CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED EIGHT
Shoveling food like a starving animal had become something of an art form for the Russian Punk, especially when he didn't have to pay for it himself. His 'provider' had moved off outside to take a call though, leaving him and Minako alone at the table inside.
For lack of knowing what to talk about, Minako kept herself busy with her phone, not having been particularly hungry anyway. She couldn't help but scroll through the dozen or more photos that Yuri had posted throughout the day; they stuck out in stark contrast to the images Viktor was posting, and they featured more the 'setting' of their vacation more so than themselves. Pictures of the skyline of the city from their hotel room, the restaurants they'd gone to, sometimes pictures of the food, pigeons, clouds that looked like things, and store-fronts that were interesting or clever. Every once in a while, she'd catch a glimpse of Viktor in some of the pictures, but it seemed like Viktor himself had the lion's share of the photos they took of themselves. She could imagine the man noticing the differences in their content, and using it as the inspiration for suggesting fans watch Yuri's account for clues to their location.
Before long, she had Instagram open in two different tabs, and was clicking between them...seeing where they were through Yuri's, and seeing what they were up to through Viktor's.
It's been over a year and a half since Viktor showed up to be Yuri's coach. It's still a little surreal sometimes to see how much things have changed since then. All Yuri ever wanted was to be like him...it's funny how compatible they ended up being. I suppose fate allows dreams to come true sometimes, even if it happens in the strangest of ways.
There were several pictures that were quite endearing, even in their simplicity. Given that none of them were taken with a selfie-stick though, Minako could only wonder if Viktor carried around a photographer in his back pocket somehow. The one she liked best was taken the night before; the pair were standing on one of the city's many bridges, and the Eifel Tower was lit up in the background. Viktor was standing behind Yuri, arms wrapped around, hands clasped casually over his partner's. He was leaning in close, nuzzling into Yuri's hair a little just behind his ear, and the both of them were looking out at something in the distance.
"...What's with the smirk?" Yurio wondered suddenly, still noshing on a piece of bread.
The ballerina glanced up at him, but then clicked her phone off and set it face-down on the tablecloth, "Yuri and Viktor being adorable, as usual."
"...Hmph."
She couldn't help but smile mischievously at him as she rested her chin in the palm of her right hand, "I was just thinking about how much has changed for Yuri since Viktor showed up, but I suppose a lot of things have changed for you too since then. You talked about all the bad that happened before, but why not think about some of the good things?"
Yurio gawked at her silently for a moment, saving face by ripping a chunk of the bread away and chewing on it until he could think of something reasonable to answer with. When he swallowed, he shrugged, "It's easier to complain than to praise."
The woman laughed at that, "Too true! But even still...it's healthy to think back on all the nice things that happen rather than dwelling on the bad. Mikhail's told me a lot of what's happened since he popped in on things in Russia. You really got to meet Viktor's father?"
"...I was physically in the same place as him, but I didn't actually meet him, per se." Yurio answered nervously, "...Why?"
She shrugged and leaned back in her chair, "It was just really shocking to hear about what the man was like. To look at Viktor, you'd never know he had such a rough background."
"You probably know more than I do." He turned his head to look away.
"It'd probably mean a lot to him if you agreed to do that Team Skate Exhibition."
"It presumes all three of us are going to be on the podium at the end. We don't even know for sure if all of us are going to be at the Final."
"Don't sell yourself short." Minako pointed out, "I know you're worried, but...it's not like you to be full of so much self-doubt. It's good that you're a bit more humble than you used to be, at least compared to when you came to Hasetsu for Hot Springs on Ice. It just seems kind of uncharacteristic for you to be this anxious about the whole thing."
The blond looked at the crumbs left on his plate, then at the droplets of water condensation on the side of his drink as they rolled down to the table. He shook his head, "Katsudon got haughty. Look what it bought him."
The woman laughed again, "Yuri's new to this whole 'feeling good about himself' thing. Cut him a little slack."
"Tsst..."
"Considering that Viktor was allowed to do that Pair Skate Exhibition at Four Continents...an event Russia isn't even permitted to compete at...I wouldn't be surprised if he figured out some way of making sure you three would be able to do the Team Skate even if only one of you made it through to the end. I'd be pretty shocked if that happened, but in the event that it does...wouldn't it still be nice to get to do a GP Final Exhibition Skate of some kind? You pulled Otabek into yours last year and he didn't medal."
"He made it to the Final though. That was different."
"Again...Viktor wasn't even supposed to be at Four Continents, but the ISU let him skate for Yuri's sake." Minako reminded, watching the teen for his reaction. He still kept his eyes low though, avoiding her, "...Are you even going to consider it?"
"Of course I am!" He barked, "I barely found out about it an hour ago though, jeeze."
"You'll make it into the Final." Mikhail said, coming back unexpectedly, "You've put enough hours on the ice this summer to make it into every GP Final for the next 20 years."
"Hours don't mean shit when the judges are being stingy with the scores."
"Some would say they were too liberal with points before." The older man said, pulling back into his chair across the table from the teen, "Scoring Yuri nearly 350 at Worlds? I may be new to this whole skating thing, but I've looked into it enough by now to say I've got a good grasp on things. Yuri may have skated a great program, but..."
"...What the left hand giveth, the right hand taketh away." Yurio shrugged.
"Maybe the ISU told judges to take 10 points off the top of any score they award?" Minako mused, "We should call it the 'Nikiforov Effect.'"
Yurio scoffed, "They weren't the only ones who set a record last season, you know!"
"Ah!" The woman pointed at him, "That's exactly what I wanted to see!"
The blond's face went a little red, and he hid it behind his hair by turning his head around quickly, "Whatever!"
"You have to believe in yourself! You can skate better than most of the rabble out there. Do like you promised to do to Yuri at Hot Springs on Ice...crush them!"
Mikhail nodded in agreement, "Things happened last year...so what? It's done and over. Your grandpa is safe and at home, Viktor isn't mad at you for yelling at him at Worlds, Yuri got you to open up, and the two of them worked together to get you back in the game. Your SkateDads love you. What better way to show it than to challenge you to medal with them at the Final? You're already motivated to get there...you won Gold last year...show them both up by winning Gold again! Don't you want to see the look on their faces?"
Yurio couldn't help but smile at the thought, "... Ohuénno."
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.
.
Mikhail pushed the door to the hotel room open and let Yurio barge in, stomping his way in, only to find one of the two previously-mentioned beds covered in suitcases and other travel bags. He looked back at where the older Russian was closing the door, "...I call dibs on this one." He pointed at the one in front of him with all the luggage.
"Relax, we haven't used either of them yet." Mikhail explained, "We just threw our things in and then went to the train station. Haven't even been here a whole day yet."
"...Oh." The teen muttered...but then the math started going through his head, "...Wait...if you only got here this morning, and you aren't jet-lagged as all Hell, what were you doing?"
"After I dropped you off with Yakov, we took my kids back to Banff and flew to Paris that night." The older man said simply, "Spent the day and next night there, then took the train here. We were here for maybe 3 hours before you arrived."
"...You dropped your kids off with the crazy ex-wife while Minako was with you?" Yurio was almost laughing at the idea, "Do the Rocky Mountains even exist anymore?"
Minako put a finger on her lip as she remembered it, "...We actually didn't even see her."
"It's cuz I was there." The Russian sighed, "...I haven't physically seen her in like...4 years? Talked to her every other way, but not in person."
"...Why?" Yurio would've needed to pull his eyebrows off the back of his head from how high he raised them.
The man gave a blank look, and made an 'I dunno' noise as he shrugged, "Never mind all that. Put your stuff wherever and let's go!"
"Aright aright..." The blond grumbled, setting his suitcase in a corner and his backpack next to it. As he rose back up to his full height, he heard the jingle from his phone that a new text had come in, and when he looked, saw it was Otabek messaging him. He clicked into the window to see the message normally and followed the pair out the door.
[You going to do it?]
Yurio half-rolled his eyes, and typed like he was ignorant, [Do what?]
A moment passed by as he walked, only half-watching where he was going as he stepped into the elevator and leaned against the wall. When a message came back, Otabek had linked the video Viktor had posted. He grumbled loudly.
"What is it?" Mikhail wondered as the elevator door closed.
"A friend is bugging me about Katsudon's challenge." He answered, thumbs typing away, [I'm being told I should, but I haven't decided.]
[Why?]
[I just haven't.]
[Sucks that we don't have any of the same events this year. We could've issued a counter-challenge.]
[Yeah.]
Yurio sighed to himself, thinking about it. He closed his eyes and set the back of his head against the elevator wall, feeling the vibration of its descent.
It'd be stupid to issue a counter-challenge when only one of us has ever won Gold, and has had a shitty year since winning it. It's practically certain that Viktor and Yuri will be going...the ISU might as well just let them skip the qualifiers and hand them their invitations. JJ and Chris are likely going to go, too, since they've been going for the last few years...but the last two spots? Practically up for grabs between a dozen or more other skaters.
The doors opened and he followed the pair out, trailing like a faint shadow behind them as he kept his eyes glued to his phone, unsure what else to say, and feeling like Otabek was at a loss for a clever come-back as well.
...I have to be one of the finalists. I've worked too hard to be left in the dust now. I could go into a growth-spurt at any time and be out of the game until it's over...
Green eyes stared straight ahead, looking forward rather seriously.
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.
.
Yuri sighed as he looked at his phone, walking alongside Viktor as they went down a canal-side walkway. It was around sunset by then.
"He still hasn't answered?"
"No." He grumbled disappointedly, clicking the phone off to put it into his pocket, "Maybe it was a stupid idea."
"It's not stupid. I like it! I've been choreographing the whole thing in my head ever since you suggested it!" Viktor pointed out, then taking a sip from his latté, "There's so much I want to do!"
"Really? You're not worried he'll be too proud to agree?"
"Nah." The older skater shook his head, "If Yurio hasn't answered, it's because he either hasn't seen it yet, or he's figuring out the best way of agreeing. After being kicked from the Russian team, and then reinstated, he's probably worried what people will think. He may not even give us an answer until he knows whether he made it to the Final or not. That way, if he somehow doesn't make it, he won't be embarrassed about saying yes and then having to take it back."
"Oh..."
"I'm sure he'll be fine though!" Viktor said more cheerfully, "I wish he'd at least message one of us to say if he's even interested!"
"Right?" Yuri nodded. He gave his husband's hand a squeeze and looked up at him excitedly, "So if you've already been making plans, what are you thinking of? What music?"
"That's easy." Viktor paused where he was walking, gesturing for Yuri to take his drink so he could get out his phone. He untangled his ear-buds after that and scrolled through his playlists, "I think everyone will be happy with this one. You and I both like telling stories in our programs, and Yurio likes his music to be really exciting and fast-paced. So...here."
Yuri let the man put the buds into his ears, and felt a flutter in his stomach as he waited anxiously for the music to start.
"There's three major parts to the song," Viktor explained, holding his thumb over the touch screen, "...So there'll be one solo-like dance for each of us in the program, while whoever isn't up is doing something minor in the background. The first one will be for Yurio, the second for you, then the third for me. There's a fourth part towards the end that's separate from the chorus, but I imagine all three of us doing stuff for that one together. There's even parts where I think we could pause to try and get the audience in on the show. Well, anyway...listen and tell me what you think." He finally hit play and waited.
The music started...and it took all of two seconds for Yuri's eyes to light up. He hopped onto his toes a few times as it went on, "This is great! It's like a follow-up to your Short Program, almost!"
"Completely unintentional, promise." Viktor laughed, "But you're right, it kind of seems similar. I think it fits though, since all three of us are in history books now as World Record holders."
"I bet if you told him what song you were thinking of using, he'd agree in a heartbeat." The younger skater added, "This is right up his alley. The energy of his Exhibition from last year would fit in so well with this."
"...I'm thinking we should probably call him just to find out what he thinks. There's no way he doesn't know about what we said, not after posting it half a day ago..."