(Author Note: For those who were asking where I saw the 'official' proclamation that there was only a 3 month time-jump from Sochi to YuTopia...I didn't see anything like that. It was just a bunch of folks who 'knew' that the people who did the subtitles got it all wrong. I know the 3 month skip makes sense if we want to keep saying Viktor did Aria for the Sochi GPF, as the 1st episode suggests, but I can't help but feel like that was a fuck-up, especially in light of all the official art showing Viktor wearing different outfits for Sochi alongside Yuri's known Sochi costume. I'm going to continue on like it was actually a full year jump for the doujin, and just suppose that the editing team fucked up by making it seem like the next year's GPF and Sochi were at the same time. It's just easier to reconcile Aria's existence, and Yuri finishing school, if there was a full year that passed. Ages are all still the same as official stated cuz I consider Yuri's arrival back home to be the starting point for all that, not Sochi.)
CHAPTER SEVENTY
Viktor was left speechless for quite some time after Konstantin went back to his house. All he could think to do was sit at the bench in front of his mother's grave and wonder about things.
...Should I say something to the gravestone? I wouldn't even know what to say. If everything my father believes is true, then she would know everything that's happened anyway.
He looked down at his gloved hands and drew in a deep breath.
"...Ja tebja ljublju, mamu. Ja vsegda znal vy smotrite mne."
"...How long should we leave him up there?" Yuri wondered, having calmed down significantly since seeing Konstantin walking away.
"As long as he wants." Mikhail said, "He told you to stay with us, so we'll all wait here until he's ready to come back."
They didn't have to wait long though, as the Russian rose from the bench and started heading back down the hill only a few minutes later.
Oddly though, his first statement was entirely unexpected.
"Why are you sitting on the hood of my car?"
Yurio gawked at him, and quietly slid off, standing to the side like he was trying to make it seem like he hadn't been sitting there at all.
Viktor just smiled, "Let's go back to St. Petersburg. I really want to skate."
.
.
.
The week ended faster than any of them could've expected...but at least it was largely uneventful. There was skating, wine mulling, staying up all night and sleeping in all day, love making, more skating, a little bit of packing, saying goodbye to the Russian team...and then, finally...the flight.
Mikhail sat in the back seat with Yurio as Viktor drove his car to the airport, possibly for the last time. As they parked in the drop-off area, Viktor stayed in his seat for a few moments longer than he meant, trying to take in the smell and feel of everything, putting his hand on the steering wheel one last time. Finally though, he left the vehicle and went to meet Yuri at the back to grab their luggage.
They'd packed only what they'd need for the week; the costumes and gear for the show, the medals they'd won since last being in Hasetsu, their secret stash of fun-time items that they didn't want anyone messing with when the professional movers came through to package up everything they didn't take with them, the dog, and all of Makkachin's things.
A concierge attendant came to put all of their things on a trolley to move it through the airport more easily. Yuri kept the one small bag with the medals, but the rest went to be put into cargo. Viktor said his goodbyes to his poodle before the poor creature was put into holding for the flight, and then turned to his uncle.
"You've done an unbelievable amount of stuff for me since popping up after Four Continents." He started, "I'm not even really sure how to thank you properly."
"Just put on one Hell of a show when Yuri and I get to Hasestu in a few days. Don't start without us!"
"We won't. I've been going back and forth with Yuu-chan and her girls, and they know we have a few more people coming." Yuri explained, "They've agreed to push things back until Thursday because the flight over is pretty brutal."
"What's it look like?" Yurio wondered, thinking it couldn't be worse than the flight Mikhail had booked for their own travel.
"A bit over an hour to get to our first layover in Moscow...then an 8 hour flight back to Incheon International in South Korea, then another short flight from there to Fukuoka." Yuri looked at their tickets, "Heh, the layovers are longer than the two shorter flights themselves are. Just over 14 hours for everything."
"That's shorter than ours. We have a 3rd layover in Tokyo." Mikhail said with a sigh.
"Good luck with that. I hope you picked 1st class seats!" Viktor laughed.
"For the big one, yeah...the short little flights, nah."
Viktor shook his head and laughed, "Yuri insisted on the same thing. He saw the price for the tickets and nearly had a heart attack!"
"Even before the currency exchange, seeing a ticket for 75,000 rubles was crazy." Yuri agreed, "And that was just for ONE."
The Russian nodded, but then moved to fiddle with his keychain, unhooking the keys for his house, mailbox, and car, and putting them delicately into his uncle's open hand, "Well...it's all officially yours then, I guess."
"Don't worry so much. I'll take care of it. I haven't let you down yet, have I?"
Viktor shook his head, "No... Just nervous in general. Time to go..."
Mikhail stepped forward to embrace his nephew, "We'll see you again soon. Safe travels."
Yuri had his arms out wide for the blond in front of him, "C'meeeeere!"
"You embarrass me so much when you do that." Yurio grumbled, but doing as was expected, wrapping both arms around the slightly older skater as Yuri did the same in turn. But, this time, things were a little different...when they pulled back, Yurio moved in to kiss his cheek, "Do svidaniya."
Yuri was red-faced from the unexpected gesture, and eyeballed Viktor for answers, though all he got was laughter from both the silver-haired Russians, "You forgot about that custom? It's not as common anymore but it used to be all the rage! Some people still do the kiss three times! Or even worse, he could've kissed you on the mouth like they used to do!"
"I wasn't gonna kiss him on the mouth, Viktor!" Yurio protested, annoyed at all the fuss over such a normal tradition.
"I would hope not." Viktor mused, "I'd have gotten jealous."
"That would've been super weird." Yuri added, as each of them switched people to say goodbye to.
Viktor made it entirely uncomfortable for the teen by literally draping himself over the blond rather dramatically.
"Damnit Viktor it's only gonna be like 3 days before I'm in Hasetsu!"
"But you kissed my little katsudon goodbye, like it's going to be for a long time! I have to live up to that!"
"Idiot! Get offa me!"
Yuri and Mikhail laughed quietly at the display, but then turned to one another and hugged fondly, "Even if it's only a few days, I'll be looking forward to when we see you again."
"Me too. I didn't realize how boring my life was until I started hanging around you guys." Mikhail agreed, "I might have to come by Hasetsu once in a while just to get my fix of fun."
"Just let us know. My family will always have room at Yu-Topia Katsuki for you."
"We should get pictures!" Viktor suggested, grabbing his phone quickly and shoving everyone together to get them into frame. It was more like a line-up, with everyone from front to back leaning slightly more forward than the person ahead of them, with Viktor in front holding up the camera, "Hashtag #BackToJapan, #LeavingStPetersburg!"
"You should document the whole trip." Yuri said, mostly sarcastically but partly seriously.
"That's a great idea!" The Russian gushed, adding more hashtags to the photo he'd just taken. Soon though, he pocketed the device again, and looked back at the group, "...All right, time to go for real now. We'll see you guys soon." He said, waving at them as he turned to head towards the doors. The two remaining Russians waved, and Yuri bowed, then headed off to catch up to his husband.
Within the hour, their first plane to Moscow was taking off. Viktor had to sit in the isle, which he hated, just to have some semblance of leg room, but Yuri put the arm-rest up so Viktor could lean on him until they had to land again. Despite it all though, by the time they landed just over an hour later, Viktor was stiff.
"I'll never let you look at prices again." He complained, trying to rub his lower back as they walked through the exit tunnel from the plane, "Never!"
"Sorry!"
Stepping into the terminal, Yuri took a good look around and reminisced.
"Coming here..." He took in a deep breath, as though the very air in Moscow was somehow different from other places, "It's like being back for the Rostelecom Cup again, and Sochi before it."
"I've been here too many times to appreciate it anymore." Viktor shrugged, "But I guess our places will be switched when we get back to Fukuoka." He looked around, trying to find the best place to take the next Instagram photo, but realizing there was nothing particularly unique about Domodedovo Airport. He decided on the only other option. He dragged Yuri outside despite knowing they'd have to do their security check again to get back in...and took a pic of them standing in front of the main entrance with the airport's name on top. That pic of the two of them soon evolved into a pic with 4...then 12...then some 30 people in it, as numerous travelers recognized them and wanted photos of their own. Viktor was all too excited about it, especially since most people who came up addressed them as 'Viktuuri' instead of just by their own individual names. The final shot required someone to lend him their selfie-stick and he held his phone out far to get the entire group in frame. There were hugs and cheek-kisses and congratulations for winning the World Championships all around after that, which was still really weird for Yuri, but he started to get into it with Viktor's encouragement. It took up almost all of their time to finish up and get back to their wing, since Viktor wanted to tag everyone who'd been in the photo, or at least write in their names to the post if they didn't have their own Instagram accounts.
The Russian's mood calmed when they finally boarded the flight to Korea, with him stretching out in the over-sized plush seats of Business Class, "This is the only acceptable way to travel!"
"I can't believe how many people recognized us here." Yuri said, stowing his one bag in the overhead compartment, "I think that crowd photo had more people in it than the pic you took on the ice at the end of the Exhibition Gala."
"I think you're right..." Viktor mused, looking at the number of hits and comments the pic he'd just taken had accrued since posting it, "A lot of people are watching our progress right now. They're even asking what our next stop is so they can get there ahead of time. Should I tell them?"
"No." Yuri said, catching Viktor by surprise.
"...But..." He was practically pouting as Yuri moved to sit in his isle seat next to him.
Yuri just smiled though, "We should tell them."
Viktor's eyes glimmered as he said it, and pulled up the video function on his camera phone, "Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Recording!" The Russian hit the button, then waved at the image as the camera rolled, pulling Yuri closer into the frame, "Hey everyone! Viktor Nikiforov here with..."
"...Yuri Nikiforov!"
"...on our way out of Domodedovo Airport in Moscow! It's about 10:35pm local time, and our next stop is..."
"...Incheon International Airport in South Korea! It's a little over 8 hours of flight time..."
"...so it'll be about 2pm local time when we arrive..."
"...and we hope to see you when we land!"
"The plane should be starting to taxi in about 30 more minutes. We'll see you all at the Incheon ice rink! Bye for now~!"
Viktor clicked off the video and excitedly texted Yuri a copy to post on his own account, then moved to post the video on his own.
v-nikiforov
[video]
v-nikiforov Attention all skate-fans in Seoul and surrounding area! Yuri and I are coming through your area!
#y-nikiforov #BackToJapan #LeavingMoscow #SkateHusbands #Viktuuri #CantWaitToGetInThatHotSpring #Katsudon #YuriIsAPorkCutletBowlThatSeducesMenButMostlyMe
Yuri gawked at the tags when he saw the post show up on his feed, and his face flushed at the last one especially, "...Mh."
"Go on and post it to your account! Your fans won't know you're coming otherwise, and you probably have more on the Asia circuit than I do anyway!"
He scoffed at that, "That'll be the day."
Viktor just kept refreshing Yuri's page until he finally saw the video there.
y-nikiforov
[video]
y-nikiforov Layover at Incheon on our way back to Hasetsu.
#v-nikiforov #BackToJapan #LeavingMoscow #SkateHusbands #Viktuuri
"Aww..." Viktor hummed, "You don't sound excited at all!"
"Would an exclamation point on the end make it better?" Yuri wondered, putting his phone away, "I'm excited! I just don't do it in text very well I guess."
The Russian just pulled Yuri's hand up and kissed his ring between them, "Maybe that should be the thing I coach you on next."
"Throw another 2 gold medals on top of that as payment?"
"Oh no, at least another 20."
The younger skater fell back into his chair, "I'll never get to retire. I'll be out on the ice with my walker, the one with the tennis balls on the bottom, spinning around slow as can be and calling it a quad."
"I expect to see that in 40 years."
The plane took off about 45 minutes later, and after a glass of champagne, Viktor moved over to Yuri's fully reclining chair the same way Yuri had done in his when they'd first flown back to St. Petersburg together. It was entirely against the rules and flew in the face of security precautions, but no one was about to convince Viktor to go back to his own seat, especially after he'd already fallen asleep.
They skipped the in-flight meal in anticipation of better fare at Incheon...and when they finally arrived, they weren't disappointed. No less than 150 people had packed into the rink-side area.
"...For it having been practically 4am here when we made our posts, that's a really big group." Yuri commented, the both of them still partly unrecognizable from a distance.
"Wow~!" Viktor agreed, "Look! A bunch of them even brought snacks!"
"Well, I'm starving, let's go!"