Work Text:
Yuri woke to the sweet smell of blini emanating from the kitchen. He stretched his arms out above his head, still slightly sore from his recent growth spurt. The blankets were warm around him, his bed was comfortable and safe. His favourite tiger stuffed animal was tucked carefully under his head and Potya was curled up against the teen’s side. For a moment he considered staying in bed, but the delicious smell of blini was just too good to resist.
“Mmm, what smells good? Aren’t we supposed to be at the rink? Neither of you woke me up?” Yuri grumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the clock on the wall, it read 9:15am, they were definitely late for practice.
“No practice today, coach’s orders,” Viktor grinned slyly.
“You’re not my coach,” Yuri raised an eyebrow as he took a seat at the dining table.
“We’re taking the day off to spend time together,” Yuuri explained, setting down a plate of warm blini in front of the teen along with a mug of tea.
“Why?” Yuri mumbled as he took a large forkful of blini that had been smothered strawberry jam.
“Happy ‘got you day’, Yuratchka,” Viktor smiled as he wrapped an arm around his husband’s waist and planted a chaste kiss on the Japanese skater’s cheek.
“Uh, what’s a ‘gotcha day’?” Yuri asked.
“We officially became a family one year ago today,” Yuuri explained with a wide grin.
Yuri felt his eyes go wide and begin to water, had it really been a year already?
“We were thinking that maybe after breakfast we’d hit up the zoo or maybe the mall and then for supper I’ll make katsudon. We can even watch The Lion King on the couch while we eat?”
Yuri lunged into his dam’s arms and wrapped his arms around the Japanese man’s waist. The teen nodded against his mother’s chest and gave a squeaking sound of excitement.
“Looks like somebody’s excited,” Viktor chuckled as he blew on his piping hot mug of tea.
“Yu-chan, have you been to the zoo before?” Yuuri asked softly as he reciprocated his son’s hug. Yuri shook his head ‘no’.
“I guess it’s a good time to go then,” Viktor laughed.
“I want to see the tigers!” Yuri declared, pulling away from his dam. His green eyes shone brightly.
“We’ll see whatever animals you want,” Yuuri promised as he ruffled his pup’s hair.
“And we can get slushies?” The blonde asked, turning to Viktor. The older Russian was in charge of the family’s meal plans but the season had just ended.
“Sure,” Viktor shrugged before casting a wink over towards his husband. It was going to be a good day.
“I want to see the tigers! And the lions! And the jaguars! And the bears, oh and the poison dart frogs too! Do you think they’ll have those?” Yuri beamed, he was practically radiating excitement. The two older skaters laughed warmly at their pup’s declaration, both excited that they could do this for their son.
Yuri practically vibrating in his seat the whole drive to the zoo. The pup in him couldn’t help but be excited. He had loved big cats for as long as he could remember. Lions, tigers, pumas, jaguars, they were just all so cool!
When they arrived Yuri found himself sighing in relief when he noticed that the place wasn’t especially packed. It was midmorning on a weekday after all. The less likely the small but famous family was to run into paparazzi, the better.
Before the little pack made their way towards the front entrance, Yuuri had rewrapped the teen’s thick wool scarf no less than three times and had pulled his toque down over his ears what seemed like a dozen times. Each time Yuri would grimace at his dam’s fussing but his inner pup couldn’t help but preen happily at the attention.
“Let’s take a family photograph!” Viktor cheered, holding his phone out in front of him. Yuuri blushed but came up to his husband and smiled sheepishly. With his free hand Viktor pulled the younger Russian between himself and his mate. “Oh that’s definitely going on Instagram,” the alpha remarked, flashing his signature heart-shaped grin.
Pictured:
Yuri squished between Viktor and Yuuri. Yuri wears a scowl while Viktor smiles wide and Yuuri looks caught off guard with a soft blush dusting his cheeks. Viktor has an arm slung around both of them. In the background you can see the giraffe enclosure.
Caption:
Happy “Gotcha Day”, Yuratchka! #lifeandlove #podiumfamily
Comments:
Phi+chu - aww, my fave family! #GOALS
C-giacometti - *kissy face emoji* mon chers!
“Woah, this is so cool!” Yuri said, pointing enthusiastically over towards the sign that directed them in the direction of the big cats. “C’mon!” He called, already darting away from his parents. Viktor and Yuuri followed the teen happily as they walked through the zoo together for hours as Yuri rattled off fun facts.
“And, and those are bengal tigers! They can get up to three hundred and twenty five kilograms, they’re the largest kind of tiger! They can see really well at night too.”
“See those lions? The head female of the pack must have just had cubs, that is so awesome!”
“Did you know that cheetahs can run up to one hundred and twenty km an hour? They’re like, the fastest cat on the planet!”
“Woah, look at that jaguar! Did you know they eat snakes? Anacondas! That’s so cool!”
“You sure do know a lot about cats, Yuratchka,” Viktor chuckled lightheartedly as he watched his son look at the jaguars with awe.
“Well yeah! They’re like, super cool,” the teen exclaimed. Then his face drooped a little and he glanced over at Yuuri before casting his gaze downwards.
“Yuri?” The Japanese skater asked softly.
“Sorry, um, when I was little my dedushka had this VHS set that had a bunch of nature documentaries and we didn’t have cable and he said I kept asking to watch the one about big cats over and over again so…” Yuri trailed off nervously, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.
“You miss him, don’t you?” Yuuri asked tentatively, placing a steadying hand on his pup’s shoulder. The blonde just nodded his head, suddenly unable to find the words. “It’s okay, Yu-chan.” Yuri hugged the older skater briefly before pulling away and pushing his hair out of his eyes.
“I want to see the frogs now,” he declared, his voice a little bit shaky.
“That sounds like a great idea, Yura,” Viktor replied, trying his best to be a source of steadiness for his emotional son.
Together the little family wandered the St. Petersburg zoo for a few more hours, taking lots of pictures and getting slushies while Yuri told his parents every cool fact he knew about big cats. Eventually the sun started to set and they all began to tire, Yuri especially. The blonde dozed comfortably in the backseat of Viktor’s pink Cadillac on the drive home as his parents held hands in the front seat.
“Vitya, come help me in the kitchen?” Yuuri called sweetly.
“Coming!”
“Would you mind mixing the sauce while I slice the onions?” The omega asked, having his husband a little recipe card. They were having katsudon for dinner, it was a special occasion after all.
“No fair, I want to mix the sauce!” Yuri yelled from the couch where he was comfortably reclining with Makka by his side and Potya curled up on his stomach.
“Your Mama finally trusts me to make the sauce and you are already trying to steal my job!” Viktor laughed as he gathered mirin, soy sauce, and hondashi from the refrigerator.
“Yu-chan, you just relax while we finish up supper,” Yuuri, always the peacemaker.
“I get to help next time!” The teen declared loudly from his spot on the sofa. The couple giggled at their son’s declaration as they worked side by side.
“Almost ready!” Yuuri announced as he poured the egg mixture over the pork cutlets simmering in the cast iron skillet.
“Yes!” Yuri exclaimed as he rose from the couch, carefully taking Potya in his arms before setting her down gently next to the slumbering poodle.
“Mmm, it looks great, my love,” Viktor complimented as he watched his husband carefully dish out the pork cutlets into rice-filled bowls.
“Thank you for your help, Vitya,” Yuuri smiled as he sprinkled green onions and sesame seeds over the top of their suppers.
“Hurry up old men, I’m starved!” The teen complained as he stalked into the kitchen, eager to collect his food.
“Always so demanding,” Viktor teased, throwing a wink towards the younger Russian.
Yuuri rolled his eyes at the two as he handed his pup a bowl and set of chopsticks, which the blonde took gladly. When Yuri had first arrived in Japan he could barely hold a pair of chopsticks and struggled to the point that Yuuri had gifted him a set of training chopsticks. It took the teen a while to get a hang of them, but now using them has become second nature. The Katsuki-Nikiforov household flipped back and forth between Russian and Japanese cuisine easily, with a slight favour of course towards Yuuri’s Japanese cooking.
Yuuri handed Viktor his own bowl and set of chopsticks before the three of them piled together on the couch as the opening credits for The Lion King began to roll. It was one of Yuri’s favourite movies, for obvious reasons. The little family ate happily as they watched the Disney movie, all pressed together as they tucked into their pork cutlet bowls. Yuuri and Viktor snuggled on one side of the couch while Yuri had seated himself in the corner with Makka between him and his parents. Potya was nuzzled happily against his hip. Yuri stroked his beloved cat’s soft fur between bites of his supper until he had finished and eventually began to nod off towards the end of the film.
“Feeling sleepy, Yurio?” Viktor teased as he reached out to fix his pup’s messy hair.
“Hmrph,” the teen groaned as he rubbed at his eyes sleepily, realizing that the end credits of the movie had begun to play.
Viktor pulled his hand away and nuzzled back into the warmth of his mate, steadily breathing in the scent that he had become so familiar with. Viktor’s heart swelled as he recounted the events of the day, his eyes shifting back and forth between his two Yuris, each dozing peacefully on either side of him. He could barely believe that in such a short time he had gone from being a lonely bachelor to be a husband and father, his life had become so full of love.
“Can we um, could we lay in your nest?” Yuri mumbled quietly, keeping his gaze down as he suddenly fidgeted impatiently in his spot on the couch.
“Well it’s not made up right now, but how about you build it with me, Yura? You’re probably going to present soon,” the Japanese omega hummed.
The blonde teen nodded excitedly, a small smile crossing his face. He knew he was going to present soon but quickly pushed that thought towards the back of his mind. The pup in him was starved for parental affection and he had been lapping up every bit of it that he could get from Yuuri and Viktor, and lying in Yuuri’s nest was the most comforting thing the teen had ever experienced in his young life. Yuri’s grandfather was a loving man, kind and affectionate in his own traditional ways, but Yuri had never gotten to fully experience parental love until Yuuri had come into his life.
The affectionate nuzzles, comforting hugs, and Yuuri’s willingness to listen and understand patiently meant the world to the young skater. He found himself missing the older omega when they were apart and he had never felt homesick before. When Yuri had moved from Moscow to St Petersburg under Yakov, he didn’t miss home terribly. But now when he and Yuuri were apart he felt himself yearning for his dam’s comfort and the scent of jasmine and matcha.
Yuri filled the space in the apartment perfectly, like he was always meant to be there. He grew both used to and fond of the way that Viktor ruffled his bed head. He liked waking up to a warm breakfast and taking a bento packed specially for him with cute notes to practice at the rink. He liked the smell of the laundry detergent that Yuuri religiously used, the older omega having made a switch to special soap for sensitive skin when Yuri moved in. He liked always having someone there to help him with his homework, Yuuri helped with English and Viktor helped with Russian literature. He liked being doted on, he liked when Yuuri braided his hair or when Viktor helped him paint his nails all sorts of colours. He liked curling up on the couch with his parents and their pets during movie nights. Yuri was especially fond of Studio Ghibli films that his dam had brought from home when he had moved to St. Petersburg. Kiki’s Delivery Service was the teen’s favourite. All in all, Yuri loved finally being part of a family.
Yuuri smiled kindly at his son and led him towards the master bedroom where they would build his nest. Their first real bonding moments had taken place in Yuuri’s nest so now whenever Yuri was feeling especially low or was sick, the older omega’s drive to protect and preen would go into overdrive and prompt him to nest. The sensation of being surrounded by the warmth and love of his dam made Yuri feel wanted, safe, and loved.
“Um well, I use different materials depending on what I need the nest for,” the Japanese skater started awkwardly. “When I build a nest just for us I make sure to use extra soft stuff, like our fluffy blankets and lots of pillows. It’s also important to have items that make you feel safe. Like when I add your quilt and your tiger stuffy,” Yuuri explained. The blonde nodded, carefully listening to what the older skater had to say. “If you’re nesting for heat you’ll probably want something that smells like your mate, like some of their clothes,” Yuuri trailed off, his face red with embarrassment.
“How did you know?” Yuri asked tentatively.
“Know what, Yu-chan?”
“How to build a good nest?” The teen mumbled.
“Well, there’s no real right way to do it, I guess,” Yuuri paused for a moment to think. “It’s sort of instinctual in a way. A nest is the safest place you can be, so you want it to be comfortable and strong at the same time. Your inner omega will know what to do when the time comes.” The Japanese skater nodded, satisfied with the answer he was able to produce with little to no embarrassment this time around.
“I’ll go grab my tiger and my blankets,” Yuri stated with a determined nod before turning on his heel and marching toward his room. Yuuri can’t help but smile.
“You’re such a good Mama,” Viktor cooed as he leaned nonchalantly against the door frame of the master bedroom.
“I, I just want him to be ready and prepared. Both my parents are betas so…” Yuuri trailed off, a faint blushing dusted across his cheeks.
“You’re the most amazing dam, my love,” Viktor complimented as he crossed the room and took his husband into his arms lovingly.
“Do you think we’re good parents, Vitya?” Yuuri asked as he nuzzled into his mate’s chest.
“I couldn’t ask for a better pack,” Viktor hummed honestly as he wrapped the younger man up in his strong arms.
“You’re such a good sire to our son,” Yuuri complimented, reaching up to gently caress his husband’s cheek. Viktor leaned into the endearing touch with a low and rumbling purr as he breathed in his mate’s scent.
“I got the- ugh! Will you two ever stop being gross?” Yuri sneered, rolling his eyes as he entered the room. In his arms the quilt from his bed was bundled up in a ball and his stuffed tiger was tucked under his arm lovingly.
“You’ve gotta share your Mama sometimes, Yurio,” Viktor teased.
“It’s not my fault that Mama likes me more,” the teen laughed, shooting his sire a deadly look as he set his quilt and stuffed animal down on the king sized bed.
Viktor gasped in feigned shock, raising a hand to his forehead like a character in a soap opera.
“You wound me, son!” The alpha whined.
“I love you both,” Yuuri reassured, wrapping one arm around his mate and extending the other towards his pup. Yuri gladly accepted the open arm and rushed towards his dam, clinging to the Japanese skater and allowing himself to be enveloped by his parent’s combined comforting scents.
Yuri inhaled deeply, pressed against his dam’s soft body as Viktor wrapped a protective arm around his mate and pup. Yuuri’s scent of matcha and jasmine intermingled with Viktor’s scent of raspberries and pine. Yuri relaxed into the warm embrace of his parents, something that he wouldn’t be caught dead doing in public. Behind closed doors however, Yuri was a touch-starved pup, even a year after his adoption. The small pack had a lot of time to make up for and Yuuri and Viktor had no qualms with showering their pup with affection, they had a lot of love to give.
“Did you have a good time today, Yuratchka?” Viktor asked as he squeezed his pup and husband tightly.
“Mhmm, the best,” Yuri murmured, his face tucked into his dam’s warm chest.
“How about you two finish up the nest and I’ll go make us some tea?” Viktor suggested, pulling back and smiling down at his usually fussy pup. Yuri just nodded against Yuuri, who shared a small smile with his mate.
“Okay, my loves,” Viktor sighed happily, patting Yuri’s head gently before leaving his mate and their son to head towards the kitchen. He knew Yuuri and Yuri shared a special bond, the young Russian had never experienced the love of a dam before Yuuri had come into their lives.
“Help me finish the nest, Yu-chan?”
“Okay Mama,” the blonde whispered.
“I like sort of having a wall of pillows,” the Japanese omega explained as he fluffed the pillows he had placed around the edge of the mattress.
“Can I lay my quilt in the middle?” Yuri asked with wide eyes.
“Of course,” Yuuri agreed. He knew his pup liked being sandwiched between himself and Viktor, no matter how much the young Russian denied it. Yuri laid the patterned quilt out on top of the cream coloured comforter with great care, flattening out any creases or folds as he situated the patterned blanket in the middle of the large bed.
The two worked together in no particular rush as they fluffed and organized the various blankets and pillows to perfection. The nest smelled tremendously warm and comforting. Yuuri hadn’t bothered putting new sheets on the bed so the fabric smelled deeply of his and Viktor’s combined scents.
“Do you think it’s alright?” Yuri asked curiously as the two stepped back to admire their hard work.
“It’s perfect, Yu-chan, you did an amazing job,” the older omega praised with a wide smile.
“Can we get in? Please,” Yuri asked tentatively. Even after a year had passed, he still craved his dam’s affection like a newborn pup. Yuuri knew what the teen needed and offered a soft smile as he crawled into the nest, beckoning his pup to follow.
Yuuri tucked himself under the thick pile of blankets which he lifted so that Yuri could get under too. The teen grabbed a hold of his stuffed tiger and tucked it into the crook of his arm as he settled against the warmth of the older skater’s body. The two entangled themselves together in a warm and comfortable embrace as Yuuri gently stroked his pup’s hair while quietly humming the tune of a Japanese lullaby.
Yuri mewled gently as he nuzzled into his dam’s soft chest. The blonde tossed a leg over Yuuri, and wrapped his lithe arms around the Japanese skater's warm and solid torso.
“Thank you for adopting me,” Yuri whispered.
“You’re the best pup I could have ever wished for, Yura. I love you so much,” Yuuri cooed as he stroked his son’s fair locks gently. His heart felt full in his chest as he gazed down at the sleepy pup, tucked safely in his arms.
“I love you too, Mama,” Yuri mumbled, a small smile creeping across his face.
“You too, Papa,” the half-asleep teen added as he smelled Viktor enter the room. The familiarity and the comfort of both his dam and his sire’s scents instantly put the teen at ease.
“So much, Yuratchka,” Viktor hummed softly as he set their mugs of tea down on the nightstand before placing an affection kiss on the crown of his pup’s head. “I’m so happy we’re all together,” the Russian alpha remarked as he climbed in the nest with his mate and their son.
Yuri turned slightly in his dam’s arms so that he was on his back and no longer curled up on his side. Viktor scooted inwards, essentially squishing the feisty pup between himself and Yuuri but the blonde only wiggled around until he was comfortable, forgoing any crude remarks about his parents being sappily affectionate. In the crook of his arm, Yuri held the well-loved stuffed tiger Viktor had gifted him over a year ago. He slept with it every night.
“I’m happy to be a Katsuki-Nikiforov,” Yuri admitted into the quiet of the room. On either side of him, his parents began to tear up. Viktor’s sniffling was obvious as he wrapped his strong arms around the teen. Yuuri on the other hand just watched with a fond gaze and tearful eyes, feeling like the luckiest person alive. No one could ask for a better family.