Chapter One – The Child
A couple of weeks had already passed since Yuri and Viktor moved to St. Petersburg, Russia and the Japanese man was starting to get over his culture shock. It wasn't as bad as it could have been since he was used to traveling the world and being in all sorts of new and different places but it had still taken a bit of adjusting to get used to everything. He did at least have Viktor to help him out for that and the older man was all for showing him around, playing tour guide, that manner of thing.
It had definitely been interesting.
Things were starting to settle down now however and they were ready to get down to business, working on the routine that they had debuted at the Grand Prix Finals gala the previous year. It was good but Viktor was sure that they could make it better and far from simply indulging him on that Yuri was certain that the older man was right about that.
They would just have to put in the effort.
Based on the post it note that had been left on the fridge Viktor was already at the rink and wanted Yuri to join him there once he awoke, that getting a slight smirk out of the younger man. "He could have just woke me but no, that would have been too easy," he muttered as he idly petted Makkachin on top of the head, that getting a happy bark and a tail wag out of the large poodle. "I'm sure he already told you this but take care of the place while we're gone Makka," Yuri said, fondness for the dog evident in his voice.
It was still somewhat painful to look at the big, loveable dog that looked so much like his own poodle Vicchan, who had passed away recently, but it was also strangely comforting none the less. He wasn't replacing Vicchan, he knew that he never could, but Makkachin was always there to offer moral support and that was something that Yuri definitely needed.
And appreciated.
The big dog gave a happy woof and a thump of his tail, watching as Yuri grabbed a bottle of water and then headed for the front door.
The trip to the rink was a familiar one at this point and Yuri didn't have any problems getting there on his own, the black haired young man jogging along at a steady pace. He could remember a time when this would have winded him but he had progressed beyond that point after the months that he'd spent training with Viktor.
If that hadn't killed him then a little jog was definitely not going to be a problem.
Upon arriving at the skating rink Yuri made his way inside, looking around to see if anyone else was around, and it was this momentary lapse in vigilance that opened the door for Viktor to practically pounce on him.
"YURI!" Viktor called out, latching onto Yuri as though he hadn't seen the slightly younger man in years rather than mere hours. "I've been waiting for you!" As he said this he kept his arms wrapped around his fiancé, wanting to make sure that he conveyed his emotions effectively. Not that showing affection had ever been a problem for Viktor Nikiforov, he was the type that didn't really know what personal space was.
Not that Yuri could make any claims of being different…it simply took enough alcohol to bring that side out of him, unlike with Viktor who showed it a little more easily.
"Viktor, it's been like an hour at most…" Yuri said as he struggled to not get strangled via Viktor's death grip on him.
Viktor's eyes focused on Yuri for a moment as if he were contemplating something and then he abruptly grabbed the other man by the hand. "Come with me, there's something I want to show you!" Not that he was going to give the younger man a chance to refuse or argue, Viktor proceeding to drag Yuri toward the rink without even waiting for an answer.
"I'm coming…apparently," Yuri said with a chuckle as he was practically dragged to the rink, without pausing in the locker rooms so apparently Viktor didn't intend for him to get on the ice any time soon. "What exactly are you showing me anyway?" he asked as they reached the wall that separated the ice from the rest of the room.
"Look…" Viktor said in answer to the question, gesturing toward a small blonde figure that was currently skating figures around the rink. It was clear that he was a novice by the way that he moved but it was equally clear that there was a great deal of raw talent that just needed to be refined.
Yuri was confused.
"Are you thinking about taking on another student Viktor?" Yuri asked as he watched the blonde, thinking at first that it was a girl based on the longish hair and the way that it was half pulled back into a little ponytail. Upon further evaluation he realized that the child was in fact a boy, albeit with petite features, not that this realization really helped with the confusion that he was currently dealing with.
He didn't get why Viktor was so excited about this random child.
"Not a student per say…" Viktor said as he turned back to Yuri, once again taking him by the hand and leading him away from the rink and back to the locker room area.
Just so that they could be alone.
"Okay…if not a student then what?" Yuri asked since he was still very confused about all of this. He knew that the older man was up to something, he could tell just by looking into Viktor's eyes. He had that look that he always got when there was something on his mind that he was excited about, he'd had the same look when Yuri had first expressed interest in doing Stay Close to Me as a duet at the exhibition after the GPF.
There was definitely something going on in that head of his.
And Yuri very much wanted to know what that something was.
"A son!" Viktor chimed out, a bright smile spreading across his face as he made this announcement, seemingly not aware of just how out of the blue it was.
"A…what now?" Yuri asked, not sure if he had actually heard that correct or not. Though why anything that came out of the mouth of Viktor Nikiforov surprised him anymore was a mystery to him given everything that he'd heard in the months that they had been living together.
"A son…" Viktor repeated, with a bit less outward enthusiasm and a bit more seriousness in his tone. AS he spoke the slightly taller man led Yuri over to one of the benches where he sat down and motioned for the black haired man to sit beside him. "I know it's really sudden but I've seen him here several times and on a whim I asked Yakov about him…he's an orphan and came from Moscow to train. He really needs someone Yuri…we could be that someone."
There was an earnestness in Viktor's tone as the man said this that kept Yuri from shooting down the idea despite the fact that he was somewhat skeptical about their parenting capabilities.
It wasn't like either of them had any experience with children.
The closest that they could claim was the fact that they'd both had dogs.
"So, he really has no one…?" Yuri questioned as he thought about this proposition that Viktor had just made, wondering whether or not they could actually make it work. He did have his reservations but at the same time he knew what it was like to be lonely, even if he didn't know what it was like to literally have no one, and he didn't want to think about a child going through something like that.
"Yakov's been kind of looking after him but that's not the same as having a family," Viktor said in response to Yuri's question, his blue eyes still focused intently on Yuri as he waited to see how his fiancé was going to respond to this question. He wasn't really surprised by the question, he hadn't expected immediate agreement nor did he fault the younger man for questioning this leap of faith that he wanted to make.
It was strange and out of the blue and Viktor was well aware of that fact.
He just didn't care because that was more or less the way that he lived his life. It had been just as much out of the blue when he had uprooted his life to go to Japan to become Yuri's coach and that had worked out in both their favors.
Now he wanted to take the same chance with this blonde-haired child that showed so much promise.
"I see," Yuri said quietly, thinking about that as he sat beside Viktor, leaving against the other man just out of habit. It was seldom that they were near one another that they weren't touching in some manner, it was just natural for them now.
Out of all the virtues it was possible to have patience was not one that Viktor had been gifted with.
And yet he waited, without pressing Yuri for an answer even though it almost killed him to do that. He didn't want this to be forced even though he did really want an affirmative answer. He wanted it to be willing on Yuri's part so he was willing to give his fiancé all the time that he needed to think about it. As well as to answer whatever questions the younger man might have.
For his part Yuri just sat quietly, lost in thought, after getting the answer to the question that he had asked. He didn't really know Yakov all that well, aside from the fact that he had been Viktor's coach, but based on what he had seen of the man he wasn't really parenting material. He was okay as far as Yuri could tell but he seemed to yell a lot and he just had a gruff manner about him that Yuri thought would be difficult for a child to deal with on a regular basis.
And if he was going to be dealing with having Yakov as a coach then he was going to need a buffer of sorts.
"What's his name?" Yuri asked after a moment, breaking out of his thoughts to once again focus his brown-eyed gaze on Viktor.
This question, while just as expected as the previous, gained a chuckle from Viktor as he wrapped his arm around Yuri's shoulder and gave him a little squeeze. "It's almost like he's fated to be ours… his name's Yuri as well."
This response was a shock and that fact was evident by the look on Yuri's face.
For a few moments before a bright smile spread across his face. "That's probably going to get confusing, we might have to give him a nickname or something," Yuri said, focusing that smile on Viktor and letting the other man know, without actually coming out and saying the words, that he was on board with this plan of taking in the blonde child.
Viktor of course got it immediately and the smile that spread across his face threatened to split it in two.
"You are so amazing!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and then pulled Yuri up from the bench and into his arms, actually lifting the younger and slightly smaller man up into his arms. "We'll be a family and it'll be great!"
Personally Yuri thought that Viktor was being a bit optimistic since this child that they were even now planning to adopt was a complete stranger to them but he didn't have the heart to say that and kill the other man's enthusiasm. And there was a part of him that wanted to hold out hope that this would work out and that the little blonde boy, who looked like he was around seven or eight, would be all for this idea and would adjust quickly.
He wanted to hold out hope for this but he wasn't really.
"Okay…so we should get to know him while I get started on the necessary paperwork," Viktor said, thinking that was the best idea so that they weren't taking in a complete stranger. Not that he was against that but this seemed like it would make things easier for all of them and for little Yuri in particular.
This would no doubt be scary for the child and Viktor wanted to make it trauma free as it could be.
For all concerned.
"That's probably a good idea…we can join their practice," Yuri said, having noticed that there seemed to be something of a group practice going on. That seemed like as good a way as any to break the ice with the child that they had now decided was going to be their son.
A/N - First actual chapter finished...it has been so long since I've written anything but I decided to jump on the YOI bandwagon with this little AU story. Hope that you enjoyed and will stick around for the next chapter.
