CHAPTER FOURTY THREE

-The most terrifying Short Program ever!? Skating for love, and ON love!-

Yuri left the clamor of the main waiting area and descended into another hallway through a set of closed doors, and unfurled his mat on the floor. Ear-buds were placed after that, and he took a deep breath to get started. It felt like forever before Victor finally found him, but he was glad that he did.

"Everything went okay?" He asked, and nudged his left ear against his shoulder to get the nub out again.

"As well as it could."

Yuri wasn't sure if that was the answer he was looking for, but he took whatever he could get. He set out to continue his warm-up in near-silence; the only noise between them came from what could be heard from his music.

Victor leaned against the white-painted stone wall, hands still in his pockets as his mind wandered back to the previous conversation. He could faintly hear the audience in the arena above them, muffled as it was, "You picked a good spot." He finally said.

"Huh?"

"To stretch before going up. This is quiet."

"It'll serve."

Victor could hear the inflection in Yuri's voice; his mind was wandering too, but to where, the Russian skater couldn't be sure.

He's about to skate 'Eros'...how's he going to manage that under these circumstances, worrying about what I told to my uncle before coming down here? The program will lose its appeal the same way Yurio's 'Agape' does when he gets greedy... I have to do something...

Yuri switched around and sat upright, and put the soles of his shoes together in front of himself. He pulled his heels as close to center as possible, and pressed down on his knees as he leaned down over top of them. He held there for a while until he felt the burn, then leaned back up again to shake it out. He looked up as he realized he'd heard Victor starting to laugh to himself quietly, and saw him smiling rather proudly, "...What are you thinking of?"

"Every time you skate this Short Program, you become even more tastier than the pork-cutlet bowl you started as. I've watched you become a pork-cutlet fatal that seduces men... Now, you evolved into something more than a bowl of katsudon." The Russian answered, "Then I started to wonder how I could help that evolution continue...and it made me think of how Chris sometimes gets himself a little worked up before doing his own shows."

"I don't think I want to know..." Yuri grimaced, and leaned back down over his pressed-down knees until he felt like they, and his nose, could touch the mat beneath him. He could hear Victor huff another laugh to himself after that, before pushing off the wall and taking a few steps, but he hadn't realized the Russian was standing directly in front of him until he lifted up again. Shoes, knees, waist, chest...Yuri craned his head up until he couldn't anymore, looking up to where Victor's face was darkened by the bright halogen lights directly above and behind him. Cherry-hazel eyes watered a little and he shied away from the light, only to hear the sound of Victor's track-suit rustle with his movements again. When he looked back, the slender Russian was kneeled-down in front of him, and he felt the man's hands come to rest on his thighs. Yuri wasn't sure what to say...slate eyes had captured and paralyzed him where he sat. He felt Victor's right hand leave its place on his leg, and reach for the dangling ear-bud, putting it into his own ear to hear what he'd been listening to.

'...Can you hear my heartbeat? I've got a feeling it's never too late. I close my eyes and see myself, how my dreams will come true. There'll be no more darkness when you believe in yourself...you are unstoppable. Where your destiny lies, dancing on the blades, you set my heart on fire...!'

Victor closed his eyes and smiled as he listened, but then unexpectedly leaned forward and kissed the man in front of him.

Yuri was a little surprised, but then supposed he shouldn't be and melted into it. Before long, he felt his husband push him down to his back on the mat, hands sliding down his body to pull his legs up on either side of the slender waist. The music continued to play. Yuri wanted to keep his partner close, but he knew time was running out. His heart pounded in his chest, and he lifted one hand over his partner's shoulder to run his fingers through strands of silver-grey hair. It only served to encourage the man, and he felt a pair of arms go up under his back, hugging him closer, "...Is this...such a good idea right now?" Yuri wondered, not realizing.

"It's a perfect idea." The Russian answered, and pulled up a little to nose at the younger man's chin, "I want to see what 'Eros' looks like when you're a little excited. I thought I'd help get your blood pumping."

"You don't have to do much for that to happen." Yuri answered anxiously, and - to Victor's surprise - crossed his ankles behind the man's back.

"Maybe I needed this a little too then." The silver admitted, and leaned down to kiss the man again, deeply.

All seemed well and good for a little while. Several seconds of the wet and warmth passed, and they turned their heads a few times to renew the angle of the kiss from a different side. Yuri's cheeks went bright pink, feeling a pulse of passion rippling through him when he felt the texture of his husband's tongue on his lips, and opened his mouth to welcome it in. The Russian seemed to take that as a cue though, and Yuri felt the pressure against center right after that, a slow, deliberate grind against his front. When he could finally come up for air briefly, Victor went for his neck instead, kissing and nibbling at it eagerly as he pressed in hard a second time.

Yuri gasped quietly as he felt it, brows furrowed nervously, "V-Victor...we..we shouldn't..."

The Russian just pressed in a third time, and he relished in the sight of his anxious young husband - wanting so desperately to keep going, but being terrified of where they were while doing so. He smiled and gave a seductive look, eyes half-closed as he leaned down again, brushing his bangs across flushed skin, "...Why not?" He teased.

"W-well..." Yuri stammered, his face quite red now, "If y-you...keep going, you'll g-get excited, too...and then..."

"And then?" Victor purred, leaning in a bit closer to nose at the man's reddened cheek.

"W-what if someone walks in on us!?" He finally managed, "This isn't e-exactly a private area-"

Ki'KANKshh

The metal push-bar down the hallway was suddenly slammed inward, and the door it was attached to swung wide open.

"Victor, you back here? Yakov sa-"

The silver Russian drew upward, pushing slowly up onto his hands to glance back over his shoulder with an unhappy look on his face.

Yuri's ankles uncrossed and his arms went out to the side almost immediately, but mostly, he just stayed paralyzed where he was with a horrified look on his beet-red face. He only moved his hands after that, to hold his heart in his chest where he thought it might burst out from the shock of being walked in on, exactly as he'd worried.

Yurio just glared at them in horrified surprise, then turned on his heel to leave, "Nope."

The door closed with a hollow metallic smack after that, and Victor turned back down to where his flushed and terrorized husband was laying catatonic under him. He heaved a sigh, "I better go after him."

"...I...I'll just...stay here a second..." Yuri answered pitifully.

"Come on." The Russian pulled off of him and reached down his hands to help yank his beloved up off the floor, then went for the exercise mat and rolled it up before handing it back to its owner, "Here, go get your skates on. You're plenty warmed up now anyway."

They went through the same doors that Yurio had barged in through, and Yuri darted off to the side as they went out, heading for where they'd left the bulk of their equipment. Victor himself went off after his younger team-mate, who he'd seen walking off stiffly in the other direction, "Yurio!" He called out, half-running to catch up. When he arrived, he put his hand on the teen's shoulder, but the blond snapped around to swat him off.

"It's YURI." He correctly bitterly, "I'M YURI. YURI PLISETSKY. NOT YURIO."

"...What..."

The blond suddenly burst into speaking Russian instead, [HE should be the one getting called Yurio!] He angrily pointed at where the aforementioned skater had started to pull his shoes off, [What makes him so special that he gets to keep his name when I don't!?]

Victor could tell what he was doing, [...It was his sister that named you this way, don't you remember? What's all this about suddenly? I thought you were going to be mad abo-]

[I DON'T CARE!] The blond snapped, ignoring the question, [I was Yuri long before you ever even KNEW him! I shouldn't be getting punished like this because your dumb ass decided to drop everything to coach some Grand Prix failure that had already decided to QUIT!]

[...You're not being punished.] Victor said, a nervous smile forming on his lips, [It's just easier to go with the flow.]

[The FLOW!?] The Russian Tiger was incensed, [Does the flow include fucking in a back hallway before a show!?]

[We weren-]

[I SAW YOU.] Yurio yelled. His volume was getting the attention of everyone nearby, [You think I wanted to see that!?]

[You barely saw a thing.] Victor glowered at him, [If we were standing it'd just be called a hug.]

[I don't even care anymore.] The youth had gotten much quieter after that, his face hidden both by his long hair and the hood of his coat, [Do whatever you want. Screw the pig all you want. I'm not gonna play this game anymore. I'm tired of you and him and all this stupid bullshit that's happened because of it.] His eyes were red with frustration, but he went back into English again before turning away, "Just retire already!"

The infuriated Tiger prowled away, enraged and upset but refused to shed tears, leaving Victor there speechless in the middle of the prep area. No one dared say a word to either of them after that, trying to go back to what they were doing before the outburst. They had no idea what had been said anyway. At least, not most of them.

One person who'd overheard the exchange understood every word of it.

Victor sighed, not sure what else to say or do. ...I don't understand what just happened. We've teased him with our PDA for months, and he's only ever gotten annoyed or flustered at worst. Why would this be any different?

He turned back to head over to where Yuri fumbled with his skate laces. Neither had been tied yet, so the Russian moved towards him and knelt down to help. Yuri was afraid to ask what had happened; his hands shook so much that Victor had to hold them briefly, and only after could take the laces, "It's nothing." He tried to say, "He'll get over it."

"Next to take the ice...representing the United States of America, Leo de la Iglesia!"

Yuri looked up at the sound of it, "I'm up after him..."

"Let's get to the curtain then." Victor nodded, and finished the last ties on the second skate before he stood up and offered his hands. Yuri wouldn't move after that though, simply standing on there on his blade-guards with a worried look on his face, "...I'm sorry you had to hear that." Victor added quietly, keeping hold of those hands.

With his skates on, Yuri and his partner were the same height, and he looked forward into those crystal-blue eyes, "...Whatever he was yelling about wasn't nothing. He'd never yell at you like that."

"Oh sure he would. He yells at me all the time." Victor tried to make light of it, "I think I was lucky that I walked away without getting round-house kicked, too. Right?"

"Yeah... Maybe."

Victor knew he hadn't convinced Yuri of anything, so he moved forward and wrapped his arms around his husband's smaller frame and pulled him close. He gently brushed his cheek against his partner's, and whispered to his ear, "A sanctuary of warmth and peace."

Yuri's eyes twitched open at that, and he leaned in closer to hug a bit tigther, "To inspire and respond..."

"Show me a sign that you're not going to let what just happened bother you out there." Victor continued, "...I was trying so hard to help you before...I don't want to see you fall apart because of Yurio."

Yuri wasn't sure how to answer that. He still had a knot in his stomach from having overheard the exchange, even if he hadn't a clue what was said. He had an idea about it, but he wasn't about to ask for a translation right at that moment. So he did the only thing he could think of in the moment...and reached down to unexpectedly, but gently, grab his husband's ample, athletic backside.

Victor's head came up in surprise as he felt it, and he turned his face to look at the man, "Wow~! Yuri!"

Hazel eyes glanced back at him, half-amused and half-in-disbelief at himself, but Yuri huffled a laugh and pulled his hands up again, and buried his face against his spouse's shoulder, "If you're fine, I'm fine. Let me just...savor this hug a little while longer."

"Whatever you need," The silver purred.

.

Every day I sing...the brotherhood of man,
How grateful it is, we're still alive.
I can feel my soul singing as a bird.
Wherever I go, God stays with me.

Them growing trees, or the rose in bloom,
I see the God inside them and I feel alright...

The crowd went wild as Leo entered into his final pose, and after he took a moment to catch his breath, he waved enthusiastically. A few moments later, as the rink-bunnies skated across the ice to clear the shower of gifts, and Leo moved off to head to the kiss and cry with his coach. His score came quickly.

"The score for Leo de la Iglasia is...89.45!"

Yurio had parked himself in the competitor's block in the stands, well-away from a few others who'd ventured to watch from there before him. His turn was still almost 30 minutes away, as long as most skaters got their scores quickly. He growled to himself as he spotted the inappropriate duo coming out from the prep area, headed towards the entrance in the rink wall. The crowd's applause once-again shifted from congratulatory to welcoming excitement. Yurio didn't even want to stay at that point...so he stood up from his seat and rounded the corner to head under the stands to wander until it was done.

"Next to take the ice, representing Japan...Yuri Nikiforov!"

It made Yurio cringe to hear it, and his disgust at the audience's maelstrom of cheers distracted him from where he was going.

"Davai, Yuri!"

"Ganbaaaaaa!"

"Go, Yuuuuriii!"

"Davaaaaaai!"

Just as the angry teen shook his head to clear the feeling, and took a step to continue his meander, he found himself run face-first into a taller figure that he hadn't noticed approach. Or maybe that skinny frame hadn't even approached him...it was just there and he ran straight into it., "What the hell-" Yurio blurted, and quickly rummaged with his coat to pull the hood back into place. He looked up to glare at the figure, only to see jade eyes staring at him from behind silver bangs, "Wh..."

Mikhail hadn't even said a single word yet, and Yurio was already flustered.

"Out of the way, old man."

"You're an angry little man." The elder answered, unbothered by the Russian Punk's attitude, "Why is that, I wonder?"

"I don't have time for this." Yurio shoved his way past, knocking Mikhail aside as he went, "You're Victor's uncle, not mine, and I don't give one singular hot fuck who you think you are."

Mikhail just cocked a brow under his flat-cap, "What's the sense in taking out your anger on Victor anyway?" The darkly-clad elder said after him, making the youth stop where he'd stepped, "Or your own fans, or those who come to support you...or anyone, for that matter."

"What the Hell do you know, or care?"

"All I know is what I've seen and heard...and I happen to care a lot." He answered, "I heard what you said to him earlier. I'm probably the only one who understood what you'd said to him, too."

The teen was practically shooting daggers out of his eyes by then, What the Hell is with this guy? Why's he after me? I thought he was just in it for Victor. He shook his head again, "What difference would it make that you know what I said? You don't know shit."

"Ah but I do." Mikhail smiled, "I've learned a lot of things from trying to figure out who and what Victor is about...by proxy, that means I know a bit about you, too...Russian Kitten."

Yurio glowered at him angrily.

They both heard the sound of the 'Eros' program start above them, but neither averted their gaze for it.

"At least to my eyes, you and Victor are more alike than you know." The older man went on, "But while he has made peace with where he came from, you, on the other hand... Well, you look like you thrive on how much rage it allows you to hold onto."

"Don't tell me how I feel!"

Mikhail shrugged, "I don't have to. Everyone around you feels it. Look at yourself..." He pointed, "You're going to go out there to skate a program about unconditional love, and yet you're going to do it while seething with hate and fury. How's that working out for you? I saw the video of you bombing at the Euro Championships. The whole skating community was freaking out about it."

"Stalker, much?"

"How is it stalking to watch publicly available videos on sports channels? I'm watching skating programs, not CCTV of your houses." He huffed, then sighed and shook his head, "I'm trying to learn as much about Victor's passion as I'm trying to learn about him. When I saw the footage of Hot-Springs on Ice, the announcer explained that Victor had choreographed both yours and the other Yuri's programs. Did he also choose who would do each one?"

"...Da." Yurio answered bitterly; it still annoyed him.

Mikhail nodded and smiled, "That's why you ended up with 'Agape.' It sure wasn't because you wanted it, clearly. 'Welcome to the Madness' is more your tone."

"I can't switch out my program like that."

"Never said you should; I was just laying out the contrast. Victor was trying to challenge you."

"No shit."

"Who do you have supporting you at home?"

Yurio glared at him, "You sure are nosy."

"Humor me; my dad senses are tingling."

"My grandpa."

"You skipped a generation."

"My parents aren't part of my life."

Mikhail gestured his hands up, "Just like Victor."

Yurio chortled, "My parents were just absent. They didn't beat the shit out of me."

"Physical hurt or not, it's enough to make you really angry at everything." The elder said, daring to take a step closer to the wary teen, "But it doesn't make sense to take out all your frustration on those who are here for you. Why do you do that? Are you trying to push them away? Is there no room in your tiny little heart for anyone but your grandfather?"

The crowd had risen up in cheers a few times by then, no doubt celebrating a few successful spins and jumps.

Yurio wasn't sure how to respond.

"It's not a sign of weakness if you let yourself care about others...or even to admit that you do. I can tell you care about Victor...like a big brother, maybe, or even as a substitute father figure. Whatever he is to you, it makes you jealous that he's putting all his attention on the other Yuri, right?" Mikhail surmised, watching the teen's decompressing rage carefully, "The way I read about it online, Victor just up and left one day, disappearing into the sunset and not even bothering to really tell anyone that he was going. No one really knew where he went until he posted that pic of himself at Hasetsu Castle. To that end, he kind of left you behind. That's why you went out there afterwards, to chase him down."

Again, the blond remained stiffly silent.

"That's what I figured. I understand." Mikhail took another step closer; his hands remained safely and non-threateningly at his sides, palms up, "I'm a little jealous, too. When I first decided to reach out and contact Victor, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We were close when we were both much younger...but it's obvious that the kid I remember has grown into a man that I don't know. I thought I'd have more time to talk to him, but he's put me at arm's length, practically using Yuri as an excuse not to think about me. But, Yuri's the whole reason I've made it this far. I have to consider myself grateful for that much. Where do you think you and Victor would be today if he hadn't decided to go to Japan last year?"

The Russian Punk's brow furrowed, "How the shit should I know?"

The music finally came to its climax, and was drowned out by the sound of excited applause. It would only be another minute or so before the score would be called out.

"How far do you think you'd have pushed yourself if you'd gotten to keep Victor to yourself in Russia? Would he have been your coach like he is to the other Yuri?"

"He promised to be my coach only if I won the Hot Springs event, after being in Japan already. As you can see," The teen practically waved his arm in dramatic presentation of himself, "...That's not how it turned out."

"But he's come through for you on everything else that you'd asked of him."

"Tsh..." Yurio grunted, "The only reason I followed him to Hasetsu was because he didn't. He promised to choreograph a show for me at my Senior debut if I won the Junior World Championships without quads. I did my part. He flaked on his."

"So that's it..." Mikhail said quietly, "You hold a grudge against him for breaking his word."

"Don't reduce my life to one event. That's not the only thing. That's just one that's pissed me off most recently."

"I understand. It's a combination of everything. But that's what set you off in the end...you feel like he forgot about you. I'll even wager...you walked out of the Ice Castle before it was even officially decided who won. You decided for yourself that Victor wasn't going back to Russia."

Yurio's eyes twitched as the man's words settled in his mind, and he turned his face away angrily, "I knew from the onset that Katsudon would win that Exhibition even if I skated better. It was just an easy way for Victor to get my off his ass."

"He's only human. The skating world may treat him like a demi-god, but he's fallible just like the rest of us. Sometimes all we can do is follow where our hearts lead us, and for him, it lead to Japan. But he went back home to Russia in the end anyway, and brought back with him the thing he cares about most. Is that so wrong?"

"I don't care."

Mikhail smiled, and reached his hand out to touch the youth gently on the shoulder. Yurio twitched, but didn't move to pull away, so the elder pat his hand there, "Skate 'Agape' with all the unconditional love you have for Victor. Give it everything you have. He'll notice."