Stamps & Sleepless Nights

Sometimes Viktor Nikiforov just wanted to feel like he didn't need to skate and smile away the fear of being discarded back to his hometown with parents who didn't second guess nor cry when he was practically given away to the Russian Athletics Federation. But skating was his lifeline. The only thing that made him feel alive, besides music and his ambition. So he just kept smiling and winning while the hollow emptiness kept growing inside him.
He was thirteen when an envelope with pink flower stamps and an address written with weird symbols appeared at the bottom of his fan mail.
''You can just be Viktor and I can be your friend. Would you like that?''
A spark fluttered inside him.

Chapter 1: Hello, Viktor

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

'Hello, Viktor

Let me apologize, I’m learning English but I promise I will do my best to write this letter.

I’m almost 10 years old and live in Japan, in a town near the sea. There are a lot of birds in the sea here, called seagulls.

I love going to the ballet studio since I was little and my teacher showed me a video of you competing in Europe. I want to become a figure skater! My dad took me to the rink for the first time last week.

I looked for more videos of your programs and watch an interview you had after winning the gold medal. I asked my mom permission to write to the address that is on your internet page. I'm mad they asked you something that made you sad. I want to have friends too but maybe I’m boring or I’m not fun like the kids in my school. The joke about your skate laces was funny.

You can be just Viktor and I can be your friend. Would you like that?

Your friend,

Yuu K.’

Notes:

Here are some pointers for the Timeline (not following exactly the official timeline whatsoever):
- At the moment of the first fan mail letter Viktor is 13 and Yuuri is 9. (Year 2003)
- Viktor hardly ever talks to his parents by this point and has been with Yakov and Lilia for years, since his 7th birthday. They live in Novosibirsk, Russia (but still far away from St. Petersburg) and also never have visited Viktor.
- Yuuri's English is still broken but will get better quickly. His parents still call him Yuu-chan and when writing to Viktor he dropped the honorific but forgot to write his name.
More details to come in the first chapter!

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