Yuuri was in the kitchen, putting their dinner dishes in the dishwasher, when he heard his spouse's cheerful voice call him. "Yuuuuri!"

He was instantly on guard. He had learned that that tone spelled trouble. He shut the dishwasher door and turned around warily. A lot of his suspicion faded away, however, when he saw that Victor was holding their daughter perched on his hip. He inadvertently melted into a soft smile. He simply loved the sweetly domestic sight of his husband holding their child.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed like Victor had counted on this. Sidling up to Yuuri, he planted a kiss on the dark hair and said silkily, "Dorogoi, can you do me a favor?"

Some of the wariness returned, and he looked up at the Russian. "Depends on what it is."

"Muzh moy, what a thing to say in front of Aki! You're going to teach her that she can't trust her papa." Victor's eyes widened in pretend sorrow.

Yuuri snorted. "Maybe that's a lesson she would do well to learn, at least for when you're in one of your moods."

"Yuuuuriiii."

Victor's keening voice cut through his husband and shot a small pang of guilt into his heart. Discouraged, he relented. "Fine, what is it, Vitya?"

Instantly, Victor's face brightened. He dug into his pocket, saying, "Well, I need you to video for me again! It's been a while, but everyone still loves all of your commentary on TikTok! Especially the snoot challenge, that was a huge hit! So really, you're the only one who can do this for me, lyubimiy." Pressing his phone into Yuuri's hand, he turned to the little girl in his grasp and asked, "And are you ready to help me out, printsesa?"

Aki squealed in delight as Yuuri protested, "Now, just a second, Vitya, are you really going to include Aki?"

"She won't have to do much, just help me feed Makkachin. You can do that, can't you, my orel'ka?" Victor tapped Aki on the nose as she giggled.

Yuuri sighed. "I suppose that's fine, as long as you aren't going to get Makkachin to jump all over again."

"Zhizn moya, do you think I would ever do anything to endanger our little Akiya?" Victor looked wounded by the prospect.

Leaning over to kiss him on the cheek, Yuuri conceded, "No, I suppose not. So where do you want me to video this?"

Brightening, Victor replied, "Right here! We'll just be feeding Makkachin, and you record what happens, okay?"

The whole thing sounded too simple to Yuuri, but he wasn't in the mood to argue anymore. Sighing again, he asked, "Where do you want me?"

The next minute or so was a flurry of Victor positioning the members of his family into their places. He then handed Aki a few pieces of dog food and nodded at Yuuri to start filming. He looked down at Aki and said, "Now, Akilina, feed the puppy!"

Aki looked up at him in some confusion. She often helped feed the dog, but usually her papa gave her a cup with some food in it. Realizing his mistake, Victor leaned over and grabbed the cup out of the dog food bag, prying the little girl's hand open and emptying it into the cup. Handing her the cup, he repeated, "Aki, feed the puppy!"

This time, she happily obeyed, squatting down close to the floor and upending the cup over the dog food bowl. She looked at it in confusion as only a few pieces came out. As she turned the cup over to peek inside, Makkachin came bounding into the kitchen, enthusiastic as always about dinner time. He skidded to a stop directly in front of his bowl and leaned his head down to gobble up his food. He ate the scant few pieces, then looked around in confusion. As he was searching the bowl, Aki's actions echoed his, as she turned the cup upside down again, this time shaking it for good measure. Off to the side, Victor sniggered a little, and both Aki and Makkachin turned to him at the sound. The poodle walked up to his master, sniffing his hands, as Aki toddled over and held out the cup, asking in her little voice, "More?"

Victor burst into laughter at that as Yuuri chimed in, "Vitya, isn't that enough? You've confused both of them! Please just give Makkachin his dinner!"

Tears of mirth in his eyes, Victor turned to his spouse. "All right, all right, lapochka, I'll get his food now!"

Taking the cup from his daughter, he filled it properly with dog food and handed it back to her. "Here you go, Aki. Feed the puppy!"

She looked at him suspiciously, and then tipped the cup so she could peer into it as Yuuri let out a snort of laughter. Satisfied that her papa wasn't tricking her this time, she dumped the cup into the dog bowl, and Makkachin began eating eagerly. Yuuri commented, "See, Vitya, I told you that it would do her good to learn not to trust you sometimes."

His husband turned his watery eyes onto him as Yuuri was shutting off the video. "Yuuuriii!" he keened, but the Japanese man just scooped up their daughter.

Handing the phone to his husband, he asked, "So, Aki, do you want to read a book?"

She clapped her hands as her otousan carried her out of the kitchen. They both ignored the despondent-looking Victor, although Yuuri felt a slight pang at excluding him. But he had to learn somehow.