HELLO TO ALL YOU LOVELY READERS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!

Me: *dead*

Yurio: The hag's still dead

Me: *dead* ...meh...

Yuuri: *leaves bowl of katsudon for me*

Me: Thanks *goes back to being dead and mumbles to audience* I don't own anything or anyone, except for OC children.

...


"Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov?" Yusha repeated to himself in shock. It was the first time in his life that he heard of his papa's name which, now that he thought about it, explains why Uncle Yurio was called, well, Yurio. If he had to be honest, saying his papa's name was a little weird but at the same time, it almost felt right to at least know that much.

"You never heard of him?" Minami asked and Yusha shook his head. "Never heard of Yuuri Katsuki? You're really missing out on one of greatest figure skating legends of all time!" He gasped in horror and only pick up his pace. "All the more reason for us to hurry up to Ice Castle, there's a whole memorial for sensei and Yuuko has almost all the recording of his performances from his junior to senior debut! He was my idol, my senpai, my master, my sensei, my-"

"S-Sensei?"

Yusha was already trying to wrap his mind around the name of his papa and him being a famous figure skater like daddy but now he's hearing that papa was a teacher to Minami. What else was there about his papa that he didn't realize?

"Oh, yeah, Yuuri used to be my coach for a while after he retired and during my senior debut," Minami explained with such adoring eyes that it sparkled and shined so brightly that Yusha had to squint from the light. "And let me tell you, he was the best coach I could ever ask for. Well I was a big fan of his so I'm kinda saying this on the bias side but that doesn't make him less great. He was able to help me improve on my step sequence and jumps, but he also worked me till I dropped dead on the ice. I may have gotten better stamina but his training was worth it, not even the great Victor Nikiforov's coach skill could compete with Yuuri-sensei!"

The young Katsuki-Nikiforov could only stare in awe up at Minami, the first person to have ever told him more information about his papa than anyone in his family combined. Sure it could have probably have been because he wasn't part of the family but he was technically the first friend he met who happens to know his daddy.

"Can you...Can you tell me?" Yusha then asked quietly.

"What?"

"What he was like, as your coach?" He didn't want Minami to suspect anything if he asked what his papa was like as a person. Asking about what he was like as a coach can give him some clues about overall personality while sounding like a rising fan.

"As my coach?" Minami repeated as he hummed in thought. "Let's see, there's so much I could tell you about sensei."

...

"Take a break, Minami!" Yuuri called out, holding out a bottle of water and a towel. "You've been training hard all morning, you deserve to at least drink some water and cool down."

"But sensei, I can make this jump!" Minami pleaded, he didn't want to leave the ice so soon when he was so close. "Just let me try again, please."

"No Kenjirou, think about how much strain you'll put on yourself if you push yourself to a dangerous limit," Yuuri argued with his arms cross. "You'll always have next session to perfect your jump and you have time to keep getting better."

"But as my coach, you have to encourage my determination to keep working," He countered, hoping that that would convince Yuuri. "You know how much I really want to win gold for this year's Final and prove myself to be the best skater. You have to let me try, coach." He just didn't expect his coach to put on some skates, enter the rink to then effortlessly hoist him up from where he stood and carry him off!

"Yuuri-sensei!?" He gasped in shock, struggling to get down. "Please put me down, I gotta skate! You can't take me away against my will!"

"I can and I will," Yuuri simply replied then said nothing as he held Minami over his shoulder while taking his skates off when they stepped off the ice and then proceeded to carry him to the onsen. "As your coach, it's my job to make sure you rest." He gave Minami a serious glare that was twice as effective when a sudden gust of wind blew his hair up to the Eros form. "Yes I do have to encourage your will to keep practicing but there is a limit to what you can do now and what you have to build up to. Right now, my only job is to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

Minami didn't realize that he was inside the onsen until Yuuri plopped him down on a table, in front of a fresh bowl of katsudon!

"Eat to get your energy and strength back," Yuuri ordered as he pointed to the robes and towels. "Then I want you to take a soak in the hot springs and rest for the night. Tomorrow we're going to do the early morning jog so you better be in good shape and relaxed by then."

Minami took on look at Yuuri before his eyes started watering and a waterfall of tears came bursting out as he sobbed out loud with joy. His coach really was the best coach a fan could ever ask for!

"E-EH?! M-Minami are you okay? Did I say something that upset you?" Yuuri panicked.

...

"Minami Nii-chan?"

He snapped out of his train of thought, looking down at the curious brown eyes that resembles his sensei so much. He was trying so hard not to break down in happiness to be called big brother by his idol's son.

Minami wasn't an idiot, he knew he was talking to Yusha Katsuki-Nikiforov, Victor's and Yuuri's youngest son. The resemblance was uncanny, the fusion of silver hair and brown eyes screamed Katsuki-Nikiforov, not to mention those rare times he visited to spoil them but the last time he saw Yusha and Hana was during the funeral.

Over the past five years, he was able to stay in contact thanks to Yuuko and Yurio but that didn't stop the demand from his career to keep him busy. He was glad to have found work in Hasetsu as a skating instructor and he knew about Victor's recovery which meant that he couldn't mess up Victor's chance to make up those years on his own. Honestly, it wasn't right to hide these memories from the little guy but he promised Hiroko and Yuuko that he would.

So with a bright smile, he winked and answered, "Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov was a one of a kind coach."

"Minami-chan!"

Yusha looked up to see auntie Yuuko at the top of an ice rink entrance waving at them with the name on top saying 'Ice Castle'. He tried not to flinch at her presence, if he did then Minami would get suspicious but if Yuuko saw him then she'll blow his cover for sure!

"Hey, Yuuko!" Minami greeted, pointing Yusha up to meet with her. "Yusha, I'm going to need you to stay with Yuuko-san for a bit." Yusha almost protested but Minami was quick to explain with a reassuring smile, "I have something very important to take care of but I'll be quick and come right back to show you those posters of Yuuri-sensei, okay?"

Yusha was hesitant but with a pout, he nodded. "Okay."

"That's a good boy," Minami ruffled his hair and gave him a gentle shove to get going up the stairs. "I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

The young boy was nervous but he went up those stairs, looking back to see Minami waving back at him until he finally made it up top. Auntie-Yuuko winked at him and opened the door without a word to be said. Yusha didn't know why she didn't call him out right there on the spot and tell Minami the truth but he was thankful that she didn't for now.

"Welcome, Yusha!"

He suddenly felt three sinister presences in front of him, looking up there were. The Nishigori triplets: Axel, Lutz, and Loop, each of them holding something from a pack of makeup, costumes, and hair clips with sinister smiles. They were still supposed to be in college but the way they eagerly approached him, they were indeed here in person!

All he could do was make a run for it as they chased him down.

When Minami Nii-chan comes back, I can learn everything I can able papa. Yusha reminded himself determinedly, reaching the next corner Maybe he'll tell me and Vicchan- Suddenly, he realized the emptiness in his hands. He frantically looked around him to see if he didn't drop it right now but there was nothing. Now that he thought about it, he doesn't remember having Vicchan when he fell into the water.

"Vicchan?"

...

"Yusha!" Victor cried out, nearly out of breath from the running while Hana was looking behind trees, signs, and bushes but came back with no luck. Where could he have run off to?

As Victor called out for Yusha again, Hana couldn't help but look down at little Vicchan being held in her daddy's hand. She couldn't blame Yusha for running off like that, she knew he was very upset with the answer about their papa and decided to run away. She couldn't help but be surprised with herself, to be able to withhold any memory of papa from her precious baby brother who couldn't stop asking questions. It was a ridiculous promise she had to make to her baba and obaasan after a very quiet first belated birthday they had for Yusha.

"No telling Yusha about papa?" She repeated in confusion that night in a bed of the guest room in Baba's and Deda's home. Deda and Uncle Otabek went to try to get Yusha to sleep while Baba and Obaasan tucked her in with their odd request. "Why?"

"It's a little complicated, sweety," Baba started, unsure how to explain in words.

"But if I don't tell him, how is Yusha gonna remember papa?" Hana whimpered. "I don't want Yusha to forget papa. He can't forget him. Daddy isn't here to remind him so I gotta remind him, I have to."

Obaasan pulled her into a gentle embrace, stroking her hair in hopes to tame her upcoming tears. "I know you want your brother to grow up to know everything about papa but you have to remember that he is only a baby. He can't understand why you papa isn't here anymore, he doesn't know any better. There are things you or any of us can't explain to him without your daddy's help. We have to let your daddy be the one to tell him, only then is when we can all help him remember as a family."

"What can daddy explain that I can't?" Hana asked. "Or that any of you can?"

"Love," Obaasan simply answered. Hana looked up with confusion at the answer as obaasan explained. "Love that only your daddy can express to Yusha, and even you, the rest of us. The kind of love he shared with your papa. And the love they had for all of us."

Hana still doesn't understand what her Obaasan meant by the type of love only daddy could express. As far as she's concern, her grandparents from both sides, her aunties and uncles all had a love for each other and their children so it shouldn't be that hard to explain it to her and Yusha. They ought to consider trying to explain it to her and Yusha after all, her daddy has lost the ability to express love.

There was no way they could ask anything about papa without having their daddy break down or shut down on them by using lies to avoid the subject. But she knew he was still sad and misses papa, she knew. It's just hard sometimes to stay strong and hold onto her promise.

"Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov, I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be lost in Hasetsu!" A sudden friendly voice greeted which was followed by another.

"Victor-sensei! It's been awhile!"

She looked up, her eyes widening in excitement as she and the poodles scampered over to the two older men greeting them. "Uncle Minami! Uncle Takeshi!"

Victor looked at the direction where Hana rushed to embrace two of her uncles, an old friend and then the fan of Yuuri's. They were having some sort of conversation, first them then her explaining something to them until Minami said something that made her light up with joy. He approached after taking a deep breath, ready to turn down any invitation they might pull on him on the count that his son was still missing but suddenly Minami held Hana's hand and led his suddenly more excited daughter another direction with the poodles right behind them.

He couldn't help but try to call out for them if it wasn't for Takeshi holding him back and assured. "Don't worry, Minami is just taking Hana to see Yusha at Ice Castle, and he may or may not have mentioned Yuuri's name to the little guy."

"Yusha's in Ice Castle?" Victor repeated in shock, what are the chances of his son seeing a poster of Yuuri hanging around? He found himself grabbing Takeshi's arms and demanding, "Is he alright? Why is he there? Who found him? Where was he? And why did Minami do that?!"

"Calm down Nikiforov, he's fine and Minami mentioned Yuuri by accident," Takeshi sighed, not really making an effort to break free. "Minami stumbled across him nearly drowning at the beach-"

"Why was he there?! You said he was fine!"

"He nearly did but he didn't, Minami saved him just in time," Takeshi explained as calmly as he could. "Honestly, we don't know why he there but Minami mentioned that when he said the word 'papa' to him, he just broke down to crying." Victor flinched, surely Yusha couldn't be that triggered right? "We can only assume that he must have felt the beach to give him a hint about Yuuri, seeing how Hasetsu beach was pretty important to you too."

It was.

Victor knew that Hasetsu beach was where Yuuri told him to just be himself. Nothing more, nothing less than himself.

It's all just coming back so fast.

All Victor could do was let go of Takeshi and lean down onto his chest to mumble out, "I don't know what to do. It all seemed so simple and as planned, but I don't know if I'm ready or if I'll be able to live up to being a good father for either of my kids."

Takeshi made a heavy sigh, giving the man a gentle embrace, feeling strong arms wrap around his waist in desperation. "Look, Victor, not everything is going to be simple or go the way you planned. And you're right, you're not ready to come back as a dad." He felt a flinch but he continued, "Honestly, no one can be ready to be a parent, not you, not me, not Yuuko, not the Katsukis', not your parents, not even Yuuri. But that doesn't make any of us bad parents right? Was Yuuri a bad parent?"

Victor glared at him and hissed, "Of course not! Yuuri was the best papa our kids could ever have! He was always a step ahead of everything. He knew what they needed to be happy, how to make their tears turn to smiles, hell, he sings and they fall into a blissful slumber. Even when he was anxious, he was able to put a smile on and let them know that everything is going to be okay. God, when he smiles I swear I could see heaven shine and raise the dead. He was always there. "

"But neither of you were really ready to handle kids weren't you?" From the looks of Victor looked down, Takeshi knew he was right. "No one is perfect, we all have doubts but we just have to make the most of what we can do since we signed up for the job. You signed up to keep raising Yusha and Hana for both yourself and Yuuri, not going to be easy but your sacrifices and effort won't be in vain. They're your kids after all." He made a small chuckle. "If they're anything like you or Yuuri, they're definitely going to surprise everyone one way or the other. And they're definitely going to need you to get better at that."

There was almost a spark of hope but Victor released himself from the embrace with doubt in his eyes. "But even if what you say is true, I don't think Yusha would want to live with a daddy who looks scary and acts like a meanie. I can't even man up to tell him anything about Yuuri, I'll only break." He mumbled in repetition. He wasn't sure how many times he had to say that reason for being unable to speak of his love."

"You just did," Takeshi pointed out. "Not break down but you were just sharing with me how Yuuri was a good parent." Victor was silent, he didn't even realize that he effortlessly did that. Takeshi then bent down and handed him the fallen Vicchan. "It doesn't have to be all at once or overnight, these things take time. If you were able to put that time, effort, and love for my friend Yuuri then I'm more than confident that you can do again with your kids. Remember your promise to them. Yusha and Hana are your now."

Tears almost fell but Victor made sure to wipe them away, now wasn't the time for crying.

"You made it this far, we got your back," Takeshi added and within a second there was a ringtone indicating a message was sent to his phone. Both men were quiet as he turned the screen on to read the message. Victor held his breath until Takeshi turned the screen off and gestured in the direction of the beach. "It seems that my girls took Yusha to the beach, Minami and Hana already met up with them." He then glanced down while Victor followed his gaze which was at Vicchan.

"Something about looking for a special poodle."

...


Victor: WHERE IS MY BONDING MOMENT?!

Me: NEXT CHAPTER I SWEAR, NEXT CHAPTER!

Victor: IT BETTER BE! I CAN'T HANDLE THIS STRESS!

Me: ME NEITHER!

Yurio: WHY ARE YOU TWO SCREAMING!?

Yuuri: Oh boy...*turns to audience* we hoped you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a ton of reviews and share, follow, and favorite so you can get the next chapter as soon as possible that fits into Midnight's hectic schedule (she has junior year of high school really riding up her rear).