A week had passed by filled with music and skating. It was probably the most Yuuri had ever been on the ice in a while, and he made sure to let Viktor know that constantly. Every single day actually. That included today.
"Viktor, I'm not a professional skater. I can't do any of the things you can do."
"No, you can't, but I can teach you basic moves."
Yuuri groaned. The pain in his feet ached at the thought of skating any longer. They had been at it since the morning, and it was late in the afternoon now. He was leaning over, hands on his knees and breath shortened. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement.
"You've already taught me as much as I need to know. I don't think I'll ever have to use the ability to land a single Salchow, so don't bother teaching me. Besides, there's no way I'll be able to do it."
"You could use it to impress someone. Maybe even me."
Yuuri knew he probably didn't mean anything special by his words, but his mind took the words a little too seriously. He stared wide-eyed at the ice below himself, not daring to look the Russian in the eyes in the state he was now in. Viktor stood confused at his reaction as he tried to figure out what he said wrong.
"Yuuri, I was only joking. I didn't mean to hit a nerve."
Gradually Yuuri started laughing, much to Viktor's surprise. The embarrassment he felt before dissipated at his misunderstanding.
"Yuuri?"
"I-I'm sorry...!" He put a hand on the boards beside him and stood up, his laughter subsiding for the time being. "I'm sorry. I just... I'm fine, Viktor."
"You're not mad?"
Yuuri put a hand over his mouth to prevent another outburst. "Not at all. Can I get off the ice now?"
"Not until you tell me why you were laughing." Viktor put a hand on his hip still thrown off by the sudden hysterics of the other.
Yuuri nervously straightened out his shirt and fiddled with the gloves on his hands. "W-Well..."
Viktor rose a silver eyebrow at the pianist, awaiting the answer he was oh so curious about.
"Err... Oh! I thought of a new melody yesterday! I only just started it, so there isn't much to it. You might like it, though. I wrote it while-"
"Yuuri. Don't try to change the subject."
"I just thought it was funny... how you thought I was angry... when I wasn't..."
Viktor leaned in towards the pianist, which only seemed to fluster him.
"What were you then?"
Yuuri, with a bit of effort, steadily skated backwards only to be stopped by Viktor's arms on his own. His gaze pierced through Yuuri's eyes with determination.
"I... I was..."
"Yuuri! Your parents called-" Yuuko, who had walked past the swinging doors that led to the rink, immediately stopped short when she saw the duo. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she tried to process what was happening.
Yuuri, on the other hand, was relieved for Yuuko's intervention and used this opportunity to push away from Viktor's now slack hands.
"Sorry, what'd you say, Yuuko?" Yuuri pushed himself to the gate and hurriedly began to unlace the boots from his feet.
Viktor slowly followed after him, lingering a bit longer on the ice.
Yuuko looked unsure if she should continue but did so anyway. Her gaze flitted between Yuuri's own grateful expression and Viktor's almost saddened one. "Your parents were looking for you to ask for some help."
"Ah, thanks, Yuuko. Can you tell them I'll be down in a few minutes?" Yuuri shook off the last skate and slapped the guards on with a click.
Viktor finally stepped off the ice and put his own skate guards on as well, seemingly lost in thought. Yuuko almost felt bad for walking in on... whatever it was that happened between them.
"Alright, Yuuri." Quickly, she ran back through the doors she entered from to pass on Yuuri's message. She made a mental note to apologize to Viktor later, since he looked more hurt at the interruption than her friend did.
"Can I hear the song later? You mentioned how you wrote one while we were on the ice a few moments ago. I would love to hear it." Viktor brushed aside what happened and plastered a smile on his face. If it was important enough, he knew Yuuri would talk about it. That's how Yuuri worked, he discovered.
"Sure! It's nothing too intricate, so don't expect much. As I said before, there's still a lot that needs to get done for it to sound decent. I've been thinking about changing the time signature on it and maybe a few of the duller chords." Yuuri picked up the rental skates he borrowed and watched on as Viktor took off his skates replacing them with his sneakers from earlier.
"I bet it sounds beautiful." Viktor glanced at Yuuri as he picked up the duffel bag that now held his skates and stood at his full height.
The pianist smiled and led them out of the rink. His smiles were always brightest when music was involved, Viktor realized. They sparkled more when he was playing the piano rather than just talking about it. It was another reason Viktor constantly had him demonstrate his skills on the instrument. Yuuri genuinely loved playing the grand piano he owned in a separate room at Yu-topia.
.
. . .
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The walk back was quick since Yuuri was concerned with being late and having his parents deal with an over-crowded onsen. Viktor offered to help but instead got a stern talking to as if he were a child who stole a cookie before dinner. The thought made him laugh, but he complied with Yuuri's order to relax. From a table in the main dining room, the skater watched Yuuri balance trays upon trays of different types of dishes and drinks on his arms. When he wasn't handling customers in the dining room, he was out back restocking towels for guests in the onsen. As he sat and watched, Viktor saw just how well Yuuri handled different things at once. If he was in the Japanese man's place, he knew he would've messed up more than once by now.
It had to have been around eight or nine when Yuuri finally made his way to Viktor's table. Without even sitting down for a moment after running around all day, he dragged Viktor to the back room with his piano, excited he was able to play the composition for him. They took their usual positions in the room: Yuuri on the piano bench and Viktor on a chair next to the instrument. He nodded his head to show the pianist he was ready to listen, and he got a gleeful nod in response.
Viktor closed his eyes again, as he'd been doing since Yuuri first played for him. He felt it was an easier way to picture the story Yuuri wanted to portray, and he was pretty sure Yuuri felt less pressured this way. Only this time, he had found himself wondering what the other looked like when he played. Sure, he watched him before, but that was from the screen on his phone. In the week he's spent in Hasetsu, not once did he open his eyes to take in every detail of the pianist. Not until now.
As Viktor carefully opened his eyes, he became more enchanted by the performance than he had before. Tan fingers gracefully leapt from key to key as the progression of the song sped up into something more powerful. Perspiration began to bead down the wrinkles that scrunched in concentration on Yuuri's forehead. Muscles tensed in his arms as his fingers flew across the different notes. The sight of the pianist's mindset focused solely on the piece in his head was stunning, and Viktor found himself holding his breath awaiting the rest of the composition. Unfortunately, the notes that danced around the room came to a sudden stop as Yuuri's fingers ceased movement. Blinking back the stupor he slipped into, Viktor released his breath and leaned back in his chair.
Yuuri bit his lip and looked at Viktor shyly. "That's all I have written so far. I wasn't sure how to lead the composition to its end, so I left it at that for the time being. What'd you think?"
What did he think? He was so lost in the performance that he barely remembered how to breathe nevertheless think.
"It was great." It was more than great, but Viktor was at a loss for words. He was sure he looked just as dumb as the words he spoke made him seem.
Nonetheless, Yuuri sighed in relief. He forgot how easily anxious the pianist could be and how a simple compliment made him soar above the clouds.
"That's good. I was nervous you'd hate it." Yuuri lifted his right hand to rub awkwardly on the back of his own neck.
Why did he think I would hate it? "It's so much better than just great. Yuuri... that piece was beautiful." Almost as much as you, Viktor added in his mind. As soon as the thought entered, a slight blush made an appearance on his cheeks.
Yuuri was about to thank the skater when he noticed the flush on his cheeks. Having never seen Viktor embarrassed before, he leaned towards him with critical eyes. Instead of taking it as embarrassment, he took it as Viktor was coming down with something.
"Viktor, are you okay?"
"Huh?" That was the best Viktor could manage to say in return.
Yuuri leaned in closer and placed a hand across Viktor's forehead, only worsening the blush that was already present and the start of his concern.
"You don't feel like you have a fever..." All too soon, the hand fell from his forehead, and Viktor found himself reaching for Yuuri's wrist.
At the unexpected contact, Yuuri looked at Viktor's hand wrapped around his wrist with a wide-eyed gaze. Within the next moment, eyes the color of a dark night met orbs as bright as the stars. Both adults seemed to lose themselves into the other, and for a second, both forgot how to breathe. It wasn't until Viktor made the decision to loosen his grip that they both looked away, trying to find something else in the room to focus on. Viktor snuck a look at Yuuri from his peripheral vision and discovered him to be as red as himself. He desperately found himself wishing to hear Yuuri's thoughts. To hear the words that most likely mirrored his own.
As if trying to forget what had happened, Yuuri coughed and began shuffling sheet music onto the stand atop the piano. "I-I wrote this as well a few days ago..." Silently, he began playing the piano again, easing Viktor from the tense position he hadn't realized he took to.
Relishing the peace of the new, gentle tone Yuuri played with, Viktor smiled as he closed his eyes. He let his mind wander to what a future hearing this everyday would be like, not missing the intention of his thoughts. He allowed himself to truly think about the new emotions that were blossoming within himself.
Little did he know that Yuuri was doing the same. Soon deviating from the score that sat in front of him, the pianist let his fingers play a melody different than the one he originally wrote. To express what he truly felt right now rather than what he did before. Somehow the two melodies were different yet not too far apart. Unsure of what to call the two conflicting feelings, he let himself do as Viktor had told him before. He let himself get lost in the music.
