CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE
[The score for Saito Asahi-san...]
The audience was waiting with baited breath. Most other Men's Singles competitors were watching the screens in the prep-area, anxious for the tone that first program would set for the rest of them. Yuri had half-gone-through the curtain that lead under the arena, but paused when he felt Viktor stopping in his footsteps just outside. The Russian seemed to stare into space as he waited for the announcer.
"They're not going to say the numbers in English," Yuri pointed out, "We should go find a television before the-"
"Hyaku ju ni, ju yon."
The one visible slate eye turned towards Yuri as the crowd behind them burst into a rancorous applause.
"...112.14."
That's nothing to me, Viktor thought, then finally allowing his feet to move again, and disappeared under the blue drape covering the wall. A few skaters looked their way as they came in, but seeing the look on the Russian's face quickly squelched any curiosity they might've had to inquire after his or Yuri's thoughts.
"He's gotten way better than before." Yuri commented idly, replacing where he'd had his hand snaked over his partner's arm as they walked, "Everyone's probably sweating now. Of all the people competing here, only you and I have scored over 100 before."
"Mh."
A nervous smile crept over Yuri's face, but he didn't push the issue, thinking instead of bring up something that was more light-hearted. He wheeled out in front of his spouse, effectively blocking the man's pace, and found his free hand with his own, rocking up onto the toes of his blade-guards to look into the man's eyes more evenly, "So how long were you thinking about re-proposing to me anyway?" He asked, giving himself permission to be giddy about it in spite of everything else, "And in front of everyone, too... I can still feel the flutter in my chest."
Viktor blinked at him, shaking his head, as though trying to pull himself out of the trance he'd put himself into.
Yuri rolled back down to the rocker of the guards, looking away sheepishly suddenly, "You're always saying you like to surprise people...this really kind of puts my engagement anniversary dinner to shame..."
"Never say that." The Russian said suddenly, pulling his fingers free to slide his arms past his partner's sides and pulled him close, "We have different styles and ways of doing things, but it's not a competition. I've been thinking of how to do our wedding anniversary since you suggested I take charge of it. When I realized I was being offered a spot in the JSF, the first thing I thought of was how much I loved you. You're the whole reason I'm here." He explained, pressing one cheek against the side of his spouse's forehead as Yuri pulled his arms up over his shoulders, resting his head there and nuzzling his face against that pale neck, "I just wanted the whole world to know...and this was the best chance I had to reach everyone."
"A second wedding though?" Yuri wondered, feeling the rubber bars under his skates rubbing small circles into the floor as the Russian slowly and gently rocked him from side to side, "I've heard of people renewing their vows, but...usually that's after they've been married for a long time already. Is it because I've done something wrong...?"
"What? No. Of course not." Viktor insisted quickly, lowering his face to press a kiss to the spot his cheek had been, "I just want to make something beautiful for you. Each of the weddings we've had so far have been nice in their own way...eloping to Spain...the skating party...even the traditional Japanese wedding that your parents arranged for us... But none of those were what you wanted. I'm just sad it took this long for me to realize and do something about it."
"It hasn't even been a year yet." Yuri pointed out, sliding in a bit closer, until he could feel that neck against his brow, and the light flick of a pulse just beneath the man's skin, "You're being too hard on yourself. You've done a lot for me, some things even at your own expense. For a giant fanboy like me, it's more than I ever had the guts to even dream about."
"Maybe that's just the showman in me." The silver legend wondered, pulling away slightly so his partner would lift his head. Looking into those cherry-hazel eyes, Viktor could see his own reflection, "I never want to stoop to being anything less than the man you think I am. I always want to be able to inspire you."
"You're going to make me cry all over again. It's not a good look for me when I'm skating." Yuri huffed, cheeks flushed all over again. He leaned to the side to rub his eye against one arm, then moved to the other side to do the same thing again with the second.
"There's still more than half a century of surprises and fun that we can have." Viktor explained, waiting for his partner to look up at him again, "I intend to make sure that you never get bored with me."
"You could never bore me, Viktor..." Yuri fawned, pulling his right arm back just enough to comb his fingers through silver hair, playing with the strands where they'd been so immaculately trimmed, "Remember how I said that I'd listen to you even if you were reading the phone book to me?"
"You were saying you thought my accent was sexy, too." He answered, leaning closer, until he could feel the tip of his nose brushing the tip of his husband's, "Have you always thought that?" He purred.
"I don't know that I would've ever admitted it before we got together...but..."
Minami's eyes were the size of grapefruits as he watched them from a group near one of the televisions, gaping at them in rapt fascination with his coach in a vice-grip in his arms, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"
"Minamiletmego-"
Half a second after that, just as it seemed like a kiss was imminent, music from the arena got louder, and the blue curtain to rink-side was pulled back. Yuri ducked his face down against the Russian's shoulder as a small group of people started walking by, leaving Viktor to look at his partner in complete confusion. He lifted his head though, and watched as Team Nagisa went quickly by, tailed by a small gaggle of video-cameras and microphones. The heavy-sounding thump of blade-guards vanished as quickly as they sounded off, leaving an odd silence peppered by the hollow echo of the music from outside.
[Man, someone's excited Saito's back.] Someone commented, breaking up the monotony, [You'd almost think the JSF already picked him for the Olympic team or something.]
[With an SP score that high I wouldn't be surprised if he did just get it.] Someone else said.
The solitary comments gave way to a low murmur of gossip, just in time for the music outside to die down and be replaced by the wave-like-roar of the audience cheering. Eyes turned back towards the televisions, watching as the second skater made his way into the kiss-and-cry. The third was making his way with his coach to the curtain that lead outside, pulling his arms in a few last-second shoulder stretches as he waited for his name to be called.
"Let's go wait with Minami-kun until he's ready to go out." Yuri suggested abruptly, already moving before Viktor was even aware he'd been speaking, pulling him along by a few fingers, "I haven't even asked if he's managed to add some more quads since the last time we skated against each other."
"Oh..." The Russian stammered, trying to regain his focus, and his footing, "Yeah, sure."
[The score for Yoshino Sota-san...82.13.]
Asahi turned his head slightly where he stood in front of the sponsor board, cameras pointing at him and his two teachers from their half of a semi-circle.
[Saito-kun, you just heard the score for the second competitor...how do you feel about your odds at this event?] One of the reporters asked.
He looked forward again, trying to figure out who it was who'd spoken the words, [I feel confident that I'll make it into the top 24 and advance to the Free Skate tomorrow.] He answered simply, [There are a lot of newly-minted Seniors competitors this season. Not many have cut their teeth against adults yet, so I imagine it's daunting.]
[You're not the oldest competitor this weekend anymore. Do you feel like that's altered your chances of getting onto the podium?]
Asahi was careful with that question, knowing exactly who they were referring to, [I think there's good and bad with being an older skater. The chance of an injury is higher, but there's a lot more experience being put into the performance. It could go either way. It's been a long time since I've competed at this level...I think being away for 2 years is a worse handicap than the age of skaters I'm competing against.]
[Have you been training all that time?]
[No...only the last 15 months or so.] He said, feeling his heart skip a beat or two, [Coming back to competitive skating isn't quite like getting back on a bicycle. You remember how to move, but you're not using the same body you had before. You have to re-learn some things, and reacquaint yourself with your center of gravity.]
[You left skating around the same time Katsuki Yuri almost did, and you were both at about the same level back then. How does it feel to be competing against him again, now that he's being coached and choreographed by Viktor Nikiforov?]
[I haven't seen any of his shows in the time I was away.] Asahi admitted, mentally shrugging, [His scores have been erratic though, and my SP score is already higher than all of his so far this season. He may not even take this competition all that seriously anyway since he's already secured his spot for the next three events.]
[What about skating against Viktor Nikiforov himself?]
[I've skated against him before. This is just more of the same.] The skater explained, shifting his weight from one blade-guard to the other, [He's not the kind of skater I think about when I consider my peers. I doubt most of the teenaged skaters are thinking of me when they compare scores either. Yuri is more my ballpark, as it's usually been.]
[Did you time your come-back with try-outs for the Olympics? Or was it just a happy coincidence?]
[Probably the latter.] He thought aloud, [I wasn't ready to come back in time for last season.]
[We've heard that you deliberately chose not to try to go to the Grand Prix. Is that true?]
[Yes.]
The simplicity of the answer wasn't taken with a grain of salt, [Why is that? You're obviously skilled enough.]
Asahi lowered his gaze a moment, but then closed his eyes as he lifted his head, opening them again only a sliver, [I wanted to start from the beginning and earn my way forward again. If we held our National competition before the Grand Prix, then I would've attempted it, but since we do it after, I held back. I competed at the southern Regional event, so now I'm here at All Japan. If I do well enough to go to Four Continents, then I'll have completed the circuit of lesser events on my way to the top. If I earn a spot at the Olympics and Worlds...or even if only one of them...then I'll consider this season a success.]
There was a slight pause in the questions then, but one newscaster seemed a bit more eager to ask the one thing they all wanted to know about, and took half a step forward to be heard better, [You've never spoken to anyone publicly about the tragedy outside Kyoto 2 years ago. Would you be willing to speak on it now?]
Asahi just looked on at the woman, who was likely younger than himself and probably naive to things, but didn't let his expression change, [...A little, I guess.]
[Were you injured back then?]
[...Not severely.] He explained quietly, trying not to let the memory replay in his head, [The impact was on the other side of the car from me. Coach Tomono and I were spared the worst of it.]
[Kyoto is pretty well out of the way for a Skating Club based in Tokyo. Nationals wasn't held anywhere near there that year either. Can we ask what you were going to do? Vacation maybe?]
[Kyoto is about halfway between Tokyo and Imari. We were going to meet my family there to celebrate my Gold medal victory. It...was my idea to take a car instead of the train.] Asahi said, lowering his eyes again a little.
[Thank you everyone for your questions. Please wish Asahi-san good luck in tomorrow's Free Program.] Coach Nagisa said then, seeing the look on her student's face and stepping in front of him, [If he's in the top 6, we'll be available for other comments at the post-program technical panel later tonight. Thank you, thank you...] She practically shooed them away, then went to catch up with her skater and co-coach, finding one following the other back into the prep area, "Asahi..."
"It's fine."
"Were they trying to bring up the accident already?" Webber wondered, "I heard a few mentions of Kyoto."
"It's fine." Asahi repeated, "People are bound to ask. This is my first major event back since it happened. I'd be more surprised if no one mentioned it."
"The look on your face though when Viktor mentioned Riku yesterday..." Sayoko commented, keeping her voice low, "And then this morning... Are you sure you're ready to talk about that stuff?"
The skater hesitated, stopping where he stood, hands stiffly held in the pockets of his team jacket, "I don't know what Yuri sees in him. Viktor's as much a typical celebrity as I thought he was. All charm on stage, all self-serving arrogance off-stage. He's not even Japanese. He shouldn't be here."
"Keep your voice down." Webber said subtly, "You'll only bring more attention onto yourself if people hear you talking about him that way."
"You really think I care what people think of me?" Asahi grumbled, "There's a reason I'm not online prostituting myself to the masses. I'm not here to win a popularity contest. I'm-"
"Asahi-" Sayoko had hands on the skater's mouth, and got a stern look from over her fingers from him for it, "You know you get testy when people bring up the accident. You should've known better than to agree to answer questions about it."
He grimaced and turned his eyes away.
"Are you going to behave?"
She could feel the low vibration of a discontented grumble behind her hands, but the skater closed his eyes and nodded.
"No more talking about Kyoto or cars or Riku. If anyone else brings it up, just walk away. It's none of their business. Okay?"
He nodded again, and Coach Nagisa took her hands down.
"Then let's go be civilized participants and go watch the rest of the program. Group 1 is probably more than half done by now. Maybe we'll get there in time to see Yuri skate. You'd like that, right?" She wondered.
"I have to watch him and Viktor." The irritated athlete answered stiffly, "At least."
[Next on the ice, from the city of Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu...Kenjirou Minami-san.]
"Oh, we still have a whole program before Yuri goes out. We can find seats then." The Coach suggested, making the motions to point towards the hall that lead up to the main part of the arena, "Let's hurry."