Here's the first of two post Episode 7 pieces

Victor walked into the rink and was immediately greeted by the sight of Axel, Lutz, and Loop huddled around a tablet murmuring to each other and giggling. All three of them were bright red. "Hi girls!" He gave them a charming smile, and approached. "Is Yuri back from his run yet?"

"Hmpf," one of them, he honestly couldn't be bothered to keep track of which was which said. "Yeah. He's in the locker room." Her tone was so irritated it was amusing.

"Hey," Said another little girl to her sisters. "We should ask him."

"Yeah!" They all turned to look at him, their faces simultaneously reddening fiercely. "Um. Victor?" said the one who had just spoken.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Victor asked. He tried to keep impatience out of his voice. He wanted to get on with Yuri's practice session for today.

"Wh-what – what, wh-what's rimming?" She asked very quietly.

Victor didn't even attempt to keep the shock from his face. "Jeez girls, you're way too little to be asking about that." He muttured. "Where did you even hear that?"

The girl who hadn't yet spoken started to move the tablet behind her back, but Victor grabbed it easily and scanned the page, eyes widening. "Aw. Victor, you too? When we asked Yuri he took all our phones away. It was really hard to sneak in and get that from Dad's office. You're supposed to be cool."

Victor laughed awkwardly and shook his head as he scanned the device. "Yeah. Well, I'm going to go put it back. But I will clear your browsing history. Just don't do it again. Seriously kids, forget about that kind of thing and enjoy your youth." He winked and walked off, continuing to read as he ambled toward the office.

Yuri was finally making his way onto the ice when Victor returned. They began their work on the short program that had been so flawless in China. Today it was a hot mess. Finally, unable to take another awkward step sequence or awful jump, Victor cut the music and called Yuri over to him. "Yuri?" He asked, trying to tame his frustration, "This is as bad as when you were first learning this routine. Maybe worse. What's with you today?"

Yuri's face went bright red and he muttered. "Don't ask."

"I have to ask, Yuri," Victor said gently, cupping Yuri's cheek. "Where has your eros gone?"

Yuri still wouldn't meet Victor's eyes.

"Is it perhaps because you read that smut the triplets were giggling over?" Victor asked. Ah. That did it. Yuri's shocked eyes snapped up to his. "That's it, then?" Victor smiled. "So you've got some imaginative fans. It just means I'm doing what I came here for. The world is starting to see what I see when I look at you."

"What!?" Yuri asked, backing up. His reactions were just so cute. It really wasn't fair.

"It wasn't bad, from what I read." Victor said. Then he pouted. "I do feel left out though. Honestly, you and Chris." He tsked and shook his head.

"It's just because we were both sexing up the short program so much in China." Yuri shrugged it off.

"Bringing us back to the problem today." Victor said. "You read that, and now you can't sex it up at all."

"It's just so . . . " Yuri struggled for the word. "Vulgar. If that's what people are getting out of my performance, I'm not conveying love at all."

Victor laughed and then recovered himself quickly when he noticed Yuri's lip quivering a little. He pulled Yuri in against his chest and stroked his hair. "That's one aspect of sexual love. Sex is vulgar. But with a lover, the right person – it's elevated into something very beautiful."

Yuri pulled away, sullen, "Yeah, you know I don't really know about that."

"I know." Victor smiled contentedly. "It's why your innocent seduction is so powerful. You're doing everything you can to make your target feel like he'll go crazy if he can't do to you exactly the kinds of things that story described. But you don't really know what kind of power you're playing with. If you'd like me to be your lover, I'll be happy to teach you more."

"That's really not necessary!"

Yuri looked stricken as he skated away to practice a few more jumps, and Victor struggled for something else to say. This coaching thing was so much harder than he'd thought it would be. Several minutes had passed and Victor still hadn't come up with anything when Yuri returned.

Victor wondered about his own expression when he saw the flash of concern in Yuri's eyes. Just who was taking care of whom here? "It's okay." Yuri said, his quiet strength in full force, "I understand better, I think. I'll take responsibility, so let me seduce you more."

"That's what I want to hear." Victor laughed easily and started the music again. Yuri skated the program much better this time, but with a different flair than before. He has the aura of a bride on her wedding night, Victor thought. There was a scintillating sense of danger to the performance, now. All that purity balanced on a gleaming knife's edge, ready to be slashed to ribbons at any moment.

"Is that really the end?" Victor muttered to himself as Yuri struck the final pose. "If I give in to your seduction, will you leave me, Yuri?"

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