CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN

Viktor held tightly to his husband for a good, long while, even as he could hear the usual well-meant taunts that could be counted as a greeting from Yurio, and the more polite version from Minako. He barely allowed himself a moment to detach from his partner so he could give his greetings back to them in turn, reaching one hand over to give them a brief hug while still holding to Yuri with the other.

"How was your trip?" Minako wondered, "Yuri was turning himself into knots the whole time."

"A lot happened, but I think it ended on a high note." He answered, "Yuri and I have a lot to talk about."

"I think you're in trouble." Yurio teased, speaking behind his hand sarcastically as he leaned in closer to the older skater.

He just gave a nervous smile, "I don't think the talk is about or because of me."

"Actually," Viktor mused, turning around to face him, his back to Minako as he moved to grab for his partner's free hand, "Most of this is because of you, since I'd never have bothered to go if you hadn't made a good case for it way back in the beginning."

"Oh..." Yuri said, a bit concerned, "...But that would make it my fault that the bad stuff happened, too."

"No..." The Russian shook his head, stepping in closer and wrapping his arms over the man's shoulders to draw him in, eyes drifting forward as he spotted his uncle coming down the escalator, "That stuff is on me exclusively. It would've happened if I had ever gone back at all, whenever it happened. You're the reason all the best came out of it."

"Hey everyone." Mikhail called, waving as he turned around to come away from the moving stairs. Dozens of other people were passing behind and around him as the rest of the passengers from recently-arrived planes made their way down to the baggage claim area, and it seemed like he was a bit reluctant to remove himself from the crowd. He poked his flatcap up with a finger as he smiled nervously towards Minako, "Hope I didn't miss much."

"Only the entirety of Cup of China and the benefit of my illustrious company." She teased, taking a few steps forward, only to pause as Yurio stuck his arm out in front of her. She blinked and looked down at him, "What's wrong...?"

Green eyes narrowed at the silver man, and then at the huge shadow coming up behind him through the moving crowd, "What did you two dumbasses do?" He asked apprehensively, catching his Japanese counterpart's attention.

Yuri looked up from where Viktor had been hugging him, and tried to turn his head, only to find his husband refusing to let him do so, putting a hand on the back of his head and forcing him to stay where he was, "...Viktor...what..."

"He doesn't want you to know how bad he fucked up." Yurio answered for him, "Who's idiotic idea was this?"

Mikhail anxiously held his hand up.

"What are you talking about?" Yuri asked again, trying to turn his head once more but finding the same resistance, "V-Viktor...why won't you let me move...?" One final twist, and he found the Russian finally giving him slack, though reluctantly. Cherry-hazel eyes turned faster than the rest of him did, but when he beheld what Yurio had seen, he almost wished he had just let Viktor hold him forever. His pupils got twice as big as before as he cast his gaze on the enormous figure standing just behind his uncle-in-law, staring straight into those Nikiforov slate-blue eyes, and seeing them staring right back at him in turn. In an instant, the terrified skater pushed back on his heels, nearly knocking his husband over as he clambered back in a panic.

He was sure half the airport heard him scream.

Viktor pat his back and consoled him quietly as he crouched down on the ground with his hands on his head, all but crying as he turned his back to the rest of the group. Yuri just whipped his face up, tears of frustration replacing the tears of joy from before, as he looked at his anxious partner, "Why is he here!? He's going to ruin everything!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!" Viktor pleaded, "It was Uncle Mimi's idea and I didn't have the heart to say no after everything else that happened over the last few days."

"You couldn't warn me!?"

"I didn't want to make you worry!"

Yuri fell back onto his butt, holding his head again and practically weeping from frustration, "No, I'm just going to have a stroke instead..."

"Don't say that... He wouldn't be here if things were like they used to be..." The Russian begged, pulling his husband to his chest and sitting on the floor next to him, gently stroking his hair to help calm him down, "Uncle Mimi wants to expose him to the things we do for a living."

Minako's eyes went from the pair on the floor to Yurio, who she saw was side-eyeing her in turn, the same annoyed expression he had when anything ridiculous had happened, and then carried over to Mikhail, who was looking a bit defensive suddenly. She crossed her arms, "Why is everyone losing their minds? Who is this?"

"...This is Konstantin Nikiforov...Viktor's father." The smaller Russian answered, "He's the one who picked up the phone when you guys called to ask about Yura going to China."

Her eyes narrowed a little as her expression went from confused to disappointed, "It couldn't be helped that he answered his own phone, but I'm a bit surprised that you'd ask him to come to a skating event given what he did before. Is he even safe to be around, or do we have to worry about getting punched in the eye anytime something doesn't go his way?"

Mikhail tried to approach, waving his hands defensively, "It's not like that... I swear on my life, what happened to Viktor was an exception to the norm... He may be huge but he's never hit anyone else."

"Even if Viktor's the only one he's ever struck, the fact that he did so at all is inexcusable. Look at the size of him!" She held a hand out towards him for emphasis, "Getting hit by that behemoth would be like getting hit by a bus, and Viktor was a kid the first time he did it."

"I know, but-"

"Where's he even going to stay? We already established that there aren't even any rooms for us to put Yura into."

"Yeah, but-"

She turned her nose up at him and twisted slightly to the side, "I'm really disappointed in you right now, Mikhail Rozovsky."

"Ahhhh! Noooo!" The Russian went down on his knees and scuttled forward, clinging to her waist desperately, even knocking his hat off in the process, "It's going to be fine, I promise!"

The woman started walking away, dragging him with her a few steps before he finally let go and fell to the floor, practically next to his nephew. He lifted his head and watched as Minako went through the crowd to where the baggage claim carousels were starting to fill up, "We didn't check any bags! We had all carry-ons!"

The ballerina paused only long enough to turn on her heel and go down the hall she'd originally come from, disappearing into the crowd. Mikhail reached for her desperately, but then dropped his hand and his head down, sitting on his knees, "...Damnit..."

"Way to go, old man." Yurio taunted, moving off to follow the woman, "What in the Hell made you think this was a good idea?"

Mikhail just kept his head down, hearing the teen stepping away. He grudgingly reached for his hat, slapped it back onto the top of his head, and pushed back up to standing...just in time to watch Konstantin step past him and go right for his son and son-in-law. For a split second, his heart was in his throat, but when he saw all 6'10" and 450lbs of the Nikiforov Patriarch simply reaching down to hoist both younger men to their feet, and nothing more, he breathed a sigh of relief.

[You said we were going to get into the city on a train,] The big man said simply, [Where is the terminal?]

The silver Russian sighed and pointed in the direction Minako had gone, [The rail kiosk is down that way.]

[Then let's go.]

Yuri was still too busy having a minor heart-attack from being picked up by the man-bear to realize he was being gently pushed along down the hall after him.

.

.

.

The group of six seemed to split into three groups of two when the train finally departed from New Chitose airport. Viktor had ushered Yuri into an entirely different rail car from the others, and Minako sat with Yurio a few feet away from where Mikhail was standing between them and Konstantin, both of them holding to the hand-grips hanging from the ceiling. The silver elder copped a glance back at his lady-friend, only to see her turn away from him again, apparently preferring the company of much younger Russians for the moment. Yurio, in turn, just gave him a 'you did this to yourself' kind of look, which made Mikhail turn around again and sulk.

[Everyone here already seems to have a stellar opinion of me.] Konstantin muttered, entirely not surprised, [What horror stories did you tell?]

[Minako has been a fan of Viktor's skating for many years. She knows you hit him, and she knows I didn't try to stop you when I saw it happening.]

The bear just turned his eyes a little, and then twisted a little so he'd be facing the window ahead of him rather than down the train-car in the ballerina's direction. He rubbed one temple on the hand that was holding to the handle, [And how does she know you?]

[She came as part of the package with Yuri. She was his ballet instructor and has known him all his life. I met her when Viktor and Yuri invited me to the World Championships last year.] Mikhail explained, [Hmph...I remember how Yuri's older sister basically called me Vintage Viktor... They both got all giggly about it.]

Konstantin just rolled his eyes a little, [...Ballet? Is that part of all this, too? What kind of man does ballet?]

[The kind that do ballet on ice, while wearing knife-boots.] The smaller man answered dryly, [Got a problem with it?]

The bear grumbled a little.

Mikhail just bumped his chest against the man's arm, suddenly getting rather hot-headed about it, [Go on! I dare you! Insult ballet! I'll take you on! Minako is one of the world's best!]

The woman twisted a little where she had her elbow resting on the back of the padded bench, chin resting on her palm, "What is he doing? I heard my name in that garble of nonsense."

"Konstantin just learned that figure skating branches out of ballet. I think Mikhail's trying to defend your honor or something." Yurio answered quietly, "But I didn't hear everything they said."

Her eyes stayed on Mikhail, curiously watching as the much smaller man continued to taunt the giant in front of him as though they were the same size, and he stood even a whisper of a chance of making good on his threats. She drew in a deep breath and turned her head again to look out the window as she exhaled.

At the far end of the next rail car, Yuri was still trying to recover from his prior anxious mood. He pressed himself into the corner of his seat, shoulder up against the small barrier wall that kept him from spilling out into the exit area by the train doors. Viktor was next to him, holding gently to his hand where it rested between them, stroking his thumb back and forth slowly to help calm the man's nerves.

The nervous skater finally sighed and leaned his head against the Russian's shoulder, saying nothing as he felt Viktor's cheek rest against his hair after that.

"I didn't mean to scare you with that." The Russian said quietly, barely audible over the sound of the train, "My father is-"

"Are you even going to be able to skate knowing he's watching?" Yuri asked pointedly, moving his left hand over to set it lightly over where Viktor held to his right, "Can't we just have one event this season where nothing insane happens? Just one?"

"Uncle Mimi was very persuasive..."

"What could he have possibly said that would make this seem like a good idea? You said yourself that you hoped you guys wouldn't even run into him, and now he's here in Japan, coming to NHK."

The silver Russian nodded quietly, "I know..." He turned slightly on the padded bench until his knee pressed against Yuri's leg, nudging again until he lifted it so he could get in closer and sit more comfortably, "The whole trip to my hometown was an adventure into the realm of the absurd." Yuri was still looking down, eyes fixed on their hands resting on his thigh, but Viktor soon reached his right to cup his partner's cheek and pulled a little to turn his face. Blue eyes looked into brown, "I said no initially, but Mimi just kept giving valid reasons for why I should say yes. I learned a lot about the both of them this week that changed how I look at everything. The decision to let my father come to NHK wasn't made lightly."

"...After hitting you those two times though..."

"It's not like I've forgiven him for it." Viktor explained, lightly touching the tip of his nose to Yuri's, nuzzling him fondly, trying to reassure him, "I may not ever forgive him for that...especially since he has yet to actually apologize for it. But the fact that he's gotten over his hatred for my skating, and is willing to even come watch and show support... I mean, weren't you at least a little surprised that he helped both of us up off the floor earlier? Last year he would've put us both into an early grave, so he's come a long way in a short period of time..." He lightly pressed his lips to his husband's, then kissed his forehead as well before he rested his cheek there as he went on, "I can't keep being the one to hold a grudge...not when he's made so many adjustments in his own mind. I spent all but the last 6 hours of my trip out there being furious about the fact that we ran into him at all. I spent the entire night in the car because I refused to sleep in that house. They even made me go see that hell-forge where my father wanted me to work, before I left to pursue skating instead. The whole thing was really stressful, but eye-opening, too... I kind of understand his world a little more than I did before. He's trying to learn about mine now. I can't be the one to deny him that when he's reaching out."

Yuri grumbled a little, "What about us...?"

"What about us?" Viktor echoed, confused.

"You don't think...your father's presence changes things? I feel like if he was there when we kissed before, that he'd-"

"I made him swear that he would behave." The Russian cut him off, "I made him state, out loud and in his own words, that he wouldn't do anything to either of us if he sees us being normal with each other. He knows we're lovers, he knows we're married...he knows what all that means. I told him that I wouldn't let his presence stop me from doing what I want when I'm around you... Don't let him stop you instead. Keep on seducing me like you always do."

Yuri absorbed his partner's words, letting them sink in a little bit before finally nodding. He turned on his seat and set his back against the small plastic wall, bringing both legs up to rest over his husband's, and settled one hand flat against the man's chest, "...Guess I should get started then."

"Hm...maybe you should. It's been too long." Viktor hummed, smiling and leaning in closer again as Yuri's hand went from his chest to his cheek again.

"Yeah... Everything else aside... I'm really glad you're back."

"Me too." The silver Russian agreed, leaning in to kiss him again, wrapping his arms around his smaller frame, and then pulling back to rest the side of his head against Yuri's shoulder. He closed his eyes and savored the feeling of his husband's arms coming up over him in turn, holding his head close, cheek against his hair.

He was home.