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Chapter Text

"Yuri! Yuri, hurry up!"

"This is your duffel bag," Yuri muttered as he hefted it up to his shoulder. Victor had already gone down the escalator, leaving Yuri behind with his bag. Yuri managed to get on the escalator going down, but he couldn't help but notice how heavy the bag was. Victor wouldn't have put it down on purpose, right...?

"Yuri! Quick, quick, let's get a selfie in front of your posters!" Victor cheerfully beckoned to Yuri.

"Ehhhhh?" Yuri stumbled as he tried to recoil from the very idea that Victor had just suggested.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Victor already had his phone out and in position.

"Victor, get away from there!" Yuri looked around to see if anyone noticed. They were ahead of the evening rush, if one could call it a rush. Still, there were plenty of people around, and some were looking at them. Even with all those posters around, they were more likely to recognize Victor, right? But then, if someone recognized Victor Nikiforov wanting to take a selfie in front of the poster of Katsuki Yuri, what in the world would they think?! He turned the corner after stepping off the escalator as quickly as he could and went through the turnstile, getting Victor's bag stuck so that he had to try to muscle his way through.

"Yuri! Yuri, be careful!" Victor called out in a loud voice. He came up behind Yuri to give him a final push through. "Aww, but the selfie..."

"Why would you even want that?" Yuri hissed. "...I think they photoshopped my waist in that picture. And I'm sure I never made a face like that, especially not while skating," he groused.

"Really?" Victor looked over his shoulder, but he was also trying to keep up. "I like your expression! There's some at Yu-topia, let's take the selfie there, then! Your parents would like that, right? It would encourage business!"

Yuri flinched. His parents would like that. But. But! "Victor," Yuri looked over his shoulder at Victor. "Why are you so interested in the poster when I'm right here with you?"

"Oh!" Victor brightened, and rushed forward to put his arm around Yuri's shoulder. "That's rather suggestive, Yuri! I'm shocked!"

Yuri flushed, stammering as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to react.

"But," Victor leaned in and spoke into Yuri's ear. "Does that mean you'll take a selfie with me now?" He held his phone up and smiled brightly.

Yuri pulled his mask up and ducked his chin down.

Victor sighed, and Yuri felt a rush of shame flood over him. "A-anyway, we've been traveling... l-let's just... um..." he floundered, looking around. "Oh, did you tell anyone when we'd be arriving?"

"I just said we'd be home for dinner," Victor sunnily shrugged.

"Then, let's get a cab." Yuri moved decidedly in the direction of where the taxis would be waiting, if there were any.

Yuri kept checking, but it didn't seem as if anyone was watching them. At least, no one was taking pictures that he could see. That was good. The station wasn't too big, so they got to the taxi stand fairly quickly. Yuri was going to be happy to be able to put down this heavy duffel bag.

There was one cab waiting when they got there. Yuri told the driver where they were going, and he was relieved that he didn't know the man. The way the driver kept checking the rear view mirror, though, made Yuri think that he knew Yuri. In Hasetsu, just about everyone knew Yuri. It was... claustrophobic, except Yuri refused to think of his home that way. Still, he sat as close to the door as he could, keeping some distance between himself and Victor. He stared out the window, not even sure why he was behaving like he was, just.

They were almost home, and he didn't want to think about anything, especially anything stressful.

"Are you nervous about going home? I'm sure everyone is going to be happy to see you," Victor assured him quietly.

"No, I know," he smiled tentatively at Victor before turning back to look out the window. "It's not that, really."

What was it? He couldn't really explain. And, that was the crux of the problem, wasn't it? Not so long ago, everything seemed straightforward, but they were in Bangkok. It had been like stepping away from the world.

Victor reached out and put his hand over Yuri's, and Yuri had to concentrate on not pulling away. There had been progress in Bangkok. No matter what, he couldn't let himself regress.

When they got home, Yuri would start by apologizing. And. When his parents asked him what he'd been thinking... what would he say so that they wouldn't worry?

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he forgot to direct the driver to take them to the back entrance of the onsen. Victor got the bag, so Yuri paid the man, and from the way he was smiling at Yuri, it was fairly obvious that he knew who Yuri was.

Of course he did. Everyone in Hasetsu had such high expectations for him...

They entered the onsen, and Yuri hoped, stupidly, that no one would be at the front door so they could slip inside quietly.

That would be no way to run a business, though. Mari-neechan was at the desk, and she didn't even bother greeting them or waiting for Yuri to greet her. She just shouted out, "Mom! Dad! Yuri's here!" Yuri froze, and Mari-neechan smirked at him.

He was in for it, wasn't he?

He was aware that Victor was watching him closely, but he couldn't think about anything except the sound of his parents coming running from the kitchen and the dining area. They both came to stand in front of them. Yuri straightened up, and swallowed hard. "Mom... dad... I-" he started, but he didn't have time to bow, even.

"You really gave us a fright!" his dad jovially patted him on the back. "How was Spain?"

"Yuri, welcome home!" his mother took his hands into hers. She bit her lip, and then took a deep breath. "But... even though you're an adult now, please don't just take off without a word! At least take your phone with you. And call home. Mmmhmmm... It's so good to see you!" she squeezed his hands.

"Ah... mom... I'm sorry," he started to bow, but then she pumped his hands up and down.

"That's it! I've decided! As punishment..." His mother's bottom lip quivered, but then she consciously made a resolute face. "...you have to do all the laundry today!"

Yuri blinked, and his jaw went slack. "Ah... I... uh..."

Mari-neechan snorted. "Our spoiled prince, actually doing work. Wonders never cease..."

Yuri turned red and glared at his sister, but then his mother squeezed his hand and held it to her cheek.

"I'm so glad you're home, and you look well... You're all right, aren't you? Did you have fun in Spain? It looked like you were enjoying yourself. Are you hungry? You can eat first! Let's sit down and eat and you can tell us all about it!"

"I'll help you with the laundry," Victor offered, looking at Yuri gently.

"Yeah, there's a great idea. Put two spoiled princes on the job. I don't think the washing machine will survive," Mari-neechan teased.

Yuri glared at her, but his mother shook her head and took Victor's hand, squeezing it, too. "No, no, Vicchan, this is Yuri's punishment. But you did well this time, bringing him back. Good job!"

Victor looked embarrassed. Victor Nikiforov actually looked embarrassed. Yuri should get a picture...

"Yuri, you're not wearing the glove anymore!" his father noticed.

"Ah!" Yuri looked down at his hand, and his mother held it up, grinning. She turned his hand over and looked at his mark. Yuri flushed, and Victor put his hand on Yuri's back, steadying him. "Mm. Yeah. S-sorry... for worrying you..."

Yuri's parents grinned at each other, and then his mother gave him a good tug. "Let's have a nice big meal and you can tell us everything!"

He stretched his hands as high above his head as he could. Despite Mari-neechan's teasing, Yuri did know perfectly well how to do laundry! He had never done laundry at home, sure, but he did his own laundry in Detroit, of course! Unfortunately, there was a big difference between doing two loads on a weekend so he had something to wear and doing ten loads to keep the onsen in towels and guest clothing. Yuri never knew before that laundry could be so tiring!

He was headed to his bed to collapse, but he stopped after walking past Victor's bedroom.

The light was still on.

He'd 'gotten out of' bathing with Victor because of his punishment, but he wasn't at all sure what he wanted, except. He didn't want the progress they'd made in Bangkok to evaporate now that they were back in the 'real world.' They'd danced together, they'd slept in the same bed, they'd talked. They'd... kissed.

Yuri fidgeted, fighting the urge to touch his lips.

He took a deep breath, and then turned back. He knocked on the door quietly, and then he slid it open just enough to peek inside. "Vi-Victor?"

"Come in!" Victor was beaming. He and Makkachin were already in bed, and Makkachin was getting a deep belly rub.

Yuri smiled shyly, and then came inside. Uncertain, he closed the door behind him and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He reached out to pet Makkachin. He thought the poodle would probably prefer to have Victor's attention only, but Makkachin scooted closer to him, so maybe he figured a four-handed belly rub would be better than just a two-handed one.

"How did the laundry go?"

"Well, it's done," Yuri smiled nervously at Victor. They'd made progress... Victor was his soulmate. He edged closer, and dug his fingers into Makkachin's fur. That made Makkachin happy. "Actually, mom did come to keep me company, anyway. So."

"Did you have chores you normally did growing up?" Victor asked. They were both rubbing Makkachin's belly, and the poodle was panting with contentment.

"Mm, well. Not like... not like that, so much, but I did do stuff like sweep the front walk and all! Mari-neechan makes it sound like I never did anything around the house, but it's not like she was working from childhood, either," Yuri groused. He relented, though. "She... did do a lot more around the house when she was in high school or around there, but... she always said she wanted to stay here in Hasetsu and keep this place running. I think. I mean, she never said she wanted to do anything else..." Actually, Yuri just realized that it had never before occurred to him to ask if Mari-neechan wanted to do anything else with her life. He distinctly remembered that after he was certified, she made a joke about how she didn't have any competition for the family business now.

Was that really what she wanted?

Yuri started as Victor smoothed out his hair. Victor smiled at him kindly. "Well. Good job. See? It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, was it?"

Yuri blinked, and then he relaxed just enough to smile. "Y-yeah. True. No one said the word crazy out loud, at least, so..." he joked, but.

Damn. Victor was looking worried now. And, Yuri forgot that Victor's mother had been institutionalized... He bit his lip and looked down into Makkachin's eager and understanding eyes. He would have to watch his dark sense of humor...

"Of course, there's no way to tell what people are thinking..." Victor teased gently, clearly gauging Yuri's reaction carefully.

Yuri felt so relieved, he couldn't help grinning from ear to ear. "As long as they don't say it..." he shrugged.

Victor relaxed, too, seeing that Yuri didn't mind his joke.

Progress. They were making progress. Right?

"I-it must have been boring here, while I was gone. There's not much to do in Hasetsu," Yuri smiled sheepishly. He blinked. "Ah! Not that... not that I guess it's much better if I'm here, but..." He flushed. He was being arrogant, thinking Victor would enjoy his company that much...!

"I like it here!" Victor smiled brightly. "I played with Makkachin every day, I ate katsudon, I bathed in a huge, hot bath... I got to skate every day in a rink all my own. It would have been more fun if you had been here, too... but you're here now." Victor reached across Makkachin's belly and touched Yuri's hand.

Yuri bit his lip. He looked at their hands, and then he turned his hand over to squeeze Victor's hand.

Makkachin whined.

"Spoiled puppy!" Victor sighed affectionately, leaning in to rub his nose against Makkachin's. He wasn't letting go of Yuri's hand.

Yuri swallowed hard and smiled. "A-and just who is it that spoiled him?"

"It's quite a mystery!" Victor serenely wondered. "I think Makkachin uses his cuteness to mind control people into spoiling him! You should see him work the dining area at dinner!"

"Well, most of the regulars would be used to it. Vicchan used to do the same thing," Yuri admitted.

"Poodles are such divas!" Victor shook his head.

"Like master, like puppy?" Yuri teased quietly.

"Does that mean you have an inner diva? I bet you do," Victor smirked at him.

Yuri flushed. "I-I doubt I'd ever be good enough to be considered a diva..."

"I believe in you," Victor replied, and Yuri felt his stomach churn as warmth flooded his body. "I look forward to Yuri's diva phase! I can see it, Yuri entering a stadium before a festival, hair slicked back, sunglasses in place, a thick black feather boa around his neck, ignoring all his fans and the reporters..."

"Stop, stop, stop," Yuri laughed. He squeezed Victor's hand, but he started to feel nervous. Was this all right? Victor wasn't letting go... "What are you even imagining? That's not me at all!"

Victor was smiling at him, and Yuri's heart was pounding. "Mm, well, I suppose not, but it might be interesting to see. You could pull it off! That mysterious, aloof aura... and, of course, you would only warm up for me. The fans would love it!"

"What sort of nonsense are you spouting!" Yuri laughed before he even thought about what he was saying. "Ugh, forget about that stuff. I've got a long way to go before I can start thinking about stuff like that, even."

"True, true," Victor relented. He leaned up and over Makkachin to kiss Yuri's temple. "First things first, of course."

Makkachin whimpered and turned onto his belly, and then he began vigorously licking Yuri's face.

Laughing, Yuri had to let go of Victor's hand to put his hands on Makkachin's face. "Ok, Makkachin, ok, ok!"

"Mm, Yuri is so well-loved!" Victor marveled.

Yuri flushed and opened his mouth to protest. He saw the way Victor was looking at him, and Phichit's words came back to him. Maybe you should start looking at him when he's looking at you. Then you'll see it for yourself. Yuri tried not to look away, but it was hard to look, too. Victor was... too beautiful? He leaned over to kiss Victor's nose, and Makkachin happily turned to lick Victor, too. "S-so are you," Yuri muttered, too embarrassed to do anything but stare at the blanket.

"Well. That works out well," Victor said gently.

Yuri felt like his whole body was burning with embarrassment. But. Was this, too... because he was happy? "I-I should let you get to sleep... Um..."

"You can stay here, if you want, there's plenty of room," Victor offered eagerly. "Makkachin would like that, too."

"Uh. Um." Yuri didn't know where to look. "I-I shouldn't intrude. Er. That is. Th-this is your bed, and..."

"I slept in your bed while you were gone. It's only fair," Victor suggested.

"You... wait... what?" Yuri blinked.

Victor looked sheepish. "Well, I was lonely for you! So was Makkachin!" Victor held Makkachin under his chin, looking cute.

Yuri blinked several times. "Ah... I... I see... well..." He wasn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, Victor Nikiforov had been in his bed. That was like every wet dream he'd ever had rolled up into one. Good thing he'd taken his posters down... And Victor, his soulmate, had been lonely for him. He... couldn't even process all his feelings about that. But. "I-I guess... that's understandable. But... I should. I should go... f-for now." Implying, maybe...? That someday...

Someday... would it be normal for him to share a bed with Victor? Probably. But, he wasn't really sure how they would go from being... whatever they were now to people who shared a bed like it was normal. Victor seemed ready to just do it, but.

Was Yuri holding them back?

"All right," Victor relented quietly. If Yuri had the courage to be looking at his face... he might see his expression, he might know more about how things stood between them. "Oh, I think I got all my things out of your drawers, but I might have left something behind by accident."

"Ah, that's... you... you went through my drawers?" Yuri froze.

"I was just curious, and it was easier to have some of my things in the same room where I was sleeping!" Victor explained defensively.

"Mm, well, that makes sense... So you just... made use of a few drawers?" Yuri asked.

"Yes. But I did look through all of them," Victor openly admitted.

"A-all of them?" Yuri shuddered, moving back to the edge of the bed.

"Yes... and I did notice something that worried me..." Victor sighed.

A shiver ran down Yuri's spine. Victor found Yuri's stash of posters... and he was now going to ask Yuri about them, about whether Yuri was just a really successful stalker...

"Why are all of your underwear the same black boxer briefs? I mean, they look good on you, but don't you have days when you want to wear red? Or maybe something more... liberating? Like a bikini, or even a thong!" Victor was getting excited.

Yuri felt like he was missing something. "Er. No, my underwear is fine, that's the kind I like. B-but, you really went through all my drawers?"

"Just a little. I didn't want to intrude. I couldn't help it, really. It's like when you go to a party at someone's house, you just can't help looking through the medicine cabinet, right? But I didn't disturb anything, I promise!" Victor assured Yuri.

No, that wasn't his concern at all. But. "Ah, that's fine, it's just..." How to ask Victor if he thought the posters were strange without giving away that the posters were strange???

"Oh! Are you worried about your poster collection?" Victor leaned forward eagerly. "Don't worry! I straightened them out a little because some were getting a little crumpled, but that's it!"

"Thank you," Yuri replied automatically. Wait...

"You know, I have all the same posters!" Victor happily informed him.

Yuri blinked. He didn't want to laugh. That would be bad. But he couldn't help grinning. "Ah... that's. That's good."

Victor beamed at him. "I'm glad you're not mad. I know I've been invading your space since I arrived..."

"That's all right! I mean... well..." Yuri fidgeted. "I understand. Um, why you have been, essentially..."

"That's a relief!" Victor exhaled.

Yuri smiled at him. "W-well... I suppose... I should..." He started to get up.

A flash of disappointment passed over Victor's face, and then he put on a smile. "Ok! Well, sleep well, Yuri."

"Y-yeah," Yuri hesitated. He... he kind of... wanted to kiss Victor good night. But. He wasn't sure... "Um, you, too. Sleep well, Victor. And Makkachin," he rubbed Makkachin's head, wishing he wasn't such a coward.

"Let's have breakfast together before going to the Ice Castle," Victor suggested.

It felt like he was just trying to keep Yuri from leaving for even a few more seconds. If Yuri could just feel more self-assured, he wouldn't be sleeping in a different room, would he? "Ok. Well. S-sladkikh snov, Victor." Victor's eyes widened. Yuri regretted it instantly. He was probably misremembering the phrase. "Did I say that right? I'm sorry..."

"No! It was perfect." Victor was glowing. "It was really nice... hearing Yuri speaking Russian." Victor was flushed, too, his cheeks looking even more perfect with a hint of pink underneath. "Sweet dreams to you, too. My Yuri."

Yuri couldn't breathe for a second. He should absolutely kiss Victor. He shouldn't be leaving at all. He should stay, and he should kiss Victor a lot.

Instead, he nodded and stumbled off of the bed and out of the room.

Idiot, idiot, idiot.

But.

He hadn't... let their progress deteriorate, had he? Maybe... they'd even made some more progress?

Maybe a little.

Victor had been through all of his drawers.

Yuri got to his room, and he looked around. Just... what had Victor seen?

He blinked. His phone was on top of his desk, and it was charging. That was nice of Victor, though it meant he'd also been through Yuri's backpack. Oh, well. He picked up his phone and looked at it.

He had so many notifications, he couldn't even scroll through them all.

He put his phone back down and plopped onto the bed. That was too much trouble, he'd deal with that later. He had to get a good night's rest.

He had to get up when Victor did so they could have breakfast together.

Yuri's first thought in the morning was that there was no possible way that Victor could be his soulmate after all; it was inconceivable that the person best suited to him in all the world could be so damned cheerful in the morning. He managed to keep that thought to himself while they had breakfast together, and then they took Makkachin to the Ice House to begin practice. At least that was familiar, though Yuri was always bad at morning practices. Victor criticized him for everything, even his edges. Though Yuri felt frustrated, he was relieved at the same time.

His first and only priority had to be getting into condition to compete again, right?

They took a break for lunch, and they took Makkachin for a walk near the shore. Yuri stretched out under a tree while Victor played with Makkachin. He could hear Victor calling out to Makkachin, and Victor's laughter, and Makkachin's barks. He didn't fall asleep, but he felt more at ease and relaxed than he had ever felt before. After a while, it became quiet. Yuri was aware that Makkachin was close by from his panting. He opened one eye a crack to find that Victor's face was very close to his, and Victor was staring at him. Yuri started, moving back, but he smiled instantly, suppressing his laughter before he even thought about it. He had a strange sense of déjà vu... what was it...

Oh, yeah. Waking up to find Vicchan staring at him. Only, now, Vicchan had become...

Yuri had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "What... what are you doing?" he choked out while holding back his mirth.

"I was wondering if you were asleep or not! I thought you were watching us, and then when I looked over, your eyes were closed! Ah, but Yuri's sleeping face is beautiful, too, so...!" Victor sighed dramatically.

Yuri shook his head. He reached up tentatively and pulled a leaf out of Victor's messy hair. He had probably been rolling around in the grass with Makkachin, hadn't he? They'd better brush Makkachin when they got home... When Yuri's fingers touched Victor's head, Victor's eyes widened and his lips formed a small oh, like Yuri's fingers were everything he'd wanted.

But that was...

Victor started to move in closer to Yuri, and Yuri's heart began to pound. He... he was going to be kissed, right? Again?? Victor blinked when he got close, maybe seeing the expression on Yuri's face. Did Yuri look like he didn't want to be kissed??? Victor smiled, and put his head on Yuri's shoulder. He sighed, and he sounded happy, but...??? Yuri's heart was pounding even harder now. He could smell Victor's hair. He could kiss the top of Victor's head if he wanted.

"Being groomed by Yuri feels so good!" Victor exclaimed happily.

"What?" Yuri grinned. "Are you my puppy now?"

"I don't mind," Victor looked up at Yuri from under his bangs. "I've always wanted to belong to someone..." he added quietly, his arm snaking around Yuri's stomach.

Yuri's thoughts were in a flurry. Belong... to... Yuri hadn't really thought about that ever. But. He put his arm around Victor's shoulder, hoping he wasn't shaking. "Well, fine. But don't expect me to clean up after you."

"Hey, hey," Victor objected, laughing. Unfortunately, he also lifted his head from Yuri's shoulder. "Let's not take this metaphor too far!"

"Oh, you don't want me to get you a collar, then?" Yuri teased.

Victor's eyes started to shine, and Yuri blushed realizing that Victor Nikiforov absolutely would wear a collar if he got him one. No, he'd wear Yuri's collar if he got him one.

Yuri's heart was going to break out of his ribcage.

Makkachin started to lick Yuri's face.

Victor shook his head, rubbing Makkachin's head. "Hey, hey. I'm allowed to have special Yuri-time, too!" he pouted.

Yuri blushed, looking from Victor to Makkachin. He suddenly remembered sitting in front of the family altar looking at Vicchan's picture for the first time. Feeling fat and ugly and useless, a total failure... That wasn't so long ago. And now... Overwhlemed, Yuri scratched behind Makkachin's ear. He leaned in and pretended to whisper to the pooch, "I think Victor wants kisses, too."

"Oh?" Victor smiled sexily. "But which one of you will give me kisses?"

Yuri froze, and then he looked at Victor. He... he could just... kiss him, right now, he could just...

Makkachin moved in and plopped onto Yuri's lap to get a better angle on licking Yuri's face.

Laughing, Yuri dug his fingers into Makkachin's fur. "Makkachin, Makkachin! W-we were supposed to be giving Victor kisses!"

"Mm, well, I guess I can't complain," Victor sighed. He was also petting Makkachin. "This just proves that we're soulmates, after all. For so long, Makkachin was the only companion I had. I would never be able to love anyone Makkachin didn't love, too." He was looking so warmly at both Yuri and Makkachin.

Yuri felt his whole world tilt on its axis. Quickly, before he lost his nerve, he leaned in and kissed Victor's cheek. "W-well, M-Makkachin is a sweet dog, s-so I doubt that'd be a problem..."

Victor was beaming. "You'd be surprised! He usually sticks pretty close to me, unless food is involved." Victor grinned as he rubbed Makkachin's head. "My mother got Makkachin for me... She said he would take care of me, since she... couldn't. Makkachin is very smart, he understood what she wanted. She chose a poodle because they're sensitive and affectionate. But, Makkachin has never been as affectionate with anyone else but me, so it's definitely a sign!"

Yuri was speechless. Makkachin turned and licked Victor's face, causing Victor to laugh. He couldn't help but think about Vicchan. He'd gotten a brown toy poodle because he'd wanted a dog like Victor's. He didn't know that poodles were especially sensitive or affectionate, but Vicchan had been. Vicchan had been there for him after every bad day, every time Yuri felt like the world was too much. Because Victor's mother wanted him to have a dog who would be affectionate and loving with him, Yuri got a dog that was affectionate and loving. And Yuri... had really needed and loved Vicchan. Slowly, Yuri started to smile. "Mm. Fate... has a funny sense of humor."

Victor blinked. "How so?"

There were about ten thousand things Yuri could think of to answer that question, but Victor's eyes were so clear and innocent... Yuri shook his head. "I'm just... really grateful that I get to get to know you." Yuri smiled, and then he leaned in and kissed Victor again, this time on the corner of his mouth.

Makkachin excitedly licked Victor's face all over.

Victor laughed happily.

Yuri bowed an extra three times before leaving the ramen stall. Victor was looking at him with amusement, but Yuri just backed out of the stall deferentially. Once they were walking down the street, Makkachin happily trotting alongside, Victor put his arm around Yuri's shoulders. Yuri was pretty sure he controlled his instinct to flinch. Victor wasn't letting go.

This... would become normal to him, wouldn't it?

"Considering it was your first day back to practice, you lazy slacker, you seem to be doing just fine! It must be nice to have such stamina! I guess that means I should work you even harder tomorrow!" Victor cheerfully commented.

"Please don't say such scary things," Yuri smiled sheepishly.

It took him a block, but he realized... Victor knew the way back to Yu-topia. He was heading there without needing directions.

Victor Nikiforov knew his way around Hasetsu.

Yuri was staring at his feet, trying to process that. But, it wasn't just that. It was spending a day at practice once again, with Victor coaching him with tips and pointers and insights. It was having dinner with Victor and laughing when they found out they shared a favorite restaurant in Boston. It was Victor teasing him about being lazy. There were too many things to process, and it didn't help that he kept getting flashbacks to Bangkok and dancing all night with Victor.

Nope, no way he could wrap his head around this.

Makkachin barked as they got to the intersection, and Yuri's head snapped up. "Ah!"

Victor looked at him quizzically.

"I just realized... I used to always... we should go this way," Yuri pulled Victor along. Victor was confused, but willing to go anywhere Yuri told him to, something else Yuri would have to process later. Makkachin whimpered, and then bounded after them.

Yuri took them down the block, and then to an alley. He turned down to an adjoining alley, looking around to be sure. It would have been hard to get lost, of course.

"Yuri? Where are...?" Victor started.

Yuri smiled at him. "I... I used to take Vicchan this way whenever I took him for a walk. Ah!" He led them straight up ahead. The alley they were in was behind a row of stores, and a few of them had their back doors open as they cleaned up for the night. One in particular... Yuri peeked inside, and then stood back.

A man came out carrying a crate filled with refuse. He brightened up when he saw them. "Yuri-kun! It's good to see you! Oh, for a minute, I thought Vicchan had gotten awfully big!" he laughed.

"Ah, no," Yuri bowed to him. "This is Makkachin. He's Victor's dog. Um, this is... is Victor Nikiforov, ahm, erm..."

"Oh, yes, the soulmate," the man winked at Yuri.

Yuri was completely stunned at the notion that someone would define Victor in relation to him, so he chose to ignore that. He turned mechanically to Victor, and explained, "Th-this is Koga-san. O-our butcher."

"Does Makkachin like freeze dried liver as much as Vicchan did?" Koga-san asked, rubbing Makkachin's head.

Makkachin was looking at him hopefully, as if he could understand.

Victor looked at Yuri and Yuri smiled at Victor, so Victor smiled at Koga-san. "I don't think he's ever had it. Would you like a treat, Makkachin?"

Makkachin barked happily that, yes, indeed he would enjoy at nice treat.

Koga-san laughed, and winked at Yuri. "All right! I'll be right back!"

Yuri smiled sheepishly at Victor. "Vicchan used to scratch at the door until Koga-san came out with a treat."

"Are all poodles spoiled?" Victor asked, lovingly rubbing Makkachin's ear.

Makkachin happily barked as if to say yes!

Koga-san came back out with a piece of liver in white paper, which he handed to Yuri. Awkwardly, Yuri took it. He thought Victor would have been feeding Makkachin. Victor's expression encouraged him, though, so he took the meat in his fingers and offered it to Makkachin.

It was gone in a second, and Makkachin chewed happily until it was gone. His tail vigorously wagged, and he happily barked his thanks to both Yuri and Koga-san.

"He really is a cute one! Plenty more where that came from, so don't be a stranger!" Koga-san winked at Yuri. "Say hi to your parents for me, Yuri-kun!"

"I will, Koga-san," Yuri bowed. "Thank you."

"Thank you, Koga-san!" Victor echoed, and then he bowed. "Makkachin, say thank you!"

The world had become too surreal for Yuri to understand.

As they left the alley, Victor slipped his arm around Yuri's waist, his hand resting on Yuri's hip. Yuri's eyes widened. Victor started to tell him something about shopping for truffles, but Yuri couldn't focus because their legs kept rubbing against each other, and Victor's hand was so warm.

They got home, and Yuri hadn't even been aware of anything since the alley.

Victor happily called out that they were home, and Yuri bit his lip to keep from reminding Victor that they'd come in the front door like a guest and this was still a place of business. Nevertheless, Yuri's parents came out to greet them, though they were beaten to the punch by Minako-sensei.

"Yuri!" she barreled straight for him, and then she bopped him on the head. "Don't make me worry like that again!"

"Ahhh!" Yuri rubbed his head. She hadn't held back! "S-sorry, Minako-sensei... Truly. Thank you for everything." He bowed his head to her.

She made a face, grumbling incoherently, and then she reached out to straighten his fringe. "It's just good to see you safe at home. Though. You did a fine job in Madrid, but I'm fairly sure I didn't teach you to dance the flamenco with such sloppy posture. I realize it was a variation of the dance, and it wasn't supposed to be technically perfect, but you have to pay attention to the details. I've always told you, be mindful of your wrists and ankles, right? You really should devote some practice time in the studio..."

"Minako-sensei," Yuri cut her off with a smile.

She sighed. "Fine, fine. Oh," she grabbed his wrist. "I have something for you."

Yuri had no choice but to follow her. She brought him to the table in the dining area where she'd been drinking and poking at her dinner. She pulled him to sit down next to her, and Victor sat down on his other side right away. He blinked in surprise at Victor, and Victor just smiled brightly in reply.

"Here!" Minako pulled a small package out of her purse. "This came to me, but it's for you. It's from Malta." She was looking at him eagerly, so he figured he had no choice.

He opened the box roughly. Inside, there were three letters, a rolled up t-shirt, and something wrapped in tissue. He looked at the letters. He didn't recognize the handwriting... "Ah, it's from Mireli... and Ariana and Raul. But, they're in Spanish." He sighed. Mireli had written him in English, at least.

"I can read it for you," Minako-sensei reached for the letters, but Yuri shoved them toward Victor.

He smiled sheepishly at Minako-sensei while Victor calmly slipped the letters into his pocket. "It's ok, I'll read them later. They're probably just mad at me for taking off so quickly." Whoops, that might not make her feel any better...

She made a face, but she didn't say anything more. Sighing, she picked up the t-shirt and unrolled it. It was the shirt from Francisco's festival. Minako-sensei nodded, and then she picked up the paper-wrapped item.

"Oy, oy," Yuri objected, but it didn't stop her.

"Eh? Yuri, why'd you buy a necklace?" she asked.

Yuri's eyes widened. That was...

"What a cute, cheap souvenir!" Victor rather mercilessly enthused.

Yuri flushed. "Mm, yeah, i-it's really nothing. We were walking around Madrid, and they wanted me to buy something in this beautiful open-air plaza place, so..."

"That was Plaza Mayor, right?" Victor asked eagerly. "I've been there! It's quaint, isn't it?"

"Maybe we aren't talking about the same place," Yuri considered. The place he'd bought the necklace was very old and beautiful... not quaint.

"Who were you planning to give this to? Hiroko?" Minako-sensei frowned.

"Hmmmm," Mari-neechan suddenly leaned down between Minako-sensei and Yuri. She grinned broadly. "What a... pretty color, don't you think, Minako-sensei? I don't think Yuri bought that thinking he'd give it to anyone..."

Yuri blushed. Damn it, Mari-neechan saw right through him...!

"Eh? What do you mean? It's blue... bluish..." Minako-sensei was examining the necklace, frowning.

Yuri reached out and took it, grabbing the t-shirt, too. "Minako-sensei, thank you very much for bringing this! A-and I'm sorry, again, for... for making things difficult for you. Thank you, but Victor and I haven't bathed yet, so..." He got up, indicating to Victor to follow.

"Yay, I get to bathe with Yuri again!" Victor cheerfully sang out.

Yuri flinched, but he continued up to his room, ignoring Mari-neechan's chuckles.

Victor stayed close on his heels all the way up the stairs, and... right to Yuri's room. He knew that Victor was bypassing his own door, but he didn't turn to look at Victor until he was opening his own bedroom door.

"Um, Victor..."

"I've got your letters!" Victor stepped inside of Yuri's room, and Makkachin trotted in after him. Sighing, Yuri admitted defeat. He was about to thank Victor for holding onto them, but as soon as he closed the door, Victor continued. "I'm guessing you didn't want Minako to read them in case they mentioned what happened in Italy," he said quietly.

Yuri froze, and then he smiled crookedly. "Well... no point in getting them worried about something that didn't..."

"They're already worried," Victor cut in. "Because they know you got hurt. They just don't want to press you into talking about it. Neither do I," he sat down on Yuri's bed, smiling sheepishly. "But... not to sound repetitive, if you did want to talk about it..."

Makkachin jumped up on Yuri's bed and made himself comfortable, his head on Yuri's pillow. Yuri smiled, and sat down at his desk. "Thank you. I'll... keep that in mind."

Victor smiled at him while he stroked Makkachin's fur. He held out Yuri's letters with his free hand. "Do you... need help reading them?"

Yuri blinked. "You can read Spanish?!" He didn't know that! Victor was so amazing!

"I can read French," Victor shrugged cutely. "I can probably help you... piece it together."

Yuri grinned, and took the letters. "Thanks. I can use the app on my phone to translate it. It's not perfect, but it'll probably be good enough."

"O~kay," Victor sighed, and put his head down on Yuri's pillow next to Makkachin's head. "Mm, Yuri's bed smells like Yuri again!"

Yuri shoved the letters under his laptop, but he couldn't take his eyes off the sight of Victor's back, or his head on Yuri's pillow. "So shameless. Laying down on someone's bed when you haven't even bathed yet," Yuri said quietly.

Victor looked over his shoulder at Yuri, grinning. "Care to join me?"

"Looks like Makkachin's got my space. No more room." Yuri shrugged, blushing.

"There's always room for more," Victor promised, and he turned onto his back, holding his arms up in the air for Yuri.

Yuri couldn't help laughing. "You... certainly look like a... comfortable bed... but I wasn't kidding! We went out to eat straight from practice, we have to bathe!"

"Right, right," Victor chuckled, sitting up. "Hey, Yuri. Why did you buy that necklace?"

Yuri opened his mouth. Certainly, it would be easy to brush him off, or even lie. But, Yuri hated that he was even thinking of that. "...Don't be offended. I thought the stone... I thought it was close to the color of your eyes. I-I mean, now that I'm... that we're... I know it's not nearly as pretty... and it was just a cheap souvenir, sorry..."

Victor's eyes were shining, though. "You really were thinking of me when you were in Spain."

"I've been thinking of you since I first saw you skate," Yuri shrugged half-heartedly. And then he realized what he'd just said. "Ah, I didn't mean..."

Victor got up, beaming. He put his hands on Yuri's shoulders, and he leaned in. Once again, Yuri thought he was going to be kissed. Victor stopped just short, though, and then he smiled. "Do you like the color of my eyes? Yuri?"

Yuri's eyes widened, and he felt like his heart was going to burst.

Victor touched his lips to Yuri's nose. "Let's get ready, then! We're going to the bath together, right? Right, Yuri?"

"Yes, yes," Yuri mumbled, wishing he had the courage to kiss Victor.

Yuri closed the door behind him. He and Victor had been the last ones to the use the bath, so he helped his father straighten up. Then, he and Victor talked in Victor's room until Victor couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. It was cute, seeing Victor trying to fight off sleep to chat with him more. Yuri felt guilty, though, because he knew Victor wanted him to stay the night. He felt even worse when Makkachin whined at him while he left. He felt too guilty about leaving to even really think about it, but...

Another night was passing without him kissing Victor goodnight.

He sat at his desk, thinking he would check his email on his laptop, but then he remembered the letters. He opened Mireli's first, since he could read it directly.

Dear Yuri,
 
I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you off. Ariana didn't have any details, but it sounds like something bad happened. I won't press you to let me know that you're all right, but I hope that you found your way back to where you were meant to be. In retrospect, I wonder if we were any use to you at all? I thought I was being helpful, but maybe that was just my own perception. Actually, I don't think you needed help as much as you needed time, and, well, THAT you had. I want to believe that your 'vacation' with us was more good than bad.
 
During the upcoming season, if you like, remember that you have fans out here that you danced with over the summer, and that we'll be looking forward to seeing the colors you create again. When you skated at the rink at the Plaza Oriente, I didn't tell you at the time because you looked like you wanted to run away, but it was impressive. I have no doubt that the disappointments of the last season are a thing of the past. In fact, I might be near Marseille at the time of the Grand Prix Final, so maybe I'll be there, cheering you on!
 
Our paths crossed once, Yuri. Until they cross again, may the road before you be even,
 
Mireli

Smiling, Yuri tucked that letter away. He could almost hear her voice as he was reading it...

He opened his phone to read the next letter. He laid the letter flat on his desk, and then he opened the translation app. He chose the 'scan' feature. He had to stand with his knee on his chair to get the right angle for the app to 'see' the letter in its entirety. He pushed the button when he had the letter properly focused, and then the app did its work. The words on the page blurred, and then became Japanese text. He sat down to read.

YURI!!!!!
 
God, I'm not even really sure what happened, but I'm so sorry !!! Giada is a bitch, and Luca is not much better. They both said that you had problems with another guest, so you decided to leave, but people were talking about someone bleeding the night you left, and Giada and Luca throwing someone else ???? I know they would not kick YOU out, but ...
 
Mireli said I should have faith in you, and I should not bother you with trivial concerns, and I know she's right that you're working on your spell and you have that complicated relationship ... I'm just. Really worried. And I feel sick to leave you alone in the villa. I hope you are well. Let me know if you are not, or if you are, or if you are angry at me ... I would like to say. But I guess I should listen to Mireli. She's always right about everything, you know. ( •᷄⌓•᷅ )
 
ANYWAY, the dance group is broken for now, and I'm going back to Seville. Even if I wanted you to contact me, I'm not really sure what to tell you because my phone contract is up and I need to save up some money. I'm taking a chance and meeting a friend from my childhood ... who may or may not be more than a friend. These complicated relationships will kill us! Mireli mentioned going to Marseille for the Grand Prix final. I told her that if you're going to be there, she had to buy me a ticket, too. So, let's hope we see each other before the end of the year!
 
♡
Ariana

Complicated relationships... huh... He looked at the wall as if he could see through it into Victor's room. Well, see through it and the wall of the storage room next to it into Victor's room... He sighed, and got ready to read Raul's letter.

Yuri,
 
It was not clear what happened, but I told Mireli that we had to send you your memories, so she called Francisco to send her an address. Seriously, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. No one really knew what happened that night in the villa, but from what I could gather, it was not good. I told you that I would have your back, but the party started to warm up and I started to drink ...
 
I'm sorry I was not there to support you. I hope you have no ill will towards us.
 
Since the company is disbanding for now, I'm going back to my family home for a while. It is in a small town in the province of Jaén, and there is nothing more than olive trees. My parents are getting older. My sister lives with them, but she and her family are on vacation this summer, so I guess it's my turn to take care of them. It's been years since I got home for a period of time ... I thought of you when you said you had not been home for five years. I hope I do not end up fleeing to another country, but life is an endless adventure!
 
Mireli says that once you meet someone, you are bound to meet them again. I really do not see how that can be true, but I hope we can meet again so I can apologize in person. Good luck with your season, Yuri !! I will be encouraging you!
 
Raul

Yuri put his phone down and leaned back in his chair, staring sightlessly toward the ceiling. His head was swirling with thoughts. Raul didn't have to feel guilty. Maybe he could write to Mireli so she could pass on the message...? But, he hadn't kept the box the package was sent in... he could probably track it down, but Mireli was always on the move... Ariana was getting back with an ex? Or... someone who could have been an ex? Mireli would be in Marseille. Yuri was already plenty motivated to get to Marseille, but it was a long way off. And there were so many things going on...

He thought of skating at the Plaza Oriente, and about skating at Giada and Luca's villa. He wondered what Victor would have thought of his colors. More than anything... More than anything...

He wanted to create a spell that would take Victor's breath away.

If he was being honest with himself, that had probably been his goal ever since he first saw Victor skating. To be on the same ice with him, to be able to create colors with him...

Yuri took a deep breath, and then scrubbed his eyes. He got onto his feet somehow, and turned off the light, ready to fall into bed.

If only it were that simple to just turn off his thoughts. If he wanted to be the kind of sorcerer that would make Victor gasp in amazement, he'd need to get practicing, and that meant getting a good night's rest.

Yuri skated over to where Victor was standing and grabbed his water bottle. Victor noticed that he was watching Victor from the corner of his eye as he drank. Yuri gulped down his water, and the he braced himself.

"Hmm... You sure do have a lot of stamina! How long have we been at this?" Victor wondered, looking around as if seeing a clock might answer his question.

"What do you think?" Yuri asked. They'd been practicing jumps all day. Yuri had asked Victor to teach him all the jumps he knew.

"...I can't think of anything more to suggest. A lot of it is mental. You need more confidence. That's what practice is for! We'll keep at it!" Victor sunnily told him.

Yuri smiled half-heartedly. Victor knew his words sounded hollow. In that case...

Victor slid in closer, and looked Yuri right in the eye. "I'll do everything I can to help build up your confidence, don't worry. Are you the type to respond to praise? Or do you want to be punished?" he licked his lips suggestively.

"Eh?" Yuri blinked, stunned.

Victor wanted to kiss Yuri. He was cute and sweet and he had an air of innocence to him that was beautiful. Victor liked being able to make Yuri look at him like that.

"Um, excuse us... we don't want to interrupt..."

Victor did not sigh, because that would be rude and he was a guest. But mentally, he was sighing. Yuko and Nishigori were standing a few meters away, and Yuko was holding her phone with both hands.

"We don't really mind interrupting," Nishigori corrected his wife under his breath.

Victor smiled brightly at them in his most spectacularly natural fashion, but Yuri spoke up first.

"Of course not, what's up?"

"It's just... we thought you should know..." she looked at her husband from the corner of her eye, and then she moved closer to show Yuri and Victor her phone. "The internet is blowing up with rumors. It started on Victor's fanclub page, but now it's all over Twitter and Instagram, too. People have been examining the photos Phichit posted that night in Bangkok..." she looked shyly at her feet. How sweet! Victor was happy those photos were getting attention, though! They were both so beautiful in them! "There's a few where your mark can be seen on Victor's hand. People are speculating that the two of you are soulmates, or at the very least, that Victor has a soulmate."

Both Yuko and Nishigori were watching Yuri with rapt attention. The way they fussed over him...! Victor found that he was holding his breath, too, though. They'd been making progress, and their time in Bangkok had been... special. But how would Yuri react to...?

"Mm, I figured as much," Yuri shrugged, giving Yuko back her phone.

"Eh?" both Nishigori's said in unison.

Yuri smiled at them slyly. "Well, I noticed the mark in a few pics, too, so I figured it wouldn't be long before people put two and two together."

"Ah... well... you're ok with it, then? Are you going to... I don't know, what do people do in this situation? Have a press conference or something?" Yuko mused.

"You could just post something to your own account. Well, since Yuri never posts anything, I suppose Victor would have to. Don't people do that nowadays, post a pic of their mark and all?" Nishigori shrugged.

"Sure, normal people do that. Ah, not that you're not normal!" Though, from the way she was looking at him, Victor suspected that Yuko didn't consider him a normal person. That was fine, because Victor didn't, either.

"That's not really necessary. I have to stay focused. If I can't manifest this season..." Yuri trailed off.

The Nishigori's were looking at him with concern. That wouldn't do at all! Victor put his hand on the small of Yuri's back and propped his chin on Yuri's shoulder. "Stop that," he purred. "It's going to be a beautiful season. I already know it."

Yuri blushed. "V-Victor..."

"If you were anticipating this, then it's fine. It's probably just as well not to make too big a deal out of it, at least until you want to. There's no right way to do this, so no need to follow some silly internet trend," Nishigori shrugged.

"Yeah, but there are wrong ways to do it. Right, Takeshi?" Yuko smirked, poking her husband with her elbow. "Yuri's handling it better than you did, at least."

"What are you saying?" he blushed, gently pushing her back as he ignored her laughter. "Not to be rude, but I don't recall running off to another hemisphere. Sorry, Yuri."

"Er..." Yuri edged away from Nishigori, which fortunately moved him closer to Victor.

"You would have if you could have. I remember you accusing me of trapping you, of all things." Nishigori turned bright red. "If I'm not mistaken, you were in tears in my bedroom, begging me to undo whatever it is you did to me," she laughed.

"Ok, ok, ok, look, it was a confusing time, we both said things then, let's not dredge up the past," Nishigori shook his head.

"Huh? I was there when you were marked! You were happy!" Yuri protested.

"We were in shock, I think," Yuko laughed. "There was a period of adjustment. And a fair amount of denial. As well as some tears from a big baby who didn't think he'd be stuck with a girl his whole life," she tried to pinch Nishigori, but he curled up to defend himself.

"I think both of us saw ourselves with someone else in the future. We both had to adjust!" Nishigori laughed.

"Eh?" Yuri pouted.

"Takashi definitely had his eyes on a certain someone else," Yuko winked at Yuri. "All of the time. To the point where he was a nuisance."

"Eh? Who?" Yuri looked dazed.

Nishigori blinked, and then he sighed. "I would have guessed that would have been your reaction, but it still stings a little."

"I knew it," Victor muttered under his breath, moving in closer to Yuri. He couldn't be too possessive because it might annoy Yuri, but...

"Eh?" Yuri looked around at all three of them for a clue.

"Let's just say that Takeshi has been a Yuri-otaku for a lot longer that nearly anyone else. It's no coincidence that he's the founder of the Yuri Fanclub. First loves last forever," she teased both her husband and Yuri.

Victor's soulmate was still clueless, though. "What?" his brow was furrowed adorably. Victor wanted to kiss his cheek, at least.

Nishigori sighed, smoothing his hair back. "This whole soulmark stuff is really poorly planned out. I doubt it ever happens to anyone who's expecting it. Who came up with that, anyway? Ah, just think... I could have such a sweet and adorable partner now..."

Yuko snorted. "Keep dreaming. Pretty sure you were never his type." She was looking pointedly at Victor, and she winked playfully at him.

Victor smirked.

"His type?" Yuri looked confused.

"Takeshi was the dumb kid who bullied the person he liked. When he saw this one cute boy for the first time, Takashi thought he was so precious, he skated over, pushed him down, and called him fat," Yuko whispered loudly to Yuri.

"Eh? That's what he did to me! You did that to more than one person?" Yuri asked Nishigori, horrified.

Nishigori now looked like he could melt into a puddle and soak into the floor. "I-it was my plan to get his attention," he informed his wife. "And it worked. Basically. So. There," he childishly finished.

"Huh?" Yuri looked at Victor.

Victor couldn't hold back anymore. He put his arms around Yuri from behind. This much wasn't pushing it, was it? "Ignore them. They're just teasing you for their own amusement. It's much too late for a childhood crush to sneak in, anyway," Victor purred.

"Ehh??" Yuri's body was rigid, but he also latched onto Victor's arm and held it in place.

Victor smiled into Yuri's hair.

"Nobody's trying to sneak in anywhere! I no longer have regrets... mostly," he gave his wife side-eye. "Anyway, the only point was... this soulmark stuff is confusing. It's better to take your time with it. The only plus side is... you're in it together. So, as long as you talk things out..." He halfway shrugged. "But, well. You probably aren't looking for advice. It seems like you two are getting along a lot better now, anyway."

Yuri flushed, and his chin dipped down, resting on Victor's arm. "Ah... I don't really get what you three were talking about... but. Mm. Thanks, Nishigori."

"Ohho, now he'll be in a good mood all day. Nice job, Yuri!" Yuko gave Yuri a thumbs up.

"C'mon, let's leave them to practice," Nishigori sighed, dragging his wife away.

"Aw... but I was having fun!" Yuko objected, running to keep up with her husband.

"I could tell!" Nishigori only picked up his pace.

Victor didn't let go of Yuri even after they were out of sight. Yuri was still holding onto his arm, so Victor was allowed to hold on. It was amazing how beautifully Yuri fit in his arms. He rubbed his chin on Yuri's shoulder. "...You did get that Nishigori had a crush on you, right? I mean, it's fine to be naive, but they weren't even being subtle about it..." Victor wanted to check. There had to be limits to how clueless someone could be about their own appeal, right?

"Eh?! What? That's...!" Yuri turned red all the way to the tips of his adorable ears!

So cute!

"It's not even possible. He always used to pester me and swipe my drinks and snacks and push me around on the oh shit," Yuri leaned back against Victor, like he was going limp.

Victor laughed, squeezing Yuri. "That was a very immature way for him to handle his crush! I'm glad it didn't pay off for him."

"It's never once occurred to me that the two of them weren't... Well, you can understand why I had so much trouble with our mark, then, I mean, if I can't wrap my head around Nishigori having a crush on me, how would I be expected to understand that you..." Yuri grumbled.

Victor rubbed his cheek against Yuri's. "...Are you really all right with it? The fans talking about our mark..." If it would make Yuri feel better, Victor could make some sort of post or statement about it, but he didn't want to try to hide their relationship.

"It's fine," Yuri tried to shrug, but Victor was holding him too tightly. "I never pay attention to what the fans are doing, anyway. It can get pretty scary."

"True," Victor sighed, though he loved it, too. "I think we'll all remember the first time we found some fanfiction online pairing us off with some other skater. Although, I did get some good ideas from some of them!"

"I wish I could say that I can't believe that you've read fanfictions about yourself, but of course you have," Yuri complained but he was smiling and he was trying to hide it from Victor! No fair! Yuri's smiles were too cute to hide them!

"Oh! Did you ever write any? Like, when you were in the junior division, maybe?" Victor gave Yuri a little shake, making sure that Yuri couldn't ignore him.

"A-as if! I had better things to do, you know!" Yuri objected, pushing away from Victor. He was bright red again!

"I hope you only wrote the... what do they call it, the self-insert kind! I wouldn't like it if you were shipping me with someone else. Though, if you had to ship me with anyone..." he mused, wondering who a cute teenaged Yuri might have fantasized about Victor being with.

"Stop, stop!" Yuri was laughing. Nothing could be all that wrong if Yuri was laughing. "I don't even want to know. Let's just get back to practice!" He was looking at Victor again.

His eyes were shining beautifully.

Yuri brought Victor in the back way for once, but they still had to go to the public side to get Makkachin a bowl of water. It would have been nice to bathe and change before dinner, but once they were in the dining area to let Makkachin drink, they were spotted by Minako-sensei. "Yuri! Yuriiiii!"

He and Victor shared a quick look, and then they headed to her table.

They sat down with her, and Victor immediately tried to pour himself a drink from the nearest bottle. That one was empty, though, so he had to reach for another before he could get a few drops in a cup. Minako-sensei latched onto Yuri's arm. "You're not escaping from me this time, young man! I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about! I need to know everything about Spain, and about Italy, and Bangkok," she gave Victor a knowing look there, too, so Yuri surmised she had seen Phichit's photos, "and I wanna hear about your new spell, and when are you going to do a test run, and have you registered for the season with the ISF and the JSF?"

"Oh, right, Celestino used to do that stuff. I guess I have to now..." Yuri had no idea what was involved. Probably filling out a form online? Hopefully?

Minako-sensei grabbed his cheek and pinched him. "It's all well and good that you're practicing and you've got a spell, but you can't half-ass your way through a season! You need a proper coach!"

"Hey," Victor pouted. He had grabbed the third bottle on the table and successfully got himself a full cup. "I'm right here."

"A proper coach," Minako-sensei began.

"There you are," Mari-neechan interrupted darkly. She kneeled down next to Victor and glowered at him. "You've got messages. So. Many. Messages. Some Russian dude has been calling and yelling at us all day long, I guess his name is Yakov or something? Yurio finally took the phone from him," she smiled beatifically for a moment, "and what we could make out is... if you're planning on skating competitively this season, you have to decide now, because they've gotta file... paperwork or something," she shrugged.

"Oh, Yakov," Victor laughed sunnily. "I blocked his number on my phone because he kept calling. I guess he found this number... Sorry about that!"

Mari-neechan put her hand down on the table in front of Victor and leaned in very, very close to him, even though Victor was leaning back to give her room. "Call. Him. Back. I'm pretty sure I've learned lots of lovely Russian curses today, but if I pick up that phone and hear some old Russian man screaming at me one more time, I'm putting all your stuff out to the curb. Got it?"

"O~kay," Victor grinned.

It was amazing how Victor never let anyone seem to get to him. Yuri was impressed. Mari-neechan was in her full-out take no shit mode, and Victor was still unflapped.

Sighing heavily, Mari-neechan got to her feet. She passed Yuri, pressing her fist to his head.

"Ow!" he complained, trying to push her hand away.

"Get cleaned up, sheesh, we're running a business here!" she shook her head as she walked off.

"Neither one of you have any common sense at all. Are you both just so used to being spoiled by your coaches? Get your registration settled!" Minako-sensei scolded them.

"Mm, well... that's... complicated," Victor looked troubled.

"Are you still feeling uninspired?" Yuri asked sheepishly. Of course, it was his fault for distracting Victor so much...

"No, I mean. I found a song I think I can make a spell with," Victor hedged.

"Really?" Yuri leaned forward on the table eagerly. "That's great news!"

"Mm... but," Victor looked at Makkachin, who was still gulping down his water. "I'm not really sure how it will work out. I really can't work with any coach but Yakov at this point. It would be way too hard to break in a new one!"

Yuri felt a little sorry for Yakov Feltsman. "Why would you... need a new coach...?"

"I... I doubt Yakov would come to Hasetsu," Victor looked at Yuri shyly. "Though, he should, it's great here," he gushed, picking up his cup. "Mm. Maybe he wouldn't mind coaching by proxy, but it's not the protocol I'm used to..."

Yuri blinked. Wait.

Victor... Victor was troubled because... he wanted to stay in Hasetsu?

...He wanted to stay in Hasetsu, or he wanted to stay with Yuri?

Just thinking such an audacious thing made Yuri's heart pound. He noticed that Minako-sensei was glaring at him forcefully, so he knew he had to say something, but...

"Uh... well, Victor... you... just have to go back to St. Petersburg, right?" Yuri offered.

He could tell by Victor's stricken look and from the way Minako-sensei groaned as she dropped her forehead into her hand that he had said the wrong thing.

He tried again. "I-I mean. We could both go to St. Petersburg."

Victor lit up.

Yuri felt all kinds of emotions rushing through him, and he couldn't process them, so he just felt embarrassed. "Er! I mean! I'm not... not inviting myself into your home or anything, I could get an apartment, and there's loads of rinks and coaches in St. Petersburg, so I won't be intruding on you..." Yuri stammered.

However, just thinking about it...

Victor surged across the table, grabbing Yuri's hands and sending a bottle flying. Fortunately, Minako-sensei never let a bottle hit the floor. "Yuri! You mean it!? You'll come with me? Really?" Victor kissed Yuri's fingers. "Of course you'll live with me, silly! This is the best, I didn't think you'd want to leave your home, since you hadn't been here in so long!"

"W-well... I mean, there's only the one rink and there's no real coaches... o-of course it just makes sense," Yuri was watching Victor kiss his fingers one by one and he had no idea what he should be doing.

"Yuri in St. Petersburg! I can't wait to show you all around! Of course, I know all the best restaurants and shopping and we'll go to the opera..." Victor was getting more and more excited by the second.

"Eh, what's this now?" Mari-neechan stopped behind Victor. She'd been clearing a table, so she had a tray in her hands. "Mom! Dad! Yuri's planning on moving to Russia!" she called out loudly.

"Ma-Mari-neechan!!" Yuri froze, looking around at the guests nervously. Wasn't she just scolding him that they were in their family's place of business?? "I would have told them!"

"Sometimes you just up and leave the country without a word to anyone," she shrugged, grinning. "Better safe than sorry."

It was going to take Yuri a long time to live that down...

His mom scampered into the dining area excited. "What's this now?"

"Yuri and Victor have decided to go to St. Petersburg to train," Minako-sensei informed her.

"I could have told her!" Yuri pouted.

"Oh, how exciting!" she clapped her hands together. "And is it all right if I say romantic, too?" she winked at Yuri.

Yuri had no idea how to respond to that.

"I'm going to call Yakov right away!" Victor declared, getting to his feet. "And, I'll have to contact a mover... we'll get going immediately! Yakov will be so happy!" Victor beamed.

"He certainly never fails to take the optimistic outlook," Minako-sensei noted.

"Are you happy, Yuri?" his mom asked him quietly.

Jarred, Yuri turned and smiled at her. "I am, of course." His head was still spinning and he wasn't sure what was going on, really. But. St. Petersburg... and with Victor... "I'm sorry, mom. I only just got home, and..."

"It's ok, it's ok!" she waved her hands frantically to dispel his concerns. She beamed at him. "That's just the life of a sorcerer for you. At least you aren't running off in the middle of the night without your phone," she laughed.

It all likelihood, Yuri would never live that down.

"Whatever is best for you," she added quietly, her voice warm with love. She was smiling at him, and she reached out to smooth his hair back around his ear.

Yuri smiled back, feeling at peace. Then, he thought about his mother's touch... "Oh, I haven't bathed yet..."

"It's fine," his mom laughed, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

"St. Petersburg, huh? Make sure to pack sweaters!" his father cheerfully chimed in.

"Aren't both of these red shirts the same?" Victor puzzled over Yuri's wardrobe.

Yuri sat down on his bed. He managed to keep from pointing out that Victor had multiple coats that were exactly the same but in different colors. "They're similar, yeah."

"Oh, well," Victor shrugged and tossed the shirts to the open suitcase next to Yuri.

"You know, I can pack myself..." Yuri hedged.

"I like to pack! Plus, you've been dragging your feet!" Victor made a face at a shirt that Yuri hadn't worn in years.

"I was the one who had to skate last night," Yuri yawned. He'd performed the Eros spell for Hasetsu before leaving. They hadn't invited the whole town into the rink, but it felt like everyone was outside and cheering for him. The amount of color was... encouraging.

"You didn't think you could pack everything in one day, did you?" Victor sighed.

"I barely even unpacked from Detroit, so," Yuri shrugged.

"You've only got one suitcase and a backpack there!" Victor laughed.

"I don't have to bring as much with me as you do," Yuri grinned.

Victor smirked at Yuri, and then he pulled out Yuri's suit. "Oh, my! Well, we can leave this behind..."

"Th-that's my only suit!" Yuri objected.

"I'll take you to my tailor! He'll do something that looks less... off the rack than this. And this tie! No, no," Victor hung it back up in the closet.

Of course his suit was off the rack. And of course Victor would be personally offended by that. "I like that suit..." he grumbled.

"I didn't hear that," Victor happily moved on. "Where are your old costumes?"

"Oh! Um, well, I guess mom has a trunk with them or something," Yuri had to think about it, though. Once he was done with his costumes, he always shipped them home. His mom probably saved them? Maybe she gave them to Minako-sensei?

"That's no good! You have to save them, they're your precious memories! I have a second apartment for storage, we can put all our costumes together!" Victor tossed some more clothes into the suitcase.

Yuri pressed his lips together. Precious memories, huh... For Yuri, it was more bitter than precious. He wouldn't mind just chucking all those old costumes and start fresh. If only he could chuck his memories as easily as he could a trunk of costumes...

"Yuri."

Victor was standing in front of him looking concerned. Yuri sucked in his breath in surprise.

"You are... looking forward to this, right?" Victor asked gently. He leaned in to put his hands on Yuri's, and then he knelt down in front of Yuri.

Victor Nikiforov was on his knees in front of Yuri while Yuri was sitting on his bed and they were in Yuri's room, the same room whose walls used to be plastered with posters of Victor.

"It's all happened pretty fast. If you're having any doubts, or regrets," Victor started.

That word alarmed Yuri so much, he did something he hadn't been able to figure out how to do since Bangkok. He leaned in and kissed Victor softly on the lips. He pulled back, and then blinked in shock at himself. He felt his cheeks go hot. "I... I'm not having any thoughts like that. I'm really excited. I really... I really think this is the best thing. For both of us."

Victor smiled up at him, and Yuri felt like he'd never truly seen Victor smile before. He squeezed Yuri's hands. "We will make this work."

"Yes, we will," Yuri echoed, and somewhere in his brain he was aware.

Victor Nikiforov was his partner. His partner.

He leaned in and let his forehead rest against Victor's. "That's enough packing, right? I mean, I've got plenty of stuff.

"I'm ready."