Chapter Text
A/N: This fic features rape recovery. There will be no descriptions of the actual event. If this bothers you please stop reading now.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Yuri Plisetsky was a rising star, Russia’s Ice Angel against Ice Prince Nikiforov . He was going to take Gold. What he would never admit out loud was that Japan's top figure skater had been his inspiration for years . Yuri Katsuki was the invisible underdog that no one saw because they were too busy looking at Victor. Except Yuri, because Yuri didn't care about the old man.
So when Yuuri Katsuki bombed both his short program and free skate at the Grand Prix, Yuri was fucking pissed. Katsuki could do better than that and he was going to say that straight to his face. He was confident his anger would hide any jitters about talking to him for the first time, about finding out if Yuuri even knew he existed. He rooted for Yuuri, and in a way that meant he rooted for himself, so Yuuri’s failure reflected poorly on his own inspiration.
But now he was standing here, outside of the stall where Katsuki was clearly crying and sniffling like a blubbery mess. He couldn't believe the one he looked up to could be so emotional, he was always stunning on the ice in Japanese competitions. Not today though. His foot moved without thinking about it, kicking the door, heart racing as it slammed open to reveal his inspiration, and that's where it all went wrong.
Because Yuri Plisetsky was entirely unprepared. He hadn't expected to see Yuuri stripped down to his boxer briefs. He hadn't expected to see the angry purpling bruises covering the other skater where his costume would have been.
Most certainly though, he would never be prepared for the blood.
There was so much. It was dripping on the ground, soaking into balled up toilet paper, seeping from somewhere he couldn't see. There was a red stained bandage at the base of Katsuki’s neck that had been hidden by the collar of his costume but Yuri knew , he knew the collar had rubbed against that wound. Yuuri had been in this condition before he skated. Yuuri had skated like this.
He took one look at the paralyzing fear in Yuuri Katsuki's eyes, and lost all thoughts of what he'd been planning to say about the failure. He turned around, stormed to the bathroom door and locked it.
It took another few moments for him to steady his breathing, before going back to the stall, staring at the Japanese skater.
“You skated like this,” he stated. It wasn’t even a question at this point. He didn’t wait for a response, surging forward to pull Yuuri off of the toilet seat, cataloguing injuries, looking for the source of the bleeding. He didn’t miss the flinch or sharp inhale when his hands first touched the other, or the constant tremble running through his entire body.
It confirmed the horrors beginning to brew in the back of his mind.
“You shouldn’t have skated,” he mumbled harshly, leading Yuuri out to the counters, but not before grabbing the costume from where it hung on a hook in the stall. It was so dark, no one would have noticed blood seeping through. He could see the wet spots now though, could smell the coppery scent. It was amazing none of it had dropped onto the ice.
He almost threw it in the trash, but it was evidence. They needed evidence.
When he finally turned to see Yuuri again, though, he was unconscious and about to hit the floor.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Victor could count the number of times little Yura had called his phone. The blond avoided it at all costs unless he was royally pissed at him, or it was extremely important, so he didn’t even think about ignoring it. He knew it was Yuri, too, because he had a ringtone set specifically for the little kitten. The Alley Cat song from Disney’s Aristocats. Chris gave him a confused look when he yanked his phone out of his pocket and answered in the middle of their conversation.
He didn’t even get a greeting out.
“There’s so much blood everywhere, Victor, what do I do?! He’s bleeding all over the goddamn floor and it isn’t stopping, he’s unconscious and almost hit his head when he fell. I caught him in time but-”
“Yuri?! Who’s bleeding?” he asked in alarm, barely hearing himself over Yuri’s panic.
“He fucking skated like this, I can’t even- oh shit! NO- NEED AN AMBULANCE-”
“YURI?! What’s going on? Where are you? Who needs an ambulance?!” he could see Chris jerking upright at that but he ignored any questions sent his way. Yuri was a little ball of fire sometimes but he was like a younger brother to him- “Yuri, what’s happening? Talk to me! I’m finding Yakov!”
“ NOT YAKOV, GET CELESTINO. I HAVE TO GO.” The line cut out. Yuri hung up on him. Victor turned wide eyed to Chris, then took off running. He had no idea what was happening, he had to find Yuri. Yakov first. Then- Celestino? Wha-
Skated like this, Yuri’s words drifted back to him.
“Chris, who was Celestino’s skater?” he panted as they ran, knowing the Swiss was still at his side.
“Mmm, the other Yuuri you mean? I’m shocked you don’t remember him. Japan’s Ace, Katsuki Yuuri.”
“Something’s happened, he said there’s blood, I don’t-” Victor cut off as he saw his coach, “YAKOV! Give me your phone!” he took it without waiting for a response. They were lucky Yuri was so uncontrollable, he knew Yakov had a tracker app that could locate the blond’s phone. “He said there’s blood! We need Celestino! Yakov, find Celestino!” he took off down another hallway, pulling the app up and locking onto Yuri’s phone location. Already there were sirens, and he gave up on the app when he saw the rink medic team rushing off in another direction, Chris following behind.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Plisetsky had been adamant about staying by Yuuri’s side through the doctor visits, the rape kit, sitting by his side in the ICU. He’d be moved once he woke up, but he hadn’t yet. A week had passed, and Yuuri Katsuki hadn’t woken up.
Celestino, as Yuuri’s coach, was legally granted information on Yuuri’s condition. After the look Plisetsky had given him, it hadn’t even crossed his mind to keep the information from the blond. Russia’s Yuri had found him, had discovered what happened, why Yuuri’s skating was so horrible, and Celestino knew, if it weren’t for Plisetsky, Katsuki would have withdrawn entirely without a word. His lack of confidence meant he would have hidden it, given excuses, never told anyone, probably quit skating.
Plisetsky had not only saved them all from that loss, he had probably saved Yuuri’s life.
According to the doctors, Yuuri was the victim of both a brutal assault, and violent rape. His skin was littered with purpling bruises, some larger than others, but clear finger shaped marks around his hips, his thighs, his wrists, his throat. There were angry red circles around his ankles and he had three cracked ribs that, judging by the swelling, had occured before he skated and were aggravated by the falls he took on the ice afterwards. The slice on his neck, while not too deep, was raw, clean cut edges barely scabbing over, and they surmised he’d been held at knife point. All of this not even accounting for the damage below.
Celestino couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed something was this wrong. He’d only noticed Yuuri was more nervous than usual, seen how badly he performed. He couldn’t believe Yuuri was strong enough to hide this that well at all.
The skating community was just as shocked when it hit the news after that first week. They weren’t sure who leaked it. He could only be glad he called Yuuri’s family to inform them of what happened before the leak.
Videos of his horrendous skating had gone viral even before the news, people wondering what what was wrong, what had happened, or making unkind remarks on his skating ability. Now, it was even more widespread but articles updated to include the explanation. Fans were slowing videos down to point out what was injuries were probably hurting him that prevented each movement, and skaters were both awed and terrified that he’d continued to skate without a word. There was certainly some negative feedback on Celestino himself, for not noticing beforehand, but the majority were just stunned by how well Yuuri had hidden it. He knew this attention, once Yuuri woke up, would terrify him.
All of the Grand Prix Final skaters had expressed concern and condolences, asking to visit to see with their own eyes, but he hadn’t let them through. Yuuri wasn’t awake to see them. Even Nikiforov, he’d turned away at the door when he came with Plisetsky because no one was allowed in. Celestino himself and Russian Yuri were the only exceptions. Yuuri’s family was setting up for getting him home, and Mari was on her way to stay with him until he was stable enough to travel back to Hasetsu. Phichit wanted to be here, but Celestino banned him from getting on a flight. He didn’t want the younger skater to see this. Yuuri wouldn’t want the Thai to see this. At least not until he was awake enough to know someone was there.
All the while, Celestino watched as Yuuri slept, and Yuri dozed off at his side. The hospital had kept him sedated for the first few days to let his body rest and recover. Then they stopped the IV sedative, and Yuuri still hadn’t woken up. He’d moved a bit, brows creasing, trembles running through his body, hands occasionally clenching, and the doctors said he’d wake up in his own time. For now, they attributed his status to shock, to his subconscious allowing more time to heal physically before dealing with the mental and emotional trauma that was sure to come.
Occasionally, when the trembles increased, Plisetsky looked away while slipping a hand into his, holding it, and the trembles would slow down. Celestino was glad someone was at Yuuri’s side, even if it wasn’t him.
He was Yuuri’s coach, and he understood the Japanese skater well, but they’d never been close. He worried now, that he’d never get the chance to be. Plisetsky wasn’t close either, but he was helping. That was the important thing.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Yuri was beyond angry. At everything, at anyone. At the man who did this, who police had identified by the rape kit. At the police for not catching the bastard yet. The doctors for not healing him faster. Celestino for not noticing before he skated, before he made his injuries worse. Victor for bothering him for information when he had nothing to do with this situation.
All of the other GPF skaters pestering him for updates when they had never even acknowledged Yuuri before now, before they realised how strong he was. They only saw him as competition now because after hearing the news, they’d gone back to watch videos from Japanese Nationals and other competitions. Only now they recognised how hard it would be to beat him in full health, now, when he might never skate that way again.
He was pissed at whoever had leaked not only the information that Yuuri skated with injuries no one knew about, but that he was raped, and what the injuries were. He hated the so called fans that claimed they were right that something was wrong with Yuuri, that something had happened to make him skate that way, because it had been obvious something was wrong and being right about that didn’t mean anything. It’s not like anyone guessed what had happened .
At Yakov for insisting they go back to training for the next competitions already, trying to drag him back to their home rink. Victor, for once, had taken his side and demanded they stay.
He hated himself for many of the same reasons. For not noticing before Yuuri skated, for never having the nerve to approach Yuuri except after he failed. For not following him earlier, for kicking the stall door when he had no idea why Yuuri was crying. How he must have scared the Japanese skater with the abrupt and forceful entry. Most of all, though, he felt the most hatred for himself because he hated Yuuri for not telling anyone, for continuing on when things clearly weren’t okay. He knew Japanese culture was typically reserved, but to this degree?
So he did the only thing he could, and let his anger out on everyone that came to visit. For everyone who stood outside in the hall and argued with Celestino to let them see Yuuri. He could shout at them as much as he wanted, about the excuse they cared because if they cared, where were they before? They only cared now, after they found out. They didn’t care, they pitied, and Yuuri wouldn’t need pity. Pity couldn’t help him recover. Pity would not wake Yuuri Katsuki up.
When Yuuri’s sister finally arrived, he heard her talking outside to Celestino about himself, that Celestino thinks Yuuri wasn’t going to tell anyone and that Yuri Plisetsky is the one who found him, who found out and caught him before he could hit the floor.
He was in a chair next to the bed, collapsed on top of Yuuri’s legs and holding one of his hands. When she came in, she said nothing to him. Stood behind him in silence for minutes before letting out a sigh, and Yuri could hear the pain in it. He didn’t have to turn around to know her eyes were watering.
He didn’t complain, then, when Mari pulled up the other chair and sat next to him, draping an arm around his shoulders and combing through her brother’s hair with the other hand.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Mari let's Victor in only once, after talking to him outside the room for a long, long time. Yuri still glares at him when he enters, and Victor appears both hurt and understanding the second he sees Yuuri’s unconscious form. Yuri’s earbuds are in and blasting music before the old man can say a word to him.
He watches Victor's eyes water, watches him hesitantly reach a hand out to touch Yuuri's cheek and he wants to scream at the elder Russian not to touch Yuuri but he won't, not here. In this room he stays quiet. He's not sure he's ever said anything in here, only out in the hallway. This room stays silent unless Yuuri is the one making noise.
He's eternally grateful when Mari's hand shoots out to latch like a vice around Victor's wrist just before he reaches pale cheeks, and Victor startles, pulling his hand back. He's saying something, to himself, to Yuuri, to Mari maybe. Yuri isn't sure, not with the music for Yuuri Katsuki’s free program playing in his ears.
He watches with blank faced surprise as Victor moves his hands to his own face, fingers swiping slowly under his before traveling down to his neck. His neck, which still carries the stupid gold medal which Yuri wants to kick him in the head for wearing in here.
He calms down almost immediately, because Victor is lifting that medal over his head and placing it ever so gently around the thin neck of Yuuri Katsuki. He doesn't say anything more, just watches the lithe form breathe before he spins and all but runs from the room.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Victor didn’t said anything about it. His last social media post was of a coffee cup in his hand right before competition. There are no photos from the banquet because he didn't go. Yakov be damned, he had refused to go. So did Chris and every other finalist because the potential sponsors were not worth celebrating ranks based on such an event. Medals received because one of their own was beaten and bloodied and skated despite that because of his love for the ice.
Victor was eating himself up inside, after finally seeing Katsuki. After Little Yura glared at him so harshly. Because he has heard Yuri shouting, screaming at the other skaters who want to visit because they didn't even know Yuuri Katsuki before now. They recognised his last name from the assignments, but they never watched him skate, never interacted with him, never noticed him because they didn't think he was competition. No, because they didn't even realise he existed. He had no idea Yura had such an attachment to the Japanese skater when Victor hadn’t recognised the name.
Chris knew, of course. Granted, Chris knows everyone. Except Chris knew Yuuri Katsuki personally from competing against him in Juniors. Had followed Katsuki’s rise to seniors religiously in anticipation of facing him again with more enthusiasm than he competed against Victor with. He'd spoken about a Japanese skater before and Victor tuned it out as irrelevant because he wasn't there to compete against.
But Victor hadn't looked him up, didn't even remember the name of the skater Chris practically idolised. Hadn't known what he looked like. Had thought he was a fan and offered to take a photo with him in the lobby after finals. The finals where Katsuki placed last because of- he didn’t want to follow that thought, because it could have been any of them. It could have happened to any of the finalists and not one of them would have skated afterwards. Instead, he had watched the fan turn and run away with tears dripping in the air behind him and shrugged it off. He realises now that Yura had elbowed him, hard, and taken off after Katsuki, and he had walked off to talk to Chris, forgetting all about it.
When they reached the hospital that first night, he watched as Yuri and Celestino were lead through the doors and he wasn't allowed to follow. He had felt Chris beside him silent in worry and anguish.
He spent that week watching every video he could find of Yuuri Katsuki skating, and he was beautiful. His step sequences were flawless and on good days so were his jumps. His rinkmate, roommate, and best friend Phichit posted full length recordings of his training and practice, and even when he fell, when he stumbled through learning a complex sequence, he was stunning and wasn't afraid to post his mistakes. Victor had never done that, never allowed himself to show he was human too. It wasn't just his fans that put him on a pedestal, it was himself, too.
It was the day after Mari Katsuki arrived that Victor came to a decision. More of a realisation. Based on his observations, on the pull he felt watching those videos, on what the maximum technical and performance scores would have been, if Yuuri Katsuki had skated his final program with no mistakes, he would have taken gold. Victor wouldn't be wearing this medal right now, by as many as 4 points.
Yuuri Katsuki was competition. Amazing competition and his skating gave life to new inspiration because Victor wanted to compete against the skater in these videos. Against the man who made music with his body and thrived on the ice. And he might never get the chance to, after this.
What got to him the most though, was that before now Victor hadn't even known his name.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Two days after he saw Katsuki lying on that bed, two photos came slamming through mainstream media. One of him entering the hospital where Yuuri Katsuki was, and one of him leaving it.
Circled in red on both images was his upper torso. One entering with a golden medal, the other with empty space on his chest.
When the photos came out, Victor declined every interview request. Refused to comment. Believed his actions spoke for themselves, but then little Yura had called him, screamed at him for about thirty seconds, and then hung up and didn't answer any of his calls or messages back.
When it finally clicked what Yuri had said, he could have hit himself for not thinking about it. He went online, and sure enough Yuri was right.
By not giving a statement, by not explaining himself, the media had changed the purpose of what he'd done. Articles ranged from titles like The Extent of Nikiforov Sympathy to others like Victor Nikiforov, Losing Gold to Attention Grabbing Rape Victim and it made him sick. Absolutely sick to his stomach because the world believed it was an act of pity that he gave his medal to the man in 6th place. Most of the articles didn't even mention Katsuki by his name . They called him Dead Last, they called him the Rape Victim, they called him the Japanese Skater, but almost never his name. Victor lost sight of it in his anger, and suddenly his phone is in pieces across the room, smashed against the far wall.
He did not offer the medal out of pity or sympathy. He gave that medal to Yuuri Katsuki out of respect , and because looking at his skills and his performance, Yuuri Katsuki deserved it. His program was more intricate and challenging than Victor's, and the potential was there. The more he thought on it the more he was certain. If that program had been skated to its fullest extent, he would have won.
Demanding a phone from the nearest person and taking it without even looking at their face, he did the first thing that came to mind. He'd always been impulsive.
He called Chris and began making the arrangements.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
Nikiforov’s Latest Video Goes Viral
Article by Morooka, Hisashi
Once again, Victor Nikiforov, 5 times Grand Prix Gold Medalist, Olympic Champion, surprises the skating community if not the entire world, and he does it, as usual, on the ice.
The video opens with Victor on the ice. He is wearing a silver medal around his neck, Christophe Giacometti speaking to him from behind the camera. The much anticipated reasoning behind these two photos:
(Nikiforov enters hospital where Katsuki Yuuri is)
(Nikiforov seen leaving without gold medal )
The camera turns on.
“To everyone who- no wait, are we live?”
Giacometti chuckles in the background.
“There is something I need- have to say. I've been avoiding it because I thought my actions spoke for themselves, and I did not want this to be about me. This should not be about me. This is about an amazing skater by the name of Yuuri Katsuki who would have won gold at the GPF. Before my fans get upset, please stop and listen to what I have to say.”
Nikiforov pauses while Giacometti tells him the chat has stopped moving.
“Good. Now let me say it. I did not give my gold medal away. I never earned it. I have four others that I earned but this years did not belong around my neck. I did not give it to Yuuri Katsuki out of pity. I did not give it to him out of sympathy, or as a publicity stunt. I don't need more publicity.”
Nikiforov gives an award winning smile and wink combo at the camera, then frowns.
“I put that medal around his neck because I respect him as a skater, and because he deserved it. Wait, let me go back first.”
Giacometti gestures vaguely in front of the camera.
“Oh, right, we're live streaming. Okay.
I always thought I had good sportsmanship, before now. I smile for the cameras, for my fans. I shake the hands of the other medalists. I sign things.”
Nikiforov takes a deep breath and slowly spins to look out over the rink.
“I didn't even know his name, before that night. Yuri found him, called me, said there was blood everywhere, and yelled at me to find Celestino Cialdini. I had to ask Chris who Celestino’s skater was because- because I didn't know.
I know now, I know who he is. I've watched and rewatched every video I could find. I watched his own versions of my programs. I looked at his short programs, and then I watched at his free skates. I didn't see him skate ate the finals, but I watched those too, and I can say with certainty that Yuuri Katsuki would have won gold if those programs had been skated perfectly. I don't doubt he could do it either.
Katsuki is a phenomenal skater. His step sequences are complex and difficult, his jumps when landed are fantastic, and he lands them a good eighty percent of the time even in practices . I can tell you now, I don't have that high a success rate. I don't post every practice video because I land less than fifty percent. Yakov can confirm that.
Here with me are the judges from the Grand Prix Final. This will not affect the official standings, but they have agreed to score Katsuki's program one more time, as it really is. So let me show you how amazing Yuuri Katsuki is, let me become Japan's Ace for just one skate.”
The video cuts, starting again with Giacometti introducing this years GPF judges once more, panning to the rink. The American sportswear company Nike has supplied aerial and rinkside cameras for today's skate. Victor stands in a spotlight on the ice, wearing no medal this time.
“This is a Grand Prix Finalist, skating Yuuri Katsuki’s Free Program.”
Victor later tells us the lack of his name is in response the media's disinclination to use Katsuki's name in recent articles.
The program begins.
The results come in.
Yuuri Katsuki would have won the Grand Prix by 3.76 points.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
The media blows up with the video. People across the world, not just in the skating community, watch it and learn what happened. They don't have to understand the sport to be almost afraid of the strength Yuuri Katsuki possesses to have skated at all .
The backlash, the arguments, the people who still disagree with the scores are a very small group. The few who state the scores were only so high because Victor skated it are so thoroughly berated by the rest of the online communities they’re pushed immediately into the shadows.
Victor refuses more interview requests.
Yuri hasn’t left the hospital.
Katsuki hasn’t woken up.