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Yuuri Katsuki-Nikivorov had never considered becoming a parent. At least, not that seriously. Sure, maybe someday after himself and his husband were retired from skating they would take in some sweet baby or toddler who didn’t have a home. He just never considered that baby or older to, 1) Be ten years old and, 2) Have a vocabulary that would make just about anyone stop and take notice, and not in a good way.
“Be good, okay Yurochka?” Nicolai knelt down to give his grandson a tight hug. “I’ll come to visit sometime next month.”
Yuri buried his face in his grandfather’s jacket. “Can you bring piroshki?” The kid seemed to have given up on being able to stay with his grandfather at this point. Instead, he had stared down at his lap while papers were signed, boxes unloaded into his new room, and the adults talked a few things over. The look on his face made Yuuri want to scoop him into his arms and never let go.
“Of course,” Nicolai agreed quickly. “Stay safe. Listen to Viktor and Yuuri. You can call me whenever you want to.”
Yuri nodded, only holding onto his grandfather tighter.
Gently, Nicolai pried away the tiny fingers clinging to his shirt and stood. He ruffled Yuri’s blond hair. “I’ll see you soon.” He held out his hand first to Viktor, then Yuuri. They each shook it when offered. “Thank you for taking care of my grandson. Call me if you need anything.”
“Of course, sir,” Yuuri replied quickly. “I’m glad that we could help.”
“Please, call us if you need anything, too,” Viktor added.
Nicolai gave Yuri one last hug before leaving. Yuri stood at the window of the apartment for a good five minutes after his grandfather’s old car had vanished from right. Viktor and Yuuri let him, Yuuri going to make dinner and Viktor settling onto the couch to wait patiently.
“Why don’t we start getting your room set up?” Viktor suggested casually when it became clear Yuri wasn’t going to move on his own. “We still have at least ten minutest before dinner is ready.”
“I don’t want to,” Yuri replied, not so much as glancing in his direction.
The kitten walked over and butted here head into his leg, demanding attention. Yuri squatted down, scratching her on the ears. He appeared to be deep in thought. Probably wondering if he could make it to Moscow by buss or if hitchhiking was a better option, Viktor thought sarcastically.
He stood. “Come on, let’s at least set out your cloths so they’re ready for tomorrow morning.
Yuri followed him to his room, a scowl on his lips and the kitten in his arms. His room was the old guest room and, by his opinion, just fine. The walls were white. The queen-sized bed, dresser, and book shelf all matched, either white or a light gray. The ground was also gray and made out of that weird plastic flooring he never quite knew what to think of. The window had blue curtains and showed a lovely view of the apartment behind them and the fire escape. It was much nice than his tiny, dark, cold room back home with his mom, but it just didn’t feel like his.
Unpacking every last box took ten minutes exactly. They had just finished when the older Yuuri called them for dinner. Yuri followed Viktor silently to the dinning room. The older Russian was much too chatty. Also, he smiled a lot. Who in their right mind gave him permission to smile so much?
“Are you not hungry, Yuri?” Yuuri asked, nothing how the boy had stopped eating.
Yuri shrugged. He ate the exact amount that he was supposed to, how didn’t these two realize that?
Yuuri glanced at his plate. Half of the meal exactly was gone. “Do you not like it? I’m sure that I could find something else in the fridge.”
They really didn’t get it. Yuri shook his head. “I’m not hungry,” he grumbled, hoping they would get the hint.
“You sure?”
They really were clueless. “Yes, stop asking, it’s annoying.” He crossed his arms and scowled, not meeting Yuuri’s eyes for fear of the anger he knew he would see there.
“Yuri.” Victor’s voice was firm. “You will not speak to my husband like that. Do you understand?”
His tone made Yuri wine. “Can I go now?”
Viktor opened his mouth to reply, but Yuuri cut him off. “You may. But in the future, please try to speak to us more respectfully, okay? And feel free to come back if you get hungry, I’ll put the rest of your food in the fridge.”
Yuri scooted his chair back and left. The cat padded after him. He sat down on the couch, placed his hands in his lap, and waited. Ten minutes alter, his guardians came out of the dinning room/kitchen, seeming surprised to see him there.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Yuuri asked.
Yuri shrugged. Not like it was his decision to make.
Yuuri and Viktor took that as a yes and joined him on the couch, Yuuri sitting next to him. Yuri scooted as far away as he could, until he was pressed up against the armrest of the couch.
He wasn’t sure what the movie they watched was called. It was interesting enough, he decided, not the best ever, though he didn’t have too much experience with TV. He didn’t pay much attention to it, hyper-focused on the two men on the couch with him. Yuuri was leaning against Viktor, who had an arm around him. Yuri knew that sometimes, men married other men, but he hadn’t ever seen it before—his mother hadn’t approved of that kind of thing. She didn’t approve of a lot.
When the movie ended, he peeked into the kitchen to check the time. Seven fifty-nine. He was behind, crap. Not a good way to end his first day with these people.
“I’m going to be now,” he announced.
“Already?” Viktor raised an eyebrow.
“Mom said that I have to be ready to go to bed by eight every night.”
“You can stay up a little later if you want to,” Yuuri offered. “Do you want to read a book?”
Just the thought of disobeying his mom made Yuri’s skin itch. He would be in big trouble when he found out. She always found out.
“No,” he replied and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
He was just about to turn off the lamp when there was a knock on the door. He frowned. Who actually knocked on doors? Didn’t people just walk in and solve the other person the trouble of answering?
“Yuri, can we come in to tell you goodnight?” Viktor called.
“Yes,” Yuri said, uncertain if he should get out of bed to greet them.
The door opened, and both men stepped inside, not yet dressed for bed. Yuuri sat down on the edge of the bed, being sure to give Yuri some space.
“Viktor and I will be right across the hall if you need anything,” he said.
Yuri nodded.
“Sleep well.”
“Okay.”
Yuuri hesitated, seeming to want to say more, but settled for squeezing Yuri’s hand.
Viktor pulled Yuri into a loose one-armed hug which Yuri did not reciprocate. ‘Good night, Yurochka.”
“Good night,” Yuri mumbled, the nickname his grandfather always called him making his eyes water a little.
They left silently, almost seeming awkward. Yuri turned off the light. They shut the door. That was that.
Yuuri awoke in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep. He tossed and turned for a good ten minutes. He had practice the following day, and it was Yuri’s first day at his new school. He needed to be well-rested. Plus, his anxiety always acted up when he was tired.
He slipped out of bed, deciding to use the bathroom.
Yuuri was just stepping out into the hall when he heard it. The soft sound of a whipped, coming from Yuri’s bedroom. He paused for a moment. That wasn’t good. Had the noise woken him up earlier, or was this some kind of mother’s legal guardian’s intuition?
He knocked on the door gently, trying not to wake up Viktor. “Yuri? You alright in there?” His worry only grew when he received no answers. “Can you answer please, Yuri?” The only response he got was the sound of a soft cry, almost like the boy was in pain. “I’m coming in now, Yuri.”
He pushed open the door. His eyes widened at the night that met him, and he was at Yuri’s bedside in an instant.
“Hey,” he breathed. “Yuri, wake up. You need to wake up now.”
Yuri’s eyes only squeezed shut tighter, his knuckles still muffling his cries where he had it fisted between his teeth. Yuuri couldn’t tell very well in the dark, but it looked like they were bleeding.
Gently, Yuuri pried his hands away from his mouth, allowing the small fingers to curl around his own. Urn’s eyes flew open and he let out a small whimper.
“There you are.” Yuuri smiled, unsure if the kid could see it in the darkness of his room. “You’re alright, it’s safe here.” He squeezed his hand lightly.
Something kind to disappointment flashed across Yuri’s face. “Oh. Yuuri.”
“What, don’t tell me that you’re tired of me already,” Yuuri teased.
Yuri scowled and rolled over so his back was to his namesake, though he didn’t pull his hand away.
“I’m going to go get the first-aid kit,” Yuuri said. “Your hand is bleeding a little. Be right back.”
Yuri huffed but didn’t reply. When Yuuri returned a few minutes later, he turned on the lamp, the soft yellow-orange glow glazing over the surfaces of the room.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Yuuri asked while he bandaged his finger. There was only one spot where the skin had broken, thank goodness. “Your nightmare, I mean. Or…anything else.”
“I didn’t have a nightmare,” Yuri muttered.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, now go away. I’m trying to sleep.”
In spite of himself, Yuuri let out a light chuckle. “Alright. Goodnight, I’ll see you in the morning, Yuri.” He stood and turned off the lamp before exiting the room. He put away the first-aid kit in the bathroom before snuggling back in bed with Viktor, who wrapped his arms around Yuuri, still asleep. Yuuri snuggled into his chest, allowing himself to drift back into sleep.