out, with a melodious laugh. He and Viktor both simultaneously rolled their eyes at Chris and Yura’s unnecessarily enthusiastic snickering over this weak jab.“Well, anyways,” his spouse said, emphatically, “you’re doing well, Yusha. One more to go.”Seeing as he’d already guessed one Japanese thing, Yuuri figured that Viktor’s other pick would be something Russian. But similarly, he struggled to be able to land on just one thing, as he knew that his husband’s strongest tie to his native culture revolved around its cuisine. Part of him wanted to guess caviar, as Yakov had taken seventeen-year-old Viktor out to eat a decadent meal of oestra caviar after he’d won his first Olympic medal: a bronze, in Turin. He wasn’t even expected to skate then, and had been an alternate for the 2006 Games. But Yuuri knew that this guess wasn’t a good one, as his love hadn’t actually been proud of that win, feeling that he’d been heavily overscored. Even if Viktor had felt it wasn’t deserved due to judging bias, that particular victory was the one that had propelled his name recognition beyond the relatively insular figure skating community to a global scale. Furthermore, Yuuri knew that being named third best in the world signified something much more meaningful to his spouse than a casual fan might have guessed. Viktor had officially cut off contact with his parents in October 2005, just a few months into the season. Though he’d achieved notable victories prior to that, his father – and his mother, though, to a lesser extent – had always regarded their son’s dedication to skating as something of an embarrassment. Unable to relate to what they deemed a “waste of time”, they’d never bothered to understand just how remarkably talented he was. Placing with a medal at the February 2006 Torino Games – as Russia’s alternate pick, no less – ensured that people even as self-involved as Ilia and Sonya Nikiforov couldn’t ignore the near-constant media stream that plastered their son’s face across tv screens at every turn. Though Viktor hadn’t bothered to reach out to them (and, as far as he knew, they’d never attempted to get in touch with him either), his Olympic success symbolized the moment he became an unignorable part of his neglectful parents’ lives…the moment he was able to stand by a level of achievement that even they couldn’t diminish, with their narrow-minded ideals. However, as momentous as the memory undoubtedly was for him, Yuuri wondered if perhaps he needed to think about a time far earlier in his husband’s career. After all, Viktor’s winning streak had begun well after he had already started to achieve notoriety within the world of elite athletics. But his beginning years, on the other hand…specifically, his first podium finish ever, as a young, hungry, Novice-level skater, eager to prove himself: that very first taste of accomplishment in the form of a silver medal at a regional FFKKR competition had meant everything to him. As his Vitya had brought up frequently over the years, his initial orientation towards skating had been as someone seeking refuge. Before it became dulled by the blunt pressures of fame, homophobic and otherwise-narrow-minded sponsors, and intra- and inter- federation politics, skating was his uncomplicated source of joy: an emotional outlet, as well as his way of reclaiming safety during a lonely childhood. He’d first shared the memory of that second-place-finish with him during their earliest days of dating, in early October 2016. As Viktor had begun to recount the particulars of that Chelyabinsk-based competition, Yuuri remembered feeling spellbound by how happy he looked; his boyfriend was wearing the kind of expression he was starting to notice he would really only wear around him…one that was as different as possible from his “media” face. His blue eyes glimmered as if sunlight were dappling across their surfaces, and his smile was so genuine and warm that it was impossible not to smile back at him. He had talked about dearly regretting eating syrniki for breakfast the morning of the Free Skate, and about how he’d felt jealous of some of his other competitors, who’d gotten cute plushies thrown at them after their performances. The unabashed joy on his face was something Yuuri hoped he’d never forget. Turning to him now, he offered his love a soft smile, reveling in the pretty blush that began to spread across his cheeks, in turn. “You told me that when you secured your first ever podium finish at the Novice level, Yakov allowed you to cheat on your diet, and treated you to a slice of medovik afterwards from a nearby cafe. You also told me that it tasted awful because it was way too dry, but since you were so happy, you didn’t even care. So, I’m going to go with that: straight from that tiny cafe in Chelyabinsk where the owners were indescribably rude to you because you forgot to wipe your muddy feet on the doormat, a slice of dry but unforgettable Медовик…the first of many, well-deserved rewards for my amazing Viten’ka,” he finished, with a grin at the cameras.When he turned to look at Viktor, he noticed he was staring at him with an expression of wonder on his face.“You know me so well, Yuranya,” he said, quietly, with such awe in his voice that Yuuri felt his heart might burst. Both leaning forwards at the same time, he felt tiny flutters in his chest as their lips met, the familiar warmth so easy to sink into. “It’s almost as if I adore you or something,” he whispered playfully, smiling at his spouse, despite feeling a bit shy all of a sudden.  Loud sniffling interrupted the moment, and they turned to see that Minako-sensei was now seated on the ground, crying unrestrainedly into Meni’s fur. The sweet pup, for his part, was trying his best to lap up her tears, and they both chuckled at the sight of Goya wriggling out of Yura’s arms to lend her emotional support as well.“Awww, Minako,” Viktor said, bemusedly, “what’s the matter? Are you alright?”“Nooooo! I’m not!” she wailed in response, as Chris leaned down to stuff a thick wad of tissues into her hand. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. “You two are so sappy and sweet together, and my Yuuri-kun isn’t a little boy anymore! He’s all grown up at his last competition ever, confidently kissing his childhood idol and husband for everyone to see, and I just – ”Her voice cut off with a sob, and she buried her face into Meni’s belly, their spoiled poodle now sprawled across her lap. Yuuri wasn’t quite sure whether or not his attempts to console her would be well-received or not, but he was saved the worry of having to decide when Yura huffed loudly.“Never mind their gross kissing,” he loudly complained, throwing them a look of disgust as if they’d just insulted Potya. “What I want to know is what the score is now that Katsudon got all 3 right.”Jamie answered almost immediately.“Ok, remember: there’s still a final question for you both, which are big multi-pointers,” he called out, flipping a few pages of his clipboard. And, since neither of you have used your three hints, you could each get an additional three points when everything wraps up, if you decide not to use them. So with that disclaimer, Yuuri is currently in the lead, up by 1.5 points.”Before he could outwardly celebrate his small leg-up, Chris piped up with a predictably suggestive comment. “Hmmm, I wonder if dear Yuuri will be able to maintain his lead? I believe he can, he’s always had such excellent stamina, after all…”As his voice trailed off, Yura turned to face him with a pronounced scowl on his face. “You need new material, Giacometti. These two have been together for years: it’s time to show some damn evolution.” He then began to mutter under his breath, saying something that sounded like “resting on his fucking laurels, what a waste,” which made several people nearby laugh. The Ice Tiger had a bit of a point: stamina jokes were so 2017.While Yuuri was pleased with his lead, he was slightly nervous around what Jamie and Tarneka had selected for their final questions. There had definitely been some bizarre ones nestled within the ‘bank’ of options the two co-producers had emailed them a few weeks back. As he’d filled out his answers and allocated the points for the thirty questions he was supposed to submit – having to eventually move to a different room away from Viktor, as they’d kept distracting one another with their snickering – he remembered barking out mildly hysterical laughter at a few of the options in the last category. “What might your life be like in a parallel universe?” had stumped him, and he wondered if his husband had been brave enough to pick that one out; it was the kind of wacky, philosophical question he adored.“Only 1.5 points behind…that’s nothing,” Viktor spoke up, with a gleam in his eye. “Don’t get too comfortable, Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov.”“Sure thing, Mr. Katsuki-Nikiforov,” Yuuri lobbed back, only a split-second later, before slipping into focus mode and reaching for the last notecard.Before he could lay a hand on it, however, his spouse called out to Tarneka and Jamie.“Are you able to dock points for intimidating the competition?” he asked, sounding put-out. Yuuri blinked, unsure as to what he was insinuating.“You have on your very eros nothing-can-stop-me face, and I won’t be able to concentrate if I’m too distracted by how hot you look,” Viktor continued on in Russian, furrowing his eyebrows, cutely. Powerless against the giggles that burst forth, he clapped a hand over his mouth as he watched his love’s eyes begin to narrow. “You can’t be serious, Vitya,” Yuuri wheezed, following Viktor’s lead and switching to Russian. “This is just my face! It’s not like I’m doing anything on purpose.”Yuuri missed the ensuing retort amidst the sound of Tarneka’s ask to Yura for a translation of their back-and-forth: a request he very firmly denied.“Trust me, you’re better off not knowing,” he griped, before marching over to stand near them, just out of the camera frame. “Get a grip, old man!” he hissed in Russian, staring daggers at Viktor. “This thirsty idiot act may have been acceptable a few years ago, but the time is long past for you to realize that the person you married is just a man. For fuck’s sake, Katsudon isn’t some god.”Viktor visibly bristled at these words, and Yuuri mentally prepared himself to intervene.“I resent that, Yura,” his husband replied, loftily. “My Yuuri is divine; he’s not ‘just’ anything! Did you even see his Sports Week magazine cover? When I saw the final proofs, I almost fainted: all the blood in my body began to rush straight to m– ”
“Mmmmmph!”
Yuuri clapped a hand in panic firmly over his spouse’s mouth, and briefly wondered how much the GQ production team was being paid to put up with them…perhaps they’d need to gift everyone a nice bottle of sake after all this was over.“Thank GOD for your reflexes, Katsudon, I’d have been forced to cut my ears off if I’d had to hear the end of that sentence,” Yura grumbled, switching back to English. “I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure the blood loss would fuck with my skating.”Before he could respond, Yura had grabbed the last question card and turned to the cameras, apparently having decided to take matters into his own hands.“Christ,” he muttered, with a grimace, as he looked down at it.As Yuuri removed his palm from Viktor’s mouth (“So meannnnn, both of you!”), he felt a flutter of nerves at the Ice Tiger’s scowl.Yura released a long-suffering sigh before beginning to speak. “Ok, last question, thank fuck. Old man: what three things does Kats–, uh, your husband, love the most about you?”Suddenly, his reaction made sense; this was a pretty sentimental way to wrap things up. That being said, Yuuri was really looking forward to hearing Viktor's response. When he’d filled out his answer to this particular question, he remembered being annoyed at the tiny space provided for his answer. Trying to fit just three things he loved about Viktor into a teeny, tiny box? What a joke. “Oh,” his spouse breathed in a hush, as swirls of pink bloomed on his cheeks. “Well…let’s see,” he said, looking a bit bowled-over.Yuuri felt a rush of joy fizz through him, and reached out to take his hand.“I would have written hundreds of things,” he began, lovingly, “but there wasn’t a lot of room for exposition,” he went on, with a playfully stern look at Jamie and Tarneka. “So I resorted to following the directions and only listing three, much as it pained me.”Viktor’s cute, happy chirp at these words made him laugh, while, conversely, Minako-sensei gave another loud wail into Meni’s belly. “I have to be the luckiest person in the world, because Yusha is constantly telling me all the things he loves about me,” his husband said, squeezing his hand. “You probably caught my allusion to it, earlier, that my greatest fear is that I’m ‘too much’ for people. But my Yuuri tells me over and over again that one of his favorite things about me is my enthusiasm for life. He likes to say that I approach everything with the excitement of a kid, but what I don’t think a lot of people realize, is that before he came into my life, I had suppressed that part of myself for a really long time, having been repeatedly told when I was growing up that it was a bad thing. When my career began to take off, I unconsciously started projecting this very curated image without even realizing it, this persona that was so careful and controlled. But Yuuri has only ever wanted me to be myself,” he continued on, each sentence uttered with arresting sincerity; it made Yuuri feel a bit breathless to hear it. “It was so freeing, to realize that he not only accepted the real me, but celebrated it. It allowed me to rediscover that childlike wonder at life, and I was able to start fully living.”His love paused to smile at him, and Yuuri felt his chest begin to ache at the clear gratitude he saw in his gaze. “For the second guess…Yusha always talks about how loving and patient I am, and how special that is, considering the cards that I was dealt during my childhood,” Viktor went on, slowly, the words heavy with meaning. This was probably the most that he would allow himself to allude to his neglectful upbringing, and the first twelve disconsolate years of his life, before he’d caught Yakov’s attention. Even still, Yuuri was proud of him for acknowledging the incredible mark of character it was to have grown to become so caring, in spite of the callous, selfish people he had been raised by. It irked him when people who didn’t take the time to get to know Viktor misunderstood him, not able to differentiate between someone that was restless and exacting, and someone that was impatient, or worse, careless. It was true that his love embodied both of the former traits, and this manifested particularly strongly in his coaching style; even if Viktor was standing by the boards rather than demonstrating something on the ice, he tended to always be moving, always ideating around the next strategy to perfect a jump or tighten a step sequence.He was demanding when it came to pushing him and Yura to be their very best, but he was never impatient, or careless. His husband took the time to understand why they might struggle with something, even if he didn’t always personally relate to it. He knew how to tone down his own buzzing dynamism if they needed him to just be, to stand by their sides in steady and silent support. Most of all, Viktor was inexorably present, ready to meet people where they were, instead of pushing his own agenda. Yuuri could probably have written entire books with examples of his spouse embodying the latter, but it had been so perfectly exemplified by the many, many months during which his enamored coach – brand new to life in sleepy Hasetsu, and utterly confused by his rabbit-shy demeanor – had chosen to stay and wait for him to be ready to open up to him. Even when Viktor had dropped into the onsen – guns blazing, eager to pick right back up from where they’d left things off at the Sochi banquet – he hadn’t retreated when his numerous attempts to get to know him had been rejected. Moreover, he didn’t just give up on getting to know him, either; rather, he adapted, learning how to go at a pace that was much more comfortable and safe for Yuuri.  “I can’t help but feel sad for the past versions of myself that didn’t acknowledge these positive traits of mine,” his love was now saying, his eyes wet with a thin sheen of tears. “I’ve spoken publicly about the depression I’ve grappled with for most of my life, so you may have heard me say before that one of the most challenging things about depression is that it makes you view yourself and your life with a much narrower lens than is the reality. I don’t think I would have ever described myself as a loving person before I met Yuuri, but, of course, he was able to help me realize how many things there were to like about myself,” Viktor finished, before turning to him, looking a little embarrassed. “Am I doing ok so far?” he asked, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant.Yuuri could feel himself melting with tenderness. His husband had his own insecurities, just like he did, and he always felt immensely treasured when faced with the evidence of much Viktor entrusted him with them. “You’re doing so well, miliy moy,” he answered without hesitation, tightening his grip on his hand. “Keep going, last one.”Viktor beamed at him in response, and tapped his lips a few times, looking lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked nervous, and cleared his throat. “I know my former federation won’t be pleased with my openly talking about this, but I don’t believe in dancing around the truth when it comes to the sacrifices I’ve been forced to make.”Yuuri tightened the grip he had on his hand, hoping the gesture would bolster him. Based on those few words, he had an inkling of where this was going, and was impressed that Viktor was choosing to speak so candidly. He only hoped that Yura wouldn’t mind the frankness.“After I won my first Olympic gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games, I really wanted to start attending college part-time, but the FFKKR actively discouraged me at every turn,” his love began, not trying to mask his bitterness.“They even coerced some of my biggest name sponsors into threatening to withdraw their support if I so much as even inquired about a degree program, or requested to go on a school tour. I wish I could say that was the only time in my career when they tried to take advantage of me, but that would be a blatant lie. At the time of the Games, I was naive enough that I let their threats scare me, even though I probably could have managed to find other sponsors.” Rage bubbled low in Yuuri’s stomach as it always did when he thought of the FFKKR’s disgusting manipulation of their star skater. Even without the reminder of this particularly sordid part of Viktor's past, Yakov Feltsman was not currently high up on his list of favorite people. He knew that Viktor had felt especially let down by his former coach regarding his thwarted college education dreams, especially when the elderly Russian had said something vague to his then-twenty-one-year-old student about “learning to pick your battles”. Yakov had ultimately chosen to placate8 the skittish federation leadership instead of standing his ground in support of Viktor’s interests. This cowardice was something that Viktor had not taken kindly to, and it had driven a longstanding wedge between the two. Yuuri watched his husband carefully as he continued. “All this is to say, I’ve always felt insecure when it came to the idea of intelligence. Thanks to being able to work through my anger and insecurity in therapy, I’ve come to realize that there are many ways to be smart. Just because someone might not have a college degree, it doesn’t mean they’re not bright or skilled. I’m a very curious person, and, contrary to what a lot of people think I did with my free time growing up, I actually read a lot, and still do…mostly contemporary and historical fiction, and a good bit of nonfiction, too. I’m a pretty voracious reader, in fact, and I can read books in multiple languages,” Viktor went on, a distinct note of pride in his voice. “I’ve also been doing my own choreography and costume design for the greater part of my career, and now, I get paid to do so for many other skaters in the field…which I think is a decent indicator of my aptitude, even without formal higher education.”He looked to him, then, and Yuuri nodded without hesitation, feeling overcome with pride and affection.“Absolutely, Vitya, you’re the smartest person I know!” he exclaimed, not at all ashamed to be caught gushing for the cameras. “Viktor is so brilliant, he’s one of the most versatile and sought-after choreographers in the field, and this season, in addition to putting programs together for Yura and I, he’s also put together many pieces for other top skaters, like my Papio rinkmate Higuchi Wakaba, and our two good friends, Men’s Singles skater Lee Seung-Gil, and Women’s Singles skater Mila Babicheva,” he said, earnestly.Yuuri had been particularly awed by Wakaba’s two routines, which he’d gotten to see Viktor piece together over the fall, culminating in their debut at the Grand Prix Final. Set to "The Wedding Song" by Reneé Rapp and "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish – for her Short Program and gala exhibition, respectively – the two pieces told the heartbreaking story of Wakaba's anguish when she’d found out her partner had been cheating on her during last year’s off-season. After she had picked the songs out, Viktor had told him he’d been having trouble getting into the right mood to choreograph them, since he always felt too happy whenever he thought of their own wedding and relationship. (Yura had been present for the conversation and, of course, had seemed highly disgusted by this sappy sentiment.)Remembering this, now, Yuuri gave his spouse's hand another fond squeeze.“And that’s just when it comes to skating,” he resumed, thinking of the many other things that made Viktor so exceptionally bright.“Our shared love of reading is actually one of the first things we bonded over when we were initially getting to know one other. I could probably go on and on about this, but I find it really insulting when people try to reduce Viktor down to how he looks, as if he doesn’t also have the most trenchant mind. He has this wealth of knowledge about all kinds of things, whether its history or architecture or music. Given how much of his life he dedicated to skating, his well-roundedness is really impressive, and I wish more people knew that about him.”Viktor's blush, somehow, grew even deeper at these words, and he hid his face against his shoulder, demurely. Yuuri wrapped his arms around him, and spoke into his ear, feeling floaty and fond, and so, so utterly in love. “You’re so cute, baby,” he whispered, kissing the top of his head. “These two are gonna give me cavities,” he overheard one of the camera operators murmur to Jamie, in response, and felt a spike of pride. Before he could speak up to let Viktor know of how well he’d done, Tarneka’s voice rang out.“How’d he do, Yuuri? Did he get everything right?” “Of course he did,” he called back in reply, grinning when Amara, Chris, and Minako-sensei started cheering. “You get all the points, anata,” he said, in a sing-song lilt. In response, his husband turned to him, grabbing for the very last card on the table.“Ready, Yusha?” he asked, lips quirking. “Let’s see who will get the gold, hmm?”Immediately, Yura’s strident voice rang out.“I have faith in you, Katsudon. You better relish this win, though…I’ll be the one getting gold on the ice.”Loud cackles and hoots filled the air at this blatant challenge, but Yuuri merely grinned and gave him a very Otabek-like thumbs up. Turning to Viktor, he batted his eyelashes rather shamelessly.“Do your worst, milashka9,” he murmured, flirtatiously, delighting in the hitched breath he drew in answer. “Right, um…ok,” his love managed to get out, looking slightly dazed. After a few moments, he shook his head as if to get rid of the mental cobwebs, and glanced down at the card he was holding. “Oh, it’s…it’s actually the same question,” he said, beginning to smile. “What three things do I love most about you?”A deep sense of contentment began to wash over Yuuri at the softness in Viktor’s expression. He made a mental note to thank Tarneka and Jamie for picking such a perfect question to wrap up the game; this way, no matter who won or lost, everyone would walk away feeling quite warm and fuzzy.As he ran through a list of potential answers in his head, he was unsurprised to find himself growing emotional (yet again). Making a decision that would likely be both groan-inducing (for his sister as well as Yura), and coo-inducing (for everyone else), he tugged at Viktor’s wrist, motioning for him to sidle over into his lap. He came happily, nuzzling against his cheek as they hugged.Predictably, this new level of PDA could not go unpunished, and almost as soon as Viktor shifted his seat, they were subjected to a fair bit of wolf-whistling and cat-calling, courtesy of Chris and Minako-sensei. Conversely, Mari-nēchan and Yura seemed hell-bent on making sure that they heard their sighs and grumbles even amidst all the din. Willing his blush to fade away, Yuuri turned to face the cameras, trying to block out their noisy surroundings.“So, I really don’t intend for this to come across as a humblebrag, but this might be challenging…Viktor isn’t shy when it comes to vocalizing the things he loves about me,” he began, with a fond smile.“It’s taken a long time for me to feel comfortable with owning this, but he’s really helped me to embrace this particular word, not only as my coach, but as my husband, too,” he went on. Looking to his spouse's face, his resolve hardened upon seeing the warmth in his favorite pair of eyes.“I know that he loves how ambitious I am,” Yuuri continued, louder now, trying to drown out the tiny voice in his head that screamed that he sounded arrogant. “As my career has progressed, I’ve talked more and more openly about how challenging I’ve found it, to be an elite athlete that struggles with anxiety. Even when the noise in my head has gotten unbearably loud, I’ve tried not to let my own mind stop me from setting big goals for myself, whether that was landing the quad flip combination jump at the PyeongChang Games, or becoming a multi-World Champion.”He took a deep breath, feeling only a flicker of unease around naming the PyeongChang Games, explicitly. “Especially after what happened during the last Olympics, I know a lot of people expected me to retire, but…I knew that that wasn’t it for me. Winning Olympic gold was amazing, but there were still things I wanted to do, so I decided to be brave and keep going. And I know that my trudging forward to push my own limits has brought Viktor a lot of joy,” Yuuri finished, glancing at his faceViktor began to nod rapidly, and leaned forwards before commenting. “Absolutely! Yusha pushes himself so much – I don’t think anyone can doubt that, considering his goal for these Olympic Games – and that ambition, in turn, makes everyone around him want to reach for big things too. I’m obviously not competing anymore, but his striving for new accomplishments makes me want to explore new goals and adventures,” Viktor finished, sounding proud. “Right, moving on,” Yuuri mumbled, feeling pleased, but also now understanding why his husband had been so flustered just a few minutes beforehand. “I think another thing he appreciates is how I’ve come to prioritize introspection, especially as it relates to my own self-awareness. It’s a constant work-in-progress, and I don’t mean to make it sound like I’m an expert,” he said, choosing his words with care. “I owe a lot to my amazing therapist, because in the past, my anxiety tended to make me a bit unintentionally self-absorbed. With my fans, especially, I often wouldn’t even realize how I came across, because I was too busy creating my own internal narrative around how I was being perceived.”Yuuri chanced a look at Minako-sensei, and felt his flush deepen when he saw the look of pride on her face as she listened to him speak. When he’d first told her that he wanted to start going to therapy shortly after moving to St. Petersburg, she had been the one to help him find a Japanese therapist that offered telehealth sessions. He owed a lot to her, now, as Suko’s presence in his life had been immeasurable, particularly in terms of his capacity to form a more accurate picture of himself…one that made him a more reliable narrator in his own life story. “I’ve worked really hard to unlearn that ingrained habit of internalizing things, and it’s helped me be able to view myself in a way that is far more realistic than my anxiety would allow it to be. Viktor has often said that seeing me grow in this way has inspired him to be more self-reflective as well. We’ll often share with each other after our therapy sessions, and he’ll sometimes jokingly call me Dr. Yuuri when I give him advice,” he finished, his lips quirking at the absurdity of his husband regarding him on the same level of perceptiveness as professionals like Suko or Pasha.The next instant, Yuuri was giggling, as a slew of kisses landed on his cheeks and ears.
Mwah! 
“Dr. Yuuri is so smart…”
Mwah! 
“...and stunning…”
Mwah!
“...and sagacious!” Viktor enthused, from his perch on his lap.Yuuri leaned away, but only slightly; he didn’t actually want to escape his spouse’s sweet affection, but neither was he interested in swallowing any of his silken hair. “Sagacious? Are we back in high school English class?” Yura griped. “Can you please at least pretend to control him, Katsudon?”They both ignored him.“I second everything my Yuuri said,” Viktor remarked, matter-of-factly. “He’s worked really hard on learning how to prevent his anxiety from coloring his perceptions, and I really don’t think he gives himself enough credit for what a difference it’s made. Yusha is one of the most thoughtful people I know, and he has this wonderful, rare ability to think through a situation from multiple angles. I find it really helpful to ask his advice on things, because I tend to be a bit impulsive and rush into things head-long, whereas he likes to take his time to think things through.”“Dr. Yuuri, indeed,” Chris called out with an impish grin, starting to fan himself. “I mean, just look at him…those glasses plus that penetrating stare…”
“Chrissss!”
Shrinking in his chair a bit, Yuuri tried to hide behind Viktor, wondering just what in the hell their friend was talking about. Did this ‘penetrating stare’ refer to his Resting Bitch-Face? He resolved to hurry things along, blushing furiously at the way his husband as well as Amara had whooped their agreement with the shameless ex-skater. “Ok, so for my last guess…” he began, before clearing his throat, pointedly, and ignoring the Ice Tiger’s vehement “thank God!” “...I’ll go with loyalty,” he went on, looking at the cameras. “I consider myself a work-in-progress, and for that reason, I make room for the people I care about to be works-in-progress too. If there’s one thing I can say I work hard at, it’s allowing the people I love to know that they’re allowed to mess up and fall short, without having to worry about me disappearing on them, or treating them as if they are their mistakes, rather than simply people who make mistakes.”Looking into his spouse’s eyes, Yuuri thought about the countless people who hadn’t afforded this same grace to Viktor, beginning first and foremost with the people who first raised him. For years and years, his Viten'ka had been expected to be his “best self” at all times, and this suffocating, relentless pressure had seeped into every nook and cranny of his life, to the point where he hadn’t been able to differentiate between those that were truly loyal to him, and those who were shameless opportunists. He had opened up to Yuuri about the many hard lessons he’d had to learn about how easily he’d been discarded when he’d shown a little bit ‘too much’ of his real self, or when he’d grown in some aspect of his life, and hadn’t realized that not many were willing to see him through his various evolutions. Even Yakov and Lilia, who without any doubt loved their in-all-but-name son, hadn’t always known how to show their loyalty to a Viktor that was in many ways still changing and learning new things about himself at 14, 19, 25, 29, and now, 33 years of age. “I think caring about someone – as in, really, deeply caring about someone – absolutely requires loyalty, but not to some fixed version of them that you put up on a pedestal,” Yuuri continued, referencing his old days of hero worship.Every day, he was humbled by the beautiful process of learning how to view his love as someone other than the larger-than-life idol he’d known so very little about. Viktor beamed at him, and he continued, each word burning fiercely as it left his throat. “Being loyal means allowing people to grow and evolve, and honoring all the various seasons of their life, whether or not you were there for those seasons, and whether or not you yourself can relate to them. I’d like to think that this kind of loyalty is something I’ve worked hard to prioritize,” he finished, feeling a little wrong-footed at the spell of quiet he’d only just noticed had fallen over the room.“You heard it, straight from Dr. Yuuri’s unfairly attractive lips!” Chris called out to interrupt the silence, which elicited a few giggles. “Yes, yes, correct! One-hundred-percent correct!” his husband exclaimed, back to kissing all over his face, despite the increasing pitch of Yura’s distressed cries. “See? This is why I absolutely must insist on #YuuriIsTheBestInEverySingleWay trending!” The fuschia pallor of Yura’s face was really just too fascinating not to further explore, so Yuuri began to meet every one of Viktor’s kisses with one of his own. “Ok, ok, you two…I have a feeling your friend might go into cardiac arrest if we don’t announce the final verdict,” Tarneka called out, her words barely audible over the hooting and hollering that was taking over the room (presumably, at their shameless PDA).“Good call, Tarneka. Is everyone ready for GQ Sports’ 2022 Beijing Olympic Champion to be announced?” Jamie added on, with a wide grin.As Yuuri caught his spouse’s gaze, he knew he wasn’t the only one in a sappy mood. Half a point, one-and-a-half, three point margins…they’d experienced it all before, growing used to switching off in their victories. But every morning that they were able to wake up and choose one another all over again? Somehow that realization felt shiny and new every time it registered in his mind, more lustrous than the shine of any medal victory. Next to that reality, points felt inconsequential. As the filming crew began to create an anticipatory drumroll, he pressed a kiss to Viktor's forehead, knowing he’d feel ecstatic with the outcome, either way....

End of Chapter 7

Up Next: In Ch 8, we flashback to the day Yuuri’s PyeongChang Free Skate “teaser video” (first mentioned in Ch2), gets posted, shocking many in the figure skating community, and also learn about some of the sponsor details of the backdoor deal-making that the FFKKR engages in to fix the 2018 Games. This chapter is told from two points of view: the first part from Viktor’s, and the second, Aleksandr Gorshkov, head of the FFKKR at the time of the 2018 Olympic Games.
Foonotes:1. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment meaning “sweetheart”. This version is gendered female
Back2. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment roughly equivalent to “my darling” or “my dearest love”. This endearment is gendered male
Back3. Another romanized version of a Russian endearment (gendered male), translating to ‘sunbeam’
Back4. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment meaning “soulmate” or “my soul”. This is obviously an endearment that is quite emotionally charged and only really used in very serious relationships
Back5. Romanized Russian endearment translating to "my good girl” and often said to pets. This endearment is gendered female
Back6. This is a Japanese term of endearment, used by wives to refer to their husbands. As I understand it, it is the rough equivalent of ‘dear’ in English
Back7. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment, translates to “my happiness”; in Cyrillic, it would be written as Счастье моя
Back8. I don’t mean for my story to make it seem like I’m villainizing Yakov. Like any long-term relationship, I believe his and Viktor’s to be a complicated one, and in my ficverse, while Yakov certainly let his skater down in some regards, he also stood up for him at times when no one else would. You may remember my brief allusion to this from Ch1, regarding Viktor’s gender expression
Back9. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment used for a male, which basically translates to ‘cutie’; in Cyrillic, it would be written as Милашка Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Viktor
Entryway of Gangneung Ice Arena Training Rink (Gangneung, South Korea) - early afternoon of February 13th, 2018

As Viktor threw himself at Ianna’s feet, he had an inkling that she wouldn’t capitulate to his fake-warbling nearly as readily as Yuuri tended to. To be fair, his motives for using his cartoonishly perfect crying face against his fiance were much more pure, and usually involved him whining about how cuddle-deprived he was whenever Yuuri wanted to spend an extra hour at the rink before heading home. Not feeling even the slightest bit bad about his current motives, however, Viktor turned up the volume of his tearless sniffling. Far from breaking through her intransigence, however, Ianna merely raised one enviably shaped eyebrow.He didn’t like to play dirty, but never had the phrase ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ been so apt: this was Yuuri's last closed-door practice prior to the start of the Men’s Singles competition beginning tomorrow. As such, he was determined to be able to witness it live and in-the-flesh instead of from, admittedly, high-resolution, expertly shot video footage. When he’d first gotten notice last year that he wouldn’t be allowed to serve as his love's coach during the Games, Viktor had been possibly more agitated than he’d ever been in his life, his pale complexion teetering dangerously close in hue to Yakov’s normal shade of rage-induced puce. After he’d consulted Saveliy for advice and forced himself through some deep breathing exercises, he’d been comforted by the thought that by the time they actually had to be in Korea, he’d have a better handle on, if not his sadness, then at least his anger. He was wrong.That initial fury had come roaring back the first time he, Oleg, and Ianna had accompanied Yuuri to Gangneung’s training rink, for the first of his closed-door practices. Ianna had been instructed to register on their behalf at the lobby reception desk, which is when Viktor learned that he wouldn’t be allowed in. “But I’m Yuuri's coach!” he’d squawked, bristling at the very idea that he’d have to miss such a momentous occasion. “Actually, Mr. Nikiforov, we have it on good authority from the Russian Olympic Committee that Ms. Ianna Perez is Katsuki Yuuri’s coach,” the bored-sounding rink employee had uttered, not even making eye-contact as he’d continued to text away. Viktor had just stood there, gaping stupidly, before turning to his three companions. They looked, similarly, taken aback. “Well, ok, yes, that’s correct, but I’m still part of his support team! And he’s an entry on my OIAC list!”He felt like there had to be some mistake.Athletes were allowed up to five entries on their Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card (OIAC) arrangements. This allowed competitors to be accompanied at official training and competition venues by people outside of their immediate support team (the latter category including coaches, security staff, medical specialists, etc.). When he and his fiance had first submitted their lists, it had been before Viktor had gotten the voicemail from the Secretary General of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), informing him that he would not be permitted to serve as a coach during the Games. Thus, Yuuri hadn’t bothered to list him as a separate entry, assuming Viktor would be covered along with Ianna and Sava as members of his support team. Instead, Yuuri had allocated his five spots to both of his parents, his sister, Minako-sensei, and Yuuko-chan, while Viktor had made sure Yuuri was listed on his own card, along with Takeshi and the triplets.With a sinking feeling, he’d already known what the reception desk attendant would say, even before he’d opened his mouth.“In which case, Mr. Nikiforov, you are welcome to have Mr. Katsuki attend your closed practice session later today. But, given that you’re not on his list – ”– the way he’d emphasized the prior three words grated on Viktor’s every nerve –“-- I’m afraid my hands are tied.”They absolutely weren’t; the man's hands were still positioned in front of him, and he’d continued to text away with his phone on loud. Every click of the keyboard was audible and Viktor had the very uncharacteristic urge to grab it and toss it in the nearest trash receptacle. Thankfully Ianna had been able to keep a cool head, dragging all three of them away to engage in a whispered huddle. After promising him that she would record every single minute of Yuuri’s practice – yes, even the warm-ups – Viktor had watched the two of them continue on without him. He would have felt more embarrassed by the tears he’d shed over the whole thing, if not for the fact that his fiance had grown similarly emotional. “Every run-through, I’ll be thinking of you the whole time, Vitya,” Yuuri had whispered, his voice wobbling as he pressed their foreheads together.“Don’t do that, you might mess up your lutz take-off,” Viktor had tried to joke, even though his voice had sounded wooden and unnaturally loud in his ears.They’d exchanged sad smiles and his heart had squeezed, painfully, at the ache visible in his favorite pair of eyes. Afterwards, he’d spent a good ten minutes moping in the lobby until Oleg had dragged him away, insisting that he throw his diet out the window for just one day. Eventually, Viktor relented to splitting a large McDonald’s chocolate milkshake with his friend and loyal bodyguard.The memory made him prickle all over again, and as he looked entreatingly up at Ianna, he was a little worried that he might get emotional all over again if she wasn’t amenable to his scheme. He, of course, didn’t want her to get into trouble with any officials, so Viktor had come prepared, donning a ridiculously elaborate disguise that had made Yuuri laugh so hard upon first showing him, that he had been a little worried his love might pass out. After some mixed-language collusion, frenzied days of wig shopping in the heart of Pyeongchang, and spending a somewhat creepy amount of time studying the stature and fashion sense of one Katsuki Toshiya, he now prostrated himself before Ianna as a perfect carbon copy passable imitation of the former man. Viktor honestly had to give himself a pat on the back for his resourcefulness, because it seemed like the perfect plan; Yuuri’s father had made a concerted effort to improve his English in the year since his son had moved to St. Petersburg, but highly technical figure skating conversations were beyond him. If accosted by an ROC or IOC official once he was sitting in the stands, Viktor figured he could just emulate Toshiya’s politely bewildered expression whenever he lost the plot of things. “You know, if Zhukov saw this little display, you already would have been found out,” Yuuri said, grinning. “Tousan1 would never grovel on the floor like this…his arthritis is too bad.”Ianna giggled and Viktor had to smile, despite himself. “Zhukov would be entirely too busy trying to fit his overinflated ego into this narrow entryway to notice us, anyway,” he countered in a whisper, which made Ianna laugh again. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes that definitely spelled progress. “Pleaseee, oh brilliant, magnanimous, kind Ianna?” Viktor implored, holding up the Meni tissue box that he’d commissioned to match with Makka’s.Ianna was quite weak for both of his and Yuuri’s dogs, but had a particular soft spot for their toy poodle. Deciding to go for broke, Viktor uttered the words that he was sure would tip the balance in his favor.“Imagine what Sava will say when he finds out about your generosity! He’ll probably melt into a puddle of goo when he realizes you couldn’t bear to disappoint me!” he crowed, resisting the urge to grin to at the immediate coloring of Ianna’s cheeks.Since she'd begun in her new position at Yubileyny, Viktor had observed her easily endear herself to many skaters and coaching staff at the legendary skate club, but none more so than Yubileyny’s beloved head jump coach of more than a decade. He was sure that a big part of it involved the fact that Saveliy spoke her native language of Spanish due to his relationship with his ex-wife – a Salvadoran woman he’d been married to for four years – prior to their divorce two years ago.Ianna had once told him and Yuuri over dinner last summer that she hadn’t even realized how much it had meant to her to be able to speak it regularly with someone while growing used to life in Russia. Sava, in turn, had been thrilled to be able to regularly practice the language with someone other than his five-year-old daughter, Roxana.Viktor actually felt he could take partial credit for their gravitation towards one another, as it had been his “so casual it couldn’t possible be casual” remark pointing out that they lived in neighboring apartment complexes that had led to them carpooling to Yubileyny a few times a week.  “You’re unbelievable, Nikiforov,” Ianna huffed out in reply, prompting Yuuri’s beautiful laugh to ring out, sonorously, in the small vestibule. “I’ll let you in only so you won’t keep making those kinds of insinuating comments.”
Jackpot!
Internally cheering, Viktor bounced up onto the balls of his feet with an elasticity that Katsuki Toshiya had probably never managed in his entire life, and glomped onto Ianna’s arm in gratefulness.“You won’t even know I’m there, I promise,” Viktor said, grinning at Yuuri, who was eyeing him in that fond way that always made him feel all warm and fluttery inside. “Ugh, stop blocking the entryway, geezer,” came Yurio’s weary voice from directly behind them, accompanied with a gust of wind from the outside. Before he could antagonize him, Yuuri cut in with a teasing reply.“Is that any way to address my father, the man that gave you your very first driving lesson? A man, who, might I add, barely even flinched when you almost ran over poor Matsuda-san?” At this, Yuri flushed and averted his eyes, and they all began to file inside behind Ianna. At her questioning glance, Viktor began to explain the aforementioned incident, which had taken place last April when Yurio had joined him and his fiance for two weeks during their month-long stay in Hasetsu. Envious that Viktor had been granted full access to the Katsuki family’s delivery van whenever he desired, Yurio had whined so much that apparently Mari had said something to her father, prompting her and Toshiya to give him a very patient driving lesson.If not for Yuri getting distracted by a very cute stray cat, it would have gone without a hitch. Viktor stifled a giggle, remembering Mari’s impression of how the Ice Tiger had thrown himself into dogeza right in the middle of the road. Over the last eight months, Viktor had often found himself reminiscing about those fun two weeks in April before everything had gone to shit.Thankfully, with some coaxing from Nikolai, they were all now on better terms, Yurio having finally apologized to him and Yuuri a few days ago for his puberty-induced behavior and generally rotten attitude. “Well that’s not so bad, then,” Ianna said, with a small smile, once he’d finished his (slightly embellished) retelling of the story.They were now standing outside either set of dual-entry doors that separated the foyer from both the public bathrooms and athlete locker rooms. By some miracle, they hadn’t encountered a single Olympic official in their traipse across the lobby. “During my own very first driving lesson back home in Mexico, I ran over my abuela’s 40-year-old cactus, which she’d planted the day my mother was born, and always said that she’d hand over to me whenever I had a kid,” she continued, wryly, before scrunching her nose up. “I should probably thank my 16-year-old self, though, because I think that was the day abuela stopped bringing up the idea of me being a mom.”They all laughed, and, not for the first time, Viktor marveled at Ianna’s innate talent for always knowing exactly what to say; Yuri had a genuine smile on his face for what seemed like the first time all week. She waved at them before parting ways for the women’s entrance, leaving the three of them to swipe into their own hallway. As he fished out Toshiya’s entry badge, Viktor felt a brief stab of anxiety around his ruse, but pushed it aside with determination, recalling the longing he’d felt over the last two weeks whenever he’d watched the video footage from Yuuri’s practices.His love’s programs were looking better than ever, and Viktor felt a thrum of anticipation and gratitude stir in his gut when he compared his mindset now to four years ago, at the 2014 Sochi Games. At the time, he’d already grown quite used to the inexorable weariness from his uncontested reign at the top of the Men’s Singles Division, yet he distinctly remembered the feeling of numb shock that had settled over him when he’d wrapped up the post-Short Program press conference. Viktor had easily won the Short and set a new world record, and a reporter had asked him how he felt about his fellow competitors going into the Free. Without even realizing how easily the lie had sprung to his lips, he’d flashed a dazzling smile, remarking that he was looking forward to the “inevitable challenge” that his peers would present for him to overcome. In reality, Viktor had begun to dread the Free as soon as he’d gotten his scores in the Kiss and Cry. He had been twenty points ahead of Christophe, and after working out the math in his head, he’d soon discovered he would have to make several major blunders during his Free in order to lose his standing.But that feeling of inevitability was nowhere to be found this time around.With the way Yuuri had been skating all season, there was no such thing as “a sure thing”. In the Kiss and Cry at the Grand Prix Final, Yuuri had joked around that having the “triple threat” of Viktor, as well as both the Makka and Meni tissue box holders waiting for him at the boards had been the secret for his gold-medal winning skate. It had been an adorable thing for him to say, but as his coach, Viktor had made sure that his skater acknowledged the true reasons: his relentless determination and work ethic.The click and flashing green of the key fob gate made something in him settle, and his nerves gave way to pure excitement. “What did you expect, old man? It’s not like they were gonna make you give a blood sample,” Yurio snarked, though at least he whispered it; when Viktor had told his coach as well as his younger rinkmate about his scheme to observe today’s joint practice session, the two of them had put up a facade of grumbling and grousing that did little to hide the fact that they both fully supported his actions.Though Yakov had made the standard complaint that Viktor was liable to give him a heart attack one of these days, he hadn’t put up much of a fight. He hadn’t shown it outwardly, but Viktor knew he'd been dismayed on his behalf to learn of the IOC and ROC’s preventing him from coaching Yuuri.Yuri had shown his solidarity with Viktor's plans in his own way, refraining from making any of his usual threats of bodily injury even though he was self-conscious these days about anyone besides Yakov observing his practices. He and his fiance had come to the conclusion that this must have been part of his self-imposed “penance” for his many months of behaving like a jackass. “One never knows,” he now whispered, sagely, noting that Yurio didn’t even bother to roll his eyes when he reached for Yuuri’s hand, interlacing their fingers. The three of them bantered, quietly, as they made their way down the hallway and stepped out into the impressive training rink. This arena was designed slightly differently from the actual competition rink, but Viktor appreciated the fact that the two venues were indistinguishable in everything that mattered. As both skaters began to do their warmup stretches, Viktor saw that Nikolai Plisetsky was already sitting in the stands, and went to go keep him company. He’d made sure Yuri had told his grandfather about the ruse so he wouldn’t catch him off-guard, and apparently, Nikolai had been impressed with his determination; he’d even volunteered to vouch for him should they run into any trouble from suspicious rink employees or regulatory officials. Given that Viktor was supposed to be playing the role of a mid-50’s Japanese man with limited English proficiency, he couldn’t greet Nikolai with any of the exuberance he normally would have, and had to remind himself several times not to sit too close. As he settled into the same row a few feet away, they gave each other quiet nods and muttered “good afternoons”.About a minute went by before Nikolai whispered in a hush of Russian that his get-up was “very convincing”, making him nearly burst out into a fit of giggles. Viktor didn’t think he was being sarcastic; in all the interactions he’d had with the elder Russian, Nikolai had only ever been sincere. In that respect, he was very different from his perpetually sarcastic grandson. “Thank you,” he whispered back, trying his very best to make it look like he was just mumbling to himself.Other than a few rink attendants, it didn’t look like they were being watched by anyone. Still, he’d need to be circumspect.“How’s your morning been? Are you excited for tomorrow?” Viktor murmured, wondering how the hell ventriloquists managed to make this look so easy. Both he and Nikolai’s gazes were fixed on where Yuri and Yuuri were now stepping onto the ice. Yakov and Ianna appeared to be huddling with their respective skaters, and Viktor’s heart gave another pang at the thought that he was sitting all the way up here, instead of getting to be the one in Ianna’s place. “Too excited,” Nikolai answered in a grunt. “I could not sleep last night, I took the bus to the grocery store as soon as it opened this morning.” At Viktor's curious hum, he went on.“New pirozhki recipe. I want to make sure Yurotchka has something to look forward to tomorrow even if he is nervous about skating.”At this, a feeling of warmth surged through him, and Viktor had to resist the impulse to turn and beam at Nikolai. He and Yuuri had talked just last night about how grateful they were for his presence; with Yurio having as tough a season as he was, they were glad that his grandfather had been able to arrange for the time off of work to be able to support him here in Korea. “I’m sure he’ll love it,” Viktor replied. “It’ll take his mind off of things.”At this, Nikolai gave a small sigh and mumbled a quiet “let us hope it does” before they lapsed into silence. Out on the ice, Yuuri and Yuri were doing jump repetitions with the former working on the quad lutz that he was now managing a landing rate of around 80 to 90 percent. On the other side of the rink, Yuri was going through his triples, and both Viktor and Nikolai winced, in unison, as he put a hand down on the ice coming out of his axel landing. “Yurotchka has been watching your Olympic programs, you know,” Nikolai suddenly said, his tone indecipherable. “From Torino.” Viktor blinked, the words being ones he’d never expected to hear.“Really?” he questioned, a bit incredulously. “Why? He told me once that he hated those.”Compared to what he’d put together when he began choreographing his own skates, his 2006 Olympic Games programs had been downright boring; they were prudently designed, with nothing too flashy in the way of costume, music choice, or theme. As a seventeen-year-old thrilled to be representing Russia (even as an alternate pick), Viktor had been so grateful to be selected by the FFKKR, that he’d taken every bit of program development advice they’d doled out to him without complaint.It seemed laughable now, the concept of heeding a federation official’s advice when those very same bureaucrats lacked even one iota of practical experience competing. “Hmph, you can’t take him so seriously,” Nikolai responded, sounding amused. “It might not be his favorite from your career, but he likes them, enough. I think it helps…him knowing that you too had to go through this.” Viktor nodded, imperceptibly.He was almost certain “this” referred to having to bear the paralyzing weight of one’s country’s expectations at so young an age…indeed, an age when it felt impossible to push back, convention dictating that you were supposed to just shut up, keep your head down, and be grateful for the opportunity tossed your way.It was a strange situation to be in, the verbiage around the Olympic Games crafted in such a way that, for an impressionable first-timer, it was easy to forget that you’d actually had to work for your federation’s recognition.The environment had a way of causing you to minimize your own accomplishments and work ethic, focusing instead on how appreciative one had to be towards one’s federation for even being allowed the honor of selection. Now, as a twenty-nine-year-old, Viktor no longer looked back on his first Olympics with rose-colored glasses…ones that for so long had distorted the suffocating pressure he’d felt, warping its contours in his memory into something hazy and dull, so that an anxiety attack in the bathroom before the Short Program became a case of slight nerves, one that was dispelled with a few thoughts of Makka and some cold water to the face. “He probably wouldn’t take too kindly to it if I were the one saying it, but try to remind him to enjoy it, if you could?” Viktor murmured, realizing his voice sounded a good deal more wistful than he’d intended. “After the first time, it feels different.”And this was true, too; while being picked as just a teenager to attend the Olympics was its own kind of pressure, showing up as a repeat competitor was an equally unforgiving kind of marker.In February 2010, Viktor had been through the rigmarole once before, and while the Russian media had been glowing in its praise of his bronze finish in Turin, they’d seemed unable to spare such charitableness in the run-up to the Vancouver Games. While he’d obviously delivered with his gold medal finish, he had shuddered to think of what the headlines would have said if he’d finished off-podium, especially given that he wasn’t an alternate that time, but rather the FFKKR’s first seeded pick.Nikolai gave a silent nod at his words and they continued to watch their skaters continue their practice.“He looks good out there, huh?”Viktor startled, having been so absorbed in watching Yuuri that he hadn’t sensed Sava’s approach. His friend/mentor lumbered onto the bench next to him, sitting close enough so that he could hear, but not enough to make it obvious that they were chatting.“More than,” he replied, with a smile. “I can’t tell you how good it feels, to be this worried that I won’t be on the top of the podium come Friday evening,” he went on, quietly, and with the utmost sincerity. Sava flashed him a tiny smile, and they watched, raptly, each exhaling soft gasps of admiration at the crisp schick! of Yuuri’s skates touching down from yet another perfect lutz.There hadn’t been a wobble in sight.Sava gave a low whistle and grinned, shaking his head a bit.“That is some stunning skating, right there. Honestly, if I could land a jump like that with the same level of steadiness, no one could tell me anything. But Yusha is just as humble as ever. It’s honestly a little frustrating, given that I know exactly how big your head is.”Viktor mimed a coughing fit to cover up the bark of laughter he involuntarily released, and Sava chuckled, quietly. Once he recovered, he smirked, eyes back on his incredible fiance. “Don’t tell me you want him to start channeling JJ Style?”Sava rolled his eyes a bit at the mention of the Canadian athlete, who they’d already had plenty of interaction with during their relatively short stint in Korea. Blustery JJ had nearly talked their ears off yesterday in the Olympic Village dining hall, requesting that they relay a few tips to Yuuri “that might serve him well in his Short Program step sequence”. Considering that Yuuri’s sequences were literally the best in the field (certainly more so than the jump-crazy JJ), it was all either of them could do to keep from bursting out laughing at the presumptuousness. “Dear god, no,” Sava muttered, making him laugh again. “I just mean that I’d like him to own how good he is… maybe even get a little cocky with the press,” he continued, frowning a bit. “Don’t get me wrong: thanks to you, he’s loads more confident now than when I first started working with him, but he doesn’t really show off, you know?”They lapsed into silence for a few more moments and watched as Yuuri switched over to triple axels. It was one of his best jumps, and Viktor knew that he wasn’t the only elite skater to have consulted him for advice on it. Indeed, his love had actually been the one to get Georgi’s whipped into near-perfect shape, just in time for the latter’s final competitive skate at the 2017 World Championships.“Even when Yurotchka’s being a brat, Yuuri rarely takes his bait. If there’s anyone that deserves to wield that “JJ Style” arrogance, it’s Yusha. Even Ianna thinks so,” Sava said, the last sentence uttered with a tone of finality, as if her opinion settled the matter.Viktor giggled quietly, envisioning Yuuri trying to make “Yuu-yuu Style” into a thing.“You’re not the only one that thinks that,” he muttered, wryly. “But, that’s not my Yuuri’s way. It used to frustrate me a bit, but I’ve grown to appreciate it. That quiet determination of his, the fact that he’s at this high a level and wants his skating to speak for itself…that’s pretty admirable, you know?”He followed up his words with a dreamy sigh which made Sava quietly chuckle again.“I wish the Viktor Nikiforov of four years ago could see himself now. There’s a lightness in your voice that I remember from when I first met you. As the years went on, I wasn’t sure I’d get to hear it again,” he remarked, making him blush. “He has that effect on people,” Viktor whispered in response, afraid of speaking any louder, what with the tickle in his throat.Yuuri had moved on at this point to repetitions of his quad-salchow/triple-toe loop (4S-3T) combination jump, the last jumping pass of his Short before the transition to the step sequence. All told, his program had a base value of 51.48 points, whereas his own2 was just shy of that: 51.26 points. In terms of jumping passes, their selections were identical, except for the fact that Viktor would be doing a quad toe-triple toe (4T-3T), not quite having the stamina to pull off a 4S-3T with the kind of grade of execution he wanted.“It was good of you to figure out a way to come watch him, but I imagine it’s also difficult for you,” Sava suddenly piped up, in a much more sober tone.Viktor didn’t exactly know what to say in response; over the last several months, it felt like he’d talked with Sava about the situation ad nauseam. Indeed, he was grateful the other man had been so willing to listen. For weeks after getting that initial voicemail, Viktor had tried every manner of persuasion at his disposal to try to get the IOC Executive Board to budge on their stance. Sava had several contacts within the IOC, and had made multiple inquiries on his behalf to see if some leniency could be granted. Alas, the Board had held firm: as a fellow competitor, he would be barred from the unfettered access Ianna would have to Yuuri, and could be subject to a heavy fine as well as disciplinary actions from his federation if he was found out to be skirting the rules. Now, Viktor was a rich man, so fines meant nothing to him. It was FFKKR ire, however, that was the more worrisome disincentive; after all, his federation had caused a massive stink when he’d first attempted to register Yuuri as a new club member at Yubileyny, back in December 2016. It was only thanks to Yakov’s willingness to fight on Yuuri’s behalf that they’d been able to get the loathsome bureaucrats to back off.He and Yuuri, Yakov and Haru had sat through countless hours of subdued phone calls with JSF and FFKKR officials present, plus a number of translators. As Yuuri’s coach, Viktor had already been somewhat familiar with JSF President Ishizaki Seiko, but those numerous calls throughout January and February 2017 had catapulted them from polite acquaintances to staunch allies. When he’d rung her up last year to inform her of the ROC’s meddling with his coaching status, she’d been similarly distressed, and they’d both remarked on the déjà vu they were experiencing. Not keen on rehashing the tenebrous details all over again, Viktor settled for a non-committal hum in Sava’s general direction.His friend eyed him with an unreadable expression before rising to his feet.“Ianna’s done a fantastic job with him, but there can be only one Coach Nikiforov,” he mumbled, fiddling with his OIAC lanyard. “The success she’s had with Yusha...it would have been impossible without the foundation you built. Remember that.”Immediately, tears began to swim in Viktor's eyes, and he swallowed; Sava always seemed to know what to say. He and Ianna really were quite compatible in that sense (among others).“I will. Thanks, Sava,” he muttered, before meeting his gaze with a small smile.Sava wandered back downstairs and for the next forty or so minutes, Viktor and Nikolai continued to watch with what he felt was a laudable sense of restraint. Indeed, there were a number of times when he’d wanted to jump up from his seat to cheer, or, at the least, very fiercely applaud his talented Yuuri. Instead, he settled for bouncing his knee up and down, and if Nikolai eventually grew sick of this, he did nothing to suggest it.Viktor's semblance of control slipped, however, with only ten minutes remaining. As Yuuri passed the halfway mark of a full Short Program run-through, he knew something was up as soon as he noted that his love had foregone his usual entry into his 4S-3T jump combination.
What was his Yusha up to? Why was he going for the entry that they’d been working on for his Free Skate…?
“Bozhe moj!3” Viktor exclaimed, before immediately slapping his hands over his mouth and furtively looking around, almost able to picture the way his eyes had grown to saucer-size.Luckily, his exhortation had been drowned out by similar noises of shock and awe from the small group gathered near the boards: Yuri, Yakov, Sava, and Ianna.Yakov’s mouth was comically agape, and Viktor could almost hear Lilia's crisp voice, chiding her ex-husband to close it, lest he be taken for an uncouth paparazzo.Viktor quite envied his coach’s up-close position, as he’d been able to see Yuuri’s complete surprise of a flawless quad-flip/triple-toe combination in stunning detail…a combination that his insane fiance had chosen to include in the back-half of his Short! Of course, this would have earned him the well-deserved multiplier effect for back-loaded jumps.Doing some quick math in his head, Viktor’s breath caught; if Yuuri managed to repeat this 4F-3T combination tomorrow with the same superb grade-of-execution, the performance had the potential to raise him up to a whopping 53.46 points, which would put him well above a two point margin of the next-highest submitted program component listing: his own.His heart continued to pound as he watched Yuuri transition into his stunning step-sequence, the decisive, staccato movements a perfect fit for his high-intensity music selection. Viktor wanted to emblazon the look on his love's face onto every nearby surface available, capturing it for eternity. His radiant smile -- full of pride and resolve and elation -- was almost blinding to look at in its beauty.“Judging by the noises and the way Yusha is smiling, I take it he has just surprised everyone in some way, da?”Viktor had the impulse to laugh hysterically at Nikolai’s question. How to even answer that question sufficiently?Yes, of course Yuuri had surprised everybody. He, Sava, and Ianna had been working day in, day out with him to nail that jump combination, which was the opener for his Free Skate. But as far as he knew, none of them had ever advised trying to fit it into his Short, to sub in for the quad salchow combination.And certainly not as the last jumping pass. Even in Viktor’s younger days, Yuuri's stamina would have blown his own out of the water.Turning to Nikolai and unable to suppress his smile even if he’d tried, Viktor launched into an explanation of the novelty of the program element, trying to keep it short; after all, he wanted to be down at the boards for when his fiance wrapped up.Reminding himself that Katsuki Toshiya would probably not bound down the steps for fear of tumbling head-over-ass, Viktor began a deliberately languid descent down to the boards. He positioned himself in between Yakov and Ianna right as the last note of Jazmine’s euphoric anthem rang out, and was dimly aware that some rink attendants had even stopped their work to applaud. Even so, Viktor didn’t allow his gaze to leave his Yuuri's flushing face, reddened not only from exertion, but from the awareness of the audience he’d garnered.“Yuuri!! I don’t know whether to hug you or scold you!” Ianna cried, beaming at him as he began to make his way over to their contingent, panting heavily.Sweat dripped down his face, and as Yuuri proceeded to wipe his forehead, his bicep bulged, causing a current of desire to fizz through Viktor’s body.
Get ahold of yourself, Nikiforov! You’ll never forgive yourself if you sully Katsuki Toshiya’s good name!
“I’ll willingly accept both, but I really hope I can convince you to only go with the former,” his love responded back with an embarrassed smile, now only about ten feet away.Catching sight of Viktor, he seemed to pause for a split-second, before his timid smile gave way to a dazzling, breath-taking grin. Seeing it spread, he could feel his own face mirror Yuuri’s.“Ahh, here we go,” Sava whispered, with clear amusement, as Yuuri drew even closer to the boards.“Vitya, remember who exactly you’re supposed to be,” Yakov muttered through gritted teeth, on his other side.“Discreet, Nikiforov. Which means no shoving your tongue down his throat,” Ianna whispered, warningly, prompting Yurio to begin spluttering in disgust on her other side.But as Yuuri skated right into Viktor’s outstretched arms, their onlookers’ voices – indeed, everything but their own hushed exchange -- fell by the wayside.“Did I surprise you, hanii4? I don’t think I would have had the courage to do that if you hadn’t been watching,” his fiance tearfully mumbled, his face pressed into Viktor's neck.He was speaking in slow and purposeful Japanese, and Viktor was glad that Yuuri at least had the wherewithal to be somewhat mindful of their surroundings, because he certainly couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything except the feeling of his Yusha shaking apart in his arms.“Of course you did, my Yuuri,” Viktor sniffled with a teary giggle, his responding Japanese tumbling out in a rush, given his raw emotion. “If it weren’t for my fear of Ianna, plus the real likelihood of scarring the rink employees, I would show you exactly how much you surprised me, Cup of China style.”At this, Yuuri gave a giggle of his own, and they both squeaked a bit when Ianna and Sava’s arms joined their hug.
Welp. So much for subtlety.
“Incredible, Yusha. You do that tomorrow and I have no doubt the Short Program will be yours for the taking,” Sava said, his voice also sounding a bit wet.Viktor wasn’t surprised; Sava was a rather sentimental man, and had the tendency to get deeply invested in all of the skaters he worked with. The first time that Viktor had landed his quad flip in competition, during the 2009 World Championships -- marking the beginning of his World’s winning streak for every year that he actually attended the event -- his friend/mentor had broken down quite unreservedly, his tears lasting long after they’d exited the Kiss and Cry (and even after the medal ceremony).“So, I’ve decided: no scolding,” Ianna added on, sounding elated. “That was the best run-through I’ve seen yet. I can barely think of anything to critique.”“I wouldn’t go that far,” Yakov piped up, though the audible smile in his voice belied his true feelings. “There is always room to improve, but that is a skate to be very proud of, Yusha.”Viktor’s tears flowed even more steadily at the obvious pride in his coach's voice. It was one thing for he himself to acknowledge how talented and surprising Yuuri was, but for Yakov, a man of exceptionally high standards, to commend his student in this way…it only magnified his excitement for the competition to get officially underway.As their group hug finally came to an end, he realized that Yurio was the only one who hadn’t yet spoken. Viktor tensed a bit as their knot of limbs loosened, really hoping they weren’t about to undo all of the progress made since his awkward but sincere apology.“I agree with Yakov,” he mumbled, looking down at his feet. “Still…that was pretty cool, Katsudon. I guess you’re not a geezer, after all. You’re just engaged to one.”Viktor allowed himself to bask in the sweet look that his love directed at Yurio, before the latter’s words caught up to him. Loud snickers erupted around them at his (justifiably) wounded expression, and as he leaned into Yuuri’s side for comfort, he noted that Nikolai had come up to join their throng, and was now firmly shaking his fiance’s hand.“Well done, Yusha,” he said, clasping one of his hands in between both of his own. “Yurotchka has told me about how hard you’ve worked to master that jump. It is even more impressive than I could have imagined.”At these words, both Yuri and Yuuri blushed, deeply, and Viktor was too busy admiring the pink staining his love’s cheeks to immediately register the meaning of Yuri’s grandfather’s words.“Wait a minute!” Viktor whispered, once his brain had caught up.“What do you mean, ‘could have imagined’? Why did you act like you didn’t know what was going on up in the bleachers?” he demanded, eyeing Nikolai with newfound suspicion.Nikolai's eyes twinkled, and he threw Yuuri a mischievous look before replying.“You just seemed so excited. I had to let you release some of that pent-up energy, or else who knows what you might have done when you greeted your Yuuri at the boards, da?”Viktor didn’t really know what his face was doing to make Ianna, Yurio, and Sava guffaw in the instantaneous manner that they did, but any inclination to whine about the one-two punch from Yurio and his grandfather flew out of his head when an insistent pinging from Ianna’s phone caught everyone’s attention in the vicinity.“Ah! Teaser video alarm!” she exclaimed, thrusting her phone into Yuuri's line of sight in a goading manner. “Just like we agreed: we post, retweet, and then you go right into cool-down. Everybody get your phones out and go to Twitter! Well, everyone except Yakov, who somewhat admirably refuses to engage with this era’s relevant technology.”Yakov barked out a rare laugh in response to her words, while Yuuri hid his face in the crook of his elbow, releasing a long-suffering sigh.“Coach Perez, does this really have to be such a big production? I agree that we should post it, but won’t the retweeting be excessive?” he mumbled, an argument that Viktor was determined to stop in its tracks before it could delay them.His love had even insisted last night that he not be talked out of their promoting the video he’d worked so hard on; this was just some momentary anxiety that Yuuri clearly needed some reassurance around.“Daarin5, we’ve been over this,” Viktor said, firmly, uncovering Yuuri's face so he’d be forced to look at him as he talked.He only hoped the fact that he was still speaking in rough Japanese wouldn’t weaken the seriousness of his counter-argument.“I’ll say it however many times you need me to until you’re convinced: it isn’t ‘showing off’,” Viktor continued, noting that his fiance had begun to bite his lip in worry. “You didn’t ask us to retweet, we volunteered. Nearly all of your fellow competitors have posted similar videos, and your fanbase has been begging, now, for weeks. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating your achievements, and I can guarantee that you posting this will only raise the level of excitement and anticipation everyone has to compete against you, not undermine it.”Before Yuuri could offer up any rebuttal, Sava placed a gentle hand on top of his head.“I obviously don’t speak Japanese well enough to know what it is your father said,” he began, which prompted Yuuri’s lips to twitch in response. “But I will say, that from where I stand, you’ve earned the right to preen a bit. Plus, think of Mila, and your friend Phichit...I think you’ll have some very disappointed friends if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain.”At the look of resignation in his fiance’s eyes, Viktor made a note to study Sava's persuasive techniques...he hadn’t even needed to break out the puppy-dog eyes!“He’s right,” Yurio chimed in, much to his (and, evidently, Yuuri’s) surprise; Viktor hadn’t actually thought he would be all that invested in the video, either way. “Phichit Chulanont has zero shame, and I for one do not want to be on the receiving end of his hounding if you don’t come through on this, Katsudon.”At this, Yuuri directed a tiny smile at Yura, and a few moments elapsed before everyone (excepting Yakov and Nikolai, who just watched them all with clear amusement) got their phones out.“Ok, Yuuri,” Ianna said, holding up her screen so that they could all see her pre-drafted Tweet pulled up. “Moment of truth…in just a few seconds, the world is going to see the history-making jump combo you’ve been working your ass off for.”Yuuri flushed once more while Yakov clapped a hand to his back, and Viktor, not to be outdone, nuzzled his cheek against the top of his love’s head.He was quite proud of himself for only slightly pouting at Yurio’s elbow jab, which was accompanied by a hissed-out reminder about “vigilance” and “stomach-turning, incestuous PDA”. Putting an unfair amount of distance between himself and Yuuri, Viktor drew his phone out, mentally preparing himself for the difficult feat of summing up his pride and admiration in only 280 characters.“After Yuuri hits ‘post’, everyone refresh your feed so we can retweet it, ASAP,” Sava reminded. “I’ve already texted Mila and Georgi, and they’re both ready.”“I told Otabek to retweet, too, though I obviously didn’t tell him what it was,” Yurio muttered, which made Nikolai affectionately ruffle his hair.“Oh, and Phichit is obviously all over this, too,” Viktor whispered, happily, as he continued to type his draft out, mostly via keysmashes.  “Whenever you’re ready, Yuuri,” Ianna whispered, angling her phone closer to him. “I do mostly mean that, but don’t take too long; they’re gonna kick us out within the next fifteen minutes for the next practice slot, and as I understand it, a certain someone may need some extra time to make a covert escape.”Viktor giggled at this, and Yuuri smiled before taking a deep breath before donning that determined, tenacious expression that he so adored.“Um, before this goes live, I just want to say…”He trailed off, sounding anxious, so Viktor placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a tiny squeeze (and additionally, stuck his tongue out at Yurio’s raised eyebrows).“The fact that I’ve mastered this seemingly impossible jump…it makes me really, really proud of myself, possibly more than I’ve ever been,” Yuuri said, his voice sounding steady, with seemingly none of the nerves from before. “And at the same time, this wasn’t by any means a solo effort.”“Sava, Vitya, and especially you, Coach Perez – I couldn’t have done this without any of you,” he went on, fiercely, his voice wavering a bit.Viktor swallowed thickly, a lump forming in his throat.“And Yurio, Yakov and Nikolai: your pride in my achievement, it means the world. Any praise and admiration I do get, I hope you know that it’s for all of you, too.”His, Ianna and Sava’s eyes all brimmed with emotion at Yuuri's sincerity, and before he could wiggle away, the three of them clustered around him in another group hug.“Okay, okayyyy, aren’t we supposed to not be drawing attention to ourselves?” his fiance whined in a pained whisper, after only a few seconds. “Let’s post this already!”Breaking away from one another with broad smiles, they huddled around Ianna’s phone. When Yuuri finally pushed the blue ‘Post’ button, they all seemed to collectively suck a breath in, and Viktor’s hands flew to his own phone to retweet and get the hype-machine rolling. “Well,” said Yuuri, eyeing each of them amidst the sudden silence, “that was…anticlimactic.”Their laughter didn’t subside even as Yurio broke away to begin his cool-down, or as Viktor and Yuuri attempted to explain to Nikolai how Twitter worked.At Ianna’s reminder about post-practice stretching, Viktor gave his love one last hug before turning to proceed towards the locker rooms, hoping he’d be able to exit in a timely manner.After all, if all of the retweets achieved their intended effect, there would likely be a sizable crowd waiting for Yuuri just outside of the training rink entrance. As Viktor traipsed towards the exit, he giggled, quietly; the rink attendants might not know any better, but surely their fellow competitors and figure-skating enthusiasts would not be fooled by his get-up.“KATSUKI YUURI!” The shrill cry from somewhere in front of him made Viktor jump, and judging from the long string of profanities tumbling out of Yakov’s mouth, he hadn’t been the only one surprised by Nishigori Yuuko’s menacing exclamation.Looking nothing like her jovial, bubbly self, the Madonna of Hasetsu’s Ice Castle stormed out of the women’s locker room entrance, with her mouth set in a grave line, and each of her eyebrows looking like angry anime slants. If they were in an anime, steam would probably be blasting out of her ears.With a sense of foreboding – which increased when he realized her gaze was fixed on a spot somewhere beyond his shoulder – Viktor began to suspect that Yuuri was about to have a lot to answer for.Whipping around, he noted that his love had gone pale, his eyebrows in danger of disappearing into his messy hairline. Behind him, Yurio had stopped to observe Yuuko’s approach (which in actuality was looking to be less ‘approach’ and more ‘full-steam-ahead-gallop-dear-God-did-everyone-in-Hasetsu-have-inhuman-stamina??’).In his split-second turnaround, Viktor had failed to realize how Yuuko had nearly passed him on her way to the boards, but he made up for his shortsightedness with a step directly into her line of sight.With some alarm, he noted her nostrils were flaring, and wondered what exactly she planned to do. Maiming her childhood best friend was surely out of the question, but with the look in her eyes, he didn’t want to rule anything out. Before he could open his mouth to cautiously inquire, however, Yuuko beat him to the punch.  “My apologies, Toshiya-san,” she said in Japanese, before bowing deeply. Even with the gesture of respect, the blazing look in her eyes matched her fierce tone. “If you’ll just allow me to pass, I need to speak to your son. I just caught sight of a rather surprising video and he has some explaining to do.”Too stunned by the fact that her apparent anger had caused her to believe his crude disguise, Viktor was unable to prevent her deft side-step, and before he could do more than splutter weakly at her to take a few deep breaths, she’d made it all the way to the boards.By this point, Yuuri had launched himself into dogeza, and Yurio was clutching at his sides mid-laughter, ignoring Yakov’s bellows for him to keep cooling down as well as to mind his own business.But even his coach’s booming voice was no match for Yuuko’s braying accusations.“YOU LEARNED HOW TO DO A QUAD FLIP-TRIPLE TOE LOOP COMBINATION?!” she shrieked, the noise causing imaginary birds to flee for the ceiling, as well as a very obvious ripple of tension to roll down Yuuri’s spine.“And I had to find out ON TWITTER?!!!!” Aleksandr Gorshkov
Oxy Lounge, Intercontinental Alpensia Pyeongchang Resort (Gangwong-do, South Korea) – mid-afternoon of February 13th, 2018
“Mudak!”6The curse slipped from Aleksandr Gorshkov’s mouth before he could contain it, and he directed a wan smile at his wife’s askance gaze, hoping she wouldn’t ask questions.It was doubtful she would; Irochka7 had been prickly all day, and he could hardly blame her; he’d been growing increasingly scatter-brained as the start of the Men’s Singles competition approached, his nerves getting away from him with every step closer to Friday’s Free Skate segment.Looking back down at the clip of Katsuki Yuuri open on his screen, he turned his phone’s volume all the way down, and clicked ‘play’ on the Twitter video, even as his eyes barely registered the sight in front of him.
“This changes nothing.”
He could scarcely believe Zhukov’s imbecilic non-reaction; the video changed everything!Ever since he’d caught sight of the officially submitted program components listing for the top skaters in the Men's Singles Division, Aleksandr had developed a strong sense of misgivings around his boss’ wishes for Friday’s outcome.This was one of the issues when bureaucrats without any real athletic experience tried to call the shots; though he might be the President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov was no more a figure skater than he himself was a circus performer, yet, ironically, he’d been treated like the man’s faithful monkey sidekick for the greater part of a year.And while Aleksandr believed he’d more than demonstrated his loyalty and sound judgment, Zhukov seemed no more liable to trust his reasoning than on the evening he’d first gotten into contact around said wishes: the same evening of the December 2016 Grand Prix Final, when Viktor Nikiforov -- the federation’s simultaneous prize-horse and thorn-in-its-side -- announced his return to skating.More and more, he’d come to the troubled realization that worse than Zhukov not being able to understand the ins and outs of the ways scoring and judging feasibility actually worked, the other Russian simply didn’t care; his motivation wasn’t national pride, it was actually something far more crude.Money and social capital.The latter directly related to the 9 sponsors Zhukov had doggedly courted throughout the last several months, four of them being overall Olympic sponsors, and five of them – Aeroflot, Ozon, Sberbank, Zasport, and Okko.tv -- being prominent Team Russia sponsors. It was actually his subordinate, Maxim, that had put two-and-two together, telling him what Zhukov had seemed determined to withold: Nikiforov notwithstanding – at this point in his career, the “Living Legend” had more non-Russian than Russian sponsors, and was wealthy enough to skate sans federation if he really wanted to – the future of Russian figure skating wholly depended on the triumvirate of Aeroflot, Sberbank, and Zasport. At least, it had, the last time Maxim had run the numbers on Plisetsky and Kuznetsov’s financial statements.“SASHA!”As his wife’s irritated voice broke through his mental fog, he realized that her tone indicated that she’d called his name more than once.With a glance her way, he confirmed this; she was getting to her feet, smoothing down the tiny wrinkles in her elegant dress, though the furrows in her brow didn’t seem to be disappearing any time soon.“There’s no reason for me to stay down here if you’re just going to be glued to your phone,” Irina snapped, her use of English meaning that she wasn’t interesting in sparing him the embarrassment of being overheard. “I’m going up to the room. Don’t count on me for dinner.”With this, she stalked away, her dress swishing behind her, elegantly.He sighed, privately thinking that he deserved every bit of her scorn. For that matter, so did both Elena and Olga, who he was beginning to suspect were not as oblivious as Zhukov recalcitrantly assured him they were.
What a mess.
His thoughts continued to churn, wondering what the best course of action was, and how much trouble he was liable to get in if he went rogue.Not that Zhukov had the faintest idea around the technicalities, but if Katsuki Yuuri opened his Free Skate with the very jump combination that kept looping over and over on his phone screen, it would be damn near impossible for even the most articulate judges to justify any downgrades.Before he’d retired, Aleksandr himself had been somewhat of an expert in edge jumps, and Katsuki had some of the cleanest, most uncontestable edges he’d ever seen, even with the inclusion of Nikiforov’s trademark quad flip.Poring over the rest of the Japanese skater’s Free Skate program components in his mind, he tried to think of where else any low marks could easily be explained away. At this point, he had most competitors’ submitted lists memorized…Altin, Nikiforov, Leroy, etc. But out of everyone, it was Katsuki he was most worried about. In terms of score suppression, his step sequences were obviously out of the question, and while six months ago, he would have said that his jumps were ripe for the picking, something had clearly changed over the off-season, because all throughout the Grand Prix series, the skater’s technical elements just seemed to get stronger and stronger. Honestly, Zhukov had been foolish to discount him, and he’d tried telling the man so when Katsuki had won World’s last year.Indeed, the two of them had had a very tense meeting that had almost come to blows when it became clear that the Japanese skater had mastered his quad lutz. Could they really get away with an edge call on Friday, what with the sophistication of the instant replay angles that he knew the technical panel would be employing?His blood boiled when he recalled Zhukov’s response, accompanied by a fulsome smile: “You worry too much, Sasha! Everything is all set, don’t go disturbing a placid lake.”His fingers itched; perhaps a call to Raffaella was warranted, just to be safe?
Bzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
Speak of the devil…With a feeling of doom, he saw the Italian technical controller’s name come through via his Signal app interface. Was this the beginning of everything unravelling?Honestly, if it were, he’d be more than relieved; keeping up two affairs was liable to give him an aneurysm one of these days, and the near-constant late-night calls with Zhukov and any number of their sponsor allies were keeping him up at night.Literally.He wondered what frivolous flights of fancy Locatelli had earmarked his 35K for…he’d wired him the money – or, rather, had made sure Maxim had wired him the money – last month, with the promise that he’d get the second half once everything was all wrapped up.With his stomach in knots, Aleksandr swiped across his screen, the Raffaella’s gruff voice reaching his ears before he could even utter any false pleasantries.“On a scale of somewhat to completely, how royally fucked are we?”

End of Chapter 8.

Up Next: For Chapter 9, we flashback to April 2020, and the beginning of Yurio's 3-week "trial period" skating at Papio Ice Arena, and being co-coached by Viktor, and Kishimoto Taku. This chapter sets up some important context prior to chapter 10, which will feature part 4 of the Katsuki-Nikiforovs' HBO special. 
Footnotes:1. Can also be written as ‘Otousan’, this is the term in Japanese meant to denote ‘father’. I headcanon that Hiroko and Toshiya would want Viktor to address them with parental phrases just like Yuuri does Back2. In order, Viktor’s Short Program components: 1: 4Lz; 2: 3A; 3: CSSp; 4: 4T-3T; 5: StSq4; 6: FCSp; 7: CCoSp4. Note that the 4T-3T would get the multiplier effect, as it is positioned after the halfway mark. As a reminder, Yuuri’s element list is in the end-notes of Ch2Back3. Romanized form of a phrase typically used to denote shock/surprise, and translates to “oh my god!”Back4. This Japanese term of endearment is directly borrowed from English, and translates to “honey”Back5. Also directly borrowed from English, this translates to “darling” in JapaneseBack6. This is a very offensive Russian curse, literally meaning “shithead”Back7. This is one of the typical Russian diminutives for the name ‘Irina’, which is the (real-life) name of the late Aleksandr Gorshkov’s second wife.Back

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Viktor
Katsuki-Nikiforov home (Fukuoka, Japan) – April 21, 2020, 6:00 am 
 “Actually, I was thinking…maybe I should call you ‘Vitya’ from now on? Everything else would feel wrong, now, if you’re going to coach me,” Yura said, standing just across from Viktor in the entryway of his and Yuuri's home office.Upon hearing these words, Viktor felt like he could cry; the moment he’d been waiting for, for many long years, was finally here. Yuri Plisetsky, the cantankerous Ice Tiger of Russia, once a fifteen-year-old ball of barely-contained rage, now a slightly more mellowed out twenty-year-old -- and, his second ever student, next to Yuuri -- was finally agreeing to call him Vitya?!No more “old man”, “geezer” or “Niki-forehead” (the latter being his least favorite, because 1) rude, it wasn’t even that big, he’d taken measurements! and 2) he could at least have the decency to call him Katsuki-Niki-forehead, damnit).Not caring in the slightest if the tears that welled up in his eyes were to fall, Viktor grasped Yura’s shoulders, dramatically, before responding. “You mean it?! You’ll really call me ‘Vitya’?!” he cried out, hardly daring to believe it.“Sure,” Yurio answered with a shrug, sounding ridiculously nonchalant given the momentous occasion. “It feels like time.”A veritable thrill clutched Viktor’s heart, and he had to plant his feet, sure he might just untether completely from the Earth in his elation.“Wow! Amazing! Please, call me Vitya again!” he pleaded, wanting to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.“Ok…Vitya?” Yura repeated, throwing him a strange look but complying fairly quickly.“It’s not a question, Yura, say it with confidence! This is a new era in our relationship, don’t hold back!” Viktor commanded, his “coach voice” now out in full-force.“Alright,” his new student said, with a firm nod. “In that case, let’s get to work, Vitya,” he amended, even giving his arm a slight shake. “Louder, where’s your gumption!?” Viktor goaded, sure that a slightly crazed glint was dancing in his eyes.His legs had begun to dance as well, and nearly instantly, Yuri mirrored his movements.This really was a new era! Normally Yura made fun of what he called Viktor's “dorky Jack-in-the-Box dance”, but now, he was getting into it, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet with a fervor that greatly pleased him.“Sorry, Vitya!” Yurio lobbed back, with a harder shake to his arm.“That’s what I like to hear, Yura! We’ll do great things together!” Viktor crowed, delighting in the fact that even with his own feet darting every which way, his freshly combed hair was staying perfectly still.Was his new styling spray just that good?  “Damn right, we will, Vitya!”Sheesh, ok, Yura’s arm shakes were now getting a little too enthusiastic…and how strange: his student’s flying feet were suddenly shifting shape, the bare skin sprouting luridly orange fur, interspersed with bold, black stripes.Viktor’s hands flew to his face in dismay even as his feet continued to dance, on instinct; did they even make ice skates for tigers? And wouldn’t this necessitate some big changes to Yurio’s diet? He didn’t really know where they could reasonably obtain a large quantity of water buffalo…as Yuuri’s coach, he’d never had to deal with this before!“Vitya!”So, Viktor could now understand tiger communication? Yura’s mouth was open in a roar, but the syllables of his standard diminutive filtered through to his ears, just the same.  “VITYA!!”With a jolt, Viktor suddenly opened his eyes to come face-to-face not with an impassioned Yuri Plisetsky, but rather, his adorably bedhead-afflicted Yuuri, flanked on either side by two of their three poodles. His husband had an arm curled around his bicep and was straddling his hips, hovering slightlly above where Viktor laid in their toasty, sinfully comfortable king-sized bed. As he began to regain his bearings coming out of his dream (and privately pouting at the realization that this meant he’d have to suffer the indignity of human-Yuri's many nicknames for the foreseeable future), Viktor noticed that Yuuri was curiously hunched, appearing to be hiding his other arm behind his back. He was also sporting an extremely self-satisfied grin. Brightening at his expression, Viktor felt the last vestiges of sleep slip away. “Ohayou1, Yuranya, what’s got you so smiley?” he questioned croakily, leaning up to pet Goya and Makka, and to kiss his chin.The skin was clean-shaven, and he realized his love must have been up for awhile. “Ohayou, anata2,” Yuuri replied, sweetly, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses in the way Viktor adored. “I’m sorry for waking you before the alarm, but I think you’ll forgive me once you see the surprise I have for you.”Turning to glance at the bedside table, Viktor noted it was a half hour earlier than he’d set it for, and gave an excited little gasp.“Yusha, you spoil me!” he responded, happily. “Does this have anything to do with today being my first official day of coaching a certain lovably surly Ice Tiger? Who, incidentally, starred in my dream, and gave me the thrill of my life when he told me he’d stop calling me ‘Niki-forehead’?”Yuuri laughed, widening the part of his legs and rising up onto his knees. “You might be onto something, coach,” he answered, playfully.With a flourish, he drew his arm from behind his back, revealing a large bowl filled nearly to the top with okayu, one of Viktor’s favorite breakfast foods. By the looks and smell of it, this particular kind was topped with scallions, a poached egg, and sweet potatoes. “One cannot begin to coach cranky, jungle-cat-obsessed Russian skaters without consuming a breakfast of champions,” his spouse went on, swinging a leg over so that he could reposition himself on the pillows next to him. 
Awww, his Yuranya was the best!
His sweet, thoughtful Yuuri had gotten up early – even though he wasn’t even scheduled to be at Papio until lunchtime -- to make one of Viktor's favorite morning meals, a comforting dish he had taken to ever since he’d first tried it at Yu-topia during Makka’s steam-bun scare a few years back.“You’re so good to me, hanii3!” Viktor gushed, pressing a kiss to Yuuri's unruly hair.Grasping eagerly for the bowl, he took care to hold it up high, away from their dogs’ curious faces; as tasty as they were, scallions weren’t great for their digestive systems.“Let me go brush my teeth, and then I’ll dive in.” When Viktor emerged from the bathroom, he saw that their excitable poodles had reoriented themselves to lay in the patch of sunlight that had fallen across his pillow. Crawling back into bed, he gave them each a pat on the head, and sat just in front of where his husband had set down a breakfast tray, complete with a set of chopsticks, some grilled fish leftovers from yesterday, and a piping hot cup of his favorite new tea: a robust, Sri Lankan variety laced with orange peel that Mohit swore by.“Hmmm,” Viktor sighed out contentedly, after taking a sip. “If this is how the day is starting off, I’m pretty sure I can handle whatever comes after.” Yuuri giggled and dropped a kiss to his shoulder.“Somewhere in Corfu, Yakov is laughing his head off at your optimism.”Viktor barely managed to avoid snorting hot tea through his nose at these words, but only just; Yakov, now entering into his second year of retirement, had indeed texted him last night, noting that he and Lilia would try to find some decent Russian vodka on their Grecian vacation, all so that they could toast to his sanity.“Jokes aside, I think today will go wonderfully, Vitya,” Yuuri went on, leaning over a bit so that he could stroke Makka’s fluffy ears.It was good to be surrounded by all three of their pups again, as he and his love had been away from them for the past ten days when they’d been in Italy to celebrate their 1-year wedding anniversary.They’d been so grateful to Mari and Amara, who had agreed to pet-sit as well as take care of their plants while they’d been gone. The other couple had been most amused at their insistence on FaceTiming with their furbabies every single day, but neither he nor Yuuri could help themselves; especially given Makka’s old age, they were more fastidious than ever when it came to monitoring her health and happiness. “I don’t think he’ll give you a hard time, at least not yet,” Yuuri continued. “If nothing else, Yura will want to be on good behavior for Akihito-kochi, and Izumi has only been at Papio for one week, so he wouldn’t dare act out and get shown up by the other newbie.”At these words, Viktor turned his thoughts to the day ahead, and tried to internalize his spouse's confidence in him. By this point, he and Yuuri worked like a well-oiled machine, at ease with the life they’d built for themselves over the last year of living in Fukuoka.Viktor had begun his coaching contract at Papio last May, and they’d established a reliable schedule, both during the competition season as well as now that they were properly into the off-season. He wasn’t sure what incorporating Yura into the mix might do for that flow, but in all honesty, Viktor was actually more worried about the behind-the-scenes part of coaching him than anything directly training related. Though it had been just under two years since the results of the PyeongChang Games ICAS investigation were released, it felt like not enough had materially changed when it came to ethics in competitive skating…an inescapable reality of being a coach. Despite his and Yuuri’s tireless advocacy during the summer and fall of 2018, their one big win in terms of overhauling the judging system of the International Skating Union (ISU) had not led to the cascade of other reforms they’d been hoping for. While he and his husband had successfully lobbied around the doing away of anonymous judging, momentum stalled out after the decision was finalized in the summer of 2019.Viktor had been in the midst of newlywed bliss and had been thrilled with the victory, as well as the historic context surrounding it: for the first time in the ISU’s congressional history, the leadership elected to break the tradition of meeting every other year, bowing to mounting demand for an “extra” session in 2019 in response to the tepid outcomes of the previous year’s meeting4.In many ways, the timing of the ICAS’ investigation closure in 2018 couldn’t have been worse, given that the public results release had occurred only two days before the ISU Congressional Session was scheduled to meet in Sevilla. At that time, congressional sessions were only held once every two years, so Viktor, Yuuri, and nearly every Men’s Singles Division skater that had competed in Pyeongchang had signed a petition and had reached out to their respective skating federations to pressure President Dijkema to delay their meeting.As they’d thoroughly detailed in the petition language, they’d been hoping the extension might allow them extra time to bring forth a proposal around greater transparency in handling ethics violations, as well as a reformed process for determining penalties for such violations.In a shocking display of hubris and dismissal, Dijkema made the decision to move forward with the originally scheduled session date.Unable to ignore the resulting widespread criticism (and not even just from within the figure skating community), the ISU issued a statement that a motion to vote on amending Rule 121 of the constitution – a measure pertaining to the appointment/function of skating officials -- was already on the docket, thereby rendering a separate measure redundant.Given the body’s poor track record of transparency up to that point, it had been difficult to accept Dijkema at his word; the statement had seemed purposely vague, and despite the massive storm of Twitter protests that they and others had elected to participate in, the ISU’s official Twitter was markedly quiet in the days leading up to voting.As he and Yuuri had found out in a briefing two days after wrap, the accepted amendment to Rule 121 did not, in fact, appease their concerns in the slightest.Rather than making any material changes to the way violations were handled or communicated about in the public sphere, it merely called for the formation of something called the OAC: the Officials’ Assessment Commission. This commission would be a Council-appointed pool of technical controllers, referees, and judges of all different nationalities that would be charged with evaluating score anomalies during ISU events, including the Olympic Games. Its limited scope of duties, however, meant that its focus was on determining the existence of violations, not dealing with their aftermath.  To say that he and his love had been livid in response to the news would have been an understatement.Indeed, on the video call they had been on with Dijkema and ISU Vice President Lakernik, Viktor had elected to turn his camera off half-way through, as it had been difficult for him to control his incredulous facial expressions. By the end of the call, hardly anyone had chosen to remain visible on video.Other Disciplinary Commission claimants like Seung-Gil, Christophe, and Phichit had also been invited to attend along with their coaching and publicist teams, and the latter man had of course started a group chat even before the briefing began. As the hour-long meeting progressed, more and more of their candid thoughts made their way to the group conversation. Viktor had experienced some much-needed comedic relief in the form of his then-fiance’s liberal use of profanity; Yuuri hardly ever took to texting with such candor, so the chat’s responses to his live reactions had been the one bright light during that hellish hour.Almost immediately after the meeting’s conclusion, he and Yuuri -- who, for the prior few weeks, had been staying in Hasetsu at the condo they’d purchased during the 2017 off-season -- had driven with Mari, Minako, and the Nishigori family to an outdoor paintball range in Fukuoka to let off steam. Takeshi had (unwisely) volunteered to be a stand-in figurehead for the ISU powers-that-be, and it had been extremely cathartic to hit the broad-shouldered man multiple times squarely in the back, while picturing Jan Dijkema’s diminishing simper.The picture they’d taken afterwards – of the eight of them, euphoric and paint-splattered, plus a disgruntled Takeshi — never failed to make Viktor smile. “You look happy,” his spouse noted, bringing him back to the present. “Could it be that you’ve so dearly missed Yura’s relentless taunting, and can hardly wait to experience it daily, once more?”Viktor giggled, hunching over to kiss Meni’s head when the newly-woken poodle pushed his wet nose directly into his armpit.“Actually, I was thinking about our inaugural Paintball Extravaganza,” he answered, reaching for his bowl. “And this year’s redemption arc.”Yuuri grinned, glancing at the bedroom wall they’d reserved for photos of their wedding festivities.After the success of their 2018 outing, they had elected to make paintball an annual off-season tradition.Realizing that they could organize an even bigger event in April 2019, they’d timed their second battle to take place just after their wedding. In what was surely one of the larger visiting groups to make use of the modest Fukuoka paintball range, he and Yuuri were joined by 40 of their bravest wedding guests, and descended upon the range for a vicious face-off. The score had been close, though Yuuri’s side ultimately won: a fact that Yura still regularly complained about whenever he saw fit. As such, the Ice Tiger had been nothing short of bloodthirsty during their third scrimmage, taking place the day after their now-annual Viktor and Friends ice show three weeks ago.Persuading their friends to engage in combat while hungover might not have been the most ethical move, but Viktor certainly had no regrets, considering his side’s triumph. Indeed, the win was made even sweeter by the hilarious asides he’d witnessed, including his husband rebuking a lovestruck Seung-Gil for shooting at Phichit -- their fellow teammate – as well as Mila’s outright brutal assault on Mickey Crispino, no doubt a cathartic gesture towards her girlfriend’s overprotective (and boundary-less) brother.“Next year we should try being on the same team, lyubimiy5,” Yuuri replied, tucking into his own bowl. “That way, I can protect you when JJ tries to use your forehead for target practice,” he went on, with a smirk. Viktor leaned over to try to steal a piece of egg from his bowl in retaliation, giggling when his hand was lightly slapped away. Third time really is the charm, he thought to himself, as he, too, looked over at the picture wall.This year’s paintball photo was his favorite, as it not only included all three of their poodles (who had been kept out of harm’s way during the actual game, watched over by Yuuri’s parents), but also featured a true mix of both their St. Petersburg and Fukuoka friends, laughing and smiling together. Akihito and Mohit had been quite taken with the Nishigori family, and Ianna and Sava had enjoyed getting to know Taku and a number of Papio’s Junior coaches, like Rei, Kanae, and Mitsuri.They ate quietly for a few minutes before his love spoke again, staring intently at him from over the top of his coffee mug.“Were you thinking about that ISU briefing? Is that what made you think of paintball in the first place?” he asked.Viktor nodded in response, taking a sip of tea as a knot of worry wormed its way up his spine.“Kogan is still pretty new, yes, but he’s proven to be just as feckless as Gorshkov and Kolobkov. These bureaucrats are all the same, aren’t they?” he questioned, beginning to roll his neck.Yuuri didn’t say anything to this, but reached a hand out to begin petting his hair. It was hopelessly tangled at the moment, a good chunk having slipped out of his braid overnight.After Aleksandr Gorshkov had been ousted from the FFKKR in August of 2018, current federation head Alexander Kogan had been appointed as his successor.According to Yakov’s contacts, the move to fire Gorshkov had been met with a considerable amount of internal resistance, and had only occurred as part of damage control by the FFKKR’s most culpable sponsors: Aeroflot and Sberbank, who, cumulatively, had put up 70% of the money used in the bribes.Viktor wasn’t naïve; he hadn’t actually thought Kogan’s tenure would usher in a new era of accountability for the ossified institution he’d answered to for most of his life. It was well-known inside and outside of the federation that their new leader was more or less cut from the same cloth as his predecessor: fragile in ego, and incapable of self-reflection, which, of course, permeated the larger culture and operating norms as a whole.“Whether it’s the ISU or Ministry of Sports, I’m worried that we’ll just never have people in leadership that care about true reform,” he went on, hating the audible defeat in his voice. “Even just seeing the FFKKR emblem these days makes me feel nauseous. I don’t want to take my bitterness out on Yura just because his hands are tied, financially. He hardly deserves that, with all the bullshit he’s had to put up with.”He and Yuuri had discussed this at length over the last several months, but Viktor knew that his spouse wouldn’t begrudge his need to vent.For all the rage they'd harbored against the FFKKR two years ago, coping in the aftermath had been somewhat bearable given his retirement, as well as his financial distance from the scandal.Aeroflot and Sberbank had been a prominent part of his sponsor rotation when he’d first been starting out in competitive skating. By the end of Viktor's career, however, they contributed a rather minimal 4 and 2% share, respectively, towards his earnings.The situation was completely different for Yura, who, at the time, had obviously been skating in the Senior Division for a much shorter duration, and was thus far more dependent on sponsorships for career sustenance. It was only a few days after Viktor had given his first public interview with Yuuri post-investigation that Yura and Yakov had had their rather explosive confrontation. Understandably, Yuri had been devastated to learn that it was his two most important sponsors that -- in addition to anonymous judging6 -- were also the same ones who had made the entire bribery scheme possible.And not only that: he’d been one of the last implicated skaters to find out, Yakov having (misguidedly) wanted to line up new sponsors for his skater before having to break the news to him.Expedient salvos courtesy of a remorseful Yakov, Yura’s publicists, Georgi, Mila, Ianna, Sava, him and his then-fiance, and even Otabek hadn’t been enough to dissuade Yura from announcing his decision to quit competitive skating altogether. It was only after Kolya7 had come to St. Petersburg for a two-week stay that he had been able to start mending the tatters of his broken sense of self. Much to his and Yuuri’s relief, Yuri announced his reversal of the earlier decision one month later.As if sensing the tension in his body from this trip down memory lane, Goya began to nose at his lower back, making Viktor smile, despite himself; dogs really were quite magical and intuitive creatures. Something in him settled as he reached a hand back to rub her head. “That makes sense, sweetheart,” Yuuri responded, sounding subdued.He then scooted closer and propped his chin on his shoulder. His close presence and their cuddly poodle’s warm body behind him were grounding, and Viktor slouched a bit, leaning into both.“I know if it were me, I’d be really anxious about having to interact with those slimeballs again, even if Irina does seem to be one of the more upstanding publicists,” his husband went on. “You never know, though…it’s possible that Kogan’s underlings might be motivated to behave since they know that Yura won’t be solely under your instruction. Taku-kochi isn’t afraid of those goons in the slightest.”Viktor felt some of his nerves dissipate at the reminder of his co-coach, and the partnership they were potentially embarking on.Given Yurio’s poor showing at Russian Nationals – held just under two months after Nikolai’s passing -- the Ice Tiger’s season had ended in late December.Even still, there was no way he and Yuuri would have allowed him to miss out on being in Montreal for World’s, surrounded by his coaches and friends, as opposed to remaining behind at the lonely Yubileyny dorms.As such, they’d conspired with Ianna and Georgi to personally cover Yura’s airfare and lodging in Canada. It was during a moment alone in the bathroom, mid-banquet, that Yurio – looking just as vulnerable as he’d appeared at Kolya’s funeral -- had dropped the bombshell, asking if Viktor would be willing to consider coaching him. After the initial words had left his mouth, he’d rushed on to note that he’d be amenable to a co-coaching arrangement if Viktor was hesitant to divert too much attention away from Yuuri.Later that night, he and his spouse had pondered how serious the proposition had been, thinking it might have just been a fleeting whim borne out of excess alcohol consumption and Yuri's grief-stricken state.Their perceptions drastically altered the next morning, however.Yura insisted on treating them to breakfast, and before he and Yuuri had even taken their seats, he’d fanned out a sheath of papers across their table. As Viktor’s gaze fell upon the various documents – pitches to acquire new Japanese sponsors, lease agreements for 1-bedroom apartments near Papio, a schedule of ice shows he could partake in during the off-season to afford a markup on coaching fees – his eyes met Yuuri’s.It was clear that this was not some ephemeral notion.After broaching the idea with Akihito -- who then suggested a meeting with a few of the other assistant coaches with capacity to take on more students -- Viktor had engaged Taku in a solid two weeks of back-and-forth.Ultimately, they’d agreed on offering Yurio a two-week trial period at Papio to start. It wouldn’t be his first time at the rink, of course; since Kolya's passing, Yuri had stayed with them back in December, and again in early February, claiming he desperately needed to get out of Russia (and away from the many reminders of his late grandfather).  In the interim before the trial period kicked off, the matter of Viktor having to be back in touch with his former federation (and sponsors) arose as an inevitable point of deliberation. It had seemed almost too good to be true when Taku had offered to be the primary point of contact with Irina, Yura’s FFKKR publicist. Of course, neither he nor Yuuri would be able to get away with avoiding her entirely, but based on what they remembered from their Yubileyny days, the woman didn’t actually seem to be much of a federation lackey; Viktor actually recalled her having been quite critical of Gorshkov in the past.“Meni, no!”His husband's urgent voice broke him out of his musings, and Viktor realized that in his preoccupation, he’d missed the fact that their tiniest poodle had stealthily crept right up to the rim of his bowl.Knowing their furbaby’s expression would likely break his heart, he determinedly avoided making eye contact as he raised it high over his head.“I should have known this would happen,” Yuuri said, a little dejectedly, before beginning to untangle himself from the covers. “I was just so excited about surprising you that I completely forgot about getting the pups their food, too.”Viktor awww’d loudly in response, and began to extricate himself from the sheets so he could help.“You can join us downstairs, but I’m doing all the work,” Yuuri said, eyeing him a bit sternly as they did up their matching poodle-printed robes. “You have a big day ahead, so I’ll do all the heavy lifting, and you’ll sit at the kitchen table and look pretty.”He laughed in response and reached for his tray, a tiny voice in his head squealing from the images of domestic bliss that swam to the forefront of his mind at Yuuri’s words. Sometimes their life together didn’t seem real.“Come, come doggies! Breakfast!” his love sing-songed, uttering one of the many words capable of turning their furbabies into fuzzy little cyclones, careening about with excitement.Sure enough, their two standard poodles immediately perked up, with Goya leaping off the bed to chase her own tail, and Makka also hopping down, though a bit more slowly. Viktor’s heart trilled with affection as he noted the way she peered up at him, loyally hovering near his legs instead of running ahead as Goya had.“Viten’ka has a big day today, Makka,” Yuuri began to baby-talk, while perching a vibrating Meni in the crook of his arm. “He’s going to start coaching Uncle Yura today! He’ll be great, won’t he?”As both Makka and Meni began to repeatedly yip their agreement, Viktor felt himself begin to melt, a rush of warmth overtaking his earlier nerves. They all traipsed across the room and out onto the second floor landing, and as they passed by it, he glanced at their butsudan, which they’d affixed to the wall immediately facing the stairs.Since they’d been gone in Italy and had only gotten back yesterday, the incense hadn’t been lit in awhile.“Just a second, anata,” he called out, noting that Yuuri had reached the banister. “I’m going to relight the incense for Vicchan and Kolya.”His spouse glanced back at him with a gentle smile, and Viktor returned it before setting his tray down on the beautiful, hanakotoba8-inspired table that Yuuri’s parents had gifted to them as a housewarming present last year. Seeing that they’d come to a stop, Goya doubled back, nosing over the colorful, hand-painted zinnias, honeysuckle, and sunflowers painted onto the rich mahogany drawers.Viktor hadn’t noticed it last night in his travel daze, but was pleased to see the tiny vase of peonies that had been placed next to Nikolai’s picture. Viktor assumed this had been Yura’s doing, given his stay here while they’d been gone in Italy.Since he’d be covering his own lodging costs during his time in Fukuoka, the Ice Tiger had readily accepted their offer to make use of their house while they’d be off on their trip, as well as Mari and Amara’s offer to stay at their place for the first week of his trial period.He and Taku had both agreed that in case things got off to a rough start, it was probably better if Yurio wasn’t actually living in close proximity to Viktor during the trial itself. With Papio on the way to Mari’s classes at Kyushu University, she’d been happy to help out not only with transportation to and from the rink in the mornings and early afternoons, but also with keeping Yura company out and about in Fukuoka on the days when he and Yuuri couldn’t.It also didn’t hurt that Yuri was quite taken with her and Amara’s cat, Eider.As Viktor reached for the cedar-scented incense sticks, his eyes fell on Nikolai and Yura’s beaming faces in the photo from last year at World’s, in Saitama.Many had called the 2018-2019 season Yurio’s “redemption season”, as they’d watched him start off still struggling to relearn his triples and quads, and end with taking bronze at World’s.He and Yuuri had been beside themselves with pride to witness it, and even with his then-fiance's excellent second-place finish, it was truly the gold medalist that they’d cried the most happy tears over. After several years of facing off against one another (and a handful against Yuuri, too), only to just fall short, Christophe took home a World Championship title. The sight of him pulling his long-term partner, Masumi, onto the 1st place podium step – clinging onto him and sobbing against his shoulder -- had made Viktor’s heart ache.And, just as with the previous year during his own last ever medal ceremony, a photo album of some of his fondest memories standing on the podium next to Christophe had begun to flip through his mind, unbidden. The tears had begun to spill, fast and furious, and his love had wrapped his arms around him as they’d continued to watch Chris have his well-deserved moment in the spotlight.While he had told him and Yuuri as well as a small handful of their close friends beforehand, the world at large still hadn’t known that Christophe’s Free Skate – set to the very fitting Stayin’ Alive ! Chris Version – would be his last.“That was a good day, neh neh9 , Viten’ka?” Yuuri asked quietly, gently bumping his shoulder before handing him the lighter.Viktor smiled, thinking of how true that sentiment was. As he lit two sticks – one each for Vicchan and Nikolai – he wondered what kind of picture they might take at World’s 2021. One of his favorites from last year had been a shot of him and Yuuri surrounding Chris on either side, pressing a kiss to each of their ebullient friend’s cheeks as he held up his gold medal. His smile grew wider as he imagined their taking this same shot, only with Yura in the middle, instead.“A very good day,” he replied, in turn, before resting his head against his husband’s.“Today will be a good day, too,” Yuuri murmured, before turning to him with an indecipherable look on his face.“And an even better morning. Since I got up early to make breakfast, we have some extra time, which means…”Trailing off, he stepped close, before pressing a searing kiss to his jawline. Viktor felt a tight coil of want lodge firmly in his stomach at the heated insinuation contained in his words, whispered directly into his ear.“…I can help soothe some of your nerves with a luxe, hot oil massage. Among other things.”Viktor didn’t know what expression crossed his face once Yuuri's intent registered in his mind, but whatever it was, his love let out a delighted laugh before spinning around and proceeding down the stairs.Shaking his head a bit to regain his bearings, Viktor picked up his tray and followed.
A good day, indeed.
 Yurio
Training Rink 2, Papio Ice Arena (Fukuoka, Japan) – late morning of April 21, 2020
 Panting, Yuri dropped to his knees in the middle of Papio’s training rink, wondering why it felt like he’d just run through last season’s Short Program five times in a row, instead of just the once. With his early withdrawal from the season back in January, he knew he wasn’t at peak fitness levels, but he didn’t think he had that much of a gap to close. Though he hadn’t been competing, he’d still been keeping up with cross-training, as well as his standard diet.Glancing over at the geezer his new coach, he found that Viktor was sporting that same damn smile he’d been directing his way for the greater part of the last hour.It wasn’t the heart-shaped one he wore whenever Katsudon did literally anything, and neither was it the passive-aggressive one he wore when he was plotting murder…generally against some Russian bureaucrat or other.It was a smile full of...deference? Yuri wasn’t sure that was the right word, and had been trying to think of other descriptors so that he could accurately describe it to Otabek later.A measured smile. One marked by restraint.Not for the first time in the last forty minutes, he bit down his growing sense of frustration.It wasn’t as if Viktor had been this weird all morning; during their joint session with Coach Kishimoto from ten to eleven, nothing had stood out. The old man had told him that he wanted to give Taku the reins while he just observed, and for the most part, Viktor had stuck to this: other than suggesting a few programs for him to run through so that his co-coach could get a sense of the stylistic choices Yuri had made in the past, he really hadn’t said much.But from eleven until lunch – which Yuuri would join them for, having volunteered to pick up take-out – Viktor had apparently wanted to evaluate him one-on-one.Yuri thought this last run-through had gone fairly well; his Short Program the past season had been set to a shortened version of a dreampop song by Keep Shelly in Athens, a band he’d discovered during last year’s off-season and had quickly grown obsessed with.The last thirty seconds in particular had amazing production quality, the synths layered in such a way that they’d lent a heavy, trance-like quality to his step-sequence: the exact effect he’d been hoping to achieve. When he’d played it for them last June, Georgi had hated it, and Ianna had loved it, which was how he’d known it was a keeper.Suppressing a scowl, he pulled his hair out of its low ponytail before gliding over to the boards.“The step sequence…Ianna helped you on it, right?” Viktor asked, still wearing that confounding smile even as he jotted something down in his notebook.Yuri began to nod before remembering that a verbal response would be needed.“Her and Sava,” he replied, wondering if his tone sounded as curt as it did to his own ears.He coughed and wiped his forehead, cringing a bit in disgust at the streaks bound to be left on his new gloves: one of three gifts Otabek had given him for his birthday last month. When Beka had set the box in front of him during one of their dinners out in Montreal, Yuri had just stared; he’d already been mailed two gifts by the other man, and really hadn’t been expecting anything else. When he’d thanked him for the gloves and asked him why the abundance of gifts this year in particular, his friend had just averted his eyes and said something about nineteen being a significant year for birthdays in Kazakh culture…which was bullshit, and they both knew it. Yuri suspected he'd just wanted the excuse to be able to cheer him up, not really knowing how he’d be feeling, given that his 19th birthday had been the first in over a decade that he’d had to spend without his dedushka.“I like it, there’s a good variety of elements, good pacing,” Viktor now said, before opening his mouth as if to say something else.After staring at him for a few moments, however, he closed it, and went back to writing in his notebook.
Just what the hell was he even putting in there?!
Yuri wanted to snatch it out of his grasp just to verify that he wasn’t doodling ‘Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov’ over and over again with a bunch of tiny hearts dotting the page, like some lovesick teenager.As the silence stretched between them, he felt a sinking sensation in his stomach.Had he been completely wrong about all of this? He might have been leaving certain problems behind in Russia, but who’s to say he wouldn’t just inherit completely new ones, here in Japan?Of course, Yuri hadn’t been expecting an immediate “gelling” between him and Viktor; after all, it was quite a leap from (reluctantly) idolizing the man/acknowledging him as a friend, to giving him nearly unchecked power over his livelihood and future.Unlike before, when the geezer had coached him for those three months back in 2018, there was no end-date in sight for their dynamic this time around. Additionally, Yakov had been a buffer, so it’s not as if he’d been exposed to Viktor’s coaching tactics day-in, day-out.This time, however, if they did indeed go ahead with signing a contract, it would be for, at minimum, the entire skating season. This reality had dawned on him earlier this morning, during the half hour coaching meeting Taku and Viktor had co-led. After the 45 minute building tour to kick the morning off, and before the thirty minute “meet and greet” with some of the other coaching staff and skaters – including an unreasonably excited Minami Kenjirou -- the three of them had filed into Viktor’s office to go over a tentative plan for the week.Much to Yuri’s surprise, this schedule hadn’t just been limited to ice time and cross-training.Rather, the calendar had involved things like meetings with the rink nutrition staff, setting up conference calls with Irina (his FFKKR publicist) so that they could discuss potential ice shows for later in the off-season for him to participate in, and discussing whether or not he wanted any intros to Papio’s sports psychologists.In other words, Taku and Viktor were treating him like he’d successfully passed his trial period…as if Head Coach Akihito Watanabe-Muthalaly had already approved a coaching contract between the three of them. So whatever it was that Viktor was dealing with, Yuri didn’t think it had anything to do with not truly regarding him as a student.“That run-through. Tell me what you thought went well,” the old man said, eyeing him intently.That dumb smile had vanished from his face, but the corners of his lips were still turned up a bit.The words bounced around in Yuri's head for a few seconds and he tried to think of whether Yakov had ever asked him something like that, in the total of seven years that he’d been under his instruction.“…what,” he simply replied, his tone flatter than Beka's eyebrows.“Now is not the time to be modest, Yura!” Viktor said, looking and sounding a bit more like himself.He tapped his fingers to his lips: a gesture that would probably haunt Yuri’s nightmares for years to come. He knew for a fact they haunted Katsudon's, what with the amount of money Viktor spent on fancy lip balm.“I know there were things in that run-through you were proud of, and I want to hear about them!”Nonplussed, Yuri continued to stare, trying to recall those three months back in 2018 when Viktor had coached him part-time during Yuuri's half-season break from competition. In that period from July to September, he didn’t think he’d been asked something like this. He was almost positive he’d be able to remember it if he had, as so much of that time period seemed to have been burned into his brain.Yakov had been more distant than ever, struggling to cope with the bombshell that was the International Court of Arbitration for Sport's PyeongChang investigation results. Feeling somewhat abandoned by Yakov and shouldering his own fair share of rage and apathy, Yuri had nearly quit skating altogether.His wise dedushka – and fuck, how those words hurt to say, even in the privacy of his own mind – had been able to talk some sense into him, persuading him to continue skating while looking into the process of formally separating from the FFKKR. That way, Yuri would still be able to skate and compete, without the shadow of his tainted federation or sponsors casting their dark pall over every part of his future.Unfortunately for him as well as Lee Seung-Gil, the ISU had made the process of separation virtually impossible, at least, for skaters that weren’t already vastly wealthy and/or dependent on sponsors. Reason being: it was often necessary to pay for lawyers, in order to fight one’s own federation to demand emancipation.With Viktor having achieved a level of financial independence Yuri could only dream of, he’d thought it wise to begin picking his brain a bit as part of his research. Their subsequent conversations had organically given rise to his idea of asking the other to be his part-time coach. While Viktor had treated him with a level of patience that went far beyond Yakov’s usual levels, Yuri didn’t remember his behavior towards him feeling quite like this.Quite so…intentional.  Enough was enough.“You’re creeping me out, old man,” Yuri replied, grabbing his water bottle and unscrewing the lid.Viktor’s eyebrows jumped up his massive forehead and his eyes became wide, much like they did whenever he was about to start begging Katsudon to let him post even more gushy, worshipful social media content.“What do you mean? Yuraaaaa, how is that a creepy question?” he retorted, a bit whinily. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout and Yuri wanted to roll his eyes at the predictability. “Can’t I ask my new student to reflect on what it is he did well?”“It’s not that you can’t, it’s the way you’re doing it,” he lobbed back, immediately and disdainfully. “Instead of you sharing what you thought went well and then asking me for my input, you’re starting off with wanting to hear my response. And why is it, that for the entire last forty minutes, you’ve barely given me any critique? You’re just writing in that notebook with a blithe smile on your face and serial killer vibes.”Yuri took a deep breath, something like anger starting to bubble up in his stomach. Keep it together. Don’t fly off the handle. “Is it because you think I’m fragile? You think you have to handle me with kid gloves because of dedushka?” he went on, letting his voice go quiet.A flash of panic gleamed in Viktor’s eyes, and he wondered if he’d touched upon the heart of the matter.“Whatever it is you want to say, I can handle it. You and I, we both came up under Yakov, remember? I know he’s off gallivanting in Greece right now, but surely you haven’t completely forgotten him?”With this, Yuri brought his water bottle to his lips, taking a long swig.When he wiped his mouth and set it back down, he was surprised to see Viktor wearing a faint blush.“Don’t laugh, ok?” he asked him, looking a bit sheepish, even as he maintained eye contact.At this, Yuri simply raised his eyebrows, to which the geezer gave a tiny laugh in response.“Right. I know that’s a steep ask,” he said, a bit wryly. “For the record, I’ve never once thought you couldn’t handle anything I have to say.”Pausing, Viktor schooled his expression a bit before continuing, now looking a bit more serious.“I’ve been taking this coaching seminar over the last few weeks. I even attended a session when I was in Italy…Yusha sat in on it with me,” he went on, returning to form a bit with a lovesick smile. “The focus is on how to start a coaching relationship off on the right foot. And how to individualize your coaching strategy so that you’re meeting each skater you train where they’re at, and not where you think they should be at. I’ve learned a lot! It’s been really helpful.”As Yuri listened to him talk, he didn’t really know why Viktor had asked him not to laugh; there wasn’t anything especially funny about what he was saying.“Anyways, I thought I’d sort of play around with different bits of advice as the week went on…try to show you how versatile I could be. You’re already familiar with the Yakov Feltsman way of coaching, and the Georgi Popovich way, and the Ianna Perez way. You’re even familiar with the Viktor Nikiforov way, circa summer 2018,” he continued, sounding a bit proud.“It’s a little circuitous and odd, but I guess I wanted to find a way to acknowledge that you’re not the skater you were in summer 2018 when we last worked together…and neither am I the same coach as back then. For this to work, there will be trial and error, and we’ll have to experiment sometimes,” Viktor said, his tone steady and even, and his gaze direct. “I want you to keep doing what it is you just did: you noted something that wasn’t working, and you initiated a conversation around it. I’ll try to do the same, and we’ll figure things out together.”For a few moments after he finished speaking, Yuri allowed himself to absorb the words, feeling strangely…touched.While, yes, “circuitous” and “odd” were apt descriptors, the fact remained that Viktor had taken a coaching seminar in preparation for his trial period beginning, when he could have easily decided to just wing it, as the Viktor Nikiforov circa spring 2016 had done.He’d even set aside time during his romantic Italian getaway for it, something he was quite sure would have gotten Yakov murdered, had he ever attempted it with Lilia.In his seven years of being coached by the former man, Yuri didn’t think he’d ever heard of him willingly taking a seminar as part of his job responsibilities.Young as Viktor might be in comparison, not to mention his relative softness next to Yakov’s hard edges, it was clear that he was taking his new role quite seriously, and for that, Yuri could be grateful.He had no doubt that they’d have their fair share of squabbles and misunderstandings, but knowing they both had the capacity to see the other’s perspective was like a balm for his frazzled nerves. A feeling of rightness settled over him, and he nodded a bit, before deciding to vocalize his agreement.“We will,” he said, his mind working furiously, before deciding to just let Viktor have this one win. This one, small win. “We’ll figure it out, coach.”And, because no good deed could ever go unpunished, Yuri was summarily glomped after uttering this last word, the geezer’s eyes wide and watery, and his heart-shaped smile out in full force. Together, the two of them – well, actually, it was just Viktor, but because of his octopus-like grip, it might as well have been the both of them – bounced up and down, like one of those wind-up jack-in-the boxes.“Off! Get OFF you worryingly strong menace!” he cried, trying to dislodge his grip from around his shoulders. “See if I ever call you that again!”But Viktor paid him no mind, just laughing and clinging to him in a manner that was so dog-like, that it made Yuri, in turn, want to channel his inner Potya.Only seconds from hissing and clawing those stupidly blue eyes out, he breathed a sigh of relief when Katsudon’s laugh rang out, effervescently, from directly ahead.“This is about what I expected when I walked in here,” he called out, carrying two absurdly large plastic bags, full of what he assumed was their lunch.With a counterbalance that almost sent him tumbling onto his ass, Yuri was released, Viktor having immediately dashed towards his husband and glomping onto him, instead.“Lapochka10, guess WHAT?! Guess what Yura called me just now?!” Viktor practically squealed, apparently no longer concerned with maintaining any semblance of dignity.As Yuri was quite the opposite, he aimed a furtive look around as he righted himself, relieved that the two others using the rink – a Junior skater and his coach -- seemed to have missed his near-tumble.“Do tell, Viten'ka. What did he call you?” Yuuri asked, in a nauseatingly doting tone that rather appalled him.As Yuri slapped his guards on and made his way to the rink gate, he noted that Katsudon had somehow managed to set their takeout bags down on the ground, and had both arms clasped around the back of the geezer's neck.
Ugh.
“Yuurrriiiiii, that’s no fun, you have to guess!” Viktor pouted, resuming his ridiculous “dance”.Seriously, at the rate at which he was going, the man was going to need a hip replacement, likely within the next year.“I’ll give you a hint, though!” It has to do with -- ”“ – nothing! It has to do with nothing!” Yuri interjected, sitting down on the nearest bench to unlace his boots.“Aww, but Yura -- ” Yuuri began, before he cut him off, as well.“On this day – the 21st of April, in the year of our jungle cat overlords’ rightful return to power, that is, to say, 2020 – I hereby decree that I shall only refer to Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov by the names ‘fossil’, ‘geezer’, Niki-forehead’, and ‘old man’,” Yuri loudly declared, grinning at said man’s responding plaintive whine.“Mostly ‘old man’, because he hates it so much,” he added on, affixing his tiger-striped soakers to each blade.As he put his socks and tennis shoes on, he could hear snatches of Yuuri and Viktor's conversation and rolled his eyes at the way the latter continued to shamelessly cling to the former for “comfort”.Standing up, he made his way over to them, now distinctly hearing Viktor asking if Katsudon considered him old.Without missing a beat, Yuuri responded, and even with the way noisy way in which Yuri had started to root through their takeout bags, he could (unfortunately) hear every word, loud and clear.“Well, I could always remind you of how young you are in the showers after practice, hmm?” “KATSUDON!!!!!”Yuri was almost certain that his resulting screech could have been heard all the way over back in Russia. No doubt, his hag of a friend would be shaking with barely suppressed glee, her red hair bouncing with every raucous wave of laughter.Suddenly remembering his bet with Beka, he whipped his phone out, noting the time.11:56 am.Yesssss; easiest twenty dollars he’d ever made. Beka really thought Yuuri and Viktor were disciplined enough to eschew innuendo around him for an entire morning?What an amateur; he hadn’t trained with these two perverts like Yuri once had.Even as he made a big show of rejecting Katsudon’s stricken apologies and demanding free dessert as compensation for his suffering, he harbored a private smile.This wasn’t home. Not by a long shot.But, potential?Yeah…he could see it. 
End of Chapter 9

Up Next: For Chapter 10, we return to the present, with a Viktor POV chapter taking place the day of Yuuri’s live interview for part 4 of the Katsuki-Nikiforovs’ HBO special with Bryant Gumbel (first mentioned in Ch3). Aside from a brief mention of some of the PyeongChang judge bribery insider politics, this will be a mostly fluffy chapter featuring Yuuri being a badass as usual, and him and Viktor being all lovey-dovey :D
Footnotes:1. Japanese expression for greeting someone in the morningBack2. Japanese term of endearment (written as あなた) typically used by wives for their husbands. When Viktor overheard Hiroko use this term for Toshiya, he thought it was cute, and Yuuri and him started using it in their own relationshipBack3. This Japanese term of endearment is borrowed directly from English, and translates to “honey”Back4. ISU’s 57th Ordinary Congress: if you are interested in what these sessions are like, here is a link to a summary of the major voting decisions from the June 2018 meetingBack5. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment meaning “beloved”, or “loved one”Back6. Anonymous judging: if you are interested in some of the background around anonymous judging in figure skating (as well as what it took to finally do away with it), I’d recommend reading this articleBack7. Standard diminutive for ‘Nikolai’; this is how they refer to Nikolai Plisetsky, Yurio’s late grandfatherBack8. This is the term denoting Japanese flower language. The flowers I note that are painted on the table are meant to evoke loyalty (zinnias), generosity (honeysuckle), and sunflowers (respect)Back9. This is a Japanese slang phrase, and sort of the equivalent of asking “right?” or “isn’t it true?”Back10. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment meaning ‘sweetheart’. Note that there are different version of this endearment, with this particular version gendered maleBack

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Media Room 1, Team Japan dormitory, Beijing Olympic Village (Beijing, China) - mid-morning, February 4, 2022 
“My faith in humanity gets supremely tested every time I scroll this subreddit, Vitya. I can’t believe these are real posts that actual people have made,” Yuuri said, peering up at him with a troubled expression.At the moment, Viktor was treating his husband to a thorough scalp massage prior to Phichit’s arrival to get him camera-ready, and with the warmth of Yuuri’s head nestled against his thighs, he hoped that Phichit was running late; he really was far too comfortable to move.“Let’s hear it,” he replied, pausing his own scrolling for round two of their game, during which one of them would read out an “Am I the Asshole?” Reddit post, either sticking strictly to the post, or embellishing the original poster (OP) details. The other person would then have to guess if the version they’d heard was real or doctored. The posts Viktor had seen in the last few minutes were ok, but he still hadn’t come across anything truly incredulous.“Well, I didn’t notice it until now, but OP’s username is ‘SatanSays_WeHaveFoodAtHome’,” Yuuri announced, his lips upturning, slightly. “Honestly, very relatable.”Viktor grinned, thinking of their own “we have food at home” exchanges, amused at how their roles had switched up over the years. Earlier on in their relationship, Yuuri had been the more sensible one, encouraging them to finish their leftovers and to be mindful of their wallets instead of indulging in restaurant fare.However, after taking up home cooking and baking as avid interests post-retirement, Viktor now often found himself being the voice of reason. His spouse had reassured him several times that his desire to dine out was in no way meant to serve as commentary on his culinary prowess, something Viktor had chosen to believe for the sake of pride.“A promising start,” he quipped in reply, accompanying the words with a deep scritch.Yuuri began to read from his phone, using a nasally voice that prompted him to cover his own mouth so that he could quietly listen. One of the most entertaining parts of this game was choosing a memorable pitch and intonation for reading aloud from the OP’s entry. Earlier, Viktor had affected Kendall Roy’s maddeningly unctuous way of speaking, proud that it had brought his Yusha to tears; Succession was their latest tv obsession and they’d recently started a group chat among their skating friends dedicated solely to exchanging Tom and Greg one-liners.

As Yuuri read, Viktor’s facial features transformed correspondingly, and by the time they got to the “which made me even more frustrated with her because now they’re used to this” line, he couldn’t hold back from verbally reacting.“We absolutely have to take a screenshot of this trainwreck and send it to Mohit. We can get him to frame it and hang it up in front of the Malu Miris host stand,” he said, half aghast, and half glee-filled. “OP deserves to be walloped over the head with a mountain of naan.”His husband giggled.“Ahh, but how tragic, malysh1: all that airy, pillowy goodness, going to waste,” he replied back, shaking his head in fake sadness. “OP wouldn’t even know what to do with a piece of naan; he’d probably try to wear it as a hat,” he went on, starting to laugh, outright.At this visual, Viktor began to giggle in earnest, imagining Mohit shaping his secret-recipe naan dough into little berets and fedoras.“OP should change his name: ‘WeHaveFoodAtHomeButIDontKnowHowToEatIt’,” he said, a bit breathily, the words tumbling out in a rush.“No, no--,” Yuuri gasped, his own mirth apparent from the tears beginning to pool at the corners of his eyes. He removed his glasses and threw an arm over his face, his voice now sounding a bit muffled. “How about ‘SendHelp_SatanTookMySilverware’?”Viktor lost it at these words, a palsied fit of laughter holding his breathing hostage. Distantly, he noted that his love was similarly indisposed, his pretty features frozen in place, even as his body shook against his lap.Viktor hunched over a bit, pressing a hand to his abdomen just above where the side of Yuuri’s face met his torso.“Ahahah, no, w-wait!” he choked out, his stomach clenching from the strain of laugh-paralysis. “Haagh! ‘MyWorstNightmare_TheCurseOfMissingSilverware’.”At this, Yuuri barked a laugh before beginning to whimper a bit, and reached for their Meni and Goya tissue box holders. At this point, tears were running freely down both their faces, and Viktor had to lean back a bit, so that the surfeit of moisture slipping from his eyes wouldn’t hit his spouse square in the face.“‘D-don’t’ – ahaaha! – ‘Don’tBeADork_MustStanForks’,” Yuuri somehow managed to utter, in between heaving breaths. “No! ‘Don’tBeALoon_MustLoveSpoons.”Viktor was now laughing so hard that except for the slight wheezing of air in and out of his mouth, he was emitting barely any sound. He was a bit worried they might die before Phichit even reached them. At the very least, the Thai skater would be most displeased at the extra work he’d have to do to depuff Yuuri’s eyes.He began to slap at his husband’s arm, hoping he’d pick up on his signal to stop, lest they both meet their demise by way of wordplay (and ignorant asswipes on the internet).Suddenly, Niko and Izumi’s matter-of-fact voices reached his ears.“Ah, they’re at it again? Let’s hope Phichit brings waterproof mascara.”“How much do you wanna bet they’re back to corny wordplay?”If he hadn’t still been struggling to breathe, Viktor would have balked at Niko’s characterization of their masterful riff-off. Instead, he focused on regaining control of his air supply, and slowly began to straighten from his slumped position.Yuuri had started hiccupping latent giggles, and as he helped him to sit up, he took note of their two friends settling on the other side of the sectional they were seated on. This particular media room was one of the larger ones in the dorm, and for the actual interview itself, he suspected Bryant would want to use the plush armchairs that were closer to the window.“Haangh,” his love breathed, with a heavy exhale. He dabbed a bit at his eyes with a tissue, then put his glasses back on. “I can’t wait to – hiccup! -- show Phichit that post. He’s gonna meme the hell out of it.”At Izumi’s questioning glance, Viktor grinned and gestured towards Yuuri’s phone, before getting his own tissue and rising to his feet.“Typical internet buffoonery. I’ll let you do the honors, Yuranya,” he said, grabbing their matching Olympic mascot water bottles as well. “Be right back.”As he slipped out into the adjoining hallway, he was surprised to see Yura at the other end, on a call. His student had told him he wanted to be there during Yuuri’s interview, but they still had a good thirty minutes before the HBO filming crew would arrive.Beginning to walk in his direction, Viktor remembered what Mila had told him during dinner two nights ago at Duck de Chine. Apparently, the Ice Tiger had asked her opinion on whether he should give the Real Sports production team “a talking-to” before things got underway. Even as they’d both giggled together around the idea of Yurio trying to intimidate 73-year-old acclaimed sports journalist Bryant Gumbel, Viktor had felt his heart swell with fondness at his student’s protective instincts; despite having to battle his own inner demons here in Beijing, he still cared enough to worry about Yuuri.  As he proceeded to refill their water bottles, he glanced every so often down the hall. He truly wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help but overhear and oversee that Yura was speaking in hushed Russian, and pulling nervously every few seconds at the loose threads of his Papio Ice Arena jacket.Viktor smirked, recalling the year-long battle around official athletic wear that the FFKKR had tried to wage against the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) back in 2018. Just under four months after the official investigation results into the PyeongChang Free Skate were made public, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had moved to ban the Russian (and Korean) federation from displaying any presence at future Games for at least two cycles – that is, until after the 2026 Winter Olympics. Thus, Yura and other Russian and Korean athletes were competing as individuals here in Beijing, and were thus encouraged to sport outfits representing their individual training facilities or sponsors, as long as those outfits did not sport any nationalistic symbols, like a country flag or motto. This certainly wasn’t an issue when it came to Papio’s official merchandise.Done with his task, Viktor hesitated, feeling weird about leaving without at least acknowledging he’d seen him. Pulling his phone out, he shot a quick text (‘Everything alright? I’m here on the other end, not trying to eavesdrop, though’), and decided to wait a minute or so. In the meantime, he occupied himself by looking at the walls, which were covered in large, glossy placards dedicated to notable events in Japanese Olympic history. With only minimal whining, Kenjirou and Izumi had persuaded their idol to pose for a selfie in front of the one covering his 2018 gold medal victory (and, of course, its complicated aftermath).From the corner of his eye, he spied Yura glance at his phone, then turn to face him, his eyes widening a bit when they spotted him. Pointing at his phone, he appeared to type for a few seconds, and Viktor’s text-tone chimed a moment later.The reply was brusque, but didn’t seem to warrant any worry: ‘Talking w/ Darya. Nearly done. TTYL’He sent a thumbs up before turning back in the direction he’d come, feeling pleased that Yurio had evidently taken his earlier advice.After their emotional exchange at the airport last week, Viktor had suggested that his student see whether he could fit in a session or two with her, especially given the amount of press Irina had scheduled him for. They had both known sensitive questions would surface: probing around PyeongChang, his sponsor fallout, Nikolai’s death, the perceived rivalry between him and Yuuri…indeed, an endless list, and one that Viktor, as his coach (and friend) didn’t want him to shoulder any more stress over than was strictly necessary.As he walked back into room 1, he saw that Phichit had arrived, accompanied by two different roller suitcases full of makeup.They’d agreed that the Thai skater should be in charge of getting Yuuri ready, even though his Yusha was fully capable of sprucing himself up; this way, Yuuri could use that same time to braid Viktor’s hair: one of their most effective strategies for tackling his anxiety before press appearances or competitions.The repetitive motions were easy enough for his husband to do without getting overwhelmed, yet they still required a level of focus that kept him from catastrophizing around whatever it was that lay ahead. It had now become such a standard part of their routine, that Yuuri had gotten to the point where he could create fairly elaborate styles on him and Yurio, quite literally with his eyes closed. Indeed, Viktor’s Instagram was full of selfies of him pre-skate, experimenting on the both of them.As he flitted closer to the seated group, he grinned upon hearing Niko’s animated chatter, seemingly in response to ludicrously clueless Reddit OP’s everywhere.“Some of these inarguable assholes are unbelievable. Without even stopping twice to think about how dumb he sounds, Chad in Chicago will be like: ‘Hey, guys, lemme hear your thoughts: am I the asshole if I killed my girlfriend’s pet rabbit with malice aforethought, but don’t feel like I need to apologize for it?”At this, Yuuri and Phichit began to crack up, while Izumi added on to her girlfriend’s ‘Chad’ impression.“And his justification will be like: ‘The fluffy little freak had been giving me the evil eye all week, what was I supposed to do? I was so tired of being ignored, guys. Thumper always had to be the star of the show’.”“Aww, Thumper! The very best part of Bambi, in my humble opinion,” Phichit said, clutching a foundation brush to his chest with great flourish, before turning his head and spotting him.“Hi Viktor!” he said cheerfully, before looking him up and down, inscrutably. Suddenly, his face changed, turning shrewd, and he began to swivel his head back and forth between him and Yuuri a few times.He turned, sharply, to look at his best friend, whose cheeks promptly flushed.
Hmmm. Maybe his Yusha had been right…
“Just a regular suit, my ass!” the Thai skater loudly exclaimed, which elicited giggles from Niko and Izumi. “Really, Yuuri? Nice try. Those are your Vanity Fair sex suits, I’m sure of it now!”Viktor bit back a laugh as his love let out a tortured groan. He proceeded to take off his suit jacket before draping it over Yuuri’s, then dropped to his knees.As he shuffled over to the pillow that had been laid down just in front of the couch, he mused over the fact that such an extended time period sitting like this on the floor might cause wrinkles to his outfit sex suit. Then again, it would be worth it to help Yuuri ground himself. Besides, it wasn’t as if the camera would be capturing his lower half; the Real Sports production team only needed to film him and his spouse together for a few minutes, up-close, for b-roll footage.The actual interview with Bryant would be Yuuri, solo.“See, Vitya? I told you this would become A Thing. Phichit’s memory space for scandal knows no limits,” Yuuri whined, leaning forwards to press his chin to the top of his head. In this position, Yuuri’s legs surrounded his torso, and Viktor yelp-laughed when he brought the heels of his dress shoes inwards to press to his sides.He was about to raise the point that their Vanity Fair cover shoot was hardly a scandal (at least not yet, as the issue hadn’t gone to circulation), when Niko beat him to it.“How is that a scandal? You guys went all eros on each other for a magazine shoot. Not like it’s the first time,” she said, looking at Yuuri, as Izumi nodded next to her.With a smirk, Viktor began to undo his ponytail so that they could get started.“Well, according to Yuuri, it was a bit more than that,” Phichit countered with a grin, before unscrewing the cap on some skin primer. “I’d have to check my WhatsApp for the actual wording, but these two were apparently so steamy together that by the end of it, he was convinced that legendary photographer Norman Jean Roy was going to proposition them for a threesome.”
“Phichit!”
“Ow! Stop that!” Viktor squealed with a laugh, as his husband followed up his indignant shriek with a series of chin knocks against his head.“I’d rather not, considering that this outfit choice was your idea,” Yuuri replied, a bit sulkily, before taking the comb he handed over. With practiced motions, he began to divide his hair into several distinct bunches.They’d decided on two diagonal dutch braids stacked on top of each other and pinned into a small bun, with the rest of his hair flowing loose. The actual braiding wouldn’t require much time, and Yura had generously volunteered to sit for something as well if the filming crew still hadn’t arrived by the time Viktor’s hair was finished with.“Ok, so on an eros scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being senpai’s JSF website photo pre-2016--”“Hey! They took that before I was even ready! I didn’t have any warning!” (Viktor didn’t even have to turn his head to know the affronted expression Yuuri was wearing in response to Izumi’s words.)“--and 10 being that beach spread you did for OUT magazine,” she went on, ignoring the heated protest, “where would you both say Vanity Fair ranks?”In his periphery, Viktor could see her holding her phone up and grinned when he caught sight of the image she’d enlarged.Their summer 2021 OUT magazine feature had been one of their favorites, scheduled directly after an ice show they’d done in San Francisco, California. Yuuri had been particularly proud of him during it, as it had been the first he’d garnered the courage to talk about (and express) his gender fluidity for. The actual spread was comprised of a number of images taken at the beaches of Half Moon Bay in San Mateo, and while the cover itself had been relatively tame, some of the others (especially Izumi’s pick) had definitely been on the racier side; posing in half-soaked, romantically gauzy white outfits tended to have that effect.First wanting to see what his love would say, Viktor waited. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the gentle fingers that had begun to twist and coil his loose locks around. It was only a few moments before they heard Yuuri’s muttered answer.“It’s hilarious that you think that I’m going to answer that,” he said, in a flat tone that made both him and Phichit bark hearty laughs.Viktor opened his eyes to see Niko leaning over, draping herself over her girlfriend’s shoulder to look at her screen.“Ooh, yes, that was a good one. I can’t believe they let you keep a Valli couture dress, Viktor-sensei!” she exclaimed, fanning herself rather theatrically before smirking. “Yuri-kun was spitting mad that whole week after it hit the shelves.”“Yurio was mad all summer, he would have hated that cover no matter what,” Phichit chimed in, the shit-eating nature of his grin more than audible. “He’s never quite got over the fact that you began teaching Viktor how to pole-dance, Yuuri.”At this, his spouse giggled, apparently forgetting to be annoyed over the direction the conversation had taken.“His jealousy is adorable. We’re going to make such a spectacle at the banquet, and there’s nothing he can do about it,” Yuuri responded, smugly, making Izumi and Niko both huff, loudly.The Katsuki-Nikiforovs had only shared the most minimal details around their banquet plans with their friends: a fact that had led to a good amount of griping over the last several months. Between the two of them, Yuuri was obviously the more skilled pole-dancer, but Viktor was proud of the progress he’d made in just nine months of consistent pole-work, as well as daily strength and flexibility training. All in all, when he thought about the routine they’d put together -- a modification of a pair skate they’d performed last year, set to one of their favorite Majid Jordan songs – the flutters in his stomach definitely leaned more excitement than nerves. With Minako’s help, they’d managed to book time at a ballet studio in the heart of Beijing, and still had 5 opportunities remaining to practice before their performance on the 20th.“Keep telling yourself that, Katsudon,” came Yura’s grumpy voice from the doorway.A rousing chorus of greetings met the Ice Tiger’s entrance, and Viktor enjoyed watching the faint blush that began to crawl up his cheeks as he headed towards them.“I will keep telling myself that, thank you,” Yuuri retorted, primly, as Yurio settled next to Izumi and kicked his feet up onto the footrest.For several minutes there was quiet chatter amongst them all, with Yura talking to Izumi and Niko about the kick-off of tomorrow’s Team Skate, and Phichit entertaining him and his husband with increasingly absurd theories around their pole-dancing routine.Yuuri was halfway through finishing the second braid when Yurio’s voice rose in volume, cutting across his laughter.“So, Katsudon, are you gonna be as embarrassing as our coach was during his feature? Bryant must have fucking super powers; he made it through that whole thing without smacking Viktor even once, even wh– ”
Thwack!
Viktor opened his eyes just in time to see the Ice Tiger’s jeering get cut off with a whack, courtesy of Izumi and the Goya tissue-box holder.“Yuri-kun, how can you talk to Viktor-kochi like that?” she scolded, hitting him a few more times in rapid succession.“Especially after he let you off the hook after you snuck out of your dorm to play video games with Kenjirou-kun! Do you even know how many power pulls Akihito-kochi would make me do if he found out I’d snuck out from my room after curfew?”
Thwack! Thwack!
Yura muttered something under his breath about his coach being a gigantic dork, which made Yuuri laugh, brightly (though he did pat Viktor’s cheek immediately afterwards, consolingly).“Don’t mind Yura, Viten’ka, your interview wasn’t embarrassing,” his spouse said, kissing his temple (which prompted him to aim a smug grin in his other student’s direction). “I thought it was cute, especially when you were showing Bryant the pictures fr– ”His remaining words were drowned out by the sounds of Yura’s exaggerated retching, immediately followed by Phichit’s boisterous laughter.“You’re so silly, Yura!” Viktor exclaimed, adopting his most syrupy-sweet tone. It was even more cloying than his baby-talk tone for Meni and Goya, which was really saying something.“You don’t have to pretend that you hated it,” he continued, cheerfully. “Otabek told me all about how you recorded the whole thing and sent him clips. Apparently, you got teary-eyed at the part where I talked about how much I love being your coach?”The mulish reply came instantly.“Keep talking, and you’ll be the one in tears, geezer. Just wai– ”“Aww, did you hear that, моя́ еди́нственная?2” he cut in, tempted to turn around to meet Yuuri’s undoubtedly amused gaze. “Yurio is going to bring me to tears with a heartfelt speech, he loves his dear coach that much!”“I MEANT THAT YOU’RE GONNA CRY WHEN I PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE, VIKTOR, I SWEAR TO – ”
Thwack!

Thwack!
Multiple laughs rang out, this cadence of banter now having become familiar after the last three days’ worth of media obligations for both of Viktor’s students.Due to the controversy around Beijing as the host city pick3, most of the Games’ as well as Team Japan’s official sponsors had been fairly quiet around marketing campaigns and athlete engagement.Thus, both Irina and Haru had arranged most publicity spots for Yurio and Yuuri with external partners and media outlets. Given the success of the series’ three previous segments, the fourth and final part of the Katsuki-Nikiforovs’ Real Sports HBO special was by far the most anticipated appearance that the latter arranged. Unlike today’s interview, however, parts 1-3 had all been pre-recorded, meaning the option for editing had been available. Though his husband almost never agreed to live media, the JSF had somehow convinced Yuuri to take the risk when Bryant had pitched the idea of doing the finale on-site at the Team Japan dormitory itself: a prospect the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) had been absolutely delighted by.The filming crew had been gracious enough to send them a copy of the anticipated question list all the way back in November, and Viktor had encouraged Yuuri to prep most for the two questions that had been at the very top of the list: 1) Given what you went through during and after the 2018 Games, how does it feel to be here in Beijing as the reigning gold medalist? and 2) What will come next after your retirement begins, both personally and, in your opinion, for the future of the sport? Though they’d tried tackling it together, his love had struggled a bit with knowing how to approach the second.Of course, it didn’t help matters that they’d been instructed to keep a tight lid on the recent bombshell that had been dropped on them, three weeks ago. With snatches of Niko and Phichit’s debate over the best eyeliner slipping in and out of his ears, Viktor allowed himself to sink deeper into the feeling of Yuuri’s fingers in his hair, and allowed his mind to wander back to that surreal day.…Viktor startled, giggling involuntarily as a particularly loud snore from Goya derailed his train of thought. He was currently in their office room at home, Skyping with Yakov while she snoozed away, curled up on top of his feet. Yuuri sometimes joined him for these bi-monthly calls, but that had stopped in light of the lingering sourness from the fight with his former coach, late last year.Viktor didn’t blame his spouse for not wanting to be present; though the two of them had made up in December, Yuuri hadn’t spoken one-on-one with Yakov since confronting him during December’s Grand Prix Final. The 2022 Olympic Games marked the end of Yuuri’s competitive career, and he’d thus told him that until it was over, he could only handle one emotionally-charged thing at a time.While Viktor hadn’t been as insistent on keeping his distance, the strained nature of his and Yakov’s interactions since, had stung.Which was why he felt surprised mere seconds later, when his ex-coach abruptly requested that he invite Yuuri to join them for a few minutes, with the aside that he wanted to share information about Yurio that they both needed to hear.Viktor tried to ignore the alarm bells bouncing around in his skull, and shot off a text (with the explicit mention that it had to do with Yura), and his husband wandered into the room shortly after. He looked wary, and was carrying Meni, asleep in his arms.Before settling in his lap, Yuuri pressed a kiss to his lips that was just a few beats longer than Viktor was anticipating, and his heart fluttered in response; his Yusha was clearly feeling protective.As they got comfortable, Goya woke up briefly to snuffle at Yuuri’s ticklish ankles, and as Viktor watched him giggle, he felt a sliver of hope that this call might not be as stilted as he feared.“You know I always tell him to back up a little from the screen, but he refuses to listen to me,” he muttered to him in Japanese, just after unmuting his microphone.“Don’t talk behind my back, you insolent boy,” Yakov grumbled in reply, his bottom lip down-turning just as deeply as usual. It took up most of the screen, with the way the technology-repulsed man was angled towards his laptop screen.“And how do you know that I didn’t understand you, just now? My Japanese has gotten better over the years, after all,” he went on.Viktor felt a flicker of mischief lick up his spine before deciding to act on it, hoping it might ease some of the tension he could feel had wormed its way up Yuuri’s spine.“Don’t be like that, Yakov! I wasn’t talking behind your back…if anything, I was talking in front of your very prominent chin!” he crowed, before ducking his face into his love’s neck to muffle his snickering. “Vitya!” Yuuri squawked, even as he turned his head away so as to hide his own grin. “Fine, Vitya,” Yakov replied, rolling his eyes, before schooling his features and going still. He seemed almost hesitant, and Viktor’s skin prickled from the millions of things left unspoken between all of them.The interim silence couldn’t have been longer than three seconds, but in his mind, it stretched interminably on.Yuuri finally broke it, his tone sounding politely detached. It was the same one he used for his most formal interactions with JOC leadership, and Viktor’s heart gave a pang at the realization that the usual warmth and familiarity had been leached from his voice.“Good to see you, Yakov-kochi,” he said, quietly.“Same to you, Yusha,” Yakov replied, with an uncharacteristic lack of gruffness. For a split second, a glimmer of sadness shone in his eyes, before vanishing like a trick of the light.His spouse coughed, clearly feeling out of his depth. Mercifully, the elder Russian proceeded to take control of the conversation.“So, I spoke to my contacts in Moscow, and have some news,” he began, a rare and tiny smile making itself known. “Kogan and the rest of the federation leaders have decided not to fight Yura’s exit, after all. From what I hear, his accrual of the necessary independent sponsorships is a big enough blow to them that they’re considering delaying the new presidential bid. But… I suspect you care much more about the former than the latter.”Viktor let his ex-coach’s words bounce around in his head for a few moments before allowing himself to believe them. They were ones he could safely say that neither he nor Yuuri had ever anticipated hearing.“вот оно́ как!”4He seemed to have reached processing speeds far quicker than Yuuri had, because while he immediately verbalized his surprise, his husband only seemed capable of gaping.Viktor’s thoughts whirred, a little afraid to believe the manifestation of everything he, Yuuri, and Yura had been hoping for, ever since the Ice Tiger had first moved to Japan. It seemed too good to be true, and he was sure there was some kind of caveat that had yet to be mentioned.The FFKKR, wielder of crooked and substantial influence in figure skating – even after incurring disciplinary measures by way of the IOC and International Skating Union (ISU) -- was apparently willing to part with their star athlete. Moreover, Kogan as federation director-general was willing to let a Russian citizen flout convention and compete sans institutional representation.It seemed completely impossible.And yet…Viktor wanted to believe it, so that he could shout it from the rooftops; with Yura free of Kogan’s grimy hold, it cleared the way for Yuuri to serve as his primary coach in the future! That is, should the Ice Tiger still want that transition to occur.As he and Yura had outlined in the terms of their trio’s secret bet last year, provided that his love defended his title as Olympic champion, Yuuri would quash his own doubts and take over as Yurio’s coach, beginning with the 2023-2024 season at the earliest.Over the last year, Viktor’s stalwart confidence in Yuuri’s predilection for coaching had only increased.While he’d felt his spouse would have excelled in the role even prior, these feelings had strengthened from observing the interactions between his two students, as well as how Yuuri had eased into a mentorship role for Kenjirou, Izumi, and several others at Papio. Plus, from a more selfish standpoint, being relegated to an assistant coaching position would allow Viktor to more fully pursue choreography commissions: a pursuit that he was realizing aligned more closely with his own interests.But even apart from Yuuri’s own doubts around his abilities, the prospect of having to navigate the nefarious politics of Russian figure skating was a huge obstacle. Indeed, when Yura had first gathered the courage to gauge Yuuri’s interests, his husband had firmly articulated that he felt completely unequipped to navigate such a twisted landscape (not to mention, wholly disinterested in learning how to do so).It seemed like barely even a second had passed before Yurio had volunteered to initiate a formal exit from the FFKKR, and to appeal to the ISU to skate without the backing of a member nation. This was, of course, not completely unheard of, but to do so was risky and expensive, and a guaranteed way to invite tedium, by way of federation lawyers.“Yusha? What are you thinking, honey?” he asked, hoping that Yuuri’s non-response was due to shock, rather than outright dismay.Finally turning to meet his gaze, Viktor saw his own sense of growing excitement mirrored in Yuuri’s umber eyes. He could practically see the puzzle pieces fitting together, as the realization around their potential new future began to crystallize. He and Yuuri had been dreaming of partnering with the Nishigoris to open up their own skating school in Hasetsu a few years down the road, and this – their first joint coaching gig – would get them one step closer to that reality.“If Kogan is willing to stand down, and Yura has arranged for enough sponsors to fund everything independently, then…”Yuuri trailed off, before reaching for his hand and pressing a kiss to his wedding ring.“I’m excited, Viten’ka,” he breathed in a hush, leaning his head against his own. Seconds later, they laughed at the feeling of Meni’s wet nose against their chins, demanding his own share of affection.“Me too, daarin5,” Viktor murmured, feeling perfectly content in the moment. “Yura is damn lucky to have you.”“Us! He’s lucky to have us, Vitya,” his spouse immediately corrected, sounding stern. “And besides, don’t jinx it!”Yuuri proceeded to poke at his cheek, and he jumped a bit in surprise.“I still have to win gold in Beijing. So, for now, it’s not a sure thing.”Viktor suppressed an eye roll; they’d had this discussion many times. Much like his own declaration that he and Yuuri would marry once he’d won gold at the December 2016 Grand Prix Final, he suspected that Yura wouldn’t take no for answer, regardless of whoever ended up on top of the podium at the Games.He was just about to make his pithy retort when the sound of an exaggerated cough emanated from the laptop screen speakers. 
Ah, right.
He’d nearly forgotten about their bearer of glad tidings.“As I was saying,” Yakov said, with a touch of dryness, “Kononykhin will want to deliver the news personally to Yura, as well as Irina and, of course, to you, Vitya. I suspect you two will be needed in Moscow ASAP for an official hearing, and the formal exit paperwork should go through afterwards. However, the federation plans on closely guarding this until the Games are over, and until the end of the season, you and Yura will be sworn to secrecy, Vitya.”He paused, and that smile from before vanished, only to be replaced with its usual thin, grave line.“And now, for some unsavory news,” his ex-coach went on. “Let me share the reason why I think those pizdabols6 are willing to tell their lawyers to back down.”Viktor’s stomach twisted with worry…he wasn’t a betting man, but he had a feeling his “too good to be true” thought from earlier was about to be proven correct.…“Viten’ka?”Warm lips against his cheek brought him back to the present.“What do you think?” his husband asked him, with a grin.Viktor blinked, realizing that Yuuri, as well as their friends were all staring at him expectantly.He blushed a bit, realizing that he’d somehow missed Phichit finishing Yuuri’s makeup, or his own braids being pinned up.“Ahh, sorry, lost in thought,” he remarked, turning around to fully face his love. “Repeat the question?”Yuuri smiled at him, and Viktor felt his stomach flip; his Yusha was always beautiful, but Phichit truly did know what he was doing, and had played up his naturally stunning features to great effect.“How do I look?” Yuuri asked, framing his face with his hands, before smiling a bit self-consciously.Viktor brightened before leaping up onto his knees, and throwing his arms around Yuuri’s mid-section.His spouse had absolutely no business looking so self-conscious, and he aimed to thoroughly impress that upon him.“Stunning! Bryant will be utterly tongue-tied over your beauty!” he cried, as Yuuri began to giggle, and hugged him, in turn. “Honestly, it might be kind of embarrassing for him; he’ll probably just have to read from his notebook word-for-word, the entire time.”Izumi guffawed at this blatantly exaggerated prediction of the immaculately prepared reporter’s behavior, and Phichit began to giggle. Meanwhile, Yura scoffed and muttered an exasperated-sounding “idiot”.“Thank you, sweetheart,” his husband replied, before dropping a kiss to his forehead. “It’s actually all part of my grand scheme. Get Bryant so tongue-tied, that he’ll actually be even more awkward and nervous than I am.”Viktor rose up upon hearing these words and grabbed the Meni tissue-box holder before sitting next to Yuuri.“It’s ok to be awkward, and it’s ok to be nervous,” he said, quietly, before miming their toy-poodle nuzzling against Yuuri’s shoulder. “Take it from our Meni-moppet: you are very, very loved, Yuranya. Regardless of your ability to dazzle Bryant or anyone else.”His love flashed him a grateful smile before grabbing for the Goya tissue box holder; it seemed that Izumi had seen fit to stop scolding Yura (or, perhaps, she’d just started smacking him with something not as soft).Viktor laughed as Yuuri made to “attack” him with Goya kisses, and together with Phichit, they took a series of selfies to show off both his hair as well as the latter’s makeup skills.A sudden ping from Yuuri’s phone had him letting out a slow exhale, and at his questioning glance, he turned the screen towards him.
Bryant: Good morning, Yuuri! We got a little lost, but are now about 5 minutes away. Looking forward to reconnecting.
“I can do this. Right, lapochka7?” his spouse asked him, a bit imploringly.Viktor brought their foreheads together, hoping that Phichit had been generous with the setting spray.“You can do this, my Yuuri,” he replied, imbuing the words with all the warmth and reassurance that he could muster. “I believe in you. We all believe in you.”…“It was an easy decision to make,” Hiraoka Eisuke murmured to him, in quiet Japanese, before turning around.Viktor smiled and nodded at the JOC Vice President’s words, continuing to listen as Yuuri told Bryant about what an honor it was to be selected as Team Japan’s flag-bearer for the Games. On the enlarged screen that they were all gathered in front of, the wet sheen covering Yuuri’s irises was easily visible, and predictably, Phichit felt the need to comment.“Damn, I’m good. Look at that eyeliner, not budging a single inch,” the Thai skater whispered, with Mila cracking a grin, next to him.Given the spaciousness of the room, Yuuri had been told by the Real Sports filming crew as well as JOC President Yamashita that he should feel free to extend a broad invite to any family and friends that wished to observe the conversation. But due to his nerves, as well as the fact that several members of the JSF and JOC Executive Committee had signalled their interest in observing, his husband had decided to keep things on the smaller side. Since Phichit and Yurio’s arrival, only Mila, Haru, and Yuuri’s parents had joined their ranks, with Hiroko and Toshiya swapping spots with Niko and Izumi.JSF President Nagashima had been given a spot closer to the armchair Bryant was sitting in, and behind him, JOC Executive Board members Momii Keiko and Sakai Kunihiko were quietly conversing with one another. Given the live filming, they’d all been given strict instructions from Nick Dolin and Beret Remak – senior coordinating producer and segment producer – to keep their chatter and reactions to a minimal. Thus, Viktor had forced himself to stand away from Mila, lest he be tempted to say something to her every time Yuuri did or said something particularly swoon-worthy.“What was it about being given that particular role, Yuuri, that really hit home for you?” Bryant asked, leaning forward just slightly.As he’d done during the last 3 segments, Viktor marveled at the way the revered tv personality delivered each question.He possessed not only polish, but natural charisma. Bryant’s innate ability to receive his guests’ energy and play off of it was unparalleled. He was, inarguably, extremely good at his job, and had spent a good fifteen minutes before the cameras even started rolling to put Yuuri at ease. They’d already made plans to host him for his third visit to Kyushu the coming summer, a trip they suspected would be equal parts based around catching up with them, as it was spending time with Minako. Part 2 of their special had included a tour of Hasetsu, and during their trip to the former ballerina’s studio, the chemistry between her and Bryant had been undeniable.“It’s a long list,” his love responded, his smile widening.“For one thing, I felt it was yet another way in which my country pledged its support for me, given everything that happened during and after PyeongChang. The Japanese Olympic Committee, and the Japan Skating Federation have been nothing but supportive these last 4 years, when Viktor and I decided to take on active roles in regulatory reform.They certainly could have pushed back on my wanting to dedicate so much time to these efforts, that, obviously, cut into my training time. But, in many ways, these leaders did the opposite. I’m particularly indebted to the Executive Board members of the Committee, because several of them came to our defense over the years when we made very vocal stances around things that were transpiring within Olympic as well as ISU politics.”He paused a bit, and Viktor’s heart squeezed at seeing his thumb’s subtle movements, just barely rubbing over his wedding ring.“A lot of athletes get told that they should stay in their lanes…’just skate’, or ‘stick to playing basketball’, or ‘let your performance in the pool do all the talking’, but I find that kind of rhetoric so incredibly insulting.”Yuuri took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and it was clear he was mustering up some resolve to speak as frankly as he wanted to.“In my opinion, we as athletes have a duty to shed that apolitical mindset and, when we can, to get involved in making change so that future athletes can know that things will be conducted with integrity. I, personally, feel so indebted to the athletes who have set an example for me in being outspoken regarding reform. My spouse, of course, being a superb example.”He grinned, and Viktor’s heart fluttered at that adoring tone that Yuuri often adopted when praising him.“All this is to say: to get selected for this honor when I’ve been what you might call a ‘rabble-rouser’, especially by Japanese standards…”He trailed off, with a small laugh and a shrug of his shoulders.“…it’s really empowering, and, I hope it sends a strong message to younger athletes out there, who may have that activist spirit, but worry that it’ll be met punitively. On a more personal note, I believe most people know that Viktor was chosen as the flag-bearer at the Sochi Winter Olympics, so purely from a novelty standpoint, I believe we’re the only married couple to hold that distinction of representing our homelands in Olympic ceremonies.”Yuuri paused.“…which is pretty bad-ass, if I do say so, myself.”Bryant laughed, before nodding his agreement.  “There you go, living up to your Katsuki-Nikiforov power couple status,” he replied.Mila winked at him, and Viktor grinned back; if Bryant Gumbel deemed them a power couple, who was he to contest it? Perhaps he’d ask him to put that in writing…“And last, but definitely not least: I know I mentioned it during our second interview, Bryant, but my parents have sacrificed everything to support me in my career,” Yuuri said, his tone laden with emotion. “They’ve run one of my hometown’s longest-running onsens since before either my sister or I were born.”On either side of him, Viktor could hear Hiroko and Toshiya’s small intakes of breath.He smiled down at the corresponding scroll of kanji across the screen, glad that Beret and Nick had been able to arrange for live language translation. With close to six years of Japanese language study under his belt, he was proud to say that he could have kept up with the onscreen translation, even if he hadn’t been standing in a spot where he could overhear.“I remember you telling me that when I visited Hasetsu. I had a wonderful time at Yu-topia Akatsuki, and I recommend that anyone pay your lovely parents a visit should they get the chance,” Bryant replied, graciously.Yuuri flashed him a small smile before continuing on.“My okaasan and otousan have always appreciated my passion for dance and figure skating, but there were times when their having to run their business meant that they weren’t able to physically come to my competitions, or really know all of the ins and outs of my sport. But winning an Olympic medal, being chosen as a flag-bearer…I think that’s something that most any parent would understand. When I got the news from the JOC, I, of course, immediately FaceTimed them. And…I could hear it in their voices, and see it on their faces: they were so pr--”Yuuri stopped short, obviously having grown choked up.A glance to either side showed Toshiya and Hiroko were in a similar state. Viktor gave a side-hug to both of them, his heart feeling so, incredibly full, to feel them reciprocate.“They were so proud,” Yuuri resumed, dabbing at his eyes with one of the three separate handkerchiefs that Viktor had insisted his husband keep in the breast pocket of his suit. Yuuri had tried reassuring him several times that Phichit would only be using waterproof makeup on him, but given personal experience, he knew it never hurt to be over-prepared.“I didn’t even realize how much it meant to me, to have them be present during the Opening Ceremonies, so that they’d get to have that moment to see me like that,” he went on, exhaling another long and deep breath. “They never would have said it, outright, but I know they felt cheated last time around, in Pyeongchang, because I never got that moment with them. Like so many others, I never got that traditional medal ceremony or gala performance.”Yuuri paused, before adding quickly, “Of course, I eventually got to have those two things, but it obviously wasn’t the same, as I’m sure most people understand.”Viktor’s pulse quickened, and a thick coil of anger snaked around his chest to recall those stolen moments, four years ago.The IOC had, in fact, hosted a rescheduled medal ceremony and gala exhibition in Pyeongchang, in August 2018 – just over 2 months after the ICAS investigation results had gone public.But despite the lengths that the Executive Board had gone to in order to host both in as “real” a manner as possible, each event had fallen spectacularly short of expectation, with the atmosphere palpably grim throughout.For one thing, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) was, technically, the official body in charge of event logistics: a reality that was unbelievably awkward, given their ex-President's own involvement in the scandal. Of course, Lee Kee-heung, the ousted head of the KOC, had been prohibited from attending, but even still: the fact that his successor – the former Secretary General – had been the one to preside over the medal ceremony had felt like the most conspicuous elephant in the room.Even now, Viktor cringed to see the photos of himself on the bronze step of the podium, his smile looking wooden, and his jaw visibly clenched.Then, there was the fact that many of the friends and family members that had been present back in February -- and even some competitors! -- were unable to make the new dates.While Hiroko and Toshiya had managed to shuffle things around and hire temporary staff to take over at the onsen, Mari, Minako-sensei, and the Nishigoris hadn’t been able to make it. JJ had to send his longtime federation publicist, Anna, to accept his silver medal on his behalf, as he’d had to stay behind in Canada for his sister’s wedding. What’s more: several other skaters, like Seung-Gil, Emil, and Yura had refused to attend on principle, angry with the way the ISU had continued to delay articulating clear and severe penalties for the 13 individuals that had been involved in the scandal.All in all, the re-worked podium celebration and gala exhibition had left much to be desired.Onscreen, Bryant was nodding, now looking much more serious.“So to have been able to carry the flag for Japan this time around...it felt like I was sort of reclaiming things from four years ago,” his love said, before his own expression changed, looking a bit hesitant.“I really hope that my friends and fellow competitors from four years ago can have their own moments of reclamation this time around.”Bryant nodded, allowing Yuuri to have a moment to drink from his mug of sencha before continuing with his next question.“Say more about that, Yuuri. What do you think reclamation could look like, for all of you that were so deeply impacted back then? And, following up from that: even if that reclamation happens, would it ever be enough to make up for what you all went through?”Yuuri nodded a bit before affecting a contemplative expression and sipping at his tea again.“I think I’ll answer the second question first,” he began, before his face took on that determined look of resolve that Viktor so adored. He’d seen it just this morning, when five Russian reporters from Krestyanka had swarmed them coming out of the dining hall. The lot of them, of course, had been indescribably rude, goading him and his spouse by calling out things like “Ah! Look who it is! The skaters who complain more than they skate!” and “There he is, the Prodigal Son, and his boyfriend!”The indignation had mounted in Viktor’s chest in just a matter of seconds.Forget the ‘prodigal son’ jab; it had rankled to hear them refer to Yuuri as merely his boyfriend, when literally everyone at the Games knew they were married. But of course, his wonderful, surprising Yuuri had faced the pack of vultures with a downright serene look on his face.He’d then addressed them in unfailingly polite Russian, asking if they wanted an interview with him, given their apparent disregard for media norms in the Olympic Village. Though not strictly prohibited, it was frowned upon when outside of a press conference to make unsolicited requests for interviews with athletes.The reporters had clearly not been expecting an interview offer, much less an actual response, and they’d stupidly gaped at the two of them for a number of seconds. In that interim, Viktor had gathered his wits enough to produce Haru’s business card, and had managed to instruct them to reach out to Yuuri’s publicist if they were, in fact, serious about conducting an official interview. Privately, he’d thought to himself that there was no way he would have allowed it, but they didn’t need to know that.As he listened to his husband begin his impassioned response, that same surge of pride that he’d felt this morning resurfaced.“The simple answer to that question, Bryant, is ‘no’: there isn’t anything that can be done, now, to make up for what happened in Pyeongchang. That’s probably a hard truth for people to have to swallow, but I stand by it.”Yuuri leaned forward in his seat, and clasped his hands together, that purposeful expression never wavering.“Here is just one example of many that I could give: prior to his retirement directly afterwards, former skater Cao Bin of China competed with us in Pyeongchang as a first-time Olympian.”In his periphery, Viktor saw Mila, Phichit, and Yura all nodding at these initial words. Back in 2018, and even more recently, the retired skater was a frequent topic of conversation in the figure skating community.“Like myself, Bin was an alternate in Sochi and didn’t get to compete then. He had announced his retirement during the post-skater presser at his last nationals competition, in December,” Yuuri continued, a bit solemnly. “I remember him mentioning to me one morning over breakfast in the Olympic Village that PyeongChang was his opportunity to lay everything out on the line…to give one last thank you to all of the people that had supported him throughout his career. Many will remember that he ended up finishing in 9th, with a season’s best for both his Short Program and Free Skate. Bin had prepared a moving exhibition skate to thank his family and friends, his federation, his coaches, and, of course, his fans for their steadfast belief in him.”His love paused, biting his lip before shaking his head and resuming his remarks.“But because of the greed and selfishness of individuals who could never even imagine what it takes to compete on Olympic ice, he never got to perform that skate in February 2018. In fact, he never got to perform it at all; only 2 weeks prior to the rescheduled gala exhibition, he suffered a serious ankle injury, and never made it back to Pyeongchang.”Viktor recalled his and Yuuri’s shock when news had gone around about Bin’s injury. It was nothing short of tragic, and the press release from the Chinese skating federation – with a quote from the injured skater, himself, noting how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be able to do one last performance for his supporters – had been difficult to get through.“At the time, I remember people saying ‘oh, well at least his last time on the ice was a good run’, and while I wholeheartedly agree, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this incredible skater was stripped of his agency when it came to a major life milestone.”Again, Yuuri paused, and when he next spoke, his words came out strained, each syllable sounding like it had struggled enormously to make it out into the open. Across from him, Bryant was listening, intently, with that piercing stare he was so known for.“A skater’s last exhibition is something they pour their all into…they ruminate over it, for hours. Trust me: I’d know,” his spouse remarked, before laughing, wryly.Viktor hummed quietly, taking a second to reflect on how much thought Yuuri had put into his own gala exhibition program over the last several months.Given that he’d decided to only skate it once, it figured that he was carrying quite a bit of pressure around the performance, which, ironically, would be set to the Joy Oladokun song, ‘Carry’. Despite his, Suko’s, and several others’ admonitions imploring him not to drive himself mad by making perfect the enemy of the good, they all knew it was fruitless to tell Yuuri not to obsess over it. As the music selection made clear, it was meant to encapsulate his gratitude towards his supporters for all the times they’d carried him through various storms he’d faced in his career. In terms of rank order, it was Viktor’s unmatched favorite of all of his exhibition skates, second only to their ‘Stammi Vicino’ pair skate.That didn’t mean that it had been easy for him to watch his husband torture himself over it, however.“I can’t imagine not being able to have that closure…that peace over such a large chapter of my life coming to a close,” Yuuri said, quietly, before reaching for his tea again. “I don’t think there’s anything in my mind that would be able to make up for that being taken away.”A comfortable silence ensued as Yuuri sipped, and once again, Viktor felt compelled to compliment Bryant’s interviewing style. He gave his guests time to think and process, and wasn’t discomfited by silence. His motivation was to conduct the most authentic and thoughtful interview possible, not to circumvent every extended pause just for the sake of filling time.“As for reclamation, that’s a harder question to address,” his love said, sitting up a bit straighter, and crossing a leg over his knee.From the angle with which the production team was filming, this gave everyone a clear shot of his ankle, and his PyeongChang Olympic rings tattoo. Over the years, they had both decided to add to their respective designs, and while Yuuri’s had started off as just the standard interlocking rings, it had morphed in complexity, now featuring interspersed sakura, edelweiss, and bluebell blossoms. In accordance with Japanese flower language, or ‘hanakotoba’, these species represented values like the transience of life, courage and power, and gratitude – all things that perfectly summed up what the 2018 Games meant to Yuuri.“One thing I can say that I believe nearly all of us that were impacted four years ago would stand by: the ISU, the IOC, and individual skating federations have not done nearly enough to discourage things like judge bribery, doping, and other forms of misconduct from happening over, and over again. Indeed, figure skating seems to be one of the only winter sports where officials found in violation of ethics regulations are not only not sufficiently punished, but, instead, actively rewarded for their behavior. I don’t feel comfortable naming my source, but…”His spouse trailed off, and a current of anticipation licked up Viktor’s spine.
Yuuri was going for it.
After that call with Yakov three weeks ago, they’d spent countless hours discussing privately, as well as seeking counsel from trusted folks in their networks, namely Sava, Ianna, Haru, Akihito, Taku, and Georgi. Ultimately, Yuuri had told him that he would feel things out during his interview with Bryant before deciding whether or not to share the jarring revelation Yakov had passed on. Had it not been for the fact that Yura’s FFKKR exit paperwork had already gone through, they wouldn’t have ever dared considering it; after all, Yurio’s well-being came first and foremost, regardless of whatever “scoop” they wished to publicly comment on.“…but I have it on good authority that, effective April 1st, the leadership of the figure skating federation of Russia – the very same body that was, in part, responsible for the events in Pyeongchang -- will be reinstalling Aleksandr Gorshkov as their federation head.”A ripple of sound reverberated throughout the room at his husband’s words, but Beret and Nick didn’t even bother to scold their group of onlookers for their reactions.Understandably, Mila and Phichit looked quite distressed, as did Keiko and Kunihiko of the JOC Executive Board. JSF President Nagashima looked downright pissed, as did Bryant himself, and Yuuri’s parents just looked bewildered. As far as Viktor knew, the only folks in the room besides him and Yuuri that had known about this beforehand were Haru and Yurio. Yakov had not wished to repeat his mistake8 from four years ago, and had made sure to inform Yura of the news just an hour after he’d shared it with them.“Gorshkov…you’re referring to the former head of the FFKKR, the one that was removed from office in the summer of 2018, after it came to light that he had carried out the orders from the former president of the Russian Olympic Committee?” Bryant asked, looking disgruntled.Yuuri fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. Obviously, Bryant wasn’t angry with him, but still…that gaze was intense, and Viktor couldn’t blame him for his shiftiness.“The very same.”His love paused, going still, before continuing on after another sip of his tea.“As a recap for those that, understandably, weren’t able to follow all of the politics: the International Skating Union’s Congressional Session only voted to reprimand the heads of the Korean and Russian skating federations for their leaders’ involvement in the bribery scheme in September of 2018. Which, I’d like to reiterate, was four whole months after the ICAS investigation results went public. Many in the figure skating community – Viktor and I, included – actually felt that the ISU penalties would have come much later, if it hadn’t been for the courageous protest of many of our fellow competitors in choosing not to attend the International Olympic Committee’s rescheduled medal ceremony and banquet, which were held in August 2018.”“If I remember correctly, Yuuri, both of those federations were levied steep fines, prohibited from hosting any events for 1 skating season, and stripped of voting rights for 2 skating seasons, right?” Bryant asked, his recall impressive.“That’s right,” Yuuri replied, before frowning. “I’m not going to go into the nitty gritty of everything that went down that summer because it could take hours, but if anyone is interested in the granular details, Google ‘International Skating Union Constitution Rule 121 voting drama’ for a bit of a rundown on why current President Jan Dijkema was so heavily criticized in those immediate months after the investigation closure. Anyways, suffice it to say, many of us were really disappointed that penalties only applied for 2 years, and even then, neither the Korean nor Russian skating federation made a change in their internal voting procedures to ensure that their ousted presidents couldn’t eventually return to power. And that’s exactly what we’re going to see happen in just a matter of months: history repeating itself.”Bryant was shaking his head, disapprovingly.“Unbelievable,” he said, his lips down-turning in a way that reminded Viktor distinctly of Yakov. He probably would have laughed, if the topic at hand didn’t make his skin crawl. “What’s interesting is that the FFKKR seems to give no thought to public perception. It’s like they have no qualms about openly re-electing a corrupt politician to the most powerful position in the institution. When Gorshkov resumes power, it will send the absolute worst kind of message around the values that those in leadership in regulating sport should hold.”His spouse was nodding, back to shifting around restlessly.“I think the sad reality, Bryant, is that the Russian federation may have given thought – perhaps a lot of it, even -- to public perception, but ultimately decided that it didn’t matter enough to their credibility. As long as misguided sponsors who care more about medal counts and national pride are willing to fund these federations, there will always be crooked politicians at the helm of power.”A quick look around suggested that many in the room were still in varying states of shock at the news about Gorshkov. Phichit had his phone out and was typing furiously – probably live-tweeting – and Mila and Yurio were speaking in hushed whispers. JOC Vice President Hiraoka had wandered over to Haru, and was talking quietly but animatedly, waving his hands around.“To tie this all back to reclamation...”Yuuri trailed off before leaning forward and resting the tips of his fingers against one another. He looked resolute, with just a hint of nerves, and Viktor wished he could drop a kiss to that scrunched-up forehead of his.“I’m not saying that it would be easy, and a lot of people would probably tell me that I’m being naïve, but I think it has to start with interrogating who we cede power to, when we decide to wash our hands of the politics of the sports we enjoy. Obviously, it’s sponsors that make it possible for skaters like myself to earn a living and do what we love, but all too often, this creates a rather large power differential that goes unchecked. Athletes are afraid to get involved in the behind-the scenes of how things work, and even coaches...mine being an exception--”Here, his husband smirked, and Viktor thrilled at the playful look that surfaced in his eyes.“--fear putting their careers in jeopardy if they question things too much. So, by extension, this puts the onus to make change on politicians. Politicians who, no offense, don’t actually have much skin in the game. They might be compelled to advocate for reform up until a certain point, but those subsequent impacts don’t directly affect their day-to-day careers, so there is only so much incentive for them to truly speak truth to power.”Bryant nodded, a wry smile creeping over his face.“It’s a pretty cruel Catch-22 isn’t it? And a dynamic that gets reproduced and recycled in many different fields, not just elite athletics.”Yuuri nodded, shifting back in his seat, and looking marginally more relaxed.“I’ve said it many times over the years, but it bears repeating: it would be shortsighted to take the Korean and Russian federation Olympics ban as proof that they’ve been sufficiently reprimanded. Removing their presence from two Olympic cycles doesn’t remove their overall presence in the ecosystem of figure skating. In many ways, they’ve continued to operate unchecked, and if folks really want to get a sense of how they’re able to continue wielding and exerting their influence, they’d need to develop an understanding around how much money the International Skating Union expends on things like annual yearly assessments of its officials, education seminars so that judges can get proper training, and the like.”Yuuri paused before glancing off to the side, and Viktor knew that he was searching for his face.He smiled when he met his love’s gaze across the room, and thought back to the many nights they’d rehearsed what he should say, and how it should be delivered.It was entirely possible that his getting too into the weeds might lose people, but they’d ultimately decided that others might be compelled to start doing their own research if they were able to get an idea of where to start.“People might not know this, but as an organization, the International Skating Union is required to post their financial audits online,” he resumed, as he uncrossed his leg and straightened up. “Anyone can find them, and look at the breakdowns of numbers for ISU operating expenses, which currently go back to the year 2013. An anonymous GoldenSkate journalist actually compiled some data in an excellent report that came out last year, so, being the pain-in-the-ass that I am--”Bryant laughed, and Yuuri joined in soon after, their intermingled mirth loosening some of the tightness Viktor felt tugging at his chest.“--I actually memorized some of the findings so that I could share them today. I’m hoping that this increases readership of the report, which I was disappointed to see didn’t get as much traction as I would have hoped. You’ll have to forgive me, Bryant...I hope I don’t bore anyone with this.”Viktor almost giggled; he didn’t really know how anyone could feel bored in this moment, watching Yuuri.There was a magnetism about him as he squared his shoulders and smoothed down his tie: a brocade-patterned silk in charcoal gray. It made for an appealing contrast with his perfectly pressed rust-colored suit, the two hues striking an alluring balance.“They started by comparing operating expenses between 2017 and 2018, to give you an idea of what spending pre-scandal looked like,” he began. “There’s a category of expenditures called ‘Video Replay System & ISU Judging System maintenance’, which is pretty self-explanatory. Between the two years, expenditures in that category decreased by around 11 percent.”

“There’s another category, called ‘Courses/Seminars/Expenditures’, which they noted saw an increase by 37 percent, which is fantastic, and I’d normally be the first person to give ISU President Jan Dijkema a pat on the back. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because the following year between 2018 and 2019 -- the time period where you might imagine the ISU would invest most aggressively in those two same categories – they found that the amount spent on the ‘Video Replay System & ISU Judging System maintenance’ went down by close to 40 percent. Similarly, for ‘Courses/Seminars/Examinations’, the amount spent went down by about 32 percent.”

His spouse paused, allowing Bryant (and everyone else in the room) to mull over his words for a few moments before continuing.“Ok, so people are probably thinking, ‘Well, Yuuri, newsflash: they were dealing with a scandal, in case you didn’t know, so maybe cut them some slack. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for it, like maybe they needed more than a year to get their ducks in a row.’ But, unfortunately for President Jan Dijkema, who I imagine will not be very pleased with me for pointing this out--”Hushed laughter rippled throughout the room, and Viktor smiled, glad Yuuri seemed to be channeling humor rather than trepidation.“--the report noted a suspicious irregularity with the way expenditures the 2019 to 2020 comparison were reported. It’s well known that a lot of organizations might change the way they categorize their operating expenses to hide certain discrepancies in spending, and while this journalist obviously didn’t make an absolute claim, they did wonder if something like that was done deliberately.Unlike the previous six years, the expenses for the judging system maintenance suddenly got lumped in with the expenses for software and databases.

The report noted that the ‘Courses/Seminars/Examinations’ category remained unchanged, and if you look at the comparison, you’d see that that line item was slashed almost entirely…by 93 percent, to be precise,” his husband went on, appearing encouraged by not only Bryant’s obvious interest – the latter man had reached for his trusty notebook and was scribbling rapidly – but also the rapt attention of everyone in the room.“There’s lots more good stuff in that report, which I’ll make sure to Tweet a link to, but suffice it to say: the numbers referenced don’t instill a lot of confidence that the ISU was treating the events from 2018 as seriously as they could have been.”Bryant had stopped writing, and surveyed Yuuri with interest before flashing what could only be described as a wicked grin.“Once again, I’m sure everyone has just been reminded of why they shouldn’t challenge you on or off the ice, and I’ve no doubt that one Jan Dijkema is being taken to task on social media as we speak.”At this, Yuuri laughed a bit sheepishly, and a swell of sound reverberated around them.Viktor beamed, noting how proud Toshiya and Hiroko looked, on either side of him. They, of course, hadn’t followed the nitty gritty news over the years, but Yuuri had done enough interviews by this point, that ‘Jan Dijkema’ was a familiar name to them.Nick and Beret were whispering to one another, seemingly too preoccupied to worry about the noise levels.Suddenly, Viktor’s phone vibrated, and upon glancing down at it, he giggled at Phichit’s alacrity in meme-ification.

The speed at which his shady meme was produced suggested the Thai skater had been lying in wait for this very moment.Though his own fingers were itching to compose an utterly glowing tweet praising his smart, sexy, Yusha, he put his phone away, returning his gaze to the enlarged screen. The interview was nearly done, anyway.“I just made a note to make sure our social media team includes a link to that report. Between us and Viktor, I’m sure that everyone will have laid eyes on it by this evening,” Bryant said.Hiroko gave a very Yuuri-sounding giggle next to him, and Viktor felt like he could float off of the ground in his own elation.“I appreciate that, Bryant,” his love responded, smiling a bit shyly.“Every time I get the privilege to talk with you both, the time flies by, and I always learn so much,” Bryant said, warmly. “I’ve said it before, Yuuri, but I’ll say it again: for as having achieved as much as you have -- both on and off the ice -- you’re incredibly humble. And, not only that, but you’re smart, and brave, and exceedingly talented.There can be no doubt in my mind that the people who are lucky enough to have followed your career, whether from the beginning or somewhere along the way, are incredibly proud of you. Even as this chapter of your life draws to a close, many exciting, groundbreaking chapters are ahead for you, that I’m sure of. Thanks for talking with me today, and good luck in the coming weeks.”Yuuri beamed before responding, in turn, and leaned forwards to shake Bryant’s offered hand.“Thank you, Bryant. It was an honor to get to spend this time with you, and to get to know you over the last half-year. Viktor and I are already counting down the days until we get to host you again in Japan.”The two men took a second to smile at one another before Bryant turned to address the cameras, head-on.“You just heard from Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov, reigning Olympic champion in Men’s Singles Figure Skating, and one of the clear favorites to take gold again in the Men’s Singles competition here at the Beijing Winter Olympics. If Yuuri manages to defend his title at his last competition prior to retirement, he would become only the third ever repeat champion in the history of figure skating, a distinction also held by his spouse and coach, the legendary retired Men’s Singles figure skater Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov. If you’re new to the Katsuki-Nikiforovs’ love story and history-making careers, be sure to check out parts 1 through 3 of this 4-part special, now at a close. Live from the Olympic Village’s Team Japan headquarters, this is Bryant Gumbel, and thanks for watching Real Sports.”A few moments of quiet passed, during which the cameras zoomed in on their faces, but nearly immediately after Beret gave the signal, a raucous cheer swept the room.Viktor exhaled, gladly returning the squeeze that both Hiroko and Toshiya gave him, and watched, giddily, as they stepped forward to embrace their son. A literal hurricane could have descended upon the Team Japan dormitory, and he probably wouldn’t have batted an eye, such was his focus on observing his spouse soak in his very well-deserved congratulations.“You look like an idiot, grinning like that.”Even as he flinched at the Ice Tiger’s elbow jab to his ribcage, his smile never left his face.“You really shouldn’t talk to ‘the legendary retired Men’s Singles figure skater Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov’ like that,” he quipped, flicking his long tresses out in such a way that they whacked Yura in the face. “You might make Bryant upset, and that would be unacceptable.”Mila laughed and stepped up to Yurio’s other side, and together with his friends, Viktor took in the joyous scene unfolding in front of them.Bryant was bowing, respectfully, to Toshiya, while Hiroko had Yuuri wrapped in a tight embrace.Phichit was heading towards their trio, somehow managing to type with fervor even as his gaze never left their faces.“Quick, you guys: what other hashtags should I tweet out?” he asked, once he was within earshot.He tilted the phone, and they crowded around it to see his handiwork so far. 
@ItsPhichitChu

That’s my best friendddddd! @y_katsuki_nikiforov’s 4th/final part of his @RealSportsWithBryantGumbel @HBO special with @v_katsuki_nikiforov is now streaming! You will laugh/cry/thirst after him, guaranteed.

#YuuriKatsukiNikiforov #ViktorKatsukiNikiforov #BryantGumbel #BeijingWinterOlympics #TeamJapan #JapansAce #ReigningOlympicChampion #YuuriDontRetire  #OnSecondThoughtIfYouRetireTheRestOfUsStandADecentChanceAtGold  #WhyAreMyFriendsSoHot #IDidHisMakeup #WhileHeBraidedViktorsHairWithHisEyesClosed #YuuriIsMultitalented #YuuriIsGoodWithHisHands #ImSureViktorAgrees #FentyAllTheWay #RihannaPleaseSponsorMe

As he proceeded to read Phichit’s increasingly unhinged hashtags, Viktor couldn’t help but crack up, dearly wanting to see his husband’s reaction to the #YuuriIsGoodWithHisHands and #ImSureViktorAgrees hashtags. He would have to claim plausible deniability when the time came.“Decent chance? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Yura immediately piped up, his twitching lips marring his efforts to look annoyed. “We’ve always stood a decent chance at gold, even with Katsudon in the mix.”Phichit just shot him a mildly pitying look, before flipping his phone around to type some more.“How’s that?” he asked, holding it back out after just a few seconds.
#OnSecondThoughtIfYouRetireTheRestOfUsStandADecentChanceAtGold  #AndYesThatDoesIncludeYuri #ByYuriIMeanYuriPlisetsky #AKATheIceTigerofRussia #IKnowItsConfusing
Viktor stifled a giggle at the abject look of disdain that his student now wore, but before he could comment (to suggest adding #ViktorDefinitelyAgrees to the series), his favorite pair of arms wrapped around his mid-section. He shivered at the warm, welcome breath against his neck.“Viten’kaaa, aren’t you going to congratulate me?” Yuuri fake-whined, repositioning his hands so that they snuck underneath his suit jacket.He laughed, and spun around in Yuuri’s embrace, not letting even a second pass before he was stealing the breath from his lungs.While the more touch-starved part of him would have been content to transform their deep kiss to a full-on makeout session, Viktor had a crucial message to deliver, so he forced himself to break away from his love’s perfect mouth.He giggled a bit as Yuuri tried to chase his lips, and decided to compensate for his cruelty by kissing up his jawline, on the way to his ear.“You were spectacular, schast’ye moy9,” he breathed, hoping Yuuri could hear the raw feeling in his words. “Even though you were nervous, you went out there anyway, and absolutely blew everyone away. Congratulations, I’m so, so proud of you.”His spouse leaned away, just slightly, and their gazes met.His eyes shone, and Viktor found himself, as always, transfixed by them, utterly lost to those precious flecks of gold suspended in umber.“I couldn’t have done it without you, love,” Yuuri replied, quietly but earnestly, before leaning back in to pick up where they’d left off.As he let everything in their surroundings melt away, Viktor allowed awe and gratitude to take hold, grounding himself in the twin surges of emotion.His Yusha had just given a career-defining interview, and had risen to the occasion with graciousness, confidence, and, most of all, authenticity.Just the night before, Yuuri had suffered a fairly serious panic attack, telling him that he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to get through the interview without the protective shield of editing. In his and Bryant’s live conversation, every one of his candid facial expressions, words, and gestures was out in the open, serving as potential fodder for scrutiny and analysis. But still, his husband had steeled himself and pressed on, anyway. It wasn’t that his fear or anxiety had suddenly vanished; they were still there, but so was his resolve, in equal measure.“Ok, ok, you two, break it up,” came Mila’s voice, sounding most amused. “Phichit says he needs a photo of the power couple, to accompany his tweet.”Reluctantly, they broke apart, and then allowed themselves to be repositioned, poked, and prodded, before the Thai skater was finally satisfied with an angle and pose to capture their post-interview euphoria.“Ok, on the count of three, say “matching sex suits! 1, 2--”
“Phichit!!! We are not saying that!”
 
End of Chapter 10.

Up Next: Chapter 11’s structure will be a bit different, consisting of several flashback snippets from Phichit’s POV, taking place between February and July 2018. In addition to exploring Phichit’s own coming-to-terms around the PyeongChang Games, it will explore the beginning of his and Seung-Gil’s friendship, and the building foundation towards their eventual relationship.
Footnotes:1. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment which basically translates to “baby” Back2. Russian endearment that roughly translates to “my only one”/“my one and only”. These saps :D Back3. Likely many folks are aware of how the International Olympic Committee faced a lot of criticism for its pick of Beijing as the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics, given the Chinese government’s extensive list of human rights abuses, particularly towards its Uyghur population, the country’s ethnic minority Muslims. Because of this, many Japanese sponsors ran nonexistent marketing campaigns prior to the Games, in order to avoid public criticism/fall-outBack4. Expression of surprise in Rusdefinitioncally used after one has just learned a surprising factBack5. Borrowed from English, this is the Japanese version of the pet-name “darling”Back6. Pizdabol is a Russian insult, meaning liar. Can also call someone ‘pizdabolishe’, but that has a bit more of a humorous connotation Back7. Lapochka: Romanized version of the Russian endearment that translates to “sweetheart”Back8. Here, I’m referring to a detail from Chapter 9, in which I revealed that Yakov had purposefully decided not to tell Yura that it was his two largest sponsors (Aeroflot, and Sberbank) that had been the main orchestrators of the PyeongChang bribery scheme. Though well-intentioned (Yakov had wanted to delay sharing this as much as possible, in order to try to cultivate new sponsorships for Yurio to make up for the potential financial fallout), the move was definitely misguided Back9. Romanized version of the Russian endearment translating to “my happiness” Back

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Team USA Dormitory Common Room, Olympic Village (Gangneung, South Korea) – February 22, 2018
“Thank God,” Phichit sighed out, after pushing the Team USA common room door open and peering inside. While Leo had told him that it would be fairly empty (and that they’d actually be able to have a private conversation), he wasn’t sure if his friend had been exaggerating so that he would actually agree to come over; he wouldn’t have been surprised if Leo had chosen to slightly bend the truth only so that his fellow Team USA friends could witness the outright bloodbath that was sure to take place. Virtual bloodbath, that is. “So, you were being honest, after all,” Phichit called out, walking through the cozy room. It was empty, save for the lone figure occupying the plush, well-worn couch positioned directly in front of a huge flatscreen television. “How dare you imply that my desire to thrash you in a Brotherhood marathon should come at the expense of my commitment to The Truth ,” Leo replied, with absurd emphasis and mock solemnity before meeting his eyes. “Besides, with the way I intend to thoroughly obliterate you with smoke bombs and execution streaks, I thought it’d be pretty mean-spirited to invite spectators,” he went on. Silence stretched between them for a few moments after this provocation before they were both cracking up.It felt good to laugh like this, and as he dropped onto the couch with a grunt, Phichit mused over the fact that it felt like he was using muscles in his face that had been completely neglected the last several days. Noting the large pile of snacks Leo had already laid out on the table in front of them, he began to unzip his backpack to unveil his own contributions.“So…is Yuuri joining, then?” Leo asked, his tone sounding just a bit too deliberate to project the air of nonchalance he’d likely been going for.“Negative,” he replied, a little tersely, as he began adding his share of goodies to the pile, which included Lays’ ‘Nori Seaweed’ chips, at his friend’s specific request. “But, he actually messaged me back this time, so…improvement, I guess?”Instead of responding, Leo just grabbed one of the chip bags, tearing it open with obvious glee. After deciding on Starburst gummies for himself, they both munched for a bit, clicking through the pre-saved menu options on the room’s XBox system to start their marathon. Just as he thought they might be able to leave the topic behind entirely, Leo shifted a bit, nudging his arm so that he’d look over.“What if you texted him again? He loves this game, and we haven’t played at all since he’s gotten here.”He looked troubled, and while his tone wasn’t exactly whining, it wasn’t far from it, either.“Leo, we have to respect his wishes,” Phichit said, even as a big part of him wanted to do the very thing Leo had suggested. “If you’re really that intent on it, maybe put something in the group chat and wait to see what Viktor says?”Prior to six days ago, the phrase ‘the group chat’ would have been used to refer to the WhatsApp message thread that he, Yuuri, Leo, and Guang Hong used, mostly to chat about training and video games. But after the nightmarish events during and immediately after the Men's Singles Free Skate, those same three words now referred to their ‘Yuuri Support Squad’ WhatsApp chat: a group Viktor had created and had invited a number of people to shortly after the post-skate press conference. Notably, this chat did not include Yuuri himself, as the purpose of it was for Viktor to keep everyone informed as to how they were both doing, as well as to discuss ways their friend group might be able to offer comfort given the emotionally taxing days ahead. Understandably, the couple had made themselves scarce in the last several days, and while it wasn’t all that surprising, it still broke his heart to think of Yuuri holing himself up in his dorm room, only really allowing a select few people – primarily Viktor or his parents – to be with him. Phichit had actually spent a precious hour with Yuuri three days ago, finally convincing him to at least leave his room and join him in one of the Team Japan dorm’s private call rooms for a change of scenery. The hour had been spent mostly in silence, but, much like their Detroit days, they’d painted each other’s nails, and Yuuri had allowed him to do his makeup. Afterwards, Phichit had considered it to be nothing short of a miracle when he’d asked Yuuri if they could take a selfie – to send to Viktor, not to post on social media – and his friend had agreed, clearly happy with his final look. And even better was the way Viktor’s instantaneous response of profuse praise in all caps (with a healthy smattering of heart-eye emojis throughout), had made Yuuri giggle. “Ah, no…I’m just feeling restless, you know? It sucks to feel like this,” Leo responded, sounding glum. “At least we’ll see him tomorrow, right?”Phichit directed a small smile at him, desperately wanting to believe they actually would. “I hope so. Yuuri and Mila have grown really close, so I imagine that he’d want to see her Free tomorrow,” he responded, after which a loaded silence followed. He knew they were both remembering the spate of messages Viktor had sent in the chat yesterday, shortly before the Women’s Singles Short Program competition was due to begin.Fear had gripped him swiftly around the chest when he’d read about the panic attack his best friend had suffered, grateful to find out Yuuri hadn’t been alone for it; thankfully, his sister had been with him, and had been able to send a quick text to Viktor to come help. But the couple had ultimately ended up missing the competition. Mila, of course, had been nothing but understanding.Almost immediately, she’d replied and promised to send Yuuri a personal message reassuring him that she wasn’t upset, and that she completely understood their absence. Even so, Phichit knew that he                        would beat himself up over his attack, especially since he’d been looking forward to seeing her new and improved step sequence (one that he actually had been given a choreography credit for). “It feels wrong, almost, you know? To be having fun like this, without him,” Leo said, tossing the chips back into the pile. He slumped over a bit, resting his head slightly against the armest. Phichit was quiet, not really knowing what to say. He, himself, had been mired in a fog of conflicting emotions the last several days, having mood swings the likes of which he hadn’t experienced since his very first brushes with puberty. On the one hand, when all was said and done, Phichit had garnered a score that, under normal circumstances, would have put him in sixth place.
Sixth place, at his very first Olympics. 
When they’d first gone over his goals for the season, he’d told Ciao Ciao that he’d be happy if he managed to come out somewhere in the top ten at the Games. But now, with the almost laughably blatant scoring biases in the Free Skate, he couldn’t even trust his placement. Celestino had reassured him over and over again that his own skate appeared to have been assessed fairly, but that hardly mattered, given that he had no idea how this score stood in relation to Yuuri, Viktor, and Seung-Gil’s performances, not to mention anyone else’s. This entire last week, an insidious voice in the back of his head had seemed intent on obfuscating his perception of how he’d done.It seemed like a blur, now, those memories of him and his coach in line in front of the International Skating Union (ISU) Disciplinary Commission table, waiting to file an official claim. All that he truly remembered was the sensation of his breath being punched out of his lungs, watching Yuuri’s face in the Kiss and Cry the moment after he’d seen his tallied scores. The sight of his beaming, radiant smile twisting and crumpling had haunted Phichit’s thoughts nonstop. “It does. But Yuuri wouldn’t want us to feel that way,” he responded, quietly, before reaching into his backpack for the The PowerPuff Girls trio of hamster plushies that had been thrown onto the ice after his Free. Aside from the signature dresses with black stripes, every detail was amazingly similar to his own Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup, scurrying around happily in the care of his cousin, back home in Bangkok. “Take it from Bubbles,” he said, his lips twitching at the laugh Leo let escape when he sat the blue-outfitted hamster on top of his head. “We have to remember the good stuff, too. Like the fact that we competed in the freakin’ Olympics. You got the highest Short Program score of your entire career, Leo . And yeah: it sucks to have to wait, but we have to let the big-whigs do their jobs with the investigation, and let the chips fall where they may.”… 
OLYMPICS

Korea’s Lee Seung-Gil to take indefinite break from skating, and part ways with Park Min-So, coach of nearly nine years
Christine Brennan, USA TODAY______________________________Posted on March 5, 2018During a press-conference hosted by Yonhap News Agency at 10am this morning in Seoul, South Korea, Men’s Singles Division skater Lee Seung-Gil announced he would be taking an indefinite break from figure skating, as well as parting ways with his coach of nearly nine years, former Korean Women’s Singles skater Park Min-So.As reflected on social media, fans of the 21-year-old skater were heartbroken yet unsurprised at the news, given the rampant speculation in the aftermath of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics . During the press junket – where Seung-Gil was joined by his brother, Jitae, as well as his long-time Korea Skating Union (KSU) publicist, Chon Sang – the typically stoic young man was uncharacteristically emotional.“I want to thank Coach Park for the many years that we’ve trained together, from the time that I was just a Novice division skater, at 12-years old,” Seung-Gil first said, keeping the remarks around his gratitude for his former coach rather brief, and somewhat dispassionate.What followed, however, was anything but, as the skater went on to note how trying the last several weeks have been, having to pause a number of times to collect himself. As can be seen in the clip below, Seung-Gil certainly did not not hold back in his candor, criticizing not only his former coach, but the KSU, as well as the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), for the ways in which their respective leaders have conducted themselves since it was first announced that the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) would be investigating alleged scoring bias during the Men’s Free Skate in Pyeongchang.“I was only fifteen years old when I first learned that my country would be the host nation for the 2018 Games,” a choked-up Seung Gil remarked, reading from a prepared statement. “From that time, it feels as if I’ve carried the weight of far more than just seven years’ worth of crushing pressure, thankless sacrifice, and…see more “Holy shit,” Phichit breathed, as his eyes flitted over the article headline that he’d just received an alert for. He’d just stepped foot inside the locker room of his regular gym in Bangkok, and with only a distant awareness of his surroundings, he sank slowly down onto a bench and continued to read. For several minutes afterwards he just sat there, having given up on trying to quell the anger coursing through his veins…a fury that had been slowly ravaging his insides ever since the Men’s Free Skate in Pyeongchang had ended. This potent rage had only continued to grow with every subsequent statement that he’d seen issued by the KOC. While there was nothing that President Lee Kee-heung could really do to outrightly prevent the ICAS investigation, the austere politician had made it clear that he was offended by the insinuations that anything untoward had taken place during his country’s hosting of the Games, and that he and his staff would thus be rather uncooperative. The figure skating community had been in an uproar ever since President Lee had issued his official statement, which he’d released in the early evening of February 16th, mere hours after International Skating Union (ISU) President Jan Dijkema had convened that unprecedented post-skate press junket. JJ Leroy’s unbridled rant on Twitter had pretty much summed up the majority of competitors’ thoughts around it. It had felt like the biggest slap to the face, especially the rhetoric around how the ongoing investigation would “detract from future athletes’ experiences”, and “threaten the spirit of camaraderie the Korean Olympic Committee had been working so hard to cultivate”. But it was truly the last portion that had made Phichit see red: the language calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to minimize news around things going forward, so that it wouldn’t interfere with “the solvency of the Games’ press cycle, or the Olympics as an institution held up by the generosity of sponsors”. Those closing lines had been the KOC’s truly disgusting effort to pre-emptively suppress any public criticism that might have put sponsors on edge. The whole thing had been astonishingly lacking in empathy or accountability, and more than once, he’d hoped that Seung-Gil might never read or hear of it. Speaking of which, the Korean skater’s press conference couldn’t have ended more than an hour ago, and Phichit wondered just how soon was ‘too soon’ to send him a message of solidarity.Other than liking a few pictures of his pet husky on Instagram (an adorably good girl named Gwihan), the two of them had barely interacted, whether on social media or in-person. But that wasn’t a sufficient reason for things to stay that way, at least from his vantage point. Though he didn’t know Seung-Gil all that well, he strongly suspected that he was feeling quite alone at the moment, and Phichit certainly didn’t have a problem with initiating a conversation or finding ways to keep it going if things stalled out. At the very least, he wanted to convey how very dearly he would miss seeing him on the competition circuit; any loss of talent in figure skating was a big deal, but a loss of talent due to sports politics and corruption was unconscionable.Maybe one day, Seung-Gil could see him as an ally.At the very least, Phichit was confident that he could be a hell of a lot better of an ally than Park Min-So had been. Theirs was the somewhat cliched and problematic coach-skater dynamic that was often gossiped about behind-the-scenes; Min-So herself had never managed to secure her own Olympic nomination during her singles skating career, and one didn’t need to be a genius to see that she’d fully projected her unresolved career dreams onto Seung-Gil. It was heartbreaking that it had taken the events in Pyeongchang to lead to their parting ways, but he could never regard Seung-Gil standing up for himself as anything but a brave move. Opening up to Instagram, he debated for a few minutes before sending a couple of lines in a direct message window. There was much more he could have said, but he didn’t want to overwhelm him.

Phichit wasn’t expecting a quick response. Or really, any response at all. But he could certainly hope.…
Rented dance hall/party venue, Bicocca District (Via Chiese, Milano, Italy) – Late evening, March 26, 2018
“Oooh, this one is yummy! Nice work, party planner,” Phichit praised, clinking his cocktail glass against Yuuri’s. He hadn’t known what to expect when he’d decided on ‘the L Words’ – one of the 3 custom cocktails served to guests at Viktor’s retirement soiree – but he was pleasantly surprised with his pick. Not only did it come in a fun L-shaped glass complete with a bendy straw, but it had a refreshing, citrusy taste by way of the combination of Lillet Blanc and fruit (mainly lemon slices, in keeping with its name).“Thanks, Phichit-kun,” Yuuri said with a grin, before taking a sip of his own “Ice Prince” cocktail, which was a mesmerizing azure shade, uncannily close in hue to Viktor’s eyes. He knew that detail was deliberate, as both Christophe and Yuuri had been meticulous in their co-planning responsibilities for the evening’s festivities. It was impressive, considering that both skaters had found the time in between training for World’s.The pair’s attention to detail shone through in multiple aspects, from the group trip to visit the historic La Scala Opera House – where they’d worked with the Creative Director on a custom line-up of performances set to music Viktor had used throughout his career – to the photo booth set-up, where guests could take pictures wearing replicas of Viktor’s favorite props and skating costumes. The latter was particularly ingenious, and Phichit had nearly died laughing at the deeply conflicted look on Yuri Plisetsky’s face when he’d spotted JJ and Isabella Leroy posing while wearing the complimentary “Duetto” blue and purple skating jackets. Phichit was aware that, on the one hand, if the Ice Tiger refrained from casting any insults, the sight would eat away at him. But on the other hand, if he did actually say something to the Leroys, it would practically be an admission that he truly did like the Duetto get-ups (and felt that only Yuuri and Viktor deserved to wear them). “How meannnnnn ! I’m telling Yuuri!” Viktor’s voice rang out close to them, and a flash of black and silver streaked through his periphery before he registered the man of the hour draping himself all over his fiance. Phichit blinked.  He’d only had the one drink thus far, so knew that his perception wasn’t (yet) addled by the haze of inebriation, and was pretty sure that the designer Balmain outfit Viktor was now wearing wasn’t the same as the one he’d worn to the opera, which they’d returned from only a half hour ago.“Yuuuuuuriiiii, Oleg is being mean! Tell him he has to be nice to me, especially for tonight!” he whined, waving his glass in mid-air so that its amber-colored contents sloshed around, haphazardly.Yuuri smiled, indulgently, before slinging an arm around Viktor’s waist to pull him close.“Ok, Vitya, I’ll tell him,” Yuuri promptly responded, reaching a hand out to steady his glass, which was filled with the third signature cocktail, named ‘#quad tier’. Phichit had greatly enjoyed seeing his best friend’s blank look when Christophe had told him that ‘#god tier’ was, in fact, actual slang that people used, and a good enough concept for their last signature drink idea. In any event, Yuuri didn’t seem to mind Viktor’s characteristic clinginess, patting his cheek consolingly before inquiring about his bodyguard’s supposed behavior. “How is he being mean?”Straightening up, Viktor backed away a bit and extended his hands to his front and sides before executing three pirouettes that were all enviably graceful, considering his fancy footwear that in no way resembled ballet shoes. “He told me that my previous outfit was perfectly acceptable for dancing in, and that it was silly to change!” the newly retired skater cried after coming out of his ballet stance. Without even appearing winded, he shot a playfully stern look over Yuuri’s shoulder to where Oleg and his wife appeared to be immersed in conversation around a cocktail table with Lilia, as well as Maxim and Ivanna, Yubileyny’s top pairs skaters. “But that’s preposterous! There’s no way I could allow my Yuuri to dip me while wearing such unforgiving pants,” Viktor went on, before setting up for yet another series of turns. Phichit grinned and debated getting his phone out. Last time he’d checked, his #Viktor’sRetirementRendezvous hashtag had been trending on both Instagram and Twitter, courtesy of the viral snippet he’d posted of Yakov’s surprisingly emotional speech to kick things off. With glistening eyes and more than a few coughs to clear his throat, the elder Russian had noted that he’d never seen his talented student (and de-facto son) skate in such a joyous or heartfelt manner as when Yuuri had first come into his life. Phichit had practically melted, his vision blurring immediately, which had made him glad that he’d decided to take video instead of live-tweet. Meni, who had been curled up on his lap for awhile, didn’t seem to mind as several tears had escaped into his fur. Of course, Phichit knew this was nothing compared to how he’d react during Yuuri’s speech, which would be taking place in just a few minutes (hence their reason for beelining towards the cocktail table in order to take the edge off). Despite his begging for the insider scoop, his best friend had remained frustratingly tight-lipped about it. The only real bit of information he had was that it would include some kind of video component. During one of their Skype calls back in September, Yuuri had asked him to send along any videos he’d recorded of him fangirling over Viktor from their Detroit days, no matter how embarrassing. Phichit just knew that this would be one of the best nights of his life, considering how many weepy, drunken Yuuri soliloquies he’d unearthed that all centered around the utterly tragic era that the Living Legend’s eventual retirement would usher in.Accordingly, he’d already crafted a number of hashtags that he’d vowed to make trend by the end of the night, including: #TheStartOfATragicEra, #YuuriDrunkenSoliloquyTally, #GetYouAManWhoCanDoBoth, #ByBothIMeanFangirlWhileSlurpingCupRamen, and #TheRealTragicEraBeganWhenMaruchanDiscontinuedTomatoRamen.That last one might be a bit too niche.But he couldn’t let any opportunity pass to protest Maruchan’s cruel and unusual business move. “Yuuri! Everything’s all set for you,” Christophe called out, gesturing towards the spacious adjoining room of the converted factory spacethey’d rented. While their current surroundings were perfect for the mingling/cocktails/dance floor vibe, the neighboring space featured a massive projector screen, several comfy couches and seating areas, and a complicated lighting system that was more appropriate for what Yuuri had told him he needed. “Ok, I’m ready, too,” Yuuri called back, though his facial expression suggested otherwise. “Yushaaaa, I’m sure I’ll love it,” Viktor said, nuzzling his cheek against the top of his fiance’s head like a very content cat. “I love all of your surprises!”Yuuri fondly giggled at this affectionate reassurance, but he didn’t get a chance to respond before a grumpy looking Yuri was practically accosting them.“Chop, chop Katsudon! I’m supposed to start herding everyone over so that you can have a few seconds alone to stress-cry, or whatever,” the Ice Tiger snarked, as he began tugging firmly on Viktor’s sleeve. While both halves of the couple began protesting his words, Phichit decided to help with the guest-ushering, eager to finally see the finished product his best friend had been so secretive around.About ten minutes later, all forty-seven partygoers – a group which not only included Yuuri’s parents, but also Ianna, Sava, and a number of others from the St. Petersburg “Yubileyny Crew” – had filed into the multimedia room. Low chatter filled the space as folks took to lounging on sectionals and poufs, or standing around stylish high-top tables that the catering company had brought in. Chris had arranged for dramatic mood lighting, so that a single spotlight shone in the darkened room. It was off-set from the glowing projector screen, which was displaying a photo that had been taken just yesterday, during the World’s gala exhibition skate, and Viktor’s last-ever. The glare from the Mediolanum Forum’s arena lights had easily illuminated his tear-tracked cheeks, but his expression had been serene, conveying a sense of peace and gratitude that had offered a much-needed balm for their heavy hearts. As Yuuri took his place in the spotlight, a hush swept the room, the quiet murmuring cutting out almost instantaneously. Phichit turned from where he’d been chatting with Mila and faced the front.A mild woof! rang out, and a number of people laughed at Makkachin’s adorable excitement, the pup happily panting from her spot in Viktor’s arms. By way of his Balmain sponsorship, he’d been able to commission custom mini blazers for both of their poodles that matched his own suit. As such, the two pups had been the most frequently requested “props” in the photo booth.An expectant silence filled the space before Yuuri took a deep breath and began his remarks. He was speaking more slowly than usual, no doubt for the benefit of his parents as well as others who may have had limited English proficiency, like Oleg.  “Viktor’s retirement is something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about,” he said, with a barely perceptible quaver. “And while I’ve gone through much of my life keeping a lot of my thoughts to myself, this event, apparently, is something I’ve never been able to shut up about, from the time I was just a kid.”The latter words had only just left Yuuri’s twitching lips when the screen transformed, the still image replaced with a video that began to play of Okukawa Minako, sitting on a bed with Makkachin in her lap. Phichit could tell that it had been filmed from inside of Yuuri’s Team Japan dormitory last month in Pyeongchang, as the “Katsuki Yuuri, Men’s Singles Figure Skating, 1st time Olympian” plaque on the door was just visible in the right-hand corner.He stifled a laugh upon spying the caption at the bottom of the screen, just over the ballerina’s body, which read Okukawa Minako, Expert in Trolling (Is Also Pretty Good At Ballet) .As video-Yuuri’s voice came through, asking her a question in Japanese, stark white English as well as Cyrillic block-lettering translations began scrolling across the screen.“What’s the first memory you have of me talking about Viktor retiring?”Only a second after he had asked the question, Minako cackled, her eyes twinkling. Phichit grinned; he had by now hung out with Yuuri’s childhood ballet teacher a few times, and while he found her slightly terrifying, he also knew that she could be a hell of a lot of fun…especially after a couple of glasses of sake. His most-liked Instagram post from last summer had featured a clip from their raucous Hasetsu karaoke night, when she’d brought the house down with a completely smashed, yet pitch-perfect rendition of Eternal Flame. Between her and Yuuri, he had marveled at the tiny town’s outsized natural singing talent. “Where to even begin, Yuuri-kun?”As she began her answer, she began to talk with her hands, animatedly, only stopping every now and then to offer Makka a deep scratch behind the ears, or a pat atop her floofy head. “I think it was only a year or so after you first saw Vik-chan on tv, so you had to be thirteen or so. I remember I had stopped at the onsen for dinner, and your mom told me to check in on you in your room, because something someone said at school had really upset you.So I knock on your door and I remember that when you opened it, your face was buried in Vicchan’s fur, and you were all sniffly.”At this, many loud ‘ awwww ’s’ filled the air, and Nishigori Takeshi’s boisterous laugh could be heard, even from way in the back. “Before I could even finish asking you what was wrong, you raised your puffy, tear-stained face and began to rant about how your classmate had contradicted your statement that ‘Viktor Nikiforov is the best skater of all time, and forever will be!!!’ by stating that Viktor would one day have to retire, and that no one could hold the title of being ‘the best’ forever.”  Giggles broke out, but even this new wave of noise couldn’t drown out Viktor’s enthusiastic cooing. Phichit could see that in the gleam of the spotlight, Yuuri appeared tomato-red, and was sheepishly smiling. “After I let you get all your angstiness out, I, being the most wise and brilliant mentor in the entire world …” – barely-stifled giggles broke out at the sound of Katsuki Hiroko’s loud guffaw, followed by non-screen-Minako’s slurred shushing – “...advised you to put your thoughts into a letter, one that you could send to your classmate to convince him that he was wrong.”She paused, before smirking a bit wickedly.“Little did I know that not only would you hand-write and give said letter to your classmate, but that you also would create four additional letters, which you somehow convinced your sister to mail out on your behalf.”Seamlessly, the image transitioned to show Katsuki Mari and Katsuki Hiroko – the former smiling impishly and the latter just beaming – sitting next to one another in the Team Japan dormitory’s common room. “I remember that!” Mari practically cackled, flinging her head back in mirth. Her caption read Katsuki Mari, Instigator-In-Chief (And Best Big Sister). “I don’t even know how you had managed to find out these people’s names, much less their addresses, but you had me send letters to Yakov-kochi, the head of the Japan Skating Federation, the head of the Russian Skating Federation, and Vik-chan himself! Not his home address, of course, just to the rink, but still… Each one of them laid out a very thorough and detailed argument for why Viktor would never, and could never retire, and the Very Serious Consequences that would befall anyone who would dare to suggest otherwise.”Through his laughter, Phichit scanned the room for Coach Feltsman, finally spotting the older man sitting just a few seats over from Viktor. He wondered if a younger, more patient Yakov had indeed taken the time to read such an impassioned plea. In any event, it was extremely odd to see him wearing such a large grin on his face, but he supposed that even infamously grumpy and legendary figure skating coaches had a sense of humor.  Video-Yuuri’s voice could be heard once again, this time directing a question at his mom ( Katsuki Hiroko, World’s Best Katsudon Maker and Viktor’s Second Biggest Fan).  “Do you remember any of that, mom?”Hiroko lit up, adorably, before scooting to the very edge of her seat. She began to bounce in place, her resemblance to Viktor making Phichit giggle. “Oh, Yuuri, how could I not? You were so determined to prove that classmate wrong that you spent all night writing those letters, and I actually had to scold you a little the next morning because you hadn’t slept and were late for school. But your letter writing campaign didn’t stop with just that one night.”She cocked her head at Mari, who then took over.“I think it was two or three weeks later, and you finally got back a reply, from some CEO guy or whatever from the Japan Skating Federation. At the time you were in the Novice division, so I don’t even think anybody high up at the JSF knew who you even were .”At this, Nishigori Yuuko made a loud sound of protest, and Phichit grinned at her unwavering sense of loyalty. Even as a very young teenager, herself, Yuuko had always known her best friend was destined for big things. “The reply was very typically Japanese: polite, with a note that there was really nothing the federation could do, and that it would be more productive for you to take the matter up with the Russian Skating Federation. And then, there was a little aside about how they hoped you’d develop a similar sense of zeal for your own country’s skaters,” Mari went on, with a grin.“AS IF!” Yuri Plisetsky called out, loudly, which made a number of people laugh, Viktor and Yuuri included. “When we read the reply back to you, you were very unimpressed by it,” Hiroko chimed in, her lips twitching in amusement. “I didn’t end up allowing your sister to send it, but you spent yet another sleepless night writing a six page reply about what it would take for Japan’s skaters to catch your interest in the same way that Vik-chan had.”Several more hearty bouts of laughter broke out at this, and Yuuri did a little face-palm, apparently amazed by his brazenly extra younger self. “My loyal Yusha!” Viktor sing-songed, swaying Makkachin back-and-forth, in obvious elation. “And because there’s nothing quite like seeing you get all flustered over Vik-chan, I decided to defy your specific instructions,” Mari said, before clearing her throat, dramatically.When she next spoke, she'd switched to English and her voice had changed; it was clear that she was trying to imitate her thirteen-year-old brother, even making her voice crack deliberately. 
Ah, puberty. Fun times. 
“Dear JSF Presiden–”The video cut out before Mari could continue embarrassing her brother, and plaintive whines swept the room, Viktor’s the loudest of all, of course.But Phichit couldn’t be too disappointed, not when the next cut of footage began to roll. “ Hell yes! Trending time!!” he practically squealed, gaining the attention of his seatmates. Through their giggling, he saw that Mila and Georgi had both gotten their phones out, and directed an appreciative “thumbs up” their way. “Yuuri, Ciao Ciao’s gonna kill you. You can’t cheat on your diet, we’re supposed to do full run-throughs for World’s tomorrow!”And yup , that was definitely Phichit’s own voice, trying to reason with a thoroughly inebriated Yuuri, who was sniffling on-screen into a styrofoam cup ramen container. If memory served him correctly, this was a video from March 2014. His caption read Katsuki Yuuri, Drunk Idiot and Viktor’s Biggest Fan (Seriously, There Are Rankings). “What’s even the point?! Viktor’s not even gonna be there, because he’s ret-ret-retiring! ” on-screen Yuuri wailed, an errant noodle flailing about from the force of his distress. Raucous hoots of laughter (Celestino’s, included) erupted throughout the room as the video continued to play, and Viktor actually got up from his seat to coo over and cuddle up to his fiance. At this, non-screen-Yuuri proceeded to flush even deeper, hiding his grin in Viktor’s shoulder.  “Yuuri, that’s not true,” came his own voice, again. Video-Phichit was using the soothing tone that he’d carefully honed by way of countless #drunkenYuuri nights in Detroit. “You’re catastrophizing; you know that lots of skaters skip World’s after going to the Olympics. There’s nothing in Viktor’s statement to suggest he’s retiring. He probably just wants to rest a bit after winning his second Olympic gold.”He felt a nudge at his side and glanced over to see that Christophe had angled his phone towards him. Upon reading the drafted Insta post, he began to laugh, outright. Best night ever.

@christophe_gc_skates
This is just minutes into two-time World Champion skater @katsuki_yuuri ’s video/speech at #Viktor’sRetirementRendezvous, and the #YuuriDrunkenSoliloquoyTally regarding #TheStartOfATragicEra (i.e. @viktor-nikiforov’s retirement) is already at 1 (and counting). What I’m sure will be left out of said video is the fact that a very adorably smashed #KatsukiYuuri happened to leave me a long and weepy voicemail in March of 2014, asking if I could verify if his “forever hero, the most talented and prettiest person to EVER EXIST” was planning to retire or not. I’d totally post it if not for the fact that 1) Yuuri when mad is a little scary (and a little sexy, but that’s besides the point), and 2) that phone is long gone #TheRealTragicEraBeganWhenMyPhoneWarrantyExpired…
Carlton Lausanne Boutique Hotel (Lausanne, Switzerland) – early afternoon of April 8th, 2018
“And then, I legitimately thought Celestino was gonna kill permanent-frown-dude-arbitrator, because for his next question, he was all like, ‘And at no point, during or immediately after the Men’s Singles Free Skate, Misssssssster Chulanont’ – ” Phichit grinned at both Yuuri and Viktor’s interrupting laughter over their FaceTime call, glad his exaggerated impression of the oddball arbitrators from his ICAS hearing was lightening the heavy conversation topic.“ – were you given implicit or explicit instructions by Skater Katsuki to file a complaint to the Commission on his behalf?”, i.e., he was asking if, somewhere in between the literal minutes in between you getting your scores, and me and Celestino going over to the Commission table, if you had coerced me into filing a claim,” he went on, shaking his head at the absurdity.He paused to shift around a bit on his luxe hotel bed as his friends collected themselves in their video window. The one good thing about having to travel to Switzerland for this hearing was that ICAS President Michael Lenard seemed to have felt bad about interrupting his off-season, so the Court Office had shelled out some decent money to arrange rather fancy accommodations for him and Celestino. He hadn’t realized that this was the kind of upscale boutique where the housekeeping staff would create adorable towel animals and leave them on your pillow each day. Once he’d stepped back into his room after his draining 3 hour hearing, he’d immediately brightened upon seeing the fuzzy octopus creation, whose “tentacles” were wrapped around his headboard.                                                            “First of all, how the hell would you have even managed to contact me from all the way over in the Kiss and Cry?” he went on. “Did they imagine you had waved a wand to send a carrier pigeon flying through Gangneung Ice Arena to land directly on my head ? After which, it would peck an intimidating message in Morse code straight onto my scalp?”Yuuri was now hiccuping giggles, and he was pleased to see that he’d begun to wipe a profuse quantity of tears from his cheeks. When his best friend had told him that he wanted to hear all the nitty-gritty details of his hearing, Phichit had definitely had some misgivings; Yuuri and Viktor had flown to Lausanne for their own proceedings directly after the latter’s retirement party in Milan, and given what they’d told him about each brutally long-winded 4 hour session, he’d known fun things were not in store for him. “But Yuuri without his glasses on can be very intimidating…very sexily intimdating,” Viktor said with a grin, prompting a playful slap on the arm from his fiance; thanks to Yuuri’s thirsty fans, the hashtag #Yuuri’sNearsightedSexySquintTally had become a staple on the competition circuit, and both he and Viktor had taken to alluding to the phrase as much as possible. “Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what permanent-frown-dude-arbitrator was referring to,” Yuuri responded, sarcastically, “my nefariously sexy squinting that so very clearly spelled out that Phichit better file a claim, or else .”He and Viktor both laughed, and he shared a few more snippets from his hearing before conversation moved along to discussion around the other claimants’ hearings.“Oh my god, just imagine Christophe during his,” Yuuri said, before giving Makkachin a kiss, right to the top of her fuzzy head. The poodle was splayed out across both of her dog-dad’s laps, taking up much of the bench directly in front of the rink boards at Hasetsu’s Ice Castle. After their hearing, the couple had flown to St. Petersburg, spending just a few days there to get Makka and Meni and do a round of cursory packing. They’d then taken off for Japan where they planned to stay until mid-June, which was the beginning of the rainy season.  Even from afar, Phichit had been able to keep tabs on Yuuri thanks to Nishigori Yuuko. After thoroughly bonding with her at Viktor’s retirement party – after all, a willingness to drunkenly act out the unhinged plot of The King and the Skater 3: Because Time Loops Are A Thing tended to solidify people in Phichit’s mind as lifelong friends – she had been messaging him through Instagram as well as contributing heavily in the “Yuuri Support Squad” chat. Soon enough, he’d be able to keep tabs on him in-person, as his own trip to Hasetsu was just three weeks away. “He’d be all: ‘ And then , my esteemed arbitrators, I got distracted from calculating Yuuri’s grade-of-execution, because my eyes were too busy lingering on his delectably muscled thighs as he came out of his triple-lutz, triple-toe combo’,” Viktor said, in a deliberately put-upon Swiss accent, while lasciviously licking his lips.Phichit barked out a laugh while Yuuri grinned at him.“Are you sure you aren’t just verbalizing the thoughts you wish you could have expressed during your hearing?” he asked his fiance.Viktor gasped, theatrically, and clutched Meni even more closely to his chest before responding.“I would never think such a thing! I’ve become an expert at admiring your beautiful thighs while simultaneously calculating your GOE,” he said, sounding proud. “As any good coach should be.”Phichit snickered in unison with Yuuri for a bit before his friend shifted gears, unexpectedly. “What about Seung-Gil, wouldn’t his be coming up soon, too? Did you ever hear back from him, Phichit-kun?” Yuuri asked, though he’d begun to play with Viktor’s hair a bit, instead of looking at him. It was longer than he’d ever seen it, in recent years, but Phichit just figured that the couple had been so caught up in the whirlwind of activity post-Olympics, that he hadn’t had the time to get it taken care of. He frowned a bit at the question, reminded of the very one-sided Instagram direct message window he’d first created back in early March. “I did, but it’s not really…” He trailed off and waved a hand in mid-air, signaling the very nascent state of their communications thus far. He supposed he didn’t really have a right to feel so disappointed by it; given his break, the Korean skater hadn’t been at World’s, and he was notoriously hard to get to know. Even though he had eventually messaged him back a week ago, Phichit shouldn’t have suddenly expected that that’d mean they’d be talking all the time. It didn’t help that skating, the very thing that would have normally served as their binding agent, was off the table for now. With Seung-Gil’s indefinite break from the ice, he felt it’d be insensitive to bring up any mention of next season’s programs or even to share about his ice show schedule for the rest of the summer.“Give it time,” Viktor said, directing a knowing look at him. “And just keep trying. Even if the one-sidedness feels awkward, there’ll probably be a day when Seung-Gil realizes that all the effort you’re putting in…that it means you genuinely care.” …
Hakata Dontaku Parade Route, Hakata Port (Fukuoka City, Japan) – May 3, 2018
“Ok, myedvyezhonok moy1, three iced hojicha lattes, coming right up!” Viktor cried, before practically galloping away. Phichit wasn’t really sure how he managed to scurry off without tripping over his yukata; his own hamster-printed one was a bit difficult to move in, but he supposed that after having attended several Japanese summer festivals, Viktor was by now an expert. “What does that one mean again?” he asked, turning to where Yuuri was happily watching the shamisen performers. Before today, Phichit had never even heard of a shamisen before, but the playing of the wooden stringed instrument was apparently a staple of Fukuoka’s annual Hakata Dontaku festival. He felt exceedingly lucky that his second ever visit to his best friend’s hometown happened to correspond with the bustling event as so far, it had been amazing to be part of the revelry. Yuuri blushed a bit before glancing his way and then averting his eyes, and Phichit fought the urge to roll his own; it’s not as if this was the first time he’d ever heard the sickeningly cute fiances use sappy pet names for one another. It wasn’t a surprise to any of their friends that they couldn’t get enough of them.“Um…it means ‘teddy bear’,” Yuuri mumbled, before fiddling a bit with the tie of his own festival outfit. Nishigori Takeshi loudly snorted and batted his hands away from his waist, before saying something to him in sharp Japanese. It had been over a month since Phichit had seen him and Yuuko in Milan, but it felt like no time had passed when they all hung out. “Tell him what you call him, in turn, Yuuri-kun,” Takeshi said, with a sly grin. This prompted a glare-off between the two childhood friends, and Phichit just watched the banter, amusedly.As the day of his return home to Thailand approached, he’d actually contemplated extending his trip by another week or two. There was something about the “sleepy” feel of Hasetsu that made him wish he could freeze time. The unhurried pace of life here was something that Bangkok could never hope to replicate, and along with the intimidating prospect of having to start crafting the coming season’s programs, there was the looming reality of the ongoing ICAS investigation. Yakov Feltsman had apparently been keeping in close touch with his insider contacts at the Russian skating federation, who had informed him that the investigation closure was imminent. The elder Russian hadn't been able to reveal any findings, but even just that passed-along knowledge from Yuuri had ignited a sense of deep unease in his belly. Who even knew what next season would look like? Would everyone just immediately retire when the results came out?  Though nobody had wanted to miss seeing Viktor’s last ever competitive skate in-person, many of the Men’s Singles Division had chosen not to participate in World’s, choosing to cheer friends on from the stands. The short roster had seemed like a foreboding reminder of what next season would look like. Though it had felt odd for Phichit to watch from afar, he was personally extremely glad that he’d been there to witness Yuuri set a new world record, win his second World’s title, and actually get assessed fairly for his quad flip in-combination. And, of course, seeing the two fiances surprise one another with their reworked Free Skates2 had been adorable. But the reality was that thinking even fleetingly about next season was daunting. They’d already lost Seung-Gil to the bullshit, and Phichit wouldn’t have been surprised if similar announcements were to follow all throughout the off-season. In fact, Yuuri had hinted to him that he might want to take a half-season break. His phone buzzed from inside the convenient pocket of his yukata, and a frisson of excitement ran up his spine once he saw who it was from.

Seung-Gil
Not gonna lie, what I’m about to say is probably the ultimate betrayal to my countrymen, but… #fuck them anyway taiyaki > bungeoppangFor one thing, taiyaki are bigger, and I’m a numbers man. Why wouldn’t I prefer 1.5 times the ice cream for ⅔ of the cost I could get it for here? But for whatever reason, Koreans insist we’re the superior ice cream snack producers #make it make senseAlso, that print is cool. I wonder if they’d have a husky one.

“Ooh, yet another point for Seung-Gil, Yuuri!” he crowed, angling his phone to show him.Yuuri leaned in to read from his screen and then gave him a wry look.“You don’t have to keep a point tally, Phichit-kun,” he said, before playfully shoving him. “I never said or even meant to imply that I don’t like Seung-Gil. I think it’s really great that he’s started opening up to you and that you’re getting along. I just don’t know that we’re ever gonna get there. We’re both kind of awkward, so...”Phichit laughed before pocketing his phone, making a mental note to reply later. He hadn’t actually expected Seung-Gil to respond to the picture he’d sent of him in his yukata, double-fisting taiyaki, but it had been a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. While they weren’t at the point of messaging every day, their back and forth texting a few times a week was a massive improvement over March’s complete radio silence, and the first half of April’s mere blips of contact. Though the beginning of his and Seung-Gil’s… friendship? (Is that what they were, friends?Most likely; acquaintances probably didn’t get into extensive back and forths over A Definitive Ranking of All Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Flavors, only to then follow this up with an exchange of video clips with real-time tasting, only to then follow that up with a deep dive into Reddit to back up one’s ranking choices, with the inevitable ‘Everything But The’ flavor coming out on top.…right?)In any case, though the start of his and Seung-Gil’s friendship had kicked off with the latter man grumbling about how persistent he was in his attempts to reach out, Phichit noted that he was now no longer the one always initiating.Three days ago, Seung-Gil had sent him several pictures of Gwihan, unprompted, accompanied by a hilarious story centering around his efforts to convince her veterinarian that he was actually limiting her sweets intake. (He wasn’t). “Here we go, three iced lattes, plus some nice cold sōmen for Phichit, since he hasn’t had it yet!” Viktor’s jubilant voice broke him out of his musings, and he turned to see him having returned to their group with his arms full of goodies and his heart-shaped smile out in full-force.“Woah, thanks!” Phichit chirruped, reaching out excitedly for the snack he’d picked out for him.Whereas Viktor’s slightly grown-out, starlight-colored tresses had been loose beforehand, he saw that they were now up in a tiny bun, and grinned at the poodle clip that was holding his longer bangs up. As someone who had always found the gender binary rather boring, Phichit had experienced the utmost admiration around the retired skater’s recent brave admission around his gender fluidity, and personally thought he was rocking the longer hair look. Yuuri had told him (with a faraway, dreamy expression) that he’d probably be growing it out to the length he’d had it during his teen years, which was a prospect Phichit knew he was thrilled about. Even before he’d found out the true backstory from his own fiance, Yuuri had always maintained the impression that Viktor’s “choice” to cut his hair hadn’t really been3 a choice at all.He grinned, remembering that time back in Detroit, when he’d once stumbled upon a fanfic Yuuri had written about his efforts to become the world’s foremost wigmaker, all in order to capture the attention of a lock-bereft Viktor circa 2013, and get him to fall hopelessly in love with him. He’d only read the summary, but had adored the aside that wigmaker Yuuri had had to resort to getting Vicchan to model his creations, not being able to afford payment for real models. As he popped a bite of cold sōmen into his mouth, Phichit’s resolve to extend his trip only increased; how could he go back home when he still had an entire palate’s worth of interesting new foods like this to try? Celestino would understand; he’d actually been urging him to do so, anyway. “Thoughts?” Viktor asked him, with a grin. “Vkusno!” he exclaimed, cheekily, before whipping his phone back out. This definitely merited another selfie for Seung-Gil.  …
Phichit’s room, Chulanont family home (Bangkok, Thailand) – early July, 2018

Phichit exhaled, deeply.It was a little disheartening to realize how drained he felt after only 1 hour on Reddit. Though he’d enjoyed himself, and truly had missed interacting with his fans, it was nothing short of exhausting to determine what questions were appropriate for him to answer, and how much he should say. That question from ‘TheKingAndTheCheeseGrater’ about the rescheduled medal ceremony and gala exhibition had been particularly tricky. He probably could have written at least ten paragraphs around his support for Yuuri’s decision to attend, as well as Seung-Gil’s not to, but he would never want to violate their sense of privacy. Plus, his feelings around the reschedule were complicated; he knew that very few skaters on the Men’s Circuit (probably only Yuri Plisetsky, actually) would begrudge him for his choice to attend, but still, a part of him felt guilty for even wanting to be there in the first place…the freakin’ Korean Olympic Committee was hosting it! Why would he even choose to be in any kind of proximity to those sleazebags? Phichit knew it was unfair to view the entire institution as corrupt, and yet…the “apology” they’d extended to Seung-Gil two weeks ago had felt completely half-assed. Whereas before, he might have been somewhat removed from it, but now, he’d seen on a very tangible level how that had affected him.Indeed, just the day before the apology’s public release, Seung-Gil had texted him that he finally felt like he was ready to contemplate a possible return to the ice in time for Nationals, in December. Phichit had whooped for joy, and had to stop himself in the middle of his reflex response of texting Yuuri the news; it wasn’t his to share, after all. But then, the KOC’s Executive Board had issued the most tepid, minimizing bullshit of an apology, after which he hadn’t heard from Seung-Gil for an entire week. At that point, such a period of silence was unusual; somewhere in the middle of May, the realization had struck that they’d started messaging every single day. When he’d finally gotten back in touch, Phichit had been relieved to learn that 1) Seung-Gil was still interested in exploring a return to the ice/coaching options, and 2) that he was hoping to get his help with his search. Specifically, he was hoping that Phichit could put in a good word for him with Celestino, so that Ciao Ciao could offer some suggestions from his extensive network. Phichit had no doubt that his coach would be willing to help; he actually seemed glad that they’d struck up a friendship, a fact that he knew was in no small part due to Ciao Ciao’s disdain for Park Min-So and her coaching style (i.e. the ‘berate him at every opportunity and offer no emotional support’ method). Moreover, his coach had seemed proud of him when Phichit had shared his ideas around reworking his gala exhibition program. Anyone who watched him come August would assume that it was a skate wholly about his friendship with Yuuri, but in a surprisingly short period, Seung-Gil, too, had come to occupy a key place in his life. The more he’d learned about him, the more he’d come to understand just how desperate and suffocating a grip the intertwined forces of loneliness and expectation had on the Korean skater’s mind; in many ways, there seemed to be heartbreaking parallels to Viktor’s past. Seung-Gil seemed to have built up his emotional walls so high that he hadn’t even really been aware of how lonely he’d grown over time. Until the last few months, when the scandal of the Olympics/their aftermath had fully come to light.Phichit was well aware that under different circumstances, their connection might never have come to fruition. Indeed, given Seung-Gil’s reservedness, if it weren’t for another cataclysmic event on par with something like what had happened in Pyeongchang, the other man might never have had reason to open up to him as much as he’d begun doing, lately. It was hard to explain, but he had certain mannerisms and ways of framing things that gave Phichit the distinct impression that there was something about their fledgling relationship that felt almost… cathartic for Seung-Gil. As if he had built up a reserve of years and years’ worth of suppressed emotions and feelings and thoughts with nobody around to express them to, and now that he finally had someone who he’d realized he was willing to confide in, that it was hard for him to keep from holding back. That kind of “pressure” might have felt more paralyzing to Phichit if he 1) hadn’t been able to confide in Yuuri and Viktor around it, and 2) if he hadn’t been aware that Seung-Gil had started meeting with a trauma-informed therapist, back in March. He knew the other man wasn’t fragile, per se, but even so, Phichit was wary of fucking things up.He refused to be careless with what, simultaneously, felt like one of the most important and tenuous friendships he’d ever cultivated. 
Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
A smile crept over his face as Celestino’s FaceTime video invitation popped up. His coach was currently visiting family in the Amalfi coast, but had told him that he’d be keeping an eye on his AMA to figure out an appropriate time to call.“Hi Celestino!” he chorused, as Ciao Ciao came into view. The other man’s luxuriously thick hair was hanging freely about his shoulders, and he looked cheerful, holding up a glass of what looked to be white wine in a “toast” gesture towards the camera. He appeared to be sitting on some kind of terrace, and Phichit could see what looked to be cute bungalows and a shoreline in the background. “Ciao Ciao, Phichit! Your ‘All My Asks’ was great,” Celestino greeted him. At this, Phichit felt his lips twitch; his coach wasn’t really much of a Redditor, and the whole platform seemed to kind of confuse him. “Very close, coach. It’s ‘Ask Me Anything’, but you get several points for trying,” he replied. “Did you post a question? I was trying to see if I could suss out your very secretive username. There was a person on there with the name ‘HairSoLustrousIWillNevergoBald’, and I was almost positive that was you.”Celestino barked a laugh and Phichit felt himself grin in response, glad that he seemed to be in a good mood. Given his fondness for Yuuri, the other man had taken the ICAS investigation findings rather badly. His protective instincts made complete sense, but even still, it had somewhat put Phichit on edge the last several weeks; it was hard to know what kind of emotional state he’d be in would be in. “I’m afraid my username is pretty boring, compared to that,” Ciao Ciao replied, before sipping his wine. “And no, I didn’t ask a question. To be honest, I didn’t want to clutter up the feed. You were very popular! Not surprising…I think the fans have missed you.”Phichit smiled and scratched the back of his head, feeling a little uncomfortable. He didn’t want to voice what was actually running through his mind, as it would likely dampen the mood…While he was sure his fans had indeed missed him due to his decreased online presence, he wouldn’t have been surprised if there had been posters in his AMA session that barely knew of him. Given how little information had come out of official channels, it was more likely that people were just starved for news or updates from anyone around how things really were shaking out, this bizarre off-season.“I’ve missed them, too, but it was honestly a little stressful,” he finally said, after a bit too much silence had passed. “I was half expecting an army of people with usernames like ‘Don’tBeASellout’ to take over and just, like…berate me for not having done more, the last few weeks.”At this, Celestino’s face changed, and a shadow briefly flickered across his sunny disposition. “You can’t think like that, Phichit,” he said, shaking his head.His words sounded just this side of stern, and he felt a flicker of guilt for hinting at this, yet again. “I watched you work harder this past season than I ever have, and all of that relentlessness paid off; your first ever Olympics, and you came in fifth place! You not only met, but far exceeded your goals for the season.”When he spoke next, it was with a much more somber tone. “You deserve to fully rest and recover, what without having to solve the IOC or ISU’s problems for them. I admire Yuuri and Viktor’s attitudes, I really do…but those bureaucrats get paid way too much money to have athletes doing their jobs for them,” he went on, darkly, before continuing to sip at his wine. The subject was one they’d touched on heavily, during that three week period in between the Disciplinary Commission claimants’ briefings with ISU President/Vice-Presidents Dijkema and Lakernik, and the meeting of the ISU Congressional Session in early June. By way of Yuuri and Viktor’s exhaustive efforts, an online petition had begun circulating only 48 hours after that initial briefing, demanding that Dijkema delay the Session4 so that they as claimants might be able to organize some kind of advocacy agenda for voting consideration. But, in yet another episode of “Politicians Apparently Don’t Give A Single Damn These Days”, Dijkema and the rest of the leadership refused to engage, which had prompted Celestino to personally get involved. Along with eight other well-known coaches in the Men’s Singles Division, Ciao Ciao had hosted a no-holds-barred press conference that had coincided with the Session’s opening. During it, JJ, Christophe, Leo, Viktor, Yuuri, and several others had read brief statements, utterly lambasting the ISU for their willful ignorance of the petition, and their complete lack of transparency around the future penalties that would be doled out to the responsible parties.While an invitation had been extended to Men’s Singles competitors, broadly, Phichit had found himself unable to muster up the energy to take part. Despite everyone’s reassurances that there would be plenty more opportunities to engage in advocacy going forward, it was a decision he still felt extremely guilty about, particularly given how Viktor and Yuuri had devoted themselves so fully to demanding answers. “And, sadly, they’ll continue to get paid gobs of money with this travesty of a gala exhibition,” Celestino now said, before snorting, derisively.Perhaps knowing how his words might have come across, he hurried to qualify his statement.“But that doesn’t mean I’m saying we shouldn’t attend! You absolutely deserve to have your moment, Phichit. In fact, if you’d told me you were thinking of skipping, I would have guilt-tripped you into it,” Ciao Ciao said, with a wry grin.He was relieved for the slight shift in topic, towards the subject they’d intended to discuss: his exhibition skate, which would be set to the Jezabels’ song All You Need. They’d been working on putting it together the last few weeks, but still hadn’t decided on his jumping passes. Given the intended tributes to Yuuri and Seung-Gil, he’d decided to borrow choreography from both of their PyeongChang Free Programs, but still hadn’t decided on the order of elements. “Thanks, Celestino,” he said with a smile, before reaching for his notebook. “So here’s what I’m thinking…”

End of Chapter 11

Up Next: In Chapter 12, we return to the present, for the kick-off of the Beijing Winter Olympics’ Men’s Singles Team Skate. I’m excited to get to the start of the actual competition! This one will be a Yuuri POV chapter. 
 Footnotes:1. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment for a male, translating to “teddy bear”Back 2. This is a reference back to Chapter 6, if you need a refresherBack 3. I may have already mentioned this headcanon, but as a reminder, Viktor did not actually want to cut his hair, but rather was forced by his federation. This would have been around February 2009, just in time for World’s. Given the Sochi Games the following year, World’s 2009 would have been the competition the FFKKR would have used to justify their Olympic picksBack 4. I touched on this in Chapter 9, in case you need to look back to rememberBack

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Athlete Stretching Area (Group 2), Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) – February 5th, 2022

Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Singles Team Event

Competitor (LAST NAME, First); Group #

Nation

BERGER, Saul; Group 1

Germany

LEROY, Jean-Jacques; Group 1

Canada

KUCERA, Marek; Group 1

Czech Republic

JI, Guang-Hong; Group 1

China

ALOUDA, Alex; Group 2

France

KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV, Yuuri; Group 2

Japan

KAPANADZE, Levan; Group 2

Georgia

DE LA IGLESIA, Leo; Group 2

United States

CRISPINO, Michele; Group 2

Italy

“...which is why I’m convinced Mila’s avoiding me. Is it too much to ask that I be kept in the loop? She’s proposing to my sister , after all,” Mickey grumbled, stepping even more deeply into his lunge. A moment passed before the three others present exchanged silent looks to decide who would be the first to respond. Yuuri gave Viktor a grateful smile when he intimated his willingness to deal with the (predictably) irritable Italian skater. He was only really half-listening to Mickey, anyway; the first skater in Group 2 – Alex Alouda1 of Team France – would be called to take the ice any moment now, and Yuuri would be skating directly afterwards.“Have you ever thought about – and I’m just spitballing here, Mickey – not giving Mila the evil eye every time she brings up the gala exhibition?” Viktor asked, directing a thoroughly unimpressed look at him before switching sides to pull on his other leg. “Sara doesn’t even suspect anything – as she shouldn’t, given that Mila would kill us all if we ruin the surprise – but I’m guessing your death glaring might have something to do with what your sister describes as your quote-unquote ‘recent spate of moodiness and melodrama’,” his husband went on. Yuuri and Leo both tried to stifle their laughter at his wryness, but didn’t seem to have done a good job, judging by the scowl Mickey threw their way. “I agree,” Leo chimed in after composing himself, gripping even more firmly to the wall behind him. “Just because you, personally , think public engagements are tacky doesn’t mean that Sara will. She loves big romantic gestures.”Currently, he, Viktor, Mickey, and Leo were the only ones in the group 2 stretching area, as Alex had already been called to wait near the boards, and Levan was touching up his hair and makeup in the dressing room. The Group 1 skaters had already performed, and as they could all see from the large TV mounted to the wall, most of them had gone to sit in their respective nation’s seating boxes. The screen flashed over to where a tense-looking Guang-Hong appeared to be in discussion with his coach. Though Yuuri had chosen not to watch any of the prior performances, Leo had mentioned Guang-Hong’s unfortunate near-fall on his quad toe-loop, which apparently had been due to his blade catching on a hole in the ice. Despite the error, the Chinese skater had still managed a very respectable 88.43 points for his program. Immediately after coming off of the ice, he had insisted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) inspect the rink before group 2 was due to perform, which is how he, Alex, Levan, Leo and Mickey had gotten some unexpected extra time to stretch out. “Of course you’d say that, Leo…we all know you’re biased. Apart from Phichit, you’re the first person to tweet about any of these two’s antics,” Mickey crankily retorted, nodding towards him and Viktor, before starting to windmill his arms even faster. “Skating’s favorite ice husbands make big romantic gestures every other day.”The billowy design of his chiffon, gem-encrusted, navy-blue bell-sleeves made it such that there was a real risk of potential injury, and Leo was wise to step back, putting some distance between where he was running through some footwork from his program. “Guilty as charged,” his love responded, in a dreamy, musing tone. “But at least for this year, we didn’t want to risk outshining Mila, so we’re saving our grand romantic gestures for Valentine’s Day, as well as the banquet.”At this, Leo made a soft awww ing sound, and Yuuri grinned, much preferring the schedule for this Olympic cycle versus last time around. With the Men’s individual event finishing up with the Free Skate on the 11th, it meant that he and Viktor could actually celebrate Valentine’s Day without any anxieties around the competition looming ahead. Before Mickey could return to his griping, Levan Kapanadze2 entered their midst, and the surrounding air instantly changed, crackling with suspicion and inimicality. Yuuri could immediately feel the tension in Viktor’s fingers, which were wrapped around his ankle. Wiggling his foot a bit, he didn’t even have to say anything before his spouse was returning his meaningful gaze and stooping down to grab his skate bag. In near-perfect synchronization, they turned to wave at Leo and Mickey, and exited the room. As they passed, Yuuri determinedly avoided locking eyes with the surly Georgian-Russian skater. He had, of course, been familiar with Kapanadze as a competitor prior to April 2021, but he’d always struck him as someone that liked to fly under the radar, perhaps due to his very controversial coach. They hadn’t exactly been friends, but had generally had pleasant, if short interactions. That is, until Levan began dating a Russian ice dancer in 2020. Once the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had released the list of qualifying nations for Beijing’s Team Event, it seemed like hardly a week went by that Yuuri didn’t see the 26-year-old’s combative remarks in the press. Given the IOC’s eventual decision to ban the Russian and Korean skating federations’ presence at the 2022 and 2026 Games, it was hardly a surprise to anyone that the two nations would not be eligible to compete in the Team Event. Nonetheless, Levan began to vociferously demand on Twitter that “fellow Russians like Yuri Plisetsky” be allowed to compete. They all knew he didn’t actually give a damn about Yuri; he just wanted his girlfriend to be able to secure an additional chance at securing a medal at the Games. Of course, Yuuri wished that there were some way for Yura, Seung-Gil, and the other eligible Korean/Russian athletes to be able to take part, but he was conflicted around it, as well; given the tepid response right up until the IOC’s ruling had come out, the outright banning of both federations had finally signaled that accountability for the 2018 scandal was actually being prioritized. Given all of their work towards regulatory reform, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs had found it encouraging that global sport’s most powerful governing body had issued consequences that were actually punitive (and didn’t just allow those countries’ athletes to compete under some ridiculous moniker like “the Olympic Athletes from Korea”, or “the Olympic Athletes from Russia”).For his part, Yurio had been horrified by Levan’s inflammatory comments. These days, both he and Seung-Gil wanted as little as possible to do with their federations or National Olympic Committees, so their inability to take part in the Team Event had actually come as a relief. Yura had eventually called on his FFKKR publicist, Irina, to hold a press conference. During it, he and Viktor spoke plainly regarding how damaging it was for the Georgian skater to so vocally urge the IOC to renege on its penalty measures. Then, when Kapanadze had chosen to make things personal, attacking Team France’s Alouda – who he claimed was ‘stealing’ Russia’s spot – Viktor had released a very frank video via their SkateHusbands YouTube channel, utterly excoriating him. Yuuri still remembered the quiet, glacial fury in his husband’s azure eyes, and the trenchant, methodical manner in which he’d made the case for upholding (and even strengthening) the IOC’s ruling. It had been undeniably hot.Unfortunately, it had also made their group’s 6-minute warmup, which had finished just ten minutes ago, unbearably tense. Though he’d tried to give Levan a wide berth, it had seemed like the Georgian skater had been going out of his way to openly glare at Viktor and Alex, and had even begun circling close to where he had been practicing his quad lutz entries. The few times Yuuri had gone over to the boards to consult with his coach around something, they could each feel eyeballs laser-focused on their backs, branding them with rancor. About half-way through the warm-up, he noticed that Mickey had literally put himself in between them both, a gesture he’d been incredibly thankful for. As he now met Viktor’s gaze, Yuuri nodded as he saw how he was holding his phone and earbuds out to him. Though the IOC didn’t appear to be done with their ice inspection, it was time to start getting into the right headspace, which meant doing visualization exercises and listening to his program music. As the synthy, electro-pop beat of the song that had been written just for this occasion blanketed Yuuri’s eardrums, he lost himself to the enthralling melody. The experience of getting one of his favorite singers to co-write a song3 with him dedicated to Viktor, and for his exclusive use this season had been nothing short of surreal. It was due to a rinkmate back in Detroit that he’d first become familiar with Little Dragon. From his first listen all the way through Ritual Union (and then through the entirety of the band’s discography), Yuuri had envisioned so many programs coming to life on the ice against the backdrop of Yukimi Nagano’s mesmerizing voice. Given the group’s uniquely off-kilter brand of electro-pop experimentation, their sound had reminded him in so many ways of his longtime idol: riveting, unapologetic, and boundary-pushing. When he and Viktor had begun getting to know one another in 2016, it hadn’t taken too long for them to begin learning about each other’s music tastes. His love had, similarly, become enamored with Little Dragon’s sound, and had encouraged him every now and then to reach out to the band to get their permission for song rights to skate to. Yuuri had always shrugged off the suggestion, too terrified at how his self-esteem might suffer if they never replied, or worse, outright refused to allow him to perform to their music.And then, in the summer of 2018 – just two weeks after he’d announced his intention to take a half-season break – he’d received the surprise of his life. He’d been taking a shower in their old apartment back in St. Petersburg, when Viktor, Makka, and Meni had burst into the room, proclaiming his name (and barking) with such an urgency that Yuuri had immediately slipped, only just managing to catch himself on the grab-rail. A good minute or so of confusion followed (during which time he had to impress upon Makka and Meni that arm flailing to save oneself from a catastrophic fall was, actually, not , in fact, a fun game), but once he’d taken in the news, he’d basically lost control of all his limbs in excitement, anyway.Yukimi Nagano was a fan of his!!! And not only was she a fan, as evidenced by her tweet of glowing praise around his Free Skate at World’s (complimenting his skating, yes, but also his singing… what the fuckkkkk ), but once Viktor had replied back to her – noting that Yuuri was a huge fan of hers as well – she’d responded to him in under a minute. In a message that seemed more like something his excitable fiance would have written, rather than the effortless cool that Yukimi seemed to exude at all times, she’d noted how thrilled she’d be to meet them both. Though Yuuri’s stomach had twisted into knots for the entirety of the two weeks prior to their first Skype session, Little Dragon’s frontwoman had thoroughly disarmed the two of them. The way she’d gushed over his and Viktor’s careers and pair skates, mentioning that she found their love story ‘utterly inspiring and poetic’, had hardly seemed real. When Yuuri had, at one point, mustered up the courage to note that their sound reminded him of his creative genius fiance, Yukimi had actually looked a bit slack-jawed.They’d kept in touch over the next several months, and at Viktor’s insistence, Yuuri had invited her and the rest of the band to come watch him compete at the All-Japan National Championships in December 2018, marking his triumphant return to the ice. Once they’d actually met and exchanged phone numbers, things had grown even more unbelievable; when the band penned the love song ‘Water’, they’d asked the newly married Katsuki-Nikiforovs in the summer of 2019 if they would consider developing a pair-skate to it and starring in the music video, to be shot the following spring. It had been one of the easiest decisions of their lives, and though April 2020 had been a hectic month given their 1 year wedding anniversary trip to Italy, their second time hosting the “Viktor and Friends” ice show in Hasetsu, and the beginning of Yura’s 3-week trial period under Viktor and Taku, they’d managed to fit in the 3-day shoot. Things were made infinitely easier when Yukimi, Erik, Fredrik and Håkan agreed to fly to Japan, rather than making them travel. After wrapping the shoot, they’d convinced the whole band to join them for a night of dinner and karaoke, which is how Yuuri found himself singing live in front of his favorite singer: something he later learned had been an orchestrated maneuver on his spouse’s part . Not having any recollection of the previous night, he’d woken up to an exclamation-peppered spate of WhatsApp messages from Yukimi, enthusing that it would make her dreams come true if they could collaborate on a songwriting session. After a mini-breakdown, and a two-hour-long scream-cry session with Phichit where he couldn’t decide whether or not to be mad at Viktor, Yuuri had messaged her back, telling her that while songwriting was something he’d only ever done as a solo venture, that he was willing to give it a shot if she truly was interested in working together. He’d discovered, then, that Little Dragon’s frontwoman was not the kind of person who made flippant promises.Just three months later, she was back in Fukuoka, and Yuuri, still mired in grief over Makka’s death, had found the words and melodies pouring out of him almost as soon as they’d sat down together. While the more polished product was what ended up becoming the deceptively happy-sounding song Tumbling Dice their more informal experimentation – inspired by his and Viktor’s relationship – was what had culminated in his Short Program music. And, of course, because he’d learned a thing or two from his ever-surprising husband, Yuuri had decided to keep the collaboration a secret, right up until he’d had to begin developing his programs. While he’d done many things over the years to surprise Viktor, he’d been particularly proud of that reveal, making sure to film his reaction so that he could send it to the entire band. (Of course, he’d edited out the part where Viktor had tackle-kissed him on the ice as soon as the last beats had faded out.)Smiling at the memory, Yuuri allowed himself to get lost in his program’s mix of supple, flowy movements, as well as the sharper, more grounded choreography towards the end. These contrasts were meant to evoke the duality of Viktor’s impact on him: his love’s awe-inspiring ability to make him feel carefree and lighter-than-air, as well as tethered to reality, content in the knowledge that everything would be ok as long as they faced life’s challenges together. Viktor’s warm hands on his waist broke him out of his thoughts, but only slightly. It was time.Up to this point, Yuuri’s anxiety had felt surprisingly contained, but as he followed his spouse down the adjoining hallway, he sensed that familiar, teeming mass of snakes in his stomach coming alive. He wondered if he should have brought Meni today, after all. He’d been able to get their toy poodle certified as an emotional support animal by way of both his doctor and Suko’s recommendation several years back, so had gotten used to having the pup around at competition venues at least a few times a season. At the same time, he always felt guilty separating Meni and Goya, so tried not to do it too often.As they were enveloped by the overwhelming din of the rarefied competition rink, he turned the volume up on Viktor’s phone. His own was tucked away in his coach’s pocket, where it had been on silent for the last half-hour. This was one of the strategies that they’d adopted over the years. Now, if anyone needed to get ahold of him in those precious thirty minutes before he stepped onto the ice, they had to go through Viktor, first, who was left to make the executive decision of whether or not to relay whatever came through. His gaze downcast as he walked, Yuuri wheeled around as soon as they were by the rink entry gate. At his feet, his husband began to unpack his skate bag. First, he handed him his water bottle. Next, he lined up their three tissue box holders, resembling their late Makka, as well as Meni and Goya. Finally, he pressed his lucky katsudon neck pillow to the front of Yuuri’s Team Japan warmup jacket. He squeezed it, tightly, before beginning to do some deep breathing.  As gasps and groans from the audience (likely signaling a bad fall or an invalid element) broke through the pulsing beat in his ears, he leaned against his coach, wanting to soak up as much of his reassurance as possible. As Viktor shifted the katsudon pillow so that they could properly hug, his chest thrummed with an acute mix of exhilaration and nerves, as well as wistfulness. Four years ago at the PyeongChang Games, he had similarly been selected by the Japan Skating Federation (JSF) to perform his Short in the Team Event. Despite his last-minute vomit-session in the bathroom beforehand, Yuuri had done well enough to put Team Japan in third place. Sava, Ianna, and Viktor had hovered outside the stall, worriedly, as his stomach had twisted and knotted, eventually forcing him to vacate the entire day’s worth of meals. Sava had been a bit scandalized around Ianna’s presence in the men’s restroom, but when the soft-spoken Yubileyny jump coach had locked eyes with her, she had just barked at him to get over himself: a moment that Yuuri and his love had later been certain was the catalyst for Sava’s full-blown descent into besottedness. He grinned into Viktor’s shoulder at the memory and angled his head, scanning the stands for the engaged couple, as well as his other friends and family.He didn’t have to search for long. Heart squeezing at the sight of the three promised gigantic posters of him – around 13 feet in width, and six feet in height, meaning the bottoms were cut off, folding in on themselves – Yuuri was overcome with fondness for the sizable cheering squad that had amassed up above.While he could only see the very tops of people’s heads, he was pretty sure that one poster (depicting the various stages of him entering and exiting a quad lutz) was being held up by Otabek, Yura, Niko, Christophe, and Masumi. A second, bearing the slightly blurred image of him in a pretty impressive-looking sit-spin was “floating” by way of Minako-sensei, Mari-nēchan, Amara, and Yuuko. The final one showed him coming out of what was now known as the “Katsuki Combo” (his signature quad-flip/triple-toe loop combo), and was upright courtesy of Phichit, Seung-Gil, Mila, and Sara. Then, there were many others who were clapping and waving wildly at him (both of his parents, Mohit, Oleg and Petra, Ivanna, Yakov and Lilia) or clutching chibi plushies of him to their chests (Maxim, Ianna and Sava, Takeshi and the Nishigori triplets, Aviva and Georgi). And, of course, when he looked over to where the Team Japan box seats were, he could hardly contain his laughter, as all six occupants – Taku, Kenjirou, Izumi, Wakaba, Riku, and Ryuichi – were holding katsudon bowl plushies, miming taking huge bites of them with imaginary chopsticks. His vision blurred as he took in the proud and steady support of all of his various loved ones.As he swiped at his eyes (being sure not to dislodge his contact lenses), he took a moment to be grateful for their fervent belief in him. Nudging Viktor, the two of them made heart-hands, laughing when Izumi almost toppled over in her excitement to return the gesture. Far too soon, the roar of the audience all around them signaled Alex’s skate having come to an end, and reluctantly, Yuuri pulled out of his spouse’s arms and took out his earbuds. Though he sensed a flurry of activity all around them – Coach Alouda (Alex’s father) readying his son’s skate guards, the Team France skaters and coaches cheering from their box seats as the two walked over to receive the scores, various fans in the audience waving banners – he only had eyes for Viktor. His husband watched, appreciatively, as he unzipped his warmup jacket and tugged off his side-button track pants, revealing the costume he’d poured so much symbolism into. Between this and his Free Skate outfit, it was hard for Yuuri to decide which one he preferred. In different ways, they both embodied his spirit, and everything he cherished…everything that drove him. Their Shinto wedding ceremony back in April of 2019 had been one of the most beautiful experiences of his life, and he knew that any program dedicated to Viktor had to be based around its elements. For one thing, the entirety of his back was taken up by a silkscreen and black mesh print of the two of them standing in front of Kagami-jinja shrine, in a stunningly detailed replication of one of their favorite pictures from that day.The delicate, swirling gold brushstrokes on his hakama-adjacent black pants (which matched his haori-adjacent black jacket) represented the sweeping movements of the Hasetsu miko: the two shrine maidens that had danced just after the High Priest’s blessing, in a ritual done to keep Empress Jingū (the shrine’s main deity) in a good mood during the ceremony. Running three-quarters of the way down the insides of his arms, his brilliant costume designers had managed to affix fascinatingly realistic-looking red tulle/evergreen sakaki branches, complete with fabric strips modeled to look like the rice-paper ones that had been part of their real tamagushi offerings.And finally, the commemoration of their sake purification ritual – “three sips from three cups”, or nan-nan-san-ku-do – was showcased through the 3 different sections of woven red, silver, and gold gemstone “threads” that encircled his wrists and neck. There were 3 bands stacked one on top of the other, just above his collarbone, as well as 3 bands on each wrist.“Stunning as always, Yuranya,” Viktor said, reverently, before folding his warmup jacket over his arm. Yuuri gave him a small smile before reaching down to take off his guards, the gold of his blades gleaming brightly as ever. Shortly before the season had begun, his love had gifted him a set of new ones, emblazoned with the word ‘champion’, both in Cyrillic and kanji. Grabbing a tissue from ‘Makka’, he stepped onto the ice a foot at a time. As he blew his nose, he spun in quick circles right in front of where Viktor was standing. The audience’s sudden applause – moderate in volume, suggesting that Alex’s score had fallen somewhere in the middle of the pack – reverberated throughout the packed stands. As the commentators began to read out the French skater’s point total, Yuuri leaned forwards to rest his forehead against Viktor’s. “I love you, moy radnoy4. You’ll watch me?” he asked, knowing how ridiculous a question it was. This, too, however, had become part of his pre-skate “ritual” over the years. His coach’s penetrating gaze bore into his own. Those azure eyes held a palpably fierce resoluteness that Yuuri allowed himself to sink into as he watched his lips move in reply. “I love you too, anata5, for always. And of course: I could never take my eyes off of you.”Their mouths then met for a few sacred seconds, after which they kissed their wedding rings in perfect unison. Just as he spun around to face the ice, the commentators introduced him. “Our sixth skater represents Japan…Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov!!”It didn’t matter how many times he’d heard it, Yuuri always got goosebumps when he heard those 6 syllables that made up their married name, his blood thrumming in his veins with adoration and awe. He channeled those twin surges of emotion as he raised his hands to wave to the crowd.He then skated towards his starting position mark. Right before he looked down at his skates, he allowed himself to find his Team Japan peers’ faces once more, wanting to ground himself in the reminder of their adrenaline and exhilaration. As his music began to pulse over the rink sound system, Yuuri’s thoughts narrowed to just two points of focus: the expression on his spouse’s face as he’d kissed his wedding ring, and the location of his body in space as he leaned into muscle memory, thus losing himself in the song that had grown so dear to him over the last year-and-a-half. While this version was heavily synthesized, the surprise edition that he’d be using in the individual event, the one Viktor still hadn’t heard, was entirely acoustic. That choice had been a deliberate one, allowing the true nature of his final surprise to shine through: Yuuri’s own vocals, commanding the melody.As his feet began to move in confident sweeps of expressive footwork, his mind went blissfully blank. Pure emotion took over, instead.   
[Make me laugh ‘til I die

I stand beside you with pride

With you, I feel everything come alive]
 Those first three lines that Yukimi sang saw him replicating the opening of Viktor’s “comeback season” Free Skate, when his love had performed to Joy Williams’ ‘Till Forever’. Indeed, Yuuri could think of no better encapsulation of the sentiment “I stand beside you with pride”, as it had been that very program that had pushed him to win his first World’s title in March 2017, thereby allowing him to stand side-by-side with Viktor on the podium for the very first time. 
[Ooh, I, see your true sides

It don’t matter to me

All these material needs

Got us fooled, why?]
 His quad lutz – which they’d timed the landing for right as Yukimi began the line “Ooh, I, see your true sides” at nineteen seconds in – was a tribute to the 2018 Games. As he landed it with a crisp schick! – his arms held in tight, his body all lean lines in mid-air – every beat of his heart thrummed with gratitude. Because as much as the scandal had upended their lives, it had also fortified their partnership, forcing them to lean on one another. The elaborate footwork for those next few lines was playful and joyous: a reflection of Yuuri’s half-season break, which had been a time for him and his newly-retired fiance to truly slow down and enjoy each other’s presence as well as to prepare for their new beginning in Fukuoka. 
[Gold’s on the inside

Elevated my feet

Only your love will set me free]
 Jubilation carried him into a triumphant, lighter-than-air split jump, timed so that he’d be buoyant to correspond with Yukimi’s “elevated my feet” line.  
[Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

My rich life nothing no man can buy]
 In his feeding off of the appreciation from the audience reaction, he may have slightly rushed the transitions that carried him into his triple axel, but was able to get back into the correct flow of his elements soon after. The triple’s landing was timed 42 seconds in, on the phrasing “rich life”. It felt fluid, and strong, and Yuuri took a split-second to bask in the adrenaline surge that came from proving his consistency at skating’s most difficult jump type.  
[Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

It’s heartfelt, overflowing inside]
 His first spin, a camel forward with a catch foot variation (which was Viktor’s personal favorite of all the side-by-side spins they did during their pair skates), began on the phrasing “overflowing inside”. As Yuuri whipped around faster and faster, he truly did feel like he was overflowing with breathless, earnest admiration for his brilliant Vitya. Earlier in the season, when he hadn’t had as strong a mastery of his routine’s flow, his husband had asked him if he’d wanted to swap out for a different spin to make things easier on himself. But Yuuri was nothing if not obstinate; in a tribute to Viktor, he had to include his love’s favorite of all of their “pair skating” favorites.  
[Gold on my skin, gold everything

Gold on my skin, gold covering

Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

It’s heartfelt overflowing]
 Coming out of his spin, he rounded the side of the rink in long, rapid strides, which marked the song’s major tone-shift to the bridge, and the half-way point of his program. From here on out, the multiplier effect would take place, and in order to be strategic to save enough energy for his demanding step sequence, they’d positioned his quad flip/triple toe-loop to come only seconds afterwards. 
[Your heart so kind

Your presence so bright

With you, I feel everything wake to life]
Just before the word “presence”, he launched himself into the air, his blades touching down in perfect sync with the word “bright”. As Yuuri followed the clean landing’s natural momentum into his triple toe-loop, his heart ached, thinking of his kind and charismatic spouse. Indeed, Viktor often spoke of how their relationship had transformed him, allowing him to realize the positive traits he already possessed: ones he’d suppressed for so long, given how his parents had ridiculed him over them, growing up. Yuuri often wanted to weep when he thought of his soft-hearted, larger-than-life Vitya, led to believe that if he just crushed his greatest strengths, he’d finally earn Ilia and Sonya Nikiforov’s elusory validation. Coming out of his jump-combo, he immediately transitioned into his step sequence.It started off with measured, deliberate footwork borrowed from their most recent favorite pair skate, which they’d debuted at World’s last year (set to Maggie Rogers’ ‘Love You For A Long Time’). The more unhurriednature of the first twenty seconds of that sequence fit well with this part of the melody, but as the bridge’s end – as signaled by the 2-second downward cascade6 of notes that preceded the chorus’ repeat – approached, Yuuri’s movement’s took on a distinctly more lively edge.  
[It don’t matter to me

All these material needs

Got us fooled, why?

Gold’s on the inside

Elevated my feet

Only your love will set me free]
 With the transition back to the chorus, his footwork became sharper and tighter, less sweeping and romantic.  
[Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

My rich life nothing no man can buy

Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

It’s heartfelt overflowing inside]
 With only thirty seconds remaining, his lungs were starting to burn – as always happened after he’d done his quad-flip jump combo – but he pushed through, fueled by raw exhilaration. Flinging himself into his flying sit-spin, Yuuri was proud of the height of his leap before bending his left knee into the “tucked” position that would guarantee his speed while rotating. He could feel that it wasn’t as fast as it usually was, but he was confident in his lines and form, nonetheless. 
[Gold on my skin, gold everything

Gold on my skin, gold covering

Ooh, you make me feel like a million dollars

My rich life, nothing no, nothing no, nothing no man

can buy]
 Coming out of it, there were just a few seconds of transitions before he was again spinning7, this time in a change foot combination that had his heart thumping against his ribcage, and his hamstrings positively screaming, and his eyes stinging from the whip of the surrounding air as he drew his body in tight.  
[Nothing no man ever can take

Nothing no man ever can break

Ooh you make me feel like a million dollars (dollars, dollars, dollars, dollars)]
 With only two seconds remaining, he was turning out and stretching his arm.It was a perfect replication of his “Yuuri on Ice” ending pose. He blinked even as his eyes watered, pleased at the dawning comprehension of having remained upright instead of just collapsing to the ice in his exhaustion.Yuuri’s chest heaved but he fought the fire in his lungs to seek out his husband’s reaction before anything else. He felt a grin creep over his face as he spotted Viktor waving from the boards, that radiant, heart-shaped smile visible even from several feet away. Glancing over to the Team Japan box, his stirring sense of hope grew even more when he saw how everyone there had risen to their feet, clustered in a bouncy group hug. Izumi appeared to be lifting Riku up in excitement, and a breathy laugh spilled out of him as he saw the two women lose their katsudon plushies to the floor in their enthusiasm.  It was only then that the roar of the crowd seemed to filter through to his ears, and he raised his arms to wave, panting and beaming in relief and elation. Sometimes, it was hard to know in the immediate aftermath how a performance had gone, but as Yuuri ran through the various aspects of his performance in his head, he couldn’t think of any glaring errors; it had been a great skate. There had been only two minor stumbling blocks: getting slightly off from the music in his transition into his triple axel, and not spinning as fast as he otherwise might have during his flying sit spin. As he skated towards the rink entry gate, his hammering heart soared when he saw how happy Viktor looked, and how JJ and Guang-Hong had flocked to either side of him in greeting. As Yuuri skated right into his coach’s arms, he giggled as he felt him immediately trying to lift him, even with the rink gate still separating them. “Brilliant, luchik8!” his love was crowing against his shoulder, actually managing to hoist him a few inches off of the ice before swaying him a little from side to side. Once he’d been set back down, Yuuri held onto his arm as he took the guards that Viktor handed over.“No tackle-kiss onto the ice, Vitya?” he fake-pouted, his lips twitching when this elicited a bubbly laugh.“As much as I would have liked to, my Yuuri, my outfit9 is already somewhat too scandalous as it is,” Viktor responded, with a faint blush.Before Yuuri could poke at his cute cheeks, a snide, jeering voice cut through their bliss.“Could have worn a suit, but true to form, Viktor Nikiforov had to dress like a freak,” Levan said, his features contorted in obvious disdain.  A surge of anger instantly rocketed up Yuuri's throat, threatening to rear its rabid head in an indignant tirade on his spouse’s behalf. Did this jerk honestly have zero qualms being so openly hostile, even in full view of all the live camera feeds? Without even realizing it, he had stepped off of the ice and in the antagonistic skater’s direction, shaking with barely-concealed rage. It was JJ that acted first, however.  “You know, CRAP-anadze, you’d probably be a much better skater if you channeled the energy you spent being jealous of other people’s confidence and fashion sense into your training, instead,” he retorted, throwing an arm out to block Yuuri from moving closer. “Even on his worst day, Viktor could outskate you by 20 points, at least.”Reveling in the sight of Levan’s face flushing several shades darker in embarrassment, Yuuri glanced over at Viktor, relieved to see that he didn’t look nearly as upset as he’d feared. His husband's face seemed to reflect a mixture of amusement (at JJ’s triumphant expression) and annoyance (at Levan’s weak spluttering).“Get over here, Lyova,” Coach Tutberidze suddenly snapped, in Russian, from a few feet away. Her mouth was downturned in its typical nightmarish frown. As the Georgian skater stalked towards his coach, Yuuri allowed himself to call out after his retreating form. “Just to clear things up, it’s Katsuki- Nikiforov!” he declared, loudly, before plastering himself to Viktor’s side.“Are you ok, Viten’ka?” he asked in a hushed voice, as Guang-Hong also crowded in close. “Do you want to report him to the IOC? He’d definitely deserve it.”“No, let’s not give him any more fuel for his ire...I’ll manage,” Viktor replied, with a smile, though his jaw was obviously clenched. “I’m sure I’ll forget all about it, as soon as we see your fantastic scores.”Yuuri resisted frowning at this false show of cheer and made a mental note to find out how he was truly feeling, as soon as they had a moment alone. He fumed, internally, over Levan’s bigotry. It had robbed them of what would otherwise certainly have been a celebratory moment. “Your look is totally JJ style, Viktor. Don’t waste a thought on that asshole,” JJ said, prompting him and his love to smile, gratefully. “You two should get over to your teammates, and I’ll make sure Guang-Hong’s alright,” he went on, before slinging an arm around the Chinese skater (who looked a bit like he was going to cry). JJ waved off their profuse thanks, and as they turned away, Yuuri was glad to see Leo swooping in, demanding to know why his best friend looked so upset. Before interlacing his fingers with Viktor’s, he put his warmup jacket back on and grabbed for the Goya tissue-box holder, proceeding to smooch his cheeks with the soft-toy as they made their way over. Viktor began to smile at this blatant attempt to cheer him up, his expression growing less wooden the closer they got to the Team Japan box. Before they could even sit down, their Papio friends were swarming them with their katsudon plushies, bouncing them off of the tops of their heads. It made Yuuri giggle, and he wondered if they’d been able to see the tense exchange just now even from some distance away. As the cameras focused on them, they all waved and several of his teammates began to offer their congratulations.“Well done! That program is so romantic, Yuuri-senpai!” Wakaba sniffled, a thin film of tears covering her eyes. “You can really feel the love in it,” Kenjirou went on, as Ryuichi nodded beside him, giving him a thumbs-up.“Thank you, Wakaba-chan, Kenjirou-kun,” he replied, smiling, before holding his hand out for a katsudon plushie, which his kōhai readily gave up. Double-fisting soft-toys, Yuuri continued to “attack” his spouse’s face with kisses, feeling the knot around his chest loosen as his tiny smile swapped out for a genuine belly-laugh. “That step-sequence always gives me chills, moya kotleta malien’kij10,” Viktor eventually said, sounding much more like himself. “I’m sure Yukimi was screaming her head off, watching it at home.” Yuuri was about to reply, when Viktor’s lips formed a perfect “o”, like he’d had a sudden realization.“That reminds me! Everyone watching, in case you missed it from the commentary, or from my numerous tweets…”His husband trailed off before sliding right to the edge of his seat and leaning towards the center-facing camera, holding “Goya” up in front of his face. “My Yuuri just skated to a song he wrote himself!” he cried, the words tumbling out in a rush of pride. “And not only that, he collaborated on its creation with one of his personal heroes: Yukimi Nagano of the amazing band, Little Dragon!”“Yes! A dynamic duo!” Izumi added on, punching her fist in the air. “We love you, Yukimi! And we love Yuuri-senpai even more!”Yuuri blushed down to the very roots of his hair, but grinned, nonetheless, at this enthusiasm. The commentators’ voices began to blare over the rink’s sound system in Chinese, and Yuuri sharply inhaled, knowing his score was just a second or two from being tallied. He grabbed Viktor’s hand, squeezing it tightly between both of his own. “The scores, please…”108.94Team Japan’s excited cheers filled the air, and he could feel how both Viktor and Taku had grabbed his shoulders, swaying him back and forth in their delight.It was the second highest score that had been awarded so far. And, less than one point below JJ, who’d earned 109.71 points! Yuuri found himself sagging against his love’s side, hiding his face in his neck. The post-skate adrenaline seemed to have been zapped from his body instantly, replaced with the intense relief of knowing he hadn’t squandered his country’s chances for medal contention. Kenjirou would be up against some fierce competition for the Free Skate, but Yuuri had complete faith in his kōhai, who’d refined his program beautifully under Coach Watanabe’s skilled guidance. “I’m proud of you, anata,” Viktor murmured, dropping a kiss to the top of his head. “What an excellent way to kick things off.”He nodded silently in agreement before surfacing. He first heeded Viktor’s unspoken request for a kiss, then turned to face his teammates, who began to envelop him in hugs. It was just thirty seconds later that Levan’s name was being announced, and he stiffened in the middle of Izumi’s embrace.“Yuuri-senpai?” she asked, tilting her head questioningly. He just shook his head, not wanting to rehash the unpleasant exchange until he’d had the chance to check in with his spouse. This was partially because he was quite certain that Niko – Izumi’s girlfriend – would be irate when she found out. The former woman had actually been the first person in their Papio Ice Arena family that Viktor had confided in regarding his gender fluidity, and she’d always been fiercely protective of him in that regard; Yuuri was actually a little afraid that she might try to physically fight Levan on Viktor’s behalf.“I’ll tell you later,” Yuuri whispered, giving her a meaningful glance. Whatever she saw on his face seemed to have registered, because she just gave a pat to his shoulder before allowing him to turn back around.He knew that it was pretty unsportsmanlike, but he had zero interest in watching Levan's performance.  He’d seen it before, obviously, and could admit that there was a lot in it to admire, but that didn’t mean he wanted to expend any energy watching the same man that had been so rude to his husband, just now. As such, Yuuri kept himself occupied during the skate by leaning his head against Viktor’s shoulder and talking with him, quietly. They played with each other’s fingers as they discussed what the plan was for the rest of the day, after the Ice dance event and Pairs’ Short Program events had wrapped up. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to just crawl into a big cuddle pile with Viktor and their poodles, but hoped he could muster up some energy later; Oleg and Petra had asked if they’d be up for dinner later, and Yuuri always enjoyed spending time with them.A sudden ripple of sound cut through his thoughts, and as he looked out on the ice, he realized that Levan was frozen in his ending pose, one arm outstretched to the ceiling. He made a face in his love’s direction (which made his lips twitch in amusement), and the two of them clapped politely and impassively. As he watched Levan exchange (what seemed to be) terse words with his coach – Yuuri was pretty sure he’d faint from shock if he actually ever saw Eteri Tutberidze smile – the slight sheen of a black, leather-covered arm sleeve from just behind caught his attention.A frisson of excitement stirred in his stomach; Leo was up!“Talk about a coaching style whiplash,” Kenjirou piped up from behind them, which now made his lips twitch. His point was well-taken though; the Georgian and American skaters’ coaches could not have been more different in the way they interacted with their students. When Eteri Tutberidze bestowed praise upon her various Men’s or Women’s Singles Division skaters, it always broke the internet, purely for the rarity of its occurrence. But Coach Adán, on the other hand, was quite free with words of praise and support, and Yuuri was very glad for his friend’s sake that this was the case. Leo himself had mentioned it in their group chat back in October that he never would have had the strength to master two quads in the span of just four years without Daniela’s belief in him. She had never pushed him beyond the goals that he himself had developed for his career, and it was encouraging to see the way that he had been able to strengthen his jump repertoire without sacrificing any of the characteristic creative flair that garnered him sky-high PCS marks. As scores for Levan were announced overhead (92.37points), they all watched Leo take a final sip of water and remove his skate guards. “Our eighth skater represents the United States of America…Leo de la Iglesia!”“I really love this program11…he’s been getting such good PCS with it,” Viktor whispered, during the expectant silence that preceded the opening notes of his music. As the initial beats began to reverberate, Yuuri nodded his head, animatedly. Leo always seemed to pour his entire heart into this particular performance, which made sense, as it was one that he’d dedicated to his various friends in the Men’s and Women’s circuit: Guang-Hong, Phichit, him and Viktor, Izumi, Mila, and so on. And, sure enough, the American skater was in top form today, keeping up an impressive sense of vitality that carried him through his dynamic choreography. Both his quad salchow, as well as his quad toe-loop/triple toe-loop were stunning, those buttery edges drawing many gasps of admiration within the Team Japan box.And his step sequence – one that paid tribute to his various friends by incorporating some of their signature styles – never failed to bring wide, beaming smiles to the Katsuki-Nikiforovs’ faces. Leo was grinning a whole five seconds before his performance came to an end, immediately punching the air after the last beat of the catchy Madeon/Porter Robinson song had faded out. “I think he’ll break 100 with that, hmm, Vitya?” he asked his spouse, who, like him, had gotten to his feet to clap and cheer.“I think so, too,” Viktor replied, with an almost wistful edge to his words.Yuuri knew that he was thinking back to last May, when Leo had approached him regarding choreographing his Short. As much as Viktor had wanted to, he’d already been fully booked up with choreo commissions from Mila, Seung-Gil, and Wakaba. And, of course, he’d been helping choreograph his and Yura’s programs and exhibition skates as well. Unfortunately, there simply hadn’t been enough time to spare on yet another skater.Yuuri hugged him around the waist as they sat back down, watching as Leo laughed into an exuberant hug from Coach Adán. Then, he almost got tackled to the ground in a hug from Guang-Hong.“Awww, those two have the best friendship,” Riku commented, holding her hands over the faint blush of her cheeks. “I think it’s so wholesome that they're both skating programs this season about each other.”Yuuri grinned, turning to his husband to ask him for his phone back. Ignoring his 82 unread messages – half of which he assumed were from Phichit – he thumbed over to Leo’s WhatsApp contact to send him a note of congratulations. His teammates in the USA seating box looked ecstatic, crowding around him in an undulating group hug that fully removed him from view. Only one minute went by before the rink commentators were reading out the results.“The scores, please…”100.82“Yes!!!”Upon hearing the tallied score, it seemed that a number of them in the Team Japan box had all made the same jubilant cry, but of course, it wasn’t loud enough to drown out the raucous cheering from their American counterparts. Leo and Daniela were bouncing up and down with glee, looking thrilled to have broken the 100 point barrier. “Aww, look how happy Guang-Hong looks,” Izumi remarked, prompting them all to turn towards the Team China box.However disappointed the Chinese skater might have been around his earlier mishap, he seemed to have completely shunted the setback from his mind. Indeed, his amused coach had actually reached a hand up to spot him, as Guang-Hong appeared to have leapt up onto his seat, waving a gigantic poster bearing his best friend’s face. “Only one more to go. Though, as usual, Mickey looks like someone just socked him in the face,” Wakaba spoke up a few moments later, her tone drier than barren desert.The Italian skater was indeed wearing a rather sour expression, and Yuuri sighed, wondering if Mickey was still grumbling about being left out of the loop around Mila’s plans to propose to Sara. That is, assuming she was invited to partake in the gala exhibition, which Yuuri had every reason to believe she would be. “Come on Mickey,” he murmured, thinking of his program music.The Italian skater had been one of the few this season to skate to a purely instrumental track, excerpting a snippet from Olafur Arnalds’ ‘Happiness Does Not Wait’. Considering the moving, yearning nature of the song, Yuuri privately thought that Mickey would do well to sort out his facial expression before taking to the ice. “Our final skater in the Men’s Singles Team Skate event represents Italy…Michele Crispino!”Yuuri clapped loudly and called out a “Ganbatte, Mickey!”, but was wincing in unison with Viktor just fifteen seconds later as he doubled his opening quad loop. The subsequent 2 minutes and 25 seconds were a little hard to watch.It wasn’t even so much about his additional errors. Rather, it was more the fact that he was unable to shake off his initial mistake, going through the rest of his skate with a pronounced grimace on his face. As such, Mickey completely failed to convey the heightened emotionality of the song.Yuuri wasn’t sure if it was due to his earlier irritation, or having to wait to skate last – which was a genuinely horrible position to be in – but they all watched the Italian skater make novel mistakes. His doubled loop flustered him so much that he jumped a double instead of a triple axel, rendering that entire element invalid. He was able to make up some points with a superb quad-salchow, triple toe-loop, but the two glaring mistakes would cost him a significant number of points. Only a split-second after his music faded out, Mickey’s face was crumpling.“Well, at least his sister will be in the Team Italy box to comfort him,” Taku spoke up from behind, as they all clapped.Yuuri made his cheering extra loud, knowing that Mickey would be disappointed in himself. Only the skaters with the top five highest scores were eligible to partake in the Free, meaning Mickey had lost his opportunity. “True…Sara’s a badass. One pep talk from her will get his head on straight,” Izumi noted, blushing slightly.Yuuri angled his face, trying to hide his smile. Izumi’s crush on Sara was adorably transparent. When they’d gone out to dinner at Duck de Chine just a few days back, he’d giggled to himself to overhear their conversation around the cutest skaters on the Women’s circuit. He and Viktor both knew that their rinkmate was just bursting to confess that she found Sara the cutest of them all. Luckily, Niko was very confident in herself, and didn’t mind her girlfriend’s fangirling in the slightest. They now watched as Mickey was welcomed into the Team Italy box by his teammates. His coach as well as Sara had both put an arm around his shoulders, sitting on either side of him to await the scores.“The scores, please…”78.77“He can definitely come back from that in the individual event. He’s got a great Free Skate,” Viktor said, increasing the volume of his clapping before leaning over to hug him. Yuuri watched as Capital Indoor Stadium’s gigantic overhead screen changed to reflect the final standings, his chest stirring with pride at the realization…

RESULTS - Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Singles Team Event

Competitor (LAST NAME), Nation

Points (Raw point total)

LEROY, Canada

10 (109.71)

KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV, Japan

9 (108.94)

KUCERA, Czech Republic

8 (101.01)

DE LA IGLESIA, United States

7 (100.82)

KAPANADZE, Georgia

6 (92.37)

JI, China

5 (88.43)

CRISPINO, Italy

4 (78.77)

ALOUDA, France

3 (74.06)

BERGER, Germany

2 (71.64)

“Way to go, senpai! This puts me in good shape,” Kenjirou crowed, from behind him, before thumping him vigorously on the back a few times. Yuuri coughed, not expecting such an impassioned congratulations, but turned around to grin at him, nonetheless. “Thank you for joining us. This concludes the Men’s Singles Skating Short Program Team Event. The next event will be the Ice Dance Rhythm Event.”… 
Phichit
YUURI. Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri. OMG. Why is it that every time I see that program it’s like the first time all over again??? I BAWLED and Seung-Gil had to hold me, lmao. I ended up wiping my nose a bit with your poster. Sorry not sorry. <3 <3 <3

Ianna
Ahhh, Yuuri, Sava and I are SO PROUD OF YOU!!!! :’)))))) It feels a little strange to not have been the one to send you off at the boards but Viktor is a much more fashionable coach than I am so it’s all good. (And speaking of…we heard about that exchange with Levan. Just say the word and we’ll raise hell). Love you both

Beka
Congrats, my friend. Since he’s definitely not gonna tell you himself, just wanted you to know that Yura had such an emphatic response to your camel spin that he actually jumped a little. It caused your poster to rip and you should definitely tease him for it

Yakov
Lilia and I will make the rounds, including with Eteri. Even if IOC/ISU won’t do anything today itself we’ll make sure Levan gets some kind of formal reprimand. Don’t worry Yusha, we’ll take care of it…

End of Chapter 12

Up Next: In Chapter 13, we flashback to the PyeongChang Games’ Men’s Singles Free Skate, as told from multiple points of view (including Ianna’s). Brace yourselves!
Footnotes:1. In “real life”, France did not participate in the Team Event, so Alex Alouda isn’t actually based on any skaters. On a separate note, however, one of my personal favorite skaters – French skater Adam Siao Him Fa – has been having a great season. Any figure skating fans wanna chat about that insane backflip he did at Euros?!Back 2. In “real life”, Morisi Kvitelashvili was the Georgian skater that participated in the Team Event. None of the negative backstory that I’ve developed re: Levan’s character is actually based on Morisi’s…it was just pure artistic license and I’ve heard that he’s actually a lovely person lol. I should mention, however, that his (former) coach truly is a monster…Eteri is infamously horribleBack 3. In reality, this song (which is where the title of this fic comes from) would be too long to use for a SP (only 2 minutes and 40 seconds), so just imagine those first 19 seconds and the last 6 get shaved off. When I describe Yuuri’s actual skate, you’ll see my inclusion of the lyrics in bracketsBack 4. This is the romanized version of the Russian endearment that roughly translates to “soulmate”. This version is gendered male (while the female version would be ‘radnaya’)Back 5. Japanese endearment that wives typically use for their husbands. This doesn’t really have a translation, but from what I understand, it appears to be similar to ‘dear’Back 6. If you’re following along with the song, the part I’m referring to here comes at 2:09, which would mean this is about 20-25 seconds into his step sequence.Back 7. At first, I thought about changing the order of elements so that Yuuri wouldn’t be doing such taxing spins one after the other…but then I started watching some of Roman Sadovsky’s programs. He is such a fast spinner, and has closed out programs in past seasons by doing a flying sit-spin followed by a change foot combination spin, or vice versa. Same with the ever-talented Daisuke Takahashi…I don’t even believe that man was real. The talent!Back 8. Romanized version of the Russian endearment for a male loved one that translates to “sunbeam”Back 9. In addition to that amazing dress already linked, Viktor would have worn solid black tights underneath, and these pricy boots. Just assume his far more conservative coat is somewhere nearby, and he just doesn’t feel like wearing it. And I know what you’re thinking…he’s impervious to cold! LolBack 10. This is the Romanized version of “my little cutlet” in Russian, lol. The ‘moya’ denotes this is female-genderedBack 11. If anyone has been following Yuma Kagiyama this season, you’ll know how amazing his Short Program is. Though I changed the music choice, try to imagine that Leo would embody the same style/program elements (a quad salchow and a quad-toe jump combo) as Yuma’s Four Continents performance of just two weeks ago. In reality, this performance earned him 106.82 pointsBack

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games - Men’s Singles Free Skate

Skating Order Position (Group #)

Competitor - First, LAST

Nation

13 (Group 3)

Yuri PLISETSKY

Russia

14 (Group 3)

Marek KUCERA

Czech Republic

15 (Group 3)

Emil NEKOLA

Czech Republic

16 (Group 3)

Seung-Gil LEE

Republic of Korea

17 (Group 3)

Michele CRISPINO

Italy

18 (Group 3)

Phichit CHULANONT

Thailand

19 (Group 4)

Bin CAO

People’s Republic of China

20 (Group 4)

Jean-Jacques LEROY

Canada

21 (Group 4)

Otabek ALTIN

Kazakhstan

22 (Group 4)

Viktor NIKIFOROV

Russia

23 (Group 4)

Christophe GIACOMETTI

Switzerland

24 (Group 4)

Yuuri KATSUKI

Japan

Yuuri
Press Room 2, Gangneung Ice Arena (Gangneung, South Korea) – Morning of February 16th, 2018
“Ugh, why am I so awkward?” Yuuri lamented in a groan, hunching over and allowing the hood of his Team Japan training jacket to completely cover his face. It was only a few moments before he felt Ianna reach out to pat his shoulder sympathetically. For want of something to occupy his hands, he began to play with the zip of his Mizuno pullover, aimlessly tugging it up and down. “You apologized, and I’m sure she didn’t think anything of it, Yuuri. Nerves are high today, of course it’s natural to slip up,” his coach responded, which just made him let out a huff and (reluctantly) meet her eyes.“Ianna, that was Christine Brennan1 ,” he countered, flatly. “Christine Brennan1, who I’ve talked to so many times, but for whatever dumb reason, I had to end our interview – which, incidentally, had been going surprisingly well – by calling her Chrissy.” Ianna’s lips twitched, but she just shook her head before leaning down to grab his skate bag, as well as his katsudon neck pillow. “I don’t even know any Chrissy’s!” Yuuri went on, feeling aggravated, which might have been the reason he snatched the plushie out of her grip instead of employing the care that he usually did towards it. Along with the Meni tissue box holder commissioned to resemble his and Viktor’s white toy poodle, the katsudon neck pillow – one of many “Welcome to St. Petersburg!” gifts that his fiance had surprised him with last year – had become his most treasured good luck charm.“You know what, I actually see your point,” Ianna said, conversationally, before beginning to steer him towards one of the arena’s side hallways. That had, blessedly, been Yuuri’s last pre-competition interview and they were now free to walk around the arena for a bit, already having agreed yesterday that they’d skip out on catching the beginning of the Group 1 Free Skates. Viktor had one more interview lined up, but once that wrapped, they’d venture together to eat a light “second breakfast”, then head to the locker rooms to put their costumes on and begin stretching out.  “As we speak, I’m sure she’s writing up the most scathing article about you that she can manage,” his coach went on sarcastically, deftly maneuvering them around a large throng of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) camera operators.“In fact, we should probably let Haru know about the gaffe, because he’ll want to– ”
“Yuuri!”
Ianna’s voice cut off, and they both came to an abrupt stop as an uncharacteristically frazzled Otabek Altin skidded into view from their right. “Yuuri, Coach Perez –  I’m sorry to be abrupt, but Yura needs you,” the Kazakh skater said, in an urgent tone. His eyes flickered back and forth between their faces, his typically unruffled expression nowhere to be seen. Worry lines marred his forehead, and his lips were a thin, grave slant.Yuuri’s stomach did a flip.“Otabek…what’s going on?” he replied, with a quick glance at his coach.Despite Yurio’s growth-spurt-induced dourness, he knew that Ianna had grown quite fond of him in the ten months since she’d first begun working at Yubileyny. If he was in trouble of some sort, she was one of the best people to have around, besides Yakov. “I think he’s having a panic attack,” Otabek promptly replied, lowering his voice. The furrow of his eyebrows belied just how far out of his comfort zone he was currently feeling. “He asked for you both, specifically, and I left him with his grandfather. I’m sorry, I know you have press obl– ”“Take me to him, my interviews are done,” Yuuri firmy cut in, not wanting to waste precious minutes even as his thoughts scrambled. With his own panic attacks, time was of the essence. The sooner Ianna or Viktor (or, if things were really bad, Suko, by way of an emergency telehealth session) were able to intervene to help him with grounding techniques, the sooner he was able to quell the awful waves of dread that lingered even hours after an episode. By some miracle, those waves seemed to be fairly contained today, shoaling rather than cresting even with the attack he’d suffered yesterday afternoon. Yuuri wasn’t quite sure of the reason for the morning’s calm. Maybe it had to do with his love’s continuous reminders of the cushion he’d garnered for himself with his Short Program performance…an event he was still trying to wrap his mind around. But whatever the cause, he’d learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth.Hurrying to keep pace, he and his coach followed Otabek out to a side hallway and then down two shorter corridors to an area of the rink he hadn’t been in before.Towards the end of the second hallway, an agitated Nikolai Plisetsky was waiting with his grandson’s skate bag at his side, next to an austere man Yuuri hadn’t seen before. Judging by his jacket, however, he assumed it was an International Olympic Committee (IOC) official. “Ah, you found them,” Nikolai said in a strained voice, once they’d gotten close enough.With a furtive glance at the IOC official (who seemed to be guarding the door they were all standing in front of), Nikolai switched to Russian, addressing Yuuri directly.“He’s panicking…said it was hard to breathe, but he wouldn’t let me get Yakov, only you two. I think he forgot Ianna’s not allowed in here after her reprimand,” the elder Russian said, nodding towards the doorway that he could now see was a bathroom.He nodded, catching on quickly. Just a few days ago, when he’d been vomiting his guts out before his Short Program Team Skate, Ianna had decided to disregard the rules and keep him company in the men’s room on the other side of the arena. While Yuuri had been glad for her presence at the time, he’d felt bad about her getting formally reprimanded by the arena staff and having to pay a hefty fine, afterwards. He wished skating competition venues would embrace all-gender bathrooms, already.“No need to be sorry, my interviews were done anyway,” Yuuri said, his voice sounding surprisingly steady in his own ears. Perhaps seeing Otabek and Nikolai so shaken had him feeling like he had to keep it together, because when he moved closer to make his presence to Yurio known, his steps were sure and his raps on the doorway were swift.
Knock! Knock!
He followed this with hushed Russian, not bothering for once to worry about how clumsy his tongue felt curving around the syllables. “Yurio, it’s Yuuri,” he spoke through the door, wondering what he’d find when he entered. As far as he knew, this was the Ice Tiger’s first time dealing with something like this.“Ianna is here, too, but she’ll have to wait outside. Unless I hear otherwise, I’m going to come in, ok?” Yuuri went on, swallowing against the impulse to pepper his rinkmate with more questions.He didn’t want to overwhelm him. At the height of his own panic attacks, questions were hard to deal with. “Da,” came Yurio’s shaky-sounding but intelligible response. Yuuri waited a few moments before slipping into the tiny, two-stall bathroom.He could make out Yurio’s legs splayed out on the floor under the larger stall door and dropped to his knees before crawling towards it. His gut churned all the while at the sound of the labored breaths that were coming from within.“If it’s ok, I’m going to crawl under,” he murmured, hoping his friend wouldn’t ask for him to remain out of sight. There had been a few occasions over the past year when Yuuri had felt too claustrophobic during an attack to allow himself to be seen, and he knew how heartbreaking it had been for Viktor to try to help him despite having to maintain that distance. His fiance would never begrudge him for it, of course, but even so, he could only guess how much more nerve-wracking it was when Viktor couldn’t even see his face as he shattered apart under the weight of his own warring thoughts.Listening carefully, there was nothing to indicate Yurio might object, so Yuuri grimaced, laying flat against the floor to awkwardly wedge himself under. After inchworming underneath (glad that he hadn’t yet put his elaborate and delicate costume on), he was able to right himself, propping up against the wall so that he was sitting parallel to his rinkmate.For a few moments he just stared straight ahead with a mixture of relief and trepidation, the former because Yurio didn’t seem to be hyperventilating at least, and the latter because he wasn’t at all sure whether he should just start trying different things to see what might stick. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri could see that his face was pale yet tear-streaked, and that the sleeves of his Team Russia jacket were wet. “Talk?” Yurio suddenly muttered, making him startle a bit. “About anything. Doesn’t m-matter.”He nodded at these clipped sentences, casting around in his mind for something he could go on about that wasn’t Olympics-related. He obviously wasn’t sure of the cause for Yurio’s panic, but it wasn’t unreasonable to think that the Ice Tiger had grown overwhelmed at the prospect of skating later, especially given his disappointment with his 12th place finish in the Short Program.The gleam of his engagement ring caught his eye, and words were suddenly pouring out of him, detailing the retirement party that he and Christophe would be throwing for Viktor next month. “At Vitya’s retirement party in Milan, I know everyone is expecting me to give a speech, especially since Yakov is giving one,” Yuuri began, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “But Christophe suggested that I have some fun with it, so I decided I’d make a video compilation of interviews covering the many embarrassing instances in which I’ve lamented about his exit from the field to various people, even as far back as age 12.”He paused, wondering if this choice of topic had been a bad one. Under normal circumstances, Yurio would probably rather give Potya up for adoption than willingly listen to anything having to do with “the geezer’s loser-ish retirement party”. “Keep going,” his rinkmate said in a grunt, and Yuuri released his inhibitions, beginning to talk in earnest about the project he’d been working on. He went chronologically, describing the interviews he’d done with Minako-sensei, then okaasan and nēchan, then Phichit.“I finished editing Mila’s clip a few days ago. Apparently the first time I ever waxed on in her presence about Viktor’s retirement was on the night of your birthday outing, last year,” he said with a smileAfter Lilia had kicked them all out after double servings of cake, Yurio had demanded their group of eight head to the rink for a jump-off. So Yuuri, Viktor, Mila, Georgi, Sava, Maxim, and Ivanna had dutifully traipsed behind the Ice Tiger through the early March sludge to Yubileyny. Viktor had bribed Alexei (the night guard) with promises of homemade stroganoff if he promised not to say anything to Yakov, and then they’d all skated long into the night, completely sober yet high off of silliness and the sounds of their own laughter. “It’s when you idiotically climbed atop Sava’s shoulders to play ice-chicken that I was spurred on to begin my mournful refrain,” Yuuri went on, his smile broadening into a grin at the memory.“Mila said something about how it was encouraging to see how Sava had turned out after his retirement, how he still knew how to have fun instead of turning into a grumpy stickler like Yakov. So then I chimed in that as much as I love Sava, that Viktor would have everyone beat in terms of being the most fun retired skater whenever he decided to stop competing. Mila very graciously allowed me a good five to ten minutes of bemoaning this tragic day, and then you might remember that things devolved into the two of us calling out increasingly chaotic dares for Sava and Viktor to compete in against. I don’t remember if it was before or after they tried teaching you how to d– ”“Where’s my interview request? I’ve heard you go on about the old man’s retirement way more than баба,” Yurio cut in, making Yuuri whip his head to the side in shock. He was too surprised at the question to immediately notice how much steadier his friend’s breathing appeared to be. “You’d want that?” Yuuri questioned, incredulously, before looking down at his phone on the floor next to him. With a jolt of surprise, he realized ten minutes had elapsed since he’d first begun speaking. He’d received two texts, from both Sava and Viktor, but didn’t want to bother with looking at either just yet. “Like…to be interviewed for the video?” he remembered to add, feeling guilty that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind even once. “Sorry, I just didn’t think you’d actually w– ”He stopped short at the loud snort that resounded, glancing over again to see that Yurio actually seemed to be smiling. Or, at the very least, not actively frowning. Some of the color even seemed to have returned to his face.Well, shit. Maybe his rambling had actually helped?“God, no. I wouldn’t actually want to be in your dumb video,” the Ice Tiger replied, his tone mostly snarky with just the slightest tinge of genuine affection. “I just think if there was anyone that could do a good impression of you crying over the geezer’s retirement – for comedic effect, I mean – it’d be me.”An expectant silence followed, and when Yurio looked up to meet his gaze, Yuuri raised his eyebrows. Heeding the unspoken request, his rinkmate pitched his voice up, his Yuuri impression coming out in a breathy, frantic manner that he might have been more offended by if it wasn’t so obviously put-upon. “Oh, Yurio, you’re my only hope! Now that Viktor’s retired, there’s just no point to any of it anymore! The sun might rise, the birds will still sing, Yakov may still have some hair on his head, but now that my one, my only no longer skates among us mere mortals, it will be up to you to save the field of Men’s Singles from a bleak, tenebrous future! Prowl on, ice tiger, prowl on!” A beat passed, and then Yuuri was guffawing, shoving at Yurio’s shoulder before bursting into hearty laughter.“Ahaaaha! What the h-hell was that ?!” he cried out, beginning to wipe at the tears that had instantly sprung to his eyes. “Is ‘tenebrous’ even a real word?” When he looked over, he was pleased to see that the Ice Tiger had stopped staring into his lap, now definitely smiling.  “It is! Go read a book, Katsudon,” the other man countered, with a touch of defensiveness. “I learned it from Georgi. It means ‘gloomy’, go figure.”Now Yuuri let out a snort of his own, and a comfortable silence enveloped them for awhile. He bit his lip, slightly reluctant to mar the quiet, but doubted that Yurio would offer anything up of his own accord.“So…how are you feeling?” he eventually asked, nearly wincing as the words hung awkwardly in the air between them.His friend gave an impatient huff and brought his arms up, crossing them over his chest.“Well, I’m fucking conscious, aren’t I?” he answered irritably, before craning his head back to look directly up at the ceiling. “Didn’t pass out even though I sure as shit thought I was going to.”Yuuri hummed, noncommittally. “That’s good that you managed to keep your breathing steady enough. Definitely not an easy thing to do when panic grips you like that,” he remarked.Yurio exhaled heavily, but didn’t seem inclined to volunteer any further information.He’d just begun to wonder if he should text Ianna with an update when the Ice Tiger spoke up, his voice sounding stiff and echoing strangely in the hollow silence. “At one point, it felt like I was gonna die,” he said, his voice eerily calm despite the nature of his words. “Is that what it’s like…every time?”He turned to look at him, something unreadable hanging in his gaze.“For you, I mean?” he added on, quietly.Yuuri found himself shaking his head immediately, the desire to comfort compelling him to speak without hesitating.“Not every time,” he said, staunchly. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s never a fun experience, but that feeling of dying…I don’t get that every time.”He paused, trying to figure out how much to say.“Everyone’s experience will vary, of course,” he decided to add. “And the same person can have a panic attack that feels completely different from one day to the next.”Yurio made a face before looking away, his teeth worrying at his lip. “Well I, for one, am not interested in making this a repeat thing to compare notes,” he grumbled, before leaning forward to reach the toilet paper dispenser.Yuuri laughed despite himself, not bothering to school his expression when the Ice Tiger directed a glare at him. “Sorry, it’s just that it may not be up to you,” he replied, simply. “We can, of course, do our due diligence to identify triggers and reduce the chances of experiencing one in the future, but sometimes, we aren’t in as much control of our reactions to things as we might think we are.”Yurio stopped dabbing under his eyes with the wad of toilet paper and just stared at him for a second, his lips rounding out into a perfect ‘o’ shape.“Well that fucking sucks,” he vehemently burst out, the reaction so lacking in artifice that it made Yuuri want to laugh again. “So, what, am I just supposed to sit around every morning and say a prayer that I don’t implode on that particular day?” he went on, practically snarling. “Yes, because that’s exactly what I do every morning, just ask Vitya,” Yuuri deadpanned.“It’s why we’re frequently late to practice,” he added, Yurio’s resulting scowl signaling just how unfunny he’d found the attempt at humor. In reality, making out with his love in the shower tended to account for seventy percent of their morning tardiness, the other thirty attributable to extra cuddle time with Makka and Meni before dropping them off to doggy daycare.“I wish I had a simple answer for you, Yurio,” Yuuri said with a tiny sigh. “I have a feeling that a panic attack for you would generate from a clearly identifiable trigger, whereas, for me, that’s not the case. Like, as far as I know, you don’t have generalized anxiety disorder, so recurrent panic attacks might not even be something you have to deal with. Since it is for me, I’ll just say that therapy has helped me a lot.”Given their recent fraught airport encounter2, he knew that therapy was already on the Ice Tiger’s mind, and wondered if his words would serve as another nudge in that direction.His rinkmate didn’t say anything, looking like he was carefully contemplating his words.“I don’t blame him for it, obviously, but it was something Beka said that triggered me,” he finally said, with a faint air of embarrassment. “We jokingly say shit like it all the time to each other, but for whatever reason, hearing him say that I better not squander my opportunity to redeem myself in the Free Skate just…”He trailed off, shrugging.“I should apologize to him. God, I probably freaked him out so bad,” Yurio went on in a mumble.Yuuri shook his head, that same feeling of compulsion prompting him to speak without second-guessing himself. “You obviously know Otabek way better than I do, but I don’t think he’d want you to apologize for something that’s not in your control,” he pointed out. “The first few times I had a panic attack in front of Viktor I apologized incessantly, but he eventually broke me of the habit…said that it offended him when I acted like my attacks were some kind of inconvenience he had to “deal with”. It took awhile for me to understand, but he eventually said it enough times that I began to believe him when he talked about the privilege of getting to experience my totality. Like, not just being there for the days when my jumps are all on point and I’m feeling really confident in myself, but also for the days when it’s the opposite…when I’m not as in control as I’d like to be.”“You sure it was Viktor that said that?” Yurio replied with a smirk. “Sounds awfully wise..more like something my dedushka would say.” Yuuri gasped, theatrically, in the way he knew the Ice Tiger would roll his eyes at.“I’m telling Vitya that you compared him to Nikolai!” he crowed, preemptively bracing his arms against the floor for the push to his side that came just a second after. “He’ll be absolutely delighted to know that you revere him, so.”They continued to banter for several minutes before a thudding sound echoed to their right, and then Otabek’s voice was ringing out.“Yuuri? Yura? Sorry to interrupt, it’s just that Yakov texted Ianna just now… apparently Viktor’s last interview was canceled so they’re done earlier than expected. We wanted to pass on the message in case you weren’t checking your phones.”A soft whoosh indicated they were alone once more.They silently eyed one another, the reminder that they couldn’t just stay in here, indefinitely, hanging heavy in the air.Yuuri spoke first.“We’ve both got a good amount of time before either of our groups. Do you want to keep sitting here for a few minutes?” he asked, hoping Yurio would agree to sequester away for just a bit longer. The anticipation simmering under his skin matched the thrumming buzz of energy circulating throughout Gangneung Ice Arena. As contagious as it was, he knew it also held the potential to stir up his own feelings of overwhelm from last night, and this quiet haven felt preferable for now.“Five more minutes, then we head out,” Yurio replied in a pinched voice, his expression having turned stony. Yuuri nodded, wishing there was something he could do to bring back the joviality from just seconds before. He began typing out quick texts to Ianna and Viktor, but startled when the Ice Tiger was the one to break up the ensuing stillness. “So no pep talks, Katsudon?” he asked, his eyes now closed and his face craned back up towards the ceiling. “No wisdom of your own to supplement the old man’s?”For the second time, Yuuri felt a frisson of shock at his friend’s question.“Are you asking me for a pep talk? I would have thought you’d hate that kind of thing,” he answered in a murmur.He pressed a few more buttons, then sent both messages off. Yurio let out a humorless laugh and inhaled, deeply, before responding.“Maybe not a full-on… whatever, but, for you…when you get like this, is there anything that helps? Has that geezer coach of yours figured out some magic words that’ll snap you out of it?”Yuuri smiled at the question, recalling that life-altering day in Beijing, a little less than a year-and-a-half ago. 
“You don’t have to say anything, just stay close to me!”
“If we had more time, I’d tell you about Vitya’s less-than-stellar attempt to “fix” my anxiety before my Cup of China Free Skate in 2016,” he began, earning a curious glance from Yurio.“But given that we’re down to four minutes, I’ll just say that he learned the best thing he can do is to just be there for me. To stay close to me and believe in me when I can’t believe in myself. He still doesn’t always get it completely right, but knowing he has faith in me…that looms larger than any words he could say,” Yuuri finished, knowing full-well that he was wearing a rather lovestruck, goofy expression at the memory of everything that had transpired that day.A beat passed and then Yurio was making a big show of rolling his eyes and looking away. “You two should open up a nacho stand, that’s how damn cheesy you are,” he grumbled in response.Yuuri laughed jubilantly, having been fully prepared for such a dismissive reaction. “At the risk of a punch to the face, I’ll just briefly add that it’s not only me that Vitya believes in, you know. He believes in you, too. And your grandfather believes in you, and so do I, and so does Mila, and so d– ”“ –Shut uppppppp, Katsudon,” came the responding groan, accompanied by a well-aimed elbow jab to his ribs.He just grinned and looked ahead, lightly massaging his side.“What if I haven’t earned that belief, though? It’s not like I can do anything about this shitty growth spurt, and I know I’ll just let everyone down like I did for the Short…I just wish dedushka hadn’t had to travel all this way,” Yurio said quietly, the note of heartbreak in his voice forcing the smile off of Yuuri’s face immediately. The Ice Tiger was backtracking the very next instant, as if suddenly realizing he’d said more than he wanted to."Forget it, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Like doing so would help, anyway,” he muttered with a shrug, his cheeks flushing pink. Yuuri gaped for a second, his mind scrambling for where to even begin. If they hadn’t been so disconnected the last few months, he might have felt better equipped to respond, but he now opened his mouth, not really knowing what might fall out of it. “Yurio, I really don’t thin– ”But he was brought up short, flinching when Yurio abruptly stood.“Don’t worry about it, Katsudon, you’ve got your own shit to focus on,” came the flat reply, a hard ege in his voice that wasn’t there prior. Yuuri could only watch as he flushed his tear-dampened wad of toilet paper, then stepped over his frozen form to push the stall door open. His footfalls suddenly felt silent, and he could see that he’d come to a stop just a few feet away.“I haven’t decided whether or not I’m gonna tell Yakov about this,” he spoke up, the words sounding a bit shaky. “But regardless, can you not tell Viktor? Like you can tell him we were together, obviously, but I’d rather him not know that you saw me….like that.”“Of course,” Yuuri replied, firmly, recognizing the significance of Yurio calling him by name instead of ‘geezer’ or ‘old man’. “Yeah, of course, Yurio. I wouldn’t do that, anyway.” A deep exhale resounded in the tiny space. “Thanks. And not just for being discreet.”He felt a brief surge of relief at the unspoken acknowledgment that he at least hadn’t made things worse, and swallowed, noisily.“You’re welcome. Anytime.”As he watched two leopard-print Converses trek across the tiles, an ache began to bloom in his chest at the thought of the words his friend had uttered only a few seconds ago.
“What if I haven’t earned that belief, though?”
It’s that exact sentiment that had kept Yuuri from visiting home for five years…prevented him from seeing Vicchan one last time before his death…nearly led him to abandon his career in the name of self-sacrifice for the love of his life.As tears leaked from his eyes, he wished he could have gathered his wits enough to impart to Yurio some of what he’d discovered over the last year-and-a-half…not the least of which was that belief didn’t have to be earned in order to be a buoyant, freeing force. He looked down, adding a text to what he’d already sent Viktor.

Ianna
Group 4 Stretching Area, Gangneung Ice Arena (Gangneung, South Korea) – Early afternoon of February 16th, 2018
Ianna kept her eyes on the flatscreen mounted to the wall, currently showing Lee Seung-Gil stepping onto the ice. His Free Skate this season was set to Puccini’s Turandot: a very common choice in an Olympic year, but one she’d gotten the distinct impression hadn’t been his own. Based on everything she knew about his coach, he’d more than likely been bullied into skating to the renowned opera.Ianna wondered what was running through his head as he tried to relate to his program content. Mickey Crispino was up afterwards, and then Phichit would be closing out Group 3. Yuuri had already told her to let him know when the latter man was up, but until then, he and Viktor had put their earbuds in and were stretching out next to one another just a few feet away. She didn’t have a problem with her student wanting to soak up what little time he had left with his fiance before skating; the two of them weren’t talking, but still seemed to be communicating in a language all their own, every so often reaching over to help lengthen a leg, or add additional firmness to a bend. As she watched Seung-Gil have a tense-looking back-and-forth with his coach, she became aware that Yakov had come to stand right next to her, first muttering a quiet ‘hello’, before folding his arms in front of his chest in his customary “observing” stance. “Loop lookout?” Ianna asked him, already certain of the answer. In the ten months that she’d been a part of Yubileyny’s esteemed training staff, she’d seen Viktor train his quad loop relentlessly, frequently pulling up past footage of Seung-Gil or Czech skater Marek Kucera’s skates for reference. Marek had been only the second ever skater to successfully land a quad loop in competition (at the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships), and back in December at the Grand Prix Final, Viktor had been the third.  “Indeed. I want to see how it’s looking…Vitya asked me to make note of anything he should keep in mind for his,” Yakov replied, as Seung-Gil assumed his opening pose.The Korean skater was nervous, there was no doubt about it, as evidenced by the stiffness in his movements as he entered into his opening quad loop. Ianna was glad that he didn’t fall or put a hand down on the ice, but there was a slight buckling of his landing leg that made her eyebrows raise at the 2.43 GOE mark that flashed in the technical score component counter on-screen. “Hmph,” Yakov huffed out, frowning slightly. “Much higher grade than expected. His takeoff edge is always quite strong…never too deep, but what the hell was that landing?”They continued to watch, and Ianna winced as Seung-Gil messily transitioned positions in his combination spin: a clear error as outlined by the International Judging System stipulation for “good controlled, clear position(s) (inc. height and air/landing position in flying spin)”, so then why, again, had he been awarded a 1.14 GOE? She would have expected a negative mark. Next to her, Yakov could be heard muttering under his breath, and then the elder Russian was stalking away, going back to stand next to Oleg in keeping watch over Viktor. Ianna glanced over, relieved to see that Yuuri still seemed to be doing ok, now up against the wall in a standing split. She’d been worried that things with Yuri might have rattled him, a fear that seemed all but confirmed when he’d emerged from the bathroom with tear-stained cheeks. But her student had merely said that he’d be fine once he’d received a hug from his fiance. She knew that Yuuri would never violate Yuri’s privacy, so she’d been curious as to what, exactly, he’d told Viktor regarding their bathroom excursion. Keeping a close eye on the couple as they’d ventured together with Georgi, Mila, and Sava to the arena’s food hall, Ianna didn’t detect any lingering notes of tension in Yuuri’s demeanor. And even afterwards, when he and Viktor had done their usual pre-skate ritual of doing one another’s hair and makeup, both men had appeared to be in good spirits. Even if she was curious, she didn’t pry; she’d known Yuuri for several years, now, given her work with Celestino Cialdini back in Detroit, and knew that the best way to support him was to just be present. If he was truly vexed by whatever had happened in the bathroom with Yuri, she had enough confidence that he would come to her directly if he needed her guidance. Just then, Yuuri caught her eye and gave her a questioning look, tilting his head a bit.She just gave him a small smile and a thumbs up before returning her gaze to the screen, where Seung-Gil was setting up for another jumping pass.This one turned out to be a very shaky quad salchow/double toe-loop that received a 1.29 GOE.Ianna frowned. What was going on? The Olympic Winter Games was such a high-stakes event, and if there was any skating competition that the International Skating Union (ISU) was willing to shell out money for in terms of conducting thorough judge and technical panel training, it was this one. Her fingers itched to text Sava, but she knew that the jump coach was still consoling Yuri after his skate.It had broken her heart to see how the young Russian had wept silent tears in the Kiss and Cry, and and not for the first time, she’d been irritated by Yakov’s stoic manner. She knew the legendary coach was by no means a touchy-feely person, but this was Yuri’s first Winter Games, goddamnit, and, like so many other talented young skaters, he’d been unlucky enough to become stymied by a growth spurt in an Olympic year. A bit of the ache in her chest had subsided when Sava let her know that he’d be remaining with Nikolai to keep Yuri company until it was Viktor’s turn to skate. She wondered if she might be able to glean anything in terms of fan perception on Twitter, and pulled the app up. It’d been three days since she’d posted the teaser video showcasing Yuuri’s quad flip/triple toe-loop, and thanks to several retweets, notifications on the post were still going strong. Ianna smiled, momentarily forgetting her mission in favor of checking the most recent notifications on it.

TheBraveLittleRoaster 
@thebravelittleroasterAM I DEAD?! The angel, @y_katsuki, decided to grace my miserable existence for a nirvanic 30 seconds. Upon his launch into the air to perform this NOVEL 4F-3T, all of my woes & worries vanished, swept up into the INCREDIBLE torque of his rotations#figureskating #PyeongChangWinterOlympics #KatsukiYuuri #TeamJapan #2018OlympicGames #noveljumpcombination #KatsukiCombo #OlympicChampionKatsukiYuuri #YesIAmCallingItSoWhat

Potya’s left paw
@YuriPlisetskyFanClub_PrezHOLY SHIT. Literally just fell to the floor and only barely escaped death by zamboni. These edges?!!! Also, how has @v_nikiforov managed to keep a lid on this, he’s the #1 Yuuri hype machine#PyeongChangWinterOlympics #KatsukiYuuri #FigureSkating #ViktorNikiforov #HistoryMaker

Ianna grinned, liking both retweets, before refreshing her search on #FigureSkating, #PyeongChangWinterOlympics, and #2018OlympicGames. As expected, not much came up on Seung-Gil – he was still on the ice, after all – but the one tweet that she did see affirmed that she wasn’t the only one with questions for the judging/tech panel members.

Fuck, all my plants are dead
@PhillippaMetzWatching #LeeSeungGil Free Skate to #Turandot at the #PyeongChangWinterOlympics, and got some Q’s for the judging/tech panel. Weirdly high GOE’s on a number of things but most puzzling is his 3Lo-3T#FigureSkating #MensFreeSkate #2018OlympicGames #TeamKorea Interesting…she’d missed the triple loop/triple toe-loop jump combination when she’d been lost in thought watching Yuuri. But apparently that, too, had received an unusually high grade-of-execution. Looking around the warmup area, Ianna could see that of the other coaches nearby, only Alain and Nathalie Leroy seemed to be tuning into the real-time events. They were standing in front of the tv on the opposite side of the room and appeared to be chatting quietly with their son.Seung-Gil was currently making his way over to the Kiss and Cry (walking next to his disgruntled-looking coach), so she knew she had time before signaling to Yuuri about Phichit’s skate. She flapped her hands in his direction, and when he looked up, she signaled that she’d be heading off, briefly, in the Leroys’ direction.At her student’s thumbs-up, Ianna hurried across the room, making an apologetic noise before stepping up to the trio. “Ah, Coach Perez! I was wondering when you’d come looking for me!” JJ greeted her, bombastically (which prompted her to do everything in her power to hold back from eye-rolling). “Hi JJ, and hello Nathalie…Alain,” she began, nodding to each of them, in turn. “I’m sorry to interrupt like this but I saw you’re the only other ones in here that actually watched Seung-Gil’s skate. Maybe I’m way off-base, but some of those GOE marks…did you think th– ”Ianna hadn’t even finished her sentence before all 3 of the Leroys were nodding, and then Alain cut in.“ –think he was overscored? Absolutely,” he replied, sounding confident, his forehead wrinkling instantaneously. “We were just talking about whether it makes sense to ask to see his full marks, and file a claim with the ISU Secretariat. JJ obviously has to stay focused, but with Nathalie holding down the fort, I was thinking I could go ahead and speak to someone in charge.”Ianna blanched a bit. She hadn’t expected Disciplinary Commission involvement coming up until after Seung-Gil had received his final score.“Right,” she replied, uneasily, before turning to face the screen.On it, the visibly flustered Korean skater was chewing on his lip. “Well, it’s good to know that I’m not the only one with questions,” she muttered. “Then again, maybe it makes sense to first hear the final marks?”“The scores, please…”English and Korean rang out in the spacious maw of Gangneung Ice Arena, and then Seung-Gil’s Free Skate score was being read out…a number that was a good deal higher than Ianna was expecting. 192.16“Ridiculous!” Nathalie Leroy immediately and forcefully snapped, making her startle. “I’d love to hear a verbal explanation for every single one of his elements. Look at his face, he knows something’s off.”With a sinking feeling, she took in Seung-Gil’s expression. It certainly wasn’t one of elation…Hesitance. Bewilderment. Those were far more apt descriptors of the emotions flickering across the 21-year-old skater’s face.In the very next instant, he was leaning towards his coach and mumbling to her in Korean, and then the two of them began to exchange sharp-sounding words. “Even if just to satisfy my own curiosity, I want to see his scorecard,” Alain remarked, with a meaningful look at his wife and son.The three of them began to converse in French and Ianna stood there for a minute or two, feeling incredibly awkward. She slipped away as Mickey assumed his starting pose on the ice, and tried to school her features into a neutral expression.She didn’t want Yuuri to glean anything from her face, so spent a good two minutes trying to clear her mind of any extraneous thoughts outside of their time together over the last ten months. Grounding herself in a flashreel of memories that had accumulated since May, she allowed various glimpses of the past to swim to the forefront of her mind: that first evening in St. Petersburg when Viktor and Yuuri had treated her to a delicious Russian-Japanese hybrid meal in their cozy apartment; her and Yuuri laughing over Sava’s (endearingly) awkward physics explanations of various jump entry techniques; dropping in on Viktor’s ballet classes and seeing how easily distracted the Living Legend would become when trying to keep up with the likes of Yuri, Mila, and Yuuri; attending coaching meetings with Yakov and Georgi and learning the ins and outs of Russia’s premier skating/training hub.In a relatively short period, the various skaters and staff of Yubileyny Sports Champions Club had grown very dear to her, and tears pricked in Ianna’s eyes to think of the two year employment contract that Yakov had sent over just last week. She hadn’t yet made up her mind whether or not to accept the offer, but the “right” choice seemed inevitable, as scary as it was. Considering how much Yuuri had grown and improved over this last season, the prospect of continuing to bear witness to his evolution was immensely appealing. While she’d no longer be his coach, they’d still interact a fair bit with her (potentially) taking up assistant coaching for Mila and some of Yubileyny’s rising Junior division skaters. Then there was also the reality of her developing relationship with a certain soft-spoken, kind-hearted jump coach…Feeling her cheeks flush, Ianna glanced at the tv, recognizing the step sequence that had marked the remaining minute of Mickey’s Free Skate throughout the season. The Italian skater seemed like one of the few competitors who had elected to use the exact same Short Program and Free Skate choreography that he’d been using prior, most others having chosen to keep at least some elements a surprise until they arrived in Korea. Crossing back over into her student’s eyeline, she mouthed “Phichit”, and then accepted the earbuds that he held out to her. He already had his skates and guards on, but she’d be keeping his bag until it was time for the final group’s warmup. “Phichit’s up, Vitya. You want to watch with me or no?” Yuuri murmured, after leaning over to tug one of his fiance’s earbuds out. Viktor immediately brightened, spinning around to face Yakov with enviable grace. “Yakov! I’m going to wat– ”But the elder Russian just waved his hand, summarily, seemingly engrossed in conversation with Josef Karpisek, Christophe Giacometti’s coach. “I’ll join you out there in a second,” Ianna called out to Yuuri, as he, Viktor, and Oleg passed by (with Christophe following close behind). The group of four began to converse, animatedly, but her attention was diverted when she fished her phone out and saw the string of unread texts from Leo de la Iglesia’s coach (who also happened to be a good friend of hers). 
Daniela
Can see from the OBS broadcast that you’re watching Seung-Gil’s skate. Judges making some weird calls, no? 
Sent: 9 minutes ago
 Quad loop was the only jumping pass that I thought would get positive GOE but apparently not
Sent: 7 minutes ago
 And some of those spins…not sure about those, either. Leo’s refreshing Twitter like a maniac; lots of confusion online already around it
Sent: 5 minutes ago

That last text from Daniela was from only five minutes ago, but it was just slightly after Ianna had closed out of the app, herself. Literal seconds was all it had taken for the inquiries to start proliferating, apparently. As much as she might have wanted to dwell on it, however, there were far more pressing matters on her mind. Pocketing her phone, she gave a slight wave to Yakov, then proceeded to follow in the direction Yuuri had gone. Group 4’s 6 minute warm-up was imminent. ViktorViktor’s legs wailed in protest of his continued exertion, but he pushed onwards; his favorite portion3 of the performance was coming up, which would see him transition out of his change-foot combination spin and into his choreo sequence.  
[I was hoping the train was my big number

Docking in Santa Fe and the Atchison Topeka

But we’re chugging along, done away by the crossing hands]
 As he whipped around with dizzying speed, he could feel that his spin was traveling more than he wanted. Viktor shunted this thought aside however, to exit as gracefully as possible through a series of twizzles, into a leg kick, and then, with gusto, the Ina Bauer that would kick off his choreo sequence: a fittingly dramatic series of movements – including arabesques, hydroblading and his infamous spiral sequences – that encapsulated the searching, restless tone of Rufus’ lamentation.This portion of the music was what had actually prompted Viktor to accept Yuuri’s suggestion that he pick this for his Free, as it seemed to capture both the core and nuance of his career-end sentiments…wanting to embrace the uncertainty of what the future held, but simultaneously fearing a complete surrender to the unknown. 
[We’ll be heading for Portland, or Limburgh or

Lower Manhattan

Find myself running around

I don’t know what it is to get me over

I don’t know what it is to get me over]
 As he lost himself in the unabashedly showy movements – his cantilever perfectly timed to the drawn-out cry of ‘Lower Manhattannnnnnn’ – he was able to forget about his irritation with himself for some of the earlier sloppier moments, in particular, his triple axel/triple loop combo, and the subsequent triple flip. He hadn’t fallen on either but the previous three jumping passes – a quad loop just before the halfway point, followed by a triple loop/triple toe-loop and a triple salchow/triple loop, the latter two of which had received the multiplier effect for back-loaded jumps – always forced him, kicking and screaming, into the upper echelons of his stamina. Thus, his landings on the combo and flip had been wobbly. But, Viktor was making up for those inevitably low GOE marks now, and as he literally mimicked a series of chasses and running steps – of course, timed to perfectly correspond with Rufus’ call of ‘running around’ – he grinned, the showman in him preening.The final minute seemed to pass in a blur, and he was only distantly aware of the burning of his thighs and calves as he flung himself into his closing spin. Tears glanced off of his face at the realization that he’d achieved his goal: to become figure skating’s first athlete to execute a clean 4-quad Free Skate (having tripled either his loop or flip in the season’s previous performances). It was very likely that his fiance would repeat the feat in just a few minutes, and Viktor’s heart throbbed at the thought of the two of them making history in such a way, together. His music wound down gradually instead of cutting out on one abrupt note, and it seemed like there was a second of perfect silence in the cavernous arena before the roar of the audience (as well as his own shuddering sobs) filled his ears. Viktor fell to his knees, and oh, how dearly he wished Yuuri, Yakov, Chris, Sava…someone, anyone he loved, could guide him off of the ice as his emotions caught up to him. He’d give the last competitive skate of his career next month at World’s in Milan, but this moment marked the beginning of his grieving. Amidst the rending of his heart, he registered that Yuuri’s arms were the first thing he felt coming off of the ice.He buried his face in the crook of his neck, the skin there already wet from a gush of his love’s own tears. Distantly, Viktor realized that Yakov had bent down on his knobbly knees to put his skate guards on, but he was barely aware of anything else, save for the synchronization of his and Yuuri’s sobs and trembles.“Come, Vitya,” his coach murmured, his voice sounding possibly the softest he’d ever heard it (perhaps only second to when he’d murmured stilted but genuine words of comfort to his 16-year-old self, just minutes after he’d spoken to his parents for the very last time).“Yakovvvv,” he warbled, turning his face so that his voice wouldn’t be so muffled.What he wished to communicate, he wasn’t even certain of, but it seemed that his coach understood anyway. He first held out the Makka tissue box holder, which Viktor clutched at, desperately, and then offered to shoulder the bulk of his weight as he and Yuuri helped him to the Kiss and Cry. While he would have given his left leg (which, incidentally, seemed moments from buckling under him) to have his fiancé remain with him while he waited for his scores, he would never dream of depriving Yuuri of the precious few minutes he’d need to compose himself for his own program. Plus, the IOC had already made it very clear this would not be allowed. Thus, once Yuuri had whispered an “I love you so much, Viten’ka, I’m so proud of you” into his ear, Viktor had pressed a brief but bruising kiss to his lips, and had promised he’d never take his eyes off of him during his performance. His love had just exhaled heavily, and pressed their foreheads together for a few moments before wheeling around to fall in line with Ianna. He could feel himself practically deflate as he watched Yuuri’s retreating back, but was bolstered slightly by Yakov’s praise: such a rarity when it preceded any criticism, that it immediately had him tearing up again as he proceeded to tug on his Team Russia jacket, and sit down next to him.“You should be proud…you did well, Vitya,” his coach said, quietly, before placing an arm around his shoulders. “All clean quads.”Viktor nodded against his arm, and flashed a watery smile at the various cameras stationed in front of them.Bouncing his knee up and down, he ran through various aspects of the previous few minutes in his mind.“The loop was shaky…I know I didn’t generate enough power from the outside edge because I think I was still stuck on thinking through my step sequence,” he said in a whisper of Russian, not wanting the cameras to pick it up. “And I don’t know what happened with my spins today…fatigue, maybe, but they traveled more than what I wanted.”Yakov just nodded and patted the outside of his arm, and Viktor wondered if he was still internalizing some of Nikolai’s chiding after Yurio’s skate. Both he and Yuuri had watched his program – set to ‘Nureyev’, from The White Crow4 – and thus had seen how tense things looked in the Kiss and Cry, afterwards. When he’d texted Sava during Emil’s program to inquire as to how Yurio was feeling, his mentor had told him about Nikolai’s scolding towards their coach. He smiled, not remembering the last time that Yakov had been so uncharacteristically quiet after one of his performances. With a jolt of realization, he wondered if he, too, was grieving the end. “The scores, please…”Viktor blinked after he’d heard the number, not quite registering it at first. His thoughts whirred, layering on top of one another in a chaotic frenzy. He’d been skating for long enough that tabulating his and other competitors’ scores seemed like second nature to him. As he recalled some of the whispers that had started to circulate around the Group 4 stretching area after Seung-Gil’s performance, a tiny pit of misgivings began to form in his stomach. The number that had just been read out was eight points higher than what he’d expected: not at all an insignificant margin, considering how close the base values for his and Yuuri’s programs were. For now, it put him in first place. Glancing at his coach, Viktor was suddenly laid bare under Yakov’s searching gaze. There were clearly things the elder Russian wanted to say, though probably none that he’d be comfortable allowing the live broadcast to pick up.Hating himself for the direction his thoughts were running in, he stood up from the Kiss and Cry in a haze of worry. Chris would be taking the ice in just a few moments, and if he wanted to approach the Disciplinary Commission before the competition officially wrapped, now would be the time to do it. He only hoped that his best friend wouldn’t be too hurt by his missing out on the beginning of his performance. A little offset from the rink entry gate, he could see that Yuuri and Ianna were whispering to one another. But he could only direct a wan smile in response to his fiance’s bemused expression as he hurried past him with clear intent. “Mr. Nikiforov! The greenroom is the other way, sir!”Viktor didn’t bother to look back at the (presumably) flustered IOC official, annoyed that he apparently hadn’t gotten the memo; though it was highly unconventional, his many months of whining had garnered him permission from the IOC to greet Yuuri at the boards. As long as his own skate had finished he was permitted to accompany him to the Kiss and Cry, so wouldn’t be watching his performance from the green room anyway. He was under strict orders to maintain distance from his love beforehand, but there had been no other stipulations around how he was to behave in the time prior to greeting him at the boards. As such, he didn’t slow his pace despite Yakov’s clear chagrin, behind him.“Vitya! There is a process to follow. Just think for a minute– ”  But Viktor maintained his beeline towards the ISU Secretariat table, snapping over his shoulder in urgent, agitated Russian."I’m not waiting for Gorshkov5, Yakov, I don’t care if I get reprimanded for it. Over my dead body will I miss Yuuri’s skate!” he practically hissed out.He was glad when his coach caught up and fell in step with him, moments later. "With any luck, I can still catch the end of Christophe’s program. I know there isn’t time to do anything more than to signal the intent to file a claim, but at least if we get in line, can you stay and talk to them so my decision is on the record? Please, Yakov? For me? And for Yuuri?” As Viktor pleaded with his coach, he was reminded of a similar moment that had occurred a little over a year ago. The same unmooring desperation had clawed at his innards when he’d implored him to serve as his then-boyfriend’s coach during the 2016 Rostelecom Cup. After he’d found out that Makka was alive and well, he’d laughed a little upon reflecting on Yakov’s initial reaction (“What? You want to come back?”). But as he looked now at the elder Russian’s wary expression, laughter was about the furthest thing from his mind. If necessary, Viktor was ready to get on his knees to beg and cry.Heartening at the slight softness that seemed to have entered his coach’s gaze, he approached the 2 Secretariat and 1 Disciplinary Commission representative. His words came out in a panicked tumble, but after a more calm repeat, he managed to convey that they wanted to see the full breakdown of his scores, and would likely file a claim to contest the marks. Had Chris not been the only skater prior to Yuuri taking the ice, he might also have requested to file a claim to interrogate Seung-Gil’s scoring, but as it was, time was not on their side.With a quick squeeze to Yakov’s hand, Viktor wheeled around and practically galloped to the rink entry gate. Every cell in his body longed to flock to his fiance’s side and hold his hand as they watched the final dazzling 45 seconds of Chris’ skate, set to Chocolat6.It was the movie that he and Masumi had watched on their first date. Even as he smiled at the look of contentedness on his best friend’s face, he couldn’t quite shake the flickers of unease that had begun to dance in his stomach ever since his own skate had ended. 
Stop it.

Be present; this is your last Games.

There’s no place for intrusive thoughts when Yuuri is up next.
Viktor’s self-scolding seemed to do its job, because when Chris moved into the final ten seconds of his performance, nothing but awe and elation coursed through him at the sight of his breathtakingly dizzying, level 4 sit-spin.“Bravo! Bravo, Chris!” he yelled out, jubilantly. Just as he’d done only minutes prior, his friend succumbed to pure emotion as soon as the last note of his music had rung out.Viktor felt his own eyes swim with tears at the sight of his overwhelm. Lost in thought, he startled at a sudden nudge to his side, but then smiled through blurry vision when he saw how fondly (and tearily) Sava was regarding him.“Congratulations on making history once again, Vitya. I knew you could do it,” the jump coach said, a bit wetly, prompting him to just hiccup loudly before throwing himself into the other man’s arms. He hoped he could detect his sincere gratitude for the countless hours he’d spent preparing not only him, but Yuuri, Yurio, Mila, and several others at Yubileyny this past season. Sava laughed, good-naturedly, and gave him a tight squeeze before stepping away.“Only Yusha’s left, now…keep it together if you can, Nikiforov,” he said, teasingly, leaning down to pick up the Makka tissue box and setting it on Viktor’s shoulder. “And remember: no tackle-kissing him on the ice unless you want to pay a fine that’ll line Thomas Bach’s pockets.”“Give him a kiss for me!” he replied, giggling a split-second later at his mentor’s put-upon frown. “As much as I love him, I’ll leave that to you, my friend,” he countered, before hurrying away.As his eyes remained on Sava’s retreating back, that tight coil of nerves that had begun to snake around his chest squeezed a bit. Viktor looked past him to where Yuuri was unzipping his Team Japan warmup jacket before handing it over to Ianna for safe-keeping.His stomach clenched as that familiar mix of jealousy and gratitude towards Ianna – that had been lurking all throughout the season – reared its head. His love reached over to the Meni tissue box holder and as he moved, the textured, sequin-covered, as well as slightly translucent sleeves of his Princess-Mononoke inspired costume caught the glare from the overhead lights. He loved this outfit possibly even more than Yuuri’s one from the prior season, especially knowing all of the intricate details that had been poured into its design, which was evocative of the iconic story’s Deer God “Forest Spirit”, Night-Walker.As Yuuri met his gaze, something in Viktor settled as he watched him raise his engagement ring to his lips. The room seemed to narrow to just the two of them, separated by only seven or eight feet or so.Unconcerned with whomever might be watching – after all, this had become a key part of their pre-skate ritual, so anyone who might be surprised at their synced kiss had probably been living under a rock – he raised its perfect match to his own lips, imbuing the action with all the love and belief in his fiance that he could muster. Viktor could see how Yuuri’s eyes had turned a little glassy, and he itched to run over there to throw his arms around him and dab at his eyes with a tissue.Planting his feet just in case his longing took over, his heart ached as he saw Ianna and Sava lean in, simultaneously, to surround him in a tight embrace.Yuuri was grinning when he stepped out of their group hug, and as he passed his glasses over to Ianna, Viktor felt a smile take over his face to see how confident he seemed. He was glowing.  When he’d found him earlier, after his interview cancellation, his love had hugged him with almost frightening desperation, clinging to him so intensely that he couldn’t help but grow worried. When he’d asked him what was wrong, Yuuri just shook his head, so he’d had to swallow down the long list of questions forming in his mind in favor of holding him tightly and whispering quiet words of reassurance. As much as he would have liked to be more clued into Yuuri’s anxiety, Viktor had to focus on his own performance, so hadn’t been able to give it much thought until now. His trepidation melted away at the look of fierce resolve that he adored so much, and he blinked, realizing he’d completely missed hearing Christophe’s scores in his focus on his fiance. Looking to the leaderboard, he felt a complicated swirl of emotion bloom in his stomach to see that Chris was currently in third, based on his cumulative total. Depending on how Yuuri’s skate went, either his fiance or his best friend would be walking away with an Olympic medal. The flickers of nerves in his stomach danced even faster as he realized that either way, someone he loved would be disappointed with the results. “Our last skater of the Men’s Singles Free Skate competition represents Japan…Yuuri Katsuki!”A thrill ran through him at the announcement, and Viktor cheered, clapping loudly while walking over to stand next to Ianna. She and Sava grinned at him, and as they’d practiced, he counted down on his fingers from 3…2…1…“DAVAI YUURI!!!!”Their coordinated bellows definitely reached him, because he looked back over his shoulder as he skated to his starting position, and flashed a grin in their direction. Viktor nearly swooned, and he was pretty sure Ianna’s giggle was a response to his gasp of delight. As Yuuri took his starting pose, he found himself holding his breath, and almost laughed, hysterically, at the thought of passing out during the performance. The first of the three Princess Mononoke songs making up his love’s music selection7 began to play, and Madame Baranovskaya and Okukawa Minako’s joint choreography took its turn in the spotlight. There was something rather poetic about Yuuri’s Free Skate being crafted by two teachers (and mentors) that he so greatly respected and admired, one from his past and one from his present.The first portion of it, set to the dynamic, somewhat warlike song ‘The Furies’ was a true collaboration, Minako having come to St. Petersburg last summer to work directly with Lilia and Yuuri on the 1 minute, 16 second span. Then, Lilia, solely, had choreographed the 1 minute stretch encompassing the 50 second step sequence, set to the melancholy, tranquil ‘Lady Eboshi’. Finally, Minako had finished out the program’s design, the remaining 2 minutes and 20 seconds set to the stirring, transcendent ‘Ashitaka and San’. Thirteen seconds into his first cut of music, his fiance landed a triumphant quad-flip/triple toe-loop combo, and Viktor was distantly aware of how he, Ianna, and Sava all leapt in unison. He wouldn’t have been surprised if, later, the live footage revealed them wearing matching, idiotically broad grins. Some of the knots in his stomach loosened at this early victory; at the very least, regardless of how the rest of the skate went, Yuuri would rightfully be recognized for this feat. He’d debuted the novel jump combination during his Short Program, but the audience seemed no less delighted with this strong opening, a collective gasp and cheers resounding for several seconds after he’d stuck his landing with a clean, crisp schick! of blades. Viktor admired the fluidly sweeping footwork that transitioned Yuuri into his second jumping pass, just under twenty seconds later: a textbook quad toe-loop. Already, he knew his love’s legs would be protesting, but with the way the two remaining quads were spaced out, he had faith that his incredible Yuuri would be able to handle the demanding movements. “Yes! Perfect timing,” Ianna muttered under her breath, next to him.Viktor grinned, knowing she’d been worried about Yuuri’s occasional error of timing his triple flip to land on an off-beat of the bombastic song. This tended to make for a bit of an awkward break in his flow, which would reflect negatively on his Program Component Score.No such break occurred now, however, and eleven seconds into his second cut of ‘The Furies’, his fiance threw himself into a beautiful, camel forward spin with a catch foot variation: Yuuri’s specialty, and the envy of quite a number of Men and Women’s Singles skaters in the Senior division. His form even as he changed positions looked incredibly natural, as was his transition out of the impressive number of rapid revolutions. Out of the corner of his eye, Viktor spied Sava leaning forward to grip the boards, and he knew why: the upcoming triple axel/double toe-loop was the last jumping pass prior to the step sequence, and in his sheer drive to switch to the more languid pace, Yuuri sometimes rushed his entry which flustered him and often led to falls or touchdowns on the ice.But as with before, his love’s cadence of movement seemed to be particularly sharp today, and Viktor wouldn’t have been surprised if the resulting combination received a perfect +3 GOE. He allowed himself to relax and get lost for the next minute, Lilia’s step sequence choreography perfectly suiting the hauntingly beautiful aura of ‘Lady Eboshi’. This section of Yuuri’s skate never failed to move him.It was gorgeously stirring, and with the way the swirls of acqua sequins on his costume glinted under the rink lights, Viktor knew every single person in the enormous arena felt enthralled. His heart swelled at the serene expression on Yuuri’s face, and more than ever, he wanted to raise both arms and whoop an unabashed litany of cries along the lines of “Look at my talented fiance! MY FUTURE HUSBAND ! MY GORGEOUS YUURI!”But such an interruption would probably cause Minako to skin him alive (with Lilia close behind), so he clamped his lips together and reminded himself that he’d be able to do so in just over two and a half minutes. “Ok, Yuuri, you can do this. Just like in practice,” Ianna mumbled, as both his step sequence and the second portion of the legendary Joe Hisaishi interpolation drew to a close.Maybe it was because of his own heightened emotion from just a few minutes earlier, but tears sprung to his eyes as soon as the opening notes of ‘Ashitaka and San’ began to blare over Gangneung’s sound system. Grateful for the Meni tissue box holder that Ianna was clutching, Viktor allowed himself to grab a wad. He swiped perfunctorily at his eyes, not wanting to miss the first of Yuuri’s back-loaded elements: a quad toe-loop/single Euler/triple salchow jumping sequence. “Somewhat wobbly,” he softly remarked, as his love seemed to have to fight just the slightest bit on his salchow’s landing. The subsequent transitional steps were strong, though, and pride simmered under his skin to once again observe the extent to which Yuuri had improved in his ability to brush off mistakes instead of letting them derail his progress. Over the next ten seconds, it seemed that Ianna had stiffened ever so slightly, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if Sava had done the same. Yuuri’s fourth and final quad was imminent, and if he landed his lutz cleanly then he, too, would go down in history for successfully executing a four-quad Free Skate.As had occurred during his opening jump, Viktor found himself buoyant8. He smiled from ear to ear, euphorically, and wanted to giggle at the sound of Sava whooping, loudly. He’d done it! They had both done it!  As his fiance rounded the boards closest to them, he felt his stomach swoop at the resulting whoosh of air as he passed and had to stop himself from doing something foolish like reaching his arm out. “Nice and easy, Yuuri,” Ianna muttered, and he found himself mumbling something of a similar variation as his fiance prepared to transition into his triple axel, coinciding during the beautiful swell of sound that marked the beginning of the main chord progression that carried throughout the melody. As always with his most reliable jump, Yuuri landed a textbook version, and Viktor’s stomach began to knot again…Just one final jumping pass remained. Similar to his triple axel, his triple lutz/triple toe-loop was timed to correspond with a swell of sound, and just under twenty seconds after his prior axel, Yuuri leapt into his final jump element. “Ah, well, no fall,” he mumbled, only flinching slightly at the wobble of his blades. For a second, his heart had stopped when it seemed that his love might have to touch down on the ice. He’d managed to save the landing, however, and Viktor felt like he was levitating at the realization…no doubt, Yuuri would earn positive grades-of-execution on every jumping element! His improved technique in nearly all of his entries – due to a rather extensive overhaul by way of Sava’s weekly help – couldn’t be overstated. Even that last jumping pass, which had been the wobbliest, would still eke out a small yet net positive GOE.“Oh my god, Yuuri,” Ianna gasped out, as if experiencing the same dawning comprehension. Unable to help himself, he threw an arm around his co-coach. As Viktor squeezed her shoulders, tightly, he could see that her cheeks had grown wet. As his fiance flung himself9 into his level 3, flying change-foot sit spin, Viktor became aware of another arm resting just above his own. He grinned at the predictable flush of Ianna’s cheeks (that seemed to be a mainstay whenever Sava was in close proximity), and gripped even tighter around her frame.The three of them were practically vibrating with excitement as they continued observing.Viktor’s thoughts raced towards an inexorable conclusion: buoyed by the success of his excellent performance thus far, Yuuri would execute his choreo sequence and final spin (a flying layback) with the same stunning grace that he always did…meaning, that he would emerge victorious as the Men’s Singles Individual Event Olympic Champion. An all-encompassing feeling of rightness took over his entire body, and his knees began to tremble. The fact that he’d be relegated to a silver medal finish didn’t even cross Viktor’s mind, so gripped by awe was he, especially as he thought back to how differently he’d felt four years ago in Sochi. Despite his best efforts to pretend otherwise, he’d felt utterly bored for the majority of the competition, the gleam of his gold medal seeming dull when faced with the fact that it had been so easy to claim. A mere sliver of the heady exaltation that coursed through him, now, would have made the 2014 Olympic Games feel even somewhat bearable.“Bring it home, Yuuri. Last stretch.”Sava’s mumbled Russian was just audible given the quieter (but steadily building) sound that signaled the last fifty seconds of the program. Minako’s deftly-weaving choreography of three-turns, an unassisted Y-spiral, arabesque, choctaws, counter turns, a spread-eagle10, and mohawk steps came to life under his love’s meticulous skill. Though Viktor had borne witness to this sequence of movements hundreds of times, he felt immense relief that this wouldn’t be the last that he’d see of Yuuri performing it. Their “discussion” around competing next month at World’s had taken all of twenty seconds, as it’d been clear that neither of them would be content to have these Winter Olympics be their last time facing off against one another.Viktor allowed himself a quick look to the stands, and if tears hadn’t already been brimming in his eyes, they surely would have begun to at the immense look of pride on Katsuki Hiroko and Katsuki Toshiya’s faces. Tousan and okaasan – as they’d insisted on being referred to, as soon as they’d found out about his and Yuuri’s engagement – both wore incandescent smiles, and next to them, Minako, Mari, and the entire Nishigori family were tag-teaming on holding up an enormous poster of Yuuri entering into his closing layback spin. Looking back to the ice, Viktor watched as his fiance transitioned into11 said element. It was another point of envy among many in the Senior division, especially a good number of the Women’s Singles skaters who were more accustomed to doing laybacks, but not of the flying variety. Yuuri had always been an accomplished spinner with astounding flexibility, and with the help of two different personal trainers at Yubileyny, he’d been able to change up his strength/flexibility training repertoire to take on the challenge that Minako had laid out for him. It seemed egregious that such a high difficulty endeavor should only be awarded a 3.2 point base value, but, alas, such was the infuriating nature of the ISU’s scale of values.  He, Ianna, and Sava all seemed to take a collective breath as Yuuri spun faster and faster, his body arching nimbly, but with deliberate control. And then, his love came to a standstill, whereas Viktor and his companions did the exact opposite: clutching at one another, they clumsily jumped up and down, screaming their heads off as ‘Ashitaka and San’ lapsed into silence. He didn’t think he’d ever seen such a beautiful sight: Yuuri, with one arm stretched up, overcome with tears of pride and looking like the very picture of radiance. “Representing Japan…Yuuri Katsuki!”Wiping at his face one-handedly, he began to bow deeply to the audience, and Viktor bounced restlessly on the balls of his feet, just wanting to have him in his arms, already. It seemed like an eternity passed before Yuuri was skating towards them, still crying, openly, but managing to stop long enough to grab up a plushie that bore passing resemblance to Meni.He first hugged Ianna, then Sava, and then finally, finally , the love of his life, his amazing student and fiance pressed forwards and their lips were meeting, all before Yuuri had even stepped off of the ice to put his skate guards or glasses on. Viktor was only distantly aware of his surroundings, his focus having narrowed to Yuuri’s luminous smile , Yuuri’s trembling arms, Yuuri’s rivulets of tears, wetting his Team Russia jacket. “I’m so pr-proud of you, luchik12, you did it!” he sobbed into his hair, not caring in the slightest about his lack of decorum. “I l-love you, Yusha, I love you! My Yuuri, my champion.”While he babbled his devotion, his love began to speak as well, eventually turning his face from his neck so that his words wouldn’t be muffled.“I love you, t-too, Viten’ka, so, so much,” he choked out, the words delivered in a rush of breathy, unfiltered emotion. Eventually, an IOC official had to remind their trio to actually let Yuuri exit the ice, and he, Sava, and Ianna all laughed euphorically as one of them helped re-situate his glasses, another helped him put his skate guards on, and still another helped him into his Team Japan jacket. Lumbering together awkwardly but unable to bear the thought of putting any distance between them, he and Ianna surrounded Yuuri and they made their way to the Kiss and Cry. On the way, they took turns to shower him in praise, their volume growing steadily louder in their enthusiasm. “Ahh! And that lutz, sweetheart – it was perfect! Not one single wobble in sight!”“So fluid, Yuuri! I’m sure Lilia would be complimenting your step sequence if she were here.”His adorable fiance – clearly a bit overwhelmed by their outpouring of positive feedback – just swiveled his head from side to side, a look of awe gracing his features.They shuffled into the Kiss and Cry and giggled all the while at the tiny amount of space that necessitated their bumbling movements.“I’m just so proud, Yuuri, I don’t even know where to begin,” Ianna sniffled, reaching for her own wad of tissue from “Meni” as they sat. “How do you feel? Are you happy? So help me God , you better not start with any critiques.”At this, both he and Yuuri burst out laughing, their layered mirth containing a note of hysteria. “No critiques, I promise!” he replied, before smiling a bit shyly. “I’m happy…I’m…I feel really proud, too.”Viktor nearly began sobbing anew at these words, but just threw his arms around his love’s midsection. “You should be!” he crowed, squeezing so tightly that Yuuri squeaked . “My beautiful champion, you’ve worked so hard!”And then he and Ianna were at it again, complimenting Yuuri in turns and thoroughly enjoying the way his cheeks burned brighter and brighter with each passing second. It was only Ianna’s uneasy tone that made him surface from the mission-critical task of covering his fiance’s face with kisses.“It’s taking quite a bit, huh?” she remarked, with a small frown, before craning her head to look out at where the judging/tech panel members were sitting. Viktor realized then that they had, indeed, been sitting in the Kiss and Cry for longer than expected. As a certain feeling of foreboding began to creep into the corners of his mind, he, too, got his phone out, immediately spotting a smattering of Cyrillic characters.

Sava
His quad flip/triple-toe might get downgraded. Flip got an edge call. I will personally fight this, Vitya…it’s bullshit

Viktor blinked, having to read the text a few times given the cold shock that had begun to diffuse through his veins. 
Was this a joke?
His mind flashed back to the moment just before Yuuri’s entry into said jumping pass. His blood began to boil; there was no way… “Vitya? What did Sava say?” his love asked, from just next to him.Viktor’s eyes flashed up to his face, his heart breaking as he met his unassuming gaze. He was on the verge of careening off into hysteria-babbles, but booming Korean was suddenly echoing all throughout the rink. “The scores please…”The next ten seconds were surreal.It was as if time itself had stopped, or at the very least, slowed down so that Viktor could examine each individual miniscule change in his surroundings in great detail. As Yuuri’s numerical point total was read out – each individual syllable of the score rolling out at a snail’s pace – it felt as if someone else was occupying his body.He watched himself look to the leaderboard, to see how Yuuri’s name was sandwiched in between Christophe’s and Seung-Gil’s. He watched how his eyes widened, fractionally, as they roamed to the overall rank placement listing.Fourth. 
Fourth.

Fourth.
He watched himself look to his right, registering the exact moment that his fiance became aware of what he’d just become aware of.And he watched as their gazes met, horrifically helpless to the way Yuuri’s emotions played out without artifice, broadcast in high definition to every single person in the 12,000 capacity arena. Like so much of their lives lived in perfect synchronicity, Viktor felt his heart shatter in time with the way Yuuri’s features crumpled. And then, everything was speeding up once more.

End of Chapter 13

Up Next: Chapter 14 will not be a “traditional” chapter, but will instead be made up of news articles and social media content spanning the years between the 2018 and 2022 Games. Some of the topics covered will include GQ Japan’s coverage of the Katsuki-Nikiforov wedding (in April 2019), and an interview with Seung-Gil after he wins silver at the 2020 World Championships in Montreal
 Footnotes:1. Christine is a USA TODAY columnist and reporter, and a pretty infamous personality in figure skating news. You might remember her name from Ch 11, as she was the author of the article on Seung-Gil’s decision to part ways with his coach and take a break from figure skating.
Back 2. If you need a reminder about this incident, it’s detailed in Chapter 2
Back 3. As a reminder, Viktor’s Free Skate was set to Rufus Wainwright’s “I Don’t Know What It Is” (linked a bit further down). The section of the song that I noted in italics/brackets starts at the 3 minute, 2 second mark of the song. I love the build-up to it beginning at the 2 minute, 50 second mark, and just know that Viktor in his extraness would thrive on the drama of it
Back4. Considering that this movie came out in 2018, it would have been impossible for Yurio to skate to its soundtrack, so we’ll just have to conveniently ignore that, lol. I just happen to love the program that Russian skater Mikhail Kolyada skated to it, over the 2020-2021 season
Back5. So this detail is actually true, from what I’ve come to understand of International Skating Union procedures: if a skater wishes to file a Disciplinary Commission claim, the expectation is that they have the backing of their federation, or at the very least, have informed their federation leadership. Viktor is basically just saying that he doesn’t give a flying fuck about that as a rule, lol
Back6. I had to make mention of one of my favorite movie soundtracks, which the incomparable Stéphane Lambiel skated to over the 2002-2003 season. Here is his performance of Chocolat at World’s in 2003. His footwork in that final choreo sequence, not to mention that final spin is mesmerizing
Back7. The breakdown of Yuuri’s music (all from the Princess Mononoke soundtrack) would go like this: first, 0:46-1:28 of ‘The Furies’ (total of 42 seconds), followed by its first 34 seconds, 0:00-0:34; then, for his step sequence, 1:20-2:20 of ‘Lady Eboshi’ (60 seconds); and, finally, for ‘Ashitaka and San’, 0:52-3:12 (2 minutes, 20 seconds). This would bring his performance to 4 minutes, 36 seconds (the max allowed is 4 minutes, 40 seconds)
Back8. Yuuri’s quad lutz would take place at the 1:18 marker of the song. His cut of ‘Ashitaka and San’ begins at the 0:52 second mark, and he lands his 4T-1Eu-3S at the 0:59 second marker, and then his lutz 19 seconds later (at the 1:18 marker of the song). Just wanted folks to have some idea of where in the music things would be at
Back9. Yuuri’s FCSSp would take place beginning at the 2:01 mark, so a little over fifteen seconds after he would have exited out of his triple toe-loop. This spin would directly precede the choreo sequence, and if you’re following along, you can probably hear around the 2:09 mark that there is a tone shift (that corresponds with his spin exit)
Back10. This is timed to take place with the slight swell of sound at the 2:35 mark
Back11. Yuuri enters into his flying layback spin (which he can thank tireless strength/flexibility training for) with 17 seconds of the program remaining. This takes place at the 2:55 mark of Ashitaka and San
Back12. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment translating to “sunbeam”
Back

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SmolLittleSmeagol
Sep 18, 2018
___________________On September 17th, MakkaDooZoo77 wrote:Was anyone able to attend last night’s ice show in Detroit, the one with Yuuri/Viktor/Marek and others? I had tickets but ended up being really sick and had to miss it :((( I was so mad, I feel like there was so much build-up since practically no one was giving hints about the program content and to my knowledge, it wasn’t being streamed live ___________________

I did! MakkaDooZoo77 I’m so sorry you didn’t end up being able to go! I’m not going to share my footage since attendees haven’t (yet) received express permission to do so, but I can definitely share some highlights: 
By far the most buzzed about performance was the ending number: a group skate with Leo/Phichit/Yuuri/Viktor. It was INCREDIBLE, and while I feel like the theme of the entire ice show was a semi-subtle “F*** you, powers that be” (re: the wishy washy response to PyeongChang bribery), this skate was the most overt “hey-we’re-pissed-and-we-want-everyone-to-know” example. Tellingly, it was set to the iconic Rage Against The Machine song Killing In The Name. Honestly, it seemed more like something Yuri Plisetsky would have skated to but the four of them killed it LMAO
Viktor did a solo skate set to the CHVRCHES song Leave A Trace. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. If you check the r/FigureSkating subreddit, tons of fans have already given their analysis on how the song is probably meant to be a reflection of his feelings towards the Russian skating federation. Seems fitting based on some of the lyrics (“Take care to tell on me for the cause”; “You think I’ll apologize for things I left behind, but you got it wrong”, etc.). 
Yuuri only did group skates (I presume b/c this is supposed to be his break from competition, so maybe he is just focusing on putting his programs together in time for Nationals in December?). Nevertheless, his pair skate with Viktor was the performance that most resonated with me (and, of course, made me cry). It was set to Ron Pope’s You’re The Reason I Come Home ｡ﾟ(ﾟ^Ｏ^ﾟ)ﾟ｡ 
Yuuri did a Meet and Greet afterwards AND I GOT TO MEET HIM (!!) I asked him what was the last thing that made him smile, and he mentioned that he’s been working really hard on a wedding gift for Viktor (idk if you caught this, but at the 2017 GPF post-skate press conference, they announced they aimed to get married in 2019, pending on their approval by the Japanese govt). Gahhhh, my heart, they are just too cute together!
The two friends I went with love Leo and Marek, and got to meet them as well. Leo shared that he is hoping to put his quad toe into combination so that it’s ready for the 2019-2020 season, and Marek hinted at a coaching change
Re: the latter, fans have posted on Reddit about Marek’s openness around his disappointment with his coach’s unwillingness to comment on the bribery scandal. I was surprised he was so open about it, but I think the whole thing has made athletes just not give a f*** anymore about playing nice. Makes me wonder if he’s going to switch to Emil Nekola’s rink/coaching team

Cinnamon_Rumped_Trogon

Sep 18, 2018
___________________On September 17th, MakkaDooZoo77 wrote:Was anyone able to attend last night’s ice show in Detroit, the one with Yuuri/Viktor (among others)? I had tickets but ended up being really sick and had to miss it :((( I was so mad, I feel like there was  so much build-up since practically no one was giving hints about the program content and to my knowledge, it wasn’t being streamed live ___________________ I was there, one of the best experiences of my life TBH. I’m so bummed for you that you ended up having to miss it! While Yuuri and Viktor (rightfully) got a lot of praise for their performances, I feel the need to heap some praise onto my sunshine boy Mr. Phichit Chulanont. Not sure if you watched the rescheduled Olympic medal ceremony from last month (big yikes, but that’s a topic for another day), but he did a repeat of his skate, and omg…it was even better this time around. I’m still extremely curious as to who the song is dedicated to. All You Need (by The Jezabels) is obviously a song about friendship but I get the impression it’s about more than just his relationship with Yuuri. Phichit is friends with everybody lol so I guess it could be about multiple ppl but he’s made comments here and there that suggest it’s about a newer friend that has come into his life

TheBechamelTest

Sep 18, 2018
__________________On September 18th, Cinnamon_Rumped_Trogon wrote:I’m still extremely curious as to who the song is dedicated to. All You Need (by The Jezabels) is  obviously a song about friendship but I get the impression it’s about more than just his relationship with Yuuri. Phichit is friends with everybody lol so I guess it could be about multiple ppl but he’s made comments here and there that suggest it’s about a newer friend that has come into his life ___________________ Ok, so I recognize that this is slightly creepy (and if you think so just judge me silently in your head please and thank you), but I decided to do some investigation into the sole Instagram post that Seung-Gil Lee has posted over the last seven months. If you follow his Insta, you’ll know that his post from two weeks ago featured a picture of him and his new coach, Byun Min-Jin.He is holding his phone in his left hand, and if you zoom in, you can see an open WhatsApp messaging window. The contact’s name/icon is obv blurry but based on some guesswork and mild stalking of various skaters’ Instagram/Twitter content, I have narrowed it down to two possibilities: Phichit Chulanont or Michele Crispino. Given that Michele is even pricklier than Seung-Gil, I really can’t see them being friends. So I sort of have a feeling that the new friend Phichit may be referring to is Seung-Gil? Or at least I hope…I hold such sadness in my heart over what he’s undergone the last several months and just really want him to be ok and feel loved (ノ_<。)ヾ(´▽｀). I was SO RELIEVED when he announced he’d decided to come back to competitive skating; I get the feeling that his performances are going to be more expressive than ever. He signed up to do an ice show in Seoul in November as a “test run” for Korean Nationals, and the show lineup online revealed that he got Viktor to choreograph a program for him (!!!!) It’s set to the song I Blame Myself by Sky Ferreira. If you listen to the lyrics, they’re depressing AF

MaslowHierarchyOfWeeds9033

Sep 18, 2018
___________________On September 18th, TheBechamelTest wrote:So I sort of have a feeling that the new friendship Phichit may be referring to is him/Seung-Gil? Or at least one can hope…I hold such sadness in my heart for what Seung-Gil has undergone the last several months and just really want him to be ok and feel loved (ノ_<。)ヾ(´▽｀)___________________ I knowwwww, Seung-Gil, my poor bby!! I don’t know how he doesn’t just explode into dust every single day from anger…maybe he has a good therapist? He’s always been kind of a loner and I get the sense that he really only is close with his brother and his dog (the latter being an adorable husky named Gwihan). So if it turns out he and Phichit have indeed become friends it would make my weary heart so very happy!On a slightly different topic, I’ve been combing Reddit for what I can, but there doesn’t seem to be a ton of information re: his new coach, other than the fact that Coach Byun is fairly new to coaching Senior division skaters, and has been very openly critical of both his former coach (Park Min-So1) as well as the Korean skating federation. Lady’s got guts, that’s for sure. Then again…even if she does speak out against her own federation, what are they going to do? They know they’re not in any position of leverage right now… 
CULTURE
 
In Sickness and In Stealth: Behind-the-Scenes of Figure Skating's Most Covert Nuptials

Despite their high profiles in the world of elite athletics, Yuuri and Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov's April wedding in Hasetsu, Japan was one of the season’s most closely kept secrets. GQ Japan was pleased to get an exclusive peek into the beloved couple’s special day
 By Satoshi Niibori Photography by Jun Shishido April 27, 2019

“Suenagai o-shiawase o o-inori mōshi agemasu2.”   As the oft-repeated phrase fell from my lips, one half of global sport’s most accomplished and beloved couples eyed me with a split-second of uncertainty.  The next moment, however, I was subjected to a dazzling heart-shaped smile courtesy of newly married Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov: retired Russian figure skater, coach, choreographer, and new husband to “Japan’s Ace” skater Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov. Were I to list them all, their shared laurels would likely take up a good portion of this feature, but Yuuri-san3 has the distinction of holding two World Championship titles in Men’s Singles skating and is the current reigning Olympic champion, while prior to his retirement, Viktor-san was a 2-time Olympic champion in Men’s Singles skating, a 4-time Olympic medalist overall, and a 5-time World Championship title holder.   However, one could be forgiven for forgetting such impressive accolades, because on this mild and sunny day in the village of Hasetsu (the former’s hometown in Kyushu, Saga Prefecture), both men donned private, heartfelt smiles for one another, each more genuine and vulnerable than anything they’d allow to be captured by a paparazzo.  Despite the overall secrecy surrounding the event, Jun-san and myself were granted the privilege of bearing witness to a day that most of Japan’s denizens had been postulating about via online forums for over a year: the couple’s private beachside wedding ceremony and reception at Yu-topia Katsuki: Yuuri-san’s childhood home, and one of the longest-running traditional onsens in Kyushu. Though the grooms had officially married the day prior in a traditional Shinto shinzenshiki , today’s festivities were the more public affair, kicking off in mere hours with a total of 125 confirmed wedding guests.  Only seconds after Hiroko-san – the delightfully warm Katsuki matriarch –  welcomed us outside Yutopia’s entrance gates, myself and my colleague were being exuberantly greeted just inside the doors by Viktor-san and the couple’s very cute standard poodle, Makkachin. With a twinkle in his eye, the casually-dressed Russian explained that his new husband was currently occupied in the kitchen with supervising preparations for the reception’s alcohol offerings, but would be able to join soon. It was at this moment that Jun-san and I found out that Yuuri-san’s childhood ballet instructor – the impressive ballet extraordinaire Okukawa Minako – would be bartending for the evening.  We soon discovered that, similarly, a good portion of the guests had a role to play in the day’s success. Fellow skater/friend Otabek Altin was currently going over his tracklist for DJing the reception; Yuuri-san’s 3 paternal-side cousins were setting up chairs on the beach; Viktor-san’s former rinkmates (Yuri Plisetsky and Mila Babicheva) were in the kitchen baking korovai , an elaborate and traditional Russian wedding bread recipe; and one of the couple’s ballet instructors – Sasha Gordeeva, who teaches at their home rink in St. Petersburg, Russia – was arranging white poppies into centerpieces.  “Vitya! Please back me up in convincing Minako-sensei that there’s really no need for two different chūhai4. She’s whining that– ” “Oh!”  A mildly chagrined voice cut off before squeaking out a startled exclamation; the other groom had noticed our arrival.  Yuuri-san hurried over, bowing low before plastering himself to his husband’s side in a manner that, while quite a bit more demonstrative than traditional Japanese relationship conventions might dictate, was par-for-the-course for the Katsuki-Nikiforovs. After all, this was a couple that shared their first kiss in a highly public, televised event at the 2016 Cup of China skating competition. As such, my colleague and I were under no illusion that the day would be a traditional affair, though there were many beautiful hallmarks of an orthodox ceremony. After all, it is unfortunately still quite unconventional for two grooms to be married in Japan, making the couple’s celebration all the more notable and important for its visibility. “I’m glad you made it here safely, Satoshi-san, Jun-san. We’re very excited to have you join us,” Yuuri-san softly remarked, prompting my colleague’s lips to twitch, though he did an admirable job of passing it off. The star athlete’s aversion to the spotlight is well-documented – and contrasts quite amusingly with his new spouse’s – but we could both see that his words were earnest. Moreover, his subsequent smile spoke volumes; it was shy, sweet, and disarming in its sincerity, and the both of us later whispered to one another about how adorable his blatant smittenness towards his husband was. Of course, Viktor-san played off of this energy, slinging an arm around Yuuri-san’s waist and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Yes! We truly are! You’ll have to forgive us if we’re a bit on-guard, though,” the other groom added on, with a grin. “Everything has been running a little too smoothly…which probably means that some kind of catastrophe looms ahead. I can only hope our wedding outfits go unscathed, because I’m far too vain for a fashion crisis on today of all days.” The four of us laughed, and then the couple was leading us over to the back entrance courtyard, which was in the process of being transformed into the reception area. With three hours still to go before the beachside ceremony was underway, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs didn’t seem particularly concerned around its half-finished state.  Indeed, Jun-san and I had fully expected to be graciously turned down in our request to arrive so early. However, much to our pleasant surprise, Yuuri-san and Viktor-san were quite amenable to being photographed through the course of getting themselves and the venue ready, as well as allowing for shots of them interacting with their bridal party members.  [IMG 1: Viktor-san being helped into his ceremony kimono/hakama by his father-in-law, Toshiya-san ] [IMG 2: Yuuri-san laughing and posing for a selfie with friend/fellow skater Phichit Chulanont ] For Yuuri-san, the bridal party consisted of his sister (Mari-san), close friend and fellow skater Phichit Chulanont, and his childhood friend, Nishigori Takeshi. Incidentally, Takeshi-san’s wife, Yuuko-san, would be officiating the ceremony. His parents, Toshiya-san and Hiroko-san, would be walking on either side of him. Viktor’s bridal party comprised his former rinkmate Georgi Popovich, longtime bodyguard Oleg Telitsyn, and close friend and newly retired skater Christophe Giacometti. By now, it is well known that figure skating’s “Living Legend” has an estranged relationship with his biological parents, but Viktor-san implored my colleague and I not to feel too badly, explaining that his former coach Yakov Feltsman and retired ballerina Lilia Baranovskaya would be walking on either side of him. No trace of pain seemed detectable in his beaming smile, nor in the way he proudly declared the latter two to be his “second parents”.  Neither Jun-san or I are ashamed to admit that our hearts melted when we overheard Yuuri-san whisper into his husband’s ear the very next moment that Toshiya-san and Hiroko-san are his “third parents”. While it is undoubtable that the Katsuki family – and, by extension, the village of Hasetsu – claims Yuuri-san with deep pride, we were touched to observe the myriad ways in which Viktor-san has been similarly embraced. A big reason for the latter likely stems from the fact that the Russian phenom lived in Hasetsu for over eight months, back in 2016 when he and his new student first began to work together.  According to Yuuri-san’s parents, sister, friends, and various townsfolk, Viktor-san was determined to integrate into the Hasetsu way of life, and went far and above merely learning the Saga-ben dialect. Indeed, over the course of the day, we heard countless stories from guests who were all too happy to gush about their evolution from natural curiosity around Viktor-san’s presence, to tentative affection, and, now, familial regard.  One such story came from Yuuri-san and Viktor-san’s wedding planners, a mother-daughter duo who live locally and run a business in neighboring Fukuoka.  “Hayami-san, Aiki-san, koko ni kite kudasai!”  At Viktor-san’s soft invitation, two women approached wearing broad smiles, the older one (in her mid-50’s) giving him a fond pat on the cheek. We learned that Matsuda Hayami was an elder classmate of Hiroko-san’s, and has known her and Toshiya-san long before either Mari-san or Yuuri-san were born. What followed was a lively conversation, both mother and daughter giggling but still speaking slower than usual (presumably for Viktor-san’s benefit) while sharing their memorable first impressions – “Asked me more questions than Aiki-chan did her entire childhood, all in an awful but cute accent ”; “Insisted I include his dog in our conversation, and carried her around like a big baby” – of the gregarious Russian. “Before he left Hasetsu to return home to St. Petersburg, he asked for our email addresses. We thought he was just being polite,” Aiki-san said, with a sly grin.  “But then, just two weeks after he left, I open my inbox to find not just an email but an entire newsletter that he created, to update us monthly on his and Yuuri-chan’s lives. He called it the ‘Viktuuri Romance Roundup’,” Hayami-san added on, while Yuuri-san blushed and grinned.  “I mentioned it in passing to my friend, Shimizu Rin, who works at the post office, and who I knew that Viktor-senpai got along well with,” Aiki-san continued, with a definite twinkle of glee in her eyes. “She mentioned that she’d received it, too! It seems like Viktor-senpai wanted to make sure the entire town was kept in the loop regarding their fairytale romance.”  “I think he wanted everyone here to be reassured that our Yuuri-chan was happy and doing well,” Hayami-san said, matter-of-factly. “And he was! It became very clear to all of us here in Hasetsu that the love Vik-chan has for him is genuine and selfless.” “And what’s even better was the way Viktor-senpai took the time to ask us questions about how we were doing, and respond when we’d comment on the things in the newsletter, like when Yuuri-senpai won his first World Championship title ,” Aiki-san resumed.  By this point, Viktor-san’s cheeks were very very red, but it was clear that he was enjoying the opportunity to bask in the Matsuda family’s obvious approval of him. And it was even more evident that his husband was appreciative of the chance as well, his eyes glowing with fierce pride and enamoredness.  My colleague and I quickly grew to realize that Hayami-san and her daughter would have been thrilled to regale us with many more stories concerning the couple’s adorable love story, but our group’s attention suddenly shifted when three high-pitched and rather frazzled-sounding voices called out across the courtyard.  “SOS - floral emergency!” Turning towards the clamor, Jun-san and I were a bit startled to see three young girls – decked out in complementary purple, light blue, and pink furisode – running full-speed-ahead towards us. “Uh oh…I wonder if that’s the catastrophe we’ve been expecting?” Viktor-san mused with a rueful smile.  Despite the words, the Russian didn’t look particularly troubled, and when he spotted our puzzlement, he pointed out Axel-san, Lutz-san, and Loop-san, the daughters of the aforementioned Nishigori family. (Later, both grooms explicitly mentioned the Nishigori girls in their hand-written vows, as it was due to a viral video that they posted online that Viktor-san came to Japan to become Yuuri-san’s coach in the first place.) Once they got closer, we could see that they were identical triplets, being slowly followed by their parents, who were carefully transporting what looked to be a large wooden archway strewn with vivid splotches of blue, yellow, and purple.  Once we learned of the nature of the “floral emergency” – an order mix-up that resulted in the Katsuki-Nikiforovs having to contend with a violet-hydrangea-zinnia archway instead of the violet-bluebell-sunflower structure they’d requested – Jun-san and I were prepared to give the grooms privacy to vent out any stress they’d need to around the mishap. After all, hanakotoba5 is such a key consideration in any ceremony’s planning. But to our surprise, Yuuri-san and Viktor-san took the news in stride, commenting on how beautiful the alternate structure was and how it would do perfectly fine as the focal point of the beach ceremony. Jun-san and I both remember the intensity of our own wedding days, so needless to say, we were surprised at their unruffled expressions. Perhaps sensing the question on our lips, Yuuri-san confided in us around how his perspective around today’s celebration has evolved – a reality that is deeply intertwined with his personal battles with anxiety, as well as the fallout from the PyeongChang Games judge bribery scandal .  “I think to have gone through something like what we did, in such an up-close-and-personal way…in some ways, it forced me to put things into perspective. Like, if I got through something like that – which was an event that no one could have predicted and was catalyzed by factors completely beyond my control – and was able to come out relatively unscathed…then it’s a reminder of what I’m capable of. It completely changed the way I began to think about big life events, like planning our wedding, and our move from Russia.” Yuuri-san paused to smile at his husband, who leaned over a bit to rest his head on his shoulder. It was a sweet moment during a day that would be jam-packed with them. “The most important thing about today is that Vitya and I are here, together, surrounded by everybody that we love. The details are important, of course, but the two of us aren’t going to suddenly have a doomed marriage because of a mix-up with our flower arch. In the grand scheme of things, we’ll remember things like our first dance as a married couple, or …see more  ...

You_Only_Lolz_Once

Apr 2, 2020
___________________
On April 2nd, Brolonoscopy2124 wrote:
I believe that Seung-Gil recently made an appearance on Polina Edmunds’ podcast, ‘The Iron Butterfly’.’ I know this would take a lot of time to produce, but would anyone be willing to create/post a transcript of their conversation? Doesn’t even have to be the whole thing, just some highlights? My little sister is a huge fan of his, and is also deaf. She tries to read every interview he does!I’d be willing to pay for this; I’d do it myself but type so slowly. Thanks so much in advance if anyone can be of help.___________________ Sure thing, my friend!! Here is the first quarter, covering the first 10 of their 40 minute conversation. I will try to post the rest in the next week or so. And don’t worry at all about payment.
—
 Polina: Hello everyone, welcome back to my podcast. I’m your host, Polina Edmunds. And today, I’m in conversation with 2020 World Figure Skating Championships’ Men’s Singles silver medalist, Lee Seung-Gil of Korea. Seung-Gil, it’s been 2 weeks since your fantastic showing in Montreal, welcome to the show! I’m so glad we could have this conversation, and that you could fit me in with your end-of-season plans.  Seung-Gil: Hi Polina, thanks a lot for having me. My boyfriend, Phichit, has been trying to get me on here ever since he sat down for an interview with you last year, and with my schedule it’s just never worked out. But finally, now that the season’s wrapped, I’m able to kind of decompress, so I was happy to make the time.  Polina : Ah, Phichit! For those who aren’t in the know, Phichit Chulanont is a Thai Men’s Singles skater, who has also had a fantastic season as well, coming in 4th at World’s. I think him and I…I believe it was last July or August that we talked. I remember that it was a month or so after you’d made your relationship internet official, so that was exciting for me, because I happen to think you two are really adorable together. Seung-Gil: *Laughter* Thank you, yeah, we’re celebrating our 1 year anniversary soon, which is just…surreal. In a good way, of course.  Polina: Congratulations, that’s so, so fantastic. I feel like you and Phichit are sort of the – I hope it doesn’t annoy you for me to say this, by the way? – but you’re Viktor and Yuuri 2.0 *Seung-Gil laughs again* With Viktor having retired two years ago, they’re no longer competing against one another, but you and Phichit are very much direct competitors, still. And, like the Katsuki-Nikiforovs once did, you two seem to be chasing one another in terms of points and podium placements.For those that aren’t caught up on World’s, after the Short Program on March 19th, the top 5 standings shook out with JJ Leroy of Canada in the lead, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov of Japan in second, Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan in third, Seung-Gil in fourth, and Phichit in fifth. Normally, we’d also see Yuri Plisetsky’s name somewhere in there but I think most people know that he chose to withdraw early from the season after his grandfather’s death late last year. He’s one of my favorite skaters, so I’m hoping that he’s taking this much needed time to properly grieve and honor his memory.One thing that pretty much everybody in the figure skating fandom was commenting on that day was that you and Phichit had less than a 4 point difference in your scores. Then, of course, there was the super eventful Free Skate on the 21st, which I’m so thrilled to be able to hear your thoughts on. I’ll start off by saying that you gave a spectacular, career-best performance. And across the board, there was really strong skating in the field, from Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov, of course, from Marek Kucera – who I think surprised everyone with his attempt at a quad-quad – to Phichit, who landed the quad flip that had been eluding him last season, which literally made me scream when I saw it.*laughter from both*At the end of it all, Yuuri clinched his third World title, which now officially puts him and Viktor into a class of their own in terms of most World’s titles. Then, of course, you, Seung-Gil were only 6 points behind Yuuri in second place, and…where to even begin? I was spellbound by your skating, truly. You did singular quad loops and quad lutzes, and you also successfully put your quad loop in-combination, which is so, so hard to do.  We’ll come back to my effusive praise because I have lots of it, but just to finish the quick recap of standings: Marek Kucera was able to move up from seventh to get bronze. Phichit was just 2 points behind Marek, and Otabek was another 2 points behind Phichit. So…very tight distribution of scores in the top 5, all in all. Hit me with any and all of your thoughts on everything I just rambled on about, whether about World’s, you and Phichit, etc, etc, I want to hear it all! Seung-Gil: *Laughter* Definitely. It was…it was one of the more exciting World Championships that I can recall. Both on a personal level, but I think also, like, just for the field in general. I think the thing they always say about World’s is true…which is, that you’re really putting everything into it and just hoping that you can feel like you made an improvement over the year prior.I think that was certainly true for me, given that this was my highest ever placement, and I know that was true for my peers…it was certainly true for Phichit when he landed the flip. Him and I…we have a very competitive dynamic, so in that way, I think it’s apt for people to compare us to Yuuri and Viktor. But at the same time, I think our relationship has a number of big differences. For one thing, Yuuri and Viktor come from two countries where figure skating is very much a big deal. It’s a very in-demand form of entertainment, and the same is true of my native Korea (maybe more so with speed skating), but that couldn’t be further from the truth in Phichit’s case. Through dating Phichit, I’ve been humbled to learn about the challenges he’s been up against in creating a viable career for himself, and I think that’s only increased the respect I’ve developed for him as a peer. And I think he’d say the same, given that, obviously, my life was completely upended by the Games, and…it was a catalyst for us actually growing close and becoming friends, and now, dating.So in some ways, yes , there is that element of “chasing” between us, and I’ll actually go ahead and refer to an interview that Viktor gave last summer, when he talked about what it was like for him and Yuuri as partners to know the very real challenges that the other person has had to overcome, which is exactly how I feel about Phichit…when one of us walks away with a higher score, there isn’t this sense of resentment or, like, ‘oh, well he didn’t deserve it’...Instead, there’s very much a sense of ‘wow, I’m so proud to be with someone who’s killing it like that’, because we both know the ins and outs of some of the things the other has had to overcome to get to this point. I think, for me at least, it takes some of that competitive edge off, which I actually appreciate. Polina: Wow, that’s really sweet, actually, and a very healthy perspective for you to have. Um, and at the same time, I can remember Phichit last year talking very frankly with me about the pressure that comes with that responsibility of building awareness around figure skating in a country as small as Thailand. I wonder if that’s something you can relate to, at all? After the PyeongChang scandal, you sort of became – through no fault of your own, of course – this sort of mascot for the 2018 Games…like, people were using your name everywhere, to talk about you as a proxy for the totality of Korean figure skating overall, and I just wonder: is that weight of responsibility something that’s followed you into this season? Seung-Gil: It’s funny, I was actually just talking about this with Min-Jin, my coach. I think one thing I really appreciate about Coach Byun as compared to my previous coach, is that she doesn’t shy away from partnering with me on understanding the politics behind this job. When I was skating under Park Min-So, I was somehow expected to skate full-time as well as to navigate politics with very little guidance.And then there was also the fact that when I had questions or didn’t understand something, there just wasn’t a lot of compassion around that. But with Coach Byun, she understands how important it is for me to have a good grasp on all of that, which is the only reason I think I’ve been able to handle the accompanying responsibility over the last two years. So the short  answer is yes : I definitely feel the weight, even more so than before the PyeongChang Games. I think one of the better parts of bearing that burden now versus pre-2018, however, is that I can feel free to be as critical of the Korean Skating Federation as I want to be…that’s actually something that was crucial for me when I was trying to make the decision around whether or not to return to competitive skating, back in 2018.I didn’t want to feel stifled in speaking out against what happened, or what transpired in the aftermath. Coach Byun is even more openly critical of figure skating bureaucracy than I am, so when we first began exploring the idea of working together, she was immediately able to put my mind at ease around the fact that we’d be partners in not only understanding the changing landscape of politics but also in pushing for change. *Laughter* It’s actually been fantastic, in that we sort of egg each other on  Polina: *echoed laughter* Dynamic duo, I love that. That kind of transparency and support from your coach when it comes to the “hidden” side of the sport: it’s one I can relate to. I believe you know that my mom was one of my figure skating coaches, and she herself was a Russian skater Seung-Gil : Oh yeah, so you must really know exactly what I’m talking about in terms of being able to speak frankly with your coaching team.  Polina: Yes, I mean that’s always been something that’s been important to my mom: exposing me to the very pragmatic realities of this sport, even when that reality is very ugly and unethical. When the International Skating Union ruled in September of 2018 to ban Korea and Russia from “exhibiting presence” at ISU events for two seasons, I feel like my mom was one of the very first prominent coaches to take to social media and really just be like: “well, what the hell is that going to do?” *laughter from Seung-Gil* Like, I remember as soon as we heard, she jumped onto a conference call with a friend of hers who knows somebody who knows ISU President Jan Dijkema really well. And she allowed me to sit in on the call and ask my own questions, which she definitely didn’t have to do.  Seung-Gil: Wow, yeah…I mean, that’s…that’s the kind of thing that I really really wish I would have known to think about when I was first making decisions around my coaching team as a Junior division skater. Back then, I was new enough in my career that I was just thinking about things purely on a technical or logistical scale, like…ok, who has the most “in” with the federation so that I can buy ice time in the easiest way? Or, who has the strongest connections with choreographers so that I can have my pick of the best when it comes time to put my programs together? And, don’t get me wrong: that’s all hugely , hugely important. But with the realities of our sport, I think it’s becoming almost equally important for successful coaches to develop this skill set in navigating politics and…Like, not just navigating in a vacuum, but navigating and then being able to translate that for their students.I want to go back though, for a second, because I’m really genuinely interested in what you said, Polina, about that call with your mom. I’m just curious…did anything come of that? Like, were you actually able to influence Jan? Polina: Oh, man…how much time do you have? *laughter from both* I’ll give you the full story off-the-record, only because I don’t want to get my mom in hot water, but what I will say, is that she and several others, including people on the ISU Executive Board were absolutely pissed around how that ruling came to pass. Like – and for people listening, sorry, this is getting into the nitty gritty, but I do think it’s really important to spell some of this out – the fact of the matter is: that ruling was the furthest thing from punitive. It essentially barred Russia and Korea from hosting any ISU events besides their National Championships for two skating seasons. The lesser talked about stipulation is that it also placed stricter requirements around the trainings that Korean and Russian judges and tech panel members had to take before being selected to judge at ISU events. 
But, there were two important caveats to all of that.
One, was that while Korea and Russia could not host their own events – so, no Rostelecom – there was nothing stopping federation officials from either country from going to other ISU events to schmooze and just generally be all grimy with sponsors. And two, there was no standard for the training that was to be implemented for those future judges and tech panel members. Supposedly, the ISU had been working on some kind of guide to ensure that both countries would stick to some minimum baseline, but it never actually got detailed in the ruling itself. So really, it didn’t end up having much of an impact, from what I understand, and from what my mom has shared with me. Seung-Gil: Ok, interesting. I didn’t even think about the aspect of federation officials and schmoozing, but that makes a lot of sense. Korea was obviously financially impacted from not being able to make potential money off of Four Continents’ for two years, and the federation itself has lost a ton of sponsors in backlash, but the fact of the matter is that that windfall occurred independently of the ISU’s ruling. It was really because of sponsors that seem to have at least some scruples that the federation suffered at all…So, like, the fact that it just as easily could have gone the other way pisses me off, endlessly. Polina: Oh my god, yeah…I can’t even imagine. Like, I know that you along with Yuri Plisetsky and a few others had been really really committed to figuring out some way to get sponsors to back you so that you could officially emancipate from your federations, and it’s just… insane to me that there isn’t an easier, less daunting way to do that. Seung-Gil: Yeah, I’m glad you’re bringing that up, Polina, because that’s actually something that my coach and I will be actively looking into this summer. And to be honest, I don’t think that option was a realistic one for me before this past World’s. The fact of the matter is that during the latter half of the 2018-2019 season, I was getting back into the groove of skating after being out for the first half, so sponsors being hesitant around backing me as an independent skater really wasn’t all that surprising. But that just meant that I felt like I had something to prove this past season. I worked harder than I’ve ever done during the off-season last year, and then also throughout this past year.It’s truly been a balance of improving in my technical “toolbox”, but also working on improving in the interpretation aspect of my skating, which has always been my weakest area. In some ways, that actually came pretty easily, because the programs I’ve skated the last season and a half are far more personal and close to the heart than anything I’ve ever skated before.  Polina: Yeah, on that note, I’ll just say that your Short Program in the latter half of the 2018-2019 season is one of the most emotionally devastating things I’ve ever seen…and the most shattering thing about it is that it creeps up on you because the fact that it’s a pop song makes you think “Oh, bouncy! Ok, cool, this must be something light-hearted”, but then you actually listen to the lyrics and closely watch your facial expressions and body movements, and then out of nowhere, I’m like, full-on sobbing *laughter from both of them*That emotionality you were able to convey certainly seems like it was in part due to having a program choreographed for you by *THE* Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov, but a huge thing that everyone’s noticed is also just the fact that…you were skating your heart out, Seung-Gil. And it showed, man. It really, really did…it was mesmerizing. Seung-Gil: Well first off, thank you. That’s really high praise coming from such a high-caliber skater like yourself. It was…it was really difficult, giving myself that permission to be vulnerable like that. Because that’s just not something – vulnerability, I mean – that was rewarded or appreciated within my family, growing up. I have very no-nonsense parents, who, frankly, have their own issues around being in tune with their emotions. So tapping into my feelings in my performances has always been such a challenge for me. In a way, before PyeongChang, I had always been afraid of really letting go of my inhibitions and just letting myself feel, fully.  But all credit for my transformation goes to Coach Byun for that. She was able to help me see in a way that my previous coach never did, that my genuine emotion was a strength on the ice, not a weakness. And in seeing how the audience responded to my vulnerability…it gave me the confidence to set new and ambitious goals for myself.  That decision of mine to try for both a quad lutz as well as to put my quad loop in-combination this past season…I can totally see why some people thought I was insane for announcing those as two concrete goals for the year. But voicing them aloud and then knowing I’d be held accountable for meeting them…it lit a fire under my ass in a way that I’ve never experienced, not even when I was training my hardest for PyeongChang. I ended up working with a jump coach that Coach Byun has worked with for some of her former Junior skaters, and that made a world of difference. And now with the boost from this past World’s, I think it’s actually somewhat realistic for me to start entertaining that idea again of independent sponsorships.  Polina: Well, hey, make your pitch, man! I fully support you using this platform to give a little spiel.But before that, one last topic on the politics side, if that’s ok? Seung-Gil: Yes, completely ok. It’s actually really refreshing to be able to talk about this stuff so openly. Especially because I know your audience is mostly American listeners who might not have much familiarity with me or Korean figure skating. Polina: Good, I’m glad to hear you say that.I wanted to ask explicitly about the fact that this past season marks the end of that ISU “punishment” against your federation, if you can even call it a true punishment.I’m just wondering if there’s anything you’re going to be working on specifically, advocacy-wise with that in mind? Seung-Gil: Oh yeah, great question.So people probably know what a huge money-maker Four Continents’ is for Korea, so my Coach and I are actually trying to get some in-roads around the process of host selection, and, if possible, force the ISU’s hand through fan petitioning. We’d basically just like to ensure that Korea doesn’t get hosting responsibilities for an even longer period.  Polina: This might seem like a silly question but what in your mind, would be an actual appropriate punishment for your federation and for the Korean Olympic Committee? Seung-Gil: Yeah, that’s…a huge question. I have some thoughts but honestly, I probably need to think about it a little bit before speaking on it, if that’s alright.  Polina: Definitely, there’s still so much ground for us to cover, so take your time to mull things over. We’re actually going to take a quick break to play a message from my sponsors, but once we’re back, we can dive in for even more.  Seung-Gil: Sounds good, Polina.

End of Chapter 14

In Chapter 15, we return to the present at the 2022 Games, with a Yurio POV chapter covering the situation around Levan Kapanadze’s bigotry towards Viktor (from Ch12), as well as the Men’s Singles Short Program
Footnotes:1. I decided to base Seung-Gil’s former coach on real-life Korean figure skating coach Chi Hyun-jung, coach to notable figure skater Cha Jun-hwan. There is documentary footage of her interacting with her students that is pretty shocking/disheartening and gives me Eteri Tutberidze vibes *shivers*
Back 2. This is a phrase you might hear at a Japanese wedding ceremony, and means “with humble prayers for your many years of happiness”
Back 3. Yuuri-san: In reality, the respectful honorific for an athlete in Japan is -senshu, so prior to his marriage, the media would have referred to Yuuri as Katsuki-senshu. I don’t know if they would have tried to call him Katsuki-Nikiforov senshu in this feature, only because then they probably wouldn’t know how to distinguish him from Viktor. So I went ahead and decided to go with Yuuri-san and Viktor-san
Back 4. Japanese alcoholic drink made with barley shōchū and carbonated water. You may remember from Chapter 7, that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs created a custom “Stammi Vicino” version for their reception that was yuzu-flavored
Back 5. In hanakotoba, or Japanese flower language, the flowers that Yuuri and Viktor chose for their arch order represent honesty (violets), gratitude (bluebells) and respect (sunflowers), while the order they received represents honesty, plus pride and loyalty. Undoubtedly, either arrangement would be beautiful, but the original order would have had more color contrast and been more vivid
Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

OLYMPIC NEWS
Georgia’s Levan Kapanadze forced to withdraw from Men’s Singles Figure Skating Free Skate Team Event following perpetration of bigotry; Team China offered spot instead
LELA MOORE

February 6, 2022
  Beijing, China – In an urgent press release one hour ago, Christophe De Kepper, the Director-General of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), announced that Team Georgia’s Levan Kapanadze will no longer be permitted to compete in tomorrow’s Free Skate portion of the Men’s Singles Figure Skating Team Event. Kapanadze’s Short Program score ranked within the top five amongst his nine peers, securing his nation’s eligibility for the Free along with Team Canada, Team Japan, Team USA, and Team Czech Republic. Given this development, however, it was decided that Team Georgia’s spot would be offered to Team China, given that its star skater Guang-Hong Ji ended the Short Program ranked 6th. The punitive move against Kapanadze comes in response to a rather shocking incident of bigotry that the Georgian skater committed yesterday against former Russian figure skater/retired “Living Legend”, Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov. This exchange occurred when Viktor – husband and coach to current reigning Olympic Champion Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov – greeted his student at the boards, just after the Japanese skater’s stunning Short Program performance.In a clip that was caught on live broadcast , Kapanadze can be seen and heard uttering a derogatory remark about the Russian’s choice of outfit: a vibrant, backless designer dress (the sales of which, incidentally, have been skyrocketing since it was first caught on camera). Though he was out to close friends and family prior, Viktor publicly came out as gender-fluid last summer. Since then, he has occasionally been seen sporting a more androgynous, as well as feminine appearance at rinkside with his two students: his 29-year-old husband, along with 20-year-old Russian skater (and former rinkmate) Yuri Plisetsky. Since coming out, Viktor has been using a mix of he/him/his and they/them/their pronouns, and was caught in a months-long battle last year with the International Skating Union (ISU) regarding the addition of pronouns to coaching credentials at official competition venues. Note: the Bleacher Report specifically received permission from Viktor to use male pronouns in this article.Team Canada’s JJ Leroy has garnered substantial praise for his immediately stepping in to defend the Russian coach/choreographer after Kapanadze’s put-down: a gesture that figure skating fans on social media wished had been echoed by the ISU, which has been under leadership of President Jan Dijkema since June of 2016. Dijkema, however, seems to have abdicated responsibility for responding to the incident, and much like in the aftermath of the 2018 Games, he has already garnered widespread criticism for his failure to issue a statement condemning Levan’s remark or to reassert the ISU’s policy on unsportsmanlike conduct . A petition has already begun to circulate calling for the ISU to remove Kapanadze from the roster for next month’s World Championships in Montpellier. Many speculate that the IOC’s decision to reprimand the Georgian skater is due to the efforts of Viktor’s former coach, Yakov Feltsman, who almost immediately after the incident, began to initiate meetings with several high-ranking officials of the IOC Executive Board. Like Dijkema, however, Kapanadze’s coach – the highly controversial Eteri Tuzberidze – has been silent on the matter, as has been the Georgian Figure Skating Federation.In contrast, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs ended up releasing a statement just 2 hours after the conclusion of yesterday’s event. Among other things, the couple’s statement voiced a desire for swift punitive action on the part of both the IOC and ISU, and also announced that their YouTube channel, see more…  …

RESULTS1 - Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Singles Team Event - Free Skate

Competitor (First, LAST), Nation

Points (Raw point total)

Emil NEKOLA, Czech Republic

10 (185.32)

Leo DE LA IGLESIA, United States

9 (181.65)

Kenjirou MINAMI, Japan

8 (174.44)

Guang-Hong JI, Republic of China

7 (159.04)

Roman SADOVSKY, Canada

6 (142.60)

RESULTS - Beijing Winter Olympics - Team Event (OVERALL)

Rank

Team

Total Points

1

Japan

74

2

United States

68

3

Canada

63

4

Italy

58

5

Republic of China

55

6

Czech Republic

25

7

Germany

23

8

France

18

9

Ukraine

11

10

Georgia

9

… 
Dining Hall, Beijing Olympic Village (Beijing, China) – February 9, 2022, shortly before noon
 “It’s official: Vitya’s trying to kill me,” Mila groaned as she put her tray down in the spot just across from his.  Yuri snorted, whereas Kenjirou (sitting diagonally and tucking into his plate of har gow), eyed her with a puzzled expression. It was Beka that decided to verbally react. “Vitya? Don’t you mean Ianna? Last I checked, that was the name of your coach?” he wondered aloud, sparing her only a brief glance before returning to his comically painstaking sandwich assembly.For as much as he’d witnessed it over the years, Yuri found his best friend’s need to ensure that every square millimeter of bread was slathered in precisely the same amount of mustard utterly maddening.Mila gave a surreptitious look around and dropped heavily into her seat. She clasped her hands together and leaned in, as if divulging a highly prized secret. “Exhibition practice, not program practice,” she muttered, and then flashed a pleased grin almost immediately at Kenjirou’s soft awww ing.Yuri had spent many hours listening to both her and Viktor going over the plans for the gala proposal to Sara (assuming she’d place well enough to be invited to perform). Frankly, he was much more worried about the Italian Women’s Singles skater accidentally finding out about the surprise by way of his geezer coach rather than her own girlfriend.“Are you worried that Sara’s hiding under the table or something?” he quipped, immediately slapping Mila’s fingers away as she tried to steal one of his custard buns.Otabek let out a laugh, but hastily tried to disguise it as a cough, probably wanting to avoid making her feel like she was being made fun of. “She’s quite stealthy, I can’t rule it out,” Mila lobbed back, proceeding to tie her hair up before lifting the lid off of what looked to be a dandan noodle bowl.“I take it you’re still struggling with your triple-triple, then?” he asked her, just before seeing that his phone had lit up with a text notification. It was Viktor, but given that it contained neither copious emojis nor GIFs, he knew it wasn’t that urgent. Mila grimaced and stabbed at a noodle with particular viciousness.“Both Ianna and Vitya keep telling me that it’s a mental thing. If I’m not doing it in a full run-through, I can pull it off just fine. But as soon as I put it with the rest of the choreography, I flub it,” she replied. Yuri knew there was no point in telling her to just sub out the triple lutz-triple loop for something easier; that unique combination had been Sara’s specialty for several years, now, and in a program meant to serve as the precursor to the moment when Mila would drop to one knee and ask her girlfriend of the last 3+ years to marry her, it was a non-negotiable. “Other than that, how are you feeling about it?” Otabek asked, looking unusually intent as he posed the question.Yuri hid a smile as he bit into the pillowy steamed pork bun that he’d picked up from the rotating dim-sum stations. He knew that Otabek had been disappointed when Viktor turned down his request for a choreography commission last year. Of course, it wasn’t as if the old man hadn’t been thrilled at the prospect of working with the Kazakh skater; rather, it was due to a case of workload. In just a 48-hour span after the 2021 World Championships had ended, Viktor had received no less than ten different requests to develop routines prior to the start of the next season. This had no doubt been due to the fact that he’d ended up choreographing the Free Skates for all 3 podium placers: Katsudon being the bronze medalist, Phichit being the silver medalist, and he, himself being the gold medalist (and clinching his first World’s title). Considering the differences in tone and performance style between each routine, it was an inarguably impressive feat that Viktor had managed to pull off.Mila seemed to be pondering Beka’s question pretty seriously as she chewed, and their table was quiet except for the sounds of their measured feasting; the Short Program would be kicking off imminently with the 6-minute warmup for Group 1, but given how Kenjirou had drawn for the very end of group 4, and with him and Beka both assigned to Group 5, they were alright on time. Irina had only scheduled him for one press interview – a group one taking place in an hour that he, Yuuri and Viktor would be doing with Jackie Wong of Rocker Skating– so after that, between staying limber and getting his costume on, there wasn’t much to worry about.  “I’d feel better about it if there was more time. In just days rather than weeks, I’ll either have a fiance, or experience the greatest embarrassment of my life,” Mila eventually responded, laughing nervously. If Yuri had rolled his eyes any harder he was sure they’d have fallen out.“Don’t be dumb: as if Sara would actually turn you down, podonok,” he scoffed, the latter word prompting Otabek to laugh, Mila to roll her eyes, and Kenjirou to tilt his head in confusion.With over two-and-a-half years under his belt at Papio Ice Arena, Yuri sometimes forgot which Russian terms ( insults , really) he’d taught his Japanese friends and rinkmates already and which he’d deemed too crass. At Katsudon’s insistence, he and Viktor spoke entirely in Russian to him at least three days a week, so he knew that Kenjirou, Wakaba and Izumi in particular had picked up on things through exposure.“Podonok literally translates to ‘butt monkey’, and can– ”Mila’s voice cut off at Kenjirou’s spluttering, and she gave him a few hard thumps on the back while he and Beka exchanged smirks. “ –and can, depending on the context, be taken as an insult, or just teasing between friends or family,” she continued on, once it seemed that the other man was in the clear. “As you can imagine, Yura was really aiming to wound with that one.”“I’m kind of jealous over all the options there are in Russian for casting insults,” Kenjirou eventually spoke up, now looking thoroughly red-faced. “In Japanese, we don’t really use such coarse language in everyday conversation.”Yuri stole two of Beka’s sweet potato fries and waved them around, animatedly. “Yeah, I definitely had to learn that lesson the hard way,” he divulged, with a meaningful look at Mila. “Katsudon gave me such a lecture the first time he heard me use ‘damare’ on somebody. But it was worth it, overall: Viktor had to put on the “stern coach” front and told me off publicly, but I knew he was thrilled. He let me have an extra cheat day that week.”“I remember when that happened! I was sure Yuuri-senpai was gonna faint!” came Izumi’s voice from behind him. They all turned to watch as his rinkmate moved to the other side of the table so that she could sit next to Mila. As soon as she’d settled in, the two women beamed at one another. Though Yuri wouldn’t ever, ever admit it aloud, it had been pretty cool that Viktor and Yuuri had hosted dinner2 to bring their two friend groups together last week. He’d been glad for the excuse to catch up with Sava and Ianna during the meal, and though he’d done a solo hangout afterwards with Beka, he’d found out that Izumi and Niko had gone out with Sara and Mila for drinks. Apparently, the four women had really hit it off at the restaurant, and Twitter had melted down over the fancy pictures they’d posted from the cocktail bar they’d gone to. #SapphicSophistication had been a viral hashtag for a number of hours. “I think I remember you telling me about that, how that word – which I definitely don’t remember how to pronounce – translates to ‘shut your fucking face’, basically,” Beka chimed in, amusedly, after waving to Izumi. “Wasn’t it because of that Junior skater…I forget his name, but he was saying something about Yuuri’s quad-triple being overhyped, right?”At this, everyone laughed except for Kenjirou, who immediately looked outraged.The idea of Katsudon’s quad-flip/triple-toe-loop being overhyped was obviously ludicrous. Many in the Men’s field had been trying for literally years to land a quad flip in any sort of combination with the same fluidity as the reigning Olympic champion. The simple fact of the matter, however, was that even a singular quad flip was taxing enough if you were attempting two or more other quads in addition. Czech skater Marek Kucera had sparked a good deal of media attention when he’d landed a 4F-2T at the December Grand Prix Final in Osaka, ultimately winning bronze. But, he’d had to fight for the landing, and had been clear during the post-skate press conference that the feat had stretched him to his limits. And then he’d proceeded to call Yuuri, who had just clinched his third Grand Prix title, an ‘ethereal machine’: a statement which had made Viktor whoop embarrassingly loudly from his seat at the table (which was practically in Katsudon’s lap). “Yeah, it was this snotty fifteen-year-old that shares a coach with my brother,” Kenjirou relayed, his features contorted in something close to disgust. “I think Yurio-kun’s tirade scared the hell out of him.”They all laughed again, and conversation eventually circled around to the topic that had been on everyone’s minds recently: Jan Dijkema, and the petition that had been circulating to pull Levan Kapanadze from World’s next month. “I think JJ’s tweeted at Dijkema at least seven or eight times over the last few days,” Izumi brought up, referring to the Canadian skater’s somewhat surprisingly impassioned stance on Viktor’s behalf after the incident. “Basically told him to grow a pair of balls and take a stand…it’s pretty admirable.” “Agreed. When Yuuri and Viktor made the announcement that they’d be rebranding their YouTube channel to ‘Skate Spouses’, I think JJ was the first person to tweet out the link in support,” Beka added on, before smiling at the somewhat betrayed look that he directed at him.“Don’t worry, Yuraaaatchka, no one’s being replaced,” Mila chanted cloyingly, evidently having seen his facial expression. “You’re still Otabek’s favorite!”His subsequent stream of insults was a good deal more aggressive than ‘podonok’, but Kenjirou and Izumi clearly found it entertaining, so that counted for something.Honestly, despite the face he’d made, Yuri was glad that JJ had stepped up to be an advocate for Viktor. It was a role that he’d felt guilty for not having inhabited more fully, but the reality was that he’d been distracted ever since Katsudon’s interview with Bryant Gumbel last week. He’d known the bombshell about Aleksandr Gorshkov would attract a flurry of media attention, and it’s not as if Yuuri hadn’t been considerate of his feelings around the reveal; they’d discussed it ahead of time, and Katsudon had already received his as well as Yakov’s permission to mention it. But of course, since then, everyone had wanted to know his thoughts.Yuri had stuck closely to the diplomatic “script” that he, Viktor, Taku and Irina had developed a few weeks ago, but every fiber of his being longed to speak with candor. The storm of rage, disbelief, and resignation that he’d been harboring since last month would have been entirely debilitating if he didn’t also know that liberation was within his grasp. As soon as the season ended, he’d be free of the FFKKR’s merciless talons. And thank God for Beka, who had actually gotten him to think about the Gorshkov revelation in a new light. Yuri’s Short Program was meant to tell the story of his last two years spent in Russia, struggling to figure out how to live authentically when it felt like everything he’d come to rely on – skating, as well as grandpa – were no longer the comforting constants they’d once been. And as such, Otabek had gotten him to see that thinking about the despicable politician’s imminent return to power could actually aid in his ability to connect with the emotional core of his routine. Indeed, it was actually at the Kazakh skater’s suggestion that Yuri had chosen the music3 that he had…a song choice that Lilia of all people had been surprisingly receptive to.His phone vibrated a few times in quick succession, and he could see that his geezer coach had now sent him two messages4. As he read them, he tried to fight the smile that threatened to take over his face. Viktor could irritate the hell out of him at times, but one thing that had been evident for awhile was that he was a man capable of growth. Their heart-to-heart at the airport ten days ago had clearly left him shaken. Since then, Viktor and Taku had both been far more intentional with checking in. Maybe a little too intentional, if Yuri was being honest.But given how much he knew was on the old man’s mind, he appreciated ranking so high at the top of the list, not even minding the hovering (that much). He’d seen the way Viktor had been watching him yesterday as he’d been going through the latest photos of Potya that the cat-sitter had texted him, and couldn’t help but see the connection, now, to his coach’s offer to spend time with Goya.  And sure, Mila made a few good jabs when she found out why he was smiling, but he got the last laugh: she didn’t get any of his leftover custard buns when he booked it outside to walk his only favorite pooch. …

Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Singles Short Program

Skating Order Position (Group #)

Competitor - First, LAST

Nation or Training Club*

19 (Group 4)

Marek KUCERA

Czech Republic

20 (Group 4)

Leo DE LA IGLESIA

United States

21 (Group 4)

Levan KAPANADZE

Georgia

22 (Group 4)

Michele CRISPINO

Italy

23 (Group 4)

Emil NEKOLA

Czech Republic

24 (Group 4)

Kenjirou MINAMI

Japan

25 (Group 5)

Phichit CHULANONT

Thailand

26 (Group 5)

Yuuri KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV

Japan

27 (Group 5)

Jean-Jacques LEROY

Canada

28 (Group 5)

Yuri PLISETSKY

Papio Ice Arena*

29 (Group 5)

Seung-Gil LEE

Taereung International Skating Rink*

30 (Group 5)

Otabek ALTIN

Kazakhstan

*Due to official International Olympic Committee (IOC) disciplinary actions, skaters from the Republic of Korea, as well as Russia will be announced by name and training club, not nation (see IOC Communications No. 2032)

Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) – late afternoon of February 9, 2022 - final two minutes of Group 5’s six minute warmup
 As Yuri practiced the last twenty seconds of his step sequence, he turned the volume up on his earbuds and allowed himself to get lost in the wistfulness that this part5 of the song was meant to evoke. Katsudon had once told him that he loved his 2016-2017 season Yuuri on Ice program ‘so much it hurts’, and that’s exactly how he felt about this routine. When he’d begun developing it with Lilia over the summer, he didn’t think he’d ever connected to a performance so much before, and it was his therapist, Dr. Golubev, that helped him to see that this was likely due to perspective. No longer so mired in the potent rage after the 2018 scandal fallout, nor the abject anguish after grandpa’s death, Yuri had been able to construct something that was the result of ample introspection. Further, it was introspection that wouldn’t have been possible without the start of his new chapter in Japan. One thing was certain: Beka was a genius. Of that, he was very sure.When he’d first floated his theme for the season, ‘Two Halves’, and told his best friend that he wanted his Short to encapsulate the mixed feelings of his final two years in Russia – both the sourness that he’d developed around skating/the concept of Russian patriotism, as well as nostalgia for the place where he’d shared countless memories with dedushka – it had only been a few days later that Otabek had texted him the YouTube link to the Smashing Pumpkins classic.(Along with a few suggestions for ways to doctor the track, of course.)

[Mother, weep the years I’m missing

all our time can’t be given back

shut my mouth and strike the demons

that cursed you and your reasons]

As he readied himself to jump into the quad toe-loop/triple toe-loop that directly followed the end of his step sequence, he looked over to where Lilia and Taku were standing at the boards, and hoped he’d done right by the former’s intricate choreography.Viktor was on the other side of the rink keeping an eye on Yuuri, so he’d been grateful that she’d been willing to lend Taku a spare set of eyes during the warmup.

[Out of hand and out of season

out of love and out of feeling

So bad

When I can, I will]

“Shit,” he grunted as his blades made impact; his quad-triple combo had been solid, but the landing of his triple axel was supposed to come exactly twelve seconds after, and he sometimes messed up the timing. He’d jumped it just a half-beat too early, and when he looked over in Lilia’s direction, he could tell that she was frowning; she apparently didn’t even need to have the track playing in her ears to know when he was off.
Scary.
She signaled him to do it again, and he focused on making sure that his feet touched down right between ‘I can’ and ‘I will’, just as the intermittent dissonant chord rang out.As Yuri had fully expected when he’d approached Lilia around developing the routine, she’d been extremely deliberate in the placement of his elements. That last jumping pass, meant to correspond with the most hopeful concept in the song…that idea that “when I can, I will just be me”...It had to be executed just so, for full emotional impact as well as in order to convey that yes , while the last two years of his life in Russia had been full of more questions than answers, more yearning than stability, they had also paved the way for something better.Those three instances of the repeated “When I can, I will” were a nod to the idea that a fundamental change, a transformation was on the horizon, and portended the new beginning in Japan that his Free Skate embodied. Had it been even two years prior, Yuri never would have dared to use such a rock-forward song for his programs. But it was thanks to the vocal efforts of Phichit Chulanont that many in the Men’s Singles field felt able to make bolder choices with their music selections this season. Though the 2018 Games were the first to allow songs with lyrics, with Viktor and Yuuri as the big exceptions, the large majority of skaters had chosen to stick to the tried-and-true ‘warhorse’ programs or poppy, mostly instrumental pieces that were crowd favorites.It was Phichit that had begun to point out how this traditional mindset was a barrier to motivating younger audiences to embrace the sport. Beginning almost immediately after the 2020 World Championships, the Thai athlete had begun to speak publicly on the importance of making figure skating more accessible to younger generations, beginning with the normalization of more unconventional music choices – like rap or rock – for competition programs.While he’d continued to speak very frankly throughout the season, it was clear that most were skeptical around his ability to usher in a sea change. For those with a decent chance at medaling, it paid to go with a safe choice, given the fickle nature of judging preferences. But Phichit’s candor eventually paid off when he won silver at the 2021 World Championships.In addition to the win marking the first time that a Thai skater had stood atop such a high-ranking podium, it was also the first time that a World’s winning Free Skate had featured rap so prominently; Phichit had discovered Joy Oladokun the previous off-season, and had decided to skate to her very aptly named song ‘‘Fortune Favors The Bold’.As such, during the press run that had begun last summer, well over half of the field had signaled the desire to follow suit in keeping up the trend. 
Schick!
Yuri breathed a sigh of relief when his skates touched down from his axel not a moment too soon. Turning out with just the slightest wobble, he continued on with the fifteen seconds of transitional footwork that would allow him to segue into his flying sit-spin. He wouldn’t actually practice his spin, nor the remaining twenty three seconds that would close out his program: it was one of the more exhausting parts of the performance, and since he wasn’t skating fifth or sixth, Yuri still had to be mindful to not overexert himself mentally or physically. He looked over to the boards and saw Taku signal that the last half-minute of the warmup were upon them. He nodded, and did a repeat of his opening thirty seconds, just shortly before he would queue up his quad lutz. He’d made three attempts on the jump during the first minute of the warmup, and had landed two out of three. It was still worryingly inconsistent, and no matter how much advice Yuri got from Viktor, Taku, Katsudon, and even Christophe Giacometti (who, in his retirement, still had the best technique in the field), there was something about it that seemed to evade him at times. It was certainly a risk to go for it in something as quick as the Short, but this was the Olympics: he wanted to challenge himself, and knew he’d be dissatisfied playing it safe.As he began to make his way to the rink entry gate, he could see that Viktor had joined Lilia and Taku and was jotting something down in his notebook, no doubt combining their feedback along with any pointers he had gathered. It was lucky that JJ would be skating right after Yuuri, as it meant that both Viktor and Taku would be able to see him off before his skate. For one absurd moment, he had the urge to ask the geezer to see if he could have Goya send him off as well. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, however, before Viktor was waving to him, the Goya tissue box holder flailing about in mid-air.A lump flew to his throat, and he was suddenly worried about the very real possibility of tears springing to his eyes. He looked down, feigning fiddling with the zip of his Papio Ice Arena warmup jacket as he continued to move.
What the hell was going on with him? It was just a dumb, plushie dog.
“Yura! Lilia told me you had good, sharp movements on your step sequence!” Viktor crowed, thunking him over the head a few times with “Goya”.Before Yuri could look up from his skates to tell him off, he found himself being seized by a forward as well as side embrace, courtesy not only of the old man, but his hug-crazy husband, as well.“Taku said you landed almost all of your lutzes, Yura! How great!” Yuuri exclaimed while shaking him, sounding almost as if he was the one that had landed the quads.Though Yuri tried to squirm out of the joint Katsuki-Nikiforov hold, his efforts were futile, and it seemed that even Lilia couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the outpouring of affection.“Okkkk , ok, enough, you two. Christ,” he griped, as Viktor and Yuuri finally loosened their tangle of limbs. “Let’s hear it, geezer, what did you manage to spot with those failing eyes of yours?”He’d hoped that his ageist crack would enable him to pass off like nothing unusual had occurred over the last minute, but as he came off of the ice, and as Viktor began to rattle off a list of feedback (“Make sure not to rush that rocker in between the outside and inside counters, you can’t afford to get sloppy so early on in the program” or “Be mindful of the turnout on your axel – Taku mentioned it looked wobbly”) , Yuri saw Lilia and Katsudon exchange what appeared to be knowing glances. In any event, he was just glad that Yakov hadn’t offered to come wait by the boards as well; if his former coach were here, too, it’d remind him too much of last time. And not only even in the sense of recalling the dread he’d felt in Pyeongchang at the prospect of skating in the midst of a growth spurt. No, there was also that other thing that was, of course, inextricably tied to the 2018 Games as well as interwoven into the threads of not only this program, but also his exhibition skate. His late dedushka…who wouldn’t be able to watch him this time around. And perhaps that was exactly why Yakov had opted to give him a wide berth; after all, he had been close with grandpa.How would it feel to not be able to get a hug from his most fearsome protector and advocate before taking to the ice? Or to taste the katsudon pirozhki he’d insisted on making him last time around (never mind the fact that the kitchenette in his PyeongChang hotel “suite” had barely been suitable for cooking)?And sure enough…Even as Yuri tried to fight it with every ounce of resolve at his disposal, as soon as the thought flitted through his mind, his eyes began to glisten, a sheen of tears covering them, but not yet spilling over. “–plus, remember what I told you, yesterday? On the line, “I’m rumored to the straight and narrow– ”Viktor looked up at him mid-sentence and his voice cut off. That no-nonsense “coach face” vanished at once, his expression shuttering in an instant. It was replaced by something much softer. Something protective.  “Oh, Yura…here, let’s move further away, ok?” Yuri only heard him murmur it, his vision having gone completely blurry by this point. He allowed himself to turn boneless and knew he was being shuffled forwards, though by whose arms, he didn’t quite register. It was only once he began to wipe at his eyes and saw how Katsudon had stepped away to retrieve Meni6 that his brain kicked into gear. “It’s fine, old man…don’t worry about me,” Yuri mumbled, realizing that both Taku and Viktor were standing in front of him. “Katsudon will be up soon.” At the subsequent hum of murmured Russian, he realized that Lilia was still nearby, but hovering behind him instead of in front of him. She seemed to be passing something to Viktor, and then he sensed a wad of tissues being pressed to his cheek.“Don’t worry about that right now. Let me focus on you,” his coach said, sounding firm. Yuri was just glad that neither he nor Taku had made an attempt to hug him; if they had, he had no doubt he would have completely broken down. 
“And now, we have our final group of skaters in the Men’s Short Program event! First up, in group 5, and representing Thailand, please welcome…”

“Phichit Chulanont!”
The rink commentator’s voices boomed out, along with thunderous applause. Yuri wasn’t even aware that Viktor and Yuuri had been having a silent conversation of glances and hand gestures until Katsudon stepped up next to him, in the spot Taku had just been in. “Yura…I know it’s not quite the same as petting Goya, but give it a try: put your hand on Meni’s head,” Yuuri urged, in whispered Russian. “We can share him.”His friend/rinkmate was cradling the pristinely white toy poodle much like he’d hold a baby, and Yuri gave him a bit of a baleful glare; Meni might be around her size, but he was a rather poor substitute for Potya. Plus, he was entirely too high-energy for Yuri’s tastes. At least Goya was a bit more reserved. “ну ты вообще!7 One should not be too proud to accept help when it is offered, Yura,” came Lilia’s chiding refrain. “You never know, it might be a good distraction until you’re up.”He didn’t even have to look behind him to picture how her lips were pursed in disapproval. Not wanting to invite a lecture, Yuri reached his hand out and reluctantly placed it on top of the pup’s head, in between his ears. And of course, it was nothing like petting his perfect Potya; he cringed in disgust as Meni immediately tried to lick every single one of his fingers until Viktor began to murmur in a sing-song tone to “settle down, settle down Meni-moppet”.  About a half-minute later, Meni did in fact settle down, and even though Phichit’s performance was clearly going on in the background – as evident from the raucous cheers and screams – Yuri found, somehow, that he was able to block out the noise and just focus on the warm, slightly vibrating body underneath his hand. Amazingly, once the geezer had implored him to relax, Meni seemed quite content to keep absolutely still, only panting happily under the attention of the surrounding trio of bodies.It was……surprisingly calming. Damnit, he hated when Lilia was right. “Yura, do you want to try holding him by yourself, or have Taku or Lilia hold him while you stay close?” Viktor quietly spoke up. “If you’d rather come stand by where Yuuri and I will be huddling, that’s ok, too.”No sooner had the words left his lips, than an outright clamor of euphoric cries and screams was erupting from the surrounding stands. He felt Yuuri jolt from right next to him, but then Katsudon was smiling, broadly.“Well, I’m guessing he landed the quad-triple,” he said, and immediately, Yuri began doing the calculations in his head.If Phichit had just landed the quad flip/triple-toe-loop that he’d been teasing at debuting during his Short…a jump combination that only one man in the field had so far proved capable of landing with perfection…“Yura? Yes or no to holding Meni?” came Viktor’s voice, now a bit more urgently; Yuuri would likely need to take the ice in just over a minute or so. Yuri cleared his throat, hoping it wouldn’t sound croaky when he went to reply. “I’ll hold him. Taku-kochi and I won’t go too far, though…in case,” he muttered, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished. “In case” was code for “in case Katsudon appears on the verge of having a panic attack.” But the other man didn’t look to be doing too badly at all. In fact, he’d just smiled at something that Lilia had uttered. Yuri knew him well enough by now to be aware of his tells. He could see that he was nervous, but it was nowhere close to the crippling level that he knew it could be…nothing like last year at World’s, for instance. Viktor nodded, and then Yuuri was depositing the fuzzy cargo more squarely into Yuri’s hold. Meni didn’t even seem distressed at the transfer, just delivering a ticklish lick to the inside of his wrist that made him giggle, in spite of himself. Before the geezer stepped away, he saw him pass his phone and earbuds over to Taku, and realized that he must have been hanging on to them ever since he’d ushered him over to their private corner. “I’ll come meet you as soon as I can,” Viktor told him, his face looking gravely serious. “Try out your visualization exercises, and barring that, just focus on Meni. You can hand him over to Taku or Lilia if you feel like you’d rather stretch your legs or run in place or whatnot.”He nodded tersely, then looked over to where Katsudon seemed to be watching him, intently.“Davai, pork cutlet bowl,” he offered, with a tilt of his head. “Mess your lutz up and I’ll kill you. You don’t get to slack, especially not when you’re going before JJ.”Yuuri cracked a grin.“I’ll do what I can, tigrenok,” he lobbed back, before aiming a light punch at his bicep and turning to follow Viktor. Yuri’s eyes widened when he realized that they were leaving the Goya tissue box holder to Lilia’s care, only having elected to bring “Makka” and “Meni” over as they went to wait near the rink entry gate.“Come on, Yuri-kun, let’s step back a little. Unless you’ve changed your mind…?”Taku’s lightly accented English trailed away, and Yuri shook his head in reply. He then followed him and Lilia in the opposite direction of the ice. At the Grand Prix Final back in December, he’d drawn last for the Short, and had gotten to watch every skater’s performance except for Levan’s. And now in light of recent events, he didn’t feel that regretful around having missed the Georgian skater’s routine. Once they’d receded some yards away from the action, Taku held his phone and earbuds out, and Lilia temporarily took Meni so that he could get situated and begin listening to his music, mentally “tracing” the steps that would get him from start to finish.   
[I send a heart to all my dearies

When your life is so so dreary

Dream]

In what felt like the blink of an eye, his shoulder was being jostled, though gently. He opened his eyes, realizing that Taku had begun to fiddle with his earbuds to take them out.“Almost time, Yuri-kun,” the other man said, and Yuri spied Viktor in his periphery, walking towards them.Though his cheeks looked blotchy and his eyes were red-rimmed (had he been crying? Hopefully it was from happy tears…), his face betrayed no other sense of how Katsudon had done, and as they’d agreed during the 2020 off-season, Yuri wouldn’t ask. His job, now, was to focus on the performance he wanted to give, to channel the energy and the story that he wanted to tell.Without a word, Viktor wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Taku reached forward to take Meni out of his arms. Then, Lilia stepped over and Yuri found himself being guided to linger just to the side of the rink entry gate. Billy Corgan’s intense, unyielding voice continued to echo in his ears, and he knew he’d be allowed to listen to his music up until the very last second. He only distantly noted that JJ had begun to take his bows in the center of the rink, not wanting to let thoughts of other skaters mar his focus. Instead, Yuri looked to the stands, in the general area that Yuuri’s parents obachan and ojichan8 had told him that they’d be sitting in (along with Mari and Amara and the Nishigoris). He could just make out the top of Katsuki Hiroko’s head peeking out above one of the four panels of a glossy poster of him coming out of a spread-eagle, and a surge of fondness crashed against his ribcage, battering against it in time with the thumping of his heart. Katsuki Toshiya was holding up a chibi plushie of Potya and waving it around wildly, and Yuri felt a smile take over his face to note how ecstatic he looked when they made eye contact. Amara and Mari were holding up the other end of the poster, and right next to them, Yuuko and Takeshi were holding up a different one. This one looked to be from just last month, when he’d stood atop the podium in Estonia at Europeans, with Levan and Marek on either side of him. Next to their parents, Axel, Lutz, and Loop were holding a huge (and adorable) plushie of Potya batting around a ball of yarn, and he nearly laughed when he saw how Lutz and Loop appeared to be bonking each other on the head with the yarn ball. His eyes roved over the surrounding rows, and when he spotted Otabek’s parents and two sisters holding up yet another poster of him, it felt like someone had reached into his chest cavity, squeezing around his throbbing heart. The Altins had invited him to join them for dinner just two nights ago, but Yuri had been sure that Beka’s sisters, Sezim and Aylin, had only been teasing when they’d mentioned that their parents had bought a poster of him from World’s last year that they’d be holding up in the stands. He had just spied a cluster of his Yubileyny and Papio friends – Ianna, Sava, Mila, and Georgi, as well as Izumi, Niko, Wakaba, and Mohit – all waving and mimicking “roaring” with their tiger plushies – when a hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. Yuri took his earbuds out, tucking them along with his phone into the side pocket of his pullover. After being so completely immersed in his program music, the sudden rush of sound from the rink stands was disorienting, but he pushed it aside, beginning to tug down the zip of his jacket to reveal the costume that he’d had made. It was the first that he’d ever designed completely solo, and without even intending to, he’d made his geezer coach quite happy with it, as it was a surprise in every sense of the word. He knew that most people had been expecting him to go with a sort of “grunge” look, but instead, Yuri had channeled the concepts of nostalgia as well as ‘fighting upstream’: two ideas that he felt perfectly encapsulated the themes of his performance. As such, when he’d worked with his costume designers, he’d told them to mimic the look of choppy water, as well as large, undulating swirls, the former meant to evoke the idea of dragging oneself along a path with resistance, and the latter meant to represent the idea of memories constantly in flux, receding to the back of one’s mind before “swimming” to the forefront in the next moment.The look had a color palette of robin’s-egg blue, white, cream, navy, and black, overlaid in a smattering effect akin to brushstrokes. Clear beads were attached in erratic patterns that gave off the simultaneous effect of water separating around some kind of intrusion, as well as tiny whirlpools and eddies. Beka had told him that it gave off a “mysterious” vibe, suggesting that even as Yuri exposed the “churning waters” of his energy, that there were still things hidden under the surface of his mind; really, it couldn’t have been higher praise. He reached for his water bottle and took a sip just as Viktor placed his hands on his shoulders and began to speak. “Ok, Yura, you know the technical stuff, so focus on the story. Everything that you and Lilia have poured into this routine...let it show, in all of its complicated, messy glory.”He nodded, looking over to see whether Taku had anything to add. But his secondary coach only flashed him a reassuring smile and uttered a quiet “ganbatte, Yuri-kun”, which he met with a fist-bump (as well as a smile when Meni yipped from his place in Taku’s arms). He exhaled, deeply, and then turned to Lilia for any closing thoughts. Apparently, Yuri wasn’t the only one overcome by the heightened emotion of the day; the normally stoic woman’s eyes looked wet. He wondered whether it was top of mind for her, too…what dedushka would say if he were here.“You are the only one that can deliver this message, Yura,” she croaked out, her voice sounding pinched. “You know your program elements inside and out, so let the story take over. Don’t be afraid of losing yourself to it…you won’t drown.” Yuri’s breath stuttered in his lungs. Was Lilia suddenly a mind-reader? 
How had she known, about the one big fear that always seemed to prevent him from skating this program to its full potential?
Over the last seven months, she’d given him advice that seemed to skirt around its edges, but this was the most blunt she’d ever been: reminding him that he could and should let his emotion guide him, that he didn’t have to fear being swept up in it, only to become permanently submerged and unable to come back to himself. Yuri found that he couldn’t speak.He simply nodded, hoping that his eyes conveyed the gratitude that was coursing through his veins, to have this permission granted so unambiguously. 
“Skating fourth in group 5, he trains at Papio Ice Arena in Fukuoka, Japan. Please welcome…”

“Yuri Plisetsky!”
As he handed over his blade guards and stepped onto the ice, he met Viktor’s gaze one last time. His coach’s final parting words sent a jolt through his system.“Let yourself be light, Yura,” he murmured, and Yuri was taken right back to their airport encounter, ten days ago. 
“He always loved your jumps. Let go of your guilt and every time you jump in Beijing, let yourself be light, knowing how happy he’d be to see you do what you love.”
That lump from before re-emerged, but instead of feeling paralyzed, Yuri was strengthened by the wave of emotion that crested in his chest. He managed a firm nod, and then turned to face the wide expanse before him. Camera flashes burst in front of his eyelids, and he bowed a few times before skating to his starting mark. Even with the surrounding din, he could discern several voices calling out “Good luck, Yura!”, and “Davai!”, and “Ganbatte!” He couldn’t obviously be one-hundred percent certain, but it sort of sounded as if Yuuri, Viktor, Taku, and Kenjirou had agreed to go all in on one obnoxious screech of “GO YURA!!!!” It brought a smile to his face, and he hoped Viktor and Yuuri, especially, could see it as he got into his starting pose. Just before ‘Mayonaise’ began to play, he pictured grandpa’s impossibly kind expression, and committed to skating this program the way he knew he was capable of…the way he hadn’t fully allowed himself to before, out of fear over his grief surging back to swallow him up.

[I send a heart to all my dearies

When your life is so so dreary

Dream

I’m rumored to the straight and narrow

While the harlots of my perils

Scream]

The drum-heavy opening riff of his music selection rang out, and Yuri found himself moving fluidly into the complicated footwork that he and Lilia had devised together, the steps and intricate turns feeling effortless.

[And I fail

But when I can, I will]

The setup for his quad lutz came 34 seconds into his program, and as he moved into it, he tried to picture the face dedushka had made all those years ago, when he’d first shown him a dinky little waltz jump. None of the technicalities had mattered; grandpa had looked so proud. As Yuri brought his arms in close to his body and felt himself rotating in midair, he truly did feel so, so light, almost as if his movement through the frigid rink air was just a gauzy, ephemeral blip in time.His blades came down in perfect sync9 with the clash of sound that he’d come to expect, and his stomach swooped, thrilling in the delight of having landed his lutz so definitively.

[Try to understand

That when I can, I will]

Mere seconds of transition preceded his flinging himself into a camel forward, catch-foot variation spin: the same one that he’d had Katsudon teach him how to do over the off-season. As he whipped around and around, he permitted muscle memory to carry him through the various “phases” of his 12 second spin, which allowed his mind to instead focus on the story that was currently being broadcast to the cavernous Capital Indoor Stadium arena. What had begun as a beckoning to a bleak time period in his life was evolving into a more empowering tale: one that showcased how he’d wrested control over the way his life had turned out. When he’d come to Japan, he’d taken a significant risk in leaving Russia behind, but it was one that he’d felt compelled to take.It was this sentiment, this driving force that moved him into his step sequence, which began just under a minute into his program (and lasted for 45 seconds). As his feet flew over the ice, Yuri recalled those days of deliberation, when he’d wondered if he was making a huge mistake by even considering such a drastic move. The pull of the familiar – of home – was strong, made even more confusing by a lifetime of wonderful memories with dedushka. And it was these memories that swam to the forefront of his mind as his blades traced intricate curves, his leg lifting every now and then into arabesque, and then into a long spiral sequence that saw the return of the lyrics, and the upcoming halfway point of the program.

[Mother, weep the years I’m missing

All our time can’t be given back

Shut my mouth and strike the demons

That cursed you and your reasons]

He readied himself to launch into his jump combo, and closed his eyes, again trying to picture grandpa’s face. There was a reason he’d decided to do a quad toe-loop/triple toe-loop instead of the harder quad salchow combo he was capable of; the 4T-3T was dedushka’s favorite. Sure, he’d seen him land more complicated elements, like in ice shows, but for whatever reason, this was the jump that grandpa had always found the most impressive. The choice to use it had seemed obvious; he hadn’t even needed to tell Lilia that it was the combination he’d go with…She’d just known.   
[Out of hand and out of season]

He landed both his quad as well as his triple in exact accordance10 with the music, but couldn’t quite breathe a sigh of relief as his entry into his final jump (the triple axel) came only nine seconds afterwards.

[Out of love and out of feeling

so bad

When I can, I will]

Similarly to his lutz, he landed his triple right as the discordant note between “I can” and “I will” blared over the rink sound system.Elation at having hit all 3 jumps perfectly in time with his music seemed to carry him across the vast expanse of the rink.He allowed his euphoria to propel him onwards, ignoring the burning in his legs as well as the searing pain in his lungs. He still had 54 seconds of the program remaining, yet knew he was capable of pushing through.Besides, his favorite portion of the performance was coming up, the part that had most resonated with him when he’d first clicked on the link that Beka had sent over.

[Words defy the plan

When I can, I will]

Transitional footwork out of his axel saw him moving into his flying sit-spin11 entry. As he allowed his body to take the form that Viktor and Taku had made him practice over and over again, he felt his blood thrumming in his veins, his heart soaring with the lyrics that he’d taken to singing aloud in his apartment as he cleaned, or when he’d be walking around the grounds of Papio, in between training and ballet class.

[Fool enough to almost be it

And cool enough to not quite see it

Old enough to always feel this

Always old, I’ll always feel this]

For the first time ever since he’d choreographed this routine, tears welled up in his eyes as the line “Always old, I’ll always feel this” blared out overhead. He knew it would forever ring true; no matter how old he’d get, Yuri would always feel an ache in his heart when he thought of dedushka…of the safe haven he’d created for him in Russia. Even with his vision blurry, he exited out of his spin and into the eight seconds of stepwork that preceded the spliced portion of the song that Otabek had helped him to interpolate.

[No more promise, no more sorrow

No longer will I follow

Can anybody hear me?]

And then he thought of the words that his best friend had said to him over their FaceTime call last summer, the explanation he’d given as to why he’d thought this particular song would be so fitting for him (and not only because of the obvious tie to grandpa). In the lines “No more promise, no more sorrow; no longer will I follow”, there was a subtle connection to the decision Yuri had made to turn his back on the concept of national pride that his federation had instilled in him from such a young age. He’d been so vulnerable back then, and so hungry for success and renown that he hadn’t even thought twice about “selling his soul”, so to speak, all for the chance at being Russia’s hero (and Viktor’s successor). That “promise” of bringing his country glory…It was a promise that Viktor had willingly taken up without even knowing what exactly it was he was being molded into, and it had turned sour and hollow after the scandal.That subsequent line “no longer will I follow” was a very direct message to the FFKKR: Yuri was no longer willing to be their puppet. When he’d moved to Japan, he’d of course still been under their control, but the creation of such distance had clearly signaled his desire for separation.

[I will]

With thirteen seconds remaining, he threw himself into his closing combination spin, the last repeat of that simple “I will” evoking a hopeful finish, and one that perfectly segued into the stirring ending chord. As he fell onto one knee and into his closing pose, tears spattered over the swirling navy and light blues and whites of his costume, and Yuri gasped out as the last note of his music rang out. A loaded silence filled the air, and his breath hitched in that split-second interim.He buried his face in his hands and allowed the groundswell of his emotions as well as the roaring appreciation from the audience to sweep over him. Somehow, Yuri made his way back up to his feet, and even as he continued to weep, he took a few deep bows. It was a wonder that he could even see well enough to make his way over to the rink entry gate, as he was freely crying by this point (as well as wishing that his costume had a convenient pocket for tissues).Arms encircled him from just over the boards, and he could feel a hand cup the back of his head, bringing his face down to meet the collar of an expensive designer trench coat. “Beautiful, Yura. So, so beautiful. He would be very, very proud,” Viktor murmured in a wobbly voice, and Yuri let out a broken sob as he nodded in agreement.He knew it was true. …

RESULTS - Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Short Program Top 10 Rankings

Competitor - First, LAST

Nation or Training Club*

Score

Yuuri KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV

Japan

113.9712 WR

Phichit CHULANONT

Thailand

110.52

Yuri PLISETSKY

Papio Ice Arena*

108.09

Otabek ALTIN

Kazakhstan

105.34

Seung-Gil LEE

Taereung International Skating Rink*

102.66

Michele Crispino

Italy

102.29

Leo de la IGLESIA

United States

101.95

Jean-Jacques LEROY

Canada

100.79

Emil NEKOLA

Czech Republic

99.82

Kenjirou MINAMI

Japan

99.68

*Due to official International Olympic Committee (IOC) disciplinary actions, skaters from the Republic of Korea, as well as Russia will be listed by name and training club, not nation (see IOC Communications No. 2032) …

End of Chapter 15

Chapter 16 will be the last flashback chapter of this story, taking place in April 2021 and told from both Yuuri’s & Seung-Gil’s POV. The first part will revolve around Yuuri’s decision to retire after the Games (and the conversations/planning that he and Viktor engage in after he makes his decision public), while the second part will focus on Seung-Gil’s proposal to Phichit, which the Katsuki-Nikiforovs are secretly enlisted to take part in
  Footnotes:1. In reality, there was a nearly 30 point difference between the 10-point and 9-point spots at the 2022 Games, as Yuma Kagiyama of Japan scored a 208.94 for his Free Skate, while Mark Kondratiuk of Russia scored a 181.65. I thought it’d be more exciting (and, frankly, make things more interesting when it comes to the individual event) for the score distribution to be much tighter, so the scores you see assigned in parentheses are in no way reflective of what the actual scores were
Back2. This is a reference to Chapter 5, when the Katsuki-Nikiforovs brought their Papio Ice Arena friends together with their Yubileyny/Russian friends at a restaurant called Duck de Chine
Back3. Imagine that his music would actually start at 2:09. A full 2 minute, 50 second program would run from 2:09 - 4:59, however if you actually listen to it, 4:59 is an awkward point to cut off. Just pretend Otabek helped him cut/splice things together :D The last thirteen seconds of his program would actually be the 5:11-5:24 period (i.e. starting directly after that dissonant chord at 5:10, he would transition into his closing spin, right as the song moves into the last repeat of the line ‘I will’; this is meant to be a sort of hopeful ending that signals the imminence of his “new chapter” in Japan)
Back4. These would be in Russian, which is why I didn’t create images for them. Message 1: There’s still plenty of time before we meet with Jackie. Do you want to join us for a walk with Goya? Or you could take her, solo. We’ll be near the dining hall in 10. Message 2: Yura? We’ll be passing by in a minute or so. No pressure, just thought it’d help you relax
Back5. Yuri’s step sequence would take place from 3:04 to 3:49, beginning roughly 56 seconds into his program. The halfway point of his routine is at 3:34, and while it’s certainly risky given fatigue, he and Lilia decided to take advantage of the multiplier effect and put his quad-toe/triple-toe-loop and triple axel into the back half
Back6. Just as a reminder, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs have had Meni certified as an emotional support animal for Yuuri since 2017
Back7. This is a Russian phrase of exasperation/disapproval, and translates to “what a type you are!” (basically, what a uniquely exasperating individual you are/choice you are making, etc.)Back8. As you can probably tell from the -chan part of these terms, these are highly familiar/affectionate terms for ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’ in Japanese. I headcanon that Yuuri’s parents would have wanted Yura to start referring to them as such, especially after he first moved to Fukuoka (and was seeing them so frequently). I don’t believe he would use these terms unless he’s talking to them directly, and though strangers might find it a little odd if they were to overhear the conversation, I figure that especially after Nikolai’s death, the Katsukis would feel compelled to make an overt gesture of their familial regard for him
Back9. If you intend to follow along with the song, his blades would come down right at the 2:45 mark of Mayonaise
Back10. His blades would come down right at the swell of sound at the 2:50 mark, and again at the 2:53 mark
Back11. Yuri would enter into his spin around fifteen seconds after exiting his axel, and the actual spin would last from the 4:23-4:36 period of the song (i.e. he’d exit it at the close of the line “Always old, I’ll always feel this”)
Back12. Folks may remember that Nathan Chen set a world record during the Short Program (scoring 113.97, the same as what I’d assigned to Yuuri) with a jump layout of a singular quad flip, as well as a quad lutz/triple-toe-loop. You’ll note that this is different from the layout that Yuuri performed for the Team Event Short Program, but we all know that our favorite pork cutlet bowl is a wildcard, lol. He decided to go for it (having agreed beforehand w/ Viktor), and it paid off. I know I don’t explicitly write about it, but you’ll see the fervor talked about in the Reddit commentary
Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yuuri 
Rooftop of Hasetsu Castle (Saga Prefecture - Hasetsu, Japan) – Monday, April 12, 2021, just after sunrise (around 7am)

As Viktor bent, acutely, over the guardrail of Hasetsu Castle’s rooftop, Yuuri’s heart went into free-fall; he wasn’t even trying to pretend to hang on to the banister!!“Vitya! You just love giving me a heart attack, don’t you?!” he admonished, tugging on his husband’s hand and ignoring his giddy laughter with a scowl.After the April 2019 #Chihokogate incident just a few days after their wedding, the Hasetsu City Council had taken note of the sheer number of their fans who’d begun climbing to the top of the Castle to adopt “Shining Chihoko” pose for their Instagrams. The vast majority of them, thankfully, had been clothed. Wanting to avoid liability for any accidents, Mayor Tatsuro Mine had procured the funds to install guardrails on the north and south-facing facades of the building, and the Katsuki-Nikiforovs had even contributed a sizable share of money towards building real, building-code-approved ledge insets for climbing.“Ahh, I can’t yelp it, my Yuuri, you always get so worked up,” Viktor crowed, eyeing his seated form but making no attempt to actually move away from the edge. “It’s just so pretty up here right now!”Yuuri did, in fact, have to agree. They’d come at exactly the right time: just after sunrise, when the view was most richly colored, the skyline emblazoned in sumptuous hues of scarlet and tangerine. This was only their second time commemorating the fantastical events that had taken place two years ago, but he was glad that Viktor had suggested they make this a yearly tradition. Given how busy the rest of the week would be with their trip to Bangkok to help film Seung-Gil’s proposal to Phichit, it felt grounding to be able to spend this time taking in such a spectacular early morning view. Wondering if his love would remain ignorant to his underlying motivations, Yuuri scrunched his face up in discomfort, and appealed to him in a whiny tone.“Ahh! My ankle’s twinging a bit; I must have strained it during the climb. Could you give me a foot massage, pleaseee, Viten’ka? ” he asked, hardly able to feel bad about his blatant lying when Viktor immediately stepped back and whirled around from his precarious position. “Of course, Yusha!” came the prompt reply, sounding none the wiser. “Let’s also take an extra long soak in the onsen, later.”Viktor began to apply gentle pressure around his heel, and Yuuri expressed his gratitude by feeding him a piece of the leftover quiche they'd packed in their breakfast picnic assortment. “I know we’d planned on testing out choreo ideas for your Free with Minako later, but maybe you should rest, hm?” his spouse mused while chewing.He suddenly appeared a bit troubled and began to examine his ankle like he’d instantaneously developed X-ray vision. Yuuri almost snorted in answer; his foot literally looked the same as always, so he wasn’t really sure what Viktor intended to achieve by staring at his skin as if he could divine every secret of its nerve endings. They both greatly trusted and respected Dr. Hayashi as well as the physicians of his entire sports medicine practice, and the elder doctor had seemed pleased with the state of his healing when they’d made the appointment to see him right after World’s.  “Maybe we should just take it easy with Goya and Meni today, and save working with her for after we get back?” Viktor suggested, his face still scrunched up with worry as he peered, unnervingly, at his ankle. “Stop fretting, luchik1,” Yuuri huffed out, poking him in the cheek with his chopsticks. “I said it was twinging, not that it was broken. Plus, by then, I’ll be too nervous about the presentation to think about choreo, and I want to at least try to sketch out the order of everything before May hits.” After returning from Thailand, he and his husband would have only three days of prep time before joining Yuuko and Takeshi in presenting in front of Mayor Mine and the public at the next city council meeting. It hardly seemed real that after a diligent eight months of hosting public forums in Hasetsu and the surrounding area (Fukuoka and Matsuura in particular), the four of them – accompanied by testimony from various colleagues, but most notably Japan Skating Federation (JSF) President Akihisa Nagashima  – would formally introduce their idea to expand Ice Castle into a world-class training academy. Yuuri was proud of the “ground-truthing” efforts that Yuuko and Takeshi had taken the lead on. Modifying such a beloved local institution – one whose walls he and his childhood friends had literally grown up within – was a huge undertaking, and he and Viktor had wanted to make sure that it was an idea that wasn’t only enthusiastically embraced by the triplets. There was the obvious fact that building a facility meant to attract significant international media attention would generate a huge local impact, and they’d thus felt compelled to highlight the ways in which they would be intentional and consensus-based in their multi-year efforts. First and foremost, given city council approval, they intended to hire a research firm to conduct a qualitative as well as quantitative economic impact study. While Saga Prefecture had enjoyed a steady boom2 in its tourist economy over the last few years in part due to their fame, there were certain negatives that might also result from such high-profile development, and those downsides were something that had to be carefully interrogated and weighed. Given how the process worked for Hasetsu’s infrastructure proposals, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs and the Nishigoris knew that their presentation was merely the start of what would inevitably be a long-term effort. “There’s no hurry, love, we’ve got plenty of time to work on your Free,” Viktor countered, and though the words themselves were wholly unremarkable, the concept of having ‘plenty of time’ brought a lump to Yuuri’s throat. Because it simply wasn’t true.How could it be that he and his love were already choreographing his last Free Skate program, ever ? Perhaps it was the double whammy of today being their Chihoko-aversary, and his recent decision to have his final skating season theme be “Gratitude, Now And Always”, but Yuuri’s chest began to ache. He turned his face away, staring pensively out at the enthralling horizon.Given how easily he wore his heart on his sleeve, he wasn’t surprised to feel Viktor’s arms snaking around his midsection just a split-second later. And though it certainly could have been a trick of the light, there seemed to be a sheen of wetness covering his irises as well. The topic of his retirement certainly wasn’t a new discussion point for them, his injury back in early February having catalyzed his coming to terms with “the end”. However, even when Viktor perfectly channeled the spirit of ‘stammi vicino’ and stayed close to him, Yuuri’s anguish over the end of this chapter of their lives just wasn’t something that could easily be assuaged. His psyche was a complicated place; though, intellectually, he knew it was time, his emotions hadn’t yet caught up to that realization. Even ten full months of grieving might not adequately prepare him for that final skate in Beijing.“I’m right here, Yuranya, you know that, right?” his spouse whispered, pressing his lips to his temple. “And I’ll always be here for you, even when I’m no longer your coach.”Yuuri bit his lip to stifle a sob and just nodded, morosely. More tears spilled over to dot the neck of his t-shirt, and he dearly wished there’d been some way they could have brought Meni and Goya up here to join in cuddling.Without fully registering it, he noted that Viktor had drawn him more fully into his lap. He angled his face, hiding it against his shoulder.“You know, just because I won’t be your coach on the ice, doesn’t mean I’ll no longer have things to teach you,” Viktor quietly went on. “With your being my assistant coach3, there’ll be quite a substantial ‘training the trainer’ flavor to our work together next year.”He hummed against his husband’s warmth in lieu of verbally responding, his spirits lifting slightly at the sensation of the kiss pressed to his messy hairline.“Plus…I know there’s a part of you that finds it intimidating, but I don’t think you realize how innately suited you are for coaching, honey,” Viktor pointed out, prompting him to look up so that they were making eye contact. “There are so many areas of not only training but the administrative side of coaching where I know you’ll be a natural. Before long, you’ll be teaching me things. Like the best ways to not completely piss off Yura.”Yuuri snorted at this latter remark but his lips curled, despite himself, and he couldn’t help but note the way Viktor’s face seemed to light up in response.
Cute.
“Oh, please,” he replied, with heavy sarcasm. “Pissing Yura off is like 99 percent of what keeps him motivated.”His love smiled and cupped his cheek, and Yuuri leaned up to kiss him. The soft comfort was grounding, and he felt something inside of his churning brain settle at the sensation of their lips moving together, gently. A comfortable silence stretched between them for several moments afterwards, and when he interrupted it, he regretted the words almost immediately after they left his mouth.“I guess I’m being silly, hmm?” he asked, flinching at how sheepish he sounded.He might have seen Viktor’s spreading frown if he hadn’t turned back to stare out at the vividly-colored skyline. The streaks of gold and crimson reminded Yuuri of the idea he’d recently formulated for the coming season’s Short Program costume: one that would pay tribute to his and Viktor’s Shinto wedding ceremony in unapologetic extra-ness. Though he was itching to reveal the surprise of his and Yukimi’s songwriting collaboration, he’d intentionally planned on waiting until after the city council presentation. That way, even if it went badly, he could still ensure that they both had a good close to the month. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited for the plans we have together: learning how to coach as a team and then working on establishing our own training center. And it’s not like I never knew this day would come,” Yuuri rushed to explain in a shaky whisper. “I would never want to keep competing to the point that it made me feel like I was shackled. You’re the one who showed me that I should only ever want to associate the ice with joy, so I don’t even know why the idea of it makes me so s-sad,” he continued, his voice breaking towards the end.His heart lurched at the sound of his spouse beginning to sniffle. “Of course it would make you sad, malysh 4,” Viktor fiercely replied, reaching over to gently grab ahold of his chin to re-angle his face.His beautiful eyes had welled up anew, and Yuuri reached a hand up to thumb away at some of the tears that had begun to slide down his cheeks.  Damnit.  He hadn’t meant to make Viktor cry, too…Instantly, Yuuri’s mind cast back to just a few days prior, when he’d broken the news to his federation by presenting the statement he’d co-written with Haru. He’d anticipated getting emotional during the video conference meeting, and as painful as it had been to make the request, he’d gently asked his husband to forego attending; there was simply no way he’d have been able to get the words out if he could feel how tightly Viktor was squeezing his hand, or saw his own heartbreak play out in real-time on his coach’s face. And of course, to his great embarrassment, Yuuri had indeed broken down while trying to convey his indebtedness to President Nagashima as well as the various others on the call. Everyone at the JSF had been exceptionally kind throughout his break-down and a few even seemed teary-eyed as well. What he hadn’t realized, however, was that Viktor had been listening in on the meeting from the hallway, clutching Goya and biting his knuckles to keep his own sobs at bay. Afterwards, he and his love had held one another and cried on their bed for nearly an hour, their poor, worried poodles whining and nosing at their faces. “Not only are you having to grapple with this huge change in our lives as an exceptionally accomplished skater in your own right, but you’ve got the additional challenge of processing it as my student, too: the role that caused us to meet in the first place,” Viktor went on, his bottom lip wobbling as he spoke.He leaned forward to press their foreheads together, with a painfully vulnerable look on his face; it was as if every nuance of feeling was playing out in his pleading, wide-eyed expression. “I’m afraid I can’t stand for you minimizing your feelings around this, my Yuuri; it’d be a lot for anyone to have to deal with,” he finished, a bit more quietly.Yuuri felt a bit taken aback, like he was only now able to absorb the full weight of the “double-duty” point that his spouse had just made. Feeling a bit dazed, he blinked a few times, his gaze roaming over Viktor’s face in search of…what? A caveat? Some qualification that would allow him to pull back from fully immersing himself in his sadness?When he finally replied, it was after repositioning himself and hooking his chin over Viktor’s shoulder. “This is a big change for you, too, and here I am taking up all of this emotional space,” Yuuri stated, the words coming out a bit sulkier than he was intending. “I’m sor– ”“NOPE!”His husband shouted it, making him jolt in alarm (and narrowly miss head-butting him in the chin).“Wow! I love using your words against you,” Viktor practically purred out, sounding very smug. “No apologizing. And no– ”
Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzz.
Just then, Yuuri’s phone began to blare, his “wind chime” ringtone loud enough that they both startled this time around.“Hmm, that’s Yuu-chan,” he noted, wondering if Yuuko was calling to confirm their plans for later; while the triplets were at school, they’d agreed to meet up at the onsen to go over presentation prep. After seeing the nod from Viktor, he clicked to connect the call and put her on speakerphone.“Good morning, Yuu-chan, you’re on speaker,” he announced, setting his phone down on his love’s thigh. A clamoring of high-pitched voices greeted them, and he and Viktor exchanged grins as the triplets’ assorted questions and exclamations came through, rapid-fire style.“Lutz-chan, Loop-chan, Axel-chan, good morning!” Yuuri sing-songed, almost able to picture their mother’s chagrined expression even without the help of FaceTime. “We’re excited for tomorrow’s session and hope you’ve been practicing those toe-loop entries.”Though it wasn’t in an official capacity, he and Viktor had been giving the girls joint skating lessons 1-2 times per month over the last year. In addition to assisting Akihito-kochi with Izumi’s training at Papio, it’d been a fairly low-stakes way for him to build up his confidence around developing a coaching plan/training schedule. Some mild squabbling broke out – probably to decide who had first dibs over the phone – but then Yuuko’s voice resounded, tinny but intelligible.“They’re wayyyy too hyper this morning, you guys,” she noted, just before Takeshi’s boisterous boom (sounding like he was talking with his mouth full while scolding his daughters) cut through the din. “Anyway, we wanted to double check: we compiled all of the survey responses from each of the forums, so do you two think it’d be better if we summed up that info on both the slides and in the handout, or just put it into the paper copies?”Yuuri made eye contact with his spouse, already having an idea in mind, but wanting to see how he felt, first. Viktor proceeded to make his signature ‘thinking’ face (lip-tapping and all) and they exchanged a few quiet whispers before getting back to Yuuko.“Good question, Yuu-chan,” Yuuri said. “We’re sort of worried that if we only put it down on paper, everyone will get so distracted flipping through the pie charts that they won’t even be listening to us when we’re talking. So let’s go with putting it into the slides, too.”“That being said, you two have already done so much,” Viktor piped up, seeming troubled. “Do you want to leave that to us? Even if it’s a stretch, we’ll have a bit of time after getting back next week.”Yuuri gave him an appreciative look, glad that his husband was trying to be mindful around their balance of responsibilities. There were certain things that made more sense for Yuuko and Takeshi to take the lead on, but their Ice Castle expansion plan truly was a joint venture and they had no intention of taking their friends’ time and energy for granted. “Don’t be dumb, Yuuri-kun,” Takeshi barked, though his tone was fond. “Just focus on enjoying Thailand, and remember not to be so lovey-dovey together that you take the wind out of the sails of the prospective fiances.” “A hard ask, we know,” Yuuko added on, the amusement in her tone quite evident.He and Viktor laughed in response and they exchanged a few more logistical details before hanging up.Warmth filled Yuuri’s chest, making him feel hopelessly sentimental; the call couldn’t have come at a better time, not only elevating his spirits but also serving to reiterate how dedicated his childhood friends were in their support of his and Viktor’s future goals.  “What’s that face for?” his love asked, reaching for their picnic basket and rifling through it. Yuuri smiled when he passed him one of the “Devil’s” onigiri they’d attempted from a Lawson copycat recipe the night before. It might not have packed quite the same punch as the ones from the convenience store, but he thought that their version was far more fun: given the significance of Shachihoko, Viktor had suggested they mold their rice to resemble curved fish instead of the traditional shape.
Well…
They’d tried in any event; some of them were far closer to amorphous blobs than anything else, but the thought was what really counted.“I’m just…thankful, I guess,” he replied, musingly, carefully unwrapping the seaweed. “Yuuko and Takeshi are so invested in this vision we have, and they’re sticking their necks out for us a lot. I’m just glad that they’re also so passionate about the waves we’re hoping to make.”Viktor nodded before taking a hefty bite of his own, evidently catching on to what he meant. Even with the preliminary conversations they’d had with the JSF, the four of them knew that some of the core principles of their future skating academy might be a hard sell. However, they were ones that they refused to compromise on, given everything that had happened at the PyeongChang Games (and in the aftermath).In witnessing the struggle that both Seung-Gil and Yura had undergone to break away from the Korea Skating Union and FFKKR, respectively, the Nishigoris and Katsuki-Nikiforovs were committed to prioritizing at least 4 slots – 2 for the Men’s division and 2 for the Women’s division – for Russian and Korean skaters that wished to skate independently of their federations. But in doing so, they were creating something of a headache for themselves: each one of these prospective skaters would need to find a way to completely self-fund their careers. As such, it would be more important than ever for them and their future staff to acquire some savvy when it came to sponsor recruitment and retention.Along with this, in a dramatic departure from the way things are typically done, all four of them knew that they wanted their skaters to be well-versed in understanding the politics of the sport. Though the realities were sobering, there was simply no way that he or his spouse would be able to operate in good conscience and send their Novices and Juniors off to their first ISU competitions without at least some semblance of understanding around how judging worked. Or rather…all the ways it didn’t work. And by continuing to model the pathways to reform, they wanted their future students to feel empowered to be vocal when it came to ushering in change within figure skating. The two other priorities he and Viktor decided on with the Nishigoris would be less difficult to garner support around, but even so, they came with their own respective bureaucratic hurdles.In seeing the way Phichit had hustled to both make and maintain a name for himself in a sport so dominated by the big-name federations, they wanted to reserve at least two spots in their inaugural year for skaters attached to smaller name federations. Working out a fair selection “rubric” would be complicated, and they’d already begun to pick Phichit-kun’s brain as to how one might devise such a process to be the most fair. And finally, in a decision that Yuuko and Takeshi had quite passionately advocated for, they were intent on holding at least 3 spots for prospective Senior Japanese skaters, but ones that had grown up and/or primarily trained in towns far outside of the country’s most prominent training locations (currently, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto).“Honestly, anata5, in terms of making waves, those two take after their daughters more than the other way around,” Viktor voiced, amusedly. “The triplets are no strangers to controversy…at least that’s what it’d seem, given that they had absolutely no inhibitions posting a video of a certain wondrously charismatic Japanese skating fanboy performing his idol’s Free Skate to YouTube without a second thought around the potential consequences.” Yuuri giggled before ripping the head off of his onigiri, and they chewed in silence for a bit, their heads teeming with all manner of possibilities that could open up when if Mayor Mine and others were willing to throw their support behind their and the Nishigoris’ joint venture. “It’s pretty fitting, no?” his husband piped up, after a minute. Yuuri just gave him a bemused look, after which Viktor pointed to the skyline, which somehow appeared even more striking than before. “Here we sit, in front of a most riveting horizon,” he began, in a bombastic tone, “while our heads and hearts engage in pondering the future, and the new dazzling horizons that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs and Nishigoris will jointly birth in figure skating!”As Viktor punched the air, Yuuri took advantage of his raptured state to lean over and steal the last bite of his onigiri.“Sooo cheesy, Vitya,” he replied, with his mouth full, before scrambling to the other side of the mat (and away from the inevitable tickle attack).“Hey! Sooooo mean, my Yuuri!” his love squawked, crawling towards him and looking intent on revenge. “Whatever happened to ‘I could search the whole world, but NO ONE is better than you!?’ ” … 
Back lawn of Chakrabongse Villas  (Bangkok, Thailand) – mid-morning of Saturday, April 17, 2021

Viktor yelped as Yuuri literally shoved two ice cubes down the back of his dress. His love’s forward jerking motion put his face into direct contact with a gigantic banana leaf, which was also their means of concealment next to the Chakrabongse Villas gazebo6 where Seung-Gil would soon be proposing to Phichit. “Aghh! Yusha!” he protested, recoiling a bit and just narrowly avoiding swallowing a scurrying ant.  Apparently, his responding facial expression wasn’t nearly penitent enough, because Viktor decided to retaliate by giving him a good spritz from the spray bottle he’d brought outside (and incidentally, no matter how many times they visited Thailand, Yuuri doubted he’d ever get used to the sweltering heat). “Vitya!” he spluttered through a shriek-laugh, practically diving to avoid the jet (and nearly launching into the wooden banister in front of their hiding spot). Due to Viktor’s quick reflexes, he was saved from a last-minute maiming. It wouldn’t do to suffer an injury before the other couple even arrived, after all. “You should be thanking me,” Yuuri fake-huffed once he righted himself (and then proceeded to wipe his wet chin on his spouse’s sweaty shoulder). “I just sacrificed two precious ice cubes for the sake of your well-being. If I faint from heat exhaustion before he pops the question it’ll be on your conscience.”“Well, we all have to make sacrifices, anata,” Viktor solemnly returned, before gesturing at his clipped-up, sweat-soaked bangs. “Take my hair, for instance. Not only is it too hot to wear my stylish new hat, but I also haven’t looked this dorky since that first summer in Hasetsu, whining over what I thought was true humidity.”Yuuri laughed before wiping at his own perspiring forehead.“Speaking of sacrifices, do you think he’ll shave a minute or two off of his speech? If I remember correctly, it clocked in at five minutes,” he replied in a whisper, referring to their rehearsal yesterday morning with the adorably nervous Seung-Gil. “At least I think it was five…I timed it, but my sight was blurry from all the sweat and tears.”Viktor giggled, clearly amused all over again by the fact that Yuuri had started crying before Seung-Gil had even opened his mouth. He’d tried to keep the volume of his sniffling down, but his best friend’s boyfriend had restarted his practice round approximately a minute into speaking, drily remarking that “the banana trees seem to be particularly noisy this morning for some reason. Wouldn’t it be such a shame if the lawn sprinklers suddenly turned on?” But Yuuri hardly felt like he could be blamed for his emotional reaction; even though Seung-Gil had shared his speech with them ahead of time, finding out just how heartfelt he’d made his remarks had effortlessly moved him.“I think it was only five because he was speaking so deliberately slowly. It’ll be much faster when he’s anxious,” his husband whispered back, before peering out past the shroud of greenery hiding them from view.But the dirt path that connected the Chao Phraya river terrace to this spot was still empty.                                       Seung-Gil had texted a few minutes ago to note that he and Phichit had checked into their room, and would come by once he’d confirmed everything was set for their breakfast order with Chef Atom, the villa’s amazing head cook. Yuuri had marveled over the wide variety of offerings from her kitchen over the past two days, feeling grateful for Seung-Gil’s generosity; as thanks for their willingness to postpone their wedding anniversary trip as well as their annual Viktor and Friends ice show, he had paid for them to stay the past two nights at this secluded, romantic locale.  Between lounging in their own private pool, taking advantage of the room’s sumptuous bed, and going on nighttime strolls by the river (while donning slightly ridiculous disguises so as not to be recognized by their fans), it had hardly felt like a chore for him and Viktor to be here on their friend’s dime.Even so, having to essentially bathe in insect repellent and hide out in the surrounding vegetation in 94 degree Fahrenheit heat – the two of them jumping at every tickle of foliage, on high alert for curious centipedes or caterpillars – was beginning to test the limits of his and Viktor’s patience. “Am I a bad friend if I say that would be a relief?” Yuuri asked in a mumble, before swatting a particularly persistent mosquito away. “I’m gonna go with ‘no’...Seung-Gil has now lived here for eight months and he still whines about the heat,” his love reminded him. “I love how he tried to pretend getting that pool installed was for Gwihan’s sake.”He lowered his pitch, trying to affect the Korean’s deeper timbre (which really was a lost cause).“You guyssss, she needs it, I’m almost positive she’d be an otter in another life!” Viktor chanted in imitation. “And so what if she also gets ice cream every day? It’s her reward for being such a good girl!”Yuuri cracked a grin and chimed in with his own rendition, not missing a beat.“She’s an old lady: she’s earned her sweets, the doctors can all go to hell, damnit!” (At least he wasn’t the only one with dreadful imitation skills.)  To be fair, besides the scalding temperatures, Seung-Gil was highly vocal in his praise of pretty much every other aspect of living in Thailand. After dating long-distance for around ten months, he and Phichit had begun to seriously discuss moving in together, and the former had made clear that there was no love lost in his leaving Korea. As Phichit had explained, this sentiment wasn’t even completely due to the drama-filled circumstances surrounding Seung-Gil’s career; aside from his brother, he simply wasn’t close with his family. In contrast, Phichit had a strong attachment to not only his parents and two younger sisters, but his entire extended family as well, who were spread out all over Bangkok as well as further south in beachside Pattaya and Pranburi.Almost immediately after his silver medal win at the 2020 World Figure Skating Championships, Seung-Gil had flown to Bangkok, and the two smitten boyfriends had spent the next three months apartment hunting and figuring out logistics. In addition to visa acquisition and acclimating to an entirely new training club, Seung-Gil had had to work around virtual coaching sessions until Coach Byun could relocate to Bangkok as well. As he and Viktor had come to learn, it was the latter that had presented the biggest hang-up in making the transition.When compared to his previous coach (Park Min-So), Min-Jin was about as different in her teaching philosophy as was possible, and it wasn’t until he’d been freed of his previous toxic partnership that Seung-Gil was able to breathe and regain some semblance of autonomy over his career. With Coach Byun’s guidance, he’d felt able to truly discern the kind of skater he wanted to be, and what goals he’d feel most proud to be able to accomplish. But this feeling of indebtedness to his new coach – who, by then, he’d been working with for a year and a half – had also been somewhat crippling, as he’d been reluctant to ask her to move to an entirely new country just for his sake. It was Phichit that had given his boyfriend the strength to make the ask just two weeks prior to World’s, and as it turns out, Seung-Gil needn’t have worried: with her own disgust and resentment towards the Korea Skating Union (KSU), Coach Byun had practically leapt at the possibility of being able to start over somewhere new. The KSU obviously hadn’t been pleased to learn of their plans, but with ISU penalties still technically in effect, there wasn’t much that their federation had been able to do to stop either of them from leaving. His spouse seemed to have spaced out a bit after their fond mocking, so Yuuri gently nudged his shoulder, eyeing him with concern.Viktor jerked, blinking a bit in newfound awareness. “Where did you go, Vitya? Are you feeling dizzy?” he asked him, beginning to waft him with the gigantic fan that Ohm – the villa’s jovial head concierge staff member – had bestowed upon them yesterday out of pity. With the denseness of the thicket they were in, there was a lot of hazardous whacking going on, but Yuuri was sure that his thoughtfulness was appreciated, nonetheless. Viktor angled his face to better feel the breeze and smiled.“Just thinking…Seung-Gil’s come a long way, hasn’t he?” he answered, ponderously. “Standing up to the KSU, leaving Min-So…”His husband trailed off, and Yuuri thought of the even bigger risks that their friend had begun to take, back in 2018.Specifically, the emotional risks that had been wholly uncharted territory for the guarded Korean skater who had been living for so long in survival mode.“Opening up to Phichit, letting people in so that his life would be more than just about what the ice could give him,” Viktor went on, and Yuuri wasn’t even surprised to see that his eyes had grown wet, or to discover that his own heart was clenching in his chest; the parallels between Viktor’s past and Seung-Gil’s past were undeniable. “He really has; it kind of reminds me of another really brave person I know,” he earnestly responded, cupping a hand to his cheek (94 degree heat be damned).His love shakily exhaled and placed his hand over Yuuri’s own, eyeing him with an unbearably soft expression. “Rodnoy7 ,” he whispered, sounding awed. Their lips met for just a beat or two before some nearby grunting and scuffling caught their attention. Breaking apart, they turned in tandem to see Ohm standing right in front of the gazebo staircase and peering around as if to check if he was being followed. If this weren’t perplexing enough, he was carrying what looked to be a long spade, the rudimentary gardening tool looking completely out of place in the elder man’s grasp. In fact, it was a little odd to see him outside the air-conditioned haven of the concierge office in general; at one point they’d joked that Ohm might actually be a statue, as when he wasn’t chatting amicably with the guests, he always seemed locked in the same position in front of his computer the several times that they’d spotted him while passing by. Yuuri watched with curiosity as he began to whack at some of the vegetation on the other side of the stair railing. “Uh oh, if he’s doing lawn maintenance, we’re in tr– ”But Viktor stopped short and the two of them could only look on, mouths agape, as Ohm stepped over the battered greenery, disappearing fully into the “partition” he’d created before sprucing the vegetation back to its original height. And then, silence enveloped them. Given the complete lack of noise in the surroundings, the only explanation was that he was hiding in the vegetation .  Much like they were…except Seung-Gil hadn’t said anything about this.  He and Viktor looked at one another, their eyebrows scrunched up into matching furrows.“Well, that was odd. Why would Ohm have – oh!” His spouse’s whispering cut off abruptly as he slapped both of his hands over his mouth. It looked like he was vibrating with excitement and his eyes were comically wide, so Yuuri made to check that he was copacetic. But before he could speak, Viktor was leaning close, his words tumbling out in a rush of excitement.“I could definitely be off about this, but it seems that Seung-Gil may not be the only one with a surprise in store for today, Yusha!”Yuuri looked into that captivating azure gaze for a short moment, and then it clicked. Naturally, the waterworks followed in short order.“You really think Phichit-kun’s gonna…? What are the chances?! And how would they not have guessed that the other…”He was largely incoherent through his tears, but Viktor was happily nodding along with his babbling, that heart-shaped smile out in full-force. Yuuri wasn’t sure who started it, but all too soon, they were clutching at one another and giggling over the amazing coincidence they were no doubt about to witness. He might have been offended that Phichit hadn’t thought to inform him of his plans (or to ask him to secretly film the big moment instead of Ohm), but he also knew his best friend well enough to know that however social-media-obsessed he was, he cared about his fiance much, much more; Seung-Gil was a rather private person, and no doubt Phichit wanted to put him at ease, even if it meant sacrificing an audience for the occasion.Suddenly, his best friend’s distinctive, sunny voice cut through the air and Yuuri peeked out to spot the prospective fiances walking hand-in-hand down the river terrace path towards them.“Well, this will certainly be interesting,” his husband whispered with a grin as he untucked his phone from the belt of his dress. Seung-Gil 
Seung-Gil and Phichit’s room, Chakrabongse Villas (Bangkok, Thailand) – mid-morning of Saturday, April 17, 2021

Seung-Gil cursed, internally. He had thought through every single detail of today: the heartfelt speech he’d give once he was down on one knee, the meal that he’d asked Chef Atom to prepare (a replication of the one he and Phichit had eaten here together last September), Yuuri and Viktor’s hiding spot among the banana trees to film/take pictures…All except for one, apparently.
Where the fuck would he put the ring?!
Given the heat, he was wearing a thin t-shirt, plus linen shorts that, while not tight by any means, were billowy enough that the protrusion of a velvet ring box in the pocket would be extremely noticeable. Since they’d just put their bags away in the room, it didn’t make sense to bring anything other than his phone and keycard, and while he’d exulted for a split-second at the idea of slipping the box into his empty water bottle, Phichit knew that Atom always sent a server over with ice-cold water and papaya juice, first thing. If Seung-Gil decided to risk it, there was the even more terrifying prospect of his boyfriend asking him for a sip from the bottle while they walked over. He debated texting an SOS message to his co-conspirators but could almost imagine their responses without even having to lift a finger. Viktor “Don’t Be Ridiculous, Seung-Gil, Of Course I Need A Summer Hat Even If It’s Only Mostly For Show” Katsuki-Nikiforov would probably be all: “Well, well, well…look who could use a stylish designer hat that also doubles as an engagement ring concealment device right about now!”And Yuuri “I Think It’s Obscene To Spend Over A Thousand Dollars On A Clothing Item That’s Mostly Holes But I Am Also Incapable Of Denying My Husband Anything If It Makes Him Happy” Katsuki-Nikiforov would probably spiral, convinced that this one oversight was a clear harbinger of doom and that they should call the whole thing off until at least 24 hours had passed to regroup. “How about taking a dip in the pool after we eat?” Phichit called, from where he was laying his toiletries out on the bathroom countertop. Seung-Gil nearly teared up with relief.  Perfect!  He could slip the box into his swim tote and Phichit would be none the wiser. It seemed that even in this respect, his boyfriend couldn’t help but to (unknowingly) take care of him.“Sounds great, podo8,” he replied, wondering if his voice had always sounded so squeaky (and if so, why the hell nobody had informed him!) “Ah, it’s a sign! There are already beach towels stocked up in here, so I’ll grab two,” Phichit sing-songed, continuing to scurry back and forth in and out of view from where Seung-Gil was sitting on the luxe queen bed. If not for Gwihan’s absence, he might have been fooled into thinking it was September of last year, and that they’d just checked in for the 4-day stay that Phichit had booked for them as a sort of “final hurrah” of indulgence before the Grand Prix series had kicked off. Even the room looked the exact same as the one they’d had last time, and his soon-to-be-fiance had seemed delighted that Ohm remembered him when they’d picked up their room keys just a few minutes ago. In fact, there had been an almost hysterical note in Phichit’s tone when he’d hugged the latter man, but Seung-Gil just chalked it up to his usual extroversion. It was one of the many things he loved about him: how excited he got whenever the opportunity arose to forge a genuine connection with someone (or reconnection, in this case).He finished wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts – the sweat purely a result of nerves, given how their room was superbly air-conditioned – and stood up just as his boyfriend emerged from the other room.“I can hold those,” Seung-Gil said with a smile, gesturing to Phichit’s full arms. As he shifted the towels to his hold, Phichit leaned forward to give him a grateful kiss, and he allowed himself to savor the moment; there was no reason to be scared of what would transpire in the next half hour or so. Taking the next step in their relationship wasn’t a matter of if, but when. The topic of engagement had come up back in December, when they’d gone out for hotpot after the Grand Prix Final Free Skate with Phichit’s two younger sisters, Latda and Noi. Perhaps sensing that their guard was down given their ravenous hunger, the mischievous Noi had just launched right into it, apropos of nothing: “So, Seung-Gil: you guys have been living together now for over four months and are nauseatingly inseparable, like, maybe on the same level as Yuuri and Viktor. Which begs the question: when do you plan to make an honest man out of our phîi phichit? While he’d begun to choke on the slice of lotus root he’d been chowing down on, his boyfriend had gone as red as the broth of their spicy soup base, and had begun to whine at her in frenzied Thai. While Seung-Gil had been nowhere near as fluent as he was now, he’d been able to pick up on some key phrases, including “spy for mom and dad” and “worry about your own love life”. Latda had very tactfully steered things into safer territory, but Noi’s blunt inquiry had catalyzed their beginning to talk about the future, even more seriously than they’d begun to do in the early part of the year (when they’d first discussed moving in together.) And though he hadn’t told Phichit this later that night when they’d had a serious talk in his hotel room, it hadn’t been the first time he’d thought about their getting married one day. That occasion had actually occurred a bit over two months prior, right at the very gazebo where he would soon be popping the question. There hadn’t been any one thing that had caused the thought to zip through his mind; they’d just been laughing about something, and Seung-Gil had had a moment where he’d been staring at Phichit’s stunning smile, contemplating how it felt like it’d been far longer than only two months since he’d moved to Bangkok. And then, boom: 
I never even knew that ‘home’ could be a person instead of a place. He makes me so happy…how incredible would it be to get to call him my husband, one day? 
Even more incredible was the rush of exhilaration that had followed this thought, when his boyfriend had asked him what he was thinking about (no doubt because his smittenness had probably been embarrassingly obvious). Part of Seung-Gil had just wanted to tell him, outright, that even the mere thought of that word, ‘husband’ in relation to Phichit left him breathless. But he’d held back, telling only a half-truth, instead: that he’d just been reflecting on how surreal it was, to feel so at home in Bangkok, and how it was, undoubtedly, due to the way he’d found a home in Phichit’s presence. “Ok, you got the towels, I grabbed our trunks and the sunscreen,” his boyfriend announced, before pocketing his key card. “Ready?” Seung-Gil shifted his stuffed swim tote to the other shoulder and held his hand out, his heart hammering madly in his chest. “Ready.”As they began making their way down the path that connected the main entrance/concierge office to the river terrace and, further on, the gazebo, he willed himself to keep his breathing steady. He’d practiced the major bullet points of his speech all last night, and had already run it by Yuuri and Viktor several times. They’d given him good feedback and had complimented his run-through yesterday – the former’s praise delivered in between furious dabbing at his eyes and several blows of his nose – so he knew it likely wouldn’t be a complete disaster, as long as he didn’t bungle too many of the lines due to nerves. “Woah. Historic moment,” he deadpanned, as he peered into the locked concierge office. “Ohm isn’t in his usual spot! What could possibly have gotten him to leave the air-conditioned bliss of his office?”Phichit gave an oddly enthused laugh but otherwise made no comment as they continued their walk.As the gazebo came into view against the backdrop of a stunningly blue, cloudless sky, Seung-Gil reflected that this proposal really couldn’t occur at a better time, scenery-wise. Right now, the Chao Phraya river was completely still and serene, and aside from a few small specks of black and blue that indicated the presence of cormorants and kingfishers, the riverbank was completely empty. He figured that once he actually popped the question, they could have Yuuri and Viktor take some pictures of them on the terrace proper, as well as right next to the water. Phichit suddenly released a dreamy-sounding sigh and tightened the hold he had on his hand.“I’m so glad you wanted to come back here…it makes me happy that you had a good time last year, especially since that trip is one of my favorite memories of us,” he remarked, appearing almost shy as he looked over at him.Seung-Gil’s already pounding heart broke into a flat-out sprint. It seems that his boyfriend was getting a head-start on sentimentality…When he’d suggested to Phichit back in February that they repeat their September stay as part of their 2 year dating anniversary celebrations, he’d expected him to ask more questions, perhaps inquire as to why he wanted to stay local when they’d actually have the time in the off-season to do an international trip. But Phichit had seemed all too happy to repeat their highly indulgent Bangkok ‘staycation’. He’d asked very little aside from the exact dates Seung-Gil had in mind, and whether he’d be willing to tack on another trip of some sort afterwards, given that his boyfriend's 25th birthday was coming up on April 30th.As he held Phichit’s intent gaze, his thoughts stuttered, but he somehow managed to not make a complete ass of himself. “Of course I had a good time, I always do when I’m with you, ae-in9,” he remarked, squeezing his hand, in turn. He was expecting Phichit to grin at him like he always did when he used Korean pet names, but the other man blushed deeply, instead, and looked a bit flustered….more flustered than Seung-Gil would have expected, given that his reply really wasn’t something he’d thought too hard about: he’d just been telling the truth, after all. They continued walking, but there was now a bit of tension thrumming between them that he couldn’t quite place his finger on. He was just about to ask if everything was ok when Phichit suddenly stopped short and freed his hand from his grap. He was now standing on the lower stair of the gazebo while Seung-Gil stood one step higher above him. His stomach lurched at the uncertain expression on his face. Had his boyfriend caught on that something was amiss? That he was acting even more awkward than usual? Or worse, had Phichit seen Viktor or Yuuri amidst the banana trees?  Godamnit…Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov might be a “Living Legend” but Seung-Gil absolutely would not hesitate to murder him (or to get blood on his Valentino hat) if his notably ostentatious wardrobe choices were what had given things away.  
Shit!
It wasn’t time! They hadn’t even sat down yet. 
Chef Atom hadn’t even sent their food out!
“Just a second, ngor10,” Phichit said, before releasing a strained laugh. Ngor…Ok, the use of that pet name was promising, though that stiff laugh had certainly been strange. Seung-Gil closely examined his face, only just now realizing that he’d been so focused on himself during their walk over that he hadn’t actually been too aware of how Phichit seemed. His eyes were shifty, and his jaw was tense, rapidly clenching and unclenching. Instantly, he felt the urge to soothe him, but found himself at a loss for what to do or say.“Um…it’s funny, you know? I’ve never had a problem with speaking my mind, but now, suddenly, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to talk normally,” Phichit went on, before exhaling a deep breath. “I just wanted to follow up from what I was saying, earlier, about how happy I was that you’d had such a good time during our trip back in September. I don’t know if you remember it, but there was a moment when we were sitting together, right on this gazebo, in fact, and eating Chef Atom’s incredible food…”Seung-Gil’s heart went into freefall upon hearing the latter sentence.
What was happening?
He tried to focus on his boyfriend’s words even though it felt like he’d forgotten how to breathe.Or how to listen. Or, hell, how to function.“...video of Gwihan, and then you got this look on your face, like…this really, really adorably sappy look that I think I’ve only ever seen you wear a few times,” Phichit continued, his own smile looking fittingly gooey. Seung-Gil tried to match it, hoping beyond hope that his lips were actually curling in the right direction.  Was it working?! He couldn’t tell…his brain was buzzing, his thoughts screaming at him, louder than ever.“So then I asked you what you were thinking about. You told me that you just couldn’t believe that it had only been two months since you’d moved here. And then you said that Bangkok already felt like home,” Phichit went on, tears now very obviously swimming in his beautifully dark eyes. It was funny; before he’d fallen in love with him, Seung-Gil had always sort of hated his own eyes. But in growing to love his boyfriend’s bottomless slate gray gaze, he’d come to appreciate some of his own looks.“But then you said that it wasn’t even about the city itself, that you’d just come to this realization that we had created a home, together, and that your home was wherever I w-was,” Phichit continued, his voice breaking towards the end.As thick, pearly tears began to slide down his face, Seung-Gil could feel himself growing emotional as well.How could this be: that the very memory that had been flitting about in his mind for the last several months, the one that had been the impetus for all of today’s fretting and planning was one that Phichit was now relaying aloud to him, with such obvious tenderness in his tone?He placed a hand on his boyfriend’s cheek, his own tears spilling over. “I can’t even tell you how happy it made me, to hear you say that,” Phichit proceeded to say, reaching for his free hand and entwining their fingers. “Because it affirmed a feeling that I’d been harboring for a long time…which is that you’re my h-home, too. The past eight months have been the happiest of my life, because even when I fucked things up in my Short at Skate Canada, or when Dua Sleep-a died, I knew I’d get to be in your arms, eventually, instead of trying to catch each other on FaceTime.”Part of Seung-Gil was so, so afraid that he was misinterpreting what was happening, but as Phichit continued to speak, he became more certain of the direction that things were taking. He was glad that their fingers were already interlocked, because both of his hands began to shake. “I used to think people who talked about silver linings were kind of cheesy,” he went on, using his free hand to take his hamster-printed handkerchief out of his pocket and dab at his eyes. “But then the Olympics happened, and we…we became fr-friends.” Phichit just smiled at him, kindly, when a sob slipped past his lips, and then he began to dab at his eyes, as well. Seung-Gil was worried his heart might just burst. Is this what cardiac arrest felt like? Maybe every time he’d fed Gwihan a vegetable, he should have had one as well…“And I know the way you sometimes describe it is that I saved you. Or, rather, that our friendship saved you…but the truth is, you saved yourself, khon dii11,” he went on, the words sounding surprisingly vehement given the overall tenderness of everything that had preceded them. “No one dragged you, kicking and screaming so that you’d leave Min-So, or start therapy. No one forced you to find a new coach, or try to heal from what happened at the Games. Taking a chance on us, figuring out how to build your career in a way that felt ethical and true to who you wanted to be: that was all you. And of course I was honored to help, first as your friend and then, eventually more than that. But from the moment you first let me see you, I have always, always thought that you were so strong and incredible. And I feel so l-lucky…”His boyfriend stopped, clearly overcome due to how he’d brought the back of his free hand to cover his mouth. Their fingers bumped, given how Seung-Gil’s own was still pressed to his cheek. Though he wasn’t doing much better in terms of composure, he somehow managed to lean down to press a kiss to his bang-covered forehead. He allowed his lips to remain there, inhaling deeply and grounding himself in the familiar scent of the tea-tree-scented shampoo.Phichit beamed at him afterwards, clearly struggling to gather himself.“...I feel so lucky that you learned how to trust me, and realized that it’s ok to ask for help. I’m so proud that you discovered that you don’t have to f-fight hard things alone, and that you are worthy of love, not by way of being Min-So’s star skater, or your country’s future, but just by being Lee Seung-Gil. Just by b-being yourself. Because when you’re yourself, you bring out the best in me, too.”And with that decisive sentence hanging in the scant air between them, Phichit revealed a black velvet ring box (one that looked exactly like the one in his own swim tote), and began to sink down onto one knee.Seung-Gil had to remove the hand on his cheek to cover his mouth, because he began to cry, outright. Correction: he began to bawl. Truly, the ugliest, rawest sounds to ever escape his throat were tumbling past his lips, and his breath hitched in sharp, disjointed gasps. However, he quickly decided that nothing in the world including his crumbling efforts to maintain composure was worth missing the sight of his boyfriend imminent fiance – his future husband! – down on one knee like this. So he moved the hand over his mouth to alternate between wiping at each eye.Phichit suddenly whipped his handkerchief at him in a clear “go on, you need this way more than I do” motion, and Seung-Gil accepted the offering with a laugh.As he began to mop up the moisture on his face, he had to stifle a delirious giggle, feeling quite smug that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs – the certifiable masters of surprising the audience – were likely watching all of this, shell-shocked and slack-jawed. But apparently, he hadn’t been as covert as he’d thought.“What’s so funny, ngor?” Phichit asked, with such love in his eyes and smile that he almost had to glance away.That look was all that Seung-Gil needed to make up his mind, and so he opened his swim tote, unrolling the towel that he’d hidden his own ring box in. As he unearthed it and held it out in his palm, delighting in his boyfriend’s startled gasp, he reflected on how absolutely nothing about today had gone according to plan. But maybe that was quite fitting, for it perfectly described Phichit’s presence in his life. Before he’d befriended him, Seung-Gil hadn’t been close with anyone apart from his brother and dog. And he’d certainly never been in love before. He’d had crushes on boys (and then, men), but full-on love? The idea of it was absurd; he’d hadn’t been able to see the point of letting someone in that close, not having ever learned that it was possible to find strength in developing such close trust with someone in such a way.And, there was also the matter of his coach. Min-So had made clear that love was an unaffordable distraction, one he had absolutely no room in his life for if he was going to be a skater worthy of bearing his country’s expectations. Which was why the realization that not only had he fallen for Phichit – who, in short order, had become his closest friend – but that he’d fallen so hard and fast for him, too, had been so earth-shattering. It hadn’t been part of his plan. But then again, neither had the Olympics, neither had parting ways with Min-So, or finding Coach Byun, or confessing their feelings to one another at the Viktor and Friends ice show in April 2019. Which had been followed by deciding to give long-distance dating a try. None of it had been part of the “roadmap” that crystallized from the very moment that Pyeongchang had been picked12 as the host city for the 2018 Games. And yet, Seung-Gil was aware that all of the very best things in his life had come from saying ‘fuck the plan’.  He looked behind himself in the vague direction that he knew their friends to be standing and called out to them with a laugh.“Come on out, you two! I promise we didn’t plan this…these kinds of hijinks are definitely more of the Katsuki-Nikiforov variety!”“Katsuki-Nikif– ”His boyfriend’s confused echo cut off and he gave a teary laugh (and shout) when he saw Viktor and Yuuri’s tear-streaked faces pop out from behind a gigantic banana leaf. 
“Oh my god! I can’t believe this is happening!”
“I don’t think any of us can!” He and Viktor replied at the exact same time, and then there was a good deal of laughing (mostly Phichit and Ohm), as well as crying (mostly him and Yuuri) as their “guests” emerged from their hiding places. Given that the other couple was more than capable of both taking photos as well as video recording, Phichit allowed Ohm to head back to his office, the elder man giving them a hearty congratulations and a hug apiece before taking his leave.Viktor and Yuuri then took up spots just a few feet away from the staircase, their phones out and ready to capture part two of their fantastical double proposal. Holding his own ring box in an upturned palm much like his boyfriend was, Seung-Gil sunk down onto one knee (a maneuver that took some awkward shuffling given the narrowness of the stairway, but they were Olympian figure skaters, damnit! They could be graceful!).And though he’d had a full, five minute long speech prepared, Seung-Gil found himself forgetting it all, speaking from the heart.The words flowed effortlessly. “You said that when I’m myself, that it brings out the best you that there is,” he began, shakily, beaming at Phichit when the other man vigorously nodded his agreement. “Well, that’s how I feel, about you too, nae sarang13 . But I think the even more incredible part of our relationship is that by being with you, because of how s-safe you’ve made me feel…it’s allowed me to discover who I really am. Your steadiness and your light , it’s allowed me to tear down all the walls that I thought I n-needed, the walls that I’d been told to put up– ”Seung-Gil paused when he heard Viktor give a choked sob, and smiled at how Yuuri immediately leaned over to hug his husband. He and the “Living Legend” had undergone journeys that were quite similar. Viktor might not have had a toxic coach like Min-So, but because of his upbringing and the manipulation of the Russian figure skating federation – molding him into who they wanted him to be, preventing him from pursuing education and forcing him to hide the “unpalatable” parts of himself (like his gender fluidity) – the two of them had both built up extremely high emotional walls, not even realizing how lonely they’d grown with time.Phichit and Yuuri might not have saved either of them, but due to their love, he and Viktor had found renewed strength in themselves. They had learned how to trust, and in doing so, had opened themselves up to be vulnerable, and thereby, had begun to experience so much of the life that had been closed off to them beforehand.    “It’s allowed me to tear down all the walls that I thought I needed, and the ones that I’d been told to build up,” Seung-Gil continued, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s hand when he mirrored his actions from earlier, thumbing at some of the tears on his cheek. “The care you gave me and continue to give me – whether it’s as my best friend or as the love of my life – it’s allowed me to heal so many wounds of the past, and to rebuild my sense of self. My life has grown so much bigger because of you, podo. But if all of that weren’t enough, there’s also the fact that when I’m with you, ninety percent of the time, I’m laughing. I’ve had more f-fun in the past two years than I ever even knew was p– ”The lump in his throat stole his words, bringing him up short.In an exact parallel to just minutes beforehand, Phichit leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Seung-Gil gave a teary giggle in response, amazed as always how the littlest things he did brought him so much solace.“I’ve had more fun in the past two years than I ever even knew was possible,” he resumed, thinking of the indescribable joy that Phichit had brought into his life. They laughed at the ridiculousness of K-dramas together, and organized highly elaborate photoshoots for Gwihan and the hamsters to bond. He now had a rapt audience for all of the dumb memes he liked to make, and a willing dance partner no matter the time or place. “I want to keep on laughing with you, and when we’re not laughing, I want to keep on being the shoulder that you cry on, the person you tell all of your secrets and fears to, and I want you to be the person I tell all of those things to, in turn,” he continued, his heart leaping to his throat when he sensed that he could no longer keep from uttering the words he’d practiced in front of Viktor, Yuuri, his brother, their four hamsters, and of course, Gwihan. Seung-Gil began to fumble with his ring box, his fingernails finding the clasp of the groove that kept it shut. “So, with that, ae-in, I want to ask– ”“Wait!” If it hadn’t been for his boyfriend’s enamored expression, Seung-Gil might have started to spiral, worried that he didn’t actually want him to ask after all.“Together? Can we open our boxes and ask at the same time?” Phichit asked, sounding so hopeful that he didn’t think he would have been able to deny him anything in this moment.He breathed a sigh of relief, fresh tears dripping down when he heard the note of longing in his voice. It matched the feeling in his chest, exactly.Yuuri and Viktor’s sniffling was quite loud at this point, and he almost gave another delirious giggle to think of what might have transpired if he hadn’t given them permission to come out of hiding. “Of course. On the count of three, we’ll open and ask, ok?” Seung-Gil replied, giving a fond eye-roll at Viktor’s extremely predictable interruption.“Oh please, please, let us count down for you? That way no one gets a head start on speaking!” he begged, sounding as if their denial had the power to kill him in one blow. “Go for it, you two. It’s the least we can do, keeping you on your toes like this,” Phichit sing-songed, not even tearing his gaze away to look at them.The realization warmed him all the way through. “Ok, on three, then: 1, 2….” … 
@y_katsuki_nikiforov
 
What’s better than me and @v_katsuki_nikiforov being present for the moment when our dear friend @thatonekoreanfiguresk8er got down on one knee to ask @ItsPhichitChu to marry him??

Being there for the reverse!!

These two truly are soulmates because they planned a stunningly beautiful, sob-inducing proposal to one another at the same time, and in the exact same spot (the gazebo of @ChakrabongseVillas), on their 2-year dating anniversary. And, of course: THEY BOTH SAID YES!!!

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#PhichitAndSeungGilAreGettingHitched #TheyBothSaidYes #MyBestFriendIsEngaged #FriendsDontLetFriendsProposeUnlessItsInTwos #ViktorAndICriedOurWeightInTears #AndThenAlmostFaintedFromDehydration #PleaseDontCommentOnMyPuffyEyes #ImACrybabyItsNotASurprise

@v_katsuki_nikiforov
 
Observing the love bloom between @ItsPhichitChu and @thatonekoreanfiguresk8er over the past few years has been one of the biggest privileges of my life, and I was honored to witness the incredible moment that these two BOTH – and yes, it’s exactly what you think: they planned parallel proposals, giving @y_katsuki_nikiforov and I the thrill of our lives when we realized what was happening – got down on one knee to pop the question.

As I have been so fortunate to discover, the power of love can be so transformational, changing us completely from the inside, out. I’m so proud to count them both as two of my dearest friends, and am so happy to say: THEY BOTH SAID YES!!

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#PhichitAndSeungGilAreGettingHitched #TheyBothSaidYes #FriendsDontLetFriendsProposeUnlessItsInTwos #YuuriAndICriedOurWeightInTears #AndThenAlmostFaintedFromDehydration #PleaseDontCommentOnHowDumbMyHairLooks #MyEgoIsVeryFragile

End of Chapter 16

Up Next: In Chapter 17, we return to the 2022 Games with a fluffy and smutty – finally earning that ‘explicit’ rating! – Viktor POV chapter detailing the break day between the Short Program and Free Skate. If smut is not your thing, don’t worry: skipping it won’t hinder your ability to understand what happens, and I’ll be including markers for those that would rather skip over it

Footnotes:1. Romanized version of the Russian endearment translating to ‘sunbeam’; this is a male-gendered endearment
Back 2. I’d like to think that after Yuuri’s first World Championship win (in March 2017), that there was an indelible (and mostly positive) impact on the local economy in Saga Prefecture that has only continued to grow over the years. Perhaps a topic for a one-shot
Back 3. This has been mentioned in part 2 of the series, but until they get their training facility up and running, Yuuri has agreed to work as Viktor’s assistant coach at Papio for the 2022-2023 skating season, where the two of them will co-coach Yura and Izumi full-time, and assist Akihito in part-time coaching for Minami Kenjirou’s younger brother, Kazuo. After that initial first season, Yuuri will have to decide if he’s ready to take on Yura has a head coach (with Viktor stepping down to be his assistant coach)
Back 4. Romanized version of the Russian endearment translating to ‘baby’
Back 5. Japanese endearment, which is a bit old-fashioned, but one that wives will typically use for their husbands. My understanding is that it’s similar to ‘dear’ in English
Back 6. I highly recommend checking out the Chakrabongse Villas photo gallery on Trip Advisor to get a sense of how beautiful this place is, specifically picture 79 of the 589 total available. Viktor and Yuuri would be hiding behind those banana leaves abutting the right-hand side of the staircase (and, they would of course first douse themselves in insect repellent, lol)
Back 7. Ah, the sap…I just can’t help myself when it comes to these two, lol. ‘Rodnoy’ is the romanized form of the Russian term of endearment that sort of defies translation but means something very close to ‘soulmate’ or ‘part of my family’. It is absolutely not an endearment you would use unless you were in a very serious relationship like marriage. And it’s also one you would really only use in an emotional context. Rodnoy is the male-gendered version, while ‘rodnaya’ is the feminine version
Back 8. While I think that Phichit and Seung-Gil would use endearments, I don’t think they’d be quite as verbose as the Katsuki-Nikiforovs. But this might be one of Seung-Gil’s go-to’s, as it riffs off of using ‘peach’ as a nickname; ‘podo’ means grape in Korean, and given that a Kyoho grape is even more typically sweet than a peach, I believe this would get Phichit’s seal of approval
Back 9. Romanized form of the Korean endearment translating to “sweetheart”, which can be used for both genders
Back 10. And now, another fruit-based petname, lol. ‘Ngor’ is the Thai term for the rambutan fruit, which, if you’ve never had it, is very tasty. My parents are from Sri Lanka, and these grow everywhere there! I think it’s a pretty fitting nickname for Seung-Gil, because the exterior is a bit tough to work with, but once you get to the soft insides, you’ll find that it’s very easy to love
Back 11. Romanized form of the Thai endearment translating to “my love”, which can be used for both genders
Back 12. As a reminder, I cover this in the first part of Chapter 4
Back 13. Romanized form of the Korean endearment translating to “my love”. This can be used for both genders
Back

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Always Late, But Worth The Skate: 2022 Beijing Olympic Games (Part 5) 
What the Shuck?! Hurled Corn from Olympic Village Protestors Forces ISU President Jan Dijkema To Make Rare Statement 
 Posted on 2022-02-10 - 5 comments  In my Men’s Short Program coverage post from yesterday, I mentioned that part 5 of my Olympic Games blog series would cover the highly anticipated Men’s Free Skate, set to take place tomorrow, February 11th. But that was before I got wind of a Twitter-viral kernel of drama – yes, that is indeed a pun, and things will only get cornier from here – around International Skating Union (ISU) President Jan Dijkema…who, by the end of the Games will likely be balder than Yakov Feltsman.According to my friend Hina (one of NHK-World-Japan’s correspondents in Beijing), very late last night in the Olympic Village, a small but highly vocal group of protestors – double-fisting plastic as well as real ears of corn – gathered outside the main entrance of the China National Convention Center: the hosting venue of the Games’ International Broadcast Centre (IBC). The reason? To give Dijkema an earful (sorry, I had to) regarding his/the ISU’s silence around the news of former FFKKR President Aleksandr Gorshkov’s reinstatement to the Russian skating federation come April. As I’ve already covered, this factoid was dropped by none other than BAMF Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov, during his live HBO interview with Bryant Gumbel six days ago. It was then confirmed two days later by an anonymous inside source within the FFKKR via leaked audio recording of a private meeting between Gorshkov, current Federation head Alexander Kogan, and select members of the Executive Committee. Since then, it seems that everyone has weighed in on the wheeling and dealing. Except for Dijkema, that is.Now, look, I know better than most how tempting it is to avoid facing a problem in the hopes that it’ll just magically disappear: I use this approach every single goddamn spring when it comes to deep-cleaning my apartment. But there’s a huge difference in the scale of repercussions as it pertains to an oddly mesmerizing film of dust gathering in the crevices of my Moscow flat, versus a notoriously corrupt politician – who helped to orchestrate one of the most blatant examples of scoring bias in Olympic history – being allowed to resume their former position. And of course, because there’s nothing quite like a pissed-off figure skating fan, public outcry seems to have come to a head. For close to an hour outside of the convention’s main entrance, protestors put on an ear-resistably inspiring display of civic activism, chanting “GUTLESS GORSHKOV!”, and waving corn and various signs around. When Dijkema and his two assistants emerged after a press conference, it was to a thorough pelting.While the harried politician definitely seemed startled – someone with a-maize-ing aim managed to knock his glasses clean off of his head – it doesn’t appear that any lasting physical damage was sustained. The same can’t be said of his pride, however, which is now a mere husk of itself.At one point, the trio seemed intent on scurrying away, but once it became clear that even more protestors were waiting in the wings, Dijkema shouted that he was prepared to make a statement. See here for a fan-captured clip in which Jan states that while he understands everyone’s right to critique the FFKKR (and the ISU), that without official amendment of the ISU Constitution to allow for the Congressional Session to interfere with an individual federation’s leadership decisions, that his hands are tied.How…. convenient. Especially in light of the fact that two of Dijkema’s former assistants (and, possibly, his current assistant?) were part of a faction of politicians who tried to stonewall efforts to bring such amendments up for passage. My guess is that Dijkema is aware of the major headache it’d cause if he were required to get involved in individual federation matters – it would, of course, broaden the scope of his duties by a fair bit. To which I say: boooooo fucking hooooo; what does this guy expect? To achieve progress through no hard work, whatsoever ? (Short aside: the group of athletes/activists who were in charge of spearheading such pivotal amendments were none other than our favorite band of rabble-rousers: the Katsuki-Nikiforovs, Lee Seung-Gil, Byun Min-Jin, and Ivan Kuznetsov, among others. If I end up seeing any of the full list of folks comment on last night’s drama, I’ll be sure to make edits to this post, but I truly do hope that Dijkema’s lackluster response doesn’t throw Yuuri or Seung-Gil off their game for tomorrow.)I’d hate to end this with such bummer news, so I leave you with a much more positive tidbit, courtesy of the adorable Nishigori triplets! According to the Instagram account that Lutz, Loop, and Axel Nishigori share, we may end up seeing a powerhouse Katsuki-Nikiforov/Nishigori skating dynasty in Yuuri’s hometown sooner than expected. Last night, the Hasetsu City Council, led by Mayor Tatsuro Mine, voted to greenlight the expansion of Hasetsu’s Ice Castle into a future world-class training facility! Hina was kind enough to translate Mayor Mine’s public remarks for me, and in a surprise to no one, I learned that the vote was unanimous. According to the economic impact study that was commissioned for the project, see more…

5 responses to “What the Shuck?! Hurled Corn from Olympic Village Protestors Forces ISU President Jan Dijkema To Make Rare Statement”

YoureKillingMeSmalls says:

2022-02-10 at 6:02
 First off, A+ punning, my favorite was when you talked about the husk of Dijkema’s pride lol. Secondly: I was there during the protest! See the girl standing behind Dijkema at 1:23 (the one in the devastatingly unflattering red bomber jacket/black sweatpants)? That’s me, haha.That fan video cuts off before this part got captured, but me and my two friends called out Dijkema’s current assistant by name – Dominic Kirklande, for those not in the know – re: his involvement in the legislation stonewalling. And unlike a very succulent, perfectly sweet and buttered corn on the cob, Dominic’s response was my least favorite meal: a nothingburger with a side of word salad. IMHO, I think most of the ISU leadership thinks that us fans are numbskulls who can’t be bothered to keep up with any of these shady behind-the-scenes things and that instead we’re all just like *oooh, shiny medals!!*

PunninglyGorgeousLooks says:

2022-02-10 at 6:25
 Big fan of your blog!! I see you had to turn the comments off on part 4 due to the drama :((( I’m so sorry, that’s such a bummer. Who knew ppl would get so up in arms if their Free Skate predictions differed from yours?!Like, what is this, Catholicism?? Lol, we’re allowed to have different opinions, and I personally always find your predictions very well-thought out. All I know is that I will probably feel elation as well as some sadness, too. I can’t pick a favorite skater, there are so many that I genuinely love, and they can’t all medal *endless tears*. And, it’s not even a matter of ‘well, who has worked the hardest?’ because they all have in different ways!

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Katsuki-Nikiforov Suite, Team Japan dormitory (Beijing Olympic Village, China) – Morning of February 10, 2022
 A wet sensation around his toes alerted Viktor to the fact that it was morning. Bleary-eyed blinking eventually allowed him to make out Meni’s cheerful face, and when he shifted so that his chest was no longer pressed to Yuuri’s back, their toy poodle took that as the invitation it was. Seeming to not mind the mess of their tangled legs, he stepped carefully, eventually coming to rest squarely on Viktor’s abdomen. “Hello, milashka1,” he whispered, keeping his voice soft so as not to wake Yuuri. Understandably, his husband had been exhausted yesterday after his world-record-breaking Short Program, and Viktor had very happily accompanied both Yuuri and Yura to the therapeutic massages that he’d booked for them several weeks in advance. Their mix of blissed out expressions and grimaces was highly amusing to observe, and Viktor had been quite content to sit and wait with a book and lovely pot of complementary oolong just a few feet away. “Boof! Boof!” Meni clearly had no qualms around his noise level, and Viktor was quick to pull him into a hug before he could start whining for pets. “Ok, ok, let’s get you and Goyachka fed, hmm?” he mused, before turning curving over Yuuri’s back and pressing a kiss to his cheek.“I’m going to take care of the pups, Yuranya,” he whispered, laughing quietly at his love’s sleepy mumbles (the only clear bit being a mention of “Viten’ka’s cheese collection”).After donning his toasty robe and pocketing his phone, Viktor clambered to his feet with Meni still firmly pressed to his chest. Upon shutting the bedroom door behind him, he noted that Goya was already up and about, sniffing at the living room window as she looked down upon the view from their 3rd floor dorm suite. At his entrance, she zipped right over, nudging at his hand for pets and licking his fingertips. Meni began to squirm in excitement as soon as he caught sight of his sister, so Viktor set him down and kissed them both on the tops of their floofy heads. By now, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs were quite used to this morning Olympics routine with their furbabies, and given that the members of Team Japan had been spending the last week and a half around one another in varying states of put-togetherness, Viktor didn’t feel weird donning sweats and a robe to let the pups outside to do their morning business. At the same time, brushing his teeth and applying cleanser felt like a bare minimum step, so he headed into the suite’s spacious bathroom. As he stepped up to the mirror, he surveyed himself. Today is definitely a feminine day, Viktor realized, before squeezing some toothpaste onto her brush and thinking about their schedule. It was nearly 7am, and Yuuri had told the Nishigoris to swing by around 8:30 for their celebratory breakfast (a meal they’d offered to pick up from a brunch spot close to their hotel). When they’d heard the good news last night about the Hasetsu City Council vote, it’d been in the middle of dinner. About halfway through the meal with Minako, Mari, and Amara, they’d received a congratulatory voicemail from Mayor Mine, as well as a nine minute long voicemail from the triplets, 90% of which was them shrieking elatedly. When they’d called back later, Axel, Lutz and Loop had insisted they celebrate ASAP, and given how fastidious the girls were when it came to taking pictures, Viktor wanted to make sure she looked especially good today. (She also secretly hoped that Levan Kapanadze and his smug, stupid face got a good look at the eventual Instagram pictures). Yura and Yuuri’s staggered, closed-door practice sessions would be taking place from 10:30-11:45am and 11:15-12:30pm, respectively. Afterwards, the three of them had made plans to get lunch with Georgi and Aviva. Then, after taking the dogs on their afternoon walk, she and her spouse would meet Christophe and Minako at Skyline Dance Lab: an aerial fitness and pole-dance studio in Chaoyang District. There, they’d practice the routine she and Yuuri planned to debut at the banquet, coming up on the 21st. They had yet to do a fully clean run-through of it, but their progress over the last three months was impressive compared with when Christophe had first helped to choreograph it. From 4:30 pm onwards, they’d be completely free. Viktor knew that Yuuri would want to take it easy. His parents had volunteered to pick up dinner for them, but they still had to decide whether they were up for company, or preferred it to be just the two of them plus Meni and Goya tonight. At some point, she also planned to meet up with Taku and Yura to go over the press schedule and make sure the latter man was feeling ok about tomorrow.As Viktor worked her holy grail “buff and wash” cleanser into her skin – thinking appreciatively of how amazing her husband had been to work around2 Sisleya Paris’ product backorder – she saw a series of WhatsApp notifications filling her screen. Only bothering to read the most recently sent one, she noted a message in the chat that she and Yuuri shared with Ianna and Sava.

She typed a reply while thinking of how convenient it was to have the two coaches staying within the Team Japan dorm itself. Along with Mila having been assigned here, too, it made things feel like a big party. What with the Korean and Russian Olympic Committees and both federations banned from “exhibiting presence” at the 2022 Games, those various affiliated athletes, coaches, and support staff had been forbidden from getting their own private dorm accommodations. Instead, they’d been randomly dispersed among the various skating dorms in the Olympic Village. Yura had been assigned to the Team Italy dorm, and along with Taku placed there for supervision, the Crispino twins had taken him under their wing. This was much to the Ice Tiger’s horror especially where Mickey was concerned, though there was some reluctant gratitude there as well. And though it hadn’t been done on purpose, Viktor thought it was pretty perfect that Guang-Hong had offered to be Seung-Gil’s roommate in Team China, given the parallels between them. As the top skater representing the host country, Guang-Hong was now in the same position that Seung-Gil had been in four years ago, and she hadn’t been surprised to learn that her Korean friend had given their younger peer some salient advice. Now done in the bathroom, she made quick work of getting Meni and Goya leashed, grabbed a few chew toys, and let herself be pulled at a considerable jogging pace out the door. “Oh, hiiiiiiii, it’s my favorite pups!!!” Ianna crowed, as the two poodles barked joyfully upon catching sight of her waiting near the front entrance. Viktor brightened upon seeing the extra mug in her hand and nodded her head in thanks when she gestured for her to take it.“Morning, Vitya. I put extra currant jam in it, because you deserve it,” Ianna emphatically stated, waiting until Viktor took hold of the delicious black tea concoction before leaning down to bestow several kisses onto Meni and Goya’s floppy ears.“And why is that, exactly?” she questioned, though she made sure her tone was joking enough. “I’m not the one who skated yesterday.”Her friend/fellow coach rolled her eyes but made no move to stop smothering either pup with affection. When she did respond, it was with a distinct air of chiding.“It’s obvious that you’ve rubbed off on Yuuri over the years, but I think it’s equally valid to say that he’s rubbed off on you, as well. What’s with the self-deprecation? You may not have skated but you still did a hell of a lot, yesterday.”Viktor elected not to reply, just smiling and unclipping the dogs’ leads so they’d be free to do their business. Their carrot and broccoli chew toys squeaked as they pranced off.“How’s Milashka doing?” she asked after a few moments, feeling a tiny bit bad that they’d elected not to join her as well as Mila, Sara, Yura, and Sava for a celebratory nightcap yesterday. “And more importantly, how much more hungover than Sava is she? Or did you decide to crack the whip on her caloric intake?” Ianna laughed freely, throwing her head back.“I didn’t, not at all,” she replied, tilting her head in a telling manner. “Because, after a certain someone gave her a mountain of choreography notes on her gala skate, she wanted to be sharp to practice this morning, first thing. She’s actually on the ice right now. I’m letting Gosha supervise her.”Viktor laughed in turn, amused but also impressed with Mila’s dedication to perfecting her proposal skate. Everything had been looking great, with the exception of that damnably difficult triple lutz-triple loop combo, which was Sara’s specialty, as well as the envy of a good number of skaters in the Senior division. “I think she’s a little worried, though,” Ianna went on, before directing an indecipherable look at her.Her smile was still in place but there was now an edge of tension there.“Well, if Mila’s aiming for it to be the most romantic gala performance in skating history, just tell her that she shouldn’t even try…that way the pressure will be off,” Viktor replied, grinning shamelessly. “While I must say, the choreographer of her routine seems to be a certified genius, I have to ask: has she even seen the pair skate that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs have been performing this season? Bar none, it’s undoubtedly the most– ”Ianna let her go on for a few seconds, then shoved her (and Viktor made sure to emit her most dramatic yelp even though her tea was really in no danger of actually spilling over).“Sava’s so right: you absolutely are a brat,” she responded, though her fond tone betrayed her.Viktor just hummed, noncommittally and gave Ianna a mock-conciliatory pat on the arm. “To clarify: Mila’s worried about you. And Yura, and Yusha, of course,” Ianna went on in a whisper. Nobody was around but it seemed appropriate, somehow.“Even with “reinforcements”, so to speak, she’s worried tomorrow will be like the GPF all over again. Emotionally, I mean,” she continued. Ah.  So poodle cuddles had actually been a secondary reason for wanting to meet up... Not that Viktor minded; knowing that her friends were just as worried actually made thinking about tomorrow a bit easier. She didn’t immediately reply, choosing to first go clean up after Meni and Goya (and, of course, praise them profusely, as if they didn’t go through this very process every single morning). She threw their veggie chew toys so that they could go fetch, and as she walked to the trash bin, she thought about the events of just over two months ago.The Osaka Grand Prix Final had been Yuuri’s fifth and Yura’s third3. And even while Viktor had been elated when her spouse had garnered his third GPF title, seeing the disappointment in Yura’s eyes when he’d failed to repeat his initial 2016 win had been a potent reminder of one of the toughest parts of this job: that in order for one of her students to win, it meant that the other one couldn’t. While it wasn’t unusual for a coach to have multiple top skaters – Yakov being a prime example, having coached both her and Georgi for over a decade – over the last two seasons, Viktor had had to grapple with a truly unique (and lonely) challenge.Because where were the cases where an elite-level coach was married to one of their students, and extremely close to the other (as much as this ‘other’ grumpy student tried to deny it)? Further, where were the examples of those same two students being so exemplary in skill level that they often had to perform their Free Skates within just minutes of one another? No matter how much Viktor could anticipate Yuuri and Yura’s needs, when it came to the World Championships, the GPF, and their respective national championship competitions, she always felt heartbreakingly stretched. The Katsuki-Nikiforovs had contemplated the viability of adjusting to such a reality back when Yura had first asked her to coach him, but even so: nothing could have prepared her for the emotional weightiness of it.However, if there was one thing that Viktor could say she was proud of, it was her ability to swallow her pride and learn from her mistakes.It was this awareness of her own limits that had caused her to reach out to Ianna for help after the GPF. She’d known that the Short Program at the Games wouldn’t be a concern, having been reassured as early as last June that barring anything that prevented her two students from competing, there would be at least one competitor separating them in the skating order. But the Free was a toss-up, and tomorrow, only Phichit separated Yura and Yuuri’s performances. The idea to add Ianna to both her students’ support teams – for the Free Skate portion, only – had felt like a bit of a long-shot when Viktor first conceived of it, but it couldn’t have been more than a second between the moment the plea left her lips, and the moment Ianna so zealously agreed to lend her a hand.She’d honestly been surprised at this display of enthusiasm, given that Mila was also due to compete in Beijing4. But, in fact, Ianna commended her for reaching out, noting that it made logical sense given her past work with both Yura and Yuuri. Though the two of them had to strongarm the International Olympic Committee to get them to accept the change, they’d realized that perhaps the drama from PyeongChang had made the executive leadership team reluctant to tell them ‘no’. In any event, Viktor felt much less worried about her ability to keep on top of everything tomorrow with the help of her friend/fellow coach. Now back in close proximity, she could see how worriedly Ianna was watching her.“You don’t have to put on a brave face, Vitya,” she piped up, not even batting an eye as she picked up the drool-covered toys that Meni and Goya brought over and sent them sailing through the air. “It’s ok to be nervous. I’m plenty nervous and I’ve actually done this before.”Viktor gave her a small smile and nodded.Even with her failure to come up with an adequate response, the silence between them didn’t feel awkward. Perhaps it was due to the give and take of their dynamic.While they’d started off as mere colleagues when she’d hired Ianna all the way back in the spring of 2017 to be her then-fiance’s coach at the PyeongChang Games, their relationship had grown over the years, extending beyond the ice into genuine friendship. Ianna had played a huge role in supporting her and Yuuri after the 2018 scandal, and then with her eventually beginning to date Sava, their lives had grown increasingly intertwined. This connection became even stronger when Ianna extended her contract at Yubileyny and began coaching Yura and Mila once Yakov retired. Over the years, Viktor had been able to support her in navigating the political bullshit that came with coaching Russian skaters, and in turn, Ianna had been a great sounding board for her when she’d first taken over as Yura’s coach back during the 2020 off-season. However much she might have wanted Yakov’s help, Ianna had stepped up to mentor her when her former coach hadn’t been able to5. Indeed, Viktor had had many a phone call with her friend in those first few months – frustrated to the point of wanting to tear her hair out – and had appreciated Ianna being only a FaceTime call away to talk her down (as well as to tease her around the potential consequences of such hair pulling: “but, Vitya…isn’t it already a bit thin, though?” ).
“BOOF! BOOF! Boof, boof!”
They both turned in the direction of Goya’s sudden and jubilant barking.  Sara Crispino and Yura were both decked out in running gear and heading towards them, the former slightly leading and waving exuberantly, and the latter donning a small scowl (which was probably just a front for his delight in seeing the way Goya seemed to be going bananas). “Good morning, you two! We were hoping you’d be out here,” Sara breathlessly exclaimed, reaching them first. “Viktor, we really missed you two last night! I assume Yuuri’s still sleeping?”Meni instantly dropped his broccoli toy and ambled over to lick at her running cleats. Sara beamed before stooping down to pet him; she and Mila owned two cats and two birds already, but she was trying to convince her girlfriend to adopt a toy poodle just like Meni. “Yeah, he was mumbling about cheese when I left the bed,” Viktor replied, giggling when Yura’s lips twitched in amusement. “The Nishigoris are picking up breakfast and swinging by in an hour or so to celebrate the city council vote, but I wanted to let him sleep as long as I could.”“I can’t believe the triplets were actually worried it wouldn’t pass. Like Mayor Mine could ever bear to tell you two ‘no’ about literally anything,” Yura piped up, readily accepting Ianna’s hug even though he was panting and sweaty. “I can’t tell who he has a bigger crush on: you or Katsudon.”Viktor blushed a little, but preened all the same under Ianna and Sara’s waggling eyebrows and devious smiles.“Don’t be silly, Yura, it’s obviously Yuuri,” she sing-songed, to which the Ice Tiger rolled his eyes and happily acquiesced to Goya’s clamoring need for pets. For a few minutes, she happily listened as the three of them relayed the various things she and her love had apparently missed out on from last night, including Sava’s drunken promise that he’d buy every patron in the restaurant their own bottle of baijiu if they agreed to buy Yuuri, Mila and Yuri merch’s (which, of course, had led to pandemonium and a very unceremonious end to the meal). But Viktor knew how to interpret her student’s body language by now, and when Yura jerked his head in the direction of the entryway awning, the two of them left Sara and Ianna to continue playing fetch with the dogs while they talked privately.“What is it? Are you feeling ok?” she urgently asked as soon as they were out of earshot. “Need anything before practice?”But Yura shook his head, and eyed her intently.“I’m fine, geez– ”He stopped himself, then raised an eyebrow.Viktor knew the question he was asking.“She/her/hers is my preference but they/them is also ok,” she replied, her lips quirking when he continued on, changing his ageist crack to be more gender appropriate.”“In that case, I’m fine, ба́бка. I just wanted to give you a heads up…something happened last night with Dijkema,” he said, his expression souring a bit. “Beka texted me at the ass-crack of dawn to warn me not to check Twitter and to turn my notifications off, but he didn’t say why, only that it’d piss me off because it has to do with Gorshkov. I assume you and Katsudon haven’t yet checked the news but none of us need that bullshit floating around in our heads before tomorrow.”Viktor listened, a flicker of gratitude for Otabek and his protectiveness settling in her stomach. Several wonderful things had come out of the 2016-2017 skating season, but one of the most profound had been the cementing of Yura and Otabek’s deep friendship. During the past off-season, her student had hinted that the Kazakh skater might be ready for a coaching change, and Viktor wondered if he’d ever consider a move to Japan to work with a coach at Papio. She had no doubt that Yura would be ecstatic if it ended up happening. “No, I didn’t bother to look at anything other than the WhatsApp message Ianna sent, but all my notifications are on silent right now,” Viktor muttered before reaching for her phone. Sure enough, when she actually bothered to look at a few, most seemed to include some mention of Gorshkov’s name right away: “President of ISU breaks silence on Gorshkov reinstatement…” , “Dijkema Dishes: hear his comments on Aleksandr’s Gorshkov’s unorthodox return to…” She grimaced and hoped that Yuuri was still fast asleep, blissfully ignorant to the political circus that had already started up for the day.“It never ends,” Viktor grumbled, then tried to think proactively for both her students’ sake. “I’ll contact Irina and Haru about this, make sure they inform any media outlets tomorrow not to ask either of you about it. And Taku, too, so that he’s on-guard as well if he hasn’t already gotten wind of it.”They looked at one another.A cavalcade of unspoken words passed back and forth between them over the taut silence. “You know as well as I do that Yusha tends to catastrophize if he doesn’t have all the information about something,” she spoke up, well aware that Yura had observed this, too. “Not knowing exactly what happened last night might eat away at him, and then his focus will be shot not just today during practice but tomorrow, too. I’m not going to tell him not to read the news, but I will suggest he limit his social media use today. But, for you…I think Otabek was right in telling you to ignore it, altogether6. At least until everything is over.”Yura nodded and looked away, and for a few moments, they focused on the much lighter scene occurring a few feet away: Goya and Meni caught up in a fit of zoomies, their chew toys long-forgotten.“Do you regret it?” she quietly asked, thinking back to the many conversations that she, Yura, and Yuuri had had after getting the initial news about Gorshkov from Yakov last month. “Do you think it would have been better to wait until after the Games to drop the news?”Yura whipped his head around to look at her with surprising speed, and when he spoke, he didn’t sound angry, exactly…His tone was vehement, though.“Absolutely not. Why let them conveniently slip under the radar with this?” he responded, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s not our fault that nobody learned their lesson after last time. And if public outcry is what it takes to shame a response out of President Dipshit or anyone else, then so be it.”Viktor nodded and laughed at their crude nickname for the smarmy politician. She was a little surprised at the dizzying relief that stole over her following Yura’s words. “I won’t let this get to me. Even if they are letting me leave, I know that’s what Gorshkov and all those other crooks want: for me to finish the season with my tail between my legs,” her student continued, his eyes beginning to gleam as the words tumbled forth. “This bullshit stole our happiness last time around, and that’s not gonna happen this time. We’ve worked way too fucking hard. Katsudon has, you have, Seung-Gil, Ivan…and that’s not even half the list.” As he went on, a swell of pride swiftly replaced that initial relief, and Viktor found herself buoyed by the forceful words. It was true that Yura had always been a fighter, but as was the case with many ambitious skaters in their teenage years – herself, included – the Ice Tiger’s fire had burned rather selfishly. Earlier in his career, Yura’s focus had been on himself: his fight to stand atop the podium, his fight to shape the sport of figure skating. But her student had just invoked the collective: “we’ve worked…” “So yes, talk to Irina, but even if a reporter asks me about it tomorrow, I’m not afraid to– ”Viktor launched herself forwards to glomp Yura, not even minding his sweat and stink.“Yuraaaaa, I wish I’d been recording that!” she sniffled through burgeoning tears, tightening her hold as the Ice Tiger immediately began to writhe within her grip. “You mentioned me! And Seung-Gil, too! Wait ‘til I tell Yuuri, he’ll probably start crying as well.”“GROSS! I’m all sweaty, you old crone!” Yura barked, and then turned to scold Sara and Ianna for their laughter (and lack of intervention). “Don’t just stand there and watch, she’s crushing my bones!”“Don’t be meannnnn, Yura, you let Ianna hug you! ” Viktor whined, getting in one final tight squeeze before loosening her grip. Not even stopping to wait for Sara, Yura began screeching a long string of profanities and fled back in the direction of the Team Italy dorm. “Don’t run too fast! I don’t want you to be tired out before practice!” she called after him in a light jog, her words punctuated by giggles.“FUCK ALL THE WAY OFF, VIKTOR!!”“Wow….at this point, my Russian’s pretty good, but there were definitely some swear words in there I’ve never heard before,” Sara spoke up.Her violet eyes burned with curiosity.“I’ll message you a list later,” Viktor replied with amusement, reaching for her phone in order to set a calendar reminder to talk with Haru and Irina. She then received a text from her spouse and proceeded to nearly choke on her own spit.

Viktor was glad for Ianna and Sara’s immersion in their own conversation, because the prospect of steamy shower sex had her blood simmering and her cheeks flaming; given the Free Skate tomorrow, they couldn’t do anything too intense, but there was still plenty of fun to be had…Plus, they’d both been too tired yesterday to really celebrate Yuuri’s new world record in such a way. After catching up on Bridgerton after dinner, they’d ended up cuddling and talking for awhile and had ended up drifting off to sleep relatively early.With a covert glance at her friends, Viktor typed out an eager response. She then fiddled a bit with her robe, making sure it draped a bit more loosely on her frame. “I should get going, you two,” she spoke up, before whistling for Goya and Meni to lope back over. Though their subsequent goodbyes to Ianna and Sara were a bit rushed, she didn’t think anything about her behavior had been all that suspicious. When she finally made it back to their suite, however, she was practically vibrating with excitement and nearly spilled the pups’ dog food in her haste to fill their bowls.With Meni and Goya happily chowing down, Viktor hurried into the bedroom, reassured to see Yuuri’s phone on the nightstand; at least if he’d already checked the news, he hadn’t gotten sucked into following up on it too diligently. She placed her own phone next to it and opened the drawer to refamiliarize herself with the various toys they’d brought from home. While she obviously wanted to make her husband feel good, Viktor didn’t want her dick to come into play at all today. Thus, she picked up their remote-controlled, waterproof prostate massager: their guaranteed method for achieving prostate orgasms, due to its ingenious thrusting power design. The best part was the remote control feature, which had led to many experiences where they’d each been able to watch the other shake apart under their control. She also picked up the custom-ordered dildo that she’d commissioned for instances like this: times when Yuuri might want to experience the fullness of her cock without it actually needing to be the driving force of penetration.After a bit of digging, she realized that Yuuri must have already brought the lube into the shower and began to strip while making her way towards the ajar bathroom door. As Viktor drew closer, she quickened her pace upon hearing their (waterproof) Bluetooth speaker – the one she’d insisted they bring, even though her love had made fun of her for labeling it a ‘grave necessity’ for their packing list a BANKS song that was just the right mix of sweet and hot.

I know exactly just how many

kisses fit between your eyes

I’d run away, I’d run away with you

Would you run with me?

Our life could be a little bumpy,

but I’d hold on

She hummed along as she approached the frosted glass of their surprisingly large shower and admired Yuuri’s pretty voice as it slid over and around every note with perfect pitch. Viktor slid the door open, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of her naked, soap-slicked Yusha. His skin glistened and gleamed in a way that made her throat go instantly dry and her stomach stir with budding arousal.Yuuri turned his head and even with his dark, sopping-wet locks lying plastered across his forehead, he was so incredibly stunning. Especially with that deadly combination of the fond curve of his lips and those adorably flushed cheeks.“Come in, моя рыбка7,” he sing-songed before extending his arm out. Viktor beamed at the fitting pet name and shifted both toys to one hand, grabbing her spouse’s extended one. Proceeding to giggle when his free one cupped her ass and tugged her inside, she leaned down to set the dildo and prostate massager safely off to the side. Even with the steady stream from their massive shower-head obscuring her vision, she stood up and sought Yuuri’s mouth out right away. Her hands slid up over the heated skin of his chest and upper back, and then fanned out to begin massaging his shoulder blade and bicep.As they kissed, deeply, the angle of the wall had Viktor nestling against his side, the planes of her stomach meeting the jut of his hipbone. Yuuri was the first to break away, and she sighed out, happily, when he nuzzled against her cheek and drew her drenched hair away from her neck.“It’s a good thing Sara was there to keep Ianna distracted or my minor heart attack after getting your text would have been more obvious,” she mumbled, prompting him to smile. “How’s she doing? And what did we miss from last night?” her husband questioned, though the way his lower half reangled and bumped up against her drove the words right from her mind.

[His cock was a stiff, thick weight between them and Viktor wondered if he’d gotten a head start, unable to muster up the patience for her to arrive. Ignoring the questions and wiping her matted bangs out of her eyes, she backed away by a step and lightly gripped the base of Yuuri’s dick, relishing the way he immediately moaned.The sound echoed deliciously around the tile and glass enclosure.“Hmm…you’re already so worked up, lyubimiy8,” Viktor whispered, applying slightly more pressure before stroking upwards. “Did you start without me?”Spotting the open tube of lube on the soap ledge, she was guessing the answer was ‘yes’.“Fuckk, couldn’t – ah! – couldn’t help it,” he muttered in reply, his words imbued with a surprising amount of strain given how she’d barely touched him. “I dreamt about you and was rock-hard by the time I woke up. We were in the shower, just like this.”Yuuri tipped his head forward and began to plant sloppy kisses against her jawline. The combination of the steam from the water as well as the bit of tongue he was introducing with each press of lips made Viktor’s breath grow labored. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, she stopped stroking and picked up the lube, squirting a sizable amount into her palm. “And what happened?” she asked in a sultry tone, warming it a bit between her fingertips. In lieu of answering, her love’s mouth trailed lower, and she gave a moan of her own when he began to suck on the divot in between her collarbones. As Viktor brought her hand back to his cock and began to massage his balls, she noted that their speaker – suctioned to the back wall of the shower – had switched to a new song: one that just happened to perfectly align with her mentality today.

Bet you never met a girl like me

Never knew how tough I’d be

Walked out the sea dripping gold

I could stand up to the fireline

I’ll come, divine

Like a fine wine, oh

She was tough, and divine, as well, and the reminder felt needed given her nerves in advance of tomorrow. Yuuri answered the question in between kisses and long sucks on her skin, the slip-slide motion of his lips leaving scorching trails of heat in their wake.“Hmm…well, the standout memory is that– ”
Kiss
“ –you had your gorgeous lips wrapped around my cock– ”
Kiss
Viktor thrilled at the slight rasp in his voice, which betrayed his need.  God, it was hot.“ –and I eventually had you turn around so that I could come– ”
Kiss
“ –all over your beautiful back. And then I cleaned you up with my tongue– ”
Kiss
“ –and ate you out until you cried.”She shivered as a flood of dirty images swam to the forefront of her mind. Yuuri’s rimming skills were heavenly, and indeed, some diligent tongue-fucking and nipple play often had her coming without a single touch to her dick (which was ideal for a day like today). But she didn’t want to skim over the first part of what he’d said; after all, her spouse deserved a spectacular reward for his performance yesterday.Viktor moved her fingers even more purposefully around his cock, paying particular attention to the slippery head. “Sounds like fun,” she noted, swiping her thumb over the slit and grinning when he whimpered. “I’m always happy to blow you, love. But is that all you want? Just because I don’t want to use my cock today doesn’t mean that you have to miss out.”She pointed at the toys she’d brought in and watched as Yuuri’s eyes lit up with interest after spotting them. “Oooh , not only is my Viten’ka so pretty, but she’s imaginative, too,” he cooed, brushing his lips over her ear in a deliberately ticklish way. Viktor stifled a laugh and swatted at his arm, and Yuuri kneeled down, his brow knit in deliberation. After a half minute or so during which she began to apply shampoo to her head, he settled on the Beisar massager/thruster. As she continued to work a lather into her hair, her husband began to stretch himself open, keeping his gaze on her all the while. She did so, in turn, eventually regretting this choice when two soapy trails of shampoo caused her eyes to sting.  “Agh!”  Viktor flailed a bit, her elbow colliding with something soft. A squeak of pain alerted her to the fact that it had probably been her poor Yusha.“Shit, sorry love!” she apologized, scrubbing furiously at her smarting eyes. “I’m pretty sure this happens everytime we attempt shower sex, so you’d think I’d learn by now.”But Yuuri didn’t seem too bothered if the laughter at her rueful tone and the kiss pressed to the back of her neck was any indication. “It’s ok, Vitya. I did tell you yesterday not to take your eyes off me, but I failed to include the asterisk that I meant only on the ice.”They both began to giggle.But Viktor’s mirth was soon interrupted by a low moan and she snapped her eyes open to the sight of Yuuri already up to three fingers. “Already?!” she questioned, a little flabbergasted by his speed.His chest was heaving. Along with the sluicing trails of water running down his toned body, it made for a mesmerizing visual. “What can I say?” her love choked out, angling his head back so that her eyes were drawn to the long column of his throat. “I’m excited…we haven’t used ProMas in awhile.”Even with the sexy sight before her, Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at the reminder that yes , they absolutely were the kind of people that named their sex toys. ProMas was pronounced like ‘Thomas’, and she’d died laughing when right after coming up with the name, Yuuri had quipped “Oh, I get it! It’s a tribute to Thomas Edison, because it’ll light our world up! And by ‘world’, I mean ‘asses’.” “I can’t fault you for that,” she said, feeling giddy as she wrung the last bit of shampoo from her hair. “Are you ready for me, Yuranya?”Yuuri gave her a lazy sort of smile and nodded his head. He turned the water off and they both sat on the long bench that took up a good third of the space. With her legs being so stiff first thing in the morning, kneeling on the tiled floor just wasn’t an option.  Viktor sat with her legs crossed perpendicular to her spouse’s body and leaned forward at a side angle to kiss his hipbone. While she normally might have been inclined to tease him a little, she really was quite desperate to get her mouth on him. As such, she didn’t opt for the usual smattering of teasing licks and grazes to Yuuri’s tempting inner thighs, instead beginning to circle her tongue around his proudly bobbing cock at a faster pace than normal.She groaned as his precum coated her lips. Her heart gave a valiant squeeze at the hitched breath above her, which was accompanied by Yuuri tangling his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck. “Ahh, so good, my beautiful Vitya…my good girl,” he sighed out, the praise making Viktor’s stomach swoop, prompting her to circle her tongue even faster over the slick head. She dipped it, fleetingly, inside his slit, and her breath stuttered a bit at the loud thunk! of her husband’s head meeting the tiled wall behind them.“Are you ok?” she worriedly asked after pulling off, seeing that he looked like he was in pain.Yuuri’s eyes were closed, but when he opened them, his gaze seared right through her. He forcefully joined their lips, and cupped both of Viktor’s cheeks to take control of the kiss, swallowing the startled squeak right from out of her mouth. He pulled away, smirking at her sharp inhale of breath.“Keep going,” he said, not as a request.She noisily swallowed, her head going a little fuzzy at the commanding tone.When she bent over to resume their fun, it was with renewed vigor, and she didn’t hesitate to slide her lips down to the midpoint of Yuuri’s shaft.“Kuso!”9Viktor hummed, knowing the vibrations would feel good against his pulsing skin, and brought her hand back into the mix, gripping and massaging the base of her love’s dick.When Yuuri squeezed, lightly, around the nape of her neck, she knew this was her signal to “get on with the show” so to speak, and began to bob her head with fervor. They both cursed in unison at the filthy squelching sounds that resulted, each one ratcheting up the tension in the heated air surrounding them.“Godddd , Зайчик10, just like that,” Yuuri mumbled, sounding like he was fraying at the seams. His precum trickled even faster under her diligent attention, and Viktor delighted in the very obvious tell of her effect on him. She loved giving head, her spouse’s thick cock always stretching her jaw in the very best way. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was always quite vocal in his praise and enthusiasm when she did this for him.  Well, actually, Yuuri was vocal regardless of whatever she did, but it was particularly satisfying to be able to offer her submission in this way.Given his impressive stamina, Viktor decided to help things along by beginning to twist her wrist, and pulled off for a few seconds so that she could administer a few full strokes. “I love making you feel good…that’s all I ever want to do,” she whispered, glad when her husband opened his eyes so that they were looking at one another. “You deserve it, you were so beautiful yesterday. And not only your skating, but your singing, too.”Her eyes actually grew wet when she said the words, but she knew Yuuri would understand the sudden onslaught of emotion.Viktor had been hearing ‘Gold’ all season long, but never in a million years would she have guessed that Yuuri had recorded a surprise version of it: one that featured his own lead vocals instead of Yukimi’s. Though he’d skated to the sound of his own voice before (at the 2018 World Championships, in a tribute during her last competition), this was the first instance in which her love had skated to a song of his own creation. It had long been a dream of his to do so, and Viktor hadn’t even really been able to pay attention to the first thirty seconds of Yuuri’s performance yesterday, what with the way she’d broken down, sobbing. Her uninhibited reaction had been the subject of quite a lot of memes, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel even the slightest bit embarrassed. She hadn’t even realized that she’d grabbed Phichit’s sweaty arm – he had literally just come off of the ice after his own stellar performance – and had been grateful that he hadn’t minded when she’d begun to blubber all over him (then again, Phichit had cried a bit, too). It spoke volumes about their relationship that even with the very wanton activities they were currently engaged in, a distinct softness entered Yuuri’s beautiful, gold-flecked and chestnut colored gaze. “I could never have done it, if not for you watching me, Viten’ka,” he whispered, bringing his forehead slightly down to meet her own. “I’m so happy I got to surprise you like that.” Viktor was proud that even as her vision grew blurry, she managed to keep up her ministrations. She giggled quietly at the sweet way her spouse kissed at some of the tears that spilled over, but the sudden heightened emotion receded, replaced with the earlier eroticism when she gave a particularly deft twist of her wrist.“FUCK!”She recomposed herself, bringing her mouth back down and attempting to fit the entirety of Yuuri’s dick inside. When it hit the back of her throat, she hummed, satisfied at the second loud thunk! that resounded.“Ah! Vitya!!” Viktor immediately pulled off with an unabashed slurping sound, but before Yuuri could protest, she sunk back down, taking his cock all the way to the back of her throat, yet again.“Swallow around me, honey,” he ordered, the firm directive sending another heady pulse of fuzziness right to her brain.She did so with enthusiasm, nearly losing her goddamn mind when her husband brought his hand up to her throat, lightly massaging it so that he could feel himself inside of her.
“Mmmmph!”
Viktor’s garbled wail was translatable enough, and Yuuri heeded her unintelligible request by massaging even more firmly, his panting punctuated by a dirty stream of Japanese that included phrases such as “so sexy”, “good girl”, and “I love how it feels when you take me all the way down your tight, pretty throat”.By now, tears had begun to swim anew in her eyes, and Yuuri wiped them away with such gentleness that it wasn’t truly distinguishable whether the moisture was due to the stretch of her jaw or the feeling of tenderness that bloomed when he began to press kisses to her hairline.“I could probably come like this, sweetheart, but I think I’m ready for that massage,” her love suddenly whispered, and Viktor felt a pang of reluctance that this had to end. Not that she would dream of voicing it, however, even if she knew Yuuri would be more than receptive to a change in their plans; as long as neither of them were in subspace, they were both generally quite open to renegotiating, even if they were in the middle of a scene. She pulled off, slowly, savoring every last bit of the taste of his precum, and when she met his gaze, Yuuri’s smile suggested that he knew she was feeling a bit bereft. “You’re so cute, Vitya,” he muttered before pressing a kiss to her nose, and while anyone else might have made it seem condescending, with him, the tone was unmistakable: it was one of pure adoration. Viktor smiled a bit sheepishly, and quickly turned away to grab ProMas as well as the lube. When she turned back around, her spouse had laid out on the bench and drawn his knees up to either side so that she’d have room to sit right in front of him, as close to the edge of it as possible. Without even having to prompt, Yuuri spread himself open, and she choked down the dirty stream of Russian that threatened to burble from her lips.The cleft of his ass was already shiny from his earlier prep, so Viktor only applied the lube to the end of the probe, coating it thoroughly even with her building anticipation. Inspiration suddenly struck and she giggled a bit while waving ProMas (aka Thomas, aka Thomas Edison) around.“Ready for a thoroughly edifying experience, Yusha?” she asked, with emphasis. Yuuri’s beautiful laugh rang out, sonorously, and her heart skipped a beat at how fond he looked.“Good one, Vitya, though I’m curious if you know any other words that begin with e-d-i?” he teasingly asked.Choosing not to reply (because the answer was a definite ‘no’), Viktor smiled and leaned forward, nudging the toy right up against her husband’s rim. Due to the fact that he was already quite hard, she chose to ignore the cock ring portion. At his nod to proceed, she slowly pushed in, taking care to search Yuuri’s face to guide her speed. Once she’d steadily made it up to the ridged section of the toy, she couldn’t hold back anymore, leaning close to lick right above where the edge of it met his skin.Yuuri’s reaction was highly satisfying: his cute yelp bounced off the walls, and his toes curled.
“Agh!”
The expression on his face when she looked up was even better. His eyebrows were furrowed, he seemed to be digging grooves into his lip with his teeth, and his face was contorted in bliss. With hardly a pause, Viktor flicked the toy on using the remote, bypassing the first setting to skip directly to the second. She watched, hungrily, as her love continued to react uninhibitedly.His hips bucked, and when he shouted, it was more of a wail than a yelp. She grinned, having to move her arm with the canting motion, lest ProMas fall out.“Beautiful, Yuranya…I love seeing you already so lost in pleasure.”When Yuuri had settled down and affirmed that he was ready for more, she continued a steady push inside. Applying more lube as she went, Viktor proceeded carefully all the way up until ProMas was fully inserted. Along with one final push, she flicked the setting on the remote, to the third of seven different options.“Kuso!! Fuck, моя рыбка!”“Ok, anata11?” Viktor asked after half a minute, though she sort of already knew the answer: Yuuri’s legs were already shaking, and it was evident that ‘ok’ was a rather inadequate term for what he was experiencing. His dick bobbed obscenely, trickling copious amounts of precum onto his abdomen. “I’M! I’M…”His voice trailed away, and Viktor grinned, wondering what he’d been trying to say.
I’m already close?

I’m regretting having you blow me because I’m going to come in under twenty seconds?

I’m thinking we should cancel breakfast with the Nishigoris because my screams might shatter the glass of this shower and that could be perilous for us both?
It probably wasn’t the latter, but she’d always had a good imagination. Feeling curious, she turned the setting down by one notch, and her spouse instantly breathed a sigh, though whether it was one of relief or frustration, Viktor couldn’t tell. When he reached his hand out, she was happy to grasp it, setting the remote down so that one of her hands would be free. After a few moments during which Yuuri continued to mutter in barely coherent Japanese, he lifted his head, opening his eyes to better meet her gaze. “I always forget how intense this thing is,” he said, actually grimacing a bit through labored breathing. “Too much?” she immediately asked, but Yuuri shook his head and squeezed her hand.“It’s not that…I just want you to feel good, too,” he replied, before slowly blinking. “Give me the remote. That way you can play with your nipples and I can watch. You always look so sexy doing that.”Her eyes widened at his blistering tone, and she felt a bit dazed while passing it over to him. It was just like her husband to issue such a directive: even in the midst of his own bliss, he wanted her to feel good, too. During those times when Viktor had outrightly asked for Yuuri to take what he wanted and think of his own pleasure first without hesitation, he often struggled; it went against his instincts. It’s part of what made him such a good dom (for her, at least…she knew that everyone had different preferences when it came to intimacy and power exchange). As she began to tease at her nipples, she was surprised to realize she was perilously close to that tantalizing “edge”, already…the one that promised unbridled pleasure and an earth-shattering climax if she tipped over it. Before long, the steady plucking motions over her chest had her panting, and as she and Yuuri shook with strain together, she wondered just how long she’d last beyond the image of him unraveling.  “Aggh! My Yuuri, you’re so g-gorgeous like this,” she breathed in reverence, the words punctuated by raw, heaving gasps. “I love seeing you fall apart like this.”“You too…you’re so fucking h-hot, Зайчик,” her love moaned as he watched her, barely blinking.Viktor’s stomach swooped to have his undivided attention on her. It was rather flattering, especially given how she normally couldn’t pay attention to anything when she was the one taking ProMas for a spin.It was only about half a minute later that Yuuri began to squirm in a somewhat agonized manner, his keening motions a certain indicator that orgasm was imminent. His supple spine curved with each undulating, frantic motion of his hips, and his dick so far had been untouched. She had no doubt that ProMas would be able to finish the job without any ‘assistance’, so to speak.“God, Yuranya, I can’t wait to see you come,” she choked out, not even sure if she was continuing to play with her chest with how utterly spellbound she found herself. “Are you close?”“YES! Kuso, Vitya, I’m cl– ”But Yuuri’s voice cut off and a split-second of stuttered breath and lewd arching ensued before he released a piercing scream. It bounced off of the tiled walls long after leaving his lips. Only a second later and thick ropes of cum were splattering across his torso. Viktor found herself engrossed by the visual, her own breath punched out of her chest upon seeing it.]

When he slumped back down onto the bench, she immediately crawled over to the longer side of it, nuzzling against his cheek and petting his head.“So pretty, my Yuuri,” she whispered, interlacing their fingers and pressing a kiss to her spouse’s jaw. “I love you.”When he opened his eyes and faced her, his gaze was surprisingly lucid.“Love you too,” he whispered, before bumping their noses together. … 
Katsuki-Nikiforov Suite, Team Japan dormitory (Beijing Olympic Village, China) – Early evening of February 10, 2022
 Meni whined again, and Viktor gave him an apologetic glance before stilling her fidgety leg. The toy poodle gave her cheek another slobbery kiss and she buried her face in his fur for a second while her thoughts continued to churn.Yuuri had been in the bath for close to an hour, and she wondered if he’d be emerging from it anytime soon. Surely, the water had run cold by now…?Though their pole practice session with Minako and Chris had gone well, her husband had grown quieter and quieter throughout their Uber ride back, and Viktor had known that his anxiety around tomorrow was starting to set in. Once they’d gotten back to their suite, she’d told Yuuri that it might be best for Yura and Taku to come by for their touch-base, rather than for her to walk over to the Team Italy dorm and risk leaving him alone. She’d felt relieved when he’d readily agreed for them to drop by. If he started to have a panic attack, Viktor wanted to make sure she was close by to intervene and call Suko, if necessary. The 45 minute-long meeting with Yura and Taku – and Goya, perched on Yura’s lap – had gone well, and her student seemed to be in a good headspace (at least from what she could see). Best of all, the Ice Tiger had lightly punched her bicep just before leaving, noting that she could text him “if you or Katsudon need anything before tomorrow”. These words had been accompanied by pink cheeks and a shifty gaze, and Viktor had summarily melted into a pile of grateful goo. Apparently remembering their morning interaction, Yura had blanched at the sappy expression on her face and had high-tailed it out the door, but the swell of warmth she’d experienced had lasted long after she’d watched after his and Taku’s retreating backs. When she headed into the bedroom, she’d found Yuuri doing yoga, and her knees had nearly buckled with relief at the small smile he flashed at her.Remembering kaasan and tousan’s promise to drop dinner off for them soon, as well as the array of luxury bath products she’d packed for this very evening, she’d quietly asked her love if she could run him a bath, and suggested he could even eat his dinner while in the tub. When Yuuri nodded, it had sent her all but sprinting for the bathroom. Viktor had drawn him the most sumptuous, bubbliest, eucalyptus-iest bath ever and made a large pot of his favorite hojicha while the water had filled. She’d then sent him into the bathroom with a mug of tea in one hand and his newly delivered dinner in the other. Though Yuuri had said little, the lingering hug and kiss to her cheek let her know that she’d done well.And now, she waited on their bed with a poodle on either side, her ears pricked much like their dogs’ were, for any sign that her spouse was still alive inside the bathroom. Viktor schooled her features when the door finally opened, trying to make it look as if she hadn’t just been boring holes into it with her gaze. Her heart sank at the pensive expression on Yuuri’s face, but before she could say anything, he exhaled deeply and came to sit right in front of her.“I need something to distract me,” he said, quietly. “But I don’t want to skate, or dance, or do more yoga. And as much fun as we had this morning, I don’t want to do something like that, either.”Immediately, Viktor pulled her loose hair over her shoulder, the offer for him to braid it obvious. “Not that either,” Yuuri replied, looking sheepish and shrugging. “I’ll probably be doing lots of that tomorrow, anyhow.”They looked at one another for a few moments and Yura’s words flitted through her head, unbidden.“You know…Yura told me earlier that I could text him if we needed anything, and I know for a fact that Mila’s worried about us. What if we did a repeat of our hangout in Osaka?” she asked, referring to the evening the four of them had the day after the GPF Men’s Short Program. That time, their group had coalesced in order to lift Yura’s spirits after his rough performance, but even so, they’d all ended the night in a good mood. Even if the next day had been an emotional whirlwind, that evening had served as a bright spot. Mila had turned out to be surprisingly good at Assassin’s Creed, and Viktor had known that her husband had enjoyed seeing the way their friend had handily outmaneuvered her, even though it had literally been Mila’s first time playing (and, despite the fact that Yuuri and Yura had been spending the greater part of a year teaching her how to play).    A slow smile crept across Yuuri’s face, and a triumphant glow lit her up from within when he nodded and tucked himself into her side. Twenty minutes later, the four of them were set up in the living room, and Viktor had vowed not to tell Ianna or Taku about the pile of snacks Yura and Mila had shown up bearing. She had her suspicions about it, anyway…it’s almost as if their two friends had been anticipating her text, and she was well aware that it was much easier for the coaches in the IOC dorms to acquire such non-diet items than it was for the athletes.  Her love laughed quietly when Mila pushed her into the nearby body of water (which caused her to drown yet again), and when Viktor pouted, he leaned over to kiss her wedding ring. Her reaction felt so silly, considering the gesture was one Yuuri did all the time. He’d literally done it yesterday before going onto the ice for his Short, but for whatever reason it now prompted her heart to ache with a rending pain. With a pang, it hit her: the sobering realization that tomorrow really did signal “the end”. All of a sudden, Viktor wanted nothing more than a hug from Yakov. She wondered if he’d texted her, as she hadn’t been checking her phone while they played.And goddamnit: she was supposed to be the strong one tonight, but her vision began to blur (this time for a much less happy reason than earlier in the day). She choked down a sob and mumbled something about needing the bathroom. Hoping nothing seemed amiss, Viktor got up from the couch and hurried away before Yuuri could read the terror on her face, borne of the thought that she might utterly fail in her duty to support him the way she’d been hoping to, tonight. But her hasty departure hadn’t gone unnoticed: that would have been too convenient. Just a moment from crossing the threshold into the bathroom, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Mila’s worried face. Her eyes – a piercing blue like her own, just in a slightly different shade – were wide and beseeching. “Vitya, what’s wrong?” she asked in a hushed voice, holding up a wad of tissue.
God.

Was she really that transparent?
“N-nothing’s wrong,” Viktor sniffled in reply, knowing it was stupid to lie but finding the thought of verbalizing her sorrow unbearable, nonetheless.It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was ailing her, however, and similarly to her coach, Mila was quite perceptive. Once again, she wondered if Ianna knew she was here…perhaps the two of them had anticipated this happening. “Come on, Vitya, don’t do that,” Mila replied, sounding uncharacteristically stern. “You know you don’t have to put on a brave face. Not with Yusha, or Yura, and not with me, either.”And perhaps it was because Viktor had heard those very same words just that morning, but in any event, the second repeat shattered something within her. “Milasha,” she croaked out, any embarrassment abating when she saw her friend’s eyes welling up in tandem. Mila’s svelteness sometimes caused her to forget how sturdy she was, but Viktor was reminded of this fact in the robustness of her embrace. As she let herself cry, she knew that more than anything else, her spouse would be relieved that she wasn’t trying to pretend she was ok anymore.Fuck being ‘the strong one’; Yuuri had shown her so many years ago that she didn’t need to put up walls like she once had. Neither of them were fighting alone (and, truthfully, they never had been, even if they’d both mistakenly once believed they were). Even if Viktor was a grieving mess the night before arguably the most important competition of Yuuri’s life, she was heeding that years-old request of his to be herself…even when it meant that she was falling apart.

End of Chapter 17

Up next: On to the Free Skate! Chapter 18 will cover 1) the morning of/mentally preparing for the competition (from Yuuri’s POV) and 2) the first half of Group 4’s programs (from Seung-Gil’s POV) 
 Footnotes:1. This is the romanized version of the Russian endearment translating to “cutie”. It is gendered male
Back 2. This is a reference to part 4 of the series, when Yuuri surprises Viktor by restocking her favorite, exorbitantly expensive skincare products (which had been on backorder)
Back 3. There hasn’t been an especially good time to point this out, but it’s safe to say that Yura has had a rough couple of years at least when it comes to the GPF; he failed to qualify in 2017 due to his growth spurt, didn’t compete in the Grand Prix series in 2019 due to Nikolai’s death, and then failed to qualify in 2020 (which is understandable, given that he was still adjusting given his move to Japan, and adjusting to Viktor/Taku as a coaching team)
Back 4. Though it was only mentioned briefly in part 5 of the series (which, as a reminder, details Yakov and Viktor’s fight), Mila is the reigning World Champion in the Women’s Division. The figure skating fandom believes that she and Tanaka Izumi (another OC who trains at Papio and who has grown close to Yurio/Yuuri/Viktor) are the top contenders for gold at the Games
Back 5. I’ve touched upon this point in the series’ side stories, but within this fic-verse, Nikolai Plisetsky was a friend of Yakov and Lilia’s, and Yakov in particular had a difficult time after his death. Though Nikolai’s passing was an impetus for him and Lilia getting back together, it was a stressor in his relationships with both Yura and Viktor, as he withdrew in his grief
Back 6. I touch upon this in part 5 of the series and plan to make it more obvious in Chapters 18 and 19, but Yura is not as great at compartmentalizing now as compared to when he was starting out in the Senior division. I wouldn’t liken it to anxiety, but if something is on his mind, he doesn’t tend to ruminate on it as much as he gets angry about it, and usually this anger will interfere with his interpretation/PCS while skating
Back 7. This Russian female term of endearment is interpreted similarly to “my honey” or “my baby” but literally means ‘my little fish’, lol. It is pronounced ‘RYB-ka’
Back 8. This is the romanized version of the Russian term of endearment translating to “beloved”. This particular version is gendered male
Back 9. As you can probably tell from context clues, ‘kuso’ is a Japanese expression for swearing, basically “fuck!” or “shit!”, and denoting surprise/overwhelm (but not necessarily in a bad way. ‘Chikuso’ is actually more of a negative connotation)
Back 10. This Russian female term of endearment (pronounced ZAY-chik) translates to “bunny”, but is taken to mean something similar to “sweetheart”, “honey”, etc. The male version is ‘zaichonok’
Back 11. This Japanese term of endearment is pretty old-fashioned, but you’ve probably heard it before if you watch a lot of anime. It’s the equivalent to “dear” and Japanese wives will use it to address their husbands. I feel like Viktor might have heard Yuuri’s mom using it, and thought it was cute
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Sports · Feb 10, 2022, 7pm 
In the final competitive skate of his career, will reigning Olympic Champion Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov defend his title?
 Due to Korean/Russian collusion to bribe the Free Skate judges/tech panel at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, Japan’s Ace figure skater Yuuri Katsuki – now, Katsuki- Nikiforov – was robbed of the medal ceremony and sense of accomplishment that he deserved. Four years later, his career boasts multiple World Championship and Grand Prix Final wins and he hopes to end it on a high note, washing away the bitter aftertaste of the previous Games by becoming only the third skater in history to defend his Olympic title. Five days before his final competitive skate, we sat down with Yuuri and his coach/spouse – the second skater to achieve such a feat – to discuss his mindset ahead of the big day. By Clara Tripper BuzzFeed Staff

[IMG 1: Yuuri setting up for a triple axel during the official practice session for the Men’s Singles Short Program. Among currently active skaters, Yuuri is widely regarded as having not only the best step sequences and spins in the field, but some of the best jumps as well (namely, his quad lutz, and triple axel). It’s why many other skaters fondly/jealously call him “a chameleon”]

When Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov first became enamored with the ice at seven years old, his dreams of becoming a professional figure skater were still some years away. The reigning Olympic Champion, 3-time World Champion, and 3-time Grand Prix Final Champion laughs when I ask him if that was a goal of his in those early days.“Not at all,” he says, vigorously shaking his head and making a sudden movement as if to straighten his already-straight glasses. At the last moment he stops, reaching over to grab his coach’s hand and interlace their fingers (after which, it’s all I can do to stifle the coo wanting to escape my throat). “I only started skating because my ballet instructor told my parents she thought it would help with my dancing. Minako-sensei still rues the day she made the suggestion, because I think she wanted me to follow in her footsteps, though I don’t really know what kind of ballerino I’d have made,” Yuuri goes on, with a shy smile. That endearing expression has captured the hearts of many fans all over the world, and not just in his native Japan. Many would agree, however, that its number one victim is likely the person sitting just to Yuuri’s right: Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov, his spouse of almost three years, and his coach of nearly six. While the BuzzFeed Sports division doesn’t typically do joint interviews, the Katsuki-Nikiforovs are a package deal. After all, how many top athletes can say that they not only married their childhood idol, but also used to compete against said idol (who, even to this day, is known as the “Living Legend” of the sport)?Before she seemingly dropped out of sight in April 2016 at the peak of her career to become her now-husband’s coach, Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov was a 5-time World Champion and 2-time Olympic Champion in Men’s Singles figure skating (note: Viktor came out as gender fluid last year, and requested we refer to her with feminine pronouns during this particular interview). Viktor brightens at Yuuri’s answer, pressing a kiss to his temple before chiming in.“I have no doubt my Yuuri would have become one of the best ballerinos,” she proudly noted. “And indeed, everything was looking that way, but then, at the February 2004 Junior World Championships– ” Viktor stops mid-sentence and leans forward, pausing dramatically. Next to her, Yuuri lets a fond smile take over his face.“ –along comes horribly overconfident, greasy-haired, 15-year-old Viktor Nikiforov, who did a semi-decent spin that was captured on television and broadcast on a tiny tv thousands of miles away in Hasetsu, Japan, thereby thwarting all of baby Yuuri’s plans. What an asshole.”Yuuri and I both laugh, and there’s a split-second when Viktor seems delighted by our enthusiastic responses, her mouth reshaping into a heart. “You weren’t horribly overconfident, you were just the right amount of confident!” Yuuri passionately counters after he composes himself. “Even then, Viktor was leagues above everyone else, and at 16, she was already number 1 in the International Skating Union’s World Standings! Everyone thought that she was going to be Russia’s top pick at the 2006 Torino Games, but instead they made her an alternate. And whatever anyone else – including Viktor – says about overscoring, she skated beautifully and got the last laugh.”“So loyal, my love,” Viktor sweetly and promptly replies, before looking to me with a wry smile. “I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree, Clara, da?” I somehow manage to nod through my giddiness, wondering how exactly I’ll be able to tone down my starstruck demeanor enough to appear professional. Not only are Yuuri and Viktor veritable sports royalty, they are extremely kind and pleasant to work with, and I quickly understood why media outlets are so keen to accommodate their frequent requests to be jointly interviewed. The Katsuki-Nikiforovs are absolutely adorable together, and when they’re not shamelessly flirting or riffing off of the other’s jokes, they’re hyping one another up in a manner that speaks of trust, respect, and more than anything else, mutual support.It’s a dynamic that’s deeply familiar to their colleagues and fellow rinkmates at Papio Ice Arena: the elite training rink in Fukuoka, Japan where they’ve been members since their move to said city in May 2019. First established in 2005, Papio is run by former Japanese pairs skater Akihito Watanabe-Muthalaly, who is coach to 2020 Grand Prix Final Champion Izumi Tanaka of the Women’s Singles division, as well as Kenjirou Minami, 3-time Japanese National Champion in the Men’s Singles division (and a longtime fan of Yuuri’s). “When it comes to the elite level in figure skating, ego can really get in the way of relationships, but I think the sheer lack of it when it comes to Viktor and Yuuri is such a key part of why so many people find it quite healing, frankly, to be around them,” said Coach Watanabe-Muthalaly when I interviewed him for this piece. “Considering how much time a coach and skater spend together in the competitive season, and then, of course, the fact that they share a personal life as well, it’s really lovely to see two people who so genuinely adore one another and enjoy the other’s company,” he continued, while his husband, Mohit – chef/owner of Fukuoka’s hit restaurant Malu Miris – nodded in agreement.“When you think of the typical coach and skater relationship, it’s one where, understandably, the coach is providing support to the skater, whether that’s emotionally or otherwise,” Mohit added on. “But their partnership is truly a shared one, and in developing a close friendship with them off of the ice, Akihito and I have observed the countless ways in which Yuuri has been able to support Viktor as well.”It’s a theme that came up fairly early on in our interview, when I asked how each was coping with Yuuri’s looming retirement. “I think one of the toughest parts of this is that we don’t really have a “model” to go off of, in the sense that others we know – that is, other coach/skater pairs, aren’t quite so emotionally entangled as we are,” Yuuri responds, his lips quirking a bit. “There was a moment last year when my therapist got me to see that Viktor wasn’t allowing herself to properly grieve because she’d gotten it into her head that she wasn’t allowed to…that as my coach, she had to make room for only my grief.” He pauses, bringing their interlaced fingers up to his mouth to kiss Viktor’s wedding ring.“But the end of my career isn’t just about me. It’s about her, too, because she’s an intrinsic part of my story…the very core of it,” he goes on, his eyes beginning to shine with tears. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without Viktor, both in the sense of having a benchmark to strive for, but also in terms of having the person I’d looked up to for most of my life demonstrate their steadfast belief in me time and time again.”It’s at this moment that Viktor wrests her hand away, encircling both arms around her husband’s midsection in a tight hug (which may have prompted me to make a slightly embarrassing swooning sound).  “There’s many tools that I use to quiet my anxiety, but on the occasions when I’m able to ground myself in that fact – the fact that Viktor has promised to stay close to me, no matter how I do on any particular day and in any particular performance – it’s on those occasions when I’m unstoppable,” Yuuri goes on, his countenance transforming into that determined one he sometimes adopts, right before executing a dazzling step sequence or setting up for the Katsuki Combo: the quad flip/triple toe-loop that he debuted for the first time in competition at the 2018 Games (note: at the time this interview was conducted, no other skater had managed to land such a jump in competition, but this changed when Phichit Chulanont executed a flawless version during his Short Program).“I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn when I say that she’s had an insurmountable weight on her shoulders from a very young age…which resulted in this expectation that she must be strong at all times, like some kind of emotionally impenetrable fortress,” Yuuri says, looking to her for confirmation (which she gives with a sobering nod). “So part of the journey we’ve had to go on together in our relationship is one where she’s had to learn how to lean on me, too, and I’ve had to shore up my confidence so that I don’t falter when she does so…or, at least, don’t falter as much.” It’s a subject that many were eager to comment on, but none more so than the aforementioned Chulanont, who is Yuuri’s best friend and former rinkmate from when they trained together for several years in Detroit under Celestino Cialdini. Chulanont continues to train under him remotely, from his native Bangkok. “There’s a real give-and-take to their relationship that’s extremely authentic,” he said, while petting Gwihan: the husky he co-owns with his fiance and fellow Men’s Singles competitor, Seung-Gil Lee. “Yuuri’s grown so much as a skater, of course, but the thing that makes me equally, if not more proud, is the way his mindset has changed in regards to their off-ice relationship. And that’s something you can’t really understand without talking about, of course, what happened at the PyeongChang Games.”(While I assume most are familiar with what Chulanont is referring to, for those less well-versed, you can read BuzzFeed’s prior coverage here. ) “We were all affected, my fiance, especially, but consider Viktor’s point of view for a second: you literally give your blood, sweat, and tears for over half of your life, only to find out at your second-to-last competition prior to retirement that your federation may have fixed the results? I don’t care what the FFKKR has said about it, but if it were me, it’d be an unequivocal message that they don’t believe in me enough to think I could get the job done on my own,” Phichit went on, with obvious sadness. (As a point of clarity, ‘FFKKR’ is the official acronym for the Russian figure skating federation.)“That would break anyone, I think…the reality of having to end such a huge chapter of your life not in a state of peace, but in a state of rage and suspicion,” he continued. “But then you add on the fact that in trying to guarantee Viktor’s win, they also tried to suppress Yuuri’s score, too? It’s obviously not rational, but she carried a lot of blame for that, and that ended up serving as a catalyst for Yuuri’s transformation, because it brought out a protective side of him that people hadn’t really seen before.” Others agreed with Chulanont’s assessment, even if they were more blunt about it. Case-in-point: 21-year-old Yuri Plisetsky, reigning World Champion and Viktor’s second student (and the couple’s former rinkmate back when they still lived in St. Petersburg).“Viktor blaming herself for what happened four years ago is almost as irrational as coming in sixth place at your first ever Grand Prix Final and then calling yourself ‘a dime-a-dozen skater’,” he noted in an exasperated tone, later explaining that this is exactly how Yuuri (or ‘Katsudon’, as Yuri refers to him) used to describe himself. “That half-season break that Katsudon took in 2018…I think it prompted a shift for them. Or, I dunno, maybe that shift had already been happening and PyeongChang just sped it up,” he amended, before taking a long sip from his water bottle.At the time of this interview, Yuri was in the middle of a practice session under the guidance of Taku Kishimoto: a jump coach at Papio, and the person that oversees his training when Viktor is occupied with Yuuri.“Before that, everyone knew that Viktor was capable of being protective of Katsudon, but what they’d seen less of was the reverse. But once Yuuri started to understand exactly how our federation’s politics were impacting (and had been impacting) Viktor in the aftermath…I think that brought out a new side of him.”It’s an interesting observation from someone who, during his senior debut season, was being touted by their federation and the media as  “Viktor Nikiforov’s Second Coming”. Understandably, Yuri is wary of speaking too frankly1, but even so: the title is one that he’s changed his mind about over the years. “When I was younger that ‘second coming’ thing bothered me, but for a completely different reason than it does now,” he explained, his mouth screwed up in an expression of distaste. “The idea of being in her shadow…it infuriated me. I wanted people to see my skating for its own unique qualities and not for anything people might have perceived as being borrowed from Viktor. But now... God, it’s complicated, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing, but let’s just say that my priorities have shifted.” see more…  
…
 
Katsuki-Nikiforov Suite, Team Japan dormitory (Beijing Olympic Village, China) – around 6:15 am on February 11, 2022 
 
Mwah!
A warm touch near his ear pulled Yuuri from his dream, and he blinked in disorientation. How unfortunate that the delightfully whimsical scenario he’d dreamt up – one in which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided to break with tradition by awarding three gold medals when he, Yura, and Phichit had all tied exactly for the top spot on the podium – would not, in fact, be occurring. He rubbed his eyes, realizing all at once that fifteen minutes still remained until the alarm went off, and that Viktor was already awake and pressing feather-light kisses to his skin.
Mwah!
Yuuri smiled at the kiss pressed to his jaw and angled his head to face her.“Pretty brave of you to risk waking me up before the alarm,” he teased, walking his fingers up the side of Viktor’s face. His love smiled, grabbing his fingers to kiss the tips.“Yeah, right. We all know the only reason you exaggerate your morning grumpiness is so that I let you have more caffeine than I should,” she replied, before shifting her arms to grab him in a hug. Yuuri grinned as he found himself being hoisted up, now splayed out on top of her. He began to pet at her bangs, wondering which of his many questions to start with first.
Was she feeling more settled after everything that had transpired last night?

Had Yakov ended up texting her?

Were there any changes she or Ianna wanted to make to the game plan for the day?
Before he could make up his mind, Viktor’s text tone chimed, and he shifted a bit to allow her to grab it from the nightstand.A minute or so elapsed during which Yuuri continued to run through a series of inquiries, but his rumination was brought to a swift end when he noted how tears had begun to swim in his spouse’s brilliantly blue eyes.His stomach lurched, wondering if this was a ‘part 2’ to yesterday’s breakdown during the Assassin’s Creed gaming session.“Honey…” He whispered it, but before he could say another word, Viktor beamed at him. “Happy tears, Yusha,” she murmured, angling her phone so that he could see it.It took a few extra seconds for him to work out the long blocks of Cyrllic, but once he began to read, tears pricked in his eyes as well. 
Yakov

Good morning, Vitya. You know I hate texting, so I am making Lilech’ka type this very long message.The big day is here. Whatever happens, I want you to know that I am very proud of you…something I should have said more often over the years. Even when I did not understand why you went off to Japan so many years ago in the first place, I should have told you even then that I was proud of you, because you were doing something brave.I did not make the attempt to understand why you left, and instead, allowed my blind-sidedness to drive me to tell anyone who would listen that you could never be a coach, and that you only think of yourself. There are many things from my past that I wish I could have done differently (not only during those initial months when we did not speak, but in the following years, as well…our fight in October being a good example). Though I cannot take things back, I can try to be better, every day. So I want to tell you, unequivocally: you are a coach anyone would be lucky to learn from. Yusha has always been a tremendous skater, but over the last few years, he has flourished under your care. I have watched you humble yourself in admitting the areas you needed to grow (something I have always struggled with, so I know you could not have learned this from me), and in adapting so that you could learn to be what he needed instead of what you thought he needed. And as for Yura, I know the decision to coach him was more about Kolya than anything else, but even so: how many people would do something like that…would agree to give yet another part of themselves, even if they were not entirely sure they would be capable of handling it? A past version of me would have called it reckless, but a more learned version knows how much compassion you brought to that decision.You have a good heart, Vitya, and while he may not say it a lot, I know that Yura is eternally grateful that you rose to the occasion when he needed you. He may have started with me, but you are the coach he became a World Champion under.There is more that I would like to say, so I hope you will come find me before the last group goes on. Perhaps you will allow me to give you a hug.

Sent: 5 minutes ago

A surge of warmth swelled in Yuuri’s chest, and a sob began climbing its way up his throat. When Viktor had grown emotional last night, he had known it was Yakov’s comfort she’d been craving most. It would have broken their hearts if he hadn’t made some acknowledgment around what a momentous day it was for her, and while the ex-coach would be in attendance at Yuuri’s upcoming retirement party, his words of pride were necessary today, itself. His love put her phone down so that she could properly hold him, not seeming to mind when his tears began to seep into the soft cotton of her sleep shirt.“He’s right, Viten’ka. About all of it,” he croaked, so beyond relieved that despite things not being all the way back to normal between the pair, that at least Yakov had had the presence of mind to mark the occasion. “I’m so glad he s-said something.”“Me too,” she replied, thickly, before sniffling.Yuuri felt a large, fuzzy mound settle against his bare back and reached an arm behind him to attend to Goya. They’d be bringing Meni along to Capital Indoor Stadium, but because he was allowed only one emotional support animal for his anxiety, it meant that their poor standard poodle would have to stay behind in doggy daycare. Luckily, Goya got along well with Gwihan, so at least she’d have a friend there to keep her company. Even still, he and Viktor had already resolved to give her lots of extra kisses before Mari and Amara came to pick her up.Their 6:30am alarm broke the serene spell that had fallen over the room, and as Viktor grabbed her phone to silence it, Yuuri’s stomach gave a tiny squirm.
‘The big day is here’, indeed.
In seven hours or so, he’d know whether he’d achieved the feat of becoming the first skater in history to execute a completely clean, five-quad Free. Before he could begin to mentally list out the endless list of things that might thwart his efforts, his spouse raised up to press her forehead to his own.“Sweetheart, my knee is aching a bit, would you help me put on that new brace before we do our Pilates?” she implored, her eyebrows furrowing in that pained way they tended to do when she’d slept without wearing some kind of support.Yuuri’s anxious thoughts immediately dispersed, now focused on how glad he’d been when they’d finally found a more durable option than the last brace Viktor had tried out.With every one of her subsequent requests (“Hmm…I just can’t do this stretch today for some reason, could you press on my back, luchik2?” and “Yusha, will you help me blowdry my hair? My arms are all achy, I must have slept funny”), Yuuri’s private smile grew more and more pronounced. After all, Viktor – who had decided today was a masculine pronoun day while getting ready – wasn’t exactly subtle. He stayed in close proximity, and the more that Yuuri focused on taking care of him, the less opportunity his mind had to sabotage itself. After nearly two full seasons of sharing a coach, Yura was familiar with the strategy, too, and drew comfort from it, though for an entirely different reason: it gave him ample opportunity to grouse and attempt to hide his nerves.“I think it needs yet another layer before the top coat, right, Yusha?” his husband now mused, lifting his arm to offer a clear view of his right hand.Yuuri offered only a cursory glance at his nails, too immersed in his current ‘assignment’: weaving two brightly colored ribbons – one of each matching the dominant hue in his and Yura’s Free Skate costumes – into the crown braid that he was styling Viktor’s hair into. Before he could reply, the Ice Tiger released a long-suffering sigh.“God , you’re annoying…you’ve already said that twice, geezer,” he grumbled, shaking the two nail polish bottles that he was holding in either hand far more vigorously than needed. But the quirk of his lips betrayed his true feelings; not even he could deny that Viktor’s insistence that he show his support for the both of them equally – by coordinating his outfit, styling his hair, and painting his nails to correspond with their season themes/costumes3 – was as ridiculously sweet as it was extra.And not only because it made him look a bit like a clown instead of the extremely put-together, fashion-conscious coach he usually was. The pale green in Yura’s costume clashed with the vibrant orange in his own, but his love hadn’t even batted an eye when he’d described his intentions to them. Several months ago, he’d custom-ordered a two-toned blazer dress and matching over-the-knee Gucci boots to complete his show of solidarity, and Yuuri was confident that even the most fashion-averse person he knew (read: Seung-Gil) would be able to pick up on what Viktor was trying to achieve.“I agree with Vitya, actually,” he replied with a shrug. “If you don’t deepen the green, it’ll just end up resembling a sort of vomit shade.”Viktor giggled and when Yura glared at the both of them, Yuuri just smiled back, sunnily, and resumed his ribbon-weaving. If the Ice Tiger didn’t truly want to be here, he wouldn’t be. Viktor had told him that they’d swing by to get him from his Team Italy dorm room around 8:30 am, but Taku’s escort – which had seen him knocking on their door by 7:45 – indicated that Yura was still preoccupied with what had happened last night.… When Viktor hurried away from the couch, he and Yura both immediately set their controllers down to go after her. But Mila was first to rise.“Let me,” she urged, simply.Yura shrugged and Yuuri just quietly nodded, knowing his spouse would be in good hands with their friend. They’d been spending a lot of time together, what with Viktor choreographing the gala exhibition proposal skate for Sara, and he wondered if Mila had been anticipating something like this happening, anyway. Ten minutes went by (during which time he and Yura were trampled to death multiple times by onscreen horses due to their preoccupation), and he was just about to text them when they emerged from the bedroom, a blotchy-faced Viktor being led with an arm around her shoulders by an equally blotchy-faced Mila. Meni and Goya immediately bounded over to her, and Yuuri shot up from the couch, his heart leaping to his throat when he noted Viktor’s red-rimmed eyes.“I’m sorry, you two,” she said, a bit stiffly, then cleared her throat.“Anata4, what’s the matter?” he murmured in reply, grabbing her hand to interlace their fingers.Of course, he could have guessed, but didn’t want to assume.“I’m just…feeling sad,” she mumbled, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. “But I don’t want to take away from the fun, so please: keep playing without me– ”“Don’t be an idiot,” Yura cut in, harshly, his eyes looking suspiciously wet. “What, you think we’ll just keep gaming so that you can cry all by yourself? If we don’t watch over you, you’ll get a headache from the congestion and then you’ll be all annoying and whiny tomorrow.”Mila looked away to hide her smile, and Viktor suddenly looked so moved that Yura actually blushed, stalking away and muttering something about making tea for all of them. Yuuri wasted no time in pulling his love into his arms, honestly feeling a bit relieved at the display of emotion. He’d been waiting for this breakdown all week, and had even talked to Suko about it during his remote session5 with her two days ago, on the morning of the Short Program.“Yura was on the right track…it’s very silly for you to think we’d just let you be sad alone,” he whispered in a wavering voice, cupping the back of Viktor’s head and bringing it down to rest against his shoulder.…Now, as he continued his ribbon weaving, a wave of sorrow crashed over him at the reminder. His fingers stilled and he hunched down to press a kiss to Viktor’s temple. And then another.“Awww, I love you, my, Yuuri,” his husband sing-songed, looking over his shoulder to smile at him. “Don’t jostle him, Katsudon!” Yura scolded, clicking his tongue in impatience. “You’ll make me mess up, and I can’t have the orange side looking better than the green.”“...and I love you too, Yura, even if you are a rather incompetent nail painter.”“Shut it, geezer! These would look a lot better if you weren’t so hyperactive. Sit still, dammit!”“Don’t make excuses, Yura, you paint Milasha’s nails just fine, and she’s probably even more hyperactive than I am!” Yuuri smiled at their squabbling, the familiarity of it heartening. After being exposed to some variation of it practically every day for a period just shy of two years, he could have been tricked into believing it was just a regular day at Papio instead of the day he’d be giving the performance that many might remember him by. Securing the very last bobby pin, Yuuri took a second to admire the final look: stacked crown braids that beautifully framed Viktor’s face while still allowing most of his waist-length hair to hang free (which gave him the freedom to braid it later, if he needed a distraction).“Alright, finished, Vitya. What next, miliy moy6?” …

Beijing Winter Olympics - Men’s Singles Free Skate

Skating Order Position (Group #)

Competitor - First, LAST

Nation or Training Club*

13 (Group 3)

Pradeep Deraniyagala

United States

14 (Group 3)

Guang-Hong JI

China

15 (Group 3)

Kenjirou MINAMI

Japan

16 (Group 3)

Emil NEKOLA

Czech Republic

17 (Group 3)

Jean-Jacques LEROY

Canada

18 (Group 3)

Leo DE LA IGLESIA

United States

19 (Group 4)

Michele CRISPINO

Italy

20 (Group 4)

Seung-Gil LEE

Taereung International Skating Rink*

21 (Group 4)

Otabek ALTIN

Kazakhstan

22 (Group 4)

Yuri PLISETSKY

Papio Ice Arena*

23 (Group 4)

Phichit CHULANONT

Thailand

24 (Group 4)

Yuuri KATSUKI-NIKIFOROV

Japan

*Due to official International Olympic Committee (IOC) disciplinary actions, skaters from the Republic of Korea, as well as Russia will be announced by name and training club, not nation (see IOC Communications No. 2032)

Press Room 3, Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) - February 11, 2022, around 9:40am (approximately 10 minutes into Group 1 performances)  “Since we’ve already touched on the serious items, I wanted to end on a lighter note,” Christine said, with a warm smile. “Given that your spouse is one of the organizers of your retirement party, the figure skating fandom has been in a veritable frenzy, wondering what kind of chaos might come out of the evening. So, Yuuri: for those of us not special enough to land an invite, is there anything you can share about the festivities?”He laughed at the inquiry, looking over to where Viktor and Ianna were standing just off to the side and grinning. Their placement was a bit funny, as right next to them was a poster of him from three-and-a-half years ago, at the rescheduled7 medal ceremony/gala exhibition that the IOC had held in August 2018. It had been a supremely awkward event, but the one halfway decent photo of him that the media had circulated afterwards had been captured by Ianna once the official photographers had given up on getting his face to stop looking so wooden. “I’ve been given Viktor and Phichit’s express permission to reveal that the main draw of the night will be a team-based, reality-show-style cooking competition!” Yuuri exclaimed, knowing that his sister would probably make fun of him later for the hungry gleam that had entered his gaze.“For the guests that are feeling particularly brave, they’ll be split into groups, where they’ll be given an hour to prepare my favorite dish: katsudon!” he enthusiastically continued, observing out of the corner of his eye that Ianna was straight-up laughing. “My mom and I will be picking the winning dish, and though we’re known for our excessively high standards when it comes to katsudon, it’s pretty hard to make a truly bad version. So I think it’ll be a great time. I already know that the fandom will probably get sick after only a day or so of seeing an endless stream of Insta photos, videos, tweets, Tik-Toks, etcetera.”At these last words, his husband gave a dramatic gasp and brought a hand to his heart in mock-horror.“People getting sick of my tweeting? How crushing!”Meni yipped his agreement from his spot in Ianna’s arms, and Christine laughed, seemingly satisfied with his answer. “Honestly, I would expect nothing less elaborate from a Phichit-Viktor planning duo,” she responded, aiming a ‘thumbs-up’ in Viktor’s direction. “That sounds fantastic! I hope you’ll all have an amazing time celebrating your many wonderful accomplishments, Yuuri. As always, thanks for talking with me, and good luck on your skate, later,” Christine replied, with the utmost sincerity.Yuuri beamed at her, and they shook hands before she walked away. He breathed a sigh of relief, a bit surprised at how energized he felt given how their conversation had been on the lengthier side. “Alright, Yusha! And you didn’t even call her Chrissy this time around!” Viktor stage-whispered, giggling when he elbowed him.Truly, he might have melted into the floor from shame if he’d repeated his gaffe from four years ago. “In all seriousness, though, anata, you did very well,” his love continued in praise before handing him his water bottle and wrapping him in a hug. “That was good of you to give a shout-out to Kenjirou.”Yuuri nodded and happily tucked himself into his side. His eyes quickly sought his rinkmate out, and he waved when he caught Akihito-kochi’s eye. There was still over an hour to go before Group 3 would be on, but Coach Watanabe-Muthalaly liked to have his skaters run through visualization exercises several times before the six-minute warmup. It was a pre-skate approach that worked well for Izumi and Kenjirou, but Yuuri knew he could never just force himself to do repeated visualizations of his routine. Once or twice was helpful, but any more than that was a nightmare scenario for his anxiety (as they’d learned from trial and error). “I’ve always liked Christine,” Ianna spoke up, ponderingly, still watching the USA Today reporter’s retreating back. “You can tell she really prepares for them. And I like that she makes an effort to interview a wide variety of skaters rather than only speaking with Leo.”Yuuri hummed his agreement, and began to play with Meni’s ears, smiling when the pup gave his fingers a few licks. He had a ten minute break before his next interview with Tanaka Hideki of NHK, so was content to chat quietly with Viktor and Ianna and to continue scanning the room. Yura was in the middle of a Golden Skate interview, flanked by Taku and Irina on either side, and not that far from him, Pradeep Deraniyagala was doing a joint interview with Leo for an American outlet that he’d forgotten the name of. Yuuri had been impressed to see how well the Sri Lankan-American skater had performed in his first-ever Olympic Games, and he knew that Mohit had been absolutely thrilled to see desi representation in the lineup. Yuuri had already exchanged a few quick words with Phichit and Celestino when they’d arrived at the rink around the same time, and had grinned when Seung-Gil had shown him the picture he’d received from the doggy daycare handlers. They all seemed endlessly delighted by Gwihan and Goya’s friendship. He was in the middle of waving to Otabek when grating Russian blared out in close proximity.
“Excellent! We’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
Viktor stiffened against him immediately and their heads swiveled in unison. A sense of foreboding began to pool in Yuuri’s stomach when he spotted the same obnoxious Krestyanka reporters that had harassed them the morning of his interview with Bryant Gumbel. He hadn’t thought of them since that day, other than to note that they’d run two praise-filled interviews with Levan Kapanadze as well as his coach, Eteri (go figure). 
“I can’t imagine why…Yuuri is not scheduled for an interview with you. Not now, not ever. I believe we’ve made our thoughts on Krestyanka as an…‘outlet’ very, very clear.”
His spouse pronounced ‘outlet’ as if it were a cockroach underneath his Gucci boots, his answering Russian silky and dangerous. Indeed, if Yuuri hadn’t been feeling so on-edge, he might have been able to appreciate how hot Viktor looked with his beautiful azure eyes blazing with quiet fury.  “It’s a good thing, then, that it’s not Yuuri that we’re so keen to speak with,” one of them tauntingly answered, his mouth curling in a comically villainous-looking sneer. “After hearing of the protest two nights ago, we wanted to get your opinion, firsthand, Vitya. How did it feel, to see your former federation head’s name in the news? He might be banned from showing up here at the Games but you can never really escape the past, can you?” It was instant: Viktor began to shake.His fingers dug into the waistband of Yuuri’s warm up pants from where his hand was curled around his side. He tightened his hold on him, glad they were already in each other’s arms.“Get the hell away from us, before I have you thrown out,” his husband lobbed back, from in between gritted teeth. His tone spurred an immediate flashback to that awful press conference right after the PyeongChang Free Skate. Even in his numbness, Yuuri had still been cognizant enough to process the outright animosity in Viktor’s voice as he’d read from his prepared statement. He hadn’t quite known what to think about the online chatter in the days and weeks afterwards about how “scary” and “intimidating” Viktor had sounded.“How you managed to fool the IOC into granting your accreditation, I’ll never know, but I’ll personally make sure that no one from your vile organization ever works a day in their life ever again,” his love bit out.The man looked properly cowed by the threat, but one of his companions stepped forward in a move that had Yuuri angling his body protectively to move slightly in front of Viktor. “Don’t be like that, Vitya,” the second man piped up, with an ugly smirk lingering around his lips. “We simply want to let all of your beloved fans back home get to hear from you. You so rarely acknowledge your roots, these days, after all. It’s a rather ungrateful stance to take given how much rodina8 has given you, yes?”Yuuri saw red, all at once, and his heart began to hammer against his ribcage. A stream of belligerence quite unlike him threatened to tumble out of his mouth, and he broke away from Viktor completely, moving to stand right in front of him. Though he noted the gasp of alarm his spouse emitted at his new, defensive stance, he paid it no mind.  How dare these revolting men insinuate that Viktor owed anything to Russia? While it was the place he’d been born, he hadn’t considered it ‘home’ in a long time; hindsight had allowed his husband to see how the cry of patriotism had been weaponized against him long before the judge bribery scandal. Indeed, it had been a fixture of his life since childhood. Back then, Viktor had been too young to understand how being manipulated into chipping away bigger and bigger parts of himself might shape his adolescence and early adulthood. The thought of him being asked to show gratitude for that was almost laughable, but Yuuri couldn’t remember the last time he’d found anything less humorous. Ianna fluidly moved to press up against his side, further blocking Viktor from view of these creeps. He found himself bolstered by her solidarity, so even as Meni whimpered, he opened his mouth to speak, not bothering to dilute any of the venom in his voice. “You’re disgusting,” he seethed, in a poisonous tone he’d only ever sparingly used. “And you’re clearly not very intelligent, either. Didn’t you hear what Vitya just said? Either get the hell away from us or we’ll have you thrown out. Despite whatever you may think, his reputation still commands a great deal of influence and respect.”Yuuri wheeled around, still fuming, and allowed himself to relish for a split-second in his love’s triumphant visage. But in the next moment, his brain honed in on the look of fear that crossed his favorite features. When he felt a sharp tug on the back of his arm, he knew the reason for its emergence.“Don’t touch him!” Viktor cried, sounding more frightened than he’d ever heard him. The next ten seconds or so were an inconceivable blur.Just after registering an unfamiliar hand on his arm, Yuuri heard one of their “guests” issuing an obscene curse. Then, he was being pulled backwards with enough force to send him stumbling. Viktor transformed into a dizzying streak of motion, zipping around to attempt to get in between him and his attacker. There was a gasp of pain (please, let that not have been Vitya!), the hand relinquished its iron grip, and his spouse was being jostled so hard that he was losing his balance in his towering new boots.Yuuri was a split-second too late in intercepting him and watched, helplessly, his heart plummeting with fear as Viktor staggered. He was rotating, mid-fall, and his collision with the wall caused the poster of him to make an awful ripping sound as it tore.“VITYA!” Viktor’s face contorted right afterwards and his hand flew to his leg, and Yuuri instantly knew that his injury-prone knee must have taken the brunt of the impact. Anguished sounds tore out of them both.He trembled as he crossed the short distance to him, moving on autopilot and barely aware of his mind compelling his legs to move.“Vitya! Oh my god, malysh9!” Yuuri cried, his airways choked with panic and his throat already thick with unshed tears.His husband had dropped onto one knee, so he immediately made to support the bulk of his weight and was relieved when Otabek suddenly appeared on Viktor’s other side to help lift him. A thick cloud of dread invaded his senses when he noted that Viktor didn’t seem able to answer his babbled, frantic questions; he was biting his lip from strain10.The next several minutes seemed to pass in a hazy blink. Yuuri didn’t realize that he was in one of the rink’s ancillary medical tents until a hint of pressure on the back of his neck made him jolt.  He lifted his face from his love’s shoulder.“I’m so sorry, but they need some room, luchik. You need to back up a bit,” Viktor murmured, sounding apologetic.Yuuri could have cried at hearing his tone (and probably would, soon); Viktor was in pain but still thinking of his feelings. He whipped his head around, his cheeks reddening when he saw how two medical staff members (Doctor Kao and nurse practitioner Tung, according to their badges) were eyeing him a bit warily. He mumbled an apology and backed up, his spine going rigid but then relaxing once he became aware that it was Phichit attempting to hug him. He looked past him and Celestino on his other side, to where Ianna was holding onto Meni one-handedly and texting furiously with the other. At some point, Yura and Taku had joined the throng as well, and seeing Yura’s worried face was what finally caused Yuuri’s tears to spill. They began cascading down his cheeks, steadily soaking into his warm-up jacket.“He had a brace on, Yuuri, remember? A pretty durable one from what you told me a few weeks ago,” Phichit whispered, raising a wad of tissues to pat at his face. “You’ll see…they’ll evaluate, maybe take an x-ray or MRI  to be safe, and you’ll see that he’s gonna be ok.”Yuuri nodded as worry continued to leak from his eyes, thinking of how he’d helped his spouse put said brace on just a few hours ago. He stilled.Viktor had likely been exaggerating the pain when he’d made the request, not actually needing the support; he’d only been wanting to give Yuuri something to occupy his mind so that he wouldn’t spiral when he thought of having to skate later. And to think: the brace may have come in handy, after all. A broken sob escaped him, and Viktor spoke up the very next moment, sounding distressed. “Will you hug Meni for me, please, Yuranya?” he pleaded, his eyes looking so startlingly blue in the small gap between where the nurse and doctor were crowding him. “Pretend you’re hugging me, ok, love?”Even though Yuuri could barely get his arms to move properly, he wouldn’t have denied his husband anything at that moment. So despite most of his vision being obscured, he allowed Ianna to sidle up next to him and repositioned his shaking arms to hold their pup, clutching Meni’s body in desperation. Their poor poodle whined, licking at his tears and the lenses of his glasses. He knew Capital Indoor Stadium had a imaging machines on-site, but who knew how long it would take to get those ready, and then to get the results back after analysis? In the meantime, Viktor wouldn’t be able to take any pain medication, so he’d have to suffer during the wait. Would Dr. Kao allow him and their other friends to remain close by in the interim, or would they cite some stadium policy that would force him and their other friends to wait at a distance?This felt like a nightmare; Yuuri wished he could have rewound time, to right before they’d spotted those Krestyanka goons.If only he hadn’t insulted them, this never would have happened. He had no doubt that that was what had caused the attack; in trying to stand up for Viktor, he’d mocked their intelligence, and they’d lashed out (as he should have been able to predict). “My f-fault,” Yuuri whispered, trying to make his voice louder, but failing when Phichit made a questioning noise. “This is my fault, I shouldn’t have provoked them.” “What’s that, Yuuri? I can’t hear you,” his best friend replied, still patting at his face with the tissues.But he shook his head, realizing there was no point in verbalizing it. Phichit was just sure to dismiss him outright, and that was only going to make him even angrier with himself. Yuuri continued to shudder, gripping Meni tighter and tighter. At one point, Phichit said something – what was it? – and left the tent. Ianna took his place, not trying to engage him in conversation, for which he was endlessly thankful. All thoughts of the Free Skate had fled his mind, and he could only focus on the here and now: on the sensation of Meni’s tongue lapping at his cheeks; on the tight hold that Ianna was maintaining around his shoulders; on the surrounding hum of hushed conversation, which mostly consisted of Celestino asking Nurse Tung specifics about the imaging process. And, of course, on the look of pain twisting his love’s beautiful features.
My fault. It’s my fault that Vitya looks like that. 
It was a repeating refrain in Yuuri’s head, and one that was growing louder and louder with every second that he had to watch unfamiliar hands roving over Viktor’s thigh and shin. His own hands had been in those same spots just hours before. Was Dr. Kao being as gentle with him as Yuuri would have been? Of course not…How could they be? They didn’t know Viktor like he did…What if they touched him in the wrong way, and inadvertently hurt him even more? Yuuri wouldn’t be able to bear it if he had to hear his spouse’s tortured cry of pain: a noise he’d heard most recently a few months ago when they’d been supposed to co-teach a jump workshop together at Papio. But Viktor had to pull out at the last minute due to his knee pain flaring up the night prior. The incident had actually caused a rare fight between them, as Viktor had vastly downplayed the extent of his pain when Yuuri had noticed him wincing one morning a few days earlier.Would his husband do the same thing today? Regardless of what the rink’s medical team said, when it came down to it, would Viktor try to spare him the worry so that Yuuri could remember his final performance as…well, not exactly ‘carefree’, but more carefree than it would be if he knew that Viktor was in agony rather than bliss, spectating from the boards?The thought of it, of his love downplaying his pain yet again…  It was unbearable. Indeed, more panic-inducing than anything else that had cropped up so far in Yuuri’s haze of worry. A haze that was becoming more and more distinct, sharpening around the edges instead of floating around him, amorphously. He didn’t even know when he’d started to breathe so rapidly or raggedly. “Yusha? Can you look at me? You need to slow your breathing down, ok?”Ianna’s words sounded muffled, and indeed, the only clearly discernible noises were those of Meni, whose whining had increased in pitch and fervor. He rarely sounded like that, usually only to attract attention in the event that he was having a panic attack.
Oh…

Was that what was happening?
Suddenly, it was like Yuuri was watching the scene from far away, floating above it all. He neutrally observed how Dr. Kao mentioned that Viktor would need to be wheeled to an adjoining tent for his MRI; how he and Yura begged to accompany him only to be told that they’d need to wait outside, where they’d be unable to see (or hear) their coach; how Celestino tried to appeal on their behalf without success, and finally, how Ianna never once let go of his shoulders as he began to succumb to his panic.

End of Chapter 18

Up next: In Chapter 19, 1) Yura helps Yuuri through his panic attack, mirroring their shared experience before the 2018 Games Free Skate, 2) the IOC, other skaters, and the public get wind of the Krestyanka incident and, 3) the final group of performances of the Men’s Singles Free Skate officially kicks off. This chapter will be split POV, first from Yura’s perspective, then Seung-Gil’s
Footnotes:1. It might seem like Yuri is being careful with his words, and there’s good reason for this; even though his termination paperwork with the FFKKR has already gone through, because he is not allowed to officially announce his emancipation from the federation until the season, he can’t speak as frankly as he probably would have liked to. One could argue that even him making a statement like this comes close to the line of what is deemed wiseBack 2. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment meaning “sunbeam”. This endearment is gendered maleBack 3. I’ll be describing Yuuri, Yura’s and other skaters’ costumes in the following chapters, but wanted to give credit to the amazing makeup artist Cindy Chen (@cindychendesigns on Instagram) and the haute couture fashion designer Iris Van Herpen (@irisvanherpen) for inspiration. Their work is very avant garde and when I discovered their accounts last year, the wheels for costume brainstorming immediately began turningBack 4. This is a somewhat old-fashioned Japanese endearment that you’ve probably heard in anime. It’s like the equivalent of “dear” and is a term that Japanese wives will sometimes use for their husbandsBack 5. Just a heads up that I’ll probably cover this (or at least refer to it) in the side-story I’ve been writing about Yuuri’s Short ProgramBack 6. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment meaning “sweetheart”, “my dear”, or “my darling”. This endearment is gendered maleBack 7. As a reminder, I touch upon this in Chapter 10Back 8. ро́дина is the Russian term, romanized as ‘rodina’, that translates to place of birth, or ‘motherland’ (given that they’re already speaking in Russian, it wouldn’t make sense to actually use Cyrillic). As you might have guessed based on context (as well as the common term ‘Mother Russia’, it is feminine-gendered expressionBack 9. Romanized form of the Russian term of endearment meaning “baby”. This endearment is gendered maleBack 10. You might be wondering “wait…how hard, exactly, was Viktor even pushed?”, and it’s not so much the overall force of being jostled, but rather the fact that he was wearing new shoes that he wasn’t entirely steady in (and wasn’t able to plant his feet as he normally might have)Back

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Yurio
Medic Station 2, Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) - minutes after Viktor’s injury (around twenty minutes into Group 1 performances)
 Beka’s shoulder squeeze barely registered to him. Yuri wasn’t even sure he’d managed to acknowledge his departure from the tent, given the buzz sluggishly droning away in his ears. His mind was a complete jumble, unable to keep up with the teeming mass of worries bouncing around in his head. Both of Viktor’s boots and his tights had been removed, so they could all see the angry, purpling bruise around his knee, as well as the swelling around his ankle. According to Nurse Tung’s whispers, there was another large bruise on his hip.One minute, everything had been business as usual in Press Room 3, and the next, Yuri had looked over towards the commotion in his periphery to see Viktor bent over on the ground, one leg splayed out behind him, oddly. His stomach had lurched, noting how his coach was clutching at his other one – more specifically, at his injury-prone knee – with a grimace.He had only been able to watch in frozen shock as Katsudon practically flew over to Viktor, teaming up with Otabek to carefully lift him. The old man’s ankle appeared to be twisted, and it was only once he’d heard Beka shout something about the nearest medic station that Yuri had been able to shake himself out of his wordless, gaping posture to hurry after them. “Yuuri, maybe you should get your arm looked at…? It might be bruised.” Phichit’s murmuring might as well have been shouted, given the hush that had fallen over their surroundings. His advice seemed to go unnoticed, anyway, judging by the way Katsudon made not even the slightest move from his half-hunched position at the geezer’s side. His face was buried in his neck and he was shaking.Yuri exhaled heavily and exchanged worried looks with Taku.Doctor Kao and Nurse Tung had asked Viktor a few questions already, but after noting how much difficulty he was having speaking through his pain, Yuuri had begged for them to halt their inquiries until Ianna was able to give a full recount of what had happened.Almost as if summoned by his thought, Coach Perez burst into the tent with a wriggling, whimpering Meni in her arms. Ianna’s face was tear-streaked and her jaw looked tense, but she managed to relay the nightmarish events that had occurred only minutes prior in full view of everyone, including ISU President Dijkema.Yuri could feel himself growing more and more agitated with every newly revealed detail. 
Was this going to be another clusterfuck like PyeongChang?
Ohh, how he’d love to find Dijkema as well as IOC President Thomas Bach and throttle the pair of them…  Olympic Figure Skating was still apparently a no-holds-barred shit-show, even after the countless attempts at reform over the last few years. It was an utter embarrassment.For a moment, he hoped that the few non-skating friends he’d made in Fukuoka wouldn’t be tuning into this mess from their tv’s at home.Taku’s hand on his arm broke him out of his spiraling, and Yuri noted that Katsudon had now backed up to stand beside Phichit, and that Doctor Kao and Nurse Tung had crowded in to continue their examination of Viktor’s knee. At some point, an ice pack had been strapped to his ankle.“...and that’s about it, I think. I’m sorry…I’m still really frazzled, so I’m probably forgetting a lot of things,” Ianna was now saying to their backs, while simultaneously texting frantically and minding Meni, one-handedly. “Yakov Feltsman – that’s Viktor’s former coach, if you’re not aware – he’s on his way, and he’ll be able to pull up Viktor’s electronic medical records. Everything you need to know about his past knee injuries and treatments will be there.”At the mention of this latter point, Yuuri gave a shuddering squeak. Yuri locked eyes with him for a split-second and then Katsudon began to cry.Horrifyingly raw, gasping breaths shook his entire body and Phichit’s reassurance that Viktor had been wearing a brace seemed to fly right over his head. It was common knowledge to even casual figure skating fans that the “Living Legend” had undergone major surgery for a torn meniscus in mid-May 2011. It was his second major injury after the ankle one he’d sustained in November 2007. By that point, Yuri had been training under Yakov for two years, but had been too young to really grasp how the media had spun the event like a harbinger of doom and the certain end of Viktor’s career1. In addition to causing the old man a great deal of pain that still lingered to this day, the tear had forced him to stay off of the ice for a full five-and-a-half months. Less common knowledge was the depressive spiral Viktor had been plunged into as a result. As Yuri stood in between Taku and Celestino, his thoughts continued to whirl in a storm of worry and fury, in equal and dizzying measure. Would there even be a competition to return to? Given what had happened last time around, would the whole thing just be canceled?  “I should check in with Seung-Gil,” Phichit piped up, and a few-second tense and wordless exchange appeared to take place between him and Ianna. Once he’d hurried away, she took his place at Katsudon’s side, and Yuri watched as the latter clung desperately to Meni per their coach’s request. The confused pup licked his damp cheeks and glasses, and he desperately wished that Goya could be here, too. Viktor was now talking to Taku in a low, stressed voice, a visible sheen of sweat pearling above his brow. He could hear snatches of their conversation, and when Taku left with a grim expression on his face, Yuri knew his co-coach was intent on carrying out Viktor’s request to find out what the hell would happen with the Free Skate. The prospect of the competition continuing without some kind of delay seemed absurd, because at the very least the Krestyanka gits deserved to face disciplinary actions. Plus, Yuri and all five of the other final group skaters/coaches had been present when everything had gone down, so the higher-ups would almost definitely be sacked if they elected to proceed without scheduling time for everyone to regroup.  But was allowing for a delay fair? What about the skaters in Group 1 that had already performed, without any additional lead-in time?  Yuri’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as these thoughts percolated, but he was wrenched free of them by way of Meni’s howling: a signal for the very thing he’d been dreading. Katsudon’s breathing had sped up, and he looked to be in the early part of a panic attack. Each huff of air had turned choked and ragged, and his fingers were clenching and unclenching in an erratic rhythm. He looked as if he’d start swaying on his feet at any second.
Shit.
“Yusha? Can you look at me? You need to slow your breathing down, ok?” Ianna was now instructing Yuuri in the even, measured manner that reminded Yuri of her reassuring presence four years ago. Given her work coaching Katsudon, him, and now Mila (plus two Yubileyny Juniors), she was possibly the best person to have as back-up in the event of a competition crisis. Though when Viktor had asked her to be an extra pair of eyes for today, he likely never could have guessed that something like this would occur…With quite possibly the worst timing imaginable, Doctor Kao suddenly made an announcement.“First things first, Viktor will need to get some imaging done,” she remarked, with a worried look at Yuuri. “Could someone please tell Mr. Feltsman to go directly to Medic Station 4, which is where our MRI machine2 is located?”She then adopted an apologetic expression, now glancing his way.“Unfortunately, due to rink medical procedure on occupancy limits near the machines, it will just need to be Viktor, myself, Nurse Tung, and Mr. Feltsman…or whomever else has the most thorough knowledge of Viktor’s medical records. We will, of course, try to get in touch with his doctors, but the person best able to help us walk through the relevant details will get priority on being allowed in the tent.”She paused for a brief moment, and when she spoke next, her tone was much more airy: all business.“Everyone else will have to remain outside. I’m afraid it’s a rule that I can’t budge on.”Yuri’s brain (and body) instantly revolted at these last two sentences. 
What kind of asinine bullshit was this?!
Before he could stop himself, he and Celestino were badgering her in a manner that dedushka would most certainly have scolded them for.  “These two are married!” he practically barked, with an inelegant flap of the hand at Yuuri (and Meni’s) trembling form. “Don’t spouses get some sort of exception? He knows Viktor’s complete medical history, anyhow!”But even as Yuri’s mouth formed the words, his brain was aware of the fact that Katsudon might not actually be capable of relaying such information anytime soon. If not for Ianna’s bracing arm around him – her free hand cushioning Meni – he was sure Yuuri’s knees would be buckling underneath him.Nurse Tung began to push the stretcher that Viktor was laid out on and Yuri flinched when the geezer began protesting, demanding that he first be allowed to make sure that his husband would be ok. He sounded rather pitiful, and for some reason, it made him inexplicably angry. Maybe it was due to the way Katsudon’s sobs redoubled, his visage shattering at the sound of Viktor’s beseeching voice. Their coach had been wheeled almost fully out of the tent, and Yuri’s heart clenched, painfully, as he shouted a watery plea that he needed to stay for Yuuri’s sake. Dr. Kao was imploring Viktor to be aware of the urgency of getting imaged, but before she could say another word, he found himself reacting.“Go, you idiot, Ianna and I aren’t completely useless!” he nearly bellowed, his apprehension and frustration boiling over. “We’ll take care of him! The longer you take to get your results, the worse this’ll be for everyone!”Yuri didn’t look to see if his words had sunk in and instead wheeled around sharply, unable to feel bad for having lost it.Still holding Meni, Katsudon had sunk down onto his knees with Ianna sitting on the floor beside him. They weren’t touching, as she knew better.Ianna was muttering something to him, but her voice was too quiet to make anything out clearly. In his periphery, Yuri saw that Celestino was bending as if to crouch beside him as well and he reached out, viper-quick, to grab his wrist. “We need to give him space!” he growled, literally tugging Coach Cialdini back by a few steps. “He gets overwhelmed if too many people are around.”Internally, he was fuming. Didn’t Celestino know this by now3?! He’d been Yuuri’s coach for five goddamn years!  While Yuri would have loved nothing more than to continue to vent his agitation towards him, the unwelcome sight of Alexander Lakernik’s imposing figure captured their attention. The Vice-President of the ISU had been making himself scarce throughout the Games thus far, and no one was under any illusion that this was mere coincidence; as a Russian, Lakernik’s leadership position was especially grating. Indeed, many fans had called for his removal from the Executive Council back in 2018 and 2019, but given that there were bigger fish to fry – namely, ensuring that the Russian Olympic Committee’s influence would be curtailed over the years – the battle to expel him from office had been relegated to a low priority. Still, Yuri would always remember how cagey Lakernik had been during the video conference call back in 2018, the one where he and Dijkema had informed the Men’s Singles competitors from PyeongChang about the judge bribery investigation results before they went public. Since then, the Russian politician had done little to rehabilitate his image in Yuri’s eyes. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Lakernik stiffly remarked, before stepping aside to reveal the stranger behind him, who waved awkwardly. “Ms. Perez, my colleague and I were informed of your account of what happened by Mr. Taku Kishimoto. Unfortunately, we’re unable to simply take his word for it, so I’m afraid we’ll need you to come with us in order to document an official record of it. We’ll try to be expedient, of course.”Ianna immediately frowned and Yuri felt the need to follow suit.Couldn’t these morons see that they were a bit busy? Katsudon was literally gasping for air like a drowning man into Meni’s fur, full-body shaking under the weight of his distress. Ianna had begun speaking a bit louder, so Yuri now knew that she’d been trying to run him through some of the breathing exercises that Suko usually had him do.“As you can see, Mr. Lakernik, I’m rather preoccupied,” Ianna snapped in answer, adopting an uncharacteristically impatient tone. “I wasn’t the only one close by. Otabek Altin was there, too, and I’m sure he’d be more than willing to give his account.”He stiffened at his best friend’s name, knowing Beka had been texting him these last few minutes. He wondered how he was faring amidst the uncertainty.“Yes, President Dijkema is speaking with Mr. Altin now, but I’m sure you understand that we need to be able to corroborate the details with as many people as possible,” Lakernik countered, sounding equally impatient.He hesitated for a second, and then casted an unmistakably derisive glance in Yuuri’s direction. “Provided they’re not, erm… indisposed,” he went on.A plume of rage flared to life in Yuri’s stomach, and it was all he could do to prevent himself from stomping over to make it known. Years ago, he might have made a similarly demeaning comment, but his teenage self had been a bit of a judgmental idiot that’d been completely clueless when it came to anxiety. And not only in terms of understanding that it manifested for Katsudon as a disorder that affected his day-to-day life, but also in comprehending how he was the very opposite of weak for struggling with it. Yuuri had told him shortly after dedushka had died – during the three month period of yawning emptiness when Yuri had started to experience his own, albeit infrequent panic attacks – that his anxiety sometimes made him feel like his feet were made of lead. Like no matter how hard he tried to move them when his music started, that it felt like he had to expend gargantuan effort to lift them by even a fraction of an inch off of the ice. To think…even as Katsudon’s mind told him that his feet were welded to his skates, he managed to lift them, anyway. At times after a panic attack, his movements – by his own admission – were stiff and rote, devoid of his innate musicality. But then at other times, Yuuri truly did seem to create a chorus with his body, to the extent that a surreal weightlessness gilded his every turn, jump, and glide. But in either case: he showed up. Katsudon pushed onwards.   So how dare this fucking idiot try to diminish him for his struggle?Something on Yuri’s face must have betrayed his indignation, because now Celestino was gripping his wrist. “Go ahead, Ianna. I’ll ask Phichit to come back, and between the three of us, we can manage until Viktor returns. And if Phichit’s not immediately available, he’ll at least know who else to direct over here…maybe his sister, or Minako?”Coach Cialdini hadn’t even acknowledged Lakernik, and Yuri felt a snarky fizzle of delight in his veins at this disregard, as if the former was determined to keep the two corporate suits out of the loop. It made sense; even now, Celestino was quite protective of his former student, and didn’t tolerate any slights towards Katsudon.Ianna turned to him.“Yura…? You’ll be ok helping him through this? Sava is on his way, and I can ask Lilia to swing by, too,” she muttered.Yuri was nodding before she even finished the sentence.He might not be able to help in the exact way that Viktor would, but over the years, he’d at least gleaned what not to do during a panic attack. And while he wasn’t sure about Lilia (her austere presence could make even the most unflappable person shake like a leaf), Sava had seen Yuuri like this before, so he knew Katsudon wouldn’t be embarrassed to have him here.“Go ahead. Don’t send Lilia but Sava’s ok,” Yuri muttered. “And make sure that when you describe those Krestyanka trash heaps, you use the most colorful insults possible.”She gave the tiniest approximation of a smile, and was then beckoning him forward so that he’d take her place on the floor. His stomach flipped upon noting that Yuuri didn’t seem to have any awareness of their swap. As he slunk down into a sitting position that mirrored the other’s – his knees drawn up, and his arms crossed on top of them, meaning that Meni was sandwiched between Katsudon’s stomach and legs – Yuri’s mind rather unhelpfully supplied the thought that as much as he’d witnessed his rinkmate in the throes of panic over the years, this was still unfamiliar territory: Yuuri wasn’t anxious due to competition nerves (at least, not yet, anyway). Instead, he was unraveling over what had happened to Viktor.If Yuri had correctly interpreted his disjointed muttering, he was suffering under the impression that he was somehow to blame for those Krestyanka idiots getting physical. From the way Ianna had described it, those creeps had seemed determined to get to Viktor as retribution in one way or another, and even without Katsudon standing up to them, it was likely they wouldn’t have been content to allow the two of them to simply walk away. Yuri looked up at Celestino just as Ianna made her exit behind Lakernik. “No offense, but it’d be better if you left, too,” he mumbled, privately thinking that there were plenty of other ways he could make himself useful right now. “Following up to make sure Sava is close would be a big help, and if you or Phichit could make sure that Mari, Minako, and Yuuko Nishigori know what happened, that’d be good, too.”To his relief, Celestino didn’t seem the least bit cross to receive these orders and promptly left. For a few awful seconds, Yuri wasn’t able to think clearly, what with the ragged, rattling breaths tumbling from Katsudon’s lips. They were a reminder of the absolute bleakest period of his life: that incessant stretch of despair beginning in November 2019, when everything had gone dark. Even more so than when the judge bribery results had come out, quitting skating4 had seemed like an inevitability rather than a conscious decision…It’s not like dedushka had been around anymore to talk some sense into him like last time.In a sickening sort of way, the random panic attacks had broken up the monotony of Yuri’s depression. Even when the accompanying symptoms were the same each time, his galloping pulse, severe lightheadedness, and the overwhelming rush of blood in his ears had made him feel that this one, no, this one or surely, this one was the attack during which he’d die.Only to realize, fifteen or twenty minutes later, that he was very much still alive, though wrung out and miserable. Each time that he’d come to – both in his Yubileyny dorm room as well as later, when he’d fled to Fukuoka two separate times to stay in Yuuri and Viktor’s guest room – he’d experienced a sharp stab of guilt upon realizing that Potya had been crying and twining around his shaking limbs the entire time. And just as it’d been the case during the last Olympics when Katsudon had talked him through his attack in that empty bathroom, that guilt had liquefied. It had crawled up Yuri’s throat like bile when he’d remembered how he’d yelled at him in the bathroom in Sochi after his Free Skate. Yuuri had long since forgiven him by that point (it’s fine, Yura, you didn’t know any better), but that fact hadn’t mattered in those moments.A particularly harsh whine from Meni broke through his muddled thoughts, and he remembered how Ianna had been trying to guide Katsudon through a breathing exercise before Lakernik had interrupted. Yuri exhaled, trying to recall what Viktor had told him about these exercises in the past. He leaned over a bit, making sure to maintain a few inches of space between his and Yuuri’s body.“Katsudon, try to focus on the sound of my voice,” he instructed, mimicking the low and steady cadence that he’d heard their coach adopt at times like this.It took a considerable effort on his part to keep any impatience or sharpness from invading the request, and his first utterance of the command didn’t appear to have any effect. After his second repeat, however, Yuuri jerked his head up just a bit from where he’d previously buried it in the fold of his arms.  It was a bit shocking just how swiftly relief bloomed in Yuri’s gut; perhaps it was still early enough that Katsudon wasn’t entirely removed from being aware of his surroundings.“You’re having a panic attack, but I’m going to walk you through a breathing exercise,” he went on, remembering how Viktor had said that Suko always stressed how important it was to explain exactly what was going on, rather than just launching ahead to give orders. “I’m going to hold out my hand, and if you can, I want you to try and grab onto it.”Yuri brought a hand up to his eyeline and repeated himself, more slowly the second time around.Yuuri looked up, his eyes distant and glazed over. For a long moment, it seemed that they were destined to simply stare at one another, Katsudon still shuddering and panting, while he tried to keep his breathing fixed and calm. But then, just before Yuuri closed his eyes, he reached out, scrabbling at his fingers. His palm was clammy, and Yuri was proud of himself for not shrinking in disgust. It’s important to affirm him when he’s able to follow through on an instruction, Viktor’s voice suddenly echoed, in the far recesses of his mind.“Good, Katsudon…that’s really good,” he slowly mumbled, feeling awkward about it, but knowing that this was no time to let his self-consciousness stand in the way. Meni gave a small yip, as if to agree. “We’re going to breathe together, ok? In on a count of three, and I’ll squeeze your hand while we both breathe in. When it’s time to breathe out, I’ll let go of your hand. Ok? Breathe in, and I’ll squeeze your hand. Breathe out, and I’ll let go.”Yuuri made no indication that he’d heard. He fought the urge to sigh.“Katsudon, you don’t have to say anything…just try to follow my lead.”And with this, Yuri gave a very, very pronounced squeeze of his fingers. It caused him to shoot his eyes open and let out a pained-sounding gasp, which was immediately followed by Meni giving something just short of a growl. He wasn’t surprised they were reacting like this; his grip was fierce and abrupt, but from what he recalled, this application of such acute pressure was kind of the point.It was a grounding sensation amidst the overstimulation.Holding Katsudon’s gaze all the while, he placed his free hand on his own stomach, as he’d seen Viktor demonstrate. He felt ridiculous, but shoved the thought from his mind. Yuri then opened his mouth, widening it so that Yuuri could make no mistake about the fact that he was inhaling.  
1,

2,

3.
 Immediately after ‘3’, he relinquished his tight grip on Katsudon’s fingers but still maintained a hold on his hand. Simultaneously, he let out an exaggerated rush of air.  
1,

2,

3.
 Yuri watched Yuuri blink and slowly look down at their hands, which were still locked together. It was an action that stood in contrast to his breathing, which was still far too rapid for his liking. He was sure that if he placed a hand on his chest, he’d find that it was still juddering like a car clutch.Katsudon continued to look down at their hands, and, as before, let out a noise of alarm when he squeezed his fingers with enough force just short of breakage.Allowing his lips to part even more than they already were, Yuri made his breath hitch with pronounced volume before drawing air in again. 
1,

2,

3.
 
Now, loosen your grip, and as you do, really allow your exhalation to be obvious; the more you can model the exercise rather than explain it in words, the better.
Viktor’s imaginary and unfalteringly confident words resounded in his head, so Yuri heeded them, making his exhale comically loud.It was rattling and drawn out, and Meni blinked at him, tilting his head as if to say: and just what the hell do you think you’re doing, not-Viktor? This repeated for one more cycle before it appeared to actually take effect. Something akin to exhilaration bubbled low in his gut when he noted how he could no longer hear that jerky, staccatoed flow in Yuuri’s breathing. His lips were just barely parted, and while he definitely wasn’t drawing in or expelling air with the same gusto that Yuri was, it was something, at least. He’d even brought his other hand to rest over his stomach (which Meni was licking).  
1,

2,

3.
 Inhale. (and squeeze) 
1,

2,

3.
 Exhale. (and ease up) 
1,

2,

3.
 Inhale. (and squeeze) 
1,

2,

3.
 Exhale. (and ease up)Two cycles went by before Yuri deemed it safe to offer more praise.“That great, Katsudon. You’re doing well,” he mumbled, feeling a spike of panic when Yuuri suddenly opened his eyes to stare at him. 
1,

2,

3.
 Inhale. (and squeeze)
Thank God. 
To his relief, Katsudon didn’t seem thrown off by his vocalization, and continued to mind the pattern that they’d become immersed in. Yuri wasn’t sure how long the three of them sat there like that, but was glad when Yuuri didn’t seem even remotely disturbed when Sava popped his head into the tent. Katsudon only glanced over at him quickly before closing his eyes again and continuing to breathe.This was something of a familiar scene for Sava, who just slipped in discreetly and made to sit on the floor, several feet away. After a minute or so, Yuri’s phone buzzed, and he applauded his forethought for setting it down on the floor next to him; as such, he wouldn’t have to remove his hand from Yuuri’s hold to look at the displayed message5. Sava: Yego sestra uzhe v putiTy znayesh', gde yego telefon? YA khochu otklyuchit' zvuk, potomu chto dumayu, chto skoro nachnut prikhodit' uvedomleniya v sotsial'nykh setyakh. Vam sleduyet sdelat' to zhe samoye. YA dumayu, chto zayavleniye dlya pressy neminuyemo   Though he was dying to know what exactly the press release would contain, he couldn’t let that train of thought run rampant at present. He gave a minute nod towards Yuuri’s skate bag, and gave Sava a grateful look when he began to rifle through it, though quietly. Despite having lost any sense of the passage of time, Yuri’s own phone began to light up soon afterwards with notification after notification – from Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and even more from Twitter – and he was glad that he’d already put it on silent just prior to his Golden Skate interview.

Izumi: Just heard, this is so awful. I know that you’re with Yuuri-senpai right now. We don’t want to overwhelm you, but please let me or Akihito-kochi know if you need anything. We’re just a text or call away.  Mila- баба6👵🏻 :  Kakogo cherta?! YA tak zol seychas. Mogu posporit', chto i ty tozhe. Pozhaluysta, dayte mne znat', yesli my s Saroy mozhem chem-nibud' pomoch'. YA rada, chto Sava s toboy Mari-neechan: Phichit-kun got in touch with me/Minako and told us where to go, so we’ll see you soon. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this, Yuri-kun…this was supposed to be your big day. Thank you for taking care of my brother. Kaasan and tousan say thank you as well Beka: How are you holding up? Don’t worry about replying if you’re in the thick of it. I just finished talking to President Dipshit. Has anyone filled you in yet on what’s been decided?

Yuri cracked a smile at Beka’s message despite himself, allowing a hint of glee to color his thoughts at the nickname they’d been using for Dijkema ever since the last Games. Even with the influx of messages, Yuri still kept a very close eye on Katsudon, and didn’t let their breathing or squeezing pattern lapse for even a second. Something of an expectant silence now permeated the tent, and as he took stock of it, a memory7 from almost exactly four years ago swam to the forefront of his mind, unbidden.  
“Talk?” he muttered. “About anything. Doesn’t m-matter.”

Yuri cringed, inwardly, at the stammer in his words, but had to remind himself that this was Katsudon. He wouldn’t think anything of it.

And now that he pondered it, Yuri was actually wondering why the hell his rinkmate was so calm in the first place. When Yuuri was in the lead, he tended to implode from the pressure of expectation, and his Short Program had put him a good margin above the rest of their other Free Skate competitors in the final group.

Viktor, included.

“At Vitya’s retirement party in Milan, I know everyone is expecting me to give a speech, especially since Yakov is giving one,” Katsudon began. “But Christophe suggested that I have some fun with it, so I decided to make a video compilation…”
Even as he listened, Yuri had the impulse to scold his rinkmate for listening to anything Christophe Pervert’s-Committee might suggest. The shameless Swissman had probably told him to preface his speech with a striptease.
…what a disgrace.

Forgetting himself for a moment, Yuri actually laughed aloud at the memory, but then clapped a hand over his mouth at Meni’s subsequent yip of alarm.
Way to read the room!!!!!
Amazingly, Katsudon didn’t look irritated by the interruption.He blinked at him, and Yuri resisted the urge to avoid his haggard gaze. His eyes were bloodshot, but at least he wasn’t actively crying anymore.“What’s funny?” Yuuri croaked out. Those two words were laden with something like desperation, and in that moment, Yuri recognized that his laughter must have felt like a lifeline: another grounding point amidst the unmooring waves of worry still likely crashing over the two of them. Was that what he needed, right now? To latch onto another buoy of distraction? Now that Katsudon’s breathing was under control, if he could get him to focus on the sound of his voice, maybe they could eventually get to a back-and-forth: something Yuri had seen Viktor do, whereby he got Yuuri to list his anxious thoughts one by one, and talked him through each in calm and patient logic.(“I skated terribly. I’ll lose all my sponsors.” You won’t, Yusha, sponsors don’t drop an athlete of your prominence after just one performance; “Okaasan and otousan missed work for nothing, I shouldn’t have asked them to come.” They would have come anyway, regardless of if you’d asked them to or not. They’ve been coming to Nationals for years; and so on, and so forth).Then again…With Viktor not yet out of imaging, perhaps this was a dangerous route to take. They hadn’t received any updates on his knee, so even if Yuri wanted to for Katsudon’s sake, he couldn’t convincingly fake it that everything would, in fact, turn out perfectly alright. One thing at a time. For now, just focus on talking, his own voice echoed, without conscious permission from his brain. Somehow – intuition, perhaps? – he knew this was the right call. Their roles were reversed and he gave himself permission to do what Yuuri had done for him, four years ago.“Just…remembering,” Yuri haltingly answered, wondering if some ironic humor might be appreciated. “The tables have turned, I guess you could say…at least when it comes to spiraling on unrealistically clean floors, sitting side-by-side.”Yuuri just looked at him with blank bewilderment, and in the ensuing silence, he offered him the filled water bottle that Taku had packed for him.“If you blocked it from your memory, I wouldn’t blame you,” Yuri quipped, relieved to see that Yuuri was beginning to drink even if his grip on the bottle (and his sweaty hand) was a bit shaky. “Four years ago…in that empty bathroom in Gangneung Ice Arena. You talked my ear off as I was freaking out, remember? I was just remembering how you’d mentioned that Christophe had told you to ‘have fun with it’ ...‘it’ being the video you went on to create for Vik– ” He caught himself, only hesitating for a split-second.Yuri practically never called his coach by his actual name. It was always ‘geezer’, or ‘old man’ (or ‘hag’ if Viktor was in a feminine mindset).It didn’t feel right to deviate from the norm just because of the severity of the situation; indeed, that would only highlight for Katsudon just how much of an aberration this day was, and that, in turn, would almost certainly add to his sense of guilt and panic. “ – for your geezer husband’s retirement party. Well…geezer-fiance, I should say.”Sava quietly snorted and Yuuri glanced at him, mid-drink, as if seeing him for the first time. The former gave a slow waveAfter pulling the bottle away from his lips and swallowing, Katsudon nodded, though he still seemed confused as to why Yuri had chosen to relate this particular memory.“At the time, my head was a complete mess,” he went on, sensing that it was ok to let go of his hand. Yuuri flexed his fingers with a wince, and Yuri allowed his lips to quirk. “I was terrified of having to skate later, but the first thing you said, that thing about taking Giacometti’s advice…it annoyed me so much that I forgot to freak out for a second.”He let his tone change to outright irritation.“‘Why the hell would you take advice from that pervert?!’ I remember thinking. So whether or not you’d made that choice deliberately, it helped…in the moment.” Katsudon didn’t say anything to this and just continued to stare at him with a dull, lifeless look in eyes.  
Tough crowd…
Yuri’s mind scrambled around for what to say next but thankfully, Minako and Mari’s arrival saved him from floundering.“Otouto,” the latter breathed, immediately dropping to her knees to be on their level.  Meni gave a happy-sounding bark, and some of the tension in the room seemed to seep out at the new arrivals’ entry.Yuri scooted several paces away to Sava’s side in order to give the trio space, and saw how Yuuri aimed a wan smile in his sister and former ballet teacher’s direction. To his immense relief, his gaze no longer looked as cloudy, and it was clear that he was “with it” enough to be able to manage a very basic conversation with them at the very least.“You did well, Yura,” Sava whispered to him, with an appraising look. “One might even say you’ve come full circle.” Yuri coughed a bit stiltedly, feeling his cheeks color. In lieu of responding to this praise, he brought up the question that he’d been wanting to broach since seeing Beka’s text…5 minutes ago? 25 minutes ago? Time was meaningless. “So? What the hell did Jan Dipshit end up deciding on? Please tell me those Krestyanka creeps will be punished.”Yuri had asked in Russian, but even so, Sava aimed a pointed look in Mari and Minako’s direction and beckoned for him to join him in waiting outside the tent.He slowly rose to his feet, feeling reassured at the way Katsudon had tipped his head to rest it upon Mari’s shoulder, and how he and Minako were conversing in low, hushed voices. Meni had crawled out of his lap, and was wagging his tail like a jet propeller while sniffing at Yuuri’s skate bag. “Guys…I’m not going anywhere, I just don’t want to crowd you,” Yuri mumbled, hesitant around whether it’d be ok to leave. “Sava and I will be just outside, ok?” He waited for Katsudon to give a thumbs up, and felt his cheeks flush even more deeply at the soft “thanks Yura” that was directed at his retreating back.   Immediately upon stepping into the corridor outside Medic Station 2, he closed his eyes, stretched his arms out and tried to inhale deeply. It was difficult.There seemed to be solid weight nestled around his ribcage, impeding the expansion of his lungs. Taking stock of his body for the first time since Viktor’s injury, Yuri realized it had been there for a while. 
How was this even the same day?
It felt like months had passed since he’d been in the middle of that Golden Skate interview.When he opened his eyes, he saw that Sava was surveying him with a mixture of amusement and wariness, and raised his eyebrows at him. Wordlessly, the other man handed his phone over, and Yuri stared down at a news article that looked to have been posted online only five minutes ago. He examined the byline, noting that this was the same person that had broken the news about Levan Kapanadze’s ban from the Team Event Free Skate, five days ago. Whoever they were, Lela Moore was on top of things…or maybe they just had a sixth sense for when anything bad happened to Viktor.

OLYMPIC NEWS
BREAKING NEWS: Altercation Between Katsuki-Nikiforovs and Russian Media Reporters Forces Pause of Men’s Singles Free Skate For 2 Hours
LELA MOORE

February 11, 2022
  Beijing, China – In an urgent press conference taking place at 10:20am local time, Christophe De Kepper – the Director-General of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – announced on behalf of International Skating Union (ISU) President Jan Dijkema that the Men’s Singles Free Skate competition would be put on pause for a period of two hours, with Group 1 performances to resume at 12:20pm. Due to an altercation that took place between reigning Olympic Champion Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov, his coach/spouse Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov, and reporters from Russian media outlet Krestyanka, the competition was officially brought to a halt shortly after 10am. By this point, the first 38 skaters – Team Switzerland skater Lukas Britschgi, Team Russia Russian skater Andrei Mozalev, and Team Ukraine skater Ivan Shmuratko – had already performed, earning scores of 136.42, 156.28, and 127.65 points, respectively. “On behalf of the leadership of the International Skating Union, I have been authorized to share that an official pause of the Men’s Singles Free Skate competition will go into immediate effect, with performances to resume at 12:20pm. At that point, the 4th assigned skater in Group 1 – Konstantin Milyukov of Team Belarus – will take to the ice. We at the IOC are aware of how unprecedented this delay is and the logistical complications that will arise from such a significant pause, but such a decision was not made lightly. As some are already aware, this measure is being taken due to a need to see to the immediate safety of Coach Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov, as well as his spouse, reigning Olympic Champion and Team Japan skater Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov. Although I am not at liberty to share the full account of what took place given how details are still being corroborated by a variety of witnesses, I can disclose that close to 9:50am in one of Capital Indoor Stadium’s press rooms, an unprovoked physical altercation took place between the Katsuki-Nikiforovs, and a group of Krestyanka reporters. The latter party was the clear aggressor, and at this time, Viktor has sustained injuries to his leg, though the severity of these are not yet clear. The rink medical team is currently in the process of administering MRI imaging.”One has to wonder if Viktor did something in a past life to invite bad karma, because you may remember that he was the target of yet another altercation – not physical, however – with Team Georgia skater Levan Kapanadze on the day of the Men’s Singles Short Program Team Skate event. The fact that a person of such prominence – indeed, even over three years after retiring, Viktor draws crowds wherever he goes – has attracted such malicious attention (no doubt, in part due to his role in advocating for ethics reform after the judge bribery scandal of the 2018 Games), really does beg the question: why is Olympic Figure Skating such a shit-show?!  Moreover, does nobody in charge value security, whatsoever?! In light of the scandal that cast such a dark pall over the last Games in Korea, the news of yet another incident of Russian meddling is especially damning for President Jan Dijkema and others in leadership at the ISU (most notably, Vice-President Lakernik, who himself is Russian). Rightfully so, Dijkema, IOC President Thomas Bach, and countless others have received a substantial amount of criticism over how they handled the immediate PyeongChang fall-out, their reticence to act transparently in the interim years with respect to ISU Constitutional reform, and how they have prepared – or rather, failed to prepare – for this current iteration of the Winter Olympics. Having allowed a notoriously rabble-rousing press outlet like Krestyanka to receive media accreditation is yet another example of astonishingly poor decision-making that fails to take into account the safety and best interests of the sport’s athletes, coaches, etc.  Dijkema was not available for comment, though one might suppose that this may actually be a good thing: could it be that he, for once, seems intent on doing his job? Given the circumstances, this likely includes ensuring that appropriate disciplinary action will be levied against those Krestyanka buffoons (the identities of which have still not been released). De Kepper alluded to the fact that the aggressors are in the custody of Beijing police, but nothing more was revealed in this regard.Interestingly, it is not only the actual skating that has been put on pause. De Kepper also noted that all press activities have been suspended as well, so that the ISU can do a thorough check of media accreditations and continue talking to the various witnesses that were around at the time of the attack.Already, news of the skating/press pause has gone viral on Twitter, with many figure skating fans understandably concerned around the particulars of Viktor’s injury, what this incident means for his husband’s mental state – Yuuri has spoken quite openly about his struggles with generalized anxiety disorder – and how Viktor’s other student, reigning World Champion Yuri Plisetsky is faring. Said altercation took place in full view of Yuri as well as a number of other competitors in the final skating group. As such, it would be reasonable to assume that many athletes in the Men’s Singles division are feeling shaken up by this turn of events. Though he kept his comments brief, skater Otabek Altin of Team Kazakhstan – a podium favorite, and one of the first people on the scene to help Viktor – had this to say when I spoke with him via phone: “I’m generally a very understanding person…I know how intense the pressure around the Olympics is, so I by no means expect things to go perfectly. But it’s very, very reasonable for athletes and skaters to expect that they can be safe when going about the various duties of the job, especially when off the ice. I don’t have strong enough words to convey how disgusted I am around what’s happened to Viktor, Yuuri, and by extension, myself and others competing today. It’s even more disappointing considering what happened four years ago. At the very least, I want there to be a full inquiry into how and why an outlet like Krestyanka – one that was so outwardly critical around the idea of ethics reform see more…

A small burst of pride swelled in Yuri’s chest as he read over Beka’s comments, but before he could finish the article, a shuffling sound caught his attention. He looked up to see a strange mix of people walking towards them: Taku, Lilia, Phichit and Seung-Gil (who were whispering back and forth with their arms linked and their heads close together), and Yuuko Nishigori.His gaze went to Yuuko first, and her face did this odd crumpling thing before she hurried over with her arms held out. “I hope you don’t mind,” she whispered, just before wrapping her arms around him in a surprisingly tight embrace. “I’m not only here to see Yuu-chan, you know…I wanted to make sure someone was there to make sure you’re ok, too.”It took him by surprise, just how quickly his eyes welled up at these words. Yuri could only nod, silently, too choked up to speak. He brought his arms up to reciprocate her hold.Normally it was his geezer coach who would be all over him in such a crushing hug (which was usually accompanied by disastrous efforts to braid his hair, cracking corny jokes, and forcing him to pose for pictures that he wanted no part of). Compared to the guarded man he’d trained alongside prior to Viktor’s decision to chase life and love in Japan, the difference was stark. The old man was now far more open with respect to touch with not only Yuuri, but with him and so many others, too. Plus, his smiles now reached his eyes. “Not sure if you’ve checked your phone, but lots of people are asking about you,” Yuuko continued, holding up a tissue pack which he gratefully accepted. “The girls threw a fit when I told them they couldn’t come with me to see you. Yuu-chan’s parents wanted to check on you, too, but they decided to wait outside the imaging tent so that they could see Vik-chan as soon as he’s wheeled out. Someone also got in touch with Christophe and Oleg, so they’re there to greet him, too.”Yuri let out what felt like a long-held breath. To be honest, he’d worried a lot about that: about who would be there for Viktor if Yuuri was still in the middle of an attack when the imaging procedures finished. Yakov was there just by way of the medical records thing, but he knew that the two were still not on the best of terms, given the stupid Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel fight. Knowing that kaasan, tousan, and his former bodyguard  – and even the pervert, too – would be there to comfort his touch-starved coach made Yuri feel much lighter. His legs were suddenly far less waterlogged, and a bit of the fuzziness that had taken up residence in his brain dispelled.When he broke from Yuuko’s hold (only mildly embarrassed about the wet spot on her jacket), he saw that Lilia was standing nearby and worriedly watching him.Once again demonstrating her propensity for reading minds, she answered his unspoken question.“No updates on Vitya yet,” she volunteered with a tiny frown (and speaking in English, presumably for Yuuko’s sake). “The doctor and nurse who are primarily in charge of him are still going over his MRI results. I’m told that they can wheel him back in here soon so that you and Yusha can see him…provided you both feel up to it.”She tilted her head in question, as if to inquire around his red-rimmed eyes.Yuri wiped at them and nodded. “He had a panic attack, but I helped him through it…well, as much as I was able to, anyway,” he muttered, feeling a bit shy about his raw voice. “Mari and Minako are in there now. When I left, he seemed a bit steadier.”Lilia nodded, and then her lips curved ever so slightly. It was amazing how even that tiny gesture completely softened the austere lines of her face.“That’s good to hear. Yasha told me that Vitya’s been asking for you both, in addition to fretting about what shoes he’ll wear later, given that he’s not allowed to put those silly boots back on. Honestly, why he chose to wear such frivolous footwear in the first place– ”“They’re not!” Yuri interrupted in something akin to a growl, prompting Lilia’s eyebrows to raise. “Don’t call them silly.”Yuuko’s lips formed a perfectly round ‘o’ at his outburst. Apparently his mouth had decided to run away from him again. It was clear that Lilia was just trying to make light of the situation, but the insinuation that Viktor had been silly, of all things, to wear his two-toned boots: the ones that he’d so painstakingly matched to the exact shades of his and Katsudon’s Free Skate costumes…It made every one of his nerve endings flare up with a rare protective instinct. Once again, he found himself on the verge of tears.“He wore those…for us, for me and Katsudon,” Yuri brokenly rasped, aware that Taku, Phichit, and Seung-Gil were staring at him as well.The corridor was dead-silent.“You don’t have to get it, but don’t make fun of him,” he continued, angrily swiping at the fresh tears dripping down his cheeks. “He spent hours and hours getting the colors right, and sure…they make him look like a clown, and they were probably the reason he wasn’t able to right his balance when he fell. But I’m sure if you ask him, he’d say something like “no r-regrets, Yura!”, with that stupid, stupid heart-shaped sm-smile of his.”He let out an embarrassingly loud sob and only a split-second passed before Yuuko was hugging him again.Yuri could hear Lilia softly apologizing for “speaking carelessly”, but he wasn’t in a headspace to respond, now officially at the limit of emotional exhaustion. Corrupt, vengeful Russians meddling to ruin yet another Olympic Games; Viktor’s injury; Katsudon’s panic attack; that insidious fear that his own sponsors had somehow been responsible much like last time around…It was too much.Now freely crying into Yuuko’s shoulder, Yuri allowed himself to let go, wanting more than ever to see the geezer’s radiant, heart-shaped smile and to hear him reassure that his knee would be fine, that it didn’t matter how many injuries he sustained or how old he got, that he’d always be able to kick his ass in a flip jump-off. He longed to hear his coach say that he and Katsudon should perform their Free Skates unencumbered by any guilt or worry about him, whatsoever. Yuri yearned for certainty that everything would be ok, just like Viktor had promised after the Short Program.The old man had cried during his ‘Mayonaise’ performance, too, and most of their time in the Kiss and Cry had consisted of him rubbing his back in slow and steady circles and saying all kinds of mushy things that had made him want to simultaneously punch him as well as beg him to keep going. Things like “Kolya would be so proud!” or “I’m so happy to be your coach, Yura. I knew you could do it.” Much like before, he’d lost all sense of time, but was just aware enough to sense when an extra set of arms joined his and Yuuko’s hug. A warm hand began to rub his back in slow, steady circles. Yuri stiffened but then immediately relaxed, that familiar voice acting like an instant balm. It also sounded much less shaky than before, and it was this realization that caused tears of relief to intermingle with the stress-crying.“It’s ok, Yura. Let it all out. Viten’ka would want us to.”

Viktor

Viktor wasn’t ashamed to later admit that after being wheeled out of the imaging tent, he’d immediately burst into tears when Katsuki Hiroko’s face was the first one that he saw.Yuuri’s gold-flecked, brandy colored eyes were an exact replica of his mother’s, and when Viktor had seen her gently surveying him so lovingly and concernedly – in a way that his own mother never had – a groundswell of emotion had arisen in his chest, dripping swiftly down his cheeks.“I’m scared, kaasan,” he whispered, the tears streaming even more rapidly when she pressed a kiss above his brow in the exact spot that his Yusha always did. “It’s ok to be scared, Vik-chan,” Hiroko replied, stroking his hair and toying with the orange and green ribbons that her son had woven through the strands just a few hours ago. Viktor had nervously tossed and turned before being transferred into the claustrophobic MRI enclave, so the elegant, stacked double-braids that Yuuri had so carefully constructed were now hopelessly matted. Not even Yakov’s stiff and blatantly transparent lie that he “looked nice” afterwards made him feel any better.  Though he’d tried to keep his breathing even, Doctor Kao had to remind him twice before they’d gotten started to be mindful of his airflow. The entire last hour felt like a blur, but the acute, knife-sharp pain in his knee and the contrastingly dull throb of his ankle had rendered Viktor hyper-aware during certain moments. Most notable were the seconds immediately after his collision with the wall, when a rush of memories from over ten years ago had swum to the forefront of his mind unbidden.  Will I have to be bedridden for months, once again?, he remembered thinking in a panic, only dimly aware that Otabek and Yuuri were carrying him.   During those several months after his meniscal tear – a period in which he’d been prohibited from even setting foot on the ice – his depression had been the worst it’d ever been, even more abject than after he’d cut his parents off during his debut Senior season.Everyone had mourned the end of his career, and the terror of potentially not being able to end things on his own terms had made Viktor feel like he was drowning, completely untethered from everything familiar. Today, he felt similarly for a different but parallel reason. Today marked the end of Yuuri’s career, and there was the chance – call it a likelihood, even – that this injury would prevent him from ending things the way he wanted to. Nausea churned in his stomach when he recalled how his love had so clearly been in the beginning stages of a panic attack as they’d been forced to separate. “N-not just for myself. What about Yuuri?” Viktor sniffled, despair leaking into every syllable. “You should have seen how he looked as they were wheeling me away.”Hiroko pressed a kiss to his feathery bangs as Nurse Tung asked Doctor Kao if there was anything left to do before bringing him back over to Medic Station 2.“I know, Vik-chan,” she replied, leaning away but remaining close. “Everything will be ok. Minako has been texting me; Yuri-kun never left his side.”Relief instantly flooded Viktor’s insides at the mental image of his two students comforting one another. Perhaps he shouldn’t have worried so much…there was a give-and-take between Yuuri and Yura that few truly understood. Himself included, at times. Hiroko smiled and grabbed his hand, squeezing it firmly, and a few minutes passed as the others that had been waiting just outside the tent – Toshiya, Christophe, and Oleg – greeted him with hugs and shoulder squeezes. Viktor allowed himself to be bolstered by the presence of everyone gathered around his stretcher, as well as the mention of the several people that Christophe and Oleg noted had been asking after his condition: a long list that included the Nishigoris, Akihito and Mohit, Georgi and Aviva, Mari-neechan and Amara, Minako, Kenjirou, Izumi and Niko, Mila and Sara, and countless others. Doctor Kao gave the ok for him to be moved and as they made their way down the corridor, Yakov, Oleg, and Christophe walked behind him, while Toshiya stayed on his left (fussing with his pillow as well as the Makkachin tissue box holder). Hiroko kept pace at his immediate right, her hand never leaving his. But of course, there was nothing quite so uplifting or fear-conquering as being reunited with his husband.Their traveling throng was still several yards from the station 2 tent when Yuuri began sprinting towards him as if he, too, couldn’t bear to be apart any longer. Viktor’s chest began to ache at the sight of his puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks, but his small, wobbly smile washed over him like a soft tide. “I missed you,” they called out in unison, both grinning in loopy relief as his stretcher came to a stop.Now in the spot Toshiya had been in, Yuuri hunched over to press their foreheads together and interlace their fingers. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in the tent with you, Viten’ka,” he whispered, with an air of heart-breaking sadness. “You must have been so scared.”Viktor pressed a reverent kiss to his knuckles and was about to reply when thundering footfalls alerted them to another incoming presence. So devoid of his usual (faux) nonchalance, Yura was closing the distance as if he was worried his stretcher would vanish into the ether. Hiroko gracefully stepped away, allowing him to take her place within seconds. “Geezer,” he panted, red-faced and clearly out of breath, having to stop talking in order to compose himself. He sucked in a desperate mouthful of air, and quite spontaneously, Viktor burst into laughter.Perhaps it was the solace of having everyone he loved most at his side, or maybe it was the fact that the pain medication he’d been given was finally kicking in. Whatever the case, his shoulders began to shake with mirth, and Yura’s clearly affronted face only amplified his amusement. Yakov had filled them all in on the ISU’s multi-hour delay, and while there was still some time before he’d find out the results of his MRI, the suffocating pressure around his ribcage didn’t feel quite as crushing anymore.“What the fuck is so funny, you lunatic?” Yura demanded, before landing a swift punch to his bicep, and making him yelp. “We’re all worried as hell!”Immediately, multiple voices rang out, namely chiding the Ice Tiger on his act of violence (though Viktor was pretty sure that he’d heard Christophe guffawing). “Seeing as how he’s literally on a stretcher, let’s try not to assault the patient, hmm?” Doctor Kao dryly remarked, though her lips were twitching.“While I’d normally go off about the lack of restraint, I can’t be too mad at him at the moment,” Yuuri piped up, with a squeeze of his hand and an unmistakably fond look at Yura. “He was a big help while you were away in imaging, lyubimiy9.”Viktor stopped pouting and rubbing his arm, brightening at what Hiroko had already alluded to.“So I heard,” he responded, aiming a proud look at his younger student (who immediately blushed). “Thank you, Yura.”And, because the Ice Tiger really should have known better than to hit him when he was injured, he couldn’t help his voice from turning sickly sweet.

“Ahh, how mature and grown-up you are, Yurotchka!” Viktor mawkishly crowed, trying to make a grab for his arm (and failing). “If I weren’t already tearing up from the force of that blow, I might shed a few upon reflecting on the passage of time! My heart sings to think of your evolution, which is a moving example of– ” “Enoughhhh, you imbecile,” Yura grumbled, as more laughter surrounded them. “Since we have a bit of time to spare, I’m gonna go call Beka.”Wisely, no one chose to comment on how secretly pleased he looked as he stalked away.

… 
End of Chapter 19

Up next: In Chapter 20, the final 6 Free Skate competitors take stock of the unprecedented events of the day, and the first half of their performances take place (for real this time, I promise, lol) 
Footnotes:1. There may not be room for me to expound on this between now and the end of the story, but one thing I’ve worked out with this particular headcanon is that Viktor’s recovery and his climb back up to the top would actually signal the beginning of his loss of inspiration. When Viktor is recovering from his meniscus tear, his drive to get back to peak condition is high, but once he is able to reclaim his top world rankings (in the Grand Prix series during the 2012-2013 skating season), I figure this is when he might have started to realize that he’d lost the ability to surprise the audience
Back 2. I made minor changes to Ch18, because as I began to delve into Viktor’s past knee injury, it became clear that he would need an MRI rather than an X-ray due to his medical history with meniscal tears. I am no doctor, so I am very open to feedback if folks have any advice/notes of clarity for me
Back 3. I’m not trying to make Celestino out to be an idiot. I think if this weren’t such an unconventional situation, he would have known not to try to crowd Yuuri. But it’s been a few years since he’s actually seen a Yuuri panic attack in-the-flesh, so I think he would have forgotten himself
Back 4. As a reminder, I cover Yurio’s desire to quit skating – after the PyeongChang judge bribery investigation concludes – in Chapters 6 and 9
Back 5. I used Google Translate for this, so I apologize if what is shown here does not translate exactly to what I’d intended. It’s supposed to read something like: “His sister is on the way. Do you know where his phone is? I want to put it on silent because I think the social media notifications will start to roll in soon. You should do the same. I think a press statement is imminent”
Back 6. Similar to with Sava’s, I used Google Translate for this. It is supposed to read as something like: “What the fuck?! I'm so pissed right now. I bet you are too. Please let me know if there is some way Sara or I can help. I'm glad Sava is with you.”
Back 7. If you’d like a refresh on this scene – where Yuuri helps Yura through his panic attack prior to the PyeongChang Games Free Skate – you can find it in Chapter 13. That particular chapter was from Yuuri’s POV, so I altered things accordingly to present the memory from Yurio’s POV
Back 8. Real-life skating fans may recognize Lukas, Andrei, and Ivan’s names, as these three are real-life skaters, and were the first three to perform their Free Skates at the actual Games. As a reminder, in my fic-verse, the Russian Olympic Committee and the FFKKR are banned from the 2022 Games, so Andrei Mozalev is skating for himself rather than ‘Team Russia’. You’ll find out more about Mozalev in the next chapter
Back 9. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment translating to “beloved”. This version is gendered male
Back

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yuuri 
Recovery Room 2, Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) – 11:50am on February 11, 2022 (about three-quarters of the way through the competition delay)

“But Yuranyaaa,” Viktor pleaded even more fervently, making Chris laugh for a second time. “We’ve been practicing so many!” Not wanting to be swayed by his cute (and loopy) pouting, Yuuri tightened the hold he had around his husband’s chest and pressed the jut of his chin to the top of his head.Naturally, this prevented Viktor from getting a glimpse of his face. They hadn’t moved from this cuddling position for a half hour or so, and though he’d fretted a bit around accidentally jostling Viktor’s wrapped knee and ankle, their mutual need for closeness had ultimately won out. Both of them seemed quite content with the current situation: Yuuri propped up against a mountain of pillows while his love laid in between his legs, his head pillowed on his chest and his legs splayed out between his own. It also included Meni and Goya curled up near their feet, at the foot of the bed. Given the extra time they had before the Group 1 performances resumed, Lee Jitae – Seung-Gil’s brother – had made the very kind offer to go retrieve Goya from the Olympic Village’s doggy daycare center, since he’d been planning on making the trip anyway to pick up Gwihan. Yuuri was pretty sure that non-service animals weren’t allowed in any part of Capital Indoor Stadium’s medic areas, but it turned out that Doctor Kao and Nurse Tung were big softies, demonstrating a surprising willingness to bend the rules. Or, maybe they’d just felt guilty about preventing him from accompanying Viktor and Yakov to the imaging tent.In order to accommodate the ever-changing rotation of friends/family members that had wanted to keep them company, Doctor Kao had agreed to let Viktor be moved to one of the building’s spacious “recovery rooms”. Currently, Chris, Yakov and Lilia were seated in the three seats closest to the door, while his sister and parents were occupying the chairs on the right side of the bed. Phichit, Seung-Gil, Taku, Yuuko and a large host of others had been present earlier as well, but as soon as it had become clear that even this larger area was getting too crowded, Nurse Tung had insisted for some folks to clear out. Ianna hadn’t yet been able to visit due to her still being needed for witness questioning, but she had promised to swing by after 1pm or so, and before they were due to vacate the room. Yuuri was glad that this bed wouldn’t be needed for awhile; Viktor was somewhat out of it due to the pain meds – tramadol plus acetaminophen – Dr. Kao had administered, so he was eager to keep an eye on him.And given the circumstances, privacy was quite appealing. At least here in the medic tent area, they were safe from the prying reporters eager to find out how they were faring amidst the drama.Reangling his head, Yuuri took a deep inhale from the freshly-laundered ‘Papio Ice Arena’ hoodie Viktor had changed into, which Akihito-kochi had been nice enough to grab from their Team Japan dorm suite. He opened his mouth, realizing he needed to affect more sternness in his tone.“Not a chance, malysh1. Just be glad I’m only suggesting modifications…you’re lucky I’m not insisting we just forego the whole thing altogether,” he countered, knowing that Chris would back him up despite his clear amusement around Viktor’s sulking. “I’m sure everyone at the banquet would place much more importance on the health of your knee than on our debut of Chris’ pole choreography.”His husband began to grumble so Yuuri tugged at the drawstrings of his hoodie such that it cinched in around his face, unflatteringly. With his hair now free of his earlier braids, a few silver locks flipped up from hinging pressure, the sight making him giggle. He felt a mixture of enamoredness and exasperation at Viktor’s insistence that they should go ahead with their surprise pole performance. While it was true that the Olympic banquet was more than a week away – this being fortunate, given that Doctor Kao had noted a seven day minimum before Viktor was allowed to do anything in the way of “strenuous” physical activity – Yuuri felt inclined to be cautious. They’d both poured a huge amount of work into making sure their routine would be ready, but no amount of excitement around it was worth aggravating his pre-existing injury. When his love had torn his meniscus back during the 2011 off-season, the announcement from his medical team that it had been a white zone tear had caused a bit of a panic; as opposed to a red zone tear, white zone tears never fully healed, and it was exceedingly lucky that Viktor had gone on to achieve such quad mastery even with such an injury. Although, it’s not as if putting up with chronic pain was a walk in the park; over the years, Viktor had had to spend large quantities of money on routine physical therapy and specialized equipment (knee braces, leg cuffs, compression “suits”, etc.), and had had to get used to a “new normal” of morning joint stiffness, sudden prickling pains up and down his leg, and a “clicking” sensation in his knee that occurred randomly.“Don’t be foolish, Vitya,” Yakov suddenly snapped2.Yuuri startled, unaware that he had been listening given how he and Lilia had been whispering back and forth to each other for the last twenty minutes.“You want to permanently blow out your knee? And for what?” Yakov continued to lecture, with Lilia nodding primly next to him, her sharply-angled face looking even more gaunt than usual. “For the chance to galavant around with Yusha, half-naked? As if that isn’t something you two do on a regular basis, anyway.”Viktor huffed and immediately began to protest, whereas Yuuri gave a tiny squeak, his cheeks flaming.He whipped his head around and breathed a sigh of relief that his sister and parents were such heavy sleepers and thus hadn’t actually been awake to hear Yakov’s accusation. As he watched his okaasan cuddle further into his tousan’s shoulder, he allowed himself a small smile. He couldn’t have been more grateful for their presence in the last few hours, particularly with how they had been waiting right outside the imaging tent for Viktor to be wheeled out. Yuuri’s heart felt liable to crack open with tenderness when he reflected on the fact that his mom and dad had wanted to be the first faces he saw, and he knew they’d done so on account of how he hadn’t been able to be there, himself.He had continued feeling jittery well after his panic attack, having to force himself to resume doing Suko’s breathing exercises as Doctor Kao and Nurse Tung went over the MRI results. It was only once they’d confirmed that Viktor hadn’t actually re-torn his meniscus that Yuuri felt some of the tightness in his chest ease; MRI results were sometimes inconclusive, and if Doctor Kao had told them they’d need to wait for his spouse to undergo arthroscopy with a local orthopedic surgeon, his nerves wouldn’t have been able to take it. As it were, he’d immediately burst into fresh tears and though he wouldn’t admit it to Viktor, he’d seen Yura wipe away a few tears of relief of his own before accepting a hug from Mari-neechan.Yuuri had shook apart in Viktor’s snug embrace, the two of them half-laughing, half-crying with relief as Doctor Kao shot them wary glances. She’d been exceedingly patient while going over the particulars of his husband’s pain relief regimen as well as the accommodations she’d be requesting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order for him to be as comfortable as possible while spectating from the boards. That was actually what she was up to now, though she’d repeatedly urged Yuuri to call for Nurse Tung in the event that Viktor began feeling too disoriented in her absence. “I come this close to dying and everybody is still mean to me. Even more than before,” Viktor now mumbled, prompting Yuuri to guffaw and tickle the exposed sliver of skin above the waistband of his sweatpants. “Agh! S-see?! This is what I’m – stoppp, anata3 ! – t-talking about!” his love went on in a shriek-laugh, beginning to wriggle a bit in his arms.Yuuri had just enough presence of mind to note Yakov and Lilia’s matching sighs, but he kept up his actions, regardless; the last few hours had been an absolute nightmare, so if he could make Viktor laugh even by way of a shameless bout of tickling, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Knock. Knock.
Freezing in unison, he and Viktor looked towards the doorway, then both gasped, delightedly, at the sight of Mila and Georgi’s smiling faces. Their friends had already checked in via text, and Yuuri had been grateful to hear that they’d made an effort to track Yura down; after staying to hear the MRI results, he had stalked off, claiming he needed air as well as a walk with Otabek. “It’s good to see you both laughing,” Georgi whispered, with a glance towards his dozing sister and parents.Once Viktor had beckoned for them both to step inside, Georgi brought a hand out from behind his back, revealing a beautiful bouquet of chrysanthemums. Suddenly, the vase in Mila’s hands made sense.His spouse made a happy sort of chirping sound and reached his arms out for the flowers, but before Georgi could hand them over, Yakov gave a pointed cough. And then another.Yuuri looked over to see that Lilia was pinching her nose and rummaging around on the floor for her purse.  That’s right…  Her allergies.“Oh, no, we totally forgot!” Mila yelped, looking stricken. “I’m so sorry! We can leave…?”But Lilia was already standing and waving away her apology. “No need for that, Milasha, you two haven’t had the chance to visit, after all. And besides, we should stretch our legs and get something to eat,” she replied, pulling out a face mask from the pocket of her coat.She then turned towards the bed as Yakov began gathering their things.“Vitya, Yusha…you both will let us know if you need anything? Especially if Doctor Kao makes any changes to the prognosis?”He and Viktor both hurriedly nodded, reminding them that they would be vacating the room around 1:45. As they bid the two of them goodbye, Yuuri was a bit surprised at the slight ache that cropped up in his chest as he watched Yakov’s retreating back. Things were still not completely resolved between Viktor and his former coach, but Yakov’s text from this morning as well as his steadfast presence at their side these last few hours had gone a long way towards rectifying the fallout from last year’s fight.“Here, allow me,” Chris graciously offered, standing and gesturing for Georgi to hand him the flowers so that he could unwrap them from their plastic covering and situate them in the vase. Georgi took the seat Chris vacated, and Mila moved her chair close to the foot of the bed in order to pet the dogs.“So, how are those pain meds, Vitya?” she asked with a grin, though she kept her voice to a whisper.Yuuri smiled at his husband’s exaggeratedly blissful sigh.“Sooooo amazingly,” Viktor lazily murmured in reply, making Mila giggle. “I think Nurse Tung has a crushing on me, because he gave me the really good stuff.”Georgi laughed and then caught Yuuri’s eye. “Is that true, Yusha? Did Vitya charm all the medical personnel into granting him special treatment?”Yuuri began carding a hand through the ends of Viktor’s hair. His braids had become disheveled over the last few hours, and though his love had lamented the loss of his hard work from the morning, he’d allowed him to undo them. The orange and green ribbons had looked a bit sad and limp in his hands, and he’d hoped he’d get the chance to reassemble them later.“Of course he did,” Yuuri answered, his heart plucking with fondness when Viktor craned his head back so that they could make eye contact. He hunched over to peck his puckered lips. “Though to be fair, I think Nurse Tung is more charmed by his growing pile of plushies.”He shifted against the pillow mountain so that their friends could see the collection, which included a smiling stuffed maple leaf from JJ and Isabella, a disturbingly realistic chicken drumstick (with crispy skin and all!) from Kenjirou, and interlocking onigiri from Niko and Izumi“Aww, I told you, Gosha, we should have brought him the chibi pirozhki after all!” Mila sighed, making grabby hands in the direction of the pile of adorableness.Yuuri tossed her the cuddly husky that Seung-Gil had left earlier (after warning that it was probably covered in a bit of Gwihan’s drool).Viktor gave a laugh at her words, though Yuuri thought he detected an odd note of humorlessness in it.“Probably better that you bringing flowers, instead,” his spouse went on to say, now hiding his face in the crook of his elbow. “I don’t think I could handle any reminders of rodina4 right now.”Yuuri sucked in a breath at his defeated tone and exchanged a worried glance with Georgi.“Ahh, I’m sorry, Vitya. I wasn’t thinking,” Mila mumbled in a hush, her voice wobbling in apparent regret. “Of course you wouldn’t want that after– ”She paused to swallow, the noise audible in the sudden quiet.“ –after what happened.”Viktor uncovered his face and Yuuri’s stomach lurched at the fake, painted-on smile he was now wearing.“No harm done!” Viktor sunnily exclaimed, poking Mila’s arm with his uninjured leg. “I just don’t want to have to thinking about it anymore than I have to. We should all try to smile, da? For Yusha.”As the silence grew even more taut with hundreds of things left unspoken, Yuuri’s mind scrambled to land on the right words: the exact, carefully constructed sentences to assert that no, actually, we don’t have to smile, because we just went through something insane. And, pretending like it didn’t happen would be even more insane.  But all he could manage was a pinched, whispered “Viten’ka…” before Chris was making his way back from the sink with the filled vase. Yuuri was pretty sure he looked as lost as Mila felt, and as his husband excitedly began to recount the video he’d recently watched – regarding the traditional Chinese method of brewing chrysanthemum tea – he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. Yakov had informed them earlier that the Krestyanka reporters had been taken into custody by Chinese police. If social media was to be believed, ISU President Dijkema would soon buckle to pressure to comment on the future of their media accreditations at the year’s remaining skating competitions. Yuuri was praying that the hapless politician had learned his lesson from the last time around as it pertained to his duty to speak with transparency, because things would only be made worse if the public felt like they were being lied to, even by omission. Actually…forget the public, he thought to himself.First and foremost, it was Viktor, Yura, and Seung-Gil that deserved transparency, because this was now the second major scandal that they’d had to contend with at an Olympic Winter Games. Taku had wondered aloud whether a few skaters might actually withdraw from the Free Skate in protest altogether, and Yuuri’s heart ached at the realization that four years of hopes, weighty aspirations, and countless hours of backbreaking work would be overshadowed by drama.  Again.  It was beyond infuriating.However, withdrawing from the competition hadn’t seriously crossed his mind, and an odd sense of déjà vu took hold of him when he noted the parallel to how he’d felt the day of his Free Skate in Sochi, all the way back in 2015. Yuuri had been in a state of shock after learning of Vik-chan’s death, and even though a small voice in his head had reminded him that he had the option to withdraw, a louder, more insistent one had clamored to be heard. The question it had asked had seared, painfully, like a brand on his skin: if he’d made it all this way to his first Grand Prix Final but chose to give up before doing his Free Skate, wouldn’t it mean that all of his family’s financial and emotional sacrifice, the five long years that he’d spent training in Detroit and battling homesickness, the countless panic attacks and days of wondering if he could ever truly gain his idol’s respect and attention…Wouldn’t it mean that all of it was meaningless?Yuuri now knew what a ridiculous line of thinking that was, but before he’d gained perspective in therapy, he’d shared his fears with Viktor.Repeatedly. And he’d been brought to tears each time that his love reassured him that he wouldn’t have judged him if he’d chosen to withdraw that day. (Incidentally, Viktor cried each time as well, because a Yuuri that had never competed in Sochi was a Yuuri that had never made it to the banquet. In response, he had learned to hold Viktor close, insisting that they would have found their way to each other anyway, sure as the sun rose every morning.) Similarly, he knew deep in his bones that his spouse would support him if he did, in fact, want to withdraw. Because it was absurd to think that the last four years – of their advocacy and regulatory reform efforts, of gaining confidence in his command of choreography and music choices and his jump repertoire, of a cross-country move from Russia to start all over at another skate club and build a new home for themselves – would have been worthless if he decided he didn’t have the wherewithal to skate after all.But this didn’t change the fact that Yuuri wanted closure over this chapter of their lives. Even if he gave the sloppiest, most frazzled performance of his entire career, at least he’d be ending things somewhat on his own terms. Aleksandr Gorshkov and those various other FFKKR cronies, Viktor’s bitter, estranged parents, and the legions of “fair-weather” fans that had been content to stay silent after what happened four years ago…all these individuals that reveled in Viktor’s misery would probably be elated by Yuuri’s withdrawal. And Yura’s, too. Like they could ever give them such satisfaction. Phichit
Just outside Viktor’s room, Capital Indoor Stadium (Beijing, China) - 1.5 hours later

Phichit locked eyes with Coach Perez and Coach Byun, the nervous fluttering in his stomach amplifying due to their stony expressions. Seung-Gil made another sharp, wheeling turn at the end of the hallway they were occupying, and only Gwihan seemed to be immune to the tense atmosphere that had fallen over their surroundings. She seemed perfectly content to keep pace with her human, trotting loyally at his side.After a bit of back and forth, Seung-Gil had been able to get ahold of his therapist for an emergency session, and though Phichit obviously wanted to give his fiance privacy, he couldn’t help but hone in on the way Seung-Gil’s fists restlessly clenched as he paced. Despite his obvious agitation, his voice never rose above its normal speaking volume, and in fact, there were dips and valleys where it dropped to a hushed murmur.
What could he do to help?
Phichit had felt pulled in all directions, earlier, and as much as it had clawed at his heart to leave Yuuri before Viktor had even gone into imaging, he’d needed to be at Seung-Gil’s side. Besides, he had known, instinctively, that Yuri Plisetsky would stay by Yuuri’s, especially if a panic attack were to follow; Yuri still put up a prickly front, but he had come a long way over the years in his understanding of mental health challenges like anxiety. After exiting Medic Station 2, Phichit had caught a first glimpse of his love, slumped over onto his coach’s shoulder.He’d looked awfully pale and was shaking. They’d been standing just outside one of the stadium’s single occupancy bathrooms, and he’d immediately hurried to Seung-Gil’s other side. Together, he and Coach Byun had convinced him to take a seat on a nearby empty bench, and Phichit had kneeled in the part of Seung-Gil’s legs, his heart aching at how badly his hands were trembling. Just as he’d also been experiencing, his fiance had obviously been having flashbacks to PyeongChang. It had felt like a nightmare: the uncertainty of what was ahead for Viktor’s health, for Yuuri’s well-being, for the competition and all the work he and his fellow competitors had put in, leading up to this momentous day.Stress had clogged Phichit’s insides, dizzying and nauseating him. For once, he’d barely been aware of his phone, though he’d suspected that Celestino was sending him text after text. At some point, he’d heard the announcement around the competition delay and had been paid a visit by his two sisters, as well as Seung-Gil’s brother. Jitae had been kind enough to head to the Olympic Village’s doggy daycare to pick up Goya and Gwihan, and Phichit had felt the first semblance of calm as both pups had scampered right over to begin nuzzling at his knees in the stadium lobby. If his fiance hadn’t buried his face so desperately in Gwihan’s neck, he might have been fooled into thinking this was just a regular cuddle session. Jitae had volunteered to wait with Gwihan in the medic tent corridor, allowing him and Seung-Gil to bring Goya into Recovery Room 2. At that point, everyone was still waiting on Viktor’s MRI results, so dread and anticipation had co-mingled thickly in the air, palpably clinging to his skin. Goya could immediately tell something was wrong, as she didn’t even do her usual overjoyed barking at the reunion. Instead, she’d whined and whimpered, gently bumping her face against Viktor’s injured leg like she wished she could heal it.Thank God his injury wasn’t worse, Phichit thought to himself just as his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, feeling a bit disoriented at the blindingly bright display.

Ciao Ciao: Ok, 1st skater from Group 2 just finished. Check in w/ me after you and Ianna wake Yuuri/Viktor up, please     Sent: 1:25pm

He caught Ianna’s eye before gingerly shouldering his skate bag and nodding in the direction of Viktor’s room. She slung an arm around him as they made their way together, and he felt a pulse of gratitude for the many years over which they’d gotten to know one another. When he and Yuuri had gotten wasted and lost their apartment keys at a Central Michigan University frat party during the 2015 off-season, it was Ianna that they’d called for “rescue”5, not Ciao Ciao. Phichit’s memories from that night were obviously hazy, but what he did remember was the way she’d gently wiped the tears off of his blubbering face, shushing his repeated apologies for having thrown up in her new car. This kind of familiarity now came in handy, as it eliminated the need for speaking.When they entered, all occupants of Recovery Room 2 – Sava, Yuri, Mila, Viktor, Yuuri, Meni and Goya – were fast asleep, and Phichit felt his lips quirk involuntarily at the veritable bird’s nest atop Yuuri’s head. His best friend’s gel-coiffed style from the morning press junket had clearly been ruined by the friction of his pillow/the sizable plushie pile. But, like Viktor’s, his face was at peace and Phichit’s conscience gave a twinge at the thought of interrupting their serenity.“Would you like to do the honors, or shall I?” Ianna whispered, hovering near Yuuri’s head and clearly also feeling reluctant. Phichit gave her A Look, and she grimaced, having correctly interpreted his “well, you’re the coach” sentiment. He was glad Viktor had had the forethought to ask her to be an extra pair of eyes for Yuuri today, especially with the dosage for his pain meds being so high. By the time Group 4 had to warm up, he wondered how lucid he’d be. “Ok, Yusha, I’m very sorry, but it’s time to face the music, as it were,” Ianna murmured, beginning to poke his head, though it looked pretty gentle.Yuuri briefly stirred, which made Viktor do the same.“Noooooo, don’ wanna,” Yuuri groaned, in the exact same pitiful way Phichit knew he would (and had heard, weekly, when they’d lived together). “Fifteen more, love…”Ianna began to increase the rapidity of her poking and Phichit decided to join in, though he focused his efforts on Viktor. “Wazzzit?” Viktor groggily questioned, pushing his hand away. “Stoppppp, Yuranya.”Goya gave a boof of what sounded like sympathy.“It’s not ‘Yuranya’, it’s Phichit. And Ianna,” he amusedly replied, feeling heartened when Viktor at least turned his face away from Yuuri’s stomach. “It’s time for you both to get up. Group 2 has already started.”Viktor spouted a few more sleepy mumbles, and Ianna seemed to be having no better luck with Yuuri.“Come on, Yuuri, don’t you want to show off your badass final Free Skate costume6?” she wheedled, now bonking him over the head with the strangely endearing trio of squid plushies that the Nishigori triplets had gifted. “The one that, and I quote: “made Yura tear up when he first saw it’?”
“What the hell?! No, I didn’t!”
Phichit giggled at Yuri’s indignant, sleep-hoarse objection, which overlapped with Yuuri’s.“Nooooo, can’t show off. Yuuri’s not here. He went bye-bye.”“Really? He went bye-bye?” Ianna questioned, looking and sounding unimpressed. “Who’s this, then, that I’m whacking over the head with these bizarrely cute plushies?”A beat of silence elapsed, and then Yuuri began wriggling his lower half, his butt shaking from side to side under the blankets.“An impost-erior.”Phichit joined Mila and Sava in the subsequent burst of laughter, which increased in volume when Yuuri felt the need to explain his joke.“Get it? Because posterior is another word for ‘butt’,” his best friend matter-of-factly remarked, though his delivery was a bit ruined on account of how his face was still smushed against his pillow.“Not even that clever,” Yuri grumbled, standing abruptly from his chair, which made an unpleasantly discordant screeching sound. All this noise seemed to have finally penetrated Viktor’s defenses, and Phichit watched as he began to rub his eyes as well as pet Meni, who’d begun to snuffle at his chin.“You all are so noisy,” he complained, with a frown. “Didn’t you get the memo that I’m injury?”Sava didn’t seem to be able to resist making the joke on everyone’s minds.“We’re sorry to bother you, ‘Injury’, but have you forgotten that you made us swear on our lives to wake you both?” he called out, having approached the bed to pet Goya. “You wanted enough time to gift Yusha his surprise before leaving the room, remember?”Viktor apparently had not remembered, because he instantly bolted upright, nearly sending Ianna tumbling to the floor in the process. All traces of sleepiness had vanished from his face.“I forgot! How could I?!” he cried, looking horrified with himself.“Cut yourself some slack. You’ve been through a bit of a whirlwind the past few hours,” Phichit wryly responded before bending down to unzip his skate bag.After a bit of rifling, he pulled out the square-shaped parcel that Vikor had so carefully wrapped in gold, skate-adored paper. It had been sitting in his duffel bag since yesterday, and a frisson of anticipation licked up his spine when he thought of the many hours that must have gone towards putting it together. Viktor had first told him about his idea back in May of last year, and Phichit had personally contributed several weeks’ worth of rooting through his old photos and social media archives, roaring with laughter at how dumb he and Yuuri had often looked during their Detroit days. “Right, well that’s our cue. Enjoy, Yusha, and we’ll see you in a bit,” Sava softly spoke up.He then waved and led Mila and Yuri from the room. “Hmmm? What’s going on?” Yuuri asked, through a gigantic yawn.He had now risen from his slumped position and was hunched forward, clinging to Viktor’s back like a barnacle.For some reason, the sight made Phichit’s chest ache.“You’ll see. Just a little something to commemorate the importance of today,” he thickly answered, speaking around the lump that had formed in his constricting throat.Yuuri snapped his head up to look at him in concern, and he knew he had only around ten seconds or so before he’d start crying, outright.“I’ll be right outside when you’re ready to leave,” Phichit choked out before hastily dumping the gold-wrapped gift into Viktor’s lap. He wheeled around to face the door and though he almost stopped at Yuuri’s soft, bemused “Phichit-kun?” , he willed himself to continue his exit. He’d only just barely made it out of the room before he felt his face crumple, and was distantly aware that Ianna had followed him. Blinking through his tears, he could see that she had dropped to her knees and was pulling his favorite Dua Sleep-a hamster plushie from his skate bag.As she pressed it into his neck, Phichit blurted out a teary laugh against Dua’s sewn-in microphone and took a second to note that he couldn’t see Seung-Gil anywhere in the hallway. It was just as well; his fiance was battling his own turmoil and didn’t need to stop his therapy session to attend to him.Ianna passed him a tissue and as he tried to compose himself, he wondered why the enormity of Yuuri’s last ever skate was crashing over him so forcefully again. Phichit thought he’d come to terms with it over the last few weeks, and certainly after skating his Short Program7. But perhaps it was more than just a matter of what was inside of that golden parcel. And it probably wasn’t just the anticipation of having to skate later under less than favorable circumstances. It was the dawning realization that his big performance, and Seung-Gil’s, and Yuuri’s …All of their redemptive skates would occur against a backdrop of old wounds, ripped anew. How foolish he’d been, to assume they’d no longer bleed.

ViktorMeni scrambled to the edge of the bed as if to follow after Ianna and gave a bereft-sounding yip. “Commemorate the importance of today?” Yuuri echoed, blinking blearily and shifting his gaze from the closed door. “What just happened, and why did Phichit-kun look like he was about to cry?”Even amidst his current pleasant floatiness, Viktor could tell how confused Yuuri was. He smiled apologetically and held up the gift-wrapped parcel.“It was probably because of what’s in here,” he replied, making an effort to speak more slowly than he normally would. “He was one of the biggest contributors. I actually meant to give this to you earlier, because I assumed it would make us both emotional and wanted to leave enough time before the warmup for us to compose ourselves. But then, with what happened…”Viktor trailed off, forgetting what he’d meant to say next.His current dose of Tramadol – which he wasn’t unfamiliar with – had kicked in only half an hour after he’d ingested it. That, plus the hour nap he and his husband took left him feeling fuzzy around the edges, all of his senses dulled (though luckily not too seriously compromised).While he knew all the correct shapes his lips were supposed to be making in order to speak, his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. It was embarrassing, but even so, Viktor knew Yuuri would never make fun of him for stumbling over his words or mixing up his tenses. He watched as his favorite pair of eyes widened as they took in what he was holding. “Aww, Viten’ka, you didn’t have to give me anything,” Yuuri whispered, tightening his arms around him, which made his heart flutter. “I’m just glad that you’re ok…and that we’re all together.”He nodded at the dogs while uttering this last sentence and Viktor smiled, tucking Goya more firmly against his side. It was amazing how intuitive their pups were; both Meni and Goya were highly energetic, but neither had tried to jump on his injured leg, and had limited their enthusiasm to licking his face and snuggling against his good side. “I know I didn’t have to, but you deserve to be reminded of how brilliant you are, and how proud you’ve made not only me, but so many others, too,” he quietly responded. “So…indulge me?”With this, Viktor set the parcel down onto his love’s thigh and watched as he began to unwrap it, hardly able to contain his excitement. Yuuri had been extremely moved last summer when he’d surprised him with a pair of golden skate blades, manufactured by the same company that had made his own so many years ago. After the idea had come to him in a dream as a way to mark the beginning of their last season working together, he’d gotten them engraved with the word ‘champion’ on each blade in Russian as well as Japanese. But in terms of today itself, Viktor had wanted to put together a more collaborative gift, because Yuuri’s career had injected life and love into many peoples’ lives beyond just his. Additionally, even though his spouse tended to downplay this fact to a frustrating degree, he had been inspiring people long before Viktor had become his coach, and he’d wanted this second gift to emphasize that. With the help of Minako, Mari-neechan, Phichit, Yuuko, Yura, Kenjirou, and countless others, he’d painstakingly cobbled together a record of his amazing Yuuri’s career, the culmination of which now laid on the bed in the form of a thick scrapbook. Viktor had gotten the phrase We Call Everything On The Ice Love embossed in golden lettering across the front cover, and underneath it was a stunning watercolor image that he’d commissioned from Mila8. It depicted an adorably chubby-cheeked, eleven-year-old Yuuri in his starting position at his first ever skating competition: the Chu-Shikoku-Kyushu Regional Championships back in early October 2004.  The event had taken place just over seven months after his husband had first seen him skate, at the Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Viktor’s chest ached whenever he thought of how nervous he must have been to skate in front of an audience for the first time, and he wasn’t embarrassed to admit that he’d dropped a kiss or two to the surface of the painting over the last few weeks, his heart swelling with love at the thought of his brave Yuuri.“Oh, anata, this is beautiful…”His love’s voice petered out into a hush as he brushed gentle fingers over the image, depicting his preteen self in a relatively simple but polished black, white, and gold costume9. “Is this Mila’s handiwork?” he warmly asked, beaming when Viktor nodded a confirmation.   Yuuri was already looking misty-eyed, and his heart flip-flopped at this realization.“You haven’t even opened it yet,” he teased, bringing a hand up to thumb at his lash line.Yuuri giggled in response and then his breath hitched, presumably, at what he discovered to be on the inside cover: a photo of him, Yuuko, Takeshi, and puppy Vik-chan at the Ice Castle, taken during the 2004 off-season (as noted in the caption). Yuuri and Yuuko were laughing at Takeshi, who looked quite disgruntled at the fact that Vik-chan was drooling all over his hand. Opposite the first photo on the other page was another from that off-season, again depicting his spouse and Yuuko, though this time, they were both on the ice, their arms outstretched in matching poses. The caption read: Yuuri and Yuuko imitating Viktor’s 2003-2004 Short Program .Below the first photo were several paragraphs of kanji written in Yuuko’s neat scrawl, and below the second was another written blurb, authored by Takeshi.“Well, here we go…I’m definitely going to cry while reading these, I can already tell,” Yuuri muttered.  Yuuri, I assume you’re reading this on the day of your Free Skate in Beijing, which would mean that today marks a whopping seventeen-and-a-half years since you first took the ice as a Novice skater at your first ever competition.
Do you remember it?!

I was mad at okaasan for almost making us late to see you – you know how she is…driving slower than a snail – but she made up for it when she showed me the ‘Viktor at the World Championships’ plushie that she’d bought as a surprise, so that I could throw it onto the ice after you finished. I couldn’t really tell what you’d thought of your performance when the music stopped and everyone applauded; you looked a little shell-shocked and your mouth went all wobbly.

But I do remember your eyes lighting up when you saw the plushie on your way to the rink boards to accept a hug from Minako-sensei. You scooped it up and pressed it to your chest, and my mom began to cry almost immediately about how adorable you looked and how proud she was of you.

Even then, Vik-chan was such an inspiration to you, and look at you, now…he’s been your coach for almost six years, and the person who’s seen you through an Olympic gold medal victory, 3 World Championship titles, 3 Grand Prix Final wins and countless other accolades.
But, as he reminded me when he approached me about this gift idea, you were a champion even before he came into your life. You might not have had as many gold medals as you do now, but is that really what makes for a champion’s spirit? I don’t think so, and since I’m the one that introduced you to him, that has to count for something! 
I and so many others have seen how you have pushed yourself to new heights time and time again: after panic attacks and days where you botched more jumps than you landed, after you injured your ankle last year at Four Continents, after Vik-chan’s death and the Sochi Grand Prix Final, and, of course, after the scandal four years ago.

No one would have blamed you if you’d decided that you wanted the 2018 Games to be your last Winter Olympics. But here you are.

Over the last four years, you didn’t only fight to improve yourself as a skater; you fought alongside Vik-chan and many others for ethics reform and a judging standards overhaul, so that the sport of figure skating would be more fair for all the athletes to come after you. Not to mention, when we first began seriously discussing establishing a training center in Hasetsu, you were the first one to make the stipulation around supporting athletes from smaller federations, and doing away with the ‘business as usual’ tradition of only backing Japanese skaters.

If that isn’t the hallmark of a champion – making your own, unique mark on the sport regardless of what the naysayers would tell you – then I really don’t know what is.

No matter what happens after you take your starting position on the ice, I hope you’ll remember that you will always be a beacon of strength for so many. For me, my girls, and yes, even Takeshi, no matter how much he strives to humble you ;)

Love,

Yuuko

Sure enough, tears began to cascade down his husband’s cheeks around halfway through reading Yuuko’s message, and Viktor flipped to the back inside cover, where he’d neatly folded and clipped multiple handkerchiefs. Many of these had actually been hand stitched by Yuuri’s fans from all over the world: a fact that he couldn’t wait to point out, along with some of the fanmail he’d included.Yuuri spluttered a laugh at his preparedness and took one, whipping his glasses off in one swift motion. As he began to clean them he looked up at him with a squint.“I assume that somewhere in here is a similarly heartfelt message from you?” he questioned, his tone a bit hard to decipher. “I ask, because if so, you’ll need to give me a ranking on a 1-to-10 scale of how sappy it is. Because that’ll determine how soon before I take the ice I should read it.”His love put his glasses back on and then continued to speak, his next sentence sounding like an afterthought.“I won’t be able to get into my starting position if I’m blubbering all over the place.”Viktor blinked slowly and then grinned, feeling a glow of triumph in his chest as he thought back to their extremely memorable exchange, right before Yuuri took the ice for what he thought would be his last performance in Barcelona. He knew he’d never forget what his then-fiance had told him, jokingly scolding him for his attempt at trying to sound like a coach.“Give me more credit, lyubimiy10,” he quipped, wielding his own handkerchief so that it snapped lightly against Yuuri’s arm. “Did you really think that I’d forget what you told me back in Barcelona? I’m a bit closer to a “model coach” now, but I still wrote my message with the goal of making you smile for your last time on the ice.”His spouse gave a sharp inhale. And then his lip began to wobble.Instead of laughing as Viktor assumed he would, Yuuri flung his arms around his neck and began to bawl . “S-see?! This is what I m-mean!” he all but wailed into his shoulder, prompting him to go completely still in shock. “You can’t say such s-s-sappy things!”Goya and Meni both reacted much quicker than he did, beginning to nose at each of Yuuri’s arms, the sight of which spurred him to reciprocate his husband’s hold.“Awww, I’m sorry, Yuranya,” Viktor managed to coo, even though he truly did feel like giggling at this unexpected reaction. Always a surprise, his Yuuri…

End of Chapter 20
  Footnotes:1. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment translating to “baby”. This version is gendered maleBack 2. In this chapter, the sentences in bold denote conversation in Russian. It was only briefly mentioned in the Reddit content for Chapter 14, but I have a headcanon that Yuuri would have enlisted his parents/sister/the Nishigoris and Minako in a scheme to learn Russian so that they could make Viktor feel like part of the family in time for the Katsuki-Nikiforov wedding. If this sounds like the kind of sappy thing you’d enjoy, check out this one-shot that I recently wrote about thatBack 3. Japanese term of endearment, mostly used by Japanese wives for their husbands. Though this pet name is somewhat old-fashioned, my understand is that it’s similar to the English endearment “dear”Back 4. You may remember my use of this word from Chapter 18. This is the romanized version of the Russian expression for ‘motherland’, or ‘place of birth’ (for a native). It is a feminine-gendered expressionBack 5. I’ve never written anything pre-canon, but I think it’d be really fun to try my hand at bringing this scene to life. I feel like drunk Phichit/drunk Yuuri and a very amused Ianna would be a great combo. Maybe she takes them to Denny’s and forces them to sober up (oh, and she confiscates Yuuri’s phone when he tries to update his Tumblr while still drunk, lmao)Back 6. I can’t remember if I’ve shared this before, but in case there are other fashion/makeup aficionados out there, I wanted to note that I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration for Yuuri/others’ skating costumes from the Instagram accounts of avant garde makeup artist Cindy Chen @cindychendesigns), as well as the haute couture designer Iris Van Herpen. If you’d like to see some of the images that have inspired the Free Skate costumes that will be described in the remaining chapters, you can do so at this Squidge album linkBack 7. If you’re not subscribed to the series as a whole, you may not realize that there are multiple other completed parts, including part 7, which details Phichit and Yuuri’s Short Programs. Phichit’s music selection is a very deliberate choice about rivalry and is meant to represent his conflicting emotions around Yuuri’s retirementBack 8. If you have read part 5 of the series, you may remember my headcanon that Mila is a very talented artist. In that story, she helped Yuuri with putting together a surprise “fairytale” book for Viktor, so it seemed fitting for her to help the other half of our favorite skating duo as wellBack 9. The costume I’m referring to is the one that the inimitable Yuzuru Hanyu wore during his first skating season (2004-2005). According to planethanyu.com, his first competition (as a smol, cute Novice B skater) was the Tohoku-Hokkaido Regional Championship, but given Yuuri is from Saga prefecture, he probably would have gone to his version of a regional competition, which is the same as what canon depictsBack 10. Romanized version of the Russian term of endearment translating to “beloved”. This endearment is gendered maleBack