Yuri leaned back against the cool wall, slowly sinking to his knees on the bathroom floor. He groaned painfully, gingerly rubbing his now empty stomach. It had been three days since he saw the doctor and despite his best efforts, he simply couldn't take food.
As promised, Shiro had contacted the specialist and although Yuri had voiced his concerns when he received the call that morning, the only options given to him were suggestions of small frequent meals, as well as ginger and peppermint. None of which seemed to work well for Yuri.
Yuri couldn't recall ever being so sick, he'd been feeling weak and constantly exhausted. The light activity Shiro suggested was out of the question. Simply pulling himself out of bed had proved to be a difficult task for the young man. He hadn't dared to tell his family about the baby, afraid of their reaction. Though they had always been supportive of Mari and Yuri, hearing the phrase, "I'm pregnant" from your son was quite a bit more to take in than his dreams of being a skater.
"Yuri, baby?" Hiroko called through the door. "Are you alright?" Her voice was filled with concern.
"I-I'm fine," Yuri called back in what he hoped was a convincing tone. He forced himself onto his feet, leaning on the sink for support.
"Are you sure, I can get Yuko to take you-"
"N-No, I'm fine." He gazed up at his reflection in the mirror. His face was pale, and his fatigue was visible. He turned on the faucet, splashing cool water on his face.
"I don't know how you did it, Mom." He thought out loud to himself as he felt his stomach churned, causing Yuri to retch once more. "How am I supposed to do this?"When at last he was able to stumble back to his room, he dropped down onto the edge of the bed.
"We can't keep going like this, little one."He said feebly. I can't feed you if you won't let me eat. We'll both be in trouble if this keeps going" Yuri fixed his pillows, propping himself up on them and pulling the blanket over himself. He picked up his phone, scrolling through the contacts until he came to Victor's name. He paused with a heavy sigh. He wanted to hear Victor's voice again, to see him. Many doubts filled his mind.
"Even if I did call, what would I say?" Yuri asked himself. "Can I expect him to believe me, should I even mention the baby?" a few moments later, Hiroko arrived carrying a tray with a single teacup, teapot, crackers, and a bottle of water. She didn't bother to knock. She made her way over to his bed, placing the tray on top of the desk. Yuri forced himself to sit up.
"Thanks, mom." He muttered. Hiroko offered him the cup, watching her son sip the hot liquid slowly.
"Yuri, I know you're not feeling well right now, and you're having a difficult time. Do you mind if I sit for a little bit?" She didn't wait for a response, lowering herself onto the bed.
"I'd like to talk to you about your appointment the other day." She pressed.
"What about it?"
"What did the doctor say? I know you're old enough to not need your father and me for medical appointments, but we're worried about you. You've been getting stomach aches a lot lately and it's been a while since I saw you keep anything down. You barely drink and you're pale, I- You know how much we all love you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I love you too," Yuri said. 'Hiroko took his hand.
"I just need to know that my son's okay. A mother knows when her child is hiding something from her and the last time you did that-please tell me."Yuri knew there was no use trying to avoid it, he put the cup back on the tray.
"Mom?" he could already feel fresh tears forming in his eyes. I-I'm scared." He admitted.
"Of what, Baby?"She gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
"Because I'm pregnant. I-I can't take care of it, I can't eat and if I don't, that means it can't." Hiroko pulled him into a hug.
"It's okay, Yuri." She soothed. "We do need to get you to eat something. I know it's easier said than done when I was pregnant with your sister, I had a similar problem. Mari scared me half to death. If you're not feeling better in the morning, I want you to let me take you to the urgent care center. Have you called Victor?"
"N-no."
"You should, it's his child too, isn't it?"
"How did you-"
"Yuri, it's easy to see that the two of you are in love with each other. You should ask him to stay here until-" Yuri shook his head.
"He's skating this year and I haven't talked to him since the day of the finals."
"You're going to want him here.. You'll want all the support you can get. You'll also need the help. You know your father and I are here for you, but there's something to be said about having the father of your child close to you. He might be able to help you move around easier and-"
"I can-"
"Baby, you lean on the walls for support, don't think we don't see you. You shouldn't be this weak, Yuri, morning sickness shouldn't be so hard on you."
"What if he doesn't want this?"
"He can't make that decision if he doesn't know. Whatever he chooses, is on him but you have to give him the chance. But he has a right to know. Now, I want you to try to rest, I'll check in on you throughout the day. I need to help your dad at the desk. Will you be alright?"
"I think so." Hiroko released her son, wiping away the tears. "You don't seem surprised."
"I saw the picture, Son. I came to check on you last night and found it on your desk. I was shocked at first, but when your child needs you, you always find a way to put them first." She kissed his forehead, rising to her feet, turning back to her son.
"Lie back, You'll need your rest." She instructed. Yuri did as he was told, allowing his mother to readjust the blanket around him.
"If you need anything at all, you let me know. We'll talk to your father and sister later." She moved to the door, pausing to offer Yuri a reassuring smile before going about her business and leaving him to rest.
The following afternoon found Yuri attempting to settle into the hospital bed, receiving Iv fluids and being fed through another.
"I know this is uncomfortable." the female doctor said sympathetically. "But you did the right thing coming in. Hyperemesis Gravidarum can be very dangerous. You were very dehydrated when you came in and the weight loss you're experiencing, as a result, is something we need to stop. It can lead to serious problems for you and the baby. Fortunately, the baby's heartbeat was good. You should know that HG usually means a higher risk of preterm labor." yuri's heart sank.
"That can be stopped, right?" He asked.
"Sometimes, but nothing is ever guaranteed, I'm afraid. Do you have any other questions for me?"
"Should my stomach be hurting this much, I mean it's not terrible but-Could it be something with the baby?" The doctor smiled.
"Stomach pain can be scary when you're carrying a baby, but you have to keep in mind that things are a little different for you. Your body has a lot more adjusting to do and you've been vomiting multiple times a day for a while. Your baby's doing okay and you have my word that I'll do what I can to keep it that way. We'll get another ultrasound tomorrow morning, just to check-in. You'll probably be here at the very least a few days until you can hold something down. Get some rest, you'll both need it." Yuri thanked her. When at last Yuri was alone, he allowed his tears to fall.
"I'm sorry, little one."He said. "I'm not really a good parent. You're not even born and I don't know if I can protect you. I can't even get your dad here. I'm already failing you. Maybe it would be better for you if I gave you a chance to have someone better.. First, we need to get better. We'll-"
"Yuri!" Yuri's eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice calling him. In an instant, the silver-haired man was at his bedside.
"Victor, what are you doing here?"He asked weakly. The older man leaned down, kissing his head and taking hold of his hand.
"I had to see you. This last month without you was the worst. I've been trying to call you, but you never answered. I finally called the hot springs and your sister said you were sick. I got on the first flight I could, but when I got there, I was told you were in the hospital so I came over here and I saw your mother by the elevators, she told me where to find you. Are you alright, tell me it's not serious. My beautiful Yuri, you're so pale, I- just tell me you're okay."Victor pleaded. Yuri didn't know what to say, he'd never seen such concern in Victor's eyes.
"I-I never got any calls," Yuri replied. Victor pulled the phone out of his pocket, scrolling to the recent calls and handing it to Yuri.
"New phone?" Yuri asked.
"I may or may not have forgotten to take the other one out of my pocket before practice. I never did find the little card for it." Victor explained while Yuri examined the call history, he smiled faintly.
"You really did that?" He asked, pointing to the name. Victor chuckled.
"I told you, you're my Eros." He pulled up the contact information, showing Yuri the photo. "Look at how beautiful you are,"
"I think you might need glasses if you think I'm-"
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Yuri. You are beautiful and I won't let you convince me otherwise."
"Here's your problem, most of my number's right, the last two are backward." Yuri corrected the number and handed the device back to Victor. "I thought you forgot about me."
"Never. I told you, you mean more to me than all the gold medals in the world. But I have to ask you to forgive me, Yuri. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, but the worst mistake was when I watched you get on your plane and walk out of my life. I need you to know that...I love everything about you. I love the way we fit together, how you make me want to be a better person and I want to take forever to show you all the love I have in my heart for you. You are perfect to me, Yuri Katsuki, but if there was just one thing about you that I could change, it would be your last name."
"Victor-"
"Marry me, Yuri. please, come back and make me the happiest person in the world."
"W-what?" Yuri was sure he misheard Victor.
"Marry me," Victor repeated hopefully. Yuri's mind reeled. Victor had come all this way to see him, a second time. His idol, who had already given up an entire season for him, was now asking to spend forever with him. It was everything Yuri could want.
"I-could you love me even if I was..weird?" Yuri asked.
"Aren't we all a little weird, Yuri, everyone has their quirks. I love you, always and no matter what, all that matters is that we're together."
"Before I answer you, there's something you need to know. If you change your mind, I'll understand."
"What is it, Yuri?" Victor asked in a worried tone. "I'm not losing you am I, please tell me you-"
"I-I don't know how to answer that. This doesn't happen often. I know how this is going to sound, but I really need you to believe me." Yuri said, sadly.
"Of course."Victor gave Yuri's hand a gentle squeeze, kissing it softly. Yuri rested his free hand on his belly, absentmindedly.
"Victor, I-I'm pregnant."He announced, his heart sank into his stomach as he waited to see how Victor would react.