CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED FOURTY THREE
The last of the shuttles parked in front of the hotel, and the overwhelming majority of the Men's Singles group piled out in an exhausted heap. Yuri threw his arms straight up in the air and yawned loudly, then slumped over, "Uhhhh I can't wait to get into the onsen..."
"You look like you're ready to pass out, Yuri-kun." Minami joked, pointing at him.
"What? Bed already? No way."
Viktor's eyes widened in surprise, but then narrowed a little, side-eyeing his spouse, "Here I was hoping..."
"Tsst...there's children in ear-shot."
"I'm 19!" Minami was practically in tears from the insult, but yawned in spite of himself, "I'm practically middle-aged compared to everyone here..." He looked around the group as people started filtering past to get to the doors, and thought on the ages of everyone as they went by, "...Hm...maybe not..." He mumbled, only to yelp suddenly as he felt hands thump down on his shoulders and start to push him forward.
"The onsen won't be open all night!" Yuri insisted, "We should all go!"
"I'm in!" The blonde cheered excitedly, finally starting to walk on his own again. He threw his arms out to the side dramatically, and the motion sensors for the doors made the glass panels swing apart, giving the teen an ego boost as though he'd psychically made them open. He marched forward after that, acting like something of a herald for the two already-chosen Olympians walking behind him.
With most of them all being assigned to rooms on the same floor, there were only a handful of destinations chosen on the elevator's number panel. However, with so many agreeing to go to the hot-spring on Yuri's suggestion, seeing any floor but that destination chosen looked like a stick in the mud. Hazel eyes examined the lit-up button, and then rolled up to the man who'd tapped it.
"Asahi-kuuun you should come with us." He mumbled in a half-sleepy haze, "Everyone else is coming."
The older skater barely turned his head to look, but even then, Yuri was half-hidden behind a certain territorial Russian, and so he looked forward again, "No thanks."
"Whaaaat? How come?" Yuri wondered, reaching around his partner to poke at Asahi's closest arm, "You always used to come! It was practically tradition!"
"That was in Juniors."
"So?" The younger figure whined, then heard the ding for their arrival at the elevator's first stop.
The metallic panels parted, and Asahi stepped through, turning only slightly to nod his head to the group still within, "Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu, mina." (Excuse me for being the first to leave, everyone.) He twisted on a heel then and departed without another word, leaving a few to simply wave at him as he moved off.
Yuri frowned slightly as the doors closed again and the elevator continued its journey up, "I can't read him."
"We should find out what room he's in and pretend to be housekeeping," Minami suggested deviously, "Then when he answers, we grab him and make him come up with us."
"Mmnn...no...that'd probably just upset him." Yuri sighed, repositioning his arm where it had been perched behind his partner's back, holding to the man's long coat a little tighter, "It's fine...we'll just make him come next time. He's probably just tired."
The group moved on towards the high-rise hot-spring, but Asahi made his way down the long hall towards the room he'd been assigned. The electronic door-lock mechanism beeped at the presence of a keycard, and he pushed the door open, letting it click quietly behind him. The lights in the room were dim, but on, but Asahi knew that in this condition, it meant at least 50% of his training entourage had turned in for the night.
Stepping into the room, he spotted the three twin-size beds, one occupied by a sleeping middle-aged man, another by an older Japanese woman, who was quietly watching something on a tablet resting on a pillow in her lap. When she spied the skater, she lifted a hand and pulled the glasses off her face, letting them hang by a chain around her neck, [How'd it go?] She asked quietly.
[We stayed late so we wouldn't have to go again extra early in the morning.] He answered, putting his gear bag down on the floor next to the third bed, and shrugged out of his long coat. He reached up to start unwinding the long plush scarf from his neck and shoulders after that, coiling it on the bed as he spoke, [For the most part, memorizing the choreography was easy...but with so many of us doing it at the same time, it took a bit of work to get it right.]
[Did you see him?]
Asahi paused in his undressing, looking at the end of the scarf still in his hand, [Viktor? Sure. He was basically the leader of the pack. Hard to miss him.]
[You know I don't mean him.]
The skater sighed and nodded, [Yeah, I saw him too.]
[And?]
He turned and sat back against the edge of the bed, toying with the coiled scarf and half-heartedly folding his jacket, [It was fine.]
[Them both being here isn't going to mess you up?]
[Coach Nagisa...it's been 7 years since Yuri and I trained together.] Asahi looked straight at her, [And 2 since we last laid eyes on one another. Right now I'm just...] He sighed and shook his head, looking at the floor, [...I'm trying to wrap my head around how much he changed. The last time we spoke, he was miserable and depressed. He was at the lowest point in his entire career, and I was scared for him. I really thought that he would do something to himself when he got back to Detroit, and I'd never hear about it...] He reached up a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning his elbows down against his knees, [But now he's back...and not only is he back, but he's Japan's top skater and Viktor freaking Nikiforov is his coach. And they're married!?It's incredible! Absurd even! How!? Why!?He was still trying so hard to impress that girl from Hasetsu before! I don't understand anything.]
Even with whispers, the energy in the room changed, and the man who'd been sleeping rolled over to stare at the athlete, "I don't speak Japanese, but I guess I wouldn't need to, to know how your night went, Asahi."
"Gomen, Mr. Weber..." He grumbled, twisting around to sit cross-legged on his bed, and bowed his head towards the man, "I should've taken your advice and looked into things before we got here... Seeing it all with my own eyes without warning..."
The slender figure rose up from where he'd been snoozing so soundly, and rubbed his eyes before yawning, "Ahhhh excuse me... Ahem. Asahi," He started, palms down on each of his blanket-covered knees, "Don't let the ghosts of the past pull the carpet out from under you. It's done and gone...everyone you knew from Juniors has grown up and moved on. Yuri Nikiforov is not Yuri Katsuki. Not anymore."
"I know..."
"This is supposed to be your big come-back event. You're a top contender to get to represent Japan at the Olympics. No one else holds a candle to you." Weber went on, "The fact that the JSF is making a big deal out of Viktor joining up shouldn't shutter your fighting spirit. You've worked hard this past year...rebuilt yourself from the very foundations. I'd recommend just avoiding the both of them and focus on yourself. They've already secured their positions, so beating them isn't the goal. As far as you're concerned, they're not even here."
"...Yessir..."
"Now..." The older man yawned again, and flopped back against the plush pillow behind himself, raising an arm up only high enough to drop it over his eyes, "...If you two don't mind..."
Asahi watched for a moment, and to his fortune, it didn't take long for the snoring to begin. He turned his eyes towards the woman he'd been speaking to earlier, [He's right. It's me versus the rest of the Men's Singles, not the Nikiforovs. They're practically just here for show.]
The older woman nodded quietly in agreement, [Keep your head up. It's just one weekend, and then it's done.]
"...Hai, Nagisa-kōchi..."
.
The onsen was on one of the higher floors of the building, and with floor-to-ceiling windows all around it, the view of midnight Osaka was breathtaking. Water bubbled in the different pools; some in the main sitting area, others in the separated Jacuzzi area, others still from where Minami had finally picked himself up and out of the water.
"...Ahhh the water made me so sleepy..." He complained sleepily, turning to the two only people left in the pool, "G'niiiiight~"
"Night, Minami-kun." Yuri waved. Beside him, Viktor raised his hand out of the water politely, but said nothing. Yuri let himself sink a bit on the underwater bench they were sitting on, and leaned his head back against his partner's shoulder, "Guess we lucked out."
"We survived the rest and will be rewarded with...a few meager seconds of solitude before I fall asleep, too." Viktor mused, leaning his own head back against the ledge of the deck. He drew in a breath, and cracked open one eye, turning his head then to kiss the top of his husband's, "Who knew memorizing the choreography for 2 songs the night before presenting them would be so hard?" He huffed a quiet laugh.
"It would be easy for you if you didn't have to worry about 30 other people dancing around you, too." Yuri pointed out, his left hand barely hovering over the Russian's leg under the water, floated up a little by buoyant laziness, "Do you already know what you're going to say when you get the mic?"
"I had a few ideas." Viktor answered, looking across the water to the row of tall potted plants that lined that corner of the room, "I don't want to take up too much time though. I'm as eager to compete as ever."
"Still feels a bit surreal." Yuri added, sinking his hand to use the man's thigh as a pivoting point, and pushed up against it to turn in place, sitting side-face on the bench and wading his right leg across his husband's lap, cheek against that shoulder now. He brought his hand up from under the water, stroking it across his partner's pale chest, fingers barely breaking the surface, "Part of my brain still thinks it's an illusion that you're here. That I should be getting back to the room soon, expecting a call from you about what order you're going to skate in, so I can try to catch the livestream after I'm done with the SP tomorrow."
"Well, we should be getting back to the room soon..." The silver legend teased, bringing his free hand around to guide his spouse's face closer with a finger under his chin, "But not for any phone calls."
After a long day of travel, angst, tears, and hard practice, those kisses were more welcome than ever before. The first tease of a tongue against his lower lip though, and Yuri pulled away, looking around briefly to see if anyone was still around besides themselves.
"What's wrong?" Viktor wondered, lifting his head lazily, "Did I spook you?"
"Not at all..." He answered, eyes still focused on the halls that lead to the changing area. Satisfied that no one was going to come in though, Yuri turned back around, and suddenly lifted the rest of himself over his husband's lap, following after the leg that had preceded him. He felt a pair of hands come quickly to settle on his waist, and he slid his own over the Russian's shoulders, letting them settle on the cool, damp tile of the deck behind the man's silver-haired head. Knees parted wide so he could inch closer, and tender flesh met under the water just as Yuri pressed in for that kiss he'd delayed. The taste and feel of that tongue on his lips as it slid into his mouth, arms going around him to pull him tighter, and he was in Heaven. His thin frame rose and pressed against the larger one beneath him, and even through the heat of the water, he could feel his husband started to get excited. He pulled his hands back along the deck, his skin now cool, and the sudden change from warmth to cold made Viktor jump and give a wry laugh.
"There's probably at least one camera, my love." He purred, nibbling on his mate's lower lip a little before giving it back, "But if you're feeling adventurous...I wouldn't mind taking you right here."
"I'm not thinking about cameras." Yuri teased, rocking himself forward slowly as he spoke, feeling the rising, stiffening flesh between them, "My pride as the son of a hot-spring resort prevents me from doing anything too inappropriate here...but that doesn't mean I can't tease you a little." He said, the last words spoken against those lips before he returned to kissing them.
Viktor allowed that to go on for a little while longer, relishing every second of it, but his young husband had gotten rather good at the teasing he was up to, and that primal urge was welling inside him rather quickly. His arms suddenly uncoiled from around Yuri's back, hands returning to the man's waist as he rose up to half-standing, spun them both around, and forced Yuri up against the ledge of the deck. He slid him fully onto it before pushing him down to his back, and moved in over him to continue their passion. He felt one leg, and then the other, slide up against his sides, and he pressed in a little harder to test his husband's conviction. Crystal eyes looked down into those hazel wells, and Viktor whispered, "We're not in the water now, technically..."
"Technically..."
It was almost as good as permission, and the excited Russian lowered down for another kiss, wedging his forearms under his husband's shoulders to lift him closer.
"Nnnnh...Yuri-kuunnn..." Minami's voice mumbled from beyond the edge of the doorway. Half a splash later, and the teen was stumbling into the main bathing area like a zombie, rubbing one eye as he lifted his head, though both of his eyes were closed. He 'looked' at the back of his idol's head where Yuri sat on the ledge of the soaking tub, with Viktor sitting in the tub just next to his legs, one elbow on the deck, "Yuri-kunnn," He said again, "There's staff at the door. They're saying they have to close up for the night. They asked me to come back and tell you guys so they wouldn't surprise you."
"Oh, okay...we'll come right out. Thanks, Minami-kun. Go to bed."
"Mmhmmmmm..."
Once the bleary teen was out of sight, Yuri heaved a breath, one hand up against his chest as his heart pounded, "Wow, that was close. He'd have really gotten an eyeful if he hadn't started mumbling my name before he came around the corner." He whispered quickly.
"Maybe not. He wasn't even really looking." Viktor mused, "But the staff that's about to come in will definitely have their eyes open."
"We should hurry then. Wouldn't want to lose our place."
"Absolutely not." The silver legend agreed, finding his towel where it had fallen on the deck in his scramble to submerge.
With bathrobes and towels thrown on to get them back down to their room, they carried their clothing and gear and shuffled along, trying not to look like they were in too much of a hurry. When they finally made it through that last door, equipment was unceremoniously dropped to the floor, and Viktor drew his husband towards the bed, walking backwards until he felt the edge of it behind his legs. Hands fumbled for the loose knot holding the white fluffy robe on his partner's slick frame, soft from the minerals in the water of the hot-spring. The slightly damp cloth fell away as he sat back, his own robe never having been tied at all, simply hanging off of his shoulders as the towel tied around his waist hid the rest.
Yuri quickly pushed the robe off of him though, and Viktor slid his arms out of the sleeves before drawing him forward onto his lap. The towel barely managed to hold on with friction pushing against it from every side, and seconds later, he could feel the Russian's bare length against the inside of one thigh as he spread them out to each side, pressing in close again like before. Kissing and rubbing resumed more passionately than before, no sensation blocked by the heat of the water...just skin and one last pesky towel. Yuri didn't care to remove it though, since it wasn't really in the way. He slid his body up the front of his husband's chest, feeling the man's hands go in under his thighs, eagerly feeling at hidden places between his legs as one thick and eager appendage was pulled through and positioned. Yuri slid back down again, finding another kiss when he settled, feeling that length of flesh sliding up behind him, still under the back-wrap of the towel clinging precariously to his waist. He rolled his hips across his husband's lap, teasing a few more times before the silver legend had both hands around his backside to lift him up, only one releasing him to form a blockade, preventing that member from sliding through the cleft one more time. When Yuri descended then, that hand guided the hot and wet rod inside him, sliding a few inches, pausing, then sliding a few more, with each of them gasping out a vocal breath at the relief of finally feeling each other.
When Yuri was all the way down, their bodies flush against each other, Viktor leaned a bit forward, kissing at his husband's neck as his arms went around that thin frame again, holding the younger man there as the only thing that stopped him from falling to the floor outright. The Russian started rolling his hips then, each pump forward evoking a breathy gasp from Yuri's lips. He kissed at the younger man's collar-bone and the upper part of his chest before dipping his face down, and pressed the top of his head there instead, focusing more on the rhythm and power of each movement. Yuri started leaning up against him soon after, forcing him to lean back, and then drop down, looking on longingly as the younger man loomed overhead.
They paused only long enough to look at each other and smile contentedly, then resumed the rocking. So close to the edge of the bed though, and Viktor was having to push up on the tips of his toes just to get leverage, and he quickly realized that it wouldn't work for long. Instead, he twisted over, and withdrew entirely as he rolled forward off the bed. Half a heartbeat later, his hands were on Yuri's waist again, and he mounted over the younger man's back, pressing in hard behind him. He kissed the damp skin in front of him, moving up to his husband's shoulder blades, then behind his neck, hands roaming up and under Yuri's sides and to his chest, curving up to follow the contour of those thin shoulders and the length of his arms as far as his fingers could reach. Yuri was pushing back against him though, desperate to feel him again, and he started sliding his hands back down again. Before slipping back inside though, he pressed himself in place, hands going down between his husband's thighs, letting his palms and fingers give some attention before moving on.
Those whimpered cries were music as Yuri clung to the edge of the bed, and he pulled himself a little further up as he found himself wanting to thrust his hips forward to the pumping of those hands around him. Fingers clamped down on the pillow-top, and he bit down on what he could, his chest barely catching the edge when he felt that length of flesh go back inside him again, pressing in deep and forcing him even further against the bed. Yuri felt himself go limp after that, his husband spreading his legs further apart as he started thrusting again, cheek pressed to the back of one shoulder. Arms wrapped tightly around his core to hold him still, and the force of those thrusts grew as well as their speed.
The teasing from before and the anxious wait to run back meant that their fevered pitch put them close to the edge rather quickly. Yuri started pulling his hands down from the top of the bed, sliding his palms along his husband's taut forearms. He could feel them loosening at his touch, until the right released to slide down between his legs again, the left finding his own hand and weaving fingers together there under his chest. Each new thrust brought with it a vocal gasp, until Yuri found himself crying out against the comforter, left hand clenching where Viktor held it, to right clamping fingers down on the arm still pumping between his thighs. The pulses of electrical force rushed through him from center to fingertips, rendering him nearly helpless as his whole frame trembled in fits and starts. He tried to catch his breath as he felt the cry against the back of his shoulder, and the heat of release inside him, his husband pushing in as deep as he could go. A few weaker, slower thrusts followed, but the Russian refused to withdraw, pulling him off the edge of the bed to recover in the gap between it and the wall, wrapped in the warm embrace of those strong arms.
Viktor caught his breath as well as he could, kissing the back of that neck and those shoulders as air allowed, his skin tingling all over him even as his member continued to throb within his partner's heat.
"Th-that...was intense..." Yuri commented, heaving for breath as well.
"That was really fun..." Viktor agreed, hugging a little tighter then as he huffed a laugh against the man's back, "We should start in the onsen more often."
Yuri just gaped over a shoulder at him, "Yeah right! My family would die."
"It was worth a shot." He kissed that skin again before turning his head to press his cheek against it, "I love you."
Yuri squeezed his left hand where they were still connected, and rubbed his thumb, "I love you too."