The sunlight hit Yuri in the eye and forced him to awaken from sweet slumber. He scratched Makkachin, who decided to sleep with him instead of Viktor last night, as he looked up to his phone.

07:50

Sunday, May 4

He was supposed to meet Viktor at the rink by 7

' FUCK!' was the only thought in Yuri's head as he changed in record time before grabbing his skating bag and high tailing it out of his house. He ran as fast as he could all the way to Ice Castle, not bothering to say hello to the fisherman.

" I'm sorry I overslept!" Yuri panted as he passed through the doors of the rink to see Viktor there,standing in the middle of the ice with his back towards him

" Good morning Yuri! Only Aeroflot has kept me waiting longer than you have" he said with a smile as Yuri slid to the ice, crouching all the way down and began to ask for his forgiveness

" Oh Japanese dogeza!" Viktor clapped amused.

" Well getting a good night's rest is also important for a skater" Viktor said making Yuri feel better before he helped him to the rink's entrance in order to actually get his skates on.

" I think we shouldn't have three quads in your free program" Viktor commented as Yuri sat in the spring.

" But-!" Yuri turned around to see Viktor stretching on the floor, very much naked, before turning back hoping he wasn't flushing . The man had the body of a God, like the Greek statues.

" I-If I want to win the GPF then I'll need those!" he reasoned, not daring to look back again.

" Why? All you really need is one quad, you just have to get a perfect score on all the other components!" Viktor said as though it were an easy feat.

' I need to change who I am if I want to win' Yuri thought hopelessly before he heard Viktor's voice

" Yuri, do you know why I decided to coach you? " he looked up to Viktor who grabbed his hands, which seemed to fit perfectly into his own," I was drawn by the music, the music you create with your body as you skate. I want to make a high-difficulty program that maximizes that skill" Yuri gaped at Viktor's sudden confession, feeling his cheeks warm up

" And the short program proved to me that you were capable of doing so!" Viktor cheered as he made Yuri stand up and began to stretch his leg to a 90 degree angle

" V-Viktor!"

" Maybe you should chose the song for you Free Program" Viktor smiled as he stretched Yuri's leg as high as it could go

" But my coaches have- Ow! Ow! Ow! T-That hurts!" Yuri winced aloud

" Who was your previous coach again?"

" Oh! Th-Thank God"

The two turned around to see the other customers of the hot spring stare at them through the bathroom's entrance, the children there having their eyes covered by adults, and an old man seemingly praying

" Ciao ciao Yuri! I haven't heard from you since the Grand Prix Final!" coach Celestino Cialdini's accented Japanese came through the phone as Yuri sat on a bench with a towel on his neck

" It's been awhile, sorry"

" It's alright. I heard Viktor's your new coach now"

" Uh sorry"

" Why are you sorry?"

" Hey what are you-?"

" Ciao ciao Celestino! I'm Yuri's new coach Viktor" Viktor said having successfully taken Yuri's phone away from him and putting it on speaker

" So, you're playing coach in Japan, huh? Cut it out already" Celestino replied in English with a slight Italian accent, though it did not hide his obvious feelings. It was true most coaches thought Viktor was just goofing off, not taking the responsibility of being a coach seriously. However, much to Yuri's surprise, Viktor did not read the mood.

"Hey, why didn't you let Yuri chose his program music?"

" Huh? I usually pick out my skaters' music but I don't mind if they want to chose something themselves. Yuri only brought a piece to me once, I think it was made by an acquaintance. It wasn't bad but…"

Yuri remembered that day. He had asked a girl he knew who was in his college's music program if she could compose him a piece to which she had agreed. It was mutually beneficial as he would get a new program song and she could get her name spread, at least in the skating industry. He asked if it could be based on his life, to reflect who he was.

" Do you think this could win?" Celestino had asked him

' No' he thought immediately

" I guess it was a bad idea. I'll just let you chose my music like always" he replied with an awkward smile. The music was weak. It was supposed to represent him and his career and it was weak. He knew that's how they saw him, he was known as the Skater with the Biggest Glass Heart after all. But that wasn't who he was. That wasn't who he wanted to be.

" I told Yuri to have more confidence in himself again and again but…"

" Okay ! Thanks Celestino" Viktor hummed

" Um Celestino!" Yuri said suddenly realizing it was now or never to say these words

" What is it Yuri?"

" I-I'll do my best to redeem myself at next the Grand Prix Final!"

" I was hoping to hear you say that at last year's Final" Celestino replied with a fondness in his voice. After all he had coached the boy for five years.

With that they ended the call as Yuri felt some weight coming off from his shoulders. He could never bring himself to face Celestino again after ending things with him after all.

" Thank goodness"

" Yuri. Why wasn't I told about that music? I am your coach, aren't I?" Viktor said in his serious voice, not to be confused with Coach Voice, making Yuri nervous

" Yes, of course. Sorry"

" So Katsudon is producing his own Free Program music?" the Russian teenager stretched his leg nearly to 180 degrees as he read the texts both Yuri and Yuko sent him

" Are they trying to give away the pig's routine or something?"

" Oh what a pretty woman. She your girlfriend?" He looked to the side to see the old hag ( Mila) looking at his screen where there was a picture of him with Yuko and her triplets at the airport, taken by Yuri.

" No Mila. She's just someone who worked at the rink I practiced with Viktor and the pig. Why are you so interested in my love life? Is it because that idiot hockey player dumped you" he said but before he knew it he was being lifted up by Mila

" Put me down hag!"

" Now, now kitty. I'm only three years older than you"

" Do you two want to join pair skating? If not then stop fooling around and get to practice!" Yakov's voice nearly caused MIla to drop the teen but luckily she put his down before they said a quick " Yes coach Yakov" and went to work.

As the teenager practiced figures his coach and rinkmates couldn't help but watch. He had never been one to willingly practice, in fact he always complained about it.

" Perhaps that skate off with Yuri Katsuki was a wake up call" Yakov muttered as he watched the young boy. He glanced at his watch and realized that it was almost time.

Heels clicked on the hard floor of the rink as ex-prima ballerina Lilia Baranovskaya made her way. She walked with the grace of a swan but with the force of a lion. Someone's phone had started playing " Boss ass bitch" before they clumsily shut it off with the face red with embarrassment. Lilia paid no mind and only moved forward until she was faced with Yakov. Her ex-husband.

" Thank you for coming Lilia" he said keeping a professional distance between them

" So where is he? I will leave if I do not like what I see" she said with a sharp gaze

" Hmm Yurio? How are things in Russia?" Yuri asked, stifling a yawn, it was currently 1 a.m in Japan meaning it was around 7 p.m in St. Petersburg. He was tired from today's training and wanted nothing more than to slip into slumber but there had to be a reason why the teenager had called, right?

" Well I think I just made a deal with the devil"

" What?!" Yuri yelled in a hushed voice,afraid of waking up anyone

" Yeah well Yakov's ex Lilia Baran-"

" Lilia Baranovskaya?" Yuri said surprised before realizing he had cut off the teen

" You know her?"

" Well most people in the dance, specifically ballet, community know her. She's the former Prima ballerina of the Bolshoi ballet. She received various awards throughout her career, including the Benois de la Danse" he said remembering looking up to her when his only focus was on ballet.

" And that is?"

" One of the most prestigious awards in a dancer's career"

" Oh. Well she's forcing me to move in with her and Yakov. I think there may be something going on but I don't want to get in it" Well that certainly would be awkward

" She's done nothing but criticize my flexibility and overall being. I'm kinda regretting agreeing to her words"

" What did she say?"

" Well she said I must be willing to give my body and soul to her if I want to win the Grand Prix Final. So I said that I'd be willing to give away everything if it meant I'd win"

" Oh well… That's certainly a passionate way of stating it" Yuri felt a bit awkward, should he, a fellow competitor, be hearing these words?

" Yeah. She says that she'll turn me into a Prima and that I must become a phoenix, willing to be reborn again and again. My old self is dead apparently" he said the last part sarcastically

"Well if it makes you feel better I still don't know what to do about the Free Skate" Yuri sighed as he laid in bed

" Don't you have some song you had a friend or some junk make for you in college. Viktor was complaining on how you hadn't shown him" he could feel the teen roll his eyes

" Well I tried showing him but he said it was too lukewarm and ending 'The Smackdown' by saying that I should look for something else. He isn't wrong but I don't know what to do"

" Just pick a new song. How hard can it be Katsudon?"

" But well-" he heard a strong female voice call out "Yuri" in the background

" Shit, seems like break is over. I've got to go Katsudon"

" Oh that's alright Yuri"

" And pig"

" Yes Yurio?"

" You better not take it easy at practice because I'll kick your ass at the qualifiers"

" Wouldn't dream of it" he laughed at the teen's threats. He knew the boy meant well

" Ja ne"

" Dasvidaniya" he got off of his bed and back to his desk where his failed attempts at making routines for different songs he had found were scattered. He scrolled on Instagram before checking out Phichit's latest post from a minute ago. It seemed that he went back home to Thailand after Yuri went back home. If he was right it was 11 p.m in Bangkok

" Yuri! It's been a while" Phichit waved happily, using some of the Japanese that Yuri taught him when they roomed together, where Yuri could see the the ice rink he was in. Did all rinks look similar?

" Hey Phichit. Sawasdee krab, I see you've gone back to Thailand" he smiled back shyly. Although they've been texting every now and then this had been the first phone call/ video chat they've had in months, making Yuri feel guilty.

" Yeah Detroit was boring without you. You should totally visit me in Bangkok, I could show you around! "

" Khob khun, kup"

"So what's the dish with you and the Viktor Nikiforov?" Phichit said teasingly

" Wha- What are you talking about Phichit? He just came here one day and said that he was going to be my new coach"

" Must have been after seeing you skating his Free Program. I've got to hand it to you Yuri that was impressive"

" Don't remind me… That was supposed to a private thing for Yuko but her kids recorded it and well…"

" Aren't they like five?"

"Yes"

" Wow"

" Tell me about it"

The two continued chatting about things that have happened recently and about how their skating was going when Phichit looked at Yuri dead in the eye, even if it was through a screen

" So what's on your mind Yuri?"

" Ah you know me so well"

" Of course, I am your best friend after all! I know everything about you; I probably know you more than you know yourself"

" … You're not wrong. Anyway you remember how I had a music demo made, right?"

" Yeah by that music conservatory student,Ketty Abelashvili. You asked if she could compose it for you."

"Right, although I ended up not using it in the end… Things got awkward between us afterwards but I want to ask her for a favor"

" Oh what is that?"

" Well… I was hoping to see if she could redo it but I never kept contact so I was hoping maybe you had since you introduced us in the first place"

" I'm sure she'd be glad to help. Besides she had a crush on you back then"

" What?!"

" It was pretty obvious Yuri"

" B-But -!"

" Anyway I'll send you the dets later, I gotta wrap up things here. Call me soon!"

" O-Okay"

" Ja ne!"

Viktor had Yuri do various jumps, spins and sequences for the past few hours and though Yuri had a high stamina, even he got tired. Plus he was still thinking about what Phichit revealed about their acquaintance, they weren't really close enough to be friends.

" Why haven't you chosen a piece yet? You have to be more confident in your decisions and feelings. Just think about when a girlfriend to you she loved you, even a boyfriend if you're into that!"

"What!" The air was tense before Yuri began to profusely apologize for his sudden outburst.

"It's fine. I forgot you never had a lover"

"Ah well that-" Yuri whimpered before deciding to let it go

For the rest of the day Yuri took it upon himself to stay as far away from Viktor as possible;

" Yuri let's go out somewhere!""

" No thank you. I'm good"

" Yuri let's take a bath together!"

" I'm going to bed"

" Yuri let's sleep together!"

All he got in reply for that one was a slammed door.

09:00

Monday, May 5

" I can't take this guilt!"

Yuri's door slammed open and he could feel an ominous presence; it was Viktor. His cold expression morphed into a smile

" Yuri let's go to the beach!"

" R-right"

That particular morning was rather cloudy, the rain season still lingering around. The two skaters sat by the rocks as Makkachin ran around chasing some seagulls that had decided to land near them.

" You know the seagulls and beach remind me of St. Petersburg" Viktor started as they just washed the water ebb and flow.

" Really?"

" Yes. Growing up I never appreciated the scenery because I never thought I'd want to leave but life is funny and I found myself wanting to leave my childhood home"

" Why is that?" the raven haired man leaned back

" I'm not sure. I just felt like there was something, maybe someone, out there for me. Like looking for something missing. It's strange isn't it?"

"... No. I don't think it's strange at all" Yuri smiled shyly

" Have you ever felt like that before? Like you realised you had taken something for granted" Yuri only looked into the ocean, as though it held all the answers, before sighing and bringing his knees up and hugging them

" Back in Detroit there was a rinkmate who was pushy and tried to get to know me but I wasn't really interested, opting to focus on practicing. It turned out she wanted to go on a date with me, I don't know why she would want to, but we ended up dating for a few weeks" Viktor stared at Yuri as though he was floating

" Wait! So you actually had a dating life before? Why didn't you tell me?!" Viktor leaned in closer, much to Yuri's discomfort, while the man in question looked away

" Um… my stories never really ended well in my opinion, I'd rather forget it. Anyway another rinkmate got into a bad accident on the ice and we had to go with him. I was worried sick and she decided to hug me in an attempt to comfort me, I ended up pushing her off of me. She landed with a bit of a thud and a surprised look"

" Wow, why ?"

" She was trying to intrude into my mind. It felt wrong. I could sense how she saw me; weak, vulnerable, and helpless. She thought she would be able to help me like that but I didn't need her pity, even more so because we were dating. When I helped her up she tried to take our first kiss but I just moved away; we ended it a few days later" he sighed once more before taking his eyes away from the sand and back to the ocean

" I realized that back home no one saw me like that, as though I was weak; not my parents nor my sister. Not Yuko or Takeshi. Especially not Minako. They all believed in my strengths and knew that I would grow with time, never looking down at me"

" You're not weak, Yuri. No one thinks that, if they do then they have yet to know the real you" the two stayed in a comforting silence before Viktor came up with an idea

" How about we play a game? I heard about this game called 20 questions, I've never played before" Viktor's eyes shone with excitement, looking like a child. Yuri couldn't possibly say no.

" That's more of a slumber party game but sure"

" Alright! Yuri you ask first" he demanded cheerfully

" Um… What is one of your first memories?"

" Hahaha, it may seem obvious but getting on the ice for the first time is one of the first things I remembered. Feeling the cool air as I glided across the ice felt like I could fly" Viktor beamed " Now it's my turn! Who was your first crush?" Yuri choked on air

" A-ah that's rather intimate um…"

" Please Yuri! Besides you have to answer"

"... It was Yuko"

" Oh. Your turn" Viktor seemed a bit… hurt?

" Who's your best friend?" he knew the answer. In fact he knew the guy but he wanted to see Viktor smile again

" That's easy, Christophe Giacometti. You've met him, right?" Viktor smiled as though he forgot about what had happened moments ago

" Yeah, at some competitions, he's very… open about his opinions, especially intimate ones, no? And this counts as your question" Yuri teased with a slight smirk

" Fine" the grown man whined

" So which one of your routines is your favorite?" Viktor looked pensive, trying to think of all the routines he'd done for the past twenty years of his life before looking at Yuri with fond eyes

" Stammi Vicino, definitely. It brought me to you after all"

" A-ah"

" So Yuri, who's your best friend?"

" Phichit Chulanont. He was a former roommate and rinkmate while I was in Detroit. Where's the best place you've traveled to so far?"

" I love Hasetsu but if I had to chose I'd say Paris. What about you?"

" Hmm I liked Rome and Athens but New York City was fun too"

" Why did you go to NYC? For a competition?"

" No. Phichit and some other friends decided to take advantage of our break from school and from skating to have a mini road trip from Detroit to New York, we didn't think we'd have time for further if we wanted to go sight-seeing"

" We should do that some time. If you to decide on a preference what would it be? Males, females, both or neither?"

"A-Ah. Well I haven't really thought of that. Phichit says he's sure I'm pan or something since I don't really care about gender. Love is love after all" Yuri was sure his face was scarlet but he chose to ignore it for now "You?"

" I'm comfortable with both male and females though I am more lenient towards males" Viktor did not forget to add a wink

"So Mr. Embarrassing Past how many lovers have you had?" Viktor said teasingly

"Ah well… There were two girls back in highschool, a guy during freshman year of college , two during sophomore year , two skaters during junior year and I was just told yesterday that the woman who composed the song also had a crush on me. None of those relationships made it past a month and a half though" Yuri looked at Viktor who seemed relieved but bothered

"What about you Mr. Casanova?"

"I've had many lovers before but none lasted that long. The spark would just disappear one day and that was it. What do you feel about Yuko and that woman?" Viktor seemed rather demanding of his answer so Yuri didn't bother to complain

"Yuko is still a close friend, probably my best female friend since Phichit would die if I said best friend in general. I used to look up to her and I still do. I've gotten over that crush, she and Takeshi are happily married with a family after all, but first loves are special. About that woman I'm not too sure " Yuri felt Viktor's eyes burn into him as he continued " I never felt an attraction to her and I'm sure she's over it, we haven't spoken since I told her that I wouldn't be using her music but I'm planning on contacting her again"

"Why is that? I thought you weren't interested " Viktor said finally looking at Yuri, who only looked the other way

"I'm not but I want to ask her if she's willing to redo the music. So why did you decide to make figure skating your career ?"

" I can't really remember. I just started doing small competitions and after they got too easy for me I just aimed for higher ones. The next thing I knew I was Russia's pride in male figure skating"

"Hmm you really are forgetful " Yuri muttered in Japanese

"What?"

"Nothing. Just ask a question "

" Hmm why did you study mythology in college?"

" I'm not sure. The course seemed interesting enough plus I've always had a curiosity for mythology and folklore but the class' assignments were unbearable at times"

"Ah what a shame "

"Oh. I don't know if this is too invasive but why did you cut your hair? You never did say why after all" Yuri swore that Viktor actually looked embarrassed or to some extent as he played with his bangs

"Well I know people expect me to say it had to do with some personal issue or to show my rebirth or whatever the internet decided but it's actually for a simple reason ; my hair was getting harder to maintain and would get easily tangled if I tried to leave it loose and one day while doing some promotional event with children one of the kids decided that it would be a nice use to leave gum on my hair. It was in the middle too!"

"Gross " Yuri said having experienced getting gum in his hair once before, luckily his mom was able to take it out without cutting his hair

"So I decided to just cut the thing. I was sure there was enough for a wig so I gave it to charity"

"Wow that was noble of you "

" Yeah besides hair this nice shouldn't be wasted" Viktor flicked his bangs making Yuri chuckle.

The two went on and on with each other, asking from embarrassing to personal things. Yuri had actually come to learn a few new things from Viktor;

Viktor got Makkachin as a present from his parents when turned fifteen. Apparently he had been bothering them for a few years before finally receiving Makkachin.

Although he loved his fans, they terrified him at times; though not as much as Yuri's Angels.

If he had to choose a superpower it'd be ice power ( He was also a sucker for " Let It Go" and had even played it for one of his rinkmates though it did nothing to help his predicament, apparently his girlfriend dumped him)

Viktor learned French thanks to Chris and proceeded to stare Yuri down as he spoke nothing but French for a whole minute.

Other things he already knew but asked so he didn't seem rude; Viktor's favorite color was gold and pink. His birthday is on Christmas Day, December 25. One of his favorite fairytales growing up was Beauty and the Beast. He was an only child. His most memorable banquet was last year's GPF but he told Yuri that it counted as another question when he asked why.

"Okay last question Yuri: What do you want me to be for you? A brother? A father?"

"No, I already have a father and you don't seem like you'd be my brother "

"Then a friend?"

"No that's not you either"

"Then a lover, I'll do my best"

Yuri jumped into the air before frantically waving his arms around

"No! I just want you to be you Viktor! I don't want you to be anybody else"

The two stared at each other as their eyes locked , the honesty in his words seeped through

"Okay you have a deal"

"And done" Yuri sent the e-mail to Ketty and waited for her response. Due to the time difference he wasn't sure if she'd respond soon . After anxious waiting for a minute he decided to take Makkachin for a walk. As Yuri sat in a swing bench at the little park they were at he felt something unexplainable. Like something was watching him but not in a malignant way. He turned to the side and saw a pristine white dove stare and coo at him

"Hello there" he said not expecting a response of any sorts . He didn't know why but he decided to stretch his hand and perch a finger forward only for the bird to climb on. It was the first time it had happened. Well he never saw many doves in Hasetsu anyway. He took the dove closer to himself before beginning to brush the bird's feathers with his fingers. Needless to say the bird loved it and only got closer. Makkachin had stopped playing and began to look at her second master, she very much like Yuri and her own master seemed to as well, who was sporting wings like that of the bird he was petting.

Yuri got back from his walk with Makkachin after bidding goodbye to the dove and saw his latest e-mail, sent a few minutes ago:

From: Ketty Abelashvili (KAbelashvili gmail)

To: Yuri Katsuki (YuriKatsuki gmail)

Re: Hello

Hello Yuri it's been a while. I've listened to the original and agree that it was not the best. It would be my pleasure to redo the song for you. I should have it done by the end of the week unless you want it sooner. Stay in touch ,

Ketty Abelashvili

" She agreed to redo it" Yuri told his coach the next day

"Okay, until that's done what do you want to do?"

"Teach me all the jumps you know!"

"Let's do it again!"

"Haven't we done that a hundred times already ?"

" It's only been thirteen actually "

"Wow you have incredible stamina "

Viktor panted as Yuri only brushed the sweat coming from his forehead . He's had Viktor show him how to do the Quad Flip for the past few minutes but it seemed that the decorated skater didn't have as much stamina as he did.

"It's probably because you're younger and haven't had any major injuries. You're binge eating may-"

Yuri couldn't resist himself as he stared the top of Viktor's head . There he could see the part where his hair would fan out and before he knew it he had poked it.

"Ah it's thinning isn't it?"

"No no no! It's very thick and shiny!" Yuri tried to reassure the dejected Russian

"I don't think I'll recover " Viktor laid as though he were dead on the ice. If Yuri wasn't frantically doing dogeza to apologize he'd call the man a drama queen.

It was four days after when he received a new email from Ketty:

From: Ketty Abelashvili

Re: Song

To: Yuri Katsuki

I've finished the song and hope you like it. I think this one fits your original idea more than the original. Tell me if you want me to change anything, alright? We should talk more often.

Ketty Abelashvili

See 1 attachment

"Viktor listen !" Yuri had stormed into Viktor's room with his laptop and headphones, accidentally stepping on Makkachin in the process, waking up the Russian.

Viktor listened to the first few seconds of the song before nodding cheerfully. This was it.

Yuri and Viktor both worked together to choreograph the routine. They decided to keep it simple since the season was just beginning, there was room for improvement after all . Yuri pushed for there robber enough space in the routine to redo any jumps should he miss them the first time around. The routine emphasized his strengths in sequence and ability to create the music with his body.

"What should we name it?"

"Hmm… how about this ?" Yuri grabbed the marker Viktor handed him and wrote three words on the CD they were using:

YURI ON ICE

"That's perfect "

"The first competition is in a few weeks, a qualifying round" Yuri explained as they ate

"Oh what is it?" Viktor asked curiously, he hadn't done those in a while

"The Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu competition "

"Didn't you already get nominated for the Grand Prix series?" Viktor recalled hearing the competition's qualifying skaters including Phichit Chulanont, Yuri, Georgi and Chris. There were others as well but he couldn't remember

" Yes but I did so horribly last season that I need to do this in order to keep the spot "

" Well let's give it our best Yuri"

"Right! I'll be counting on my coach , Viktor"

"Of course "

The dove leaned in closer to the beautiful woman who delicately touched her feathers

"He's so caught up with skating that he doesn't even realize he's awakening. Neither of them" she sighed as the bird flew away

" Well it gives me more time to watch even if …" she shook her head before a white flash of light took the spot in front of her

" Perhaps their siblings would like to visit" she hummed before stepping into the light and disappearing after.