(Author's Note: I'll be changing the presentation line-up since it's come to my attention that the FS sometimes goes in reverse order of the SP's rankings, and since it serves my interests for Viktor to go last...I'll be doing that. Performance order is now Yuri, Phichit, Chris, Yurio, Otabek, and then Viktor. Thxu~)
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED NINETY TWO
The number of flags and banners was rising as fans settled in and started to show their support. A small chunk of people even brought out the OVERCOME standards again, which made Yuri wonder just how many people were following him to every event...or perhaps just followed that closely on SMS. It reminded him rather suddenly that a goodly number people in the stadium that night had probably seen him buck-arse nekkid on top of a skyscraper, pleading with his drunk husband to come back over the railing. Sad as it was at the time...in hindsight, it was kind of funny, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and huff a quiet laugh to himself.
He felt his partner's arms come back around him again, pulling him up lightly against the rink wall. The warmth of his husband's cheek came up to brush against his neck soon after, pressing against his skin gently before kissing there and holding.
'Show me the skating you can honestly say you liked the best.'
It was like a meditation then...and Yuri listened closely to the sound of the cheers and cries. Before long, the noise seemed to fade away a little, replaced by the familiar and calming cascade of waves against Hasetsu's rocky beach. He could smell the salt on the air, and hear the gulls overhead.
"Yuri."
He opened those cherry-hazel eyes and glanced over his free shoulder, feeling Viktor pull away from his back to let him turn around again. To his surprise, the beach hadn't vanished. He still saw the expanse of stone and sand there before himself, and he could feel the gentle lick of water against his heels. Ahead of himself though, he saw not only his spouse...but his friends.
Yurio...Chris...Phichit-kun...even Otabek...
"Davai, Yuri." The Russian Tiger offered simply, with the Hero of Kazakhstan nodding in agreement.
"Davai."
"Chokh dī." Thailand's living ray of sunshine was giving a thumbs up.
"Bonne chance." Tall blonde bae added, winking as well.
Yuri could feel the butterflies swirling around inside him even more strongly then, wading in that cold, ankle-deep water, in front of so many people that he knew. Tears threatened to well in his eyes.
These are all the same people who were at our wedding party last spring. Now, look at us...standing here again together.
"You're going to run out of time, koibito." Viktor commented, his fanned bangs tousling a bit as he nudged his head out towards the ice, "Better get going before they start without you."
Yuri nodded, stifling a laugh as he lowered his head suddenly to choke off the tears that fell from his lashes, "I know...I'm going..." He raised his face again to look at the group, "You guys didn't all have to stick around here to wish me good luck...but I'm really happy that you did."
The silver Russian was the first to raise his arms back over the hopeless skater's shoulders, pulling him into a hug as the entire rest of the group came forward to join in.
"Skater Yuri is surrounded by the other competitors!" Morooka commented excitedly, "What a moving gesture from them! It's clear that Yuri's rather touched by the outpouring of support. Coming at this event with an injury as severe as the one he had...let's all give a piece of our hearts, and hope to carry him through to the end."
Even the other coaches were looking on with smiles on their faces, wry as some were from the more stoic members. But, like all things, even the big SkaterHug had to eventually come to an end, and Yuri pulled back from the group, tears rolling down his face despite his smile. He reached one hand up to try and clear his cheeks, and grabbed for another tissue where his husband held out the Makkachin plush-toy tissue box, "I'm going to be too emotional to skate now...I see what you guys are doing..."
"We have to handicap you somehow." Chris mused, "Otherwise it wouldn't be fair."
"Okay now seriously you need to get out there!" Viktor insisted, spinning his partner around by his shoulders and lightly smacking both hands against the skater's rump to get him to move.
The beach was gone in that moment, and the rink returned...but the feeling remained.
"Wakatta, wakatteru yo!" Yuri was flustered and flushed at the gesture, but finally made his way forward, shaking his head and laughing anyway. The audience saw the move as well and laughed in turn, gradually falling to a hushed silence as the first athlete of the Men's event finally got to his spot. He didn't worry about skating through anymore idle circles before finding the middle of the ISU logo, and kissed his ring as he glided into place, tilting his head down into his starting pose.
He drew a last deep breath; in through the nose, out through the mouth...and the music began.
['Heroes' - Generdyn Music]
The low, rumbling, rising bass echoed high in the rafters, and Yuri pushed off on one toe-pick, slowly raising his arms up in time with the pressure.
I can hear the lost crying,
Arms curled around and forward, fingers reaching down and nearly touching the skater's hair, and Yuri went down to one knee, crouching down low as his arms went out on either side.
I can hear the truth hiding, hiding.
He rose back up quickly, gliding lightly forward like a ghost, bringing both hands up to either side of his head before extending them out to the sides again, the right slightly higher than the left, guiding the direction of his blades as he increased his speed.
Yeah the shadows are calling us out,
He twisted around on one heel and dipped low, hydroplaning backwards with his face down, left leg carefully extended outward as the right propelled him over the ice. The angle of his curve moved along the drag of a single finger, and he rose back up to his full height on the beat of the last word of the lyric.
I see the fear rising.
Still sliding along the frost, the skater twizzled thrice, raising up his arms as he spun on that diagonal line before spreading them out far as he straightened his path on the next boom.
Yeah when hope is burning, the shadows are calling us out.
Viktor watched anxiously as his partner moved through the 3-turn, amping up the speed for the first planned jump of the program.
It's feeling like the sun's hiding,
The heavy thunder of the lyric sent the skater spinning into the air, vaulting from a low crouch with his left leg crossed in front of the right, arms thrust high to help propel the lift. Everyone's eyes were staring in unblinking awe and trepidation, half the audience practically clambering out of their seats. Even Minako was nearly on her feet by then, biting the edge of her SkateSon's banner and waiting, as though the whole thing were happening in slow motion.
ssSKASHhhhhh...
"HE LANDED IT!" She cheered, jumping and landing back into her seat excitedly...only to shuffle forward again and gape. Mari was peeking through her fingers to the side, only daring to look once she'd heard that he brother hadn't ended up crumbled in a heap.
But we're gonna keep moving, surviving...
It wouldn't last, though. Yuri had tilted too far as he slid backwards, moving out of the tail end of the double-tano quad Loop before the dizziness was too severe to manage.
Viktor's eyes were wide, and he all-but-scrambled over the rink-wall, holding it tightly as his partner gradually slipped right off his skates and went spiraling down to the ice, spinning out on a thigh before finally getting back up again to carry on.
No we won't go quiet tonight, stand up and shout louder.
Blyat! The Russian thought hastily, He missed his cue for the combo jump! ...Get it together, Yuri...organize yourself...!
The step-sequence was already in full-swing, and Yuri wasted no time, quietly cursing himself as he moved through the serpentine formation. Twists and turns, choctaws, mohawk turns, twizzles and rockers, arms up and expressive to carry the sequence forward, rotating on his blades to frequently change his face of direction.
Oh no, no, we won't be silent, the shadows are calling us out...
The element ended on a double-twizzle, both arms out as he slid back towards the middle of the opposite side of the rink. As the music faded out for a moment, Yuri held still, eyes lowered to the ice and feeling the cold seeping in against his leg where the clinging frost was melting.
We are heroes
Death-drop into a reverse-entry camel-spin
Heroes in the darkest times, when there is no light, Oooh...
Arms were behind himself at first, then out to the side. Curling inward just enough to splay out again and hop for the foot-change and continue rotating. He reached back for his up-turned golden blade, pulling it close to behind his head for a donut spin. Keeping hold of the skate, he pulled inward again to change position, this time standing more upright with the boot pulled behind his back. Inching it up, he was able to grab his foreleg with the other hand, and helped hold that leg up behind himself as he finished out the spin, kicking out and moving backwards across the ice.
We are heroes, heroes in the darkest times, but we'll rise above, Oooh...
A brief pick-up in speed, and the young skater convinced himself to try and get his jump-count back up. He knew he had time now, abandoning a few choreographic moves for the sake of this attempt. He twisted through a forward-outside 3-turn, catching a brief glimpse of his coach watching him anxiously...and dipped to the left back inside edge of his blade...and thrust his right leg forward, throwing himself through the triple Salchow, single Loop, and triple Loop to round it out.
That time, he managed to stay on his feet, and even though he over-rotated the final landing and nearly tripped over his skates, he regained some semblance of his confidence.
I can do this...!
We are heroes...
He went directly into the flying sit-spin then, feeling more in his element despite his swimming head. After the initial pose for the spin, with his left leg out, he curled it inward and crossed it directly in front of the right leg. The skater's left arm went gracefully above himself as he went on in a blur of dark-blue and star-like sequins.
When the night is starless,
With the boom, Yuri let go of the skate blade and reached that newly-freed hand up behind himself to join the first, legs staying crossed over one another as that taut frame pivoted over them.
Only we can spark it...
A few more rotations, and he ended the spin gracefully, wheeling his arms from behind his back to rising up in front of himself as he rose, digging in a toe-pick to stop his revolutions. He spread his hands out wide as they lifted towards the ceiling, then arched his arms out and away, and finally downward to his sides.
Light it up in the darkness, Oooh...
He kicked off to slide away again, hands pulling up his thighs, waist, and sides as he moved and picked up speed.
Viktor's eyes were staring on, almost unblinking.
He wanted to put all his toughest jumps in the second half, so he'd still get the bigger bonus even if he fell... Realistically, it's his best chance at making the podium...but it also carries the bigger risk...
The Russian curled one arm around himself as the other rested with a finger over his chin and mouth, looking out over the ice nervously. The second half of the Free Program had just started...Yuri still had 2 minutes and 20 seconds left...almost the length of an entire Short Program.
When the night is starless,
The first of the harder jumps was up, and Yuri twisted through a mohawk-turn, leaning down onto the outside edge of his left blade. Right leg went back, and he kicked the toe-pick down, launching himself up again...three rotations, land on the right blade for the triple Lutz, immediately dipping low with the left blade folding in front...vault again, three rotations...land again after the triple Loop...
...and his hand touched down on the ice.
Only we can spark it...
His anxious coach was practically biting his nails to see it, It's just like earlier...he can physically do the jumps, but he can't recover quickly enough from the rotations to keep his balance on the out-bound slide...
Light it up in the darkness, Oooh...
.
"...If I do all my hardest jumps at the end, then the automatic deductions won't hurt as badly because I'll be getting the 1.1 bonus on a higher base-score..." Yuri rationalized, looking at the notepad where his partner had listed all his program's components.
"You've only been able to manage your quads if you don't follow them up with spins or even more jumps right after though." Viktor pointed out, tapping a pen against the side of his jaw, "It wasn't so obvious during the Short Program, but you had a limit of 3 jump elements there...now you can do 8, and you pack most of them into the second half, which basically means you'll be spending half the program feeling like your brain is swimming around in here." He tapped the pen against the side of Yuri's head for emphasis, "Never mind the fact that you've been running out of steam faster since you're having to compensate so much just to stay upright."
The younger skater nodded reluctantly, crossing his arms with a huffed sigh, "This is such a pain... After everything we went through so far this season...I feel like the universe is trying to sabotage me with this. Maybe I was never meant to win Gold at the Final...any Final."
"Maybe just take it down a notch?" Viktor suggested, "You already do more jump elements than basically anyone else."
"...I'm still trying to beat you though, too, remember?"
The Russian made a face, "There's a saying about how to avoid being eaten by bears...you don't actually have to out-run the bear...you just need to out-run the guy running next to you. Would it be so terrible to go for Silver instead? For the sake of your health? It would be much easier to overtake 3rd place than to gun for 1st..."
"So says the Silver medalist who moped through the entire victor lap at Worlds." Yuri made a face of his own, looking over at his spouse, "You've given me Gold Fever. Now that I know what it's like...nothing less tastes as sweet. Besides..." He slid the few inches between them to get closer and snaked an arm around his husband's lower back, pulling up the notepad with his free hand and pressing it to the man's chest lightly, "When you showed up in Hasetsu that first time...you said you'd make me win Gold at the Grand Prix Final. Not Silver."
.
Yuri landed the triple Toe-loop, and launched again for a second triple Toe-loop to follow. Like his other jumps, he flubbed the landing, but managed to stay on his feet, sliding backwards like his blades were half-drunk for a few seconds before leveling out again.
We are heroes... Heroes in the darkest times
The next jump would be significantly easier at any rate, and the skater pushed through a few choreographed moves before facing forward and throwing himself upward for his favorite jump; the triple Axel. With one arm up, he was pleased to feel that his blade hit the ice and, for once, didn't wobble under him, allowing him the reprieve of a perfect landing for the first time since the quad Loop at the start.
...When there is no light, Oooh...
It felt even better when he didn't lose his balance after the fact either, and was able to twist himself over for the Ina Bauer, granting a moment of simple elegance before the powerhouse of the program really began.
We are heroes...
He sunk down onto one knee, both hands coming around in front of himself, then rotating around twice quickly to either side.
Heroes in the darkest times,
A mohawk turn spun him backwards again and he pushed through several cross-overs to get around the short end of the rink. Spotting a billboard to set as his mark, he glided for those few microseconds before the next boom in the music...
...But we'll rise above, Oooh...
Left blade on its inside edge, the right went out to toe-pick, kicking the skater up into the air for his first and only Flip of the entire show. He spun four times, and landed on the right blade, sliding away in reverse on the outside edge. His confidence grew again, unsure why he wasn't as dizzy as before but supposing it was because he hadn't done a major spin since the first half...though that was about the change, and he braced himself.
We are heroes...
Yuri leaned forward, dipped, and threw his weight to the side, forcing his body to twist into a harsh forward-facing circle. He dipped his head down low again for an illusion-spin before using the momentum of the free leg to rock his shoulders upright again and spin faster. He immediately went into a scratch spin, and the song entered into its first climax, with the thunder of drums and growing intensity of the background orchestra. Each new peak made Yuri feel like he was spinning even faster. With both arms up, he spread them out to the side to slow down slightly and slipped into the corkscrew spin variant, left leg folded behind the right as that blade dragged like a whisper over the ice. He lowered down in that same position, bringing his arms around himself as his frame became a dark blur on the bright frost. His free leg came in after that, and the skater held it close with a hand reaching under himself to snag the blade, his whole frame curling over itself into a tight ball for a few spins.
The peak of the song had been hit, and it flew back down into a valley, just as Yuri rose out of the combination spin and steeled himself for the last 2 components and 45 seconds of the program.
I have enough of a break after this spin to regain my head for the next jump... Please, Kami-sama, let me land these last two moves...!
Choreography dominated the next ascent of the song's rhythm, allowing Yuri a reprieve from spins and rotations to show off his other skills. Exquisite footwork and expressive arms moved him from one end of the rink to the other, his frame twisting to the heavy beats of the drums.
He pivoted on his left blade again, bending it just onto its outside edge, and kicked his right leg back again like before. The silence was deafening for that brief moment...
We are heroes...
-BOOM-
Yuri was airborne again, spinning quickly with both hands over his head, fingers clasped together tightly. The audience was breathless for the four rotations, and half of the onlookers probably flinched when he landed, gliding off on the outside edge of his right skate. They cheered wildly for his success; Minako and Mari were practically in tears for it. The other skaters watching from rink-side were captivated...some even slightly intimidated.
The music was growing in intensity, thunder-claps powering through the drums, making the entire arena feel electrified. Yuri moved like he was on a battlefield, leading the charge towards some unknown enemy. The beats became faster, and then faster still, clamoring like a dozen hammers slamming on an anvil.
But then the silence came...and he was facing backward, gliding down the length of the rink with his arms outstretched to the sides, and leaning slightly as he came up around the curve.
Chris turned his eyes for a moment to watch Viktor, and the predator-like laser focus the man had with that stare. Yuri was sliding right towards them. Whatever happened, it would be right in their faces. As they all looked up, they suddenly saw those red-tinted cherry-hazel eyes looking right back at them. For a split second, as Yuri moved angled his glide from the back right outside edge to the forward-facing left outside edge, the right blade kicking up high behind him for the wind-up...it felt like time stopped.
Don't ever take your eyes off me.
The last of the fast hammer-beats crushed its way through the arena, and Yuri threw himself as high and as far as he could, swinging that free right leg forward and kicking it up with every molecule of strength left in him.
KLICK
.
"You've literally never landed that jump." Viktor chastised, finding his partner where Yuri had flopped onto his back after falling again, "And you give me dirty looks every time I do it."
"...But it's worth so many points..." The younger figure whined, "Even if I can't stick the landing, one point less than 15 is still better than a perfect triple...and if I do it at the end..."
The silver Russian wasn't convinced, crouching down to sit on the rockers of both his blades, lightly pinching his hand around his chin as he raised a brow as his spouse, "What's the word for 'hypocrite' in Japanese again...?"
Yuri gaped at him incredulously, but then smugly turned his face to avoid the man's judgmental looks, "...Gizensha."
"And the word for 'crazy person with head injury who insists on doing something dangerous even when everyone else will tell him not to'?"
"...I don't think there's a single word for that, Viktor."
"I'll bet there is in German."
"That's cuz German is weird."
The Russian huffed a laugh, pushing to straighten his legs out even as he leaned far over to offer his hands, "Tell someone you love them every day, because life is fleeting...but yell it at them in German, because life is also terrifying."
Dark eyes blinked at that, but as Yuri was pulled up to his feet, and embraced from behind in a fluid sweep of arms folding over his head, he couldn't help but laugh, "Živëm odin raz."
Viktor stopped dead in his tracks then, unsure he'd heard correctly, "...Was that an attempt at Russian or did I just mishear you?"
"Yes and no." Yuri laughed again, turning his head to nose his husband's neck, "It's a lyric from that show you did at Worlds. You said just now that life is terrifying...so I said..."
"...You only live once." They said together.
"You do a really fine job of twisting my arm without me realizing it." Viktor sighed, "If we weren't already married and sharing a bank account, I'd think you could rob me blind, and I wouldn't be the wiser."
"I promise I won't do it if I'm dizzy." The younger figure offered, "And if I do, I won't add anything fancy, like raise up my arms or go for a difficult entry. I'll just go purely for the jump."
"And if you fall like you usually do, and I have to suffer a small stroke watching it?"
"I dunno...I won't give you a dirty look if you do it in your own Free Skate?"
Viktor quirked a brow again, letting his partner go so he could turn around to face him, "That hardly seems like a fair trade."
"Then what do you want...?" Yuri tilted his head curiously, hands sliding past his partner's waist to hook a few fingers loosely behind the man's back, Viktor's own arms coming up to rest on his shoulders.
"A good question, indeed." The silver genius hummed, "What do you get a guy who already has everything he could possibly ever want?"
"...Well that just makes you especially hard to shop for." The younger figure pointed out anxiously, his voice half a whine, half a groan...and half a laugh, somehow, "Seriously though."
"Mmmmm..." The Russian hummed, only for his eyes to suddenly go wide open as an idea dawned, "Oh, I know...!"
.
Even if I mess this up and fall... Yuri thought, spinning through the air in what felt like slow motion, ...I'll lose one point on the deduction...but I'll still have gained half a point for the second-half point bonus... If I manage to land it though...Viktor will...
The arena was deadly silent as his blades hit the ice, the music entering a lull just as he'd jumped. Eyes were wide from all sides, breath was held, and everyone watched...Viktor most closely of all.
Yuri landed like a meteor on skates, and the intensity of the screams that chased after him was like the tsunami and earthquakes that followed impact. He dared not open his eyes, his entire body numb...but when he finally allowed himself to look, he realized...he was still moving...and he wasn't sliding towards the rink-wall on his backside.
The roar of the audience was cheering, not terror, and those mystified eyes looked over to spot a certain World Champion all-but-collapsing in relief on the rink-wall.
That was it...! Viktor, I did it! That was the last jump; I'm almost done!
Yuri could hardly believe it. He couldn't hear the rest of his song over the sound of the audience's adulations. In his stunned shock, he completely blanked on the rest of the program anyway, coming to again a minute or so later as he was bowing towards the crowd. He scanned the wall near the kiss and cry, and spotted the entire gaggle of competitors shuffling over towards that exit rather quickly. Plush toys and flower bouquets would have to wait. He pushed off on a toe-pick and glided across the ice, feeling the fire in his throat and all throughout his thin, lean frame, like the slow-burning fuse of a firecracker. When he was close to the edge though, he shook his head to get his bearings again, and looked up to spot the entire group giving him dirty looks.
Oh heck...now I'm gonna get it...
Viktor had the 'damn right, you're never going to hear the end of it' look on his face...but in short order, as the young athlete skimmed closer to the edge of the rink, the dire expression softened, and pale hands reached forward.
Yuri felt the pull where those fingers clasped around the back of his head and neck, pulling him forward and tilting the angle just slightly. He heard the entire audience go nuts again, cheering for that well-deserved kiss...but the cheers turned to excited fangirl screams as the hands moved elsewhere. Hazel eyes opened wide and Yuri found himself up on his tiptoes as his dastardly husband got two palms full of his lycra-covered SkaterButt right there in front of everyone, still standing with his back to the rink, in full sight of every camera and smartphone, professionally broadcasting or otherwise. He half-yipped despite the continued kiss, and was only half-surprised when Viktor hadn't let go even after it ended. The young skater's face was as brightly flushed in that moment as it had been as Nationals the year before, when the words 'do you want to get inside me?' were spoken abruptly the first time.
One could be forgiven for thinking Yuri's head had been replaced by a red giant red Christmas light-bulb.
"IthoughtyouwereonlygoingtodothatifIfell!" He stammered, finally able to roll back on his rockers a little, though the Russian still hadn't let go.
Viktor just smiled rather triumphantly, "You fell a bunch of times. So I get to grab a bunch of your butt."
The peanut gallery was a mix of laughter and embarrassed wayward glances, trying not to look too long.
The audience was still cheering, and Yuri could do little but bring his own hands up to cover his face as he leaned forward against his partner's shoulder. It didn't help that Viktor used that 'grip' to hoist him forward and, finally, off the ice. The young skater's face was still rather rosy even after they'd finally managed to get themselves situated in the kiss and cry, and though the silver legend had finally let go, still looked rather pleased with himself.
"...I don't think I'll ever do that again..." Yuri sighed anxiously, leaning back on his hands, idly rocking a skate back and forth on the heel-guard, "Triple Axels are already hard enough."
"You have the gift of unearthly stamina, Yuri." Viktor quipped, his left hand loosely set over his partner's where it was set between them, "I could be convinced that the quad Axel was made for you."
"...I actually meant that I wouldn't ever agree to let you grab my butt on international television again." He huffed in response, "My face still hurts from where I was grimacing so hard..."
"Ahh...poor naïve Yuri... So forward in private, yet still so modest in public." The Russian teased, leaning slightly to nudge his partner with a shoulder, "It's endearing that I can still make you blush like that."
"...Well...I guess if agreeing to let you grope me if I fell on the Axel is the alternative to letting you be all upset about my jump line-up..." Yuri nodded, leaning forward slightly and clasping his fingers around his husband's, "Then it's not all bad."
"I suppose that makes me naïve too then, in a way."
"How's that?"
"Thinking I could hold you back, even if it made sense to, and every fiber of my being was saying I should." He answered, "My 'Inner Yakov' was lecturing me to be a firmer coach every time I saw you get onto the ice...but no matter what, the little devil on my shoulder always prevailed, and the little angel on the other would rationalize it after the fact." He shook his head and laughed quietly, "I once noticed a bit of a rebellious streak in you that reminded me a lot of myself. I can't be all that surprised that you would be this hard-headed about things...pardon the pun."
"Maybe 'soft-headed' would make more sense." Yuri shrugged, "In either case...even though I know it was hard for you, I'm grateful that you trusted my instinct and let me do what I thought I was able to."
"It was hard to argue after a while." The Russian said, his tone a bit more somber than before, and he leaned aside to rest the side of his head on the edge of his spouse's shoulder, "From the minute you demanded those wraps come off your head, you've been adamant about wanting to keep going. ...This entire season, no matter what happened, no matter what got in your way...you always came back ready for more. I don't think I've ever seen someone fight this hard before. Yuuko and Nishigori were right about you..."
Yuri turned his head in curiosity, looking more at the top of his partner's head than anything, given his vantage.
"Even if you're not used to winning...more than anything, you really do hate losing."
"The score for Yuri Nikiforov..."
No matter what...no one can say I didn't try my hardest...
"...209.05. His total score is 305.62. He is currently in first place."