I'm sorry I have to re-upload this. Just some things to clear my mind about this.
This is set before the events in YoI episode 7. Hope you enjoy this
A Russian remedy
"Could you at least stop telling me off? I can't even think straight."
Yuuri fell down for the fourth time while practising his performance and Viktor was not helping at all. It was already late in the evening and the competition was in about a few hours. On the icy floor, Yuuri thought about how his most favourite ice-skater and him ended up in an icy gym of China. Since he was given another chance into ice-skating after his disastrous failure, both him and Viktor had come to an understanding, or so it seemed. Despite Viktor's inexperience as a coach, Yuuri had improvised a lot and they were both eager to succeed in the competition. But Yuuri's face did not show signs of success.
"I told you. You need to concentrate on your jumps. Look." Viktor said while pointing at Yuuri and he then proceeded to make a perfect demonstartion of a quadruple toe loop. Yuuri frowned.
"Of course. It's so easy for the best ice-skater of the world to say. " He said as he stood up. "You don't have to deal with these useless legs of mine."
"There's nothing wrong with your legs. It's your vision."
"Well I can't see very well without my glasses, can I?" Yuuri sounded exasperated.
"It's not that, Yuuri. I was referring to your own vision." Viktor stopped skating to stand in front of Yuuri with a serious look. "Do you think failing and giving up all efforts is the solution?"
"That's everything I've been doing during this week." Yuuri muttered. "And I've put a lot of effort. It's just I can't."
Viktor raised an eyebrow. "You're not helping."
"I'm not supposed to be the one who helps the other!" Despite Yuuri's clear exasperation, Viktor continued reprehending him.
"There's very little you can do if you don't let yourself improve. You need to change."
Yuuri felt insulted. He really had changed, but some changes were just too slow to take. Or so he hoped.
"And I did it! And you know what for? For nothing! Oh well, yes. For failing at the same jumps, the same times as a little child would do, and at being the same stupid, hopeless me!"
Viktor gave a long sigh. It was not that Yuuri had not changed at all during his time with him, in fact he had been quite surprised with his previous performance, but the young ice-skater was a tough nut to crack.
"You are impossible."
Yuuri seemed to freeze at those words. He stared at Viktor not blinking. How could he have said that after all this time? Had he not seen how hard he was trying his best? Then, for Viktor's surprise, Yuuri stepped on outside the ice rink turning his back at him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm done with this."
"What do you mean?"
In a long moment of hesitation, Yuuri turned around but avoided looking at his clear eyes. "You've said it yourself. I'm impossible. I will be failing over and over. If so, I could do the jump right with dumb luck. At least that's what I'm good at."
Viktor did not have a chance to speak back as Yuuri left in a rush, leaving Viktor wondering if he had said something to hurt him. He knew Yuuri was more sensitive than him, but to make things worse, he did not know how to deal with that sensitiveness of Yuuri. Yet a tear over his cheek when he hardly turned back to him was enough to tell him that he had affected Yuuri with his words.
He caressed his white hair sleepily.
"What a day… and it had to be before his most complicated performance."
Viktor left the gym and walked over the streets under the dark sky. By the time he reached to the hotel, he thought about Yuuri. He must have got to a point of physical exhaustion, yet he had performed perfectly in everything. Except in that jump. Now that the cold air cleared his mind, he came to a realisation. The fact that Yuuri still failed was not something related to his physics, but to something that still put him over the edge.
Ah. So that's why he started crying…
Viktor shook his head, flying away his bad thoughts about Yuuri. He knew how poorly the boy thought of himself. But he knew just what to do.
And he knew how to do it.
Dinner went less problematic than usual. Viktor did not drink even a bit of beer, nor saké, nor vodka; and that came as a surprise but also as a relief for Yuuri's colleagues. They thought that maybe it was because that was the last night and everyone needed to wake up fresh for the competition. Although Yuuri looked anything but fresh.
"Yuuri, is something wrong?" Phichit asked stopping him in the corridor.
"Ah, don't worry, Phichit. It's just that I feel exhausted." Yuuri smiled. "Sleep is all I need right now."
"Yes, that definitely would help with the bags under your eyes." Yuuri opened his eyes, annoyed at his ignorance of what he looked like. "So, you've been training a lot today?"
"Yeah, though it doesn't seem to have been very useful."
Phichit looked worried. "Why is that?" Yuuri did not answer. "Oh, you mean, you still have problems with that jump?"
Yuuri nodded. He cursed himself for being so tired that he could barely speak with his friend. And that only worsened his low self-esteem.
Then, a clear voice startled him. "Yuuri."
Viktor was standing behind him, his white eyebrows curved in a grumpy expression, deep blue eyes wrinkled. Yuuri frowned. That serious part of Viktor was actually odd; and frightening, in Phichit's opinion, but Yuuri did not care.
"What do you want?" Phichit startled at the defensive tone of Yuuri towards Viktor.
"Come."
Yuuri frowned harder. What did Viktor think Yuuri was? A dog?
"Where exactly?"
"To sleep. Come with me."
Yuuri snorted, too loud for Phichit and Viktor to not notice. Viktor suppressed a sigh, then he held out his hand. Yuuri stared at if for a very long time but made no sign of moving.
"I think I know how to walk."
"I thought you said you had useless legs."
Phichit could feel the cold tension growing more and more and thought it was his time to leave them alone.
"Well, Yuuri, see you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep."
"Thanks. Same to you, Phichit."
Phichit left and Yuuri's headache started to get worse as the thought of dealing with the 'serious Viktor'.
Stupid Viktor. I should be the one to be mad at you, not the other way round.
"Yuuri." This time the voice he heard was a soft and gentle one. True Viktor's voice. All the unease that had congested his body and mind disappeared when he looked at him, his pale face now showed concern.
Yuuri sighed hopelessly.
"I'm fine, if that's what you want to know."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, I've got a bit of a headache but it's not import-" Before he could finish, Viktor had taken his hand and was dragging him to his room. "Stop, Viktor! Don't pull me so hard!"
Viktor refused to do what he said. Yuuri could feel eyes staring at them as they crossed the stairs and corridors, and he thought he felt a picture being taken. Lucky for him, his room was near. Then, Yuuri was surprised to see Viktor opening his door with his own keycard.
"How did you get my keycard? No, forget it. I don't want to know how you flirted with the receptionist."
"I'm your coach, silly. Remember?" Viktor said while closing the door after them. He did not bother to switch the lights on. Yuuri felt something was wrong with Viktor.
"What the hell are you doing? Viktor-"
It occurred just in a blink of an eye, and Yuuri was suddenly lying on the large bed under Viktor's body.
He felt like freezing again. His awkwardness because of human contact was infamous, and he had his reasons; but the growing heart rate felt like a new experience which was unusual and he was not sure how to deal with it.
"What are you-?"
"Ssh. You just needed it."
The grip was firm. Of course it was not the first time he was hugged, specially by Viktor, the Russian man could barely stop himself from hugging people he liked. Hugging was not something Yuuri longed for, nor that he was totally dissatisfied with, but somehow there was a difference when the person was Viktor. A warmth breath near his ear was enough proof for his doubts.
"You're very fond of this."
He could feel Viktor's wide smile on his neck.
"I don't hear you complaining."
Yuuri mumbled. "As if I could manage."
Viktor did not answer back. Yuuri's glasses were taken off carefully and put on the bedside table, a warm hand started caressing his head slowly.
"Are you singing me a lullaby now?" Yuuri joked.
"No." Viktor said and put a chaste kiss on his temple. "I want you to sleep, not to laugh at me."
"What? Is that Viktor Nikiforov admitting his bad musical ability?"
Viktor decided to chuckle.
"Yes. And I would like to hear the same from you"
Yuuri's eyes opened and his shoulders tensed.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Viktor stopped to look him into his eyes. Yuuri was speechless. There was no trace of disappointment or resentment as he expected after their argue in the ice-skating gym, but utter concern in his blue eyes.
"I know I'm not good at singing, but that doesn't stop me from trying it, does it?"
Yuuri blinked, still not realising what Viktor was trying to say to him. So Viktor moved away and sat onto his knees. Then he took a deep breath and sang.
It was certainly a lullaby in Russian since Yuuri could not figure out the words but the depth sounds were clue enough. Viktor took his time to vocalise the notes, sometimes he sang them without stopping, other times he frowned as he was having a hard time to intone them correctly. Of course due to his inexperience a shaky false note had to slip out.
Yuuri did not miss that mistake and looking at the blush that grew in Viktor's cheeks he could no longer hold back his laughter. It seemed there had been a long time since he laughed like that, because his stomach started aching, but it was pleasant as well. A tear slipped out despite having his eyes shut, because of this he also missed Viktor's embarrassing grimace. After a moment, Yuuri came back to reality.
Never before had he felt so relieved. He was breathing hard and he could tell almost all his muscles were aching, but he had enjoyed it a lot.
Viktor seemed to have forgotten all his embarrassment as a tender smile crossed his face.
"I'm glad I was able to entertain you."
"Sorry, I just couldn't help it." Yuuri said, his breathing slowed. "It was funny to hear you singing with no experience at all."
"I told you I was really bad at it, but I still tried it, didn't I?" Yuuri stared at him. "Imagine if I practise with the help of someone who can. Wouldn't I sing better?."
Yuuri was at a loss for words, his eyes started to tear up as he figured it all out, figured out everything Viktor had been trying to say. Viktor lay his forehead against his; a warm air filled the gap between them.
"You're allowed to fail. It's part of your growth. And whenever you fall down, I'll be right there to help you stand back up. Always."
After that, Viktor leaned forward and kissed his wet cheek.
Yuuri wanted to share his fears about him, and their future as coach and pupil. But it was not the time. He had to believe in Viktor. He always had.
"Let's go to sleep now."
Yuuri nodded and did not complain when Viktor took the duvet and covered them up.
"Thanks, Viktor."
Viktor smiled while tightened his grip around Yuuri, falling asleep.
"Any time."
Now I'm in YoI hell and there is no escape at all. Not that I want to find one, of course 8D. So I'll be writing more one-shots as long as I'm hyped
