Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha

"Did you miss me girl?" Yuuri knelt down, yet again, smooshing Makkachin's cheeks in his hands. He had just arrived home, freshly returned from his trip to Japan. Minami had taken first, and Yuuri had calmed down enough to make a semi-coherent speech about the Next Generation to the media. He had still counted down the hours, still bounced from foot to foot as he waited in Customs lines. He had almost forgotten to step into the Permanent Resident line, before he remembered, and his heart started beating fast. He used the adrenaline building in his system at the idea of Victor to run through the hallway to baggage claim, weaving between anyone who dared to walk slower than he did.

Viktor opened his arms up the moment he saw Yuuri, and they crashed together. Viktor hugged him so tightly that he couldn't breath. He nuzzled him rubbing his body against Yuuri's, rubbing his wrists against the skin of Yuuri's neck before pulling his chin up for a long and tender kiss. Yuuri grabbed the back of Viktor's head the second he drew back, dragging his teeth against Viktor's bottom lip as if he could get more of the taste of him.

"Welcome back, starlight." Viktor laughed as Yuuri panted, out of breath. He rested his head on Viktor's chest, drinking in the scent of his husband. They dipped into the bathroom together, tightly pressed into a corner of the largest stall they could find.

Viktor paused, his hands on Yuuri's sweatpants, pulled just low enough to expose his thighs.

"You smell different…" Viktor mused, his thumbs pressed into the skin on each of Viktor's hips.

"I just spent sixteen hours on a plane, Viktor." Yuuri bit out.

"No… Not that." Viktor leaned in, pressing his nose into Yuuri's neck.

Yuuri stiffened, pushing Viktor away. "Do you really think I'd do something like that?" He bit into his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. Viktor's head snapped up- Yuuri's dry lips, neglected by him, cracked and bled easily.

"Not that. No, never." Viktor gasped, rubbing his thumb across Yuuri's bottom lip. "You're you… just… sweeter."

Yuuri grunted in exasperation. "Stop scaring me and do it. My luggage will be on the carousel any minute now."

" Have we lost the romance now? I see why suppressants are so popular now." Viktor pouted.

"We stopped the romantic part the twentieth time , Vitya. How romantic is an airplane toilet?"

"It's the actors, not the scene that make the theatre." Viktor counted, smiling as Yuuri rolled his eyes, and then his hips into him.

They left the airport with tousled hair and enough satisfaction to last until they got home.

Home, where Makkachin followed Yuuri's every step. She followed him to the bathroom, the kitchen, and even onto the bed.. She stared unblinkingly at him, her tail wagging a soft beat. Viktor shrugged it off- she had merely missed her daddy, he said. But the strange behavior continued into the next day, and then the next week.

Viktor tried not to feel insulted when he woke up to see Makkachin playing vigil on Yuuri's side of the bed. He tried not to worry when google came up with stories of cancer-sniffing dogs. Yuuri refused a second physical- even though Viktor scheduled it, and it meant calling the office and speaking them in Russian to cancel.

Viktor worried.

And Viktor felt vindicated the Wednesday afternoon his phone- which he now stupidly carried with him on the ice- rang in his pocket.

"Good morning sweetheart, running late?" Viktor sang. He hadn't realized it, but it was half an hour past their usual lunch time.

"You need to come home." Yuuri's voice was small and tear-stained. Viktor felt his chest tighten- Yuuri had been particularly sleepy when Viktor had went to kiss him goodbye that morning. It was entirely plausible that Yuuri had neglected to clue Viktor into something yet again, and he was in the midst of another panic attack.

"I'll be there in six minutes." Viktor cupped his phone closer to his cheek, but the line cut off. He didn't take the time to pack his skates away, instead sliding on his street shoes and running out the door. He left without an explanation to his coach or skating family, running through each red light signal he could beat. He opened the door to find Yuuri wrapped around Makkachin in the middle of the living room.

"Yuuri! Are you hurt?" Viktor sprinted inside without taking off his shoes, wrapping his arms around both members of his family. He could feel Yuuri's heart beat through his back, his pulse high and just as panicked as his expression. "What's wrong?"

Yuuri looked up into Viktor's eyes, tortuously silent. Viktor waited a beat, letting Yuuri gather his words. He was about to lift Yuuri into his arms and go to the hospital when Yuuri's voice cracked.

"I'm pregnant."

Viktor sunk back to the floor. "Huh?" He said, automatically, before it clicked. He lit up, smiling brightly. He weaved his fingers into Yuuri's hands, pulling them out of Makkachin's fur. "Say it again."

"I'm pregnant." Yuuri's voice broke again, his expression twisting from fear to confusion. He hiccuped.

"How do you know?" Viktor's smile faded a fraction. He had imagined it differently- waiting for the test together, retired and happy and perfectly planned.

"I, I threw up after you left… and it just occurred to me, and I couldn't get the thought out of my mind-" The words poured out of Yuuri almost too quickly to process. "I went to the drug store, and I don't know what I expected, and I… I called you."

"Yuuri." Viktor said shortly. "I wish you would stop deciding things for yourself. I was only six minutes away."

Yuuri bowed his head in shame. Viktor stood up, crossing the small distance to the master bathroom.

"Really Yuuri, tell me." Viktor said, trying to be softer this time. "You didn't even get a good one." He picked up the box, flipping it back to check how the results displayed.

"Just because it's store brand doesn't mean it's bad." Yuuri snapped. Their arguments were always over foolish, small things. Name brands and values, the money they needed to spend and the money Viktor wanted to spoil Yuuri with.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to be here." Viktor stared at the test- a clear, dark positive, still sitting on the counter. He crept back into the living room, pulling Yuuri into a hug.

"I'm sorry. " Yuuri broke down, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Whatever for, starlight? This is amazing. We're pregnant." Viktor breathed, taking Yuuri's hand in his. He pressed comforting kisses to Yuuri's neck. He didn't shy away- good news for both of them.

"We're not retired." Yuuri whimpered. Their entire plan- and hard conversation- thrown entirely out of the window. "I didn't break your Grand Prix record."

"I was already pushing retirement when I met you, my love." Viktor hummed into Yuuri's skin. He relaxed at that- not much, but a little at least. "It's time I've retired. It's the perfect excuse. We'd never retire otherwise."

Yuuri smiled- just a flash, melting bonelessly into Viktor. "Is that so bad?

"...No, but I've dreamed about making a family with you." Viktor hugged Yuuri's middle to his own, his hands spreading over Yuuri's stomach. "I'm so excited.

"I should have waited…" Yuuri mumbled, the remnants of the panic attack still pulling at him.

"Do over?" Viktor pressed a kiss to Yuuri's cheek. "Yuuri." His tone turned to put-on, a bad actors over-enunciation. "I've noticed that Makkachin is giving you extra attention… and you smell really….really good. I think we need to check to see if you are… with child." Viktor said with a flourish. Yuuri giggled.

"Don't be embarrassing." He whispered, wiping the remaining tears off his cheeks. "We need to go to the drug store. Can you make sure we get the best test?"

Viktor nodded, unable to hold back a smile. He made sure to wrap Yuuri is one of his own coats, and he took one of Yuuri's as well. He didn't need Yuuri's scent to feel better- the mere sight of seeing Yuuri press the slightly-too-long sleeves against his nose as they walked together was enough to make him feel warm.

They picked up a nearly 2,000 ruble pregnancy test at the store- along with a bottle of juice Yuuri drank on their way to their favorite cafe . Yuuri hesitated at the counter- before Viktor interrupted, placing his hand on top of Yuuri's.

"It's late in the afternoon-we better get it decaf. Extra caramel, though. Please." He told the barista, smiling brightly.

Yuuri's hands shook slightly when he cradled the coffee mug in them, savoring the frothy topping. Before Yuuri had moved to St. Petersburg, this had just been another store in his neighborhood to Viktor. It had taken one trip- during a promised cheat day- for Yuuri to make him fall in love with it. Viktor had always had drip coffee- or the basic espresso in Italy. Yuuri gave him life, love and caramel macchiatos. He could still remember the look of pleasure on Yuuri's face during his first sip. The pure joy at the shop speciality- latte art. Viktor loved the poodles and ice skates drawn on top of their coffees even more than Yuuri did. One season Viktor overhauled their entire diet plan to allow for a weekly treat- and a daily one during their hardest times.

Now… he could picture even more visits. He could see Yuuri's stomach growing larger and rounder in the warm woodsy cafe. He could imagine Yuuri crawling on the carpet in the corner, pushing the wooden toy train to a small child with cinnamon colored hair.

"Viktor?"

He snapped out of his reverie at Yuuri's touch. He rested his hand on top of Viktor's staring at him in concern.

"Hmm?" Viktor smiled, feeling lovestruck. He hoped their baby took after Yuuri. Mari had shown him baby pictures, doing her best job to embarrass her little brother. It had only made Viktor long for more with Yuuri. He remembered his own childhood- and how he had lost his baby-fat early… he had been born lithe and small. He wanted fat cheeks to pinch and round bellies to pat. He wanted the perfect softness and weight of health to tire his arms. Yuuri would always complain about gaining weight easily, but Viktor made it clear he loved Yuuri's body mid-season or off. And a baby with Yuuri's soft, round face….

"You...look kind of weird." Yuuri continued, rubbing his fingers on the back of Viktor's hand.

Viktor laughed. "Oh. Well, I was just thinking about our family." He blinked, feeling a sudden well of emotion in his chest.

"Yeah, I guess we need to tell my mom, and Yakov too.." Yuuri took another sip of his coffee.

"No, silly. Us."

Yuuri froze, his eyes wide in realization over the lip of the mug. "I thought we were still pretending-"

"I'm a bad actor, okay? Maybe it's… hormones."

Yuuri snorted, bowing his head and wiping foam off of his mouth. "It's too early for that."

"Maybe I'm just utterly- totally head over heels for you."

"You are." Yuuri smiled shyly. "But not anymore than I am for you." He added, his eyes sparkling. "Let's go home?"

Viktor held Yuuri against him, hugging him tight as they watched the window of the pregnancy test, propped up in a cup on the bathroom counter. Even Makkachin had joined them- as she had with Yuuri ever since his return from Japan. She pressed her nose into Yuuri's palm, staring expectantly up at the two.

She wagged her tail when Viktor jumped , yelling joyously and much too loud for the bathroom, punching the air and gathering Yuuri against him for a passionate kiss. The tiny digital screen displayed positive even before the timer was up, and it took longer for Yuuri to process it yet again. He moved like a ragdoll, feeling Viktor's lips against his before he broke out into a smile. Tears sprang to his eyes again- this time, happy tears rolling down his cheeks. "We're going to have a baby!" He wailed.

"We're going to have a baby!" Viktor cheered, picking up Yuuri around his thighs and spinning a tight circle in the bathroom. Makkachin barked, climbing up Viktor's legs to paw at Yuuri, her tongue lolling out happily.

"You're in no condition to go out on the ice." Viktor retorted coldly.

"You can't even tell I'm pregnant yet, Viktor. There's nothing to hurt." Yuuri was dressed in his practice jersey, brushing his teeth for the third time that morning. He hadn't managed to leave the bedroom, or keep down the well-meaning blini Viktor had cooked him.

"One fall and you could dislodge something." Viktor could see Yuuri's teeth clench around his toothbrush.

"You're the one that fell last season." Yuuri muttered.

His body hadn't begun to change, but Yuuri had. Makkachin kept up her close vigil, comforting Yuuri when he lost a meal to nausea. She still slept on the bed- an amazing feat. Viktor had came home from a quick trip to the store to find his favorite parts of his wardrobe on the bed, woven next to the three new blankets he had bought on a whim since finding out about Yuuri's pregnancy. Yuuri's tolerances changed daily, and Viktor had to remind himself that if it was exhausting for him, it was worse for his husband.

"No jumps. Coaches orders." Viktor knew he wouldn't win this fight. He didn't want to. He didn't want to keep Yuuri off the ice, the one thing in their lives that had brought them together.

"Singles?" Yuuri wasn't even trying, but just by looking at him, he won Viktor over.

"Singles...are okay. Just break them up, okay? If I see you trying a quad, I'm tying you to the bed."

Yuuri finally looked happy, crossing the room to nuzzle Viktor. "You're not the only one worrying, you know."

Viktor sighed, holding Yuuri close. Mint overpowered his smell, intermingling with their shampoo. Despite not being far along enough to show, Yuuri had already started exclusively wearing Viktor's clothes. They hung looser and longer on him, cuffs ending at his knuckles instead of his wrists. He looked cozy- and owned, which made Viktor feel better about the double loads of laundry they did.

"When do we get to tell everyone?"

"One more week." Yuuri said into Viktor's shirt. They already knew the tests were right- confirmed by a doctor. Then they had mentioned the risk of miscarriage early in the pregnancy. After a very difficult night, Viktor agreed to wait until they were out of the riskiest time before announcing it. Makkachin followed them to the rink and any errands- her apparent vigil convincing Yuuri that she would tell them if anything went wrong.

"That's barely anything-"

"Stop." Yuuri pressed a finger to Viktor's lips. "A lot happens in a week for babies. If you can handle Nationals week, you can handle this week." He ended his sentence with a kiss, just to make sure Viktor knew he meant well.

"Neither of us really handled Nationals well. Ever." Viktor mumbled. In fact, Nationals could be the reason why they were talking about pregnancy in the first place.

"Ready to go, sweet girl? Yes? Walkies?" Yuuri cooed, Makkachin dancing around them excitedly.

Viktor had the perfect idea.

The hardest part was waiting the whole week. The morning of the final day, Viktor got up. He stayed away from the kitchen, only tip-toeing into the bathroom to fix his hair. Makkachin was in position when he crawled back into bed, sandwiched between them.

"Yuuri… Smile." Viktor cooed, brushing his hair back. He smoothed Yuuri's bedhead down at his eyes blinked sleepily open. He looked perfectly dreamy when Viktor snapped the shot on his phone. Yuuri grunted at the noise of the shutter, his eyes sliding shut and arm moving to rest on Viktor's side.

It was perfect. He had taken a few just in case, but the first one he loved the most. Makkachin was staring at Yuuri, just as lovingly as Viktor was. He opened Instagram, flipping to his favorite filter before typing in his caption.

V-nikiforov_katsuki: and baby makes four.

There were 500 likes in the ten minutes before Yuuri woke up fully. Viktor could see that Phichit had texted five times before Yuuri even touched his phone.

Yuuri yawned, sliding his glasses on and pushing them up his nose. He spoke before he even unlocked his phone.

"This is why I told my mom and dad when we found out." He murmured sleepily, sinking back into the nest of pillows.

"You know me so well, starlight." Viktor cooed, crawling onto his knees to place a kiss on Yuuri's lips.

By the time they sat down for lunch, Viktor was dual-wielding both his and Yuuri's phone. Viktor handled calls from sponsors and sports magazines. Both Vogue Japan and Russia called,sending congratulations and interest in maternity shoots. Mizuno already had approval for Yuuri to model their Baby & Me workout line for the next season.

The happy news drowned out the negative press- or rather, the negative reaction to the press releases from the Japanese and Russian skating federations announcing the simultaneous retirement of two of skating's biggest stars.

"Phichit says we should have just posted a picture of our skates with a pair of baby shoes." Yuuri muttered, poking at his plate of cut fruit.

"Oh! We should! We should get some baby skates!" Viktor cooed, immediately opening up Google on his iphone.

"I don't think they make them for babies. On account of babies, you know, not knowing how to walk."

"You're so grumpy, Yuuri." Viktor smiled lovingly.

"You are so beautiful, my Yuuri." Viktor hummed, running his hand through his husbands hair. Yuuri was limp against him, dozing as they sat in the waiting room of the maternity clinic. Viktor couldn't remember the last time eating wasn't trouble for them, or even how Yuuri smelled without mouthwash mint on his breath. Yuuri looked beautiful even huddled next to the toilet or curled up on the bed with a heating pad. His hair was thick and shiny, healthy looking enough to spark a little jealousy in Viktor.

They were about to find out the gender of their baby. Viktor was hoping for a girl- Yuuri didn't seem to mind either way, as long as the heartbeat they saw weeks ago remained strong.

Viktor kept a hand on Yuuri's back when they were called in, rubbing deep into the muscle and earning a happy sound from Yuuri as they walked in to the ultrasound room. Viktor loved it when he caught Yuuri without a oversized shirt or the doctor pulled it up. He was just starting to show, a soft roundness to his belly that Viktor loved, but Yuuri was still self-conscious about. It would be another week or two until it was obvious he was pregnant, but to Viktor, who knew Yuuri's body intimately, he could tell already. He could see the slight swell no matter what Yuuri wore, and he often caught Yuuri absent-mindedly rubbing his stomach.

"No instagram." Yuuri yawned, waking up a bit more at the cold squirt of jelly onto the skin of his stomach. He watched the screen- his eyes sparkling despite his grumpy demeanor.

"Here's the baby…" The tech focused onto the grainy image, and Viktor felt his heart beat faster. "And?"

"And… uh, hmmm.."

Yuuri immediately looked worried as the wand was moved over his skin. He silently panicked before the wand stopped. "Here is… baby two?" The tech stopped, flipping open their chart.

"What." Yuuri snapped, stunned.

"We're having twins?" Viktor gasped, delighted. He caught Yuuri's shock and ire with his camera.

"Well…" The tech went silent, scanning over Yuuri's belly again for several minutes. "I wouldn't say they are twins until we have further testing done."

"What do you mean?" Yuuri's voice came quickly and rushed. "Viktor, what is she saying? Not twins? Are they okay?"

The Russian didn't make any more sense to Viktor than it did to Yuuri.

"Um… Can you elaborate? The last scan said the baby was healthy."

The technician paused, taking a screenshot. "Well. There is a phenomenon.. It's slightly more common in couples that conceived during a heat."

"What's wrong with my babies?" Yuuri interrupted, his voice strained.

"Oh, nothing darling. It just looks… Well, it's called superfetation.. But in layman's terms, you were impregnated twice. Which would explain why the development of Baby Two is several weeks behind Baby One…"

Viktor stared at the ultrasound screen, then glanced at his husband. He pushed forward, pulling Yuuri's hand out of his mouth and squeezing it.

"Are the babies okay?" Viktor said, more forcefully.

"As far as I can tell, yes. The doctor can order more testing to rule out any other possibilities. The biggest difference in this kind of multiple pregnancy is to try to give the second baby as much time in the womb as possible. I've seen a lot of omegas on bedrest near the end of their pregnancy."

"I'll stay in bed the whole time!" Yuuri bit out, going to bite at the nails of his other hand.

"Shh, Yuuri. Its okay, this is great. Two! Two babies!" Viktor kissed Yuuri's wedding ring.

"Baby one is female. It's too early for Baby two, and I can't promise anything there. " The tech traced the outline of the separate amniotic sac. "Congratulations"

They walked out together, Yuuri holding his hands over his stomach in stunned silence. Tears rolled down his cheeks, remainders of the panic attack Viktor had tried to stave off.

Viktor kissed Yuuri's cheek every third step.

"I'm so proud of you," He said with one kiss

"A girl! A beautiful princess," He hummed into Yuuri's cheek.

"I hope they have your hair." Viktor said with another kiss as they got into the car.

"What? No way." Yuuri laughed cynically. "I want them to look like you."

Viktor laughed. "Why?"

"Because you're perfect."

"Spoken like a true fan," Viktor teased, his heart swelling when Yuuri flashed his wedding ring in his face.

"Realistically, they'll look more like you. Japanese genes are more dominant, after all. They'll have lighter hair, maybe my forehead…"

"How do you know?" Yuuri turned to look at Viktor, who immediately looked sheepish.

"I might have googled 'Russian Japanese babies' a few times in my life…"

"In your life?" A small mischievous smile curled on Yuuri's lips. "Are you saying…?"

"The first time was when I found out you were an omega, yes." Viktor flushed, focusing on the road instead of the conversation.

Yuuri giggled, thankfully leaving it at that, the hum of the engine lulling him back into his nap.

"We're going to have to edit the announcement.." Yuuri mumbled.