CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
'Ladies and Gentlemen...representing Russia...Viktor...NIKIFOROV!'
As expected, the audience went completely wild.
Yuri drew in the energy of their enthusiasm like manna from Heaven, closing his eyes and raising his head a little to breathe it in an out. He and Chris stood next to rink-side to wait for Viktor to come over to them before heading to center stage. Viktor briefly stood by Yakov, still with the bulky cape over his shoulders, getting some last little bit of advice before skating.
When he was done, he nodded and skated just to the side of the kiss and cry, where he held out his hands to reach for Yuri's as he stopped again.
"This is it." Yuri said excitedly, "You're going to kill it."
The Russian nodded and smiled, "As my one and only Free Skate of the season...I hope to." He leaned over the rink wall to pull the two into a hug, each with one arm over their shoulders to pull them to his own, "Next season will be even better."
"It's been a little boring without you, Viktor." Chris said, "I expect you'll go put us all to shame now that you're back."
"Yuri will be the one to watch out for once I'm done, don't forget it." Viktor said, letting them both go again.
"Mhh...well, I suppose if I had to look at anyone's backside flying ahead of me, if it isn't yours, Yuri's isn't so bad." Chris said with a sigh, reaching back over to grab the Asian's tush to make his point, since no matter how often he did it, Yuri always squeaked and jumped a little when he did it, and it was endearing.
Viktor laughed as he saw Yuri's face twitch, and moved to pull him closer, both hands on either side of his face, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Remember...this isn't the end."
"You keep saying that...but why? I know you're staying on one more year..."
"Eyes on me alone, and it'll all become clear soon enough." Viktor answered, kissing his husband gently before finally standing back upright to pull the shroud from around his shoulders, revealing the Winter Prince's splendor underneath.
The crowd saw the big reveal and were cheering excitedly for it.
Chris whistled a little as he finally became beholden to the costume, "It's been a while since you wore a one-piece."
"Figured I'd spice things up a bit." The Russian laughed, folding the cloak over one arm before handing it to Yuri, "I'm off. Wish me luck...and I'll see you both on the podium!"
"Skater Nikiforov set two new world records at Thursday's Short Program, earning a new personal best with a score of 122.43, and becoming the first skater across all disciplines and in all of skating history to complete a quadruple Axel jump. What new surprises lay in store for his Free Skate?" Newscast Morooka was commenting for the television viewers.
Viktor was finally heading for the center of the rink, holding his arms out to get the audience riled up. The cheers became a roar, and as he finally made it to the middle of the icy stage, the roar became a maelstrom. Viktor was loving every second of it, but he knew what his own program was about, and as he took his position, he looked around to the audience with a finger over his mouth in a gesture to silence them. Within a few seconds, they got the hint and fell quiet, and the Russian gave his signal to the coordinator on the side of the rink that he was ready.
He set his left leg straight under him, and raised the right only enough to stick his gold toe-pick into the ice. Right arm came around his torso, held out only a few inches, and his left arm was raised up to curl slightly over his down-turned head.
The music then finally began; a quiet piano.
((Look up 'A Winter's Wish' on YouTube, on channel Harrys Cupboard Music. Careful not to pick the remix called 'Believe' though as they use the same background art.))
Viktor rotated on the toe-pick, left skate going backward and around in a circle until he finally pushed off to skate away with his arms out to either side.
Yuri could feel the energy of the audience shifting as the program began.
"Viktor has four quads planned for this program. The first is coming up..."
He left the ice with a graceful click, rotated four times, and landed elegantly.
"Quad Lutz, beautiful. Not many skaters are able to do that one, but he polished it like it was child's play."
There was an interlude where Viktor slowed down, entering into a flying sit-spin that rose up into a camel spin, switching legs with a hop to continue on. When he was finally upright again, he didn't seem to move far from that spot, his arms and hands becoming the focus more so than his footwork. He would gesture to the audience, then pull back in, then turn his attention to the judges themselves, then back to himself again, each sweeping motion being open, welcoming, then sad as he turned away again.
Yuri finally started to understand what Viktor had meant before. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes, and Chris looked over at him as they fell from his cheeks.
"Yuri…?"
"...This...was supposed to be his goodbye show." He answered, "He was going to retire this year after all. Look at him...he's thanking the audience and judges...then turning away like he's leaving them behind..."
The Swiss skater nodded, "No wonder he didn't want anyone to see."
"This next move is listed as just a triple Axel...will Viktor rise to the challenge?"
The Russian built up speed, and Yuri clung to the rink wall, watching carefully.
Viktor came in in reverse, switched to a forward stance, and threw himself into the air…
"HE DID IT! HE LANDED THE QUAD AXEL WITHOUT A FLAW!"
Yuri let out a heaved sigh of relief.
Viktor went into his first Step Sequence, starting from the far end of the rink. Yuri was starting to see the parity of this performance to his own 'Yuri on Ice' program. The longer he watched, the more he could see the timeline of Viktor's skating career being laid bare for everyone to see. The ups, the downs, the victories...all of it. He even thought he could see the moment Viktor's dance reflected the moment he'd gone to Hasetsu to start a new chapter in his life. His motions had become more open, more loose, and then were pulled into himself like he was holding something close to his heart.
"He's dancing about you right now." Chris said, "Can you see it?"
"Quad Toe-loop, single Salchow...triple Toe-loop...wonderful!"
"I can see it..." Yuri whispered, trying to dry his face on his sleeve. There were other things he could see, too, though. Notably...Viktor starting to get tired.
The quad Axel wipes him out...what's going to happen to his quad flip? It's the only quad in the second half of the program, but he still has one more before then...and with the Axel being marked as a triple in the listing, but turned into a quad for the actual show...will he really do five quads for the whole Free Skate? No way...even Viktor has admitted he doesn't have that kind of stamina…
"His next official quad is a Salchow...will he keep it…?" Morooka wondered, watching intently, "Ah, no, he downgraded it to a triple. Wise. Seems he's saving his energy for his signature move. Skater Nikiforov seems to be trying to emulate his pupil by putting that move at the very end of his program, when fatigue would be highest, to go for the highest point bonus."
Yuri couldn't take his eyes off his partner, feeling the hope...and yet hopelessness of it all at the same time. Viktor had poured his heart into that program, clearly...the passion of his skater's life and love was being laid bare for all to see. If not for Yuri knowing that Viktor was already making plans for next season, he'd have been inconsolable for realizing this would be the end. The audience seemed to be picking up on it, but no one dared interrupt the performance's tempo and mood with clapping at any given jump. They were enthralled by the story.
There were only about 30 seconds left on the clock, and Yuri was anxious for it to be over, if not for his own sake, then at least for Viktor's.
"Here it comes..."
"The final quad of the program..."
Yuri practically hid behind the rink wall, peeking over his fingers as he watched Viktor slide into the jump...
One...
...Two...!
...THREE!
.
.
...and he fell.
Both Chris and Yuri were wide-eyed to see it, completely in disbelief.
"Ohhh big fall there...but he got right back up again to continue!"
The audience was in shock as well. It was the first time in ages that anyone had seen Viktor drop to the ice entirely.
"...That was only three rotations..." The Asian muttered, "His own signature move, and he fell… He's too tired for this, I should try to convince him to stop doing the Axel..."
The final spin-sequence was in full force then, with Viktor looking like a blur on the ice. He entered into it while holding up one skate behind his back, letting it go only as he rose to stand straight. That same leg was thrown out to the side as he finally came to the end of the show, skating backwards in small circles until he finally found his last position.
He bowed his head low and held his right hand across his chest, a gesture of gratitude. The music finally stopped, and he tried to catch his breath.
The audience burst to life again with screams and cheers, throwing their gifts at the ice...plush poodles, bouquets of flowers, and many others.
Viktor felt his lungs bursting into flames again, just like during the Short Program, but he was determined not to drop to his knees again.
...I messed up the quad flip…unbelievable…!
When he finally turned to head to the kiss and cry, he almost couldn't even bear to lift his head to meet Yuri's gaze for the shame of it. He was heaving breaths, and Yakov met him at the rink exit with his skate guards.
"That was good." The older man said, oddly optimistic despite the flubbed jump.
"No lecture...today?" Viktor asked between breaths, "I'm...surprised."
"No coach could ever ask more of their student than what you've given." Yakov said simply, "And you never listen to me anyway."
The skater managed a laugh through a cough, and found Yuri coming up quietly with his water bottle to offer it. Viktor looked at him with disappointed, sad eyes, "...I screwed up."
"Are you kidding?" The younger man was stunned, but tried to be supportive, "That was incredible!"
Viktor was about to go into a blur of explanations for all the things he'd done wrong in the program, his mouth already open, but as he saw Yuri gushing about how good it was, he decided against it, closed his mouth again, and smiled. He reached an arm over and pulled his husband close to hug him, and use him as a support to help him get over to the kiss and cry. He actually wouldn't even let Yuri go once he and Yakov were on the bench, pulling him down to sit as well.
"You said before that you were upset that you couldn't share in my successes the way I do in yours, right?" He explained, "So...sit with us. You can't start until I'm done anyway."
Yuri nodded and got more comfortable where he sat near the edge, keeping his arm around Viktor's back, his right hand settling on the man's hip as Viktor kept his left arm snaked across Yuri's shoulders. They waited for what seemed like ages. Footage of the flawless quad flip was being replayed on the large auditorium monitors.
"The score for Viktor Nikiforov..."
Both skaters' hearts were in their throats.
"...223.43...bringing his total score to 345.96! Viktor Nikiforov just reset the world Free Skate record, beating the previous score by 3 points! He's currently in first place!" Morooka announced for the television viewers.
The announcer overhead read the score aloud without the analysis, but both skaters knew what it meant anyway.
"I barely beat you by a hair..." Viktor mused, rubbing his cheek against the side of Yuri's head, trying not to mess up where it was styled for the competition, "You can still win."
Yuri still felt tight in his chest as he let the score sink in, but then nodded and rose up again to his feet.
"Go on and get on the ice." Viktor told him, "I'll be right there. They'll give you extra time since they know I was on right before you."
"All right..." The younger skater nodded, moving off to the doorway.
I guess that's what the brass was talking to him about earlier?
Chris gave Viktor a wink and a thumb's up as he waited quietly off to the side.
As Yuri gave his blade guards over to the Swiss skater, removed his track-suit coat, and stepped out onto the frozen lake ahead of him, he realized he hadn't heard anyone announce him yet. He looked up and around in confusion, wondering if he should even be on the ice yet...but when he turned back to the kiss and cry, Viktor wasn't there.
"...What...in the world?"
"Hello? Is this on?"
Yuri spun his head up again to hear the voice. The crowd seemed to know what happened and started cheering.
"Hey!" The voice continued, "Viktor Nikiforov here! Is everyone ready for the last athlete of the Men's Singles Free Skate!?"
"...V-Viktor!?" Yuri balked, finally spotting him about 30 paces away with a microphone in hand, waving at him cheerfully. With the audience's cheering getting louder, Viktor held his hand out towards him. The Russian skater knew cameras were on him.
"Then I'm proud to present the final performance of the day, of the World Championships, and of the last international competition of the season, my husband… Representing Japan, YURI...NIKIFOROV!"