CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED NINETY FIVE
"The score for Mila Babicheva..." The announcer's voice boomed overhead. Yakov and Viktor had both gone to the kiss and cry, sitting on either side of the petite female skater, looking up anxiously at the scoreboard, "...80.56. She is currently in first place."
"YES!" She cheered, jumping up and throwing her bouquet of flowers right into the air, flopping back down onto the bench as it came falling down behind her again. She quickly grabbed Yakov to hug him, tilting him off balance in surprise, and then let him go only to do the same thing to Viktor on her opposite side, "That's a new personal best for me, too! I knew that touching you guys would help me win!"
"We're good luck charms!" The silver Russian cheered in agreement, hugging her back as they squished their cheeks between them, hearing the audience roaring all around, "Now you just have to make sure no one else beats you." He grinned, side-eyeing her where they were still hugging.
Mila just gave him a look, side-eyeing him back, "Don't let other ladies touch you today. I forbid it."
"I would never." He mused, being dramatically defensive, reaching up one hand to pat her hair affectionately, "If I let too many other people steal my magic, I won't have any left to win my own gold this weekend. I can only bear to give away a little bit."
"Aww, I feel so special!"
Yakov adjusted his hat where the skater had knocked it aside, and rose up to his feet. He saw Yuri clapping a short distance away, waiting for Viktor to come back out of the kiss and cry, and then saw beyond him as the next Ladies Singles skater went out onto the ice. When he turned back, he saw the dorky duo finally letting go of each other to stand up as well, both sets of vivid blue eyes looking at him as he lead the way out of the score booth, "You did really well today, Mila. Good job."
Both skaters were a bit stunned at him, but said nothing as they watched him head towards rink-side, and subsequently, the curtained doorway to the prep area.
When he was out of ear-shot, the two looked at one another in confusion, then back at where Yakov was still walking away, "...No lecture?" They both said in time.
Realizing they'd both said the same thing together, they looked back at each other and laughed.
Viktor started pushing at the woman's back to get her moving, and then reached for his husband as they got closer, "I'm shocked. Even if you skated a perfect program, he'd still normally have something to say about it."
"Right? I wonder what I did to get on his good side." Mila wondered, still half-laughing at the absurdity of it, "Maybe he's sick."
Yuri stepped in closer as the two continued talking, sneaking his arm around his partner's back as the next skater's music started. Just as he was about to add something to the conversation though, he felt a buzz in his pocket, and pulled out his phone to see a text from Phichit.
[...So where's the part of Oodori Park that's fun, exactly?]
He entirely forgot whatever he was about to say, all but bursting out laughing instead.
"What happened?" Viktor wondered, looking down at his husband's phone.
"Phichit-kun doesn't see the thrill in Oodori Park." Yuri answered sarcastically, pulling his arm back again to thumb his reply as Viktor guided him along, pushing him back into the prep area with a hand on each shoulder, [Where are you now?] He texted.
[Well, there's these two statues…] The Thai skater answered, sending a picture of them a moment later, including himself with a 'lol I dunno' look on his face in the foreground.
[Whaaaat? Those statues are the best part!] Yuri typed, feet shuffling along as he kept his eyes on the small screen, looking rather pleased with himself.
Grey-green eyes tracked the skaters as they disappeared under the blue curtain. A certain elder sighed and slid a few inches down his chair, pulled out his phone, and looked at how there were no new calls registered. He clicked out of it again and rolled it over in his palm, slowly, repeatedly, until he finally pushed back up to sitting normally, "This is making me crazy. I need to talk to him."
Minako huffed, "Wait until after the Short Program. Viktor needs his headspace right now."
"I mostly meant Kon..." Mikhail grumbled, "I can't even be entirely sure why he hasn't called me back yet. Has he not listened to the message? Has he even looked to see that he has one? Maybe he lost or misplaced the phone I got for him...?" He tapped the side of his cheek anxiously, slouching again a little bit...until his eyes shot open and he jumped to sit at the front of his seat, "...Ah Christ, I bet he doesn't even know how to check it...! The whole menu was in English!"
"If he's as astute as you claim he is, then he'll know for a fact that he has the message, and he'll be able to figure out who it came from, even if he can't listen to it." Minako pointed out, "No one but you would have reason to call him anyway, so...if he hasn't called you back yet, even just to ask what you'd called him for, it's because he doesn't want to."
"You and your logic. Why do you have to make sense?" The Russian sighed, pushing to slide back into his seat and leaning his head against the woman's shoulder.
"You're suffering from an acute case of The Dumb." She explained, swiping his hat and putting it over her own head, "One of us has to be smart this weekend. I fear you won't get your wit back until Konstantin goes home again."
"...How horribly unattractive." Mikhail sighed again, "I like to think my wit is one of my more alluring qualities."
Minako nudged his head where it was still pressed against her, and turned to look at him. Seeing his still-somewhat-diminished expression, she huffed a quiet laugh at his expense before reaching up with the hand between them to pat his hair lightly, "Don't worry. I'm sure that by Monday, you'll be clever again."
"...I hope so." He whined sarcastically, "I may never think of a way of make this all up to Viktor if I'm not."
"Things will go back to the way they were once we're done here." The ballerina explained hopefully, "Viktor's just overwhelmed and Yuri's being protective, like I told you. Hasetsu is home. Makkachin is there, and so is the onsen, and the Ice Castle. It's the best possible place for anyone in this group of ours to go back to after all this is over. We just need to survive the rest of today, tomorrow, and half of Sunday before we're on our way there."
"...That, truly, is a depressingly long time."
"You'll make it."
.
Snow was falling moderately, leaving Sapporo cast in a thin veil of fog. Cars drove by with their headlights on, passing slowly to avoid sliding into the one ahead. The bridge crossing the Toyohira River was slick with frost, extending so far into the distance that the end of it could hardly be seen through the white airy soup...but Yurio didn't need to see that far.
Emerald eyes were keen on the dark shadow some 50ft ahead of him, plodding through the snow like a draft-horse on a mission. What that mission was, however, couldn't be gleaned just by the path that was being taken.
Is he trying to get back to the hotel...? That'd be stupid, even if it wasn't snowing. It's a 30 minute trip even on a bus...
Still, the teen followed, careful to keep out of ear-shot with his sneakers crunching on the freshly fallen snow. He followed until the bear made it to the other side of the bridge, following the lower level of the wide curve that connected it to the main highway going back north. They were too far away to see even just the Sapporo Prince tower, fog notwithstanding, but it seemed to the teen that the hotels were, in fact, the bear's final destination. At least...it seemed that way, in hindsight.
Caught up on a strip of black ice, a small red Mazda skidded right into the back end of an old grey Nissan truck. The crunch sounded like two big tin-cans being squashed together, and Yurio winced from even as far back as he was, still standing on the other side of the alley that separated the bridge-side walkway from the Shell gas station that sat on the intersection corner. Konstantin, however, was practically standing right next to it. To the Russian Tiger's surprise, the dark behemoth actually moved out into the road.
There were no cars to avoid from that side, since Japanese roads were like those of Britain or Australia, but that didn't stop a few other drivers from going extra-slow through the intersection to rubber-neck at the spectacle. Just as the driver of the red car stepped out, his voice caught in his throat to see the huge Russian gliding over to his side of the vehicle. The bear glanced around a little, ignoring the relatively tiny figure as he surveyed the damage quietly, and realized the bumper of the red car was squashed in underneath of the rear fender of the truck. That driver stepped out as well, initially annoyed and ready to fuss about it, but going quiet as death at the giant who'd seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Yurio skipped forward along the sidewalk, trying to get a better view of whatever was going on, reaching up to pull his scarf a bit higher over his face. By the time he was close enough to hear the sound of the bumpers being pulled apart from one another, the teen stopped dead in his tracks, watching the huge man literally pulling the smaller car free from the truck it had collided with. Konstantin didn't stop there though, continuing to pull the car, even against the resistance of the brake being on, until it was safely within the fencing of a parking lot directly opposite the gas station. Once there, Konstantin set it down parallel to a short white railing, and then did the exact same thing to the even bigger vehicle. People on the streets, even some in their cars, watched with wide eyes as the Russian simply dusted the dirt and slush from his hands...and started walking again. The two men who'd been driving the cars watched him go, turning to each other only to wonder in tandem what kind of superhuman beast he was.
The blonde quickly trotted across the street while the going was clear, and hauled off past the two perplexed drivers to catch up to the bear, trying not to lose sight of him around the corner. Just as he rounded it though, he saw those trademark Nikiforov eyes staring right at him unexpectedly. Yurio skidded to a graceless stop, throwing out his arms to stop from falling outright, then regained his footing and stood upright to meet the bear's gaze.
[Why are you following me?]
The teen huffed, [Curiosity.]
[You're the only one in that whole group that isn't terrified or furious about my being here.] Konstantin pointed out, blue eyes cast down on the blonde from his high vantage, [I'm not sure if that makes you brave or stupid.]
[I'm not a sheep.] Yurio explained defensively, stuffing his hands back into his team jacket, [I do and think what I want. Whatever inane father-son issues you have with Viktor have nothing to do with me, so what do I have to be afraid of?]
[...I guess that settles which of the two you are, then.] The bear shrugged, then turned on his heel to start heading north along the sidewalk like he'd meant to in the first place.
Green eyes blinked at the man, but then he realized which of the two options Konstantin had decided on, and he took off running to catch up, [HEY.]
Slate eyes barely twitched as he felt the fly-peck against his lower back, but he did stop walking at least.
Yurio kept his foot firmly planted, twisting it slightly before pulling back to kick the man again in the same place. Quicker than the teen thought possible, the hulking shadow turned back towards him, grabbed his ankle with a hand so massive it went half-way up his calf, and hoisted him upside-down into the air. Blonde hair tumbled out of his hoodie, and all three remaining free limbs started flailing, [PUT ME DOWN.]
[Are all of Viktor's friends so curious about the afterlife?] Konstantin grumbled, starting to walk again even as he held the teen out in front of himself.
[I can't speak for Katsudon, but I didn't come after you because I have a death wish.] The Russian Tiger growled back, crossing his arms when it finally seemed futile to resist.
[Katsudon?]
Yurio grit his teeth, [The wimpy Asian kid that Viktor keeps around like a pet.]
The bear rolled his eyes a little, [I think he's older than you are. At least I hope so.]
[...Why?]
[I can't imagine my son being interested in children as well as other men.]
[I'M NOT A CHILD.] Yurio started flailing again, [PUT ME DOWN. I'M A SOLDIER.]
[Really?] Konstantin huffed, almost laughing, [In whose army?]
[MY OWN. I AM LEGION. I AM MANY AND WE ARE ONE.] More flailing.
[Why do I get the feeling you're a figure skater, too?]
[Hah?] Yurio blinked strongly, an eye twitching in disbelief, [...How could you not know that already? Mikhail sponsors me...wouldn't he have told you? Aren't you and him all buddy-buddy or something?]
[He's my brother-in-law.]
[So?]
The huge man drew in a mildly-annoyed breath, and brought up his other hand to help in turning the teen right-side-up to set him down on his feet again, [You're awfully nosy.]
[I'm just trying to figure out what your deal is.] The tiny tiger said stiffly, holding his head to stop from being so dizzy, and turning to watch the bear start plodding away again, [It's going to take you all afternoon to get back to the hotel. If you really plan on watching Viktor skate, you shouldn't wander so far away.]
[He's not up for another four hours.] Konstantin countered, continuing to walk.
[He's in the Opening Ceremonies, then there's a grand total of five guys up before him. Surely you can manage the patience for that much.]
[What difference does it make to you if I see him skate at all?] The gruff figure paused and looked back over his shoulder, the tiny circles of blue practically glowing through the black of his large frame and dark, short-cut beard.
Yurio dusted himself off a little, adjusting where his hoodie and jacket sat on his thin figure, pulling the hood back only long enough to straighten his hair out and put it back again, pulling it low over his eyes, [...I started off rather poorly with Katsudon, and yet after all the shit I put him and Viktor thought, they still stuck their necks out for me when I was in trouble. They're the ones that got Mikhail to agree to sponsor me, because if they hadn't, I might not still be skating today.] He started, letting go of where he'd pinched the front edge of the hood over his face, and stuffed both hands back into his pockets, [They're better friends to me than I could ever admit to their faces. I owe them a lot.]
[So what? That has nothing to do with me.]
[Viktor expects you to be there to see him skate.] The teen explained, [And I know first-hand how crushing it can be when the people you want to impress aren't around to watch you. You've done plenty already to pulverize Viktor into tiny little pieces...how about trying to do something to repair that damage for once instead?] Yurio grit his teeth a little, bringing his right hand back into the cold to be a bit more expressive in his grudging admission, [Viktor's...kind of a big deal around here.]
[Is that supposed to impress me?] The man-bear started walking again, fog drifting away from him with every word.
Annoyed, Yurio quickly hopped to jogging, getting around the big man and stopping right in front of him, digging in his feet as well as he could, [Yeah, actua-]
Konstantin walked right into him.
The teen refused to give ground though, sneakers sliding along the frosty ground as the bear continued pushing him along, [STOP, DAMNIT.]
[Why?]
[LISTEN.] The blonde barked, both hands and his head against the man's abdomen as he tried to stop each step from pushing him further along the sidewalk, snow piling behind his heels, [I helped translate at the restaurant the other morning when you were all fucking confused...the least you can do is hear me out!]
The huge man sighed loudly, but stopped finally, [What then?]
Yurio dragged it out, pushing to stand upright and resettle himself before looking straight up at the hulking mountain, [I heard every word you said while Mikhail was trying to convince you not to bail from the arena. It pissed me off the way you described skating like you did. So what if it's not the manliest thing you've ever seen?]
[That's no-]
[LISTEN. DON'T INTERRUPT ME.]
[Don't waste my time then.]
The teen grit his teeth, [As I was saying. Viktor is only one kind of skater. There's a lot of us in this thing. If Viktor took more after you than he did his mom, do you think he'd really be out there?]
[He-]
[IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION. NO ANSWER NECESSARY.]
More eye-rolling and grumbling.
['All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.'] The short figure recited, [Actors have to play the roles that best suit them. Viktor can't play the part of the big, angry, conceited, and all-parts selfish old man. ...He's the heart-throb.] He said through grit teeth, hating the taste of the words, [He plays that role better than anyone else in the field right now, and he takes advantage of it. Panties drop all around the world when he gets on the ice.]
The bear glowered at him, feeling his hackles rising, and every hair standing on end, [That's a crude way of saying it.]
[Yeah.] Yurio said stiffly, [But I'm not into dudes, so describing it in any other way would be even worse. It's already bad anyway cuz it's Viktor...he and Katsudon have a running joke that they're my dads. It's super annoying.]
[Would you get to the point already?] Konstantin snarled, eyes twitching slightly to hear the last description.
[You said last year that you were grudgingly going to accept Viktor's skating because the Man Upstairs made him good at it on purpose, so it couldn't possibly be all bad...and yet here you are, insulting it at every opportunity, and making a huge fucking scene while you're running away from it.] The teen pointed at the hulking figure, staring at him with the same disgusted eyes that he'd once given to a certain Japanese skater in a certain bathroom, [WHICH IS IT?] He took a step forward daringly, [If you really think GOD made Viktor good at skating, in THIS way, don't you think you're going against the Big Man's directives to keep attacking it like this?]
[God gave me Free Will. I don't have to like a thing just because He made it.]
[Then be a goddamn man and stop bitching about it.] Yurio said bitterly, [Cuz if God Himself doesn't strike you down for insulting the sport like you have, then the next time it happens...I WILL. Viktor may let you walk all over him, but I supported my family on this sport, so the last thing I'm going to listen to is some crotchety old man talk shit about it in front of my face.] The teen backed up a step, drawing in a breath to let the adrenaline pumping through him settle down a little bit, [My grandpa back in Moscow was my biggest supporter growing up. He took me to practice, he came to my competitions...and he's just as much a manly man as you are. But the difference between a manly man and a real man is the ability for him to put aside his pride and be there for his family, no matter who they are or what they do. At least Viktor isn't a complete fuck-up. Not every father gets a chance to watch his kid become a World Champion at something.]
The bear just glowered down at the Russian Tiger, taken aback by the 'lecture'...in part because he hadn't seen it coming, but more so because of the teen's apparent fearlessness. He shifted his weight a little, and was again surprised, maybe even impressed, that the blonde hadn't flinched or shied away from it. He drew in a deep breath at that, narrowing his eyes a little for lack of knowing what to do.
[I remember every word you said back then.] Yurio went on, quieter than before, [About how you and Viktor's mom got into a fight over her watching him skate on TV. I can't entirely be sure what insanity convinced you to come to NHK like you did...but since you're here, do her ghost a favor and at least sit patiently while Viktor and his competition do their thing. No one is saying you have to like it. Watch it and forget it for all I care...but watch it, okay? Don't blink, don't breathe. Viktor's expecting you to be there...so go, sit quietly, and watch him do his work.]