Yuuri always loved the fact that his family lived on an island a distance away from the rest of the Japanese archipelago. It meant that they were safer and more protected than other ghouls in Tokyo. What he wasn't too fond of, though, was the fact that he had to travel around to get his meals, and being unable to stay and train more was taking a toll on him and his career. His family knew what he was and where he would go; they were ghouls themselves, but they usually managed to get meat from the local hospital.
However, now that he was with Viktor and training for the Prix alongside two humans, he wasn't able to go around and try to get his meals as regularly as he did before. Japan was already buzzing with fear at the ghoul attacks in Tokyo, and if he were to attack anyone in his hometown, then his entire family's cover would be blown and they'd all end up arrested and/or executed. It was best to lie and lie convincingly whenever he was asked about ghouls and appear to be nothing more than a crybaby, terrified of those 'creatures'. The sham was getting old though, and he knew there wouldn't be much time left before his Russian acquaintance and idol would find out the truth.
Several days after thinking things through, he went to the rink to clear his mind and be alone for a while, changing out shoes his for skates. He knew that the rink was empty, except for him- these were the days where he would be able to access the rink without needing his friend to open it up for him. Gracefully making his way onto the ice, he let his kakugan change his usual coffee-brown eyes to a shade of flat black and red and allowed his rinkaku to pierce through his clothes, sighing in relief as the tentacle-like limbs moved around and adjusted to the sudden drop of temperature. While he usually didn't like to skate with his kagune out - there was always a chance that Viktor could pop in on him - he wanted to see if having it out would actually better his performance. As he pushed himself off the wall, a horrified gasp pierced the air and Yuuri froze, his kagune immediately positioning itself into a fighting stance. Slowly turning around, he took a deep breath and glanced up from the ice, his eyes widening at the sight of his coach petrified in fear.
"Viktor- Wait, it's not what it looks like-!" Yuuri fumbled with his words, quickly trying to skate towards him, his kagune stiffening in response to his initial shock. He swallowed thickly as Viktor's sweetly musky smell floated into his nostrils, a pang of hunger hitting his lower belly. He hadn't eaten in several weeks; he didn't want Viktor to ask any questions about where he was. The mere thought of eating any part of Viktor was repulsive, and he felt his stomach turn at it.
Viktor's eyes widened as he took several steps back, his gloved hands curling into fists. "Get back, существо, get back!" Viktor snarled, his fjord-blue eyes widening in fear as he saw what he once thought was his pupil and seemingly-harmless love interest come closer to him. As Viktor gazed at Yuuri, he saw that his once enchanting brown eyes had been completely drowned in inky black, a bloody red iris settled right in the center. His eyes snapped to the wriggling tentacles protruding from what seemed to be his spine, the color a divinely-sinister pinkish red. Bile rose in his throat and he almost gagged, the reality of the situation crashing too hard and fast into his consciousness.
"Viktor..? Please, listen, I never meant-" Yuuri began, eyes filling with tears as he continued skating closer, making his way to the entrance of the rink slowly and cautiously. He didn't want his idol to be more startled than necessary, and it would be helpful if he would keep his movements slow and cautious. "Stay away, Yuuri- no, creature! You creature, stay away from me!" Viktor yelled before running back to the inn, leaving Yuuri helplessly watching him go. If only he hadn't been so early, if only he had locked the entrance beforehand...
"Shit. What do I do now..?" He whispered to himself, his kagune drooping as he sat on the ice, trying to figure out what to do next.
Viktor's heart beat wildly out of his chest as he ran back to the inn, his face frozen into one of fear and anger. He burst through the front door of the building, everyone looking up from their occupations to glance at him. His cheeks burned as he hurriedly made his way to his room, ignoring the worried call of Yuuri's mother and shutting the door behind him. As he sat down on the floor, he tried to collect his thoughts. He had no idea what Yuuri was anymore - was he even human? Obviously not, so he yanked out his phone with trembling fingers and immediately searched up 'black and red-eyed creatures'. He got immediate results; Apparently, there were creatures called ghouls, mostly seen in and around Tokyo. They only fed off of humans, and there were some obvious signs to recognize if you suspected someone you knew was a ghoul. Two of the most obvious would be the black sclera dotted with a red iris in the center that was named the kakugan, along with the fearsome kagune, a predatory organ that all ghouls had.
As Viktor stared at the list of qualities on his phone, his terror increased until he threw himself onto his bed and began to weep, not making any sounds other than soft intakes of breaths between every silent sob. He never expected that Yuuri - his Yuuri - would be a formidable creature that could kill him in seconds, but then again, who would? The younger male seemed like a soft-hearted crybaby, not a hardened killing machine. "Oh, Yuuri.. what even are you?" He whispered softly to himself, before hearing a loud and persistent knocking at his door. "Viktor? Viktor, let me in. Please, let me explain." Yuuri's voice came through the door, insistent yet shaky. There was a soft 'woof', and Viktor's fear was somewhat reduced once he heard Makkachin outside. He hesitantly got up and opened the door, only to be greeted by a sob and a blur flying into his arms.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Viktor... Please forgive me, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you what I was, I'm sorry I didn't let you know beforehand-" Yuuri sobbed into his coach's shoulder, soaking it with tears as he shook in his arms, and Viktor couldn't help but smile softly.
"Yuuri... take a deep breath and calm down." Viktor said softly, cautiously touching the other's back. Yuuri stiffened a bit as he felt the large hand touch his spine, but forced himself to calm down. Did they even have ghouls in Russia- or at least, did they know if they had any? "Viktor, please, listen, I meant to tell you beforehand, but I was-" The Japanese man could only fumble with words, unable to say what he had practiced inside of the rink. A pale finger made its way to his lips, effectively silencing him for the time being. He glanced at it, and kept quiet, waiting for the platinum-haired man to speak. "Yuuri... I don't know what you are, really, species-wise at least." He murmured softly, He scooted away from him a bit, but he leaned forward to cup his face gently. "What I do know is that I understand why you hid your secret like that from me. It could be very detrimental to your career, but you're always supposed to tell me these things, Yuuri, no matter how bad they are." Yuuri opened his mouth to protest, but Viktor lifted his other hand in the air, raising his index finger as if to say, 'I'm not finished yet.' "You are someone I care for deeply, Yuuri. I don't care if you turn out to be this way; you are still the same person as before, and nothing can change that." He declared, shaking his head at him with all his might.
"Viktor, for God's sake! I'm a ghoul! I lure humans to their death so I can eat them! I have to go to different places on the island so I can hunt!" Yuuri snapped, jerking his head away from what felt like a pitying touch. It was ridiculous- Viktor thinking that it was a good thing that the knew? Far from it- now that he knew, there was going to be hell to pay if anyone else found out that Viktor knew about him.
Viktor flinched as Yuuri's words stabbed into him, and he lowered his hands and let them rest on his lap as he worried at his lip. "Yuuri... do not act like this. You are scared for yourself. I can see it in your eyes. Please, Yuuri, do understand that we can work this out." Viktor's fear slowly lessened, but his worry and anxiety grew as he could practically feel the anger radiating off of the Japanese man. He had never meant to start an argument like this; what had he done wrong?
"Viktor, no. This isn't rational. Nothing can be worked out. I'll be taken in, then you'll be arrested along with my family, and then they'll probably execute us all-" Yuuri's words died on his lips as he saw Viktor's face become more stoic, yet his eyes began to fill with tears. "Wait, Viktor, I didn't mean-" He stopped himself as soon as he saw Viktor get up and sit himself on the bed, his face obviously filled with anger. Had he really just sealed the fate that awaited them both? He was an idiot; he never should've mentioned the fact about the execution. That probably was the main reason why he got upset.
"Yuuri, if you think for one second that I will give up on you simply because there is risk from some people that do not like or support your species, then you must not think much of me." Viktor's words were spoken in a firm but soft tone as he stared at the other man in the room. Yuuri's heart ached as he saw the expression of cold indifference and he hastily tried to switch gears, attempting to make him understand that he didn't mean any harm, he just wanted him to be safe. "This isn't a game, Viktor. You can very easily die now, and it's my fault. If I let you get hurt, I don't think I would ever be able to look at myself in the mirror again. The guilt would eat me alive; I wouldn't be able to live life to the fullest without you." He said softly, fidgeting as he sat on the floor. Why had he said that he was going to die so brusquely? He knew how sensitive Viktor was, he had known the risks involved with displaying his kagune in a public place, yet he had taken the chance anyway, and look at where they were now- in the midst of an argument that could literally mean life or death for the both of them.
"How do you think I feel, knowing that the person I love is being persecuted for being a different being other than human..? How do you think I felt when I thought you were human but when I went to see you, I tore away that lie you fed me daily..?" He paused for a moment. "... But I care so much about you, Yuuri, so why can't you see that none of that matters to me as long as you're by my side?" Viktor said softly, tears trickling from the corner of his eyes as he stared at him, fists clenching the bedspread as he sniffled, trying hard to maintain his slowly cracking composure.
Yuuri only sat on the floor, hearing Viktor speak and concentrating on the sound of how his voice would catch in his throat as he forced himself to let go of what he was really feeling. "..I understand what you're trying to tell me Viktor, and I'm… I'm sorry for lying to you about this." He whispered, tears budding at the corners of his eyes as he stood up and reached for Viktor's arm. To his surprise, Viktor shifted away, and he could feel his heart crack into two.
"Viktor?" He asked breathlessly, his voice several octaves higher than usual.
"If it isn't much to ask for… Could you please leave me and my thoughts be for a while? I need to think things over." Viktor wiped his cheeks and gazed at him with cool, yet hurt eyes. The need to think about the information he had learned about Yuuri was great, but he needed to be alone in order to do it clearly.
"Yes, of course. I-I'll leave you to it." Yuuri whispered, his voice practically inaudible as he retracted his hand and quickly fled the room, a loud sob echoing in the hallway as the two men split ways.