CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED THIRTREEN
The energy of the arena changed the moment the audience could see the two skaters parting from one another, turning their backs to one another, and taking position. Viktor lowered his gaze slightly, and Yuri raised his, each drawing a short breath as they waited for the music to begin.
The younger skater wore dark colors, with gunmetal-grey jeans and a lighter ash-grey sweater overtop. The older wore nearly all black, with a vest emblazoned by iridescent purple patterns and a silver-grey tie. They each stuck out against the bright spot-lights on the ice, like the shadows they cast past their golden blades.
['Please Don't Go' - Joel Adams]
Hmmhmm...hmm...
The skaters snapped their fingers in time with the music.
Hmmhmm...hmm...
They flipped around where they stood, still snapping their fingers as they faced each other.
Hmmhmm...hmm...
Pushing off against their left blades, they moved to replace one another in their previous spots, but then continued on, breaking away until they were half a rink apart from one another, fingers still clicking.
Hmmhmm...hmm...
They came to a pause there, and on the last beat, dug a toe-pick down.
Nobody ever knows...
Inside spread-eagle to turn in place, right blade coming up slightly to tap down on the beat, hands coming up in front of themselves.
Nobody ever sees
They started moving forward again, gliding and twisting in short arcs, then flipping to move backwards. They slid like reflections of one another, arcing around the center logo within the ice until they faced each other again, and came even closer.
I left my soul
Reaching their hands up loosely, fingers laced together, blades still gliding over the ice as they slowly rotated around one another.
Back there now I'm too weak
Yuri flipped around in place, right hand crossing over himself to grab at his left shoulder, the left hand wrapping lower, and he turned his head down. Viktor came over him from behind, both arms around him, pressing a cheek against the back of his neck as they continued to turn.
Most nights I've pray for you to come home
Again Yuri turned around, both hands coming up to the Russian's face, feeling how the man guided his skates backwards then in a curving line away from center. Viktor's hands help gently to his hips, pushing him along until he dug the right toe-pick down and stopped them both.
Praying to the Lord
They clasped their hands together, coming closer again to look into one another's eyes.
Praying for my soul
Viktor's right hand stayed, holding to Yuri's left, as they each pulled their free hands back and turned to face away from each other again.
Now please don't go
They abruptly let go completely, arms arcing up as they twisted around and spun away. They swerved and twisted in their respective halves of the rink, perfect reflections of one another's movements.
Most nights I hardly sleep when I'm alone
Yuri stepped through a few forward inside twizzles, Viktor doing the same but starting with the opposite foot, each pausing at the end, arms wrapped around themselves.
Now please don't go, oh no...
One hand reached up and out to the skater across the rink, fingers splayed, then flipping their palms up before bringing their hands back and turning around in place before sliding off again.
I think of you whenever I'm alone...
They moved in a wide figure-eight pattern towards center, twisting and turning gracefully until they were in arm's reach again.
So please, don't go...!
They passed by each other moving in reverse, right blade on the ice and the left elevated behind themselves, right hands barely touching, and then parting again.
Hmmhmm...hmm...
Hmmhmm...hmm...
Arcing swiftly, they came to skate in tandem to one another, gold skates scratching at the ice a mere few feet apart from each other. At the end of the second hummed lyric, they vaulted through a side-by-side quad Flip, much to the delight of the audience, who normally only saw that performed as a triple at best.
'Cause I don't ever want to know
Coming out of the landing, the second act of the show began with Viktor pulling ahead, Yuri close behind.
Don't ever want to see things change
As though practicing a Singles performance together, they shadowed one another; every gesture, foot-drop, hip swing and leg kick in perfect symmetry. No matter what though, they were careful not to face one another, one of them always facing away from the other.
'Cause when I'm living on my own
They paused abruptly, spinning once in place, dragging their toe-picks along until stopped, and Viktor turned his head towards his partner. Yuri lifted his, but didn't look back, simply pushing off to glide away while the Russian reached out for him.
I'll wanna take it back and start again
Just as Yuri looked back over his shoulder though...Viktor turned around instead, eyes down on the ice as the slid off. They both arced around through an outside spread-Eagle, coming back towards one another until they were shoulder-to-shoulder, each of them staring ahead though, not at each other.
Most nights I pray for you to come home
Twisting around to be back-to-back, Yuri lifted his right hand in the direction they were gliding, and Viktor reached up his left to take it. Yuri quickly spun around under it, putting his back to the Russian's front as those arms came around him again.
I'm praying to the Lord
Hazel eyes lifted up, face turning to the ceiling as though the hug were merely imagined and he were pleading with an unseen Other for it to be real.
Praying for my soul
His hands came up then, palms pressed together as Viktor's went down to his waist. They both dipped down, knees slightly bent...
Now please don't go
Viktor launched his husband up into the air, and Yuri spun several times for the triple twist lift before coming back down to waiting arms. The Russian kept him close though, nose to nose, chest to chest. Yuri's arms came over the man's shoulders, one hand weaving through that silver hair as they glided along, eyes closed.
Most nights I hardly sleep when I'm alone
They arced through a curve at the short end of the rink, legs carefully woven through one another as they stayed precariously close.
Now please don't go, oh no
Viktor slowed down slightly and Yuri started moving away, fingers trailing down each others' arms as they grew further apart, until the silver legend could only touch to his partner's chin with his fingertips.
I think of you whenever I'm alone
Moving backwards, Yuri spread his arms out, watching the Russian slide down to one knee and fade further into the background. He kicked his right leg back, and dipped down to the outside edge of his grounded blade...
So please don't go (Oh oh...)
Yuri toe-picked and vaulted into the air, spun four times, and landed on the right back outside edge for the Lutz.
I send so many messages you don't reply (Oh oh...)
Viktor quickly caught up, and they started mirroring each other again, even as they followed through a step sequence along a serpentine path. Twisting and turning, arms and hips swaying to the newly-energized rhythm of the music.
I gotta figure out; what am I missing, babe?
The Russian bent his path around a corner of the rink, and Yuri folded into him like the gears of a Swiss clock, the two of them facing one another as they clasped their left hands together between them, blades stopped on the ice.
Singing now oh oh oh
They pushed off on a toe-pick and spun around one another, picking up a bit of speed as they each bent forward, releasing to pull one another into the pair camel spin; right hands reaching over the other's back to hold at the waist, left holding to the upturned leg.
And I need you now, I need your love (Oh oh oh...)
Letting one another go, they spun in place before reaching for their left hands again and pulling each other inward. Right arms went over their partner's back as they both ducked down for a reverse-entry pair sit-spin, holding themselves up on their right blades, the left jutting out behind them as they spun together.
As the lyric faded out, they let one another go, gliding backward and away from one another in a slow hydroblade. The music paused briefly, and they did as well, knee coming down against the frost to stop their glide as they brought their hands inward against their chests.
Now please don't go...
Hands were thrown forward towards one another, and they rose up to their feet again, pushing off to move backwards.
I said, well...most nights I hardly sleep when I'm alone
They arced away from each other, then swerved inward, coming close again as they moved over the center logo. They moved in tandem again, hopping through a mohawk turn to face themselves forward, and kicked their right legs back...
Now please don't go (Oh no...)
Launching off their left blades, they flew through the side-by-side triple Axel, landed, immediately hopped through a single Loop to face forward again, and launched a second time for the double triple-Axel sequence.
I think of you whenever I'm alone
Outstretched hands sought for one another, clasped, and pulled to bring them together, back to back in a tight outside spread-Eagle.
So please don't
They let go just enough to spin around and face each other again.
Please don't go (So Please)
Knees bent in a half-curtsey before they broke off once more, skating quickly away from each other, leaving elaborate winding scratches on the ice as they went.
Please don't go (Oh no...)
They threw themselves for a flying-entry sit-spin, landing and moving into a twist variant, one hand high above themselves.
Please don't go , oh no...
They each rose into a scratch spin, bringing their arms in to rotate faster.
I think of you whenever I'm alone
An abrupt stop, sliding out of the rotations in reverse, and curving around until they spotted one another again.
So please don't go...!
They pivoted to glide forward, right hands coming up over their hearts as the left reached out to the other, slowly coming together again.
Hmmhmm...hmm...
They twisted and swayed as they closed the distance, and on the last hum, pivoted one last time, coming to a stop next to one another, one arm reaching across the other's front, hand perched on the opposite hip.
The arena fell silent for a few seconds before the roar rushed back in like a tidal wave, and the two skaters slouched and relaxed, the performance over. They let themselves finally catch their breaths and fell into one another, laughing and waving as well as they could. Cameras flashed and twinkled from all sides, and when they finally found their legs again, the two held their hands between them and bowed.
"Whew... That was great!" Yuri huffed and puffed, lowering his free arm as he felt his spouse pull him closer to kiss his forehead, "Now we only have about 15 minutes before the Team Skate." Another few kisses, those against his neck.
"Less talking, more kissing." Viktor said simply, bringing a finger up under his partner's chin to focus the man's attention on him alone.
Yuri breathed a quiet laugh, and gladly let the Russian have what he wanted, pulling his clasped hand free to rest them both over the man's shoulders. The audience cheered all the more to see it, especially since Viktor turned it into something of a show in itself as he turned the both of them around where they stood so everyone could get a good look. By the time it ended, and Yuri was certain it was time to vacate the ice, he found himself suddenly pulled back and hoisted up into his husband's arms. Surprised that Viktor still had the energy for it, Yuri held tight and let the man carry him off towards the rink exit, the chant of Viktuuri, Viktuuri on the lips of at least half the audience.