CHAPTER EIGHTY ONE

The maelstrom of cheering made it difficult to hear anything else, but Viktor took hold of his two Yuris and pushed them back towards the rink exit. He had to yell into Yuri's ear just to tell him to go ahead and start getting ready and that he'd be right behind in a moment. The younger skater nodded and headed back for the locker room where they'd all been sequestered before, and Yurio went after him to avoid prying questions.

By the time they were inside, Viktor had made it over to a loudspeaker so he could acknowledge everyone in the building, and even outside, "Welcome, everyone!" He started, his voice drowned out by more cheering, "Please stand by for just a few more minutes while we get ready! We really didn't expect so many people would find out about our little party and show up, but we're happy to have you! Spasibo!"

"WE LOVE YOU VIKTOR!"

More screaming as he got back down from his small perch to follow after his husband.

Yurio was a little unsettled by all the bad press, but he kept silent as Yuri started pulling off his coat and scarf nearby.

"Maybe I should've put a gag on the media while I was out there..." The Asian said, half to himself, "No questions about professional stuff today. This is all for fun."

"I don't think they'd care." The blond grumbled, "It's huge news back in Russia already. People are wondering if I'm even coming back."

"We know you are, so why worry?"

Yurio just gawked at him, "You're not the kind of person who gets to ask questions like that."

The older skater laughed nervously, "I guess not... But still. Once you've had a little time to yourself, Yakov said he'd let you back, and we know he wouldn't be crazy enough to stop you."

"Maybe." Yurio turned back away again, leaning against one row of lockers.

Yuri had pulled the metal door in front of him open to find the ensemble for his Firebird show; each locker in the row had been labeled ahead of time so the skaters would know where their things were. Each of them had their things clustered together though, with Chris, Yurio, and Phichit on their own side, and then Viktor and himself sharing an isle back-to-back with their own things.

"...I just realized I'm the one doing the most programs today." Yuri deadpanned himself, "I gotta skate 4 times today..."

"It's your wedding party."

"Not even Viktor is skating that often." The older man sighed, "Maybe the girls should've made him do Scheherazade, too..."

"It would've made more sense for him to do Amnesia."

"He can't do that one again unless his coat is altered." Yuri explained, "There wasn't enough time."

"What's wrong with the coat?"

"It's as heavy as a small dog. He didn't realize it until he was using it at Worlds." He answered, stripping down to his undergarments to make room for the infamous blue costume.

"So why are you doing this one again anyway?" Yurio wondered, cocking his head back to watch the man sliding his legs into the slick black pants, "It was your worst nightmare the last time you did it."

"Actually..." Yuri smiled, pulling the flame-embroidered collared white shirt next, "I did this for my Worlds Exhibition. I got to do it over with all the things Viktor taught me this last year. I finally got to do that show the way I saw it in my head way back then. So...now I get to show my family what it looks like in person."

"...That's who you were talking to when I found you in the bathroom." The blond muttered, "I overheard the end of your conversation before I kicked the door."

"...Sheesh, you were there that long?" Yuri was surprised, "I didn't even notice you..." He slipped his arms through the long, patterned blue sleeves, his fingers coming out past the white ruffles at the end.

"At the time I was letting it sink in how pathetic I thought you were." Yurio answered, "You didn't say why you'd fucked up so b-"

"Language." Yuri cut him off, smiling, though the Russian didn't see it.

"...You didn't say why you messed up though, so I just thought you sucked."

"Thanks a lot."

"Even Viktor was surprised how badly you performed back then." Yurio went on, "I saw him watching you from the stands."

"...He came out from the prep area to watch me?" Yuri was surprised to hear it, but then a little embarrassed, "Why?"

The Russian Punk shrugged, "Morbid curiosity, I guess. You at least had good spins and footwork back then. I guess he was just wondering what the hell was wrong with you, just like the rest of us. Not like you make it to the Grand Prix Final because you come in last on a regular basis."

"We both medaled at Skate Canada that year." Yuri remembered, "I got silver back then. It was the closest I'd ever gotten to him at that point."

"You were too terrified to even look at him most of the time."

The older skater remembered it well; standing on the podium next to Viktor while the audience cheered.

JJ had already descended from his bronze tier and was skating off. By that point, all three of them had secured their places in the Final and need not worry about being bumped off by some other skater at a different event.

Yuri stood on the ice and looked at his reflection in the silver-tinted glass medal, only to suddenly see through it as two black skates came into his line of sight. Black skates with golden blades, though he could barely see the toe-picks from where he was. When he looked up, he caught sight of the sheer magenta coat with the gold chords, and the slate blue eyes looking back at him from behind silver-grey bangs.

Viktor held his hand out, "Yuri Katsuki, right? I'm so bad with names!" He laughed amiably, "You'd think I'd remember after hearing them announced overhead so many times, but the announcers are so hard to understand sometimes...especially over the crowds."

The younger skater's face was red, and his medal fell from his hands, caught only by the fact that the lanyard was still around his neck at the time. He anxiously held his hand out to return the gesture, but Viktor had to make the final reach to grasp it and shake it.

"See you at the Final, okay? Good luck."

"T-Tha...thank you...!" Yuri squeaked.

He watched the Russian smile again before turning his perfect face away to head off, leaving him there alone on the ice.

"It was the one time Viktor ever said anything directly to me before Sochi." Yuri finished, adjusting his costume a little before pulling his skates out of the lower locker, "I don't even know if he remembers that first meeting."

"Knowing him? Probably not. All the events blur together after a while, especially when you're on a winning streak. Nothing stands out anymore. Only the Exhibition matters, after the medal."

"Yuri!" Viktor suddenly called, coming into the locker room unexpectedly, "How close are you to being ready?"

"I just have to do my hair real fast." He answered, seeing the elder Russian step past the younger, "...Though I probably should've done that first, now that I think about it." He ruffled the ends of his sleeves, realizing they'd probably just get gel on them if he set to the task himself.

"Oh, let me!" Viktor was too excited, coming around behind his partner and pulling his gloves off in the process, "This is the fun part!"

Yuri moved to grab his second skate as the Russian pulled his coat off, rolled up his sleeves, and went digging for the things he needed. Both skates were on by the time he was ready, and Yuri settled in with his eyes closed as Viktor set to his task.

"You know, I don't think anyone left after your proclamation." He started, "Which means everyone who came here knew what they were going to see. Isn't it exciting?"

"Yuri and I were just reminiscing about my first meeting with you." The raven-haired skater said, "I think my heart was pounding as hard back then as it was when I was out there just now."

"...What was our first meeting?" Viktor deadpanned him, a little embarrassed that he couldn't recall.

"See? Told you." Yurio huffed a laugh.

Yuri joined in, "Skate Canada, before Sochi. It was the first time I medaled at the same competition as you. Before that, I either didn't make the podium or it was at a different competition. I got bronze at Skate America that same year, securing my spot in the Final."

"Oh! Skate Canada! I remember!" He was brushing back the black hair he often played with, "You even scored higher than JJ!"

"He was recovering from the flu at the time. I'd have gotten bronze and lost my shot at the Final if he had been healthy. I never understood why he didn't wear a mask during competition...there's so many chances to get sick..." Yuri said quietly, listening to the sound of Viktor's hands getting slick with the hair gel, then moving his fingers through his hair to push it back and out of his eyes.

"Your hair is getting really long." Viktor pointed out, "You could almost tie it in a ponytail back here."

"I can get it cut after the honeymoon."

"Mmmmmhh..." The Russian hummed to himself, thinking on it, "...Actually..."

"...You want it long?" Both Yuris were a little surprised.

"Well, not long long...but for some reason, I get this image in my head of your new Free Skate, and you've got your hair up in a messy bun like in those old Samurai movies, just without the shaved bits!"

The younger skater pulled his hand up to his chin in thought, "...It's still a long time until any other competitions. My hair sprouts like grass...I could let it grow out." He tilted his head back to look at his husband, even though the man was upside down from his vantage, "Would you ever grow your hair out again?"

"...Mh...nah." The elder smiled and shrugged, "I'd just look silly." He capped the styling gel and put it back into the small bag with the comb, then moved over to a sink to wash his hands, "Why don't you guys go out there? I'll be there in a minute. Yuuko said she was going to formally start the event and I don't want to miss it!"

Yuri rose to stand, "As though she'd start without you."

"Right?"

The two younger skaters moved back towards the door to rink-side, "Don't be long."

"Mh."

When the door finally closed and silence resumed, Viktor dried his hands...and immediately went for his phone. In a panic, he went looking up pictures of Skate Canada in a desperate bid to jog his memory.

I met Yuri back then!? How did I forget!? I remember the scores but nothing else!

He was practically sweating bullets over it.

I'm getting old! I have Alzheimer's or something! ...But I was only 26 back then! Youngzheimer's!?

"Yuri forgive me!" He pleaded to the empty room, snapping out of it only as he finally saw photos showing up on his screen. Unsurprisingly, there was a small archive on the triplets' Viktuuri account, and he clicked a few to expand them to full size. The look of sheer terror on Yuri's face was enough to bring a smile to Viktor's, and he lightly touched the screen where he zoomed in on the man, "...Don't give up, Past Yuri...it'll suck for a while, but I promise, it only gets better from there." He leaned in to kiss the screen lightly, and then clicked it off so he could get ready.

Outside, the two Yuris were approaching the rink wall, surrounded by cheering fans and family alike. Yuri's father came up abruptly and pat him on the back, "I don't think Viktor brought enough alcohol for everyone!"

"Oh wow...I didn't even think about any of that." Yuri stammered, "The intermission is supposed to be when we all get a chance to eat and relax for a little while...if everyone sticks around to see Duetto at the end..."

"They'll be fine." Yurio said, elbowing him a little to stop him from worrying, "If they want food or booze, they can leave and come back."

"...You're right." The Asian said, rubbing his side, "I can't worry about everyone."

His attention was suddenly grabbed by the sight of a formally-dressed Yuuko gliding across the ice. His cheeks flushed at the sight of her; she wore a strapless, ruffled, maroon ball gown, which went so low that it hid her skates beneath the skirt. She had her hair done up rather nicely as well, with a few pearls strung through it, and a gold necklace with a single ruby around her neck. She spotted Yuri staring at her and waved anxiously, but then skated off again with a microphone in her hand.

"It's almost time, everyone!" She announced, "One of our grooms has already come onto the floor! Let's welcome him onto the ice, okay?"

The crowd cheered, and Yuri made his way over to the doorway, handing his blade guards to his younger Russian counterpart before sliding out onto the frozen lake. He found himself stopped though, the ruffle on his left wrist yanked back unexpectedly. He paused and turned around, only to find Yurio reaching over with one arm around his shoulder to pull him close enough to speak into his ear.

"I've been a real shit to you and Viktor since as far back as I can remember. Even long before I kicked the door to your stall at Sochi. Yet...through everything, you were always right...and you were always there, no matter how much I thrashed and screamed and swore at you."

Yuri's eyes were wide open where he was looking over the teen's shoulder, listening intently.

"But...I'm grateful you put up with me long enough to let me come here and be part of this with you. I can't undo what I've done, and if I apologize too often, my sorrys will lose their meaning, so I'll have to use them sparingly...so instead I'll just say thank you."

"...Yuri...?"

"And congratulations, I guess. Now go out there before I take it all back."

He felt the teen pat him hard once on the back and then spin him around to shove him further onto the ice. As he looked back though in utter disbelief, Yurio just nudged him again with the end of his own blade guards, pushing him far enough away that he'd actually have to skate back if he meant to say anything and expect to be heard. So, he smiled at the teen, got one in return, and then went out to join Yuuko in the center of the rink.

"Ah! And there's our second groom!" Yuuko said happily, raising her free hand up to gesture over at where Viktor had finally made his appearance at rink-side. He waved excitedly at everyone and then reached down for his blade guards, then sitting on and lifting his legs over the wall, setting his blades down on the ice, too impatient to wade through the crowd to get to the actual entrance. He skated over to Yurio to pass of the rubber guards and then quickly skated out to encircle the pair that were waiting for him.

He made the trip more of a show than Yuri did, spinning around elegantly a few times and skating in reverse before finally coming to a dramatic stop, throwing himself over Yuri's back affectionately.

"Groom and groom accounted for!" He said, taking both of Yuri's hands into his own to swivel off with him unexpectedly.

"...V-Viktor!" The younger man cried out, anxious and excited all at once.

"We haven't worn these outfits at the same time since Sochi, right?" The Russian whispered to him as they moved away, sliding across the ice with their usual cerebral grace, "And we first met in these same outfits...well, first officially met, anyway. It's crazy how much things have changed since that first terrifying meeting at Skate Canada, right? You couldn't even reach far enough to shake my hand yourself, and now..."

Instinct took over after that, and Yuri pulled out of the reverse skate, still holding to Viktor's hand as they went in a wide arc around the short end of the rink.

Yuuko just watched them happily, waiting one more lap before raising up her free hand again, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce tonight's honored couple!" The crowd roared its approval, especially after the pair synchronized a quad flip together without even needing to discuss it first, "Tonight we're celebrating the wedding they already had without us nearly a month ago!"

"...Hey!" Yuri called out at her as they flew past.

Yuuko just winked and laughed at him, "Who am I kidding? It's super adorable that you guys just eloped like you did." She said into the mic, "But now we finally get to do it for real! EVERYONE! Yuri and Viktor Nikiforov!"