CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO

For the opening show, the blonde had covered his Exhibition outfit like any sensible skater would. For all anyone knew, he was dressed rather normally for his usual style; black skinny jeans, with a black and grey loose hoodie overtop. He'd rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and kept the hood over his head...until the whole thing came off.

Yurio handed the hoodie over to Yakov and Lilia as he made one last pass by rink-side. He glanced over to where he could see Yuri and the others messing around as Viktor and Chris got off the ice. Seeing their happy enthusiasm made a pit grow in his stomach, but he turned away from it and started making his wide circles around the rink, pulling his hair up into a ponytail as he went. His hair had gotten rather long by that point; he'd let it go all summer, only trimming it a little before the season started, so even when pulled up, it went a little past his shoulders.

The rest of him looked a bit uncharacteristic as well, wearing an outfit that flowed almost as much as his hair did. A charcoal grey cloak billowed out to his sides where he untied it from around himself, transforming the lanky teenager into something like a wraith. Two loops at the farthest corners of the cloak came up around his fingers, giving the look of two huge wings. The entire ensemble had a similar vibe to his Appassionato outfit, but with a dark taint to it.

The trio's mirth in the previous few moments had entirely died away when the piano music started playing high above; slow and melodious, heart-wrenching in its melancholy. It was entirely unlike anything anyone had expected from the Russian Punk...and perhaps that's why almost no one could take their eyes off of him. No one except Viktor, anyway.

['Down' by Jason Walker]

Yurio slowly slid forward on the white field, the breezy shawl flowing out behind him like smoke.

The older Russian quietly started to pull away from rink-side. Yuri had almost missed his passing since Viktor didn't want to interrupt, but they exchanged a few whispers before Viktor finally took off, and the younger skater returned his attention out onto the ice. Chris followed after him, and they made their way over to the prep area to get ready for their own performances.

I don't know where I'm at
I'm standing at the back
And I'm tired of waiting

The teen flipped to glide in reverse then, inching his way towards the rink wall, the motions of his arms and posture telling the story as it echoed overhead.

Waiting here in line,
Hoping that I'll find
What I've been chasing

Yuri leaned onto the rink wall, suddenly wondering if the teen had planned his show this way or if it was just unfortunate timing. It was hard to tell what had inspired the use of this kind of music.

I know he planned his old GP Final Exhibition the night before he performed it, but...could he really have done this one so soon? Or maybe he really had planned this ahead of time...

The blond was practically on the other side of the rink from him by then, slowly turning in an inside spread-eagle as his arms rose up towards the ceiling, ponytail and shawl lagging behind like mist on water.

I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground

Hands came down, as though presenting the ice, and he slid away in reverse as he came back up, then flipped around to face forward again.

Why do I try,

Triple axel.

I know I'm gonna fall down

He used the momentum to scissor-kick into a low sit-spin, left blade on the ice as the right came up over his knee. Yurio's arms were out to the side, coming up and back in slow wavy motions.

I thought I could fly,
So why did I drown?

He rose back to standing, one arm up above him as he came. The leg that had been perched over his knee went way out to the side before coming down gently on the toe-pick behind the forward skate.

I'll never know why

Emerald eyes shot across the ice and met hazel, locking into one another for a moment that felt like an instant, and yet eternity.

It's coming down, down, down

Yurio's upraised arm came down in a low sweep, taking him down like a bow, touching the ice with a fingertip as he turned. The piano chorus came into play again between stanzas, and the Russian Tiger moved off once more, twisting and arcing himself as he picked up speed.

Not ready to let go

He launched into a quad Salchow on the last word, hitting the ice again in time with the piano keys.

'Cause then I'd never know

Another jump, this time a triple Toe-loop, and again landing in time with the background music.

What I could be missing

The blonde came to a stop, left arm out gracefully behind him as he bowed his head down towards the rink.

But I'm missing way too much

He lifted his head again, eyes closed as the right skate went away from him and pulled him into another slow turn.

So when do I give up

Both hands were up, pleading, begging for answers.

What I was wishing for

His arms came down, spreading out to the sides, even as he entered into a 3-turn.

I shot for the sky

Double-tano triple Flip.

I'm stuck on the ground

Landing, regaining his footing, half-loop and then immediately descending into a hydroblade, kicking his heel out to skid across the ice to keep his balance.

So why do I try,

His free leg kicked up suddenly to force him into another low spin.

I know I'm gonna fall down

The teen held his arms in close to his head.

I thought I could fly,

As he rose back up again, he kept spinning, reaching back to grab hold of his black blade and began pulling it up behind himself as his free hand gestured out towards the audience.

So why did I drown?

He pulled his leg up further into a one-handed half-Biellmann spin.

I'll never know why

Yurio let go of the blade, letting the leg swing forward and around like a pendulum to kick him into a slow scratch-spin.

It's coming down, down, down

He pulled his arms in close to go faster.

Oh I am going down, down, down

Arms came up again, pulling back from the spin to head back down the center of the rink. With each repetition of the word, his hands came lower and lower again, until they were clasped together against his chest, and he held his head low over them.

I can't find another way around

He spun to go forward, weaving his feet carefully as he scratched his way across the ice and turned into the end of the rink, sliding by mere feet away from it.

I don't want to hear the sound,
Of losing what I never found

Yuri watched the blond lifting his head after that, spreading his arms way out to the side before lowering himself into a slide. He lifted his own head as he recognized the move, surprised to see it performed by the teen in that moment.

I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
Why do I try,

As Yurio rose back up again, he slid his right leg forward into the air, and then kicked it back as he arched over himself in a long Ina Bauer.

...That's right out of my YoI Free Skate... Yuri thought to himself, The calm right before the storm at the end.

I know I'm gonna fall down

Yurio twisted out to skate in reverse again along the long center of the rink, and threw himself...

I thought I could fly,

...Triple Lutz, triple Loop.

So why did I drown?

He flipped back to skating forward again, sliding quickly along the far edge of the rink.

I'll never know why
It's coming down, down, down

He turned back towards center, and threw himself into a death drop.

I shot for the sky

He immediately went into another sit-spin, rotating quicker than any of the other times, twisting a little to raise one hand up above himself.

I'm stuck on the ground
Why do I try,
I know I'm gonna fall down

Frost started to shear away as he dug his toe-pick forward to slow the spin down again, and the rotations finished with the teen on one knee.

I thought I could fly,

Both arms went out to the side again as he held his face down, moving his hands like they were wings before bringing them back to wrap around himself as the other knee came down to the cold surface to match the other.

So why did I drown?
I'll never know why

Hands continued moving down, sliding down his legs until he had his fingers flat on the ice. In that moment, he found Yuri on the rink-wall again, and he leaned forward onto one hand, the other reaching out to the older skater. Both emerald eyes blazed as he stared ahead, making Yuri wonder what was going through the teen's head.

It's coming down, down, down

Each repetition of the word brought the hand back again, until both hands were palms-down on the ice. The piano faded back in again, and the teen 'reluctantly' got back to his feet, sliding off with his back to the older figure. Yuri had brought his own hands back off the rink wall after that, his brows furrowed in worry. As the song came to a close, Yurio made a few final lazy spins, and came to rest in the center of the rink with his head down.

It felt weird to hear the audience clapping after that, but Yuri hesitantly joined them, patting his hands together once for every sound of four from someone else nearby. He watched the teen move off to an exit through the rink wall near his coach and choreographer. As two new skaters started to enter the rink, the Bronze Ice Dancers, Yuri moved off, deciding that this was his moment to try and make amends.

He ran as quickly as he could along the outside of the wall, careful not to run into others as he made his way through the dark. By the time he'd gotten close, he could see Yurio putting his second skate-guard on, slipping his arms through his team jacket and saying something to Yakov that Yuri couldn't hear. The young skater swallowed nervously and then made his way through the last set of people between him and the Russians.

"Yuri..." He started, not sure if anyone even heard him.

Yakov looked up as he spotted the skater coming though, and the sudden turn got the blonde's attention. Green eyes glanced briefly, but then turned away again without a word.

"Please stop being mad at me." Yuri said anxiously, "...I don't know what else to tell you. Your Exhibition..."

"It was about last year." The teen said stiffly, "For my grandpa back in Moscow."

"Oh..."

"What, did you think it was for you?" Yurio almost scoffed, pulling the tie from his hair and letting it tumble loose around his head and face again, obscuring his right eye like usual before pulling the black hood up over it all, "Don't be dumb."

'I know he's come a long way, but he's still the same person who screamed at you to retire back at Sochi.'

"I didn't think it was for me." Yuri said, "But that doesn't mean it didn't send a message...to your grandpa, to me, to this whole audience. Everyone saw you put on a show that no one would've ever expected from you. No one could take their eyes off you."

"Except Viktor."

The older skater rubbed his temples, but then abruptly closed the gap between them and grabbed the Russian Kitten by the back of his jacket and started hauling him off. The teen put up a small fuss, but went along. Yuri only let him go again once they were in a small section of the prep area that was secluded from the bustle of the main atrium.

He finally turned again, and a reluctant hand came up to point at the teen, "Stop blaming Viktor for the things you're mad at me for." He said firmly, an exasperated look on his face if there ever was one, "Viktor's up after these Ice Dancers, and he didn't have the luxury of hiding his outfit under a coat like you did." He put his hands on the Punk's shoulders, staring him straight on, "Come on, Yuri...you can't sit on top of this wall of anger and hurl insults like you think you can get away with pretending you don't know what goes into these shows. We miss performances all the time, and it's not because we think they're lame or unworthy of attention."

"No, you just skip them because you think you have something better to do."

"That again?" Yuri sighed. He shook his head, but then took his hands back, putting them into his jacket pockets like Yurio already had with his own, "You've got to understand this at some point...things between Viktor and I aren't the same as they used to be. We've changed, grown closer, gotten mar-"

"Married, I know, God, you rub that in my fucking face all the time. I GET IT ALREADY."

"...I...don't think you do." The older skater said, making the teen glower at him, "It's not just some agreement we have, where as long as we're wearing these rings, we hang out all the time, and make racy jokes to try and make you uncomfortable because we think it's funny." He held his right hand close to his chest, fingers touching the gold there on his finger as he averted his eyes a little, "There's more to it than that. We're a team. We support each other. I can't keep apologizing for putting Viktor's feelings before yours, but...that's how it is for us." Hazel irises came back up again to look at the teen directly, his expression serious, but having a softness to it, "I swore a vow to always be there for him. Sometimes that means doing things for him that I'd never do for anyone else...and sometimes that means putting him ahead of my friends. I'm not doing it because I like you less than I used to. I just...have more responsibility to Viktor now than I did back then. Neither of us wanted him to face Sophia alone, and he wanted to get it out of the way as fast as he could so he could enjoy the rest of the event without it looming over him."

"Tsh..."

"Scoff all you want..." Yuri shrugged, mostly to himself, "But leave it at that." He paused a little for emphasis, but then took one step forward, "I don't ever want to hear you insulting us like you did earlier ever again. Every time you do, it makes it easier for the next time that I have to choose between you and anything else. I can't keep supporting a friend who weaponizes the most intimate and vulnerable parts of my relationship with someone I love. It would never even occur to me to do that to you...and it hurts me a lot to see how easy it is for you."

Green eyes moved away from him, and the teen said nothing in response.

Yuri pulled back a little bit, watching the younger skater carefully before turning his head and motioning like he was going to leave, "I don't expect you to apologize for what you said before, but going forward...there's a line in the sand. Viktor and I are your friends, but that doesn't make us your punching bags. Cross the line again, and you may get more than Viktor holding you up by your face."

"What, you're threatening me now? That's out of character for you."

Yuri turned his head back, "You're projecting what you would do onto others, just like I do...and yet you also know that's not what I meant. For you, being left behind would be worse than any physical punishment you might endure." He explained, speaking in a softer tone than before, "Mikhail already told you once that he'll drop you if you don't fix your attitude, and Viktor's already shown a propensity to estrange himself from people he doesn't want to be around. If both of them distance themselves from you, what do you think I'm going to do?"

Yurio fell silent, turning side-face from the Asian skater.

"...And what do you think they're going to do if I hit my breaking point? I'm...a lot weaker than they are, and my skin isn't as thick. I can only guess what Viktor would do if someone other than him ever made me cry. I mean, you haven't managed it yet, but you've come pretty close..."

The teen still held quiet, keeping his eyes low.

"...Anyway, I guess that's all I wanted to say. I'm going to head back to rink-side. You can come with and we'll start over, like today didn't happen...or you can stay here. It's up to you."