CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE
"Just think about it like when we ran into fans at Incheon." Viktor told him quietly, sitting for the formal photos that had been arranged in front of the shrine.
Regardless of the crowd's presence, Yuri's family had done everything they could to have a traditional wedding ceremony, even if it meant occasionally herding people like cats from one side of the grounds to another so they wouldn't be in the background of all the pictures being taken. Even as the flashes from the professionals blinked in front of them, hundreds of smaller flashes were twinkling beyond them, trying to catch a tiny piece of the moment even from afar.
I can only wonder what kind of firestorm this will create online later. Yuri thought to himself, remembering how the net had exploded when word had first gotten out that Viktor had ever left Russia in the first place. I never really paid that much attention to what people said on social media until that video of me went viral, but Viktor uses it so much... When was the last time I even made a post of my own?
"Yuri."
He blinked and looked around, feeling like he'd lost time somewhere.
"Did you space out?"
The young skater shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to regain himself, "...I think so." He looked up after that, expecting to see Viktor, but seeing grey-green eyes looking back at him instead, "...Oh, Mikhail..."
"Hmph, Viktor was right, you were practically orbiting around Jupiter." The older Russian chuckled at him, then rising back up to his full height, "Was the Sake too strong?"
"I think I just got caught up in my own head. Where's Viktor?" Yuri asked, looking around.
"He went to go play with his fans about 20 minutes ago." Mikhail pointed to a corner of the shrine near the first staircase, which was a good distance away.
The Russian skater was easy to spot even in the crowd, shining ethereally in his white ensemble. He'd been all too happy to take photos with anyone who asked, and Yuri didn't doubt that there were hundreds of pictures taken.
"Did everyone take a break or something?" Yuri wondered aloud, looking around after that and seeing no one else nearby.
"...Eh, sort of." Mikhail said with a shrug, "While photos of the family were being taken, your skating friends broke off to go hang out with the crowd that had gathered. I guess they wanted to soak up some of the attention while you and Viktor were busy and inaccessible. The Thai kid suggested they go take photos in the sanctuary garden since the cherry blossom trees are easier to photograph over there, and a whole bunch of people broke off to go with him. The ones that are left are the diehard fans that came to see you or Viktor or both." He stuffed his hands into his pockets for lack of a jacket to suspend them in, "But you don't really seem all that interested."
Yuri was watching the crowd without answering, "...I never got into the sport because I wanted to be cheered at by other people." He shook his head, "Minako-sensei gave me grief because I never wanted to interact with any of them either. She'd guilt-trip me into at least shaking peoples' hands because 'Viktor Nikiforov is always nice to his fans!'" He gave his best impersonation of her, which just made the elder laugh out loud.
"That sounds like her."
"You guys must've spent most of the snow storm working things out for today." Yuri went on, "You went through the whole thing like you'd done it a hundred times."
"...I didn't really have to do a whole lot. I just took my spot behind Viktor and followed you guys around. But, yes, that was addressed at the time."
"I guess she's given up trying to style your hair like Viktor's, too?" He pointed at where it was parted down the center in the man's usual affect, rather than over his right eye like his nephew's, "I can't say I've noticed it look that way in a little while."
"She still tries sometimes." Mikhail shrugged, "But a guy can only stand a lady's attention for so long when she's only giving it because you look like someone else that she already crushes on."
Yuri deadpanned him, "Minako-sensei doesn't have a thing for Viktor...she's a year older than my own mom."
"She'd be crazy not to pine for him! Look at him!" He made a wide gesture as though dramatically presenting the younger figure in the distance.
"...Not seriously."
The Russian sighed and laughed at the same time, pulling his hands back to the warmth of his pockets, "No, I suppose not. There's a difference between loving a celebrity and loving a friend, family member, or intimate partner."
"...Mh." Yuri pulled his own arms up, slipping each one into opposite haori sleeves so they were crossed in front of him, shielded from the chill winter-spring air. There was a strange moment of silence between them after that, broken only by a cold breeze forcing Yuri to turn side-face to avoid it, "So...did you tell her to stop doing it or something?"
"...Sort of."
"Mhm, sounds like it was pretty awkward then."
"Sort of." He answered more quickly that time.
Yuri just kept looking at him, wondering if he should inquire further or let it be. He ended up just clearing his throat for lack of being able to make a decision on the matter, and Mikhail glanced back at him with those grey-green eyes.
"What, you want details or something?"
Yuri waved his hands around reflexively, "I don't want to pry! You can say however much or little as you want!"
Those eyes turned back again, looking out at where his younger counterpart was being asked to sign things by the mass of people at the other end of the walkway. He drew in a breath, "You know as well as anyone that people do stupid things when they drink."
The skater's brow furrowed, "...You didn't."
"Oh but we did." The older man was a bit embarrassed to admit, "I didn't start it though, if that's what you're wondering now."
"But you guys don't even act differently around each other. Did she forget or something?" Yuri was surprised at how nonchalant he felt about it. He'd known Minako his entire life and yet this 'turn of events' hardly seemed to bother him. It was just...new information, almost inconsequential even.
"No, she didn't forget." Mikhail shrugged again, "But she said she wasn't sure what she meant by it, so we agreed to forget about it for now. When you're my age, or maybe only after you've been through the things someone like me has experienced, you aren't so bothered by stuff like that anymore."
"Not sure what you mean."
"I guess maybe you wouldn't." The Russian turned to face him better, only to be standing directly in the path of the cold wind, "You're a pretty emotional kid. I don't think you'd be able to separate a physical interaction from a psychological one. One without the other for you would be meaningless, maybe even off-putting. Right?"
The younger man thought on it, but then nodded, "Probably."
"So the idea of intimacy with another person would be entirely alien to you if there wasn't some emotional connection to it. That's understandable though...what you have with Viktor is pretty special, I think. You guys connect on more levels than most other people...even a non-skater like me can see how well you two sync when you're on the ice, like you can read each other's minds. That's more than what most other people have, and it's probably a huge part of why he's attracted to you. Someone like me though...? I'm just a USB drive. A plug 'n play device that can interface with anyone and anything and not worry about it later."
Yuri wondered about that, trying to comprehend what being like that would feel like, but then shook his head, "So you're saying you don't care about her at all?"
"Not necessarily." He looked up at the sky, and the swirl of cherry blossom petals that had been whipped up by the wind coming over the shrine, "I've just gotten jaded in my years and have learned how to control how invested I become in people. Minako is an acquaintance, bordering on friend. To get anything more, it would be like an arranged marriage that just 'works out' in the end. I don't think I could be as passionate as Viktor again. This old man's heart just couldn't take it."
"You're scared to be hurt again."
Mikhail was quiet, looking back down from the sky again to a puddle that had formed from the rain earlier in the day, "I hurt every day already." He said simply, pausing a moment to gather his thoughts, "Losing my wife the way I did...she might as well have died from the cancer. The change was so quick... It hurts to know she's still alive out there somewhere, but...it's not her anymore. Not really." He turned to eyeball his nephew-in-law, "You guys all say how much Viktor and I look alike...imagine what it would be like if he suddenly got knocked in the head one day and woke up with my personality. Imagine I'm your Viktor now. Would it be the same?"
"...No."
The Russian nodded, "You still love him as much as you always did, but he no longer feels the same. His day-to-day habits are different, he likes different food, he acts like you're just someone he knows from somewhere, rather than being your partner. But it's still him. His face, his eyes, his hands...everything is still him, except his mind. That's gone. You'll never get him back. You're stuck with this other person that's just wearing his skin. What do you do with that?"
"...I can't even bear to think about it. I'm sorry you went through that." Yuri answered, remembering what Viktor had said about his own reaction after passing out at the end of his Worlds Free Skate. At least, in that case, the retrogression was only temporary.
Viktor had still been bothered by it even at the end of that night, despite everything else seemingly going back to normal. I practically had to sing him to sleep...
"After loving someone so deeply, giving up every secret, exposing yourself body and soul to this person...for that to be taken away from you...you never even get to say goodbye, because that person is just...gone. Can you ever really feel safe loving someone else that way again?"
"No..."
"The opposite can be true, too." Mikhail went on, "And that's the problem I face with Minako. She sees me as just an older version of Viktor. But I'm more than what my person-suit looks like. Who I look like. I'm not Viktor."
"...I know..."
The older man huffed a laugh at himself after that, "But maybe it's not so hopeless as it seems. She didn't jump my bones until after I stood my ground about my hair. But maybe it was just the alcohol. Who knows? Anyway...sorry, I unloaded on you."
"It's fine... I don't think we've gotten to talk like this since we met at that café back in St. Petersburg." The skater said simply, actually feeling a little better than before, "Even if the topic was a bit weird..." He closed the small gap between them and hugged his in-law around his back with one arm, "I should go be with Viktor. I won't hear the end of it if I leave this place without having something to post about online later."
Mikhail was a bit surprised by the gesture, but then smiled and returned it before patting the shorter man's back, "Don't feel like you have to do things you don't want to do."
Yuri shook his head, "I wouldn't if it was just me...but Viktor likes it when I try to interact with fans, and if he's happy, it makes me happy, so it works out in the end."
The elder Russian nodded and sent him on his way, watching quietly as Yuri approached the large group at his own pace. The crowd had noticed him coming, but it wasn't until he was fairly close that they started to believe he wasn't just going to call for Viktor to depart from them and leave. Viktor quickly dragged him into the mob, pulling him into a whole new round of photos to satisfy the Viktuuri fans who'd been so patient.
.
.
.
It was later than intended when they finally got back to the Ice Castle and prepared for the last few shows of the evening. It had truly become competitive at that point, with each of the skaters trying their best to out-do the one who'd skated before, until it finally culminated in the presentation of Duetto.
To the delight of the audience, the final pose of the show was altered at the last second, with Yuri pulling Viktor down into a kiss instead of just holding his hand up near his chin.
By then, it was starting to get late though. After the freestyle skate where everyone who wanted could join them on the ice, Viktor set a formal date with the photographers that had shown up, and spared them all the dread of feeling like they were still expected to 'perform' later on into the night. A huge, 5-level, chocolate-inside vanilla-outside cake was rolled out onto the ice, with two little Duetto figurines at the top for good measure. It was completely gone by the time everyone in the audience got to have their own piece, and they all clapped with excitement as the 'newlyweds' offered a piece to one another on their own forks.
It was almost midnight when the last of the crowds had finally been shooed from the Ice Castle, leaving only those who would be helping clean and close the rink. Yuri and Viktor stayed behind as well, waving off their friends as they grabbed their gear and headed back to Yu-Topia. It meant they had some quiet time on the ice together without an audience beyond the last busy stragglers, and it turned into a slightly playful exhibition.
Skating slowly together, then quickly apart, showing off various different segments of their old programs just to see what they'd look like doing so while wearing their Duetto outfits, then back to skating together again.
By the time they were ready to go, the Nishigoris were practically sleeping on a bench near the exit. Viktor nudged the triplets awake while Yuri did the same to their parents, quietly telling them they could go home finally and apologizing for keeping them so late. Viktor helped carry the sleepy girls to the car just outside, and they both waved as it started to depart.
They looked up at Hasetsu Castle above the rink, and then started to head down to the long bridge that lead back to the resort. Hand-in-hand, they walked together quietly, and snuck into the onsen once they got back for a good soak before finally heading to bed.
Viktor was down first, simply peeling out of most of his layers before crawling under the covers of the huge bed in the banquet room. He was already half asleep when he felt Yuri get in next to him, and muscle-reflex made him turn to spoon against the younger man's back, arms coming around his sides like they always did.
"Today was perfect." Yuri said contentedly, curling his own arms in front of him to hold his husband's ringed hand against his chest, "Just like you said it would be."
"There were a few hang-ups...but otherwise, yes."
"Makes me anxious to start practicing for next season already." Yuri was smiling, feeling as Viktor squeezed him a little tighter when he heard the words.
"We'll start tomorrow."