He woke up warm, as usual and it took him a bit to realize his leg was numb but he didn't move it, knowing that would bring consequences such as waking up his fiancé. Yuuri Katsuki was beautiful when he slept, Viktor concluded with a loving smile on his face. He was usually the first to wake up and that gave him the chance to admire his lover's face as long as he wanted. Yuuri was a heavy sleeper and he usually stood up a lot longer than him so it was no wonder it was so hard for him to wake up in the morning. His arm was wrapped around the body in front of him while the brunet's head was nestled near his neck, hot breath making his skin tingle. He decided not to move until the alarm goes off and when it finally did, a very sleepy Yuuri blindly searched for the phone so he could turn it off.

"Good morning, solnyshko!" Viktor grinned and was rewarded with a scowl. He chuckled and snuggled closer, placing a kiss on Yuuri's forehead. "Come on, we have important things to do today"

"I don't care" he mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"I'll go and make coffee" The Russian offered and got up, stretching on the way to the bathroom and then to the kitchen. Coffee – that was something even he could do so he put the water to boil before going to sit next to Makkachin, on the sofa. "Good morning" he cooed, petting the poodle's fluffy belly and making it squirm happily. He leaned closer and touched the small wet nose with his own. "Go wake Yuuri up" He whispered and he got up to get two cups.

In a few minutes the task was completed and inside the kitchen came a still grumpy man, his glasses askew on his nose. He looked so cute, his hair all over the place and his cheeks puffy that Viktor couldn't help himself and snapped a picture of him while they were having coffee.

"If you..."

"I won't post it!" He learned his lesson the last time Yuuri threatened he would sleep on the couch if he ever posted something embarrassing on Instagram. After the younger man had his coffee he began to work on the breakfast which ended up a variety of food – from pancakes to omelette. One day Yuuri thought to let breakfast in the hands of Viktor but after the man burned his hand while trying to make some toast he decided he was not allowed to do anything associated with food unsupervised.

"Today I have to meet my sponsor" Viktor announced, staring at his cross-legged lover that was eating strawberry jam with toast. They had very different programs today – Yuuri was expected at the rink around noon as Yakov was coaching him today and Viktor was going to meet up for lunch with his sponsor and talk all the details.

"I hope I will be done before 5" He continued and Yuuri nodded, focusing on him.

"I will take Makka for a walk before going to the rink" he said and took a bite of the bread, chewing slowly. "You have the same sponsor from the beginning, right?" The pearl-haired man smiled while nodding and went closer to lean his head on Yuuri's shoulder.

"It's a routine thing, I have to sign a contract" He whined and raised his head so his lips were touching at the skin of Yuuri's neck where a violet spot could be seen.

"Stop that" The Japanese mumbled and Viktor smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Yea, right. Gentle fingers grabbed at silver strands of hair and pulled slightly when his body shivered and the Russian knew he did something right.

"Vitya" he whined the lattest knew his lover was lost so his lips slowly sucked at the already purple skin, enjoying the reaction. "Don't –" A sob. "Everyone will see"

Viktor pulled back and grabbed his chin between his thumb and forefingers, pulling his face closer to him, enjoying the sight of black eyelashes and rosy lips.

"Let them see you're mine" He said seductively before bringing their lips together, enjoying the feeling spiking through his abdomen at the sound of Yuuri's small moans. Their mouths opened and Viktor's tongue confidently brushed against the other's, bringing him into a sensual dance while his hands locked around his middle. They parted when Makkachin barked happily and Yuuri sighed, resting his head against Viktor's chest.

"I am yours" After a couple of minutes of silence the Japanese chuckled. "Yurio saw the marks on my neck and yelled at me that I'm gross and said he would wash his eyes with bleach" That made the other burst into laughter, imagining the yelling teen.

"That's Yura for you" He smiled when Yuuri grinned and got up to kiss his cheek before going to the bedroom to pick his clothes for today.

They parted with a kiss and Viktor was the first one to go, a cab waiting for him outside. He was meeting his sponsor at the restaurant where they usually did but he arrived a little earlier so he took the freedom to choose a table and look through the menu. Mr. Kuzmich has been his sponsor during his entire career; he was the owner of a big business and Viktor's talent didn't slip by him, not even when he was competing in junior league.

He ordered a bottle of wine and sipped on a glass until he saw the familiar face approaching and he got up to shake a warm hand with a big smile on. The man looked older, just like every year that passed but he had a friendly smile, accentuating the wrinkles around his big mouth and making him look pleasant.

"Nice to see you again, Viktor" They chatted casualties for a while, about Mrs. Kuzmich, about the business but it all went down to Viktor's plans for the future. He began to gesticulate and explain how he was thinking about competing and coaching at the same time and only when he finished did he realize how the man was looking at him. He had something similar to sorrow imprinted on his face, an expression that reminded Viktor of parents sending their kids away at boarding schools. It was unsettling.

"Is it true that you and the Japanese skater Yuuri Katsuki are..." He didn't even have the courage to finish the sentence.

"Engaged" The Russian brought his hand up to the eye level so Mr. Kuzmich could see the gold ring on his finger. "Why?"

"I am afraid that is an issue for our... collaboration." Viktor couldn't believe his ears – it was not something really that surprising if he thought about it but they've been working together for years and now they were ready to give him up just because he found someone who he really loved. "We knew all along your preferences, Vitya" The old man sighed, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "And it's never been a problem but now it's too obvious"

The silver haired man furrowed his brows, unsure of what to say. He understood what country he was living in, here was not the USA where people were proud of being gay and it was not Japan either – where people respected you no matter what and never judged – this was cold Russia.

"If you are willing to deny your relationship then..."

"No" He couldn't compromise over this, he was never going to do something as insensible as denying his feelings or hiding the fact that he was together with Yuuri. Being decent was something he knew everyone expected of him but pretending nothing was going on was something he couldn't comprehend.

"Then I am afraid our ways part here"

He wasn't going to hold grudge against the man or his company, he knew he would not risk his business by associating with homosexuals and it was not like they were close friends or relatives so he could ask for that. It was not something that angered him, it was more of a tinge of bitterness that made him feel lonely. They continued their lunch and got along quite well before they said their goodbyes with fond but fake smiles, each of them heading in a different direction.

All his life Viktor felt like his country failed him as a person. As a skater, never – they had funds, they had a rink for themselves, they always acknowledged his wins on National television, he was named a national hero and he met a lot of important people because of that. But as a human, he was feeling like everyone pitied him; he knew everyone closed their eyes at his homosexual tendencies and they sometimes even watched him with compassion in their eyes, like he had some kind of disease. Everything was okay so far because he never publicly admitted that he was in a relationship with another man so everyone acted like they were clueless but ever since the public kiss in China rumours were spread all around the world and the Russians could no longer act like they didn't know.

He decided not to take a cab because he needed a little fresh air to clear his mind so he began to walk down a small street, enjoying the fresh green grass had around him. The trees were starting to bloom too but he was sure they were not near as beautiful as they were in Japan this time of the year. He paced around for a while, lost and decided his skin could enjoy the sun a little more so he headed towards the Alexander garden which was one of his favourite places in Sankt Petersburg. It wasn't that he didn't want to go home to Yuuri, he just didn't want to go home with this unsettling feeling inside his chest.

He picked a bench and sat on it, looking around with his sunglasses on, amused by the sight of a few children running around. He liked children, he always did, even if he never properly took care of one. A smile appeared on his lips at the thought of the possibility of extending their family; It was not something he was sure he wanted, he had a lot of things to take in consideration before such a decision but the idea of having a child with Yuuri one day was soothing him right now.

He was lost in thought when someone tapped on his shoulder and he turned around confused to see who recognized him. If it was a fan he was going to sign an autograph and take a picture but for his surprise it was not an admirer, it was someone he never thought he would be seeing again. The face was not as soft and there were evidences of the passing time but with those bright blue eyes and platinum blonde hair the woman in from of him must have been Yulia Nikiforova, his mother. He was so shocked he flinched and took his glasses off to look properly at her.

"I thought it might be you" She said instead of a hello and Viktor's eyes widened.

"Mama" He barely recognized his own voice but he didn't care about that. "You're ... here?" It was a stupid question, he knew that but he couldn't think of anything else in that moment. Back in the days he settled to the idea that his mother moved out of the city for good and he was never going to see her again.

She smiled a little sarcastic, still followed by his baby blues.

"Isn't it funny how it happened to meet today?" Yulia didn't wait for an answer, knowing by the expression her son didn't believe it was amusing. He wasn't sure how to react at all so he kept staring, wondering how he could snap out of this uncomfortable state of mind. "I've wanted to look for Yakov but I realized he probably moved somewhere else" That was a blatant lie, Yakov lived in the same place for as long as Viktor could remember.

"You're living here?" She shook her head.

"I came here to visit someone" He was glad to hear that there were small possibilities for them to meet like this again. "Tell me about you, Viktor. Do you wanna go somewhere to talk?"

He hesitated; he had no idea if he wanted to or not but he decided there was no point in turning her down because the child buried inside him wanted to stay with her a little longer.

"Okay"

They went to a place neither of them knew, near the park. It had an indie vibe but Viktor felt like choking as soon as they sat at a table and he could study his mother's face better. She looked graceful for her age and he wondered if she married or if she had other children. He highly doubted the last part because Yulia was never that fond of children, not even of her own prodigy son.

"I followed your skating career" She said after a long break. He smiled crisped but thanked her. "You plan on competing this year too?"

"Yes" He gulped and then the waiter came to take their orders. He was ready to tell the man he wanted some tea when he heard a loud gasp.

"You're V- Viktor Nikiforov!" The skater smiled at that and turned to study the waiter just to find out that he was in his teen years.

"It seems so" Viktor winked and the kid began to babble. He wanted an autograph so Viktor wrote one and then offered to take a picture with the teenager, making him squeak with delight. He loved meeting fans and this particular meeting made him relax a little bit, even if he felt his mother's stare all over him.

"You're very popular" Yulia grinned and Viktor nodded, feeling more content. "Does this happen often?"

"Quite a lot lately" After coaching Yuuri he caught everyone's eye but he was glad to meet people who appreciated his work and have a little chit-chat with them.

"You're close to retirement, though"

"I still have a couple of years at least" No one as talented as he would give up so easily on his career.

"I see." Their teas came and the young waiter said they were on him which was of course sweet but unnecessarily and as he was pouring the honey in his cup Viktor could only think about one question. It was something that hurt him badly in the past but that turned in a masochistic curiosity over the years.

"Why did you leave me with Yakov back then? Was it because I am gay?" She chuckled humourless.

"No, back then I was scared of you being a homosexual but that was not the only reason" He gulped, waiting. "I've never been a good mother, Vitya; because my life was too unstable when you were born and because you reminded me an awful lot of your father"

He knew he looked strikingly like his rich father but he couldn't quite comprehend why was that a bad thing. Of course the man never loved Yulia enough to leave his family for her and for their son but that wasn't an excuse for the woman to act the way she did. Viktor smiled bitterly – it was silly of him but he wanted a good excuse and he only heard things he suspected all along.

"Okay" He swore to God that if he was ever gonna have children he was going to give them the world and surround them with love. He didn't want to break them like his parents did.

"So – everyone's talking about your relationship with that Japanese skater. Yuuri, wasn't it?" He wondered why she wanted to know about this, after all it didn't concern her but he decided to be polite.

"Yuuri Katsuki, my fiancé"

"He's a very good skater too." Viktor's face was lightened by a small loving smile at the words.

"He is"

"You look happier lately, I am glad it's like that. I would really like to meet him" The Russian didn't want his past to tangle with his present and future and involving Yuuri in such a sensible matter would only hurt the emphatic young man.

"I'd prefer you wouldn't"

"As you wish, vozlyublennyy*" He felt his stomach knotting at the pet name and he cleared his throat because he was feeling uncomfortable.

They talked for a long while before they parted and Viktor kept his polite mask on, not wanting to get too emotional or involved in what it was said. His mother never married but she was in a long-lasting relationship, living in a town near Moscow. Now she came to visit her cousin who had a heart condition and she was going back home in a couple of days. She admitted she followed his life by reading magazines, watching him skate and watching his interviews but that meant zero to him because if she really wanted to get to know him she could have always because he was training at the same rink and Yakov was easy to be found.

She was pretending to care and like always, he pretended to believe her. He learned a lot time ago that this kind of attitude relieved him of overthinking things and getting hurt unnecessarily.

They parted coldly, no hug or kiss and Viktor barely managed to move his body home, feeling drained by everything that happened over the day. He realized he was hurrying only when he reached the door and observed how heavy he was breathing. He opened the door and smiled at the sound of Makkachin's hurried steps and bent, knowing already his fluffy friend would want to be shown some affection. He was used to that, it was one of the best feelings, having Makka greeting him after a long tiring day but this time it was different for he could hear other steps too and after he was approached by the enthusiastic poodle he smiled brightly at the sight of his fiancé. Yuuri was looking beautifully in a pair of sweatpants and a v-shirt that belonged to Viktor and that was too large on his body. His glasses were on and his hair was in every possible direction, giving him an innocent air.

"Okaerinasai*!" he said and Viktor smiled, getting up after hugging Makkachin tightly. He discharged his shoes messily and stepped forward, pulling Yuuri in for a long and sweet kiss. After they parted Yuuri looked up at him happy but also a little concerned because he felt something was different in Viktor's touch – the urgency was obvious. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just missed you" He left his coat behind and then took the hand he was offered, heading towards the kitchen, guided by the wonderful smell.

"I made piroschkis for dinner, Yuri gave me the recipe"

"It smells very good" Viktor said, looking at the many piroschkis piled on the counter.

"Go wash your hands" The brunet smiled, kissing his cheek and spanking his ass gently as he left, earning a chuckle. Yuuri was slowly growing out of his shell, he was still shy about some things and he still blushed several times a day but he grew bolder and it was a delight to see this part of him. When Viktor came back the table was set so he took his seat and began to eat the piroschki which was absolutely delicious – it reminded him a lot of those made by Grandpa Plisetsky and those were heavenly.

"How was training?"

"Exhausting" Yuuri said simply. "Yakov is a tyrant" They both chuckled and Viktor got up to bring a bottle of wine.

"He seems a lot scarier than he actually is. If you want something all you have to do is to hug him" He knew that from personal experience – ever since he was a teenager and he wanted to go places or meet people he knew he would swoon his coach's heart with a warm hug and puppy eyes.

"I wouldn't dare hugging Yakov" Viktor laughed, amused and propped his head on a hand, watching Yuuri with loving eyes. "What?"

"Nothing, I love you" That was so sudden that the Japanese's cheeks heated slightly while he looked down at his plate.

"W-what about your meeting? How was it?"

"I lost my sponsor" Viktor said as if he was talking about a walk in the park and Yuuri dropped his fork on the table, a concerned expression marring his face.

"Viktor! What happened? Why didn't you say anything until now?" He was shocked something like this could slip off his mind, that he would take it so easily so his voice was a little higher than he intended it to be. Viktor sipped some more wine and relaxed against the chair, gazing with the same dreamy eyes.

"Because it's not that important"

"Of course it is – you need sponsorship"

"I have many offers, Yuuri, losing one of them is not that big of a deal" There were offers from all around the world, from people who would accept him as he is so he was not concerned about lacking sponsors, he was only a bit disappointed that he lost this one over such a silly thing. "They said they can't support me anymore because I finally came out publicly"

Yuuri's chocolate eyes widened.

"You lost it because of... me?" That's what he feared the most – ruining things, complicating Viktor's life. His lover knew that so he got up from his chair and offered him a hand, their dinner already finished.

"No, solnyshko, of course no" His soothing voice made Yuuri feel better but not forget. "Come cuddle with me?" He smiled when he received a small "yes" as an answer so after they discarded the dishes in the sink they headed towards the sofa. Makkachin was curled on the floor, at their feet and Viktor pulled his lover closer, wrapping his arms around him.

"I am sorry, Viktor"

"I am not sorry for anything" He said and kissed the younger skater's ear. "We did nothing wrong, zoloste. I am sick and tired of hiding who I am" He buried his face in the apple-smelling dark hair and closed his eyes, finally feeling comfortable.

"And still..."

"I am tired of being their perfect just-out-of-the-box national skater" he whispered and Yuuri felt shivers down his spine at the feeling of hot breath behind his ear. "I was confident enough in our bond to come out to the whole world, you freed me" He smiled at his sappy words and then kissed the soft skin of Yuuri's nape.

He expected another wave of blushing but the Japanese turned around to look at him and cupped his cheeks gently only to bring him closer for a soft kiss. It was not urgent and passionate, it was slow and lingering, as a reminder of their love.

"You deserve to be free, Vitya; and no one has the right to subdue you. They are at loss for giving up on someone as talented as you are"

"Thank you" He murmured and leaned in for another kiss. He melted into the touch and sighed happily; He was home, holding his loving fiancé, he was with Yuuri who loved him no matter out, who would never ask him to be something else and who was ever so affectionate and comforting, never holding back from showing him his true feelings. He was exactly where he needed to be.

vozlyublennyy - beloved (Russian)

okaerinasai - welcome home (Japanese)

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! x (I'm sorry if this chapter is a little too much on the domestic - melancholic side but I've been sick lately so a Viktor-centric retrospection was all I could think about. I hope you like it either way!) See you next week!