Work Text:
It was a cool afternoon in St. Petersburg, and the wind bit at the exposed skin on Yuuri’s cheeks as he walked hand in hand with his fiance. Victor grinned at him as they walked back to the rink after having gone out to lunch together.
“Are you ready to get back on the ice?”
“Absolutely,” Yuuri smiled, “but you have to remember to not watch me and do your own routines. Yakov will be pissed if you keep getting distracted.”
“But my Yuuri is so beautiful, and you skate like an angel. How can I not get distracted by you?”
Yuuri giggled and pressed a kiss to Victor’s lips before they entered the rink and went to the changerooms. They both pulled on their skates, slowly getting into a focused and clear headspace as they tied their laces.
Emerging onto the ice, they both skated a few laps together to get warmed up and moving again. The rest of their rinkmates doing the same; Georgi was pretty silent, while Mila was laughing and teasing Yuri as he skated away from her.
Yakov was watching them all at the side of the rink, and finally called out for them to finish so they could get started on real practice time. Victor stole one last kiss from Yuuri before skating to the older coach, and the Japanese man blushed before skating to the other end of the rink.
He’d already gone through a full practice that morning with Victor, and had only come back to work out a few jumps in his new program. He also couldn’t deny that it was a joy to watch Victor skate again, and any excuse to watch his fiance putting together his new routine was one he would take.
“You both are disgusting.” Yuri grumbled as he stopped next to Yuuri.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yuuri chuckled as he took a sip of water then pushed off of the wall.
Yuri rolled his eyes and groaned, before skating after him. Yuuri bit his lip, but didn’t say anything. The young Russian seemed to be staying close to him, which was a sign that something was on his mind. He never openly stated that he needed to talk about something, but after having spent enough time around him Yuuri knew the signs.
So he kept his eye on his rinkmate, watching as he left Yuuri’s side to go through his routine with Yakov. Yuuri stopped and sipped his water, trying to not be obvious about his concern for the young skater.
Yuri nearly fell at one point, and that was the ultimate indicator that something was wrong. So Yuuri made a mental decision before skating over to where Victor had stopped to take a break and was breathing heavily.
“Everything okay?” Yuuri asked as he stopped and handed his fiance his water bottle.
“Yeah, it's just a heavy program.”
“You brought that on yourself.” Yuuri said pointedly. “You could have put more of your quads in the first half. Like you always say, you don’t have my stamina. So don’t try and act like you do.”
Victor clutched his heart like he was in pain, and Yuuri chuckled at his partner’s dramatics.
“Did you come here just to wound me?”
“No, I wanted to tell you that I’m inviting Yuri over for dinner.”
The older man straightened at his words and glanced over at the blonde who was being chewed out by Yakov for his lackluster performance.
“Any particular reason?”
“I just have a feeling that he needs to talk.”
“Should I pick up some pirozhki from his favourite place?” Victor asked, and Yuuri shrugged.
“It wouldn’t hurt,” he muttered, “but I don’t want him thinking that we’re pushing him to talk either. I want him to open up to us when he’s ready.”
“Well, I’ll get them either way. It’ll just be a nice treat.”
Yuuri nodded and kissed Victor quickly before skating back over to his side of the rink and running through his step sequence to boost his confidence a bit. He was always pretty confident in them, and got the most compliments from Victor on how he used them to move to his music.
He wasn’t used to choreographing a new set of routines so soon into the off season, but he had learned from his last year with Victor that the sooner he had it done the more time he had to perfect it. He wanted to take gold in the next Grand Prix Final, and he wanted to see Victor kiss his medal.
Once he was done, he turned to see Yuri cursing under his breath as he practiced his jumps over and over again. At the rate he was going, Yuuri knew he would fall and possibly hurt himself. So he skated over and put a hand on the ice tiger’s shoulder.
“Let me go piggy.”
“I’m not having you get hurt.” Yuuri said firmly, before pulling the smaller skater off the ice with him.
“Hey! I’m not done with practice.” Yuri said, trying to fight back against his grip.
“Yakov, can Yuri be done for today?” Yuuri called, and the coach nodded. “See? You’re done. Now, would you like to come to our place for dinner tonight, or should I walk you back to Yakov’s?”
“You’re not my mom.” Yuri growled. “I don’t need a chaperone.”
“I’m not saying you do, but I’d like to walk with you. So, our place or Yakov’s?”
Yuri was quiet, not answering as they removed their skates and packed their bags.
“Is Makkachin home?”
“Yeah, and he just went to the groomer yesterday so he’s nice and soft.” Yuuri said with a small grin playing across his lips.
“Your place is closer anyways.” Yuri grumbled, and Yuuri nodded with a triumphant smile.
“I’ll let Victor know, then we’ll get going.”
Yuri rolled his eyes, but followed Yuuri back out the rink with his usual glare. Victor saw them and skated over, shooting his fiance a questioning look.
“He’s coming over for dinner.”
“Good, I’ll see you both soon.”
Yuuri smiled and kissed Victor goodbye, before turning with a nod to the young skater who was pretending to gag.
“No more trying quad-axels,” Yuuri called over his shoulder, “I don’t want you injured.”
As he left the building with Yuri, he watched a small amount of tension ease out of the younger skater’s body. Clearly his escape of skating hadn’t been helping whatever was on his mind. Yuuri just hoped he would open up sooner rather than later so he could help.
“Victor’s trying to land a quad-axel?”
“Trying.” Yuuri said with a small sigh. “I wish he wouldn’t, but you know Victor. Always trying to surprise his audience.”
Yuri just nodded, not saying a word for the rest of the short walk to Yuuri and Victor’s apartment. It was quite close to the rink, ideal for the both of them when they stayed late or either of them needed to blow off some steam.
Yuuri had been in Russia a few months now, and it reassured him to be so close to the rink. He remembered back in Hatsetsu how far the Ice Palace had been from his family’s hot springs, and how the run there had often felt like an eternity on nights when he was stressed.
Once they reached the apartment, Yuuri fished his keys out of his pocket and let them both in. Makkachin scrambled from the couch to come bounding over with a bark, and he watched as Yuri’s face softened slightly as he bent down to pet the poodle’s soft fur.
“Do you want to shower first, or should I?” Yuuri asked, and Yuri paused for a moment.
“I will.”
Yuuri nodded and watched him disappear into the bathroom. He’d been over enough times to be quite familiar with the layout, and Yuuri had a sneaking suspicion this was far from the last time. So he put his bag away and went through the kitchen to see what he could make for dinner.
He texted Victor asking him to pick up a few ingredients while he was out after practice, not expecting a response as he knew the older man was still on the ice for at least another hour.
Yuri exited the bathroom a few minutes later, his hair fluffed up from being towel-dried and dressed in loose sweatpants and a tiger print tank top. He immediately sat on the couch and pulled out his phone, not saying a word to Yuuri as he walked past to take his own shower.
After letting the hot water rinse away any sweat and muscle tension from the day, Yuuri changed into his own home clothes and walked back out to the living room. Yuri was on the couch, cuddling Makkachin and running his hands through the soft curls. The dog was soaking in the attention, laying across Yuri’s lap and nearly limp with how relaxed he was.
Yuuri sat next to the smaller skater and got out his own phone. He didn’t want to be too pushy with the younger boy, but he also knew that if he didn’t ask questions there would be no conversation about whatever was troubling Yuri.
“Is everything okay?” he asked after a few moments, and Yuri’s eyes snapped to him.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Yuri snapped, and Yuuri just sighed before putting his phone down and turning to meet the young Russian’s eyes.
“I’m just asking Yuri, you don’t have to tell me. But I’m here for you to talk to, or Victor when he gets home. I know you’ve known him longer, so if you’d rather talk to him I’d understand.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Yuri said, but his voice quivered and Yuuri tried to not push him too much.
“Okay, I’m going to make tea. Do you want some?”
“Sure.”
Yuuri slowly stood up, going to the kitchen and putting the kettle on as he retrieved two mugs from the cupboard. He decided on green tea, filling two infusers with the tea leaves and resting them in the mugs as the kettle beeped that it was done.
Gently carrying the two hot mugs out, he placed one on the coffee table in front of Yuri and kept the other for himself. Wordlessly, Yuri picked up his and blew the steam away from the top before taking a small sip.
“Give it a bit more time to steep.” Yuuri said, noting how Yuri’s face scrunched up as he swallowed.
Yuri nodded, putting the mug back down and looking out the window. It was slowly transitioning from winter to spring, and St. Petersburg was a lot more colourful when not covered in a thick layer of snow.
“Do you think Victor will land his quad-axel?” Yuri suddenly asked.
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Yuuri said quietly. “I just want him to be safe, but it’s Victor we’re talking about. He wants the gold as much as either of us, so he’ll probably make sure it’s a jump he can land for the points. He has both of our world records to beat now as an extra challenge.”
Yuri nodded, as if Yuuri’s words reassured him. But he didn’t say anything else, and it returned to a comfortable silence in the apartment. Eventually, Yuuri decided to put some gentle music on and they both sat drinking their tea looking out the window.
His phone buzzed after a while, Victor saying that he had gotten everything Yuuri had asked for and was on his way back.
“Victor’s coming home.” Yuuri spoke, breaking the calm atmosphere for a second. “He picked up some pirozhki from your favourite place.”
Yuri blinked and looked at him, and Yuuri just smiled before going to the kitchen to start on dinner. He washed some rice before turning on the rice cooker and leaving it to do it’s thing. The front door opened just on time, and he hurried to greet his fiance with a kiss and stole the grocery bag from his hands.
“Thank you, love.”
“How’s he doing?” Victor asked in a quiet voice.
“He hasn’t talked much. I think it might have to wait until dinner.”
Victor nodded and Yuuri gave him one more kiss before letting the older man shower while he took the food to the kitchen and set about making dinner. He lost himself for a while as he cooked, using the time to zone out and think about what could be troubling Yuri.
He called the two other men for dinner, portioning out the food onto plates and bringing it to the kitchen table. Victor came in and pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek before sitting down. Yuri came a minute later, his feet shuffling against the floor before taking his seat.
“So Vitya, did you listen to Yakov today?” Yuuri asked, and Victor laughed for a moment.
“Of course I did, I’m a model student.”
Yuri snorted, but didn’t say anything. The two older skaters shared a look, before Yuuri sucked in a slow breath and decided to break the tension around the table.
“Yuri, what’s on your mind?”
He watched as the young boy froze, before putting his fork down and leaning back into his chair. They knew it wouldn’t be so easy for him to open up, but his behaviour at least confirmed their suspicions.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”
“Yuri-”
“I’m fucking fine, okay?” Yuri snapped, and Victor’s eyes narrowed.
As much as he knew the younger skater had a temper, he didn’t appreciate him taking it out on his fiance. But Yuuri held up a hand before turning back to the blonde.
“I think we both know that’s not true. If it’s not something you can talk about with us that’s fine. But then you should talk to someone about it. Yakov or Lilia, because they’re your coaches. Even Otabek, I know you two were pretty fast friends at the Grand Prix Final.”
Yuri looked from Yuuri to Victor, then back to Yuuri before letting his eyes drop to the floor. They could tell he was close to letting go, to spilling what was buried deep under his glares and raging voice.
Makkachin padded into the room, immediately resting his head on Yuri’s lap. And that seemed to be the final straw as tears started rolling down his cheeks and he sniffled as he started petting the dog once more.
Yuuri and Victor shared a look before Yuuri moved and wrapped his arms around the younger boy. He fell into Yuuri’s embrace, and Victor moved closer to kneel next to his chair and look up into his watery eyes.
“Yura, you can talk to us.”
“I’m going to fucking fail!” Yuri cried out, and the couple shared another look before Victor spoke again.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re trying to land a freaking quad-axel, and Katsudon here is looking more and more stable in his jumps, plus he has more quads than me and picks up step sequences with ease. People are going to call my gold a fluke, my senior debut will mean nothing if I don’t win again. But I can’t win, not against you two.”
They stayed quiet for a minute, letting Yuri cry and gently soothing him. The tension in the air was palpable, before Yuuri finally spoke.
“You had one of the best senior debuts ever. Not only did you win gold at your first Grand Prix Final, you broke Victor’s record. People won’t forget that so quickly.”
“And even if you don’t win gold next time, I can bet you’ll be on the podium.” Victor said with a smile. “You’ve got talent Yura, and yes people will put pressure on you to do well but you can’t let that get to you. You just skate your best, and it will speak to your skill level.”
“We can’t all win gold.” Yuuri said with a sad smile. “But I bet the three of us could top the podium next time around.”
“I’ll kick both your asses.” Yuri muttered, making Victor and Yuuri laugh.
“There’s the Yuri we know.”
Yuri wiped his eyes, and Victor smiled up at him. The blonde smiled back, nodding once before looking at the table.
“I’m starving.”
“Then let’s eat, the food will get cold soon if we don’t.”
---
After that night, Yuri started coming to their apartment at least once a week for dinner. Victor and Yuuri welcomed the company, happy that the younger skater clearly trusted them enough to open up occasionally about things that were bothering him.
Most nights he was there were quiet, chill evenings where he could simply relax and get away from Yakov and Lilia’s critiques. He didn’t mind getting it at the rink or in the ballet studio, but once he was resting with Potya he wanted to forget and relax. But the pair struggled with not being coaches all the time around him.
So he would turn to Yuuri and Victor, who almost never talked about his skating unless it was something they were impressed with. He couldn’t deny that he liked hearing praise from both of them, especially since he had looked up to Victor for years and knew how talented Yuuri was.
It was one of those nights, Yuri had curled up on the couch after dinner with his phone in hand. Victor and Yuuri were cuddled on the other end, quietly talking to themselves while the television played some show none of them were really paying attention to.
“Yura,” Victor’s voice broke through the haze of Yuri’s mind and he blinked, “what time did you want me to take you back to Yakov’s?”
He glanced at the time, realizing it was getting a bit late and he should probably leave sooner rather than later. He bit his lip, trying to decide what a good time would be.
“If you want, you can stay here for the night.” Yuuri offered, and the blonde pondered the offer.
After a few moments of silence, he nodded and Yuuri climbed off of Victor’s lap. The older man groaned at the loss of contact with his fiance, but didn’t make too much of a fuss after Yuuri bent down and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“I’ll just make sure the guest room is set up, give me a few minutes.”
Yuri nodded, turning back to his phone while Victor got up from the couch and whistled for Makkachin. The poodle scampered after him to the front door, eager to go out for his last short walk of the night.
A soft silence fell over the apartment, and Yuri sighed to himself as he let his legs stretch out over the couch and he put his phone down. Part of him felt bad for always turning to the couple, but they made it clear that they wanted to help him.
Yuuri always seemed to know when he was feeling down, but he never pushed the issue. He simply invited him over, and Yuri would accept. Sometimes they would talk about what was bothering him, other nights the couple gave him space and let their apartment become a safe space for him to relax.
“Yuri, can you come here for a minute?”
He looked up to see Yuuri standing in the doorway to the guest room, and Yuri got up and walked over cautiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just want to make sure this is good for you.” Yuuri explained, gesturing for Yuri to feel the bedsheets and examine his surroundings.
It was a pretty bare room, not many decorations or anything that screamed it belonged to someone. The bed was covered with soft cotton sheets, and the duvet cover was warm. Yuri blinked, he hadn’t heard the dryer running but he guessed Yuuri must have put all the sheets in there to make them this warm.
“Uh, it’s nice.”
“Good, you don’t have to stay in here now. Just wanted to make sure it was comfortable.”
Yuri nodded, pausing for a moment before wrapping his arms around the older man. For a moment nothing happened, then Yuuri’s arms hugged him back. He allowed the Japanese man to hold him close, a reassurance that he wasn’t alone.
“You’re always welcome here.” Yuuri whispered, and Yuri bit his lip at the thought.
Victor and Yuuri had been taking care of him for a while. First back in Hatsetsu, and ever since the dark-haired man had moved to Russia. They weren’t overbearing, but more of a constant presence in his life reminding him that he wasn’t alone against the world like he always imagined he was.
They pulled apart, Yuri not saying a word as Yuuri smiled and walked back out to the living room as the front door shut. He could hear the couple talking, likely cuddling on the couch once again. He decided to simply close the door, climbing under the warm sheets and opening his messages to talk to Otabek.
He and the Kazakh skater did indeed get along, Yuri couldn’t deny that. They found time at least once a week to talk, and the blonde couldn’t deny that he looked forward to talking with the slightly older skater.
When his phone started ringing, he answered it almost immediately. A smile crossed his face as he heard his friend’s familiar voice through the phone.
“Hey Yuri, how’s it going?”
“Alright I guess. How’s Almaty?”
“Not much has changed, I’m starting on my programs for next season. What’s happening with you?”
“Oh, Yakov and Lilia are being their usual delightful selves.”
“Do you at least have Potya with you, to keep you sane?”
Yuri bit his lip, the mention of his beloved cat making him realize the one thing that was missing was that his bed didn’t have the weight he was used to sleeping with.
“Uh, not tonight.”
“Why?”
“I’m at Victor and Yuuri’s place.”
“For the night?”
“Yeah,” Yuri said softly as his fingers played with the warm sheets, “it’s kind of nice actually.”
“Why, what happened?”
Yuri explained how he’d had a stressful day, the pair had invited him over for dinner and Yuuri’s preparations of the room for him. Otabek listened to it all before speaking again.
“I’m glad you have someone there taking care of you. It sounds like they care about you a lot.”
“I guess so.” Yuri sighed, his words failing to describe his thoughts. “I don’t know if it’s a one time thing though.”
“I doubt it with those two. I remember seeing them together throughout last season, and they were always cheering you on. They’re almost like proud parents.”
Yuri scoffed while Otabek chuckled, and he quickly changed the subject to talk about his friend’s music hobbies and if he had plans to take time off at all.
Once their call ended, Yuri lay in the dark and snuggled under the blankets. Otabek’s words swirled in his head, but he tried to ignore them as he fell asleep. Yuuri and Victor were his rinkmates, of course they cared about him. That’s all there was to it.
---
In the following weeks, Yuri’s visits to their apartment became more and more frequent. Instead of inviting him over, one of them would simply ask if he wasn’t coming that night for dinner.
Secretly, the couple were thrilled that he was spending more time at their place. When he wasn’t there, they started referring to the guest room as Yuri’s room. Victor casually stockpiled some of Yuri’s favourite snacks in the kitchen, and Yuuri had coaxed what kind of bathroom products the younger boy used out of Lilia during a ballet class.
That night they had gone out and bought not only soap and shampoo for him, but also a new tiger print towel set which they washed and left on top of the chest of drawers for him to find. Yuri also had a habit of leaving clothes behind, so Yuuri washed them and sorted them into their own drawers.
Yuri would often come back to their place and leave his bag in the room, spending some time there to rest alone before joining them on the couch or for dinner. Makkachin was also becoming very used to his presence and would cuddle with him as soon as he sat on the couch.
“Should we ask him to move in?” Victor asked Yuuri as they sat on the couch, one of the few nights the younger skater hadn’t joined them at all.
“I think you should talk with Yakov about it tomorrow.” Yuuri said, cuddling into his fiance’s side.
“Do you think he’d want to move here permanently?”
“I’m not sure dear, it’s his choice. But I think we should at least offer it to him. He sees this as a safe space, and I want him to have that.”
Victor tilted Yuuri’s chin up with his fingers, before pulling him into a deep kiss. Yuuri melted against him, smiling into the kiss and only pulling away to gasp for air.
“You know if he moves here, we’ll have to be a bit more subtle with affection and stuff like that.” Yuuri pointed out.
“I’ll kiss you as much as I want.” Victor said with a grin. “He’s a growing boy, he’ll learn it’s a part of adult life.”
“Don’t talk like he’s a child,” Yuuri said as he lightly slapped Victor’s thigh, “he’s almost seventeen. We’re offering him a caring and supportive household, but we can’t expect him to suddenly be warm and fuzzy with us. He’ll still be the same Yuri.”
Victor nodded before kissing Yuuri again, both of them relaxing in each other’s presence. Yuuri often spent moments wondering how he got so lucky, knowing his fiance did the same. They weren’t perfect people, but they were perfect for each other.
“Do you remember when he first came to Hatsetsu? So eager to challenge everything and saying he couldn’t skate agape ?” Yuuri giggled and Victor let out a small chuckle.
“He surprised all of us last year. I can understand why he’s so worried about this year, but I know he’ll surprise us again.”
“It’s so hard, competing against both of you but wanting you to succeed.” Yuuri groaned.
“I feel the same way, love. I’m your coach! I want you to win, but I’m also your competitor. Don’t get me started on wanting to see Yura succeed again.”
“But...don’t you want me to win more than him?”
“Yuuri~” Victor whined and Yuuri laughed before kissing him again.
“I’m kidding Vitya.”
---
The next morning after Yuuri’s private practice with Victor, the Russian went to find his coach. He knocked at his office door, hearing Yakov call for him to come in. Opening the door, he stepped into the familiar office and sat across from the man who glanced up to see him.
“Vitya, is everything okay?”
“Of course!” Victor said before giving Yakov a heart-shaped smile. “I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Then ask.”
Victor sat at one of the chairs in front of Yakov’s desk, getting comfortable before speaking again.
“Yuuri and I were talking last night, and we were thinking that maybe Yuri should move to our place.”
“Are you his coach? You don’t get to make that decision.”
“That’s why I’m asking you. Besides, he’s spending most nights at our place anyways. It’s closer to the rink and he could start coming in earlier for practices. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed an improvement in his attitude.”
Yakov was quiet for a minute, clearly pondering and thinking over the skater’s proposal. Victor knew that deep down, all Yakov wanted was for his skaters to do their best and tried to provide them with an environment to succeed. While he wasn’t the most compassionate person, he did his best.
“Who knew that you running off to Japan to play coach would lead to so many changes around here?” Yakov sighed as he folded his arms on his desk.
“Oh, you know you love my Yuuri.”
“He keeps you in line, and he actually listens to instructions.”
Victor chuckled and nodded, while Yakov picked up the phone on his desk. He quickly called the receptionist downstairs and instructed that Yuri be sent to his office as soon as he arrived.
“Have you asked Yura about this already?”
“No, not exactly. We’ve told him he’s always welcome, and he’s warming up to the place more. He didn’t even complain when we bought him his own stuff.”
“If he agrees, I’ll give you all the weekend off to get him settled.”
“ Spasibo. ” Victor said with a nod.
The office door clicked open, and Yuri poked his head inside to see who was there.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Come sit.” Yakov instructed, and Yuri slid into the room.
The door closed behind him, and he shuffled to sit in the chair next to Victor. He shot the silver-haired man a look, but Victor just smiled reassuringly.
“What’s going on?”
“We were discussing plans for your future.” Yakov said, and Victor held his tongue. It wasn’t the best way to approach the subject, and was probably making Yuri more nervous. But Yakov was his coach, so they would do this his way.
“My future?”
“Yes, Vitya here proposed that you could live with him and Yuuri. Seeing as you haven’t been staying with us very often, and whenever you’re there you come to the rink with a much better attitude.”
Yuri seemed to relax when he realised that this was the actual topic of conversation. He glanced at Victor who nodded, gesturing for him to speak his mind.
“I…uh…I’d like that.”
“Well, I guess that settles it.” Victor said with a grin and a clap of his hands. “Is there anything we have to do?”
“Not at the moment, I’ll put in the paperwork for a change of address. But Yuri, you’ll need to get permission from your grandfather. He’s still your legal guardian.”
“I’ll call him.” Yuri muttered, fishing his phone out of his pocket and walking to the hallway.
Victor smiled at Yakov as the door shut, and the coach shrugged before turning to his computer monitor.
“So weekend off?”
“Yes Vitya, but I expect you to be serious at practice and stop watching your fiance.”
“I’ll do my best.” Victor sighed, before leaving the office to find Yuri hanging up the phone. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, he said it’s okay as long as it’s what I want.”
“Is it?” Victor asked seriously. “We don’t want to force you into this.”
“No, I want to do it.” Yuri said, and Victor nodded before opening the office door once more so Yuri could tell Yakov.
Once the smaller skater exited the room, Victor wrapped an arm around his shoulders and walked with him down to the rink where Yuuri was finishing his cooldown routine.
“Yuuri~” Victor called out, “we have good news!”
Yuuri quickly glided across the ice to where they were standing and looked from Victor to Yuri.
“Well? Tell me!”
“Yura’s moving in with us, and Yakov gave us the weekend off to get him settled.”
“Oh Yuri, that's wonderful.” Yuuri grinned and wrapped the young skater in a hug.
“Get off me, Katsudon.” Yuri grumbled, but didn’t fight the hug immediately.
Yuuri did release him moments later, before pulling his skate guards on and walking with the pair to the changerooms. Yuri and Victor got ready for their own practice, while Yuuri showered and changed into more comfortable clothes.
He sat on the benches while Victor and Yuri went through their full practice, writing out a list of things they would need to get to accommodate the teenager. Most of the things he or Victor could pick up themselves, but for things like decorations or blankets and bedsheets he wanted the blonde to pick his own things.
Once the two Russians finished practice and came to collect him, he had a solid plan laid out for the weekend. Victor held his hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving, and Yuri grumbled about them just getting married already.
Yuuri laughed and as they walked home, he felt a sense of relief filling him. Part of him had worried that Yuri would reject their offer, or distance himself from them for wanting him to be a part of their little family. But the teenager seemed happier than he had been in a while, even pulling them both into a hug once they were safely inside the apartment away from any prying eyes.
“Thank you.”
“Of course Yuri, we’re always here for you.” Yuuri reassured him as he gently stroked the blonde’s hair and Victor wrapped his arms around both of them.
“Now, let’s get changed and take a ride over to Yakov’s place. You can pack up your stuff and bring it here, and tomorrow we’ll go shopping for some other things for you.” Victor said with a smile, and Yuri nodded before hurrying off.
---
Yuri settled into life with the couple well. His biggest concern had been Potya’s reaction to moving homes. But it turned out the cat really didn’t care, and quite enjoyed cuddling up with Makkachin to steal the dog’s natural body heat.
True to their word, Yuuri and Victor had taken Yuri shopping for more personal items to make the bedroom his. So his walls featured posters and art from some bands he liked, a few framed photographs rested on top of a desk they had purchased for him to do schoolwork at.
He had filled the closet and chest of drawers with his clothes, and the couple had been nice enough to take him to get some new clothes as well to fill out his style options a bit. After a long day of practice, he would come home and collapse on the couch while Yuuri and Victor made dinner. They would all usually watch a movie or show together before going to bed. It was nice.
Yuri felt secure. Yuuri and Victor gave him enough space to live his life and make his own choices. However they were always checking in on him, trying to help him when problems arose and supporting him when days just didn’t go his way.
And now, a lot of days weren’t going his way. Maybe a month after moving in with the pair, Yuri’s growth spurt hit him hard. His body ached from the constant stretch in his legs and torso, and he couldn’t skate properly because the perfect balance he had worked out with his body had been completely thrown out.
So he fell, a lot. His practices reverted to him simply relearning all his jumps, and ending up bruised by the end of the day from all the falls he took. Victor tried to not be overbearing and only helped him up every so often, while Yuuri would be waiting as soon as he got off the ice to check for any injuries and assisted him in icing the worst ones at home.
But the frustration was getting to him. He couldn’t resort to his usual laying in bed, because even that hurt if he didn’t find the perfect position that didn’t stretch any part of him. So he stayed out on the couch, bundled in hoodies and leggings while watching television and cuddling Potya close to his chest.
Yuuri was sitting on the couch with him, his legs resting across the older man’s lap as he gently rubbed tension out of the younger skater’s calves. There were a few particularly nasty bruises on his legs from some falls he’d taken, but otherwise he was fine.
His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and he picked it up to see who would be trying to contact him at this time. Yuri’s heart sank when he recognized Yakov’s phone number, and opened the text with anxiety stirring in his chest.
“Everything okay?” Yuuri asked, and Yuri wanted to throw his phone across the room.
Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes as he decided to drop his phone onto the couch cushion next to his head. He wiped furiously at the tears, but they wouldn’t stop once they had started. Yuuri gently placed his legs down and got up from the couch, before moving to kneel next to him and ran his fingers through Yuri’s hair.
“What happened?”
“Yakov says I should take time off.”
“That’s not a completely unreasonable idea, Yuri. At the rate you’re going, you’ll end up with a serious injury and not be able to compete at all.”
“I can’t take this season off.”
“He’s not asking for the season,” Yuuri said calmly, “just a short while until your body is done with growing.”
“I’m not taking time off!” Yuri growled under his breath as Victor stepped into the room.
The couple shared a look that Yuri couldn’t understand, before Victor knelt next to Yuuri and let out a soft sigh.
“Yura, it’s better for you to take even a month off now and be ready for the season rather than keep this up and be out.”
“I won’t be out.”
“If you keep this up you will be.” Victor said firmly, and fear settled into Yuri’s body. He didn’t want to fall behind and fail next season.
Yuuri opened his arms as an invitation, and Yuri collapsed into him as he cried and they both held him close.
“Taking a break doesn’t mean you’re going to forget everything, or come back a worse athlete. You can still train off the ice, and once you’re more situated in your body, you get back out there and perfect your routines.” Victor said with a smile, and Yuuri nodded in reassurance.
“I did it when I had my growth spurt.” Yuuri said quietly, tucking Yuri’s hair behind his ears. “Most skaters do.”
“You had a growth spurt?” Yuri muttered, pulling a laugh from the couple. If Yuri had the energy to be sarcastic, then there was hope.
They slowly let him go, helping him lay down again on the couch before leaving to cook dinner and probably be all cute and coupley. Yuri sighed as Potya and Makkachin both climbed up to snuggle with him, and his fingers ran through the cat’s fur.
He wasn’t letting the pair get away from him that easily, he would be back and competing stronger than ever once his break was over. But while he took time to rest, he knew they would take care of him and make sure he was in prime condition to return to the rink. Part of him couldn’t deny it anymore, they were his family now.
---
When Yuri’s growth spurt finished, he was taller than Yuuri and just a bit shorter than Victor. He was grateful that he still kept his slim frame, knowing his routines for the Grand Prix Series relied on him being graceful. His hair now fell past his shoulders and slightly down his back, reminiscent of when Victor had skated with long hair. Although the older skater’s hair had been even longer than Yuri’s was.
The three of them were sitting on the couch, holding hands as the television announced where they would be competing for this year’s Grand Prix Series. They’d been travelling around for the last month or so going through a few preliminary competitions, and all three of them had solid programs.
Yuri sighed when he saw that the three of them were never all together in a competition, but was grateful to see that their events were spread far enough apart that they’d all be able to travel together and cheer for each other when they weren’t on the ice.
He wouldn’t admit out loud how hard it was for him, wanting to succeed and win while also wanting both Yuuri and Victor to do their best. And their best could mean he didn’t get a gold medal.
“A toast to a successful season.” Victor said, raising a steaming mug of hot chocolate from the coffee table.
Yuuri grabbed his own mug, while Yuri rolled his eyes but followed in suit. They clinked them together before gently sipping the hot drink. Yuuri hummed in satisfaction, and Victor kissed his fiance as he whispered some love crap. Yuri groaned and got up from the couch, while the pair laughed and began making travel plans.
The three of them travelling together wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It meant that Yuri got his own hotel room and didn’t have to worry about the couple being too loud, which he had to admit hadn’t actually been a problem in the apartment yet.
It also allowed Yuri to experience one of his new favourite things, and that was Victor braiding his hair. Seeing as it was the easiest way to keep his hair out of his face and secure, he’d ensured it was part of his hair and makeup for both his free skate and short program.
Originally, Yuri had assumed that Yuuri would help him when he requested the braid. But Victor had returned with a hair tie and a comb, and Yuuri had just smiled and made room for Yuri to sit so the older man could get to work. Victor had explained that he had learned how to braid his own hair a long time ago, and had actually been the one doing Yuuri’s hair the previous season.
Yuri adored the feeling of the comb detangling his hair, and Victor’s expert fingers separating the strands into even bundles to be braided together into a tight line that fell down Yuri’s back. Sometimes Victor would start humming to himself, and Yuri would close his eyes and take the moment to relax.
He found himself in that exact position now as they prepared for Skate Canada, Victor humming while Yuuri gently brushed eyeshadow on his eyelids and applied a lip balm that tasted of artificial cherries. He felt genuinely cared for, and as they both finished Yuuri grinned and turned him to the mirror in the bathroom.
“Looks great, thanks.” Yuri muttered, and they left so he could change into his costume and get ready to leave.
Victor was also competing in this event, making his official comeback. So Yuri knew stakes were high going into today. He couldn’t understand why Victor seemed so relaxed, knowing he would be a bundle of nerves going into competition with that kind of pressure on him.
He watched the older staker during their warm up. Victor didn’t seem bothered at all, practicing a few jumps here and there. Smiling at Yuuri who watched from the sidelines with Yakov. Yuri wasn’t sure how the Japanese man had gotten in, considering it was a closed practice.
But he skated over to them anyway, knowing that Yuuri would be able to talk him down from the anxiety ledge he was standing on. Both men looked at him as he stopped in front of the boards, breathing heavier than he should be.
“Oi, Katsudon.” Yuuri stepped closer and took Yuri’s hands in his. “Why isn’t Victor stressed?”
“Huh?”
“What secret does he have up his sleeve that makes him act like he has nothing to worry about? This is his comeback!”
“Yuri, he’s simply confident in his abilities and the program he created. But don’t worry, we’re both cheering for you to do well.”
“I’ll kick the old man’s ass.”
“You do that, go out there and show me that you’ve nailed that last quad you were struggling with.”
Yuri huffed but nodded, skating off to get the momentum needed for the jump. A quad flip, Victor’s signature. He’d had the couple teach him one night without Yakov around, and now he knew he was ready to debut it in his program. He pushed off the ice, flying through the air before landing perfectly on the blades of his skates, not wobbling once.
He grinned at Yuuri who nodded, and Victor skated past with a whistle.
“I might have to start taking this seriously, Yura.” Victor joked, and Yuri clenched his fist.
“You better, I don’t want you to lose because you were going easy on me.”
“I have no plans to do any such thing.”
---
That sentiment remained between the three of them all the way to the Grand Prix Finals. The only time all three of them were in competition and they went all out. Yuri skated around the rink that morning while the couple in front of him whispered quietly, likely Victor’s notes about any improvements to Yuuri’s program.
“Aren’t they a pair.” Otabek said as he skated next to Yuri, and he smiled at the sight of his friend.
“I’ll still kick their asses.”
“If you perform like you have all season, I could believe it.”
“You have a shot too, you know.”
“As much as I’m aiming for gold, I don’t have the highest hopes. But there’s always worlds.”
Yuri nodded, continuing to chat with Otabek for the rest of his warm up before leaving the ice to change into his costume. He put his earbuds in, blocking out any distractions and focusing exclusively on his program. Yakov and Lilia came to check on him, nodding when they saw how in the zone he was.
Victor skated first, ending to thunderous applause from the audience and a score that proved he wasn’t kidding. He wanted another gold with this comeback. Yuri continued to shut out the world until it was his turn on the ice, watching Victor run past to change from his skating costume into his coaching suit.
“Yura, you’re up next.” Yakov tapped him on the shoulder, and he followed him out to the side of the rink where Otabek had just finished his program.
Yuri applauded politely as his friend walked past, tugging his skate guards off and stepping onto the ice.
“Yuri, davai.” Otabek said, and he gave him a thumbs up before skating off to take his opening position.
He delivered a flawless short program, ending with his chest heaving from exertion before collapsing to his knees and grinning to himself. He was giving the old man a run for his money.
As he made his way to where Yakov and Lilia were waiting, Yuuri was on the ice talking to Victor in a hushed tone.
“...I’ll get that gold, and you’ll finally have to set that wedding date.” Yuuri muttered before skating away.
Yuri froze for a moment before moving to the kiss and cry. He watched for his scores, but was much more interested in seeing Yuuri skate. The Japanese man had more motivation than anyone to want this gold, and a sinking feeling filled Yuri’s stomach as he watched the program unfold before him.
When he finished, Yuri was standing to the side of the kiss and cry with anticipation. The entire area seemed to hold their breath as they watched the screen.
“Yuuri Katsuki scored 119.67, which is a new world record! The previous record was set last year by young Yuri Plisetsky.”
Yuuri was in shock, and Yuri ran into the kiss and cry not caring about the cameras or anything else that could see him. He flung himself into Yuuri’s arms.
“You deserve it, Katsudon.”
“You did amazing as well, Yuri.”
“And we still have the free skate tomorrow.” Victor reminded them both.
They all nodded, moving out together to face the onslaught of media now desperate to talk to both Yuris to discuss the new record. Yuri ignored most of them, but didn’t leave Yuuri and Victor’s side.
The next day, after the free skate it was done and Yuri waited patiently on the ice to receive his medal. It had been a tough fight for the podium, the final scores coming down to being barely a point away from each other.
Victor had received the bronze medal, Yuri skated forward to receive his silver which rested against his chest. Both him and Victor couldn’t hold back their grins as Yuuri received the gold, making a show of kissing it in front of the cameras and then kissing the gold ring on his finger.
Yuri wanted to roll his eyes, call them gross for being so romantic even on the ice. But it warmed his heart. The Yuuri who skated then wasn’t the Yuuri they had seen a year ago, and the anxious falling Yuuri was all but forgotten.
So when he pulled them both in for a hug, Yuri accepted it and hugged them back. This was his family, and for once he wasn’t upset about getting silver. Because he knew he had this group, this home, who would support him and help him keep pushing to make new records and get more golds.