A/N:I feel I must say this to preempt flames. I read a lot of fanfiction and love a lot of different tropes, head canons and cliches. I have no desire to disparage those who write Yurio as innocent and naive, however I did want to wrote him a bit more realistically. Taking from my own experiences at the age of 14 I have a hard time writing someone innocent and only naive in some ways. There are too many facts that point to him being more jaded and mature than your average 14 yr old including no father to speak of, and absentee mother and a grandfather who is often ill. I do hope everyone likes my take on the old time travel cliche (I just want my 3 fav characters to be together and Yuuri to have a bit more confidence).
Disclaimer: I own neither Yuri on Ice nor it's characters and make no money from this story.
The End and the Beginning
Yuuri collapsed into his husband's arms as the casket was lowered into the ground. It wasn't fair, Yuri had only been 28 when he was killed. It was between seasons and he had been out for a night on the town with friends; Otabek being one of them. Yuuri had held the younger man as he had sobbed and told them of the car driving up onto the sidewalk where they had been walking and Yuri had pushed him out of the way just an instance before he had been struck.
It was like a series of flash forwards. Blink, the call. Blink, the hospital. Blink, Otabek. Blink, the memorial. Blink, the funeral. And there they were, Viktor wrapped tightly around Yuuri crying just as hard but trying to be strong for Yuuri; trudging through slushy wet snow to the car to go home and leaving Yuri behind.
The tears never stopped; not on the drive home, not through his shower trying to warm up after spending the afternoon in the cold and not standing there on the balcony of their hotel room. They had Yuri's body transported to Moscow to lay him to rest next to his Grandfather and the room that Viktor had booked for them was bright, warm and luxurious; Yuuri couldn't stand it. So he stood out in the cold with only a blanket covering his pajamas, looking up at the night sky. It was almost too bright to see the stars that had just started twinkling above but that wasn't what Yuuri was seeing with his head tipped back and tears leaking slowly but steadily down his soft plump cheeks.
Yuuri startled slightly when a pair of long slender arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. Viktor pressed a kiss to the top of his head and Yuuri leaned back into his husbands chest, resting his head on Viktor's shoulder. "Talk to me моя любовь." He said softly.
Yuuri smiled gently, "I was thinking of the first time I met Yuri, such a small boy with a big presence, I couldn't put him or that confrontation out of my head. It took me so long to see, to read between the lines with him. You both pushed me but you were strong and steady; he was a whirlwind. I regret never telling him how we felt. I just want to have the chance to tell him that somewhere in between our sit up competition and that damn exhibition that he grew into a beautiful young man that clawed his way into our hearts."
The subject was something he and Viktor had spoken about years ago. It wasn't until after the Grand Prix in Barcelona that he and Viktor sat down and had an in depth talk about their relationship, Yuuri had no desire to start a relationship with secrets so it had all come out from both of them. After the whole 'Let's end this' fiasco they had learned their lesson about sitting down and talking until they got their point across. Both he and Viktor had felt so guilty falling in love with someone so young and not each other that it took time to come to terms with it. Many nights were spent speaking in hushed whispers figuring out the when and hows and whys.
At the time they had decided not to say anything, for one he wouldn't turn 16 for a few months after their talk and two they had assumed he and Otabek had started a relationship especially after the exhibition skate. So they put off telling Yuri anything and by the time they found out years later that he and Otabek had been nothing but the closest of friends. Then their insecurities held them back from saying anything, they just kept putting it off with one excuse after another. It was something both he and Viktor would always regret.
"Oh мышонок I know." Viktor pressed another kiss to his husbands temple and tipped his head back to look up at the dark sky. Both lost in their own thoughts. They both saw it at the same time, the light of a star making its way across the sky.
"Make a wish Витюша3."
I wish we had another chance to see Yuri again. I wish we had told him we love him. I wish we could see him one more time.
Yuuri closed his eyes and let out another sob, more tears cascading down already damp cheeks. Viktor tightens his arms around Yuuri for a moment before leading him back inside where the heat of the room hits him like a slap to the face. It's then that Yuuri realizes how cold he was and starts shivering. "Come Yuuri. Let's go to bed we have a long day tomorrow." They have the trip back to St. Petersburg and then they promised to help Otabek go through Yuri's Apartment. It was going to be an ordeal for all three of them.
They lay in bed with their legs and fingers tangled together, they talked and reminisced over the past and their shared loved of Yuri and their loss of him in their life. They cried until they fell into a comfortable silence then an uneasy sleep.
A loud frantic pounding woke Yuuri the next morning. It startled him so badly he didn't even grab his glasses as he tumbled out of bed. He didn't notice he had been on the wrong side of the bed or that it wasn't his joints that ached only his muscles, and he certainly didn't notice that his pounding head was caused by a hangover and not an excess of crying.
Yuuri fumbled with the lock before yanking the door open. He only saw the blurred outline and silver hair of his husband but couldn't for the life of him figure out why Viktor would be banging on the door like his life was in danger. It wouldn't be the first time he had forgotten the key card. "Viktor what's the problem?" Yuuri asked as he turned back to retrieve his glasses expecting his husband to follow behind.
He grabbed his glasses off the nightstand and shoved them on his face only then paying attention to the pounding in his head and his stomach twisting nauseously.
"Yuuri? You remember me?" Viktor asked his voice trembling and thick. Yuuri spun quickly to face his husband standing just in the room with the door closed behind him.
"Of-" Yuuri began. His sentence cut off abruptly as he finally got a good look at Viktor. His husband looked so much younger than when they had gone to bed the night before. Even crying and timid as he seemed to be at the moment he was so beautiful, like the man he had first met over a decade ago. His mouth hung open as his eyes darted around a hotel that was familiar but Yuuri couldn't seem to remember why. "Viktor what's going on?"
"You know me right?" He asked, hope blooming in crystalline blue eyes.
"Of course I know you, you're my husband. I just- what's going on? I don't understand."
Viktor rushed to his husband and wrapped Yuuri in a hug so tight he almost couldn't breathe. After letting out a shuddering sigh of relief he pulled back and released Yuuri. "Grab your phone and look at the date." Yuuri did as Viktor bid while he listened to his rambling. "I woke up and you weren't there and I was in a hotel room I hadn't seen in such a long time. It took me a while to stop panicking and grab my phone to call you. I didn't even realize the date was wrong until after I figured out your number wasn't in my phone. I just did what I always do and rush in head first without thinking about what I'm doing. So I called the front desk and got your room number."
Yuuri couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was the morning after the disastrous GPF banquet. Well, that explained the hangover, he couldn't help but think. "This is just too bizarre. Did we have the same dream about a life we lived for 14 years or come back in time or…or…. I just can't think of any other options." Yuuri threw his hands up in exasperation. "My head hurts too much to think properly right now." He left Viktor sitting on the edge of the bed finally calm and quiet. In his suitcase was a bottle of generic Ibuprofen that Phichit always made him carry for minor aches, bumps and bruises. He went to the bathroom downed 2 cups of water with the pills and scrubbed the horrid taste from his mouth before rejoining Viktor back in the room.
"How are you so calm." Victor looked up at him curiously.
Yuuri shook his head, "I don't know. All I do know is you were freaking out and I needed to calm you down and the hangover I have will not thank me for getting worked up. So right now we are going to calmly talk this out. We are going to assume that we either dreamed 14 years together or traveled back in time because really what other explanation is there, I don't even want to try to figure out how this happened right now because if I remember correctly we both are on a time limit. When does your flight leave to go back to St. Petersburg?"
Viktor looked down at his phone, "2 hours, but Yakov or Yura could come looking for me sooner than that."
Yuuri gasped and covered his mouth with his hand and tried to stop the tears threatening to fall. "Oh god. Yura is alive Viktor." Then he was rushing to jump on Viktor's lap while kissing him and laughing joyously. "We did it, we made a wish and it came true. We have another chance Viktor," And after a moment Viktor was kissing Yuuri back just a frantically while he cried happily. It took them a little while to calm down again, Yuuri stayed on the older man's lap needing the closeness a little.
"We both need a shower and to get dressed. You have to leave soon, so we should meet in the lobby and grab something to eat, we'll talk and plan what we're going to do while we eat. Alright?"
"Da, It's just going to be hard to be away from you again." Viktor whined.
Yuuri ran his hand through soft silver strands. "I know 最愛の. We don't have much of a choice right now though." Yuuri stood up and held out his hand to pull Viktor up off the bed and pushed him gently toward the door. "Go shower, I'll meet you downstairs in about 20 minutes."
They decided to walk to a little restaurant not far from the hotel and thankfully it was still early enough that there was no press around. Yuuri and Viktor sat in a booth to the back where they could have a relatively private conversation, though they mostly kept to Japanese so if they happened to be over heard it was likely no one would understand. Victor went for his usual coffee and blini while Yuuri who still needed to be on a diet went for porridge with raspberry jam and tea. Their food being delivered gave them some quiet without being interrupted to finish their conversation.
"Right now the best plan would be for us to go home since we both have Nationals coming up and I still have school to finish. I have no recollection of my Short or Free programs, so I am going to have to look up videos from the GP series and Final to see if it will jog my memory. If not I'll have to use programs I do remember and loose the few pounds I gained from nervous eating, I don't think I could do a quad sal or flip the way I am now. I might remember how to do them but I don't have the muscle memory anymore."
"Wasn't your theme for this season Romance or something like that. I faintly remember you used the music from Lohengrin." Viktor pointed out after a thoughtful pause. "I'm not sure if you should rework those programs or not. They just don't seem to fit you anymore, not the theme the music. You could always do your Love programs," He suggested.
"No, that will be for next season just like before and you will coach Yura with the Agape SP like you promised. You can't abandon him again, I think that was a big part of what went wrong before. You chose me over him, I won't let you do that to him, not after being abandoned by his mother. Our best bet would be to go home and work on our programs for the nationals. I have 11 days to figure out what I am going to do since the Japan nationals are on the 22nd. Yours start on the 23rd and Yura's start January 21st." Yuuri stopped to take a sip of his rapidly cooling tea. This was going to be a daunting undertaking.
"I have no plans on bombing Nationals again but I am going to need every spare minute in the next 11 days to get myself in better condition and my jumps more stable." Viktor grabbed Yuuri's hand and pressed a smiling kiss to his fingers causing the younger man to smile at him lovingly.
"You've put a lot of thought into this in such a little space of time." Viktor looked a little overwhelmed, "How do remember all the dates?"
Yuuri shrugged but kept hold of Viktor's hand. "I'm the one who kept track for both of us once I moved to Russia. Knowing I'm going to be so far away from you for so long is making me anxious. I'm trying to channel it all into coming up with a plan that we both can live with. You coming with me back to Detroit would cause too many problems, you'll end up pushing away Yakov and Yura. Yakov was pretty much fine after yelling at you but Yura was so angry with both of us for such a long time, I don't want to alienate him now that we have another chance, even if we can only be friends. You need to go back and you need to talk to him," When Viktor opened his mouth to protest, Yuuri waved his hand.
"I don't mean tell him how we feel, I mean talk to him like a person, like an equal. I know before you used to treat him like a child and I know he's only 14 now but under all the anger he's more mature than most teenagers his age. He's had to grow up a lot faster than others between his family situation and his Grandfather's failing health. He lives by himself and is financially independent; he deserves better than being treated like a child, everyone else does that enough."
Viktor nodded in agreement, "As for your programs why don't you use the last one we were working on for Yura, it was completed all you'll have to do is downgrade the jumps until you feel it necessary and recycle a previous exhibition that you remember; not Stammi Vicino. That's for us to do next season." A phone chirping cut into the conversation, Viktor released Yuuri's hand to dig through his pockets.
"Yura and Yakov," he mumbled without taking his eyes from the screen. He spent a moment to reply before locking it and placing it down on the table. "As much as I hate it, you have the best plan. Since you have the least amount of time to travel I can come visit you before 4CC and maybe bring Yura too, but what about after Worlds?"
"The beginning of February is probably the best time to visit my family, I can spend 2 weeks at home then meet Celestino in Taiwan. As for after worlds hopefully by then I'll have redeemed myself and perhaps Yakov will agree to take me on. My contract will be up for review and I'd rather not just take off on Celestino or Phichit in the middle of the season. You know I've never had a problem with moving to St. Petersburg and at this point it's more home to me than anywhere else. We have to face the fact that you coaching and competing put a lot of stress on you. You have an extra year to skate this time and if we can get Yakov to coach me next season and you choreograph my programs it will take a lot of strain off of you and we can enjoy skating and competing together. Me, you and Yura, we can have fun this time doing what we love."
Viktor smiled adoringly at Yuuri and Yuuri was helpless against that smile, it was so happy and real he could do nothing but smile back. Until they were interrupted once again this time by a bump to the table and a growling Russian accented voice, "What's the idiot doing here."
"Yura, you came!" Viktor exclaimed brightly.
"Yuri, why don't you join us before your flight." Yuuri smiled up at him sweetly. Viktor had already started scooting toward the middle of the booth and flagging down a waitress.
He grumbled under his breath but slid into Viktors now vacant spot. He ordered nothing but a cup of tea and scowled at Yuuri and Viktor until it was set down in front of him.
"We got off on the wrong foot yesterday and I feel I should apologize for the banquet last night," Yuuri looked down at his hands resting on the table. It didn't matter how long ago it happened Vicchan was and always would be a sore spot. A pale hand with long graceful fingers entered his sight.
"Yuuri?" Viktors worried voice snapped him back to the conversation at hand. He covered Viktors hand with his own and smiled at him reassuringly. He glanced back at Yuri who was now frowning at both of them instead of scowling.
"The night before my free skate I got a call that my dog died. I got him when I was 12. I didn't sleep at all and then I… got anxious and sabotaged myself." He looked back up at Yuri who was still frowning but now his lips were pulled down at the corners. "I'm sorry for how badly I performed and for my behaviour at the banquet last night."
Yuri slapped his hand down on the table, "That's no reason to give up."
Yuuri laughed lightly there was the Yuri he knew and loved, "Who said I was giving up? I have no plans to retire anytime soon."
"Good. I'll be taking gold from the old man for my debut and you'd better make it to the GPF." Yuri growled, pointing a finger at Yuuri in a very familiar way causing Yuuri to laugh again.
"You both will be in for a fight next season but first I'll be going after Viktor's gold at Worlds." He grinned at the two Russians. "I expect you to get Gold at Junior Worlds, Yuri, since you did so wonderfully and won gold for the JGPF." Yuri ducked his head to look at his phone but not before Yuuri caught sight of the light blush dusting the teens cheeks.
Yuri jumped up from the table, "We need to go finish packing old man." He turned without looking up from his phone and left them to scramble behind. Viktor paid as they pulled on their coats and rushed out the door to find Yuri leaning against the wall outside.
Yuuri walked along in silence, while Yuri yelled at Viktor he mentally went over the Program they had put together for Yuri. Ambitious was an understatement, they were both fast paced and high in technical points. Not impossible though at this point in his life both programs would shock everyone he knew. They were meant to portray fun flirty seduction, not in the sense of Eros, and used multiple dance styles the main one being ballet which he and Yuri were well trained in. Once Yuuri took over coaching and Viktor choreography for Yuri he was fortunate enough to get the younger man to agree to cross train other dance styles which gave them a bit of an edge over most of the competition. He knew exactly what to do for the exhibition, the rest of this season was going to be a bit of a shock to his fans and the world, at the rate he was going he might as well rename his theme to Surprise and steal his husband's limelight. He chuckled quietly at that thought.
Viktor nudged Yuuri, bringing him back to the present, "What's got you laughing?" His eyes lightened in amusement.
Yuuri smiled up at the older man, "You do realize what you suggested right? The only name I can come up with for a theme is Surprise or Change and I think just to steal your spotlight I am going to rename my theme to Surprise since this is going to be a radical change."
Viktor threw his head back and laughed loudly, "You are more than welcome to try Love."
Yuri looked up at Viktor in shock before it turned to confusion, "What are you two morons talking about?"
"Changing both my programs," Yuuri answered nonchalantly.
Yuri's mouth dropped open in horror, "Are you fucking crazy?"
"Nope," He answered back popping the 'p' teasingly. "I'm not only going to try but by 4CC I bet I'll have the Figure Skating world turned on its head." He was taunting Viktor because he knew the older man had forgotten what exactly Yuuri learned how to do in his last season on the ice.
"What do I get if I win?" Viktor asked slyly.
Yuuri cocked his head and pretended to think about it, "How about we figure out the terms of the bet later." He held out a hand for Viktor to shake, after a moment he took Yuuri's hand and pumped once before letting go.
Yuuri skipped ahead a little as he laughed. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the two now behind him, "You forgot didn't you Viktor?"
He looked at Yuuri confused, "Forgot what?"
Yuuri moved his arms into fifth position, spun three times and continued walking as if he hadn't stopped at all. The groan that came immediately after along with the Russian expletive told him he got his point across.
"What do you mean 'what you can do'? What the hell was that?" Yuri yelled completely lost and obviously not liking it.
"I know from the way you skate you have some ballet training, Yuri. If you don't mind taking some advice I would suggest you get back into cross training. When Viktor comes to visit me in February you are more than welcome to come as well and I could show you a trick I learned." He looked back over his shoulder at the teen who hadn't answered but seemed to be thinking it over. "No rush, I know you don't think much of me at the moment but if you get the chance watch the Japanese Nationals I'll see if I can't redeem myself in your eyes."
Yuri narrowed his eyes, "I will think about it." He answered hesitantly.
"That's all I ask. Years of ballet and compulsory figures are why my spins and step sequences are so good." That wasn't all they were good for as he had later figured out. For a few years Viktor had tried getting Yuuri to do tano jumps but jumping with only one arm raised was hard, it threw his balance off. It was an accident that led to the discovery of Yuuri doing jumps with both arms raised. They later theorized that since Yuuri had more ballet training it felt natural to raise both arms and helped him keep his balance better. Yuuri had been in the process of teaching Yuri, since he could tano jump, when he had died.
"Whatever," Was all he said and lapsed into silence since they had made it back to the hotel. He left Yuuri and Viktor behind and headed right for the elevators.
Viktor paused and turned toward Yuuri who held out his hand, "Leave your phone, I'll program my number in while you finish packing. I will be waiting right here to see you off when you're done." He unlocked the phone and put it in Yuuri's hand while pressing a chaste kiss to his lips then hurried to enter the elevator Yuri was on before the doors closed.
The lobby while not traffic free, was still fairly empty so Yuuri took a seat to wait. He put his contact info into Viktor's phone with a picture of he and Viktor dancing at last nights banquet set as his contact photo and then sent himself a text. He did the same for Viktor in his phone then brought up the text thread he had going with Phichit. With a few hours left before his flight and another 20 before he got home, it was best he get as much as he could done as soon as possible.
[8:58 a.m.] I need you to do me a huge favor. I'll owe you big time.
[8:59 a.m.] What's up?
[8:59 a.m.] 1. When you get the chance I need you to find a song.
[8:59 a.m.] Blow your Mind by Dua Lipa and edit it for me. Need to shave 17 secs.
[9:00 a.m.] Um, sure that shouldn't take too long depending on how long it is.
[9:00 a.m.] 2. In my closet is an all black bodysuit that was part of my FS costume 3 years ago.
[9:00 a.m.] Can you pull it out and drop it off at the tailors either before or after practice tomorrow?
[9:01 a.m.] You'll definitely owe me, but Yuuri what's going on?
[9:01 a.m.] It's too long a story to tell now. I'll explain when I get home. Have to go now though. Thanks Phichit.
[9:02 a.m.] No prob. I want every detail and you owe me on top of that. Pics!
Yuuri dropped his phone in his lap and let out a sigh. That was going to be a problem, after living together for the last 5 years he knew Yuuri very well and would notice all the little changes that would be explained away very easily. Yuuri cradled his head in his hands, it might be best to just tell him the truth and get it over with. Yuuri didn't like the idea of lying to Phichit, he was his best friend, his brother and Yuuri felt that maybe it would be good to have someone besides Viktor know everything. If Phichit knew everything than he could possibly cover for Yuuri when Celestino started asking question about practicing jumps by himself. It was something he'd bring up with Viktor since Viktor and Chris knew one another for nearly twice that amount of time.
A light touch to his shoulder made Yuuri jump in his seat and fumble his phone. He heard the familiar cackle of Yuri from somewhere behind him and looked up into Viktor's worried ocean blue eyes. Yuuri sighed in exasperation and pulled Viktor's phone from his pocket to hand back to him, "I'm fine. There's just a lot to do. When you leave I'll have to go back to my room to email my tailor and pack. I'm warning you right now that I'll be telling Phichit the whole story once I get back and I suggest you think about telling Chris the truth too. They know us almost as well as we know ourselves and I really don't want to lie Phichit."
"It'll be fine love," Viktor ran a soothing hand through Yuuri's hair. "I have no problem telling Chris the truth, I know he'll keep it to himself and remember if you need anything you just call me." They spoke in low rapid Japanese to keep Yuri from understanding what they were talking about. "We'll have to tell Yura the truth eventually."
"If he ever seems receptive to being in a relationship with us than absolutely, you know I would never feel comfortable keeping a secret like that from someone I love. For now we'll just build a friendship with him better than before." Yuuri told Viktor decisively. He stood when he heard Mila picking on Yuri. Yuuri smiled and held up his phone, "Selfie?"
Viktor chuckled, "Going to break the internet already?"
"Nah, just Phichit." He got a picture of him kissing Viktor on the cheek, which he posted with a congrats on his gold medal. Then approached Mila and Yuri.
"Congratulations Mila on your gold, would you two mind if I got a picture with the other two gold medalists?" He made Viktor take that picture as well as one with Mila giving him a hug. By the time they were finished Yakov was waiting impatiently off to the side with Georgi.
He grabbed his phone from Viktor and switched to Japanese, speaking rapid so as not to irritate Yakov any further. "I know it's been a long time since we've skated competitively but remember you have to skate from here," He poked the older man in the chest, "And not from your head. People are going to notice that you have changed a lot so do and say what you must, I'll back you up no matter what. I would suggest not telling the truth to everyone it would either land us committed to a hospital or experimented on. And remember I love you if you need me just call, any time."
"I love you too." Yuuri found himself tugged into a tight hug, he pressed a chaste to Viktor's soft lips and found himself regretting not having the time for much more before their long separation.
"Go before your coach starts yelling. Don't forget Makkachin and I know you haven't thought of her until I just reminded you but wait until you are home with her before you break down. By the time you land I'll be on my flight so I will call you as soon as I get back to my apartment." He hated it but Yakov was starting to turn red and Yuuri had never liked being on the other side of the coaches yelling sprees, so he nudged Viktor toward his waiting party, wished them all a safe flight and watched them leave the hotel with a heavy heart.
моя любовь- My Love, My Affection
мышонок- Little Mouse
Витюша- Vitüsha- Diminutive for Viktor, very informal, caring and tender version, usually used by women towards their beloved sons and boyfriends.
最愛の- Beloved