CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED FOURTY SIX

The music cut out, leaving nothing but the panting of a skater on the ice, and the nervous, watching eyes of a dozen or more other competitors on the rink-wall. Asahi fanned himself with both hands as he leaned back on the rockers of his blades, and quickly slid back towards the rink door where Coach Nagisa was waiting with a towel and water bottle.

"That was really good." She commented, watching as the man wiped his face down before flicking the teal bits of his hair back into place, "How do you feel?"

"Better than I did coming out here..." He answered quietly, tossing the towel over his head and pulling on the ends casually, "Felt like I let off some steam."

"You won't have another adrenaline rush coming out tonight like you did just now." Webber pointed out, "Try not to pick fights."

Dark eyes went up to the man hesitantly, but Asahi shook his head, "I didn't want to start one then either." He said, grabbing one blade guard at a time as he came off the ice, and put them into place, "Viktor should be grateful I didn't put him on the ground for the comment he made this morning."

"...I know Riku's a touchy subject for you," Nagisa commented, putting a hand against the man's back as they walked around the rink-wall, to make way for the next competitor, "But he probably didn't know."

"There's no way he didn't know." The skater grumbled, keeping his voice low so the best anyone else nearby could hear were a few hushed whispers, "The fact that he knows that name at all, while Yuri doesn't, tells me he knew exactly what he was doing when he brought it up. He was trying to see if he could get a rise out of me."

"Seems he got what he wanted then." Webber added, standing far enough away that no one could hear them anymore.

"Maybe a little bit." Asahi corrected, grabbing his black and cerulean jacket from the bench, "All I did was take Viktor down a notch. He's on our turf now. This isn't Russia. He doesn't get to walk around like he's some god...and no one here is going to bow down to him just because." He hastily pulled the sleeves over his arms, and fumbled for the zipper to pull it up, "When he shows such obvious disrespect...someone has to do something."

"It's not your responsibility to defend Riku's honor." Nagisa said simply, watching her student sit roughly on the bench seat, pulling one foot up over a knee to start untying the laces, "It took you long enough to put all that grief to bed. Viktor doesn't know what he's talking about. Don't give him the satisfaction of knowing that's a button for you."

The first boot came off, and Asahi paused there, setting a socked foot on the cold concrete floor, "I never put the grief to bed. I just..." He shook his head and pulled the other foot up to start at the laces there too, "...Put a sheet over it, and put the whole thing into a corner of the room. But it's always there."

"Are you even going to be able to get through Opening Ceremonies without trying to clobber Viktor from behind?" Webber asked dryly, crossing his arms.

"I haven't laid a finger on him yet, and I'm not about to change that. There would be nothing to gain from retaliating anyway." The skater explained, pulling on his sneakers and stuffing the two skates into his gear bag, "It's like Nagisa-kōchi said...he doesn't know what he's talking about. He wouldn't understand unless I told him, and I have no reason to explain it. He's just some dumb foreigner, thrashing around like a rabid moose in a china shop, completely ignorant to the damage he's doing."

Mr. Webber raised a brow, "I'm a foreigner."

"You're not a dumb one though."

"...I guess that's nice to know."

The coach crossed her arms loosely over her chest, and huffed a sigh down at the younger man, "...You've never really talked to anyone about Riku's death. You've told me a few things, but it was like you were only giving me the list of events that happened. Are you sure you don't want to get it off your chest?"

"I have no interest in digging all that up again right before a competition, least not one this important. I'd rather just focus on the sport." Asahi explained, cutting the conversation short, "I'm going to go back to the hotel and meditate for a while, to clear my head." Asahi explained, standing up again and pulling his gear bag over a shoulder, "Ja ne."

The pair watched him go, but the choreographer raised a hand to his mouth, "If you're gonna be at the hotel anyway, get a massage while you're there!" He called, getting a wave back in return. Webber shook his head and shrugged, looking at his cohort, "He's too tense."

"He'll be fine after he has some quiet time to himself..." Sayoko replied, "...Hopefully."

.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Ollivander's; boxes of wants on every wall up to nearly 20ft. Racks of buyable wands, some even with motion-activated lights.

"Lumos!" Viktor chirped, swinging the wand, and delighting in the bright ball of light on the tip of the stalk. Yuri clapped happily at the sight of it.

...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Dervish and Banges; Quidditch supplies from wall to wall, banners, hats, uniforms, shirts, watches, beer steins, scarves, and more.

"You're not wearing that homeless person's beanie one minute longer." Viktor insisted, pulling the Flames cap off his husband's head and plopping a Ravenclaw beanie in its place, "There. Now you're acceptable again."

"When wasn't I acceptable!?"

That just earned Yuri a boop on the nose, "Love you." The Russian gasped loudly then and practically zoomed across the room (at least, as fast as he could given how many people were crammed in there alongside them,) and grabbed immediately for the trademark yellow-and-black Hufflepuff scarf, "I NEED THIS. We also need one of every beer stein!"

"Why do we need one of each?"

"That's obvious! So I can drink four beers at the same time!"

Yuri made a face at that, but then spotted the Hogwart's robes nearby, "Oh look, there's the heavy coats we were looking for."

"I HAVE A MIGHTY NEED."

...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Gladrags Wizardwear; fancy garb like dresses and button-down sweaters, with a dozen different assortments of wizardy-and-witchy hats, ties, coin purses, and more.

"...Are these the same school robes as the ones from Dervish and Banges?" Yuri wondered, passing the rack with the garments hanging.

"Maybe we should get one of each from here, too, just in case." Viktor suggested, looking through the yellow-lined items.

"What if they're exactly the same?"

Cool eyes stared forward, almost hypnotized, "We should get them. Just in case."

"But-"

"Whatifwenevercomebackanditturnsoutthatthesearedifferent!?"

"Okay okay!"

...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment; it felt more like the Hogwart's estate tourist shop than any of the other stores, sporting a menagerie of display items like slightly-off-but-somewhat-scientific-looking equipment, but most of the things that one could actually buy were toys and trinkets. Scaled models of the Hogwart's express, Platform 9 & 3/4s T-shirts, train conductor's hats, and more scarves, shirts, and T's. There were magnifying glasses hanging in the windows, alongside telescopes and impractical-looking microscopes, but like at the front of the store, most of those items were only for show.

Viktor huffed and put his fists against his hips, "This is unacceptable. This store totally pulls me out of the fantasy. None of the merchandise for sale here would be available to characters in the books if they came looking for things in the story."

"You wanna go to the next one then?" Yuri wondered, half-turning to go back outside.

"No." The Russian said defiantly, "I'm going to buy it anyway because I'm a good tourist."

"You sure...?"

Tears were welling in those blue eyes, "This store is breaking the 4th wall."

...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYTHEREARESOMANYPEOPLEHEREOHMYGOD!"

Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods; curious items from throughout the novels and movies that were more akin to props than anything else.

"THE SORTING HAT." Viktor gasped, grabbing one from a shelf and slapping it down on top of his head, "DOES IT TALK?"

"I dunno, bend down so I can see the tag."

"THERE'SATAGONTHESORTINGHAT!?"

"Of course, it's merchandise."

"THE SORTING HAT CANNOT BE BOUGHT."

"You can buy it for ¥7100." Yuri pointed out, "Or we can get it on eBay for probably half that."

The hat suddenly started moving on the Russian's head though, and out of nowhere, it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

"THIS HAT IS HAUNTED." Viktor yelled, throwing it up into the air, "ALSO IT DOESN'T KNOW FACTS. I'M A HUFFLEPUFF, THANKYOUVERYMUCH."

Yuri caught the toy before it crash-landed somewhere, but by the time he had it secured, his over-stimulated husband was already off somewhere else.

"YURI THEY'RE SELLING HOUSE-ELVES INTO SLAVERY HERE." Viktor called, pointing excitedly at three shelves with prop Dobbys on them, then found himself distracted again, "TIME-TURNERS! YURI LOOK!"

"Oh, they have House lanyards here." The younger man pointed out, turning as he passed a display case, "And pins. We could get some of these for our skating badges."

The silver legend pointed towards the cash-register area, "They have House Crests! We need those!" He flew by, dodging between other patrons to get closer, and saw the shelves behind the counter more clearly. The Sword of Gryffindor was there, as well as replicas of Lucius Malfoy's cane, and at least some of the Horcruxes, "They even have a replica of the Philosopher's Stone! We need that too!"

"Did you know they call it the Sorcerer's Stone in the US?" Yuri wondered, coming up on his partner's side to see the items being brought up to the counter for Viktor to see more closely.

"Really?" He wondered, "Why?"

"Apparently Americans didn't think their kids would want to read a book if they thought there was a lot of ponderous thinking involved, so they changed it from Philosopher to Sorcerer...makes it more spooky that way, I guess."

The Russian was between giddiness at the prop stone and scoffing at the name change it went through, but sided with glee when he saw that the stone had a built in light and glowed when it turned on, "Guess that explains why Kinder Surprise Eggs are banned there, too." He mused, lifting up the small wooden stand with the stone to see it from a different angle, "Can't handle small parts."

"Kinder Surprise Eggs?" Yuri echoed, confused.

"You don't know about them?" Viktor turned his eyes away from the glowing red glass rock, "They're egg-shaped chocolate shells, with a capsule inside that has parts of a small toy that you can assemble. Don't they have those here?"

The younger figure shrugged, "If we do, I haven't seen them."

"We do," The clerk on the other side of the counter, decked fully in Gryffindor robes, explained, "But you can only find them in specialty import stores. You won't find them in regular markets."

"Ooooohhhh." Viktor nodded, turning his eyes back to the glowing rock, "I want this."

Yuri leaned up to look at the small hand-written price tag hanging from one of the arms of the stone's intricately carved metal holster, "Oh it's only ¥22,000." He said nervously.

The Russian gave a devious smile, "Remember when you said I could spend $50 on whatever I wanted if my father asked about you?"

"This is $200."

"After all the money we already spent?" Viktor chortled a sarcastic laugh, "This is nothing!"

"...It's a lot though. For one prop?"

"I can already see where it's going to go on the mantle..."

"...We can't even really do anything with it. At least we can wear the robes and stuff."

"...And I'll get to tell the tale of Harry Potter to Makkachin and Jiro and all the dogs we'll have over the next 60 years."

"We don't even have a mantle." Yuri pointed out, "Our house doesn't have a fireplace."

Viktor just turned to look at him, prop still in his hands. He blinked...Yuri blinked back...and then Viktor leaned forward to kiss his nose, making the younger man's cheeks go pink. He turned happily back towards the clerk, "We'll take it."

...

Hog's Head; a tavern-looking pub that looked ancient even though it had only been erected in the last year or two. Huge wooden casks of Butterbeer were built into the wall, with the tavern's namesake boar's head fitted between them. When one of the servers poured from a cask, the boar greeted him with a sudden snort, its nostrils flaring even in 'death.'

The skating duo found a seat near a window, table and chairs high up off the ground, and barely enough room around their feet for all the bags of their newly-acquired loot. They were a little disappointed to find out that the frozen version of the butterbeer was only available during the summer, but it was an easy settle to get the hot drink, and they waited patiently for the glass steins to come their way. The hustle and bustle of the pub didn't seem so claustrophobic or out of place compared to the road or the other stores.

Just through the window though, Yuri was able to catch a glimpse of one of the outdoor shows being put on display there. The one at the moment featured students from the northern European Durmstrang Institute, and three young men in thick, brown clothing with their heavy staves took the stage, thumping the ground in time to ominous sounding music. The two on the side suddenly broke off and vaulted through the air behind the lead figure, moving like high-flying martial artists.

Asahi-kun would've liked that... I wonder if he still does Shorinji Kempo? He almost had his Shodan back in the day...

Two mugs were suddenly placed on the table, bringing Yuri back to the tavern. Viktor already had his in-hand and was smelling the sweet scent of the foam spilling over the lip of the mug. One big sip, and the happy Russian was feeling warm and fuzzy inside, "Vkusno~!"

Yuri looked at his, and took a small sip, "It's really sweet." He commented idly, "Like fizzy butterscotch pudding."

"Pity we couldn't get the ice cream." Viktor sighed, though still smiling, and leaned an elbow on the table so he could rest his chin on the edge of his hand, "Are you hungry yet?"

He shook his head, "I think I'll be okay till we're done in the park. I don't want to get on any rides with a full stomach."

"Good point." The silver legend huffed a laugh, and took another sip. They both fell quiet for a little while, looking around the bar and taking in the sights and sounds. Yuri's attention was eventually pulled back outside though to the thunderous show taking place.

Asahi-kun...! Kotaete kudasai yo!

Yuri blinked and shook his head, the memory of his words feeling like a lash from a greenstick in his mind.

That's enough .

Gomen, Yuri-kun. Owari da.

Another lash, enough to make him loose focus on the performance.

What's with this interrogation!? You're acting like you think he's some spurned past lover of mine!
Because he is. But apparently he's the only one between the two of you who knew that.

"Yuri."

"Huh?" He blinked and looked up, 'awakening' in the Hog's Head after a moment of being back at the rink.

"I'm a little peckish after all... Share something with me? We can try the fish & chips, or that corn-cob and meat plate. They don't look too filling." Viktor suggested, presumably for the second time.

"Oh... Yeah, sure."

The Russian gave a vacant expression back at him, "...That was an 'either/or' question, not a 'yes or no' question."

"Okay." Yuri answered, just as meaninglessly, and looked back out the window, "I'm good with whatever."

Viktor blinked a few times in confusion, watching his partner carefully, but then turning to the waiter who'd been standing next to them the entire time. He sighed and shook his head, "I'll get the fish & chips, I guess."

Yuri's eyes went down to the grain of the wood in the table, examining each line of the former tree's growth rings while his mind journeyed a thousand miles away. He sighed and turned his face down, pressing his eyes against the sleeves of his coat as he groaned quietly to himself.

Minami-kun said Asahi-kun lost someone right before he dropped skating...and Asahi-kun said he lost two people... He couldn't have meant me for one of them, could he? I had been gone to Detroit for 5 years already when I halfway quit...those losses were only 2 years ago... I really am a bad friend; I don't know anything that's happened to him since I left to train abroad...

"You look even more ponderous now than you did earlier." Viktor commented, sipping lightly at the hot and sickly-sweet drink, then licked a bit of foam that had stayed on his lip when he pulled the stein away, "...I hope I didn't ruin today for you with what I said earlier."

"No..." Yuri grumbled under his breath, pushing up on his arms to sit normally again, and moved both hands to touch his fingers around his own warm mug, "I really want to just talk to Asahi-kun and figure this whole thing out...but he runs like a scared rabbit because of you."

"Rightly so." The Russian answered simply, taking another sip, "No one touches my Yuri. He took advantage of you."

Eyes lowered a little, "When you told me that before...I was really happy. But the idea of needing your protection only conjured up these crazy scenarios of PyeongChang where a complete stranger is trying to hurt me..." He slouched a bit in his seat, the collar of his jacket coming up against his cheeks like a turtle's shell, "...Not someone I know and am friendly with."

"I heard once that most people who suffer abuse, experience it at the hands of someone they're close to."

"This isn't abuse, Viktor...!" Yuri argued nervously, though his train of thought was suddenly cut off by the feeling of his husband's hand on his wrist, and the sight of those crystal eyes on him.

"I didn't mean to suggest it was." Viktor explained, "I only meant that sometimes, the people closest to us can cut us the deepest. We leave ourselves open around those we trust, so it hurts that much more when something goes wrong."

"...We have to fix this...!"

"I don't think it's such a good idea to open yourself up to him right now." The silver legend sighed, rubbing his thumb back and forth gently against his spouse's skin, "You've already let the knife in...don't twist it, too."

Yuri whined quietly where he sat, staring at the drink between his hands.

"There's nothing you can do to stop the pain he's going to experience." Viktor added, moving his hand slightly to peel his partner's fingers off of the mug's grip-handle, and thumbed at the gold band thereupon, "These rings are a sign of our commitment. To each other. The unfortunate fact, my love, is that you're not available anymore...not to him, nor any other person on this planet. Same as me. That's bound to break some hearts along the way."

"...That doesn't mean I can't try to be kind to him." Yuri pointed out, turning his right hand to clasp gently at the man's fingers, holding them there to keep himself grounded in the moment, "If this goes back as far as you say, then he endured me through all the years I was still hoping for Yu-chan to notice me...but then I ran away to Detroit and abandoned him without even realizing how he felt. I can't even really remember if I ever went out of my way to say goodbye, or if I just assumed we'd still talk even after I was gone."

"Would you have considered being his partner if you knew?" The Russian wondered suddenly.

Yuri waited, thinking, but then shook his head, "...I don't think so."

"Not even out of guilt?"

Cherry-hazel eyes lifted, finding a curious gaze watching over him, "...Do you really think I would've agreed to date someone out of guilt...?"

"I think the person you used to be was willing to do almost anything to make other people happy, even at the expense of your own happiness. We've had that conversation rather recently though...so it's not as though you've completely outgrown that part of yourself." Viktor explained, taking another sip from his fizzy butterbeer, "I'm certain that there will always be a part of you that's willing to sacrifice a bit of yourself for the sake of other people. That's just part of your nature...and in many ways, it's a noble quality. But like I said before, you're not alone in this anymore...so any ground you give up means less for the both of us, not just for you. I have no history with Asahi to make me feel guilty for being the bad-guy in this though, and I won't apologize for making sure he's extremely aware that you're taken."

"You don't have to be cruel to him."

"It wasn't my intention to be. All I know of him is what I've seen so far with my own eyes. If I crossed a line, it wasn't necessarily on purpose."

"...So then what would you do in my situation?" Yuri wondered, sulking a little, "Given how you don't want me addressing it at all..."

Viktor set his drink down and brought a finger to his lip in thought, closing his eyes briefly, then only opening them a crack, "I would wait."

Both eyebrows raised to hear those words, "Says the guy who watched me skate once and hopped on a plane the next day."

"I know I know I know...I know...I'm the last person who has any business preaching patience." The Russian gestured his hands out in wry defense, "But maybe this'll settle down on its own. I think he's pretty much gotten the message to leave you alone...so all you have to do is stop going after him."

Yuri grimaced slightly, "...You've been giving him dirty looks every time I try to talk to him, haven't you?"

Viktor raised his butterbeer stein, and nudged it forward in a mock-toast, "And I don't regret it for a second. You're my husband, and I intend to keep it that way."

An awkward pause answered that. Yuri wasn't sure whether participating was in good taste, but the skating legend nudged his heavy glass mug a second time, so he reluctantly reached for his own, raising it up just a little bit.

"To clear heads, and hearts filled with passion for the day and skate ahead."

"...Kanpai."