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“I have a surprise…”
Yuuri had followed their itinerary to the letter for the entirety of their trip to Detroit. He was polite to interviewers and sponsors, he woke early for their conditioning and ice time at the university and even made sure to pose for selfies with the students who recognized him from competitions or the walls of the rink. He was strangely calm and collected, despite being oversensitized and exhausted every night by the sheer number of people they met during the day. Looking back, it was a wonder Victor hadn’t noticed the strange behavior earlier. But today, when Victor woke up in their hotel room, wrapped in a cozy burrito of sheets and Yuuri’s arms, he could not have predicted those words coming out of Yuuri’s mouth. Maybe “good morning,” “can we get pancakes,” “I want to tie you to the bed,” but not “surprise.” He wasn’t mad, though. In fact, as Yuuri sat him down and uttered those beautiful words, Victor nearly bounced in his seat on the edge of the bed.
“A surprise? A surprise for me? A surprise from you for me?” Victor asked excitedly. He pushed his silver fringe out of his eyes to better see the man in front of him.
Yuuri stood in front of Victor in his jeans and t-shirt, hair still wet from the shower and brown eyes alight with mischief. He held his hands behind his back and pressed his mouth into a line, trying to stifle the grin on his face. It didn't work, and he looked cuter for his efforts. “Possibly. First you have a decision to make. Blue or Green? Keep in mind, you will not be able to change your mind later. This decision is final.”
“Blue,” Victor blurted out before he could think too hard about it. The best things in the world are blue: Yuuri’s glasses, Yuuri’s phone case, Yuuri’s practice gear, Yuuri’s blankets and pillows....
Yuuri squinted, and his smile morphed into a thin line of suspicion turned up cheekily on one side. “You’re absolutely certain? You want blue?”
“No? Maybe, green?” Victor faltered. Without knowing where they were going or what they would be doing, he couldn’t be confident in his choice. Yuuri rolled his eyes fondly and held out two new sweatshirts - one a bold dark blue, the other a striking green.
He smiled at the indecision in his fiance’s voice. “Victor, choosing one color over the other won’t affect our experience. I’m just curious where your loyalties lie.”
“With you, of course.” Victor watched as Yuuri shook his head and blushed the slightest bit, a dusting of pink coloring his cheekbones. Beautiful.
“You’re such a dork,” he said, smacking a kiss on the Russian’s mouth for good measure. “Do you want me to pick for you, oh loyal one?”
Victor hesitated before nodding slowly, apprehension in his eyes.“Yes, please.”
“I think the blue one suits you today. Which means I get to wear the green. Here, put this on.” Yuuri tossed the blue sweatshirt to Victor, who pulled it over his own t-shirt and jeans. By the time he emerged from the head hole, Yuuri was wearing his green one along with his favorite deep blue beanie. The soft cotton fit Victor’s form nearly perfectly, resting snug on his shoulders and billowing slightly around his waist. Yuuri’s was a bit too big on him, the sleeves bunching just slightly at his wrists. Both of them would be warm and comfortable to wear all day, though, which had Victor mentally rifling through what they could be doing today. The two of them didn’t have any more interviews or meetings with sponsors. The rink was closed for maintenance, so skating was out. The flight back to St. Petersburg didn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon, so...
“Why does it matter what color we wear?”
Yuuri put his hands on Victor’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. “Because today, you will experience something truly crucial to the Detroit experience. Something so serious, so brave, so communal that wars have been waged over it. Allegiances and friendships and marriages have been forged in the crucible of what you are going to experience today.”
Victor’s eyes widened the tiniest bit at his love’s intensity. “You have my attention.”
Yuuri arched an eyebrow and shifted his weight so his hip was cocked. The man was a pro at switching from serious to sassy in 1.5 seconds. “I didn’t already?”
Victor put his own hand over Yuuri’s on his shoulder, curiosity winning out over the want he had for the sass on display in front of him.. “What are we doing today, darling?”
The grin came back full force. “Victor Nikiforov, have you ever attended a college football game?”
~+~
It was a little over an hour’s drive from Detroit to Lansing, but Yuuri had made the drive before with Phichit when the two of them were timid college freshmen looking to experience American culture. He slid behind the wheel of their rental car armed with the perfect playlist for the two of them on his phone and even had the foresight to stop for bagels and coffee on the way. Victor gazed at Yuuri or out the window, not that there was much to see besides farmland and fields of corn, and sang quietly to himself in between sips of coffee. More than once Yuuri caught himself gazing at Victor, too, the bright light of the morning illuminating silver hair and making him look ethereal. The angel even fed him small bites of bagel from the passenger seat. God, Yuuri was lucky.
They parked a little ways away from the campus and stadium, Yuuri insisting that the walk was worth it as he pulled Victor into the crowd shuffling down a paved walkway in between a cluster of short brown buildings. When they emerged, the crowd had spit them out into a small courtyard where a group of flutes, and clarinets played through their repertoire. People in white and green or blue and yellow stood in a scattered circle, clapping along to the beat of their song. Not far away, the shrill trumpets threatened to overpower them.
Yuuri held Victor’s hand but kept his eyes on the small band in front of them. Seemingly without thinking, he started to sway to the music and tap the rhythm against his thigh. Victor, as enamored with the sight of his fiance as he was, couldn’t keep his focus on any one thing for too long. A few minutes of the music and his attention drifted to the smells floating their way. The tantalizing smells of cinnamon and popcorn rolled over them in a wave. Victor’s mouth watered, and he nudged Yuuri to get his attention.
“What’s that over there?”
Yuuri broke out of his reverie and squeezed Victor’s hand reflexively. “Where?”
“With all the smoke and the gentlemen drinking.” Victor gestured with the hand Yuuri held, and Yuuri followed it to the line of SUVs and food carts clustered farther down the path. He pulled the Russian closer and walked towards it.
“Oh, well, that’s a tailgate. People line up their cars with the back end open and have a few drinks while they cook.” He paused to buy a couple of small bags of snacks and slipped them into his sweatshirt pocket for later. “Sometimes people will bring outdoor games. Phichit and I once got roped into an impromptu cornhole tournament with some complete strangers once. They insisted on painting our faces and teaching us cheers before the game started. It was weirdly fun.”
Victor looked even more confused. “And what is cornhole?”
“Umm...it’s like...you set up a couple of giant wooden boards like 10 meters away from each other and try to toss bean bags through a hole in the other team’s board to get points. We’ll see if we can find one later and play.” The two skaters started following the crowd once more, the younger’s eyes wide and searching for a group who might let them play a game. Victor just beamed and stayed close, his hand still is Yuuri’s.
“Sounds silly. I look forward to it! But can you explain to me again about the colors? We keep getting weird looks, and not for the normal reasons.”
Distracted, Yuuri explained. “It’s about solidarity. The colors you wear tell other people which team you support. Kind of like our team jackets, but even more intense. That’s why I had you wear your blue sweater and green hat, and I’m wearing the opposite. It tells other people we support both teams and are here more for fun than for the rivalry.”
Victor’s brow furrowed and he stopped them in the middle of the walkway. The crowd parted around them, a sea of green, white, blue and yellow. “There’s a rivalry now? This is all very complicated, Yuuri.”
“This coming from the man who can skate a perfect program with four quads by memory and speak four languages fluently? And yes, there is a rivalry. Despite your current international standings in the skating community, you, sir, are not the only one with a friendly grudge in their sport.” Yuuri countered.
Victor scoffed and gave Yuuri a gentle shove. “I just don’t see the appeal of all of this.”
Yuuri had to kiss his cheek. Victor was so cute when he had no idea what was going on. “
Yet.
You don’t see the appeal
yet
. But you will. Come on, I think I hear a drumline!”
Victor let his finance pull him along the path towards the sounds of tapping and cheering. “A what-line?”
~+~
“It’s a Beautiful Day for Football!”
“SPARTANS! WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION? A-oo! A-oo! A-oo!”
“Go GREEN! Go WHITE!”
“One, two, three! *clap* First down, Bitch!”
Yuuri clapped in time to the chant and sat back with a satisfied smile like he hadn’t just cursed along with the crowd. It seemed he knew every one of the cheers, despite not having attended the school to which the team belonged. Earlier, Victor had been impressed, but this time his head snapped up in shock.
“Yuuri! Such language, and around children. You should be ashamed. And what just happened? Why did you say that?”
Yuuri glanced at Victor quickly, and seeing the teasing expression on his face, turned his attention back to the field. He gestured patiently to the field and the scoreboard. “Well, each team only has four tries at a time to get the ball down to the other team’s endzone. That’s how they get points. The blue and yellow team used up all their tries and got blocked every time, so now it’s the green and white team’s turn.”
“But why did you curse at them? Are they doing a bad job? It seems like they’re working really hard…” Victor tried to see where the players were who had the ball. For someone who could definitely tell the difference between a flip and a loop from a rink away, following this game was difficult from so high in the stands.
“They are! But right now it looks like the blue has the advantage, so the green team needs to know the crowd believes in them. Both teams’ fans have specific cheers to motivate the players when something happens. In this case - RUN THE BALL, geez - it was the green team’s first try to move the ball - first down - so the crowd yelled the ‘First Down’ cheer.”
The Russian looked suspiciously at his fiance. “We do not have those in skating.”
“We don’t even have first down,” Yuuri confirmed. “The closest comparison might be if you took the ice and the crowd chanted your name or - THAT WAS AN INCOMPLETE PASS AND YOU KNOW IT - or something.”
Victor jumped at the sudden changes in volume coming from Yuuri. He adjusted the dark green beanie on his head and reached for the cinnamon roasted almonds in Yuuri’s pocket. After tipping a few into his hand, he replaced the snack and asked, “And the yelling is normal as well?”
“Yup. And it’s encouraged. Just wait, we’ll get even more chances before the half is over.” Yuuri’s focus went from the field to the giant screen at the other end of the field. His eyes lit up and he leaned into his fiance, pointing excitedly. “Oh, Vitya, wave! We’re up on the screen!”
Victor followed the younger man’s arm, only to see the two of them smiling and waving at the crowd cheered. Out of nowhere, it seemed, the uniformed band next to them struck up into an arrangement of “Yuri on Ice.” Victor grinned incredulously and nearly bounced in his seat.
“They’re playing your free skate song, Yuuri! How do they know it?”
Yuuri laughed and shrugged. “Band kids are weird. Sometimes they just learn to play things by ear, like theme songs or songs associated with a celebrity. Watch this.”
He leaned in and kissed Victor right on the cheek, making the older man blush pink. Yuuri gestured pointedly to him, encouraging the crowd to cheer. The crowd applauded louder at the display of affection between them, and the band stopped playing. When it resumed a few seconds later, it was in an arrangement of “Let It Go.”
“Oh, my god.” Victor recognized the song from his exhibition years ago. Yuuri laughed and kissed his cheek again, followed by his perfect mouth.
“Tolja. Weird.”
~+~
“Is that a dog on the field?” Victor gripped Yuuri’s arm tightly. His ice-blue eyes flicked between the faraway retriever on the field and the close-up of it on screen. “They let a dog on the field! Yuuri, there is a very good boy on the field and he is catching Frisbees! Why didn’t you tell me there would be a dog?”
Yuuri rolled his eyes fondly. “I didn’t want you to ignore the rest of the game just because you were looking for Zeke the Wonder Dog. The whole point was to experience the day, not just wait for the puppy to show up, even if he is awesome.”
The silver-haired Russian nodded distractedly, watching Zeke snatch Frisbee after Frisbee from the air. “And this is when the bands come out, yes? They have a show?”
“Yep, the home team - this time it’s the green and white team - their band will take the field and play some songs and make shapes. Sometimes the school will let them add lights or props, but it’s not likely today.” He breathed in deep and let out a cheer. “GO STATE! Go on, Vitya, show some support!”
Victor glanced at Yuuri shyly and then took a deep breath himself before he, too, cheered for the band.
The two of them watched the marching band take the field and make the traditional giant block “S.” A voice boomed over the stadium announcing each song and its soloists with a flourish.
In the middle of the show, Yuuri felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned slightly and met the face of a young boy with big blue eyes, maybe 11 or 12, who held a small purple book and a pen. His small voice only shook slightly when he spoke, just barely heard over the music.
“Excuse me, Mr. Katsuki? Would you mind signing my book? I’m a big fan.”
Yuuri gave the boy a smile and reached out for the book. “Of course! I’d be happy to. What’s your name, kiddo?”
“Victor.”
Yuuri’s smile grew. He opened the book to a blank page and scrawled a message along with his signature in both English and kanji.
“Are you a skater, Victor?”
The boy nodded slowly, his blue eyes shining. “Not in competition. Not yet anyway. My coach says I need to work on my footwork.”
“I get that from my coach, too, don’t worry. He’s always on my case about refining my step sequences.” Yuuri grabbed his fiance's hand and squeezed to get his attention. “Right, Victor?”
“What was that, love?” Victor turned and saw Yuuri still facing the young skater. The boy's eyes grew even wider, recognizing The Living Legend right away.
“Mr, Nikiforov? Your jumps are amazing! My mom and I watch every one of your and Mr. Katsuki’s performances. Will you sign my book, too?”
Victor flashed his warmest press smile and took the book carefully, adding his own message to the page opposite Yuuri’s.
“What was it you got from me, Yuuri?” he asked. “Endless support and motivation to win?”
“Critique on my footwork.”
Victor’s smile turned into a smirk. “Well, it takes hard work to make it to the Grand Prix Final, and to bring home a medal besides. I’m sure this young skater knows that. What’s your name?”
The boy turned bright red at the question this time. “It’s Victor. My mom named me after you.”
Russian Victor finished his signature and looked into little Victor’s sapphire eyes. He saw admiration, embarrassment and even hope in them, just like his own at that age. He gestured to the boy, encouraging him to come closer so they could see eye-to-eye. Yuuri took the boy by the hand and helped him down onto the bleacher between the two of them, shifting to make room. Once settled, Victor offered back the small book and a genuine smile.
“It’s nice to meet another Vitya, and a skater no less! I’m sure you will bring much pride to the name, maybe even break some records of mine and Yuuri’s in the future.” Little Victor ducked his head at the compliment, and Russian Victor took the opportunity to share a knowing look with Yuuri. “Like I said, hard work and passion will take you far. So if you love to skate, and you put that love into every practice, and you let it show in your performance, you can always be proud of yourself for showing it to the world.”
Little Victor turned to Yuuri, who nodded in confirmation. “He’s right. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, but it’s entirely true. Don’t be like me and wait for the ice to tell you.”
The boy grinned and pulled his hand into his pocket for his phone.
“Can I have a picture with both of you while I’m here? My mom won’t believe me otherwise.”
The three of them squished together in the frame for a few pictures, some serious and some silly. Little Victor promised to tag them both on his mom’s Instagram and then climbed back over the bleachers to his seat a few rows behind them. He gave a small wave as he sat down next to a man with the same blue eyes who smiled at them and mouthed “thank you.”
The two of them faced the field again, deep in thought and still holding hands as the players took the field for the second half.
~+~
The rest of the game passed in a blur. As far as Victor could see, the ball kept flying around, the crowd would cheer or boo and Yuuri was loving every second of it. Which is all that mattered anyway.
They walked out the stadium, packed between families, groups of friends and young couples chatting away about the best parts of the game. Victor held onto Yuuri’s hand tightly, slightly wary of being separated in the crowd. Sensing his discomfort, Yuuri pulled the Russian into a doorway between buildings to wait out the bulk of the moving crowd. The two of them pressed close, even though they didn’t really need to, and Yuuri took the opportunity to kiss Victor lightly on the lips. Victor followed him when he tried to pull away, initiating a gentle make-out session that had both of them flushed and breathing deeply. Yuuri was the first to pull away.
“One more Victor Nikiforov fantasy checked off the list for College Yuuri,” he said sweetly, rubbing his nose to Victor’s and going in for another quick kiss.
Victor obliged and then responded, “And which fantasy is that? Watching the game, being recognized in the stands or getting to make out with me in a secluded spot on campus?”
“Why can’t it be all three?” Yuuri asked cheekily. He leaned out of their doorway to check the status of the crowd. It had lessened from an ocean of people to a trickle, which means they had been there longer than they meant to. Yuuri grimaced and pulled out his phone.
“Yikes. We’re definitely gonna hit traffic now.”
“How long will it take to get back to the hotel?” asked Victor between putting kisses on Yuuri’s forehead and cheeks. Yuuri tried to hold back a smile at the attention, but failed miserably and returned the gesture as he spoke.
“Maybe two hours instead of one.” A kiss on Victor's nose. “Do you wanna risk it or find someplace to get dinner?”
“Dinner sounds nice, as long as we can get something on our diet plans.”
Yuuri stopped kissing and groaned at the tone Victor used. He had let them both indulge a bit during the game, but the skaters in the both of them knew he was right.
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” He pulled them into the walking path and started them towards the rental car. It was still a few blocks away, which means they could either take it or leave it to find some food. Before they had walked too far, Yuuri gave Victor a nudge. “Did you enjoy yourself today, babe?”
Victor looked at his darling, brown eyes turned up and sparkling at him with anticipation. He smiled adoringly and let go of Yuuri’s hand to put his own around his fiance’s waist. Yuuri did the same and they walked in step down the sidewalk.
“I had a lot of fun, don’t worry. I didn’t understand most of it, but you said it was the experience, right? Maybe we come back next season and do it again.”
“Really?” Yuuri asked. “You’d wanna do that?”
Victor put a kiss on Yuuri’s head. “Yuuri, my love, you had fun and I had fun. Why wouldn’t we do it again?”
Yuuri squeezed Victor's hip and leaned onto his shoulder. He knew where they needed to go for something to eat, and it was still a little ways away. As a bonus, it wasn’t a particularly popular spot to go after a football game, so they’d be in relative quiet and privacy before they had to drive home. They’d be tired after the drive, but happy nonetheless after having spent most of the day outside, unlike their typical trips. Yes, they’d definitely have to do this again next season.
“Alright, then. It’s a date.”
They strode away from the campus into the twilight of fall. Leaves crunched under their feet and the chill on the air made them press closer to each other despite their hoodies and hats. When Yuuri posted a picture of them to Instagram later (at Victor’s insistence that he thank their sponsors for the day off and the tickets), it was of the two of them kissing in the bleachers with the team logos behind them on the Jumbotron. He smiled at the photo and posted it before he could change his mind.
#beautifuldayforfootball #Victor’sFirstGame #skatersdayout #GoSpartans #Maize&Blue