CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED THIRTY SIX

The back-and-worth wobble at the waist as the horses snuffled along through the snow took a little while to get used to, but half an hour into the trek, most everyone had gotten their bearings.

More or less, anyway.

"Whatisgoingon!? Whyisitturninginplace!?" Minako harped helplessly, holding high the loose reigns in her fists as her horse swiveled around to face the opposite direction. The rest of the line slowed and stopped, and the riders stifled their laughs. Minako's noble steed started to walk off the trail on its own accord, carrying her along like she wasn't even there, "Aaaahhhhh!" She flailed helplessly.

"Pull the reigns to the right and guide her back this way!" Their guide called.

Minako tried, but the slack on those long leather straps was too much, and all they did was brush against the one side of the horse's neck. The mare seemed to have a one-track mind about a half-frozen creek in a ditch close to the trail, and a few of the other horses seemed to get the same idea, but they were all corralled-back into their spots. Minako just whined quietly and lowered her hands to the pommel on the front of the saddle, "...Of course this would happen to me."

"How's the view down there, starlight?" Mikhail called with a laugh, "Anything good?"

She just whipped around, left hand gripping the cantle. The look on her face gave Yuri chills, and she barked back at the bunch of them, "Why don't you come down here and find out!? Huh!?"

"It's just like when she realized I was hiding my weight." Yuri whispered grimly to himself, a nervous smile on his face, "If only she'd been stuck on a horse back then..."

"What are you mumbling to yourself about, my love?" Viktor mused as he moved in closer to watch. The guide had dismounted and trudged through the two-foot snow-drift to find the reigns to Minako's horse and pull it back onto the path. "Honestly, I was worried it was going to be me going off-plan."

Yuri huffed a quiet laugh to himself, "I think we were all worried it would be us. ...I was just reminded about how Minako-sensei snapped at me exactly the same way when she first brought me back to Yu-Topia after I moved home. That look on her face, like she could kill you with her eyes...and she probably would if you didn't get your act together."

Viktor chortled behind his scarf, "Is that what got you on your new path?"

Mikhail continued to tease as Minako's steed was finally brought back around, and their cowboy-garbed guide made his way back up to his own horse. Yuri looked down to where Jiro was nestled quite-comfortably against his stomach and one arm, "Nah... Skating for Yuko did."

"Let's keep going! Hyup!" Their guide called, and his horse started a brief trot forward as the man finished settling in the saddle. The herd turned and started to follow.

Viktor made sure to keep pace beside his partner's mount, and he spoke softly, far enough away from Nikki and Viktoria behind them, and Yurio out in front by the guide, to avoid being heard, "...You kind of left things on a bad foot with her." He commented, "I mean, right before we came here."

He listened to the sound of horse hooves thumping through the snow for a moment, and Yuri lowered his gaze. A pit in his stomach grew, and he held Jiro a little closer, "Out of sight, out of mind."

"I guess there's been other stuff since then, too."

"I've tried to put all of that behind me. I don't really have room in my head for more than what we've been doing here." Yuri added, "That, and the snot. Takes up too much real estate."

Viktor managed a quiet laugh, and looked over to his right as Ghost and Makkachin tore through the snow like missiles, then vanished into the woods again. He turned to his husband, who had that look on his face, "Sorry."

"I would've had to face it eventually. I'd almost forgotten about it...but, it would've been worse if I had, and then faced her like nothing had happened." Yuri shook his head, and looked over, "Especially after everything you did afterward. It's hard to forget that, even if it still feels like a bad dream."

Viktor pursed his lips a bit in discomfort at the whole thing, "I didn't like doing it, if it helps you feel better."

"How come? You basically got to convince me that you'd saved me from a terrible fate."

"I had to make you think you'd lived that terrible fate though. If I had to give you a different origins story, I'd rather have given you the one I dreamt on the flight to Russia."

Yuri blinked at him, but then smiled as he turned to face forward again, "The one where you came up to me in Sochi?"

"The very same."

"I do like that one." He nodded, "I'm still fairly fond of the one we really had though. Right?"

"The long, confusing slow-burn?" Viktor teased, and reached out far to take his beloved's hand while he could, "It's what got us to where we are, and for that, I'll always be grateful. Stammi vicino."

"Mh...stammi vicino." Yuri agreed easily, but then tried to lighten the mood a bit, "So...I never got to ask how practice went. How was it with your body guard?"

"Awkward." He answered, "But that's just because I knew he was there. Felt more like I had a babysitter than a protector. People actually asked if I'd suddenly hired a new coach."

"What." Yuri blanched and coughed, "A new what?"

"Well, you weren't there, so...?" Viktor defended weakly, "It's fine though. I was able to explain it. It's not exactly a secret that the RSF is mad at me, and word got around pretty quick about the...uh...incident. Mostly because people were fawning over Otabek for what he did."

"Oh...how was he? Did you see him?"

"He looked about the same as he always does." The silver shrugged, "But he looked like he slept better. His Exhibition practice was executed better than his Free Skate, at any rate. I guess that's something." He added, and looked over, "I keep forgetting to ask what you and him were talking about while I was skating yesterday. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I was just making sure he was okay." Yuri answered, choosing his words carefully to avoid any missteps, "And to thank him for stepping in like he had. I don't think he gets enough recognition. If those two guys had anything worse on their minds than their lousy attitudes, he could've gotten seriously hurt."

"They should be grateful he still had his blade-guards on at the time. He had intended to take his skates off entirely for a while; one of his boots was unlaced."

Yuri quirked a brow, "...Take his skates off? Why would he do that? He was already likely to get a podium spot by the end of his turn. He would've had to put them on again just a few minutes later."

Viktor made a face and scrunched up his shoulders, "Yurio mentioned that Otabek wasn't happy with his jumps. Maybe he wanted to think it was something wrong with his feet or skates, rather than the troubles rattling around in his head, and meant to check."

"Oh... I guess that makes sense." Yuri looked down to Jiro on his lap, and the pup glanced back up at him, happy as a clam with his tongue lolled out, "Did anyone figure out what you were up to? With your new Exhibition?"

"If they did, no one was willing to say so. I think they just assumed I was hard-pressed for time, and wanted to rehash something I knew rather than come up with something from scratch."

Yuri sputtered in disbelief, "You? Too hard-pressed for time to come up with something new, after inventing your NHK Exhibition the night before?"

"Right?" The silver laughed, "I felt good about it either way, so that's all I'm worried about."

"What about your outfit? You never bothered to figure out an alternative."

The silver shrugged, "The one I brought will be fine. It's not the one I wore back then, but it's the one I have, so I'll make do. At least it kind of fits the mood."

"Fake it till you make it?" Yuri mused.

"Or act as if every mistake was intended. Like a cat when they fall off of something."

Yuri laughed, "I'm sure it'll be fine. You're the best of the best. People are going to go nuts when they see what you're going to do."

"I just hope everyone understands why I'm doing it."

.

Even in the dark, the hum of the packed audience was easy to sense. The air vibrated with excitement as colored spotlights started to sparkle around the ice. The ISU leadership gave their welcome speech, and the flag dancers gave the warm-up performance to help get the crowd in the mood.

The SkateClan sat together, as planned, in the athlete's watch-box, surrounded at a distance in the dark by their burly entourage. Far enough away that they couldn't be seen, the group being watched was a bit more at ease. Even Mikhail seemed more relaxed than the night before, as he'd given up 'business mode' with his hair, letting it go loose under his flat-cap to frame aside his eyes.

Even though we can't see the team, knowing they're in the audience behind us and can see us clear as day because of the lights on the ice...I feel like I can just enjoy the show again, he thought. He looked around the motley group; even Viktoria had come for the Gala, sitting on Minako's other side in their same row. Viktor took the aisle seat in the row ahead, skates and track-suit on, ready to bolt for his turn. Beside him, Yuri was bundled up like a Beanie Burrito, with Jiro in his lap, Ghost in the seat next to him, and Makkachin sitting on the ground just between his and Viktor's knees. Nikki was squished in the middle of the whole bunch of them, with Ghost on her right and Yurio on her left; the both of them donned their striped, long-tailed fleece jester hats, and the young silver held something in her lap. Scattered around them, Minami with the Selfie Squad - minus Phichit for the moment - and a dozen or more other skaters who hadn't made the cut but who still wanted to watch.

"Laaaaaadies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the ice, your Four Continents Bronze medal Pair Skaters...representing South Korea, Ae-sook Kim and Min-Jun Myeong!"

The audience howled with excitement, and the elaborately-dressed duo pushed out onto the ice. Yuri couldn't help but smirk and shake his head at the sight of them, and leaned over to his partner, "Looks familiar, right? From the night before your very bad day in Detroit?"

"Ugh don't remind me. I'll never be able to go to a Starbucks again without thinking of that guy." Viktor shivered, but then shook his head, "I wonder if they watched the movie at the same time we did though. They'd have had enough time to make a new Exhibition from it."

Dressed in exquisitely tailored costumes to look like the legendary Zorro, and his love Elena, the pair drifted across the ice, cape and skirt billowing behind them. They took their places audaciously, and completely in-character, and gave a curtsey to one another before taking their places.

['I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You (Duet with Marc Anthony)' - Tina Arena]

The music began as something of a montage of sound-effects, with a sword drawn from its sheath and a whip crack. The skaters circled around each other, as though getting ready to duel one another. Spotlights followed them carefully, shining off the ice in a brilliant white cascade...just enough to make a wandering spectator's frame go pitch-black to those trying to watch.

Yuri squinted, but as the figure came up the steps towards their rows, he reached his free arm over to make sure Ghost stayed in her spot. Something about the figure looked familiar, but of the many people he knew at the event, he wasn't entirely sure which it was until...

"Oi! Otabek!" Yurio called, leaned forward in his seat, "Come around the other side; you'll never get past the security."

Ghost grumble-yawned, as though somehow knowing she was being talked about, and the pensive Kazakh made his way back down the stairs so he could cut across the space in front of the bottom row. When he finally returned from the far end, and found the singular empty seat beside Yurio, he gave his greetings by patting the two jester-hat-wearing kids on the head, "Hey."

"O-Otabek-" Nikki started, already too nervous to talk. She clutched at the bundle in her mittened hands, "I did...I mean, I got you something!" She stammered, and thrust her hands across her brother's lap with the package on top of them, "...As a thanks, for...you know..."

Otabek blinked at it, "...You really didn't have to." He started, not even settled in his seat yet; his elbows were still up where he was leaned forward, hands on the seat dividers. He sat back though and took the item; it was a gift-bag similar to the one he'd given her in the days prior, but it was smaller and blue, "What is it?"

"Open it up!" She encouraged, holding to her arm-rest eagerly.

Otabek could feel everyone's eyes on him, but he put the stiff paper bag on his lap and moved his fingers up to pull the clasp apart that held it closed. Within, he could only see black, but when he reached inside, he could feel something soft. A moment later, he unfurled a hat, just like Nikki and Yurio's, but with a different color stripe to off-set the black.

"Black and blue, like what you turned those guys into!" The young silver explained, "...That, and it worked best with mine and Yuri's...so now we're like a set! Red and blue for you guys...and then mine in purple, cuz I got mixed-in with you after!"

If it were even possible for Otabek's face to flush, it would've been impossible to tell in the dark, with all the colored lights shining over the audience. For a moment, he wasn't even sure what to do with it, "...When...did you even have time...?"

"Papa asked the people who work at the Broadmoor to get me some fabric while we were out this morning." She answered, pushing against Yurio's frame as she leaned further into his place in her eagerness to explain, "But I always bring my craft supplies everywhere I go! So it was easy to put together a hat before we came here! I had to fix mine anyway...so I thought, what better way to say thanks than make you one, too?"

"...I...don't know what to say."

Yurio elbowed him slightly and gave him a subtle stink-eye, "Put it on." He whispered out the side of his mouth.

"I just got my hair done for the Gala-"

"Put it on or you'll make her cry, and then I'll give you a reason to cry."

Otabek gave quite the look, but he could see the anticipation on Nikki's face beyond Yurio's glare. The pit of guilt overwhelmed the sense of inconvenience at having to do his hair again...and he pulled the fleece over his head. He could feel the intensity of the eyes on him waning, and the hollow feeling subsided.

Nikki clapped happily and receded back into her own spot, "Yay, it fits! It looks great!"

Viktor leaned back to look over Yuri's head, and Yuri watched as well. They both couldn't help but smile at the sight, and turned back to look at the ice. "I'm kind of jealous. I want a hat now. They look comfy." The Russian commented quietly.

"What color would you want?"

"Since there's always black stripes, I think I'd get yellow, to match my Hufflepuff lanyard." He answered, and leaned against his beloved's shoulder, "Maybe you can convince her to forego the black and give you the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw."

"Oh, you really want one?"

"Sure. Why not?" He wondered, and pressed his ear against the younger man's beanie-covered head, "We can pay her for the trouble, or do something nice for her... I mean, we can ask, right? It's something she likes to do, and she seemed happy while making it before we got here. It helped take her mind off of yesterday."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Besides," The silver smirked, and glanced back slightly to where his uncle was sitting in the row behind them, and lowered his voice, "I know papa Mimi feels better about Otabek now, but I get the sense that he'd feel better if we helped water down the density of 'who has a hat made by his daughter's own hands' if we asked to get one each, too. That way it wouldn't just be her, and the two boys who have a thing for her."

Yuri chortled and turned his head, "We still don't know if Yurio feels that way."

Viktor leaned up a bit and grinned wide, "Ohh, I see...just Yurio? Is that what you really talked to Otabek about?"

Yuri's face went deathly pale, "I never said anything about that!"

The Russian gasped dramatically and leaned closer, rubbing shoulders and almost touching their noses together, "You give it away by omission, my love. You managed to get him to confess how he feels, didn't you?"

"I never said that! You tricked me! I only mentioned Yurio because of the bet!"

"That's true. My coronation depends on the answer."

"C-Coronoation!?" Yuri sputtered in disbelief, "It's a inflatable T-Rex costume, not a crown!"

"'Rex' means 'King,' beloved." The silver teased, and gave a snap-quick lick to that nose-tip, making Yuri blanch and pull back to rub it dry. He couldn't help but laugh and pat Makkachin's head, "When I don that costume, I will become a sovereign."

Yuri still felt his heart pounding in his chest as he rubbed the blanket against his nose, Did I dodge that one? I can't tell! Does he still suspect what was said!?

"I'm going to ask him at the Banquet." Viktor suddenly said, making his husband's eyes widen in abject horror, "Yurio, I mean. I have to know."

"He's going to murder you where you stand."

"He can try," The silver laughed, "He tried kicking me off a pier once. I didn't budge."

Horror changed to confusion and concern, "When did he-"

"In Barcelona," He explained, "That's why I warned that you should avoid such a fate, by standing up to him."

Yuri rubbed one temple, "How did you even find time to get almost kicked off a pier in Barcelona?"

"That one morning I got up suuuuper early, before you did." The Russian answered easily, "I went to take a walk, and when I got back, you'd been super flustered that maybe I ran away, remember? Yurio found me while I was out."

Yuri could only look on with red on his cheeks, "Hard to forget. I thought you ditched me after we exchanged rings." He grumbled, "You know, half the reason I ended up wanting to talk to you later that night is because you left me in the hotel room by myself."

Viktor felt a cut through his heart and he twisted uncomfortably where he sat, "Whaaat!?"

"...The ring thing was my idea...but I thought...maybe you changed your mind about it all, after all the stuff you said to our friends about us being engaged." He explained, eyes on the ice, and the figures finishing their dance upon it, "It all just happened so fast. When you came back, I spent half the day wondering if you needed an out...so I decided I'd give you one."

Viktor poked his partner's arm and glowered, "I will never forgive you for the heart attack you gave me when you mentioned it, Yuri." He grumbled, "The pain of that night will stay with me forever."

Those brown eyes just blinked slowly and deliberately, "I love you, Viktor."

"Hnnnngggggg...my heart...can't take it..." He recoiled, clutching at his chest.

Yuri just snickered to himself victoriously, "That's what I thought."