Before you begin reading, I want to dedicate this chapter to 525Clouds, for being my one reason to smile today.
"Up… up… up…" the sound of Viktor's voice echoed through the empty gym as he held down Yuuri's legs while the younger man sat up in time with the voice.
'Almost there,' Yuuri thought to himself as he counted out his reps in his head, '46, 47, 48, 49…'
"Fifty," he gasped aloud as he collapsed back on the mat, breathing hard.
Viktor had been continuing his mind-numbing role of pacer until he realized Yuuri was no longer sitting up.
"Yuuri, what are you doing? I haven't told you to stop yet."
The Japanese man's eyes widened in sorrow as he stared up at his husband.
"Viktor, this is the first time since we started two weeks ago that I've been able to get to fifty reps without stopping. Can't I have this small victory and get a break?"
Giving Yuuri a small smile, Viktor reached out and carefully grasped the younger man's arm, helping him sit up. Keeping his arm behind the Japanese man's back to keep him sitting up Viktor said, "I know you are strong enough to do more than fifty, but for now we will rest here."
Yuuri sighed in relief before reaching forward to grasp at his numb ankles, stretching out his back in the process. In the past two weeks, Yuuri had trimmed down a little and lost a few pounds, but he still found basic activities strenuous to him after two months of inactivity. He had been put on a strict diet after the casts had been taken off, and he and Viktor had started renting out a private space in the local gym for every day after skate practice, but Yuuri could feel his motivation slipping away as days would go by without much progress being made.
"I don't think I can do it," Yuuri said quietly to his husband, speaking into his legs as he clutched tighter to his ankles.
"What are you talking about, Yuuri? Of course you can do more sit ups! You are a strong-" Viktor is cut short by Yuuri's low voice.
"I don't think I can do the wedding. It's just too much! Going from two months of barely moving to this? There's no way it can be done in time! And I have no control over my legs, none! How am I supposed to swing around a pole without my legs working?" Yuuri could feel the tears pooling in his eyes, but ignored them and continued staring at his legs. "It's useless Viktor! I'm useless… I'm never going to walk again… Why won't you just realize that already?"
Yuuri turned angrily on Viktor with his last statement, only to be pulled up short by his husband's face.
Viktor sighed and closed his eyes, counting to three before opening them to stare intently into Yuuri's teary eyes.
"Yuuri. Firstly, we have gone over this hundreds of times, you are worth everything to me, and I really wish you would stop bringing yourself down like that. Secondly, I've had everything planned out for weeks now, you are actually ahead of schedule… Let me show you something."
Viktor stood up gracefully and walked to the corner of the room where a tarp covered object sat. It had been there since the day they had started, but Yuuri had never given it much thought before that moment. Sitting under the tarp that Viktor had just pulled off was something black, shiny, and metal. Picking it up, Viktor walked back to Yuuri, pulling the contraption into two pieces with a wire dangling from each piece.
"I had these custom made," Viktor explained, sitting down in front of Yuuri, still holding the metal bars, "they are leg braces, but they are more than just that. These straps here attach to your arms, so when your arm is straight, these clamps here behind your knee will shut tight, making it possible for you to use your legs while dancing. Of course your legs will be forced into a bent position and will stay that way, but this still gives you a chance to do it all. We will just have to choreograph a dance to ensure your safety between transitions, but I think it's possible."
Yuuri felt tears welling up in his eyes again, and surprised both of them when he used his arms to push off the ground behind him and awkwardly fling himself at Viktor, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck.
"Yuuri, love," Viktor gasped, sounding like he was in pain, "Could you allow me to remove the braces from my lap before hugging me?"
Bracing himself by holding onto Viktor's shoulders, Yuuri looked down at the black metal still sitting in Viktor's lap. The Russian carefully removed the braces from between them, then pulled Yuuri onto his lap, hugging him tightly.
"You know, I don't think you've hugged me quite so awkwardly in a while now," Viktor commented, Yuuri could hear the smile in his voice.
Hugging the man tighter and laying his head on his shoulder, Yuuri quietly said, "shut up," enjoying the feel of the rumbling laughter it brought from the man beneath him.
"Come now, let's get back to work, and tomorrow we'll begin working with the braces," Viktor said, patting Yuuri on his back before removing him from his lap.
"Give me another fifty sit ups, then we will move onto pull ups!"
Yuuri groaned as he collapsed back onto the floor, then proceeded to sit up again to the sound of Viktor's insistent voice.
"So, Yuuri, have you guys got your tuxes ready yet?" Pitchit asked over the video call Yuuri was having with him while sitting in bed with Viktor puttering around him needlessly tidying up.
"Not yet," Yuuri answered, watching Viktor as he picked up and moved Yuuri's favorite picture of his dog Vic-chan for the fifth time since the call started. "Viktor," Yuuri called, drawing his husband's attention to him, "That will be the sixth time you've moved Vic-chan's picture only to replace it back there. You're worry cleaning, just relax."
Viktor shot Yuuri a sheepish smile before putting the picture frame on the table again. "Sorry, Love," he said, moving to a different part of the room to clean.
Yuuri sighed, and shaking his head, turned back to a smirking Pitchit. "Viktor decided we will get new suits when we get to New York tomorrow. He's under the impression we need a new suit for every occasion, I don't see why I can't just reuse them."
Pitchit roared with laughter, sputtering out something that sounded along the lines of 'married life' before he calmed down and asked, "so you guys are taking off tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yeah," Yuuri responded, trying to ignore the sight of Viktor at the edge of his vision working in the closet. "We're both going to just stay up until then, since we'll be leaving at about four in the morning tomorrow. So, if things go well we'll be in San Francisco by ten in the morning, their time. There we'll get a connector flight to New York, that should take us to about five in the morning. We'll have some serious jet lag when we get in, but that's why we're going a week early." Yuuri watched as Pitchit's head seemed to spin from all the information.
"At least you have that all figured out," Pitchit responded before a loud commotion broke out somewhere nearby to the young man from Thailand. "Oh, I have to go Yuuri. I'll see you soon!" Pitchit exclaimed before he ended the call without giving Yuuri a chance to say bye.
Shaking his head with a laugh, Yuuri tossed his phone on the bed, then turned to look at Viktor as he completely reorganized all of their clothes in their closet.
"Viktor, please put the clothes down and come talk to me," Yuuri called out, waiting for Viktor to grudgingly comply before speaking again, "what's wrong?"
The Russian stared down at Yuuri's hand before grabbing it tightly in his own hand. Feeling a comforting squeeze from his partner, he finally spoke, "we are going to be leaving for America tomorrow… I'm just worried."
"We've both been out of the country hundreds of times before. We both know how to traverse the world, I even lived in America for four years while in college! Now tell me what's really bothering you."
Viktor raised his head to look at Yuuri, his eyes trying to convey all the words he couldn't say. Finally, he sighed and began talking, "It will be your first time out of the country since your accident. I'm worried how you will handle it, how the others will handle seeing you for the first time since everything happened. I'm worried that I will fail yet again in making sure that you are happy."
"Oh Viktor," Yuuri cried out, throwing himself at Viktor and tackling him to the bed as he held on as if his life depended on it. "You have made me the happiest man in the world, and nothing will ever change that. You are the light of my life, the love of my heart. You are the only reason I need to smile every day."
Viktor clung tightly to Yuuri and closed his eyes in happiness. "You are too good for me Yuuri, I don't know what I'd be without you, other than lost."
Laying his head on Viktor's chest, feeling content with life, Yuuri closed his eyes. Moments later his breathing slowed down, he was asleep, much to the amusement of the snowy haired man beneath him.
"So much for pulling an all nightery," Viktor said with a chuckle, placing a kiss on Yuuri's head before carefully sliding himself out from under his husband and walking back into the closet, "Life has never been a dull moment since I first met him."
Thank you so much for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Writing this chapter, actually made me feel happy while doing so.
I really appreciate everyone who leaves a comment, and just know that I do read and appreciate them all, you all are amazing people for leaving comments.
Next Chapter Viktor and Yuuri will be in New York, so look forward to them experiencing the same trip I experienced just a few weeks ago.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day, and thank you again for reading this chapter.