CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED FOURTY FIVE

All throughout practice, Yuri felt like he was being followed. Not just by the media who were quietly documenting the morning's activity as they usually did, or by the eyes of people who watched him and Viktor go by.

But literally being followed.

Nearly the entire Kyushu Singles group followed. Minami bathed in the glory of his idol's magnificence, Hikaru and Yuto hoped to glean some skill or technique from being able to see every move first-hand, and Viktor...well, he was always there anyway.

Despite the initial excitement of earlier in the morning, Yuri had taken on a slightly more serious aura. Even as he danced to the enthusiastic and uplifting notes of his Short Program's chosen music, he couldn't shake the disappointment. He just quietly finished his routine and slid back to rink-side, taking a sip from his water bottle before pulling up a small towel behind his neck to dry the sweat.

"What's the matter?" Viktor wondered, reaching both arms over the rink wall to hook his fingers around the man's waist, and pulled him closer, "You fell on two jumps. Your heart's not in it. I thought you'd be bubbling over with excitement today... Aren't you looking forward to later?"

"Of course I am." Yuri sighed, "I can't put my finger on it. Something struck a nerve though. My brain wants to be anywhere but here right now."

"Any volunteers to go next?" One of the event organizers called, stepping a few feet out onto the ice to get their attention.

Viktor raised his arm and leaned aside, "I'll go!" The man gave a thumbs up and stepped back to the rink door, and Viktor straightened out in front of his spouse again, "Let me dance for you. I'll seduce you with all I have, and hopefully brighten your mood. No sense going to Harry Potter World when you look like you've been drained by a Dementor before you ever walked through the gates."

Yuri gave a wry smile at that, and lifted his arms over his husband's shoulders, feeling the hug returned only for a few seconds before Viktor was twisting around to his side and was starting to drag him along the rink-wall. By the time it stopped, and the silver legend let him turn around to face forward again, he'd been dragged all the way to the door. Arms came away from him as Viktor moved to pull his blade-guards off, and offered Yuri his own back.

"Never take your eyes off of me." The Russian whispered.

"Everything on the ice is love."

Viktor smiled at the response, and offered a kiss to his spouse's forehead as Yuri stepped off the ice, and he stepped on in his place. He trailed his fingers down the younger man's arm until he reached the limits of his range, but managed to catch those hazel eyes right before taking off, and gave a wink. Yuri smiled, but then leaned down to pull his blade-guards on, and slowly made his way back towards the spot his partner had been waiting in during his own show. A crowd had started to gather when Viktor called out to go next, and many were watching with baited breath as the Russian legend was about to put on his first practice show as a Japanese athlete.

Yuri took another sip from his water, but as he set it down again, he turned the Makkachin tissue-box soft-toy around so the 'face' would look out onto the ice, and held it up briefly. Eyes went from the plush's fluffy head to the silver-haired man finding his spot in the rink, "Viktor!"

"Hm?"

When he saw those eyes looking back in his direction, Yuri fluffed the dog's ears with a flick of a finger on each side, "Bowrow!"

It was a rare sight for Viktor's cheeks to flush, but there was a slight hint of pink on his pale skin in that moment, and he smiled back, "Rowf!"

A number of people nearby found the whole display adorable and rather endearing, but eventually Yuri had to let the man go on with his practice, and set the tissue-box down between his arms on top of the wall. He watched happily as his husband began the dance, and their song played loudly overhead for all to hear. Many even sang along with it, which made Yuri's cheeks flush, until he was dragged into the middle of it and was encouraged to sing along with them...then his face was bright red. It slowly faded though as he found his rhythm, and the group finished singing it together.

Viktor eventually slid over, once he was done, and clapped excitedly for them from his side of the rink-wall, "Subarashi~!" (Wonderful!) The group clapped and bowed their heads back at him as he came closer to reclaim his spouse, arms going over to wrap around the man and pull him closer, "Who knew so many people had memorized the lyrics to this song?"

"It's a catchy tune. I'd be surprised if people didn't know it!" Yuri added.

"It was a good choice, my love." The Russian purred, teasing a few kisses from his partner's neck, and getting a few laughs in return from the ticklish feel of it. He let the man go and smacked his hands down on top of the rink wall, "Time to get going though! We've worked our magic on the ice...now it's time for Hogwart's to work its magic on us!"

The whole group laughed when they suddenly heard, "SO JEALOUS!" being yelled from the other side of the rink.

Skates were eventually removed though as the next athlete took his own turn on the ice, and were carefully packed away as sneakers took their place. Once everything was settled and outdoor coats and scarves were finally placed, that singular rolling gear-case was pulled along and the duo started making their way out. Yuri looked back one more time as they headed around the corner of the rink to depart, and waved back at the few other participants from the Men's Singles group that were still out there, "If you fall during practice, don't let it get you down! Ganbatte!"

The rest waved back, especially Minami, who was flailing both arms back and forth excitedly as the pair departed.

"Now all that's left to do is drop everything off, take a real quick shower, and off we go!" Viktor quipped, "I can't wait! I'm so excited!"

"Same! The last time I came through Osaka, the Harry Potter section hadn't even opened yet." Yuri added, finding his partner's hand between them and sneaking them both into the Russian's side pocket. It was a rarity that either of them wore gloves since getting their rings the year before, but the warmth of the other's hand and their pockets was more than enough to make up for it, "The Minions section is really new, too. I think it just opened in the last few months, actually... In any case, the best parts of the park are new enough, even to me, that it'll be like a whole new experience."

"I thought about coming here when I was in Japan for Worlds 2 years ago. Osaka is almost right in the middle between Tokyo and Fukuoka." Viktor started, rounding the edge of the blue curtain that separated the rink-side area from the halls beneath the stadium, "But Yakov was a big stick in the mud about it, wanting to go back to Russia as soon as possible. I was worried I'd never get another chance, unless I came back to Japan on purpose on my own, unless somehow there was an NHK Trophy or Worlds directly in Osaka. This worked out really well!"

The hall to the lower level from the arena floor was slightly narrow, but at the end, it spilled out into a rather wide corridor with a series of staircases that lead to ground level, as well as a handful of exits that went straight outside. Those participants who were still waiting for their group's turn on the ice were waiting in that wider area, along with coaches and event staff. The Pair Skaters and Ladies were loitering around since their own practice earlier in the morning, since their Short Programs would be performed immediately before Opening Ceremonies. Most of the Men's Singles athletes were within the rink area though, excitedly waiting for their turns to practice their programs and work out any kinks before their own official event started.

Most of the Men's Singles.

The first to come around the corner and make their way from the outer ring to the arena floor was someone Yuri didn't know; a young teen who'd likely only just aged into the event and was there for the first time. The older duo stepped aside and nodded politely at the group as they passed, earning an excited blush from the aspiring young skater.

The second, and perhaps intentionally late, but not late enough, was Team Nagisa. They were still speaking to someone beyond the corner of the hall that neither Yuri nor Viktor could see, but there was an immediate air of awkwardness as Asahi stepped into the small space and tried to make his way through, keeping on his coach's heels.

Yuri found it incredibly strange that his former rink-mate had gone out of his way to avoid even looking at him, and paused in place to watch the older figure go by. Yuri sighed, ignoring Viktor's attempt to get his attention back so they could go, and instead found himself feeling rather annoyed, "Why won't you talk to me, Asahi-kun?" He asked pointedly, earning a twitch from the man as he, too, stopped in place, "I thought we were friends."

Asahi lifted his head slightly, but even when he turned it to look over a shoulder, the long teal-colored strands of hair that framed his face made it impossible for him to see, so he just held there, unsure what to say. Coach Nagisa whispered something to him, but he shook his head, earning a strange look from her in response. Choreographer Webber was just-then passing the Nikiforovs to catch up to his group, wondering quietly why they'd stopped suddenly instead of going to rink-side.

Yuri didn't like feeling like he was being ignored though, and let go of Viktor's hand to step a few paces back the way they came, stopping about half-way between the Russian and older Japanese skater, "What was the point of serenading me with your chicken-song if you're just going to spend the entire rest of the weekend trying badly to pretend I don't exist?"

"Yuri, let's just g-"

He held his hand out to stop the words, and Yuri took one more step closer, trying to see around Webber's shoulder, "Asahi-kun...! Kotaete kudasai yo!" (Please answer me!)

Those eyes were afraid to look at him though, even as Yuri moved into plain sight.

"Nagisa-kōchi...?" He tried instead, looking at the older woman for help, but she only gave him a worried look back, like it wasn't her decision. Yuri sighed, a nervous look crossing his face as he leaned down to try and get into Asahi's line of sight. He found the man clenching his eyes shut, and worried all the more, "What did I do to make you want to avoid me so much...?"

A few tense seconds passed, but Asahi suddenly dropped his gear-bag, and one quick twist and a side-step found him right in Yuri's personal space, with both arms around the man's sides and back, head bowed down against one shoulder.

Viktor practically jumped from the speed of it, losing his grip on the rolling suitcase, and all but barreled right in, stopped only by Webber accidentally stepping in his way. When Viktor was able to get by, he saw the sight of his husband hugging the other skater back, though he had a stunned look on his face as he did so.

"Oh...uhm..." Yuri started, a few strands of hair falling over his eyes as the unexpected bump against his person knocked them loose. He felt the hug tightening a little bit around him, and the slight movement as Asahi turned to put his back towards his stunned husband standing a few feet away.

Slate and grey-brown eyes locked for a moment, but Asahi wouldn't let go until he was certain Viktor had acknowledged him.

"That's enough." The Russian said firmly.

Asahi slowly unlocked his arms and pulled back again. The man was already wearing his skates, so at an inch shorter than Viktor normally, he was now an inch taller than the Russian with his blade-guards, and he stepped around Yuri to get right into the silver legend's face. Looking down slightly into those blue eyes, Asahi didn't even blink, getting so near to that pale skin that he could feel each breath exhaled between them.

"Wh-...Asahi-kun...? What are you...?" Yuri's voice sounded like it was miles away, "Viktor...!"

"I know what you're doing, but you can't use Riku against me." Asahi said, deadly serious, but his voice so low that only Viktor could hear, "Every single person in that room who heard you say his name knows for a fact that you didn't hear it here...because we don't disrespect the dead that way. But mark my words, and mark them carefully...you might be married to Yuri, but he isn't your possession...and you don't scare me."

"Asahi-kun!" Yuri protested again, this time getting right in the middle of the pair to split them up, "What's gotten into you!?"

"Gomen, Yuri-kun. Owari da." (Sorry, Yuri. I'm done.) He answered, taking on that neutral expression again, and backing off a few feet to collect the bag he'd dropped, "Hona ne." (See you later (Osaka dialect.)) He stepped past his stunned coach and choreographer, and out the back of the hall, moving out of sight beyond the edge of the blue curtain that lined rink-side. The other two followed after their athlete quickly, leaving Yuri and Viktor alone in the narrow hall.

The whole scene just left Yuri rather dumbfounded, and he looked from the now-vacant hall to his partner, who was simply dusting his long-coat off and putting his scarf back into place, "What was that all about...?"

"Who knows?"

"You two haven't exchanged one word to each other until now! What'd he even say to you!?"

"He'll tell you himself at some point, I'm sure of it." Viktor shrugged, and extended his hand out again after lifting the telescoping handle of the suitcase he'd dropped, "In any case, we may have missed the shuttle we planned to catch. Let's get going...maybe we'll still catch it."

Nervously, and with a slight whine, Yuri nodded and stepped forward, retaking the hand he'd let go of earlier, and felt it pulled back into his partner's pocket as they started walking. He kept his eyes low as they left the edge of the hall and into the main corridor, then around to the next small hall that lead to the doors to the outside. There weren't too many people walking around in the cold, so it was relatively quiet, especially compared to the clamor of the population inside the arena.

Viktor slowed to a stop around halfway down the ramp to the shuttle-loading area, and drew in a breath, looking down to those anxious brown eyes, "I think you need to start telling me who that guy is and what he is to you."

"...He's just a friend from a long time ago. Like Phichit-kun, only less hyper."

"Did you live with him, too?"

Yuri made a face at that, "No. My weekday dorm was with two younger kids back then. Us older ones acted like Dorm Leaders for the Skate Club."

"So you never dated him."

"Of course not!" Yuri barked, "The only person I ever dated is you. Why would you even need ask that? You've known for two years that I had no experience with relationships before you! I was so naïve about it all that I had to ask Minako-sensei to teach me how to move right for 'Eros'...because my idea of eros back then was katsudon. Remember!?"

"Yeah." Viktor looked on at him, but then turned on a heel and started walking again, though feeling a slight nudge from his partner as Yuri reluctantly followed only when he had to, "Tell me more."

Yuri groaned quietly like the whole thing was stupid, "We learned to skate in the same place. We were the only kids around the same age so we kind of gravitated to each other. We fell out of touch when I moved to Detroit, and only saw each other on the weekends when we shared competitions...then I nearly retired after Sochi. Ketty and Phichit-kun were the only people I got back into touch with after you got me back in the saddle. If there is anything else to say, it's that I'm a terrible friend."

"When was the last time you and him spent any meaningful time alone together?"

"Basically never!" Yuri answered anxiously, stopping in place, though nearly slipping on the icy path as he tried to wrench his hand back, though Viktor held to it easily enough, "What's with this interrogation!? You're acting like you think he's some spurned past lover of mine!"

"Because he is." Viktor answered simply, "But apparently he's the only one between the two of you who knew that."

"...Eh?" The younger figure stammered, looking in on utter confusion, "What are you saying...?"

Those crystal eyes watched with pity, "Yuri..." He sighed and stepped closer, softening his grip on that cold hand and rubbing his thumb gently against the man's skin, "You once lost a friendship with Tess because you thought she had a thing for you after she hugged you. Would it really b-"

"This was the very first time Asahi-kun touched me in his entire life!" Yuri argued, interrupting suddenly and feeling defensive on the skater's behalf.

The Russian let go of the suitcase and lifted his fingers to touch them to his husband's lips, quieting him softly before putting the edge of one finger under his chin, "And maybe he knew you well enough in the past to understand you didn't like being touched, so he didn't. Seeing how many people are attached to you now though...and not even just me, but your young admirer, too. Then you grabbed him by the arm this morning..."

"I don't know what you're saying."

"You were wrong about Tess' feelings because she hugged you. Maybe you were wrong about Asahi's because he never did." Viktor explained, "But I can see it as plain as day."

Yuri's brow furrowed and he looked down, not sure if he felt angry or confused.

"Somehow, after all these years apart, he still has feelings for you." The silver Russian explained pointedly, stepping closer to wrap his free arm over his husband's shoulders, and pulled him close to his chest, "He's not avoiding you because he doesn't like you...he's avoiding you because I won't let him get that close. It's not entirely different from how I kept Yurio away from you for part of the Final."

"...I wish you didn't feel like you had to do this..." Yuri sighed, moving his free hand up to cling to his partner's coat, burying his face in the Kashmir scarf, "...Asahi-kun would never hurt me. He's a good person."

"I'm not worried about him trying to hurt you." Viktor said, patting his spouse's hair gently, trying to put the loose strands back into place, "But it's like you once said about Sophia...you weren't worried that I might go back to her. You were worried that she might do something to put me into a compromising position, even if I was unwilling. However..." He leaned down to kiss the crown of his husband's head, and let go of the man's hand so he could wrap that arm around him, "...You're the skater with a heart of glass. I'm not entirely sure you wouldn't take it badly if Asahi tried anything. He hugged you right in front of me, and stared me straight in the eyes like he was challenging me to make him stop. I gave him the one warning, and he let you go...but what if I'm not around next time?"

Yuri just sighed loudly into the scarf.

"...I'm not going to be there all the time..." Viktor went on, speaking quietly against one ear, "Since I'm competing, there's going to be moments where I have to leave you alone."

"...I'm going to stay at rink-side like I always do." The younger figure said simply. He felt his partner nodding against the side of his head, and he held tighter for a moment before snuffling and lifting off again, "...Can we just...go have fun now? This is all really heavy stuff and I don't want it weighing on me when I skate tonight."

"Sure..." Viktor answered, moving to the side to give the man room to walk, and retook his hand, bringing it back into his pocket like before, "Let's stop in at the Starbucks, too. They have a salted caramel hot chocolate that I think you'll like. You'll feel better."

"...Okay..."