Chapter Text
When Yuuri first awoke, it was to the sight of snow. Flurries that blew against his face and through the trees. Light reflecting off of the inches of fluff on the ground. And of course, the lake at the center, setting the scene. It was like something from a fairy tale.
Taking it all in, his first thought was, ‘It’s beautiful.’
His second was, ‘Huh?’
Because he couldn’t remember. Why was he here, and not with his family? Hadn’t they been playing in the snow earlier?
He remembered… building a snowman with his sister. Making snow angels. Having a snowball fight while their parents watched from the sidelines.
A sudden flash went through his mind. A sudden blizzard. Getting separated, being lost, stumbling over branches and rocks, snow and snow and snow…
Grey eyes blinked. He put a hand to his head, only to jump in shock.
His skin was cold. And he got another surprise as he caught a flash of his hand.
It was white as the snow falling around him.
He looked down at himself. A pure white kimono adorned his body, the material light. Too light for the time of year it was.
But he realized he wasn’t even affected by the winter air or snow.
Woodenly, he walked up to the lake. Steeling himself, he looked down.
His breaths shortened, his arms coming around himself as a terrible thought entered his mind.
‘I look like a yuki-onna.’ But that couldn’t possibly be. There was no way. Because if that was the case…
Panicking, he jumped into the lake.
Except he didn’t. He crashed on top of it, as if the water had already frosted with ice.
Crumbling in on himself, he hiccupped with the force of his sobs. His crystalized tears clinked against the ice he had formed.
Yuuri Katsuki had died from hypothermia.
And now, the same snow that had killed him brought him back.
Hollowly, after what felt like a long time, he got up.
The crystalized tears that looked like tiny sapphires soon melted.