CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED EIGHTEEN
It took Yuri hardly any time at all to fall asleep once he'd taken his Official Recovery Juice© and Viktor wrapped him up in his Cuddle-Burrito Special©, with dogs on the side. The television continued to play - turned towards the bed - and Viktor gently stroked his husband's soft black hair. He glanced over at the empty mug of Irish coffee he'd asked for, then at the pup pile all around them.
I'm really not that sleepy... He thought, Yuri's out cold, too. I wonder if I can get up without bothering him?
Thankfully, all members of the pack were cuddled up on Yuri's side of the bed, leaving Viktor an easy escape-route from under the blankets. He wiggled gently until he was free, and eased his beloved down into the mass of warmed pillows he'd left in his absence. He offered a soft kiss to the man's noggin, and reached for the empty mug and the remote, turning down the volume on the television without entirely turning it off. All that done, he let himself stretch, and shuffled quietly for the door, killing the main light as he passed through. He paused outside just to listen for a second, but once he was convinced that he'd gotten out without disturbing his partner, he made his way down the back stairwell and into the kitchen to put his cup away.
Lights were still on everywhere; it was barely 10:30pm. It wasn't a stretch to believe that others in the house were still awake as well. Lo and behold, when he went to check out the Parlor room, he found his uncle and Minako there watching something on the big-screen. He squinted at the picture for a second and realized it was an episode from BBC's Planet Earth - the narration gave it away first, with that easily-recognizable and soothing narration from Sir David Attenborough - but then slipped quietly into the big room. He was a bit surprised how easily he was able to get into the space without being noticed, and stood behind the couch with his arms casually crossed to watch and wait.
Of course, it was Mikhail who finally noticed him, and half-jumped out of his skin when he did so, "Jesus Christ how long have you been there!?" He harped, a hand on his chest to keep his heart from breaking out.
"Since the bird started doing it's little neck-flash thing to the one on the branch above it." He mused, and waved with a hand-raise, "Hey."
"MnnnhhhheyViktor." Minako replied sleepily, and raised a hand up from behind the couch's back-rest.
Viktor reached for it and gave it a friendly squeeze before he went around the other side, to find a spot in the nest on the floor in front. As he went down to sit though, he was a bit surprised by how he found the pair sitting together on the couch itself; Mikhail sat relatively normally in the corner, with his right arm up on the arm-rest, left hand resting over his partner's waist where she laid on her side against a pillow over his legs, one arm squished between his knees where she could find room for it. He paused and smiled, but then finally sat down, and leaned back against the couch-cushions, "I don't think I've ever seen you guys close like this before."
"Don't get much opportunity," The elder Russian answered, "But I suppose that is mostly my fault."
"It is." Minako confirmed easily, "Pretty much 100%."
"Really? Why?" Viktor wondered, and looked back at them.
Mikhail made a face at his fiancé, but then shook his head and raised his hands, "Dad-mode." He answered, "Ever since I got the girls, I've been extra cautious. I've had to suppress all my protective instincts since Mylene threw me out, so now that I don't have to...I guess I've been making up for lost time."
"He's kind of like a triceratops in some of those pictures I've seen, where the adults all stand in a circle and keep the babies in the middle. I don't have horns but I still get pulled into the line-up." Minako pointed out, though she pat the Russian's leg to reassure him, "I guess there's no way to avoid it."
"How do I pull you into it...?" Mikhail wondered skeptically, "I feel like I've done all that on my own."
"How often do we actually sit beside each other at events, when the girls are sitting with us?"
Jade eyes lifted in thought, and he squinted at the ceiling, "Uhhhh...Viktoria sat on the end at the Final...?"
"And...?"
Viktor watched as the cogs turned, and smiled warily as Mikhail finally gave in and sighed his defeat, "Alright, alright...I've unintentionally turned you into a bench book-end."
"We're a team, hun. I get it." Minako reassured again, "Just don't forget that I like you, too. Spending time with you doesn't end at just being in the same building at the same time."
The young silver nodded in agreement, and looked up to the projector screen and its birds, "Relationships take a lot of work and need maintenance, Papa Mimi. Having kids should only add to what you have...not halt it in place of something else."
"Yeah? How many kids have you raised?" Mikhail puffed, feeling a bit defensive.
"Zero." Viktor shrugged, "If we're not counting the four-legged furry kind, anyway. I was referring to mine and Yuri's vows though. When the Mayor in Barcelona married us, part of his little speech was to tell us that our marriage didn't create something that we didn't already have; it was just an affirmation of it, that we'd swear to uphold and make stronger, no matter how good or bad things got. I'm sure that having kids - both the teenagers and the to-be - is stressful, but...it's important that you remember that your partner needs your affection and protection, too. Your relationship can't be put on hold until all of them have left the nest. I mean..." He finally turned to look back at them again, "You guys barely got a chance to really start before everything else happened. You're acting more like co-parents than an engaged couple...you know? You should try to enjoy things more. I can barely go a couple hours without Yuri before I get stir-crazy."
"So then how come you're down here by yourself?" Minako teased, and nudged the man's shoulder with the front of her shin.
"Yuri is out like a light, but I'm not tired yet. I thought I would be, after drinking my night-cap and cuddling him to sleep, but...I'm wide awake. I guess I was hoping someone else would still be awake so I could mingle a little before going back. That's when I found you guys."
"Something on your mind?"
"Oh...lots of stuff. Not much I can do about any of it though." He shrugged, "Just waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. Well, shoes."
Minako tilted back slightly and looked to her partner, but then pulled herself upright, "Shoes...plural?"
"I believe Yuri at his word that he says he's okay with how he didn't make it to the Free Program, but...history has told me that he doesn't always feel that way forever." Viktor explained, "I don't want him to think he has to feel guilty or disappointed in himself because of how badly he did today. Competitive as he is though, I doubt he'd give himself slack for being sick."
"He might. I'd be overbearing with him, honestly." Minako suggested.
"Overbearing how?"
"Smother him in caretaking." She clarified, "Pamper him as much as you can. Really rub it in that he needs to save his strength for healing, so he's back at peak for the Games. They're literally a week and a half away, and unless he wants to swap with Asahi for the Team Skate, he's going to have to be healthy again."
That just sent a chill down Viktor's spine, and he cringed visibly, "I don't even want to think about that. I'll make sure Yuri recovers completely."
"What else?" Minako wondered, and leaned back down to her lap and pillow perches.
"If Russia will try anything to stop me from getting to the Games myself." He answered, and pulled his knees up in front of himself, "Hecklers came all the way here just to boo at me. I don't care about any of that; I've got thick skin, and a lifetime of practice ignoring the things that try to hurt me. But what if next time it's worse? What if someone comes to Ja-"
Minako moved like lightning, and had her hands over the young Russian's mouth before he could say another word, "Tsst!" She hushed, "No one is going to come to Jala-pi-nose."
Mikhail quirked a brow, "I think the J sounds like an H in that one, starlight..."
"Tsst!" She fussed back at her partner, "I couldn't think of anything else that started with 'Ja!'"
"Jaccuzi, jazz, jamboree..."
"Quiet, you!" Minako complained, and pulled a hand back to lightly swat at him, though that just made Mikhail laugh as he fended her off. The ballerina turned her attention back to Viktor though, "Anyway...you'll be fine. Don't think too hard about stuff that won't happen."
"Well..." Mikhail hesitated, and rubbed his chin, "There's some precautions that could be taken anyway... Don't check your mail before the Games, and have a service check it for you once you're back for a little while. I can offer to give you a security detail for a bit, too, if you want."
"You really think that's necessary?" Minako wondered dubiously, "I mean...Viktor just switched teams, after they forced him to retire."
"I don't think anything will happen, but I'd rather Viktor feel secure so he can focus. If having a guy in a black suit, sunglasses, and an ear-piece hang around for a couple weeks will help, then why not? I'd still avoid the mail anyway though. Don't need anyone sending you weird, white powders."
Viktor thought as he heard the words, and carefully considered the idea.
"You don't have to agree to anything right now."
"No...I think...I'll take you up on that." He answered.
"Really?"
"Putin personally gifted me with my Audi for my skills...and as I've been told rather often, I've embarrassed Russia by agreeing to skate for the JSF after they tried to put me to pasture for what I did at the Final. Never mind everything else I've done to offend the Motherland." Viktor explained, "I think I'd feel better if I had something in place. Maybe Yuri would, too." He said, but then paused and huffed a laugh, "Or it'll make him more anxious. I'm not sure."
"We can run it by him on the way to Russia." Mikhail suggested, "Then he can get a feel for what it'll be like since I'll have the security detail with the whole group of us while we're there."
Viktor nodded, and ran a hand through his hair nervously, "It's nuts that we even have to think about this kind of thing."
"It's Russia, and this is all really fresh. My hope is that the IOC allows Russian athletes to go to the Games, and this whole thing settles down."
"...That's my third shoe." The silver added, and looked back at his uncle, "What's the word on that now?"
"Lawyers for all the younger spurned athletes have petitioned for the inclusion of those who were too young to have been part of the old doping bans." He answered, "The rest are banking on having a clean record to get them in. A few others are petitioning - with Russian state assistance - for the IOC to overturn the ban entirely."
"And you're with the 'too young to drug' camp?"
"The legal team is, yeah. They're the ones who suggested it."
"They...? Legal team, plural?" Viktor echoed Minako's words.
"Three of them." Mikhail nodded, "Specialists in professional sports and drug law. It's unfortunate that they have so much experience in this kind of thing, but...well, there you have it. I told Yura I'd do everything I could to make sure he got to go. I think this is the best possible option. I doubt the IOC will reverse the ban, but it would be cruel to deny these kids their chance when they'd already been chosen to go."
"Yeah...agreed." Viktor said quietly, "Does Yurio know this is what you've done so far?"
"I wanted to have a bit of meat on this bone before I gave it to him." The elder answered, "I'll let him know as soon as there's something to report on what decision might be made."
"Right..."
"Any other shoes?" Minako asked.
Viktor put a finger over his lips, "A small one for Nikki and her tragic crush."
Both Minako and Mikhail had a brow cocked.
"Yuri thinks I want to meddle by bugging Otabek...but I really just want to tell him to tread carefully. There's nothing inherently wrong with a teenager crushing on someone, but it could get Otabek in trouble, even if he doesn't do anything...and I don't want that for him." Viktor clarified, then let himself stretch his legs out again, and crossed his arms lightly over his chest, "There would've been a time when I couldn't have been with Yuri because he was too young. Fourteen to my eighteen at worst... I would have to have been 22 before I could safely chase after him, and I don't know that I would've been as aware of the rules if I knew he wanted me, too."
Mikhail waved his hands slightly, "I don't know what you're getting at but I'm not letting my barely-fifteen-year-old go after a guy in his twenties."
Viktor laughed and shook his head, "Nah, not saying that at all. I just want to ask Otabek what he thinks. If there's no there there, then Nikki's crush will fade with time and lack of reciprocation. If he likes her though-"
The elder Russian pressed a hand to his chest again, "I can't breathe."
"Calm down, hun, he's just talking." Minako pointed out, "I had crushes on older guys when I was a teenager, too. Most amounted to nothing."
"Most?"
"A girl can dream up all kinds of things when her crush is a celebrity she's never actually met," She laughed, "My very first exploits into dancing were because I thought it would help me meet one."
"Did you?" Viktor dared to wonder.
"Nope! I didn't meet any idols until I met you, actually." She pointed at the skater, "Try as I might to get Yuri to spill the beans on skaters' hotel rooms, back in the day."
"This doesn't make me feel better at all." Mikhail whined quietly, "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. Just hope it peters out or something?"
"Let me confirm with Otabek that it's a one-sided thing. I'll get back to you." Viktor answered, "Otabek is a decent guy, from everything I've been told, and Nikki is very social and outgoing. He probably just wants to be her friend."
Mikhail just frowned dramatically, "I don't think it's possible for guys in their prime to be able to stop at just friends with girls."
Viktor gave the man a look, "Yuri did. I did...more or less. Yurio hasn't gone after any girls yet, and he has a legion to pick from if he were so inclined. Are you projecting, Papa Mimi?"
"No."
"You sure about that?"
"Yes."
Viktor huffed a small laugh, but then rose up again from the nest, "The plot thickens."
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
Slate eyes scanned over to jade, "I'm going to figure out how I want to ask him without coming across as some weird over-curious big brother." He answered, and waved slightly as he stepped back around the couch again, "I mean, if you really did come back for me that one time, then in another life...I basically would've been that way, right?"
Mikhail seemed to settle a little, "...I guess so. Maybe. Who knows what Mylene would've done if I brought you back like I wanted. She probably would've thrown us both out."
Viktor shook his head and puffed a laugh, hand on the doorframe, "Maybe it really was destiny that I ended up with Yuri. Except for Minako, I seem to offend women everywhere I go."
The ballerina gave a questioning look, "...Who have you offended?"
"Lilia, Sophia, the Ice Dancer whose name I've long-forgotten, the groupie I was with for a little while...basically every woman I've ever had any kind of close or personal contact with." He listed them off, "Anyway though...I'm going to go snog my husband until I fall asleep. Thanks for hearing me out. I feel better already."
"Yeah...sure." They both answered, and watched the door close as he disappeared. The duo looked at one another, "...Why Lilia?" Minako asked.
Mikhail shrugged, "Probably a Yakov thing. Sophia was the French one, right? From Trophée de France this season?"
Minako nodded, "...I don't know the others though."
"Probably for the best."
