Chapter Text
Victor would never forget the day his soulmate clock turned on.
It was a cold day in late November. The trees had scattered all of their leaves on the ground, leaving a thick layer of red and brown leaves. It hadn't started to snow quite yet, despite the fact that it was almost December, but it surely would soon.
He had just gotten back from at day at nursery school. His class had learned all of the months of the year, paying special attention to December. He loved going to nursery school, but really, he just wanted to play at the ice rink.
He peeled off his blue puffy winter coat, desperate to get the over-sized coat off of his body. His mother always insisted on dressing up for the weather, even if he claimed it wasn’t cold. Victor liked the cold, embraced it even. He just wished he didn’t have to wear such overwhelming attire.
Victor changed out his sweater, relieved that he was finally rid of all of the layers of clothes. He pulled out his bottom drawer of his dresser - looking for a cotton t-shirt with a truck on it - when he got a glimpse of his wrist. A faint red glow was emitting from his wrist watch.
"Mama!" Victor shouted from his room. Forgoing a t-shirt, Victor sprinted out of his room, desperate to reach his mother. He rushed down the long staircase, his feet stumbling to keep up with the rest of his body. He turned the corner and ran into the kitchen.
His mother turned around from stirring sauce in a pot. "What is it, sweetheart?" she asked, the stirring spoon at her hip. “And why don’t you have a shirt on? You’re going to get sick!”
"My watch! Look! Look!" he exclaimed, flaunting his wrist for his mother to see.
Victor's mother bent down to get a better look at his wrist. Sure enough, the watch had turned on, its screen displaying the red numbers proudly.
"It sure is! I'm so proud!" Victor's mother gushed.
She wrapped her arms around her son, embracing him in a hug. Victor tried to squirm out of her grasp but that only made her squeeze him tighter.
"I didn't think it would turn on!” she admitted. Now that he was almost four, Victor’s mother was all about ready to give up on his watch turning on. Sure, many people had age differences between their soulmates, but four years was becoming excessive. She didn’t want to inspire false hope in him, if it never did turn on. “Some people never have theirs turn on. It's so sad, really. Nikola’s parents said you'd end up like that, but I knew yours would turn on! We should go show your father!"
Victor stared at the watch, unable to read the numbers. He had seen many other watches before - his family’s and his friend’s and even the characters on his television shows - but it looked almost foreign to him seeing his own numbers light up.
He tilted his head to the side, staring wide eyed at his wrist. "What does it mean?"
"This says when you'll meet your soulmate,” his mother explained in a matter-of-fact tone.
"What's a soulmate?"
He heard the word multiple times at nursery school; it was all some children would talk about. They would stare at their wrist throughout the whole class, ignoring the lessons the teachers gave. Some would brag about how they were the closest to meeting their soulmate.
During playtime, they would act out scenes with out playmates about meeting their soulmates. The kids would pair up and pretend that today was the day their watches would go off. Some began to plan their marriages with dress-up wedding clothes and plastic cakes stacked on top of blocks. Other students made families together and pretended the little crying baby doll was their child. Victor supposed he never understood, seeing as his watch had yet to show the numbers. He just ignored those students and, instead, played freeze dance with a few other students whose watches had yet to turn on.
"A soulmate is the person you will spend the rest of your life with. Legend has it that the Gods created people four eyes and four arms. However, the Gods became wary that we were too powerful and we could easily take them down. So the Gods split us from our soulmate as punishment. Now we must walk the earth trying to find our other half," she explained the old legend.
She wasn’t sure how much she believed it; it was a silly story for children anyways, but that didn’t stop her from believing in soulmates at all. She thought of the day her soulmate clock had counted down, a dreamy expression on her face. She had agonizingly waited thirty one years with baited breath until she would meet him. Her soulmate was a new lawyer and she would be his assistant. One look at each other and both of their watches beeped. And, she supposed, the rest was history.
"So what does it say?" Victor asked, pointing his watch towards his mother.
She squinted at the numbers, hoping that Victor would not have to wait as long as she did. "It says 23 years 7 days 3 hours 5 minutes 41 seconds "
Victor pouted, looking at the numbers again. "23 years? That's so far away!" Victor thought of the three (almost four) years he had been alive. Now he would have to wait even longer. He couldn’t even imagine one year left alone twenty three. It simply wasn’t fair.
"It’s really not that far,” his mother said, offering him some comfort in her words. “I had to wait more than thirty years.”
"I don’t care! I can't wait that long! I want to meet her now!" Victor demanded, stomping his feet stubbornly. He always got what he wanted, growing up in a rich family allowed him to. Now, he was denied the one thing he wanted more than anything else and he couldn’t stand it.
"Well you don't want to meet her now; you're far too young." Victor’s mother ruffled his platinum blond hair affectionately. She noted how long his hair was getting, conscious of how feminine shoulder length hair looked on her son. Now that it was confirmed that he had a soulmate, she would probably cut it to a reasonable length.
He pouted, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't want to wait so long to meet his soulmate. Twenty three years was a long time to wait. If they were truly destined to be together, he wouldn't have to wait such a long time. He should be with his soulmate now.
Victor pouted, pursing out his bottom lip.
"But I don't want to wait!"
Victor's mother smiled fondly, her face crinkling around her eyes as she did. She remembered being just like Victor, so eager to meet her soulmate. She had counted down the days with her friends and almost skipped work to try her luck meeting her soulmate somewhere else. She knew exactly how Victor was feeling, but she supposed he would grow out of it with time.
"I know it seems hard right now, but sometimes, you have to wait."
"I don't want to wait twenty three years! That's older than you!"
She chuckled at that comment. "I’m flattered, Vitya. but you should count your blessings. Some people have to wait until they're fifty! You should be lucky it's only twenty three years. That’s pretty soon.”
"Soon," he whispered, starting at the red digital numbers, slowly counting down.
December 6th, 2013.
That was the date Victor had calculated to be the day he would meet his soulmate. He had it marked on his calendar for years. He had done ever calculation, accounted for every leap year, every time zone, every possible detail.
He knew he would meet his soulmate tonight.
He assumed it was fate. He would win both another Grand Prix title and his soulmate’s heart all on the same night. His soulmate would witness history in the making and Victor would finally be complete.
He looked down at the watch, desperate to make time move faster. The red digits now counting down mere minutes until he would lock eyes with his soulmate.
His mind began to imagine what it would be like to finally meet his soulmate. After figuring out what a soulmate was, he had joined in with his other classmates and created as many scenarios as his little mind could conjure. Everything from spilling coffee on his soulmate’s shirt at a coffee shop to climbing the tallest tower after defeating a dragon and rescuing his soulmate were possibilities to young Victor. Sure, he was an adult now at the age of twenty six (twenty seven in a few weeks), but that didn’t stop him from immaturely picturing every possible scenario.
In the end, he had decided he would meet his soulmate on the ice. Naturally, he would be with his soulmate doing the one thing he truly loved. He would seduce his soulmate with his routine and he would lock eyes with his soulmate who cheered the loudest in the audience. It was the most likely of scenarios.
Victor wondered what his soulmate looked like. He wondered if his soulmate had light eyes or dark hair. He wondered if his soulmate was male or female or any gender in between. He knew he wasn’t entirely picky and didn’t exactly have a “type”, but he wondered all of the same.
Victor would often doze off, thinking about what his soulmate was like. He dreamed that his soulmate would be gentle, but also assertive, especially in bed. He imagined his soulmate would be one to laugh at his jokes, no matter how terrible and to cry on his shoulder while watching a sad movie and to hold his hand as they skated on the ice.
He wondered what his soulmate thought of him. He wondered if his soulmate was thinking about him right now.
"Stop focusing on that dumb watch and focus on your skating. Worry about your soulmate after you've won," Victor's coach lectured, watching Victor as he nervously bit his finger nails.
"Ah," Victor hummed looking up from his watch, his thoughts interrupted. He knew Yakov wasn’t fond of his infatuation - more like obsession - of his soulmate watch. Yakov was more concerned with the longevity of Victor’s skating career than his love life. "It's easy for you to say. You already met yours."
"And she's a cheating whore," he sneered, bitterly.
Yakov didn’t have that much luck with his soulmate. His watch had gone off at the age of sixteen. In all of the excitement, Lilia’s parents had arranged for her to get married to him to gain some extra money. In the end, they had rushed into their relationship too quickly and realized they needed some time apart. There were sometimes, it just wasn’t meant to be. Complications did arise, as rare as they were.
"Just goes to show those things are stupid."
"Whatever you say," he noted, rolling his blue eyes. He wouldn't be affected by Yakov's discouraging words. Not tonight, of all nights. He had waited for this night for twenty three years, practically twenty seven if he counted the years before his watch turned on.
He had to make meeting his soulmate perfect.
"Just make sure you're perfect tonight," Yakov demanded. He knew Victor was capable of winning gold, especially with his record breaking short performance the night before. But he knew that was only one third of the results and the free performance could easily ruin his rather large lead.
Yakov wanted Victor to win again. Victor was a legend and deserved to be appreciated for all of his efforts. He had never trained a skater who was half as good as Victor. But, in all honesty, he wasn’t sure how much longer Victor had. He wasn’t sure that this was even his last year or not.
Victor shifted his weight to his right leg, a bit tired with Yakov’s demands. Skating to Victor wasn’t always about winning as much as it was about putting his own emotions out for everyone to see. He hoped he could convey his emotions to his soulmate tonight. "Is that all you care about?"
"That's all you should care about," Yakov argued defensively.
Victor slung his arm around Yakov's shoulder affectionately. "How could I possibly focus when I'm supposed to meet my soulmate tonight?"
Yakov brushed his arm off of his shoulder. He was never the type to give hugs or be affectionate at all. He liked to remain stoic and not show his vulnerable side. Victor, on the other hand, was always touchy-feely and expressed his emotions freely. He would surely get into trouble for that.
"I know. You've been telling everyone for the past ten years, even though I told you not to.”
Victor chuckled at that comment. “How could I not?” For the past few years, Victor had effortlessly flaunted his soulmate clock in hopes his soulmate would see his interviews and the time would somehow change. Victor knew it was a long-shot, but it was worth a chance. Any chance to meet his soulmate early was a risk he was willing to take.
However, Yakov was right to lecture him for that. Flaunting his soulmate clock didn’t come without consequences. Multiple times, rabid fans would come up to him, claiming to be his soulmate and that his clock was just broken. It was amusing at first, but now he was tired of their desperation. Each time it had happened, he had entertained them just slightly. He would chuckle at their enthusiasm, give them a peck on the cheek, and told them to wait for their own soulmate.
"I wonder what my soulmate is like. Are they a fan?" he began, babbling on about his soulmate. He knew it was ridiculous and cliche, but he couldn’t stop. This was the person he would spend his entire life with. Yakov should understand that this was a bigger deal than any competition, even if it was a Grand Prix Final. He could always win another gold, but he only had one soulmate.
"Do you think they know who I am? Do you think they know how to skate-"
"You should be wondering if you are going to land your jumps," Yakov lectured. "Don't let this mess up your skating. You don't have much more time in the spotlight. You’re getting older. Pretty soon, someone younger will be Russia's next top skater. Yuri's looking pretty promising."
Victor leaned against the banister of the ice rink, watching the machine smooth all of the imperfection in the ice. He exhaled, his breath creating a small cloud in the crisp air. "Who said I'd be returning next year anyways?"
He wasn’t sure he wanted to remain in the ice skating world anymore. Things were becoming ever more complicated, and he was simply running out of surprises. He supposed Yakov was right, there would always be someone younger and better than Victor. Maybe he should quit while he was ahead.
"You're going to quit now?" he sneered. Yakov never thought he would the day that Victor would even consider quitting. Victor was selfish, especially when it came to his fame; always trying to be the center of attention. It was amusing to see Victor would even entertain the idea of someone coming between him and his skating. "I thought you loved the spotlight."
He shrugged his shoulders, indifferently. It wasn’t that he hated the fame - actually, it was quite the opposite - that came with ice skating, but was rather sick of it. Winning didn’t have the same appeal it used to when he was forced to gallivant at extravagant parties and constantly surprise his audience. He just wanted to ice skate, like he did as a child. If he never had to do another press conference or fake another smile or say some pre-written message ever again, he wouldn’t be mad.
Maybe, he always wanted to live a normal life. Everyone else had a normal childhood and yet Victor was taken out of school early to focus all of his efforts on ice skating. At the time, ice skating was his passion; and maybe it still is. But now, he wasn’t entirely sure. Skating for fame didn’t have the same appeal as skating for the raw enjoyment he once got.
"Who knows what I'll do. Maybe I want to start a domestic life with my soulmate,” he tempted suggestively.
He supposed he was just saying that to rile up his coach. But something inside of him truly believed he could start a domestic life. He could move to the suburbs, own a few dogs, and live out the rest of his days in peace, like everyone else. He only had so many surprises left. Maybe retiring would be his last.
Yakov snorted, a bit amused with Victor's fantasy of settling down. Yakov knew Victor could easily squeeze in three more successful years of his career, four if there were no injuries. He had raw talent and the perseverance to continue. He was Russia’s top skater, after all.
Besides, ice skaters didn't simply 'settle down' after they retire, especially not someone who was at the top of his game like Victor. He would likely receive sponsorship deals or a successful modelling career. If all else fails, he could join Yakov and coach some of the younger prodigies.
Ice skating wasn’t a sport someone like Victor Nikiforov simply 'retired' from.
And yet, he claimed he would give it all away for some person he hadn't even met. It all seemed so far fetched to Yakov. Especially for someone as self-centered as Victor.
"Doesn't sound like you. You're not one to settle down."
"But this is my soulmate we're talking about!" he explained, his blue eyes twinkling. He had dreamed of what his life would be with his soulmate. That they would wake up together, cuddling with their multitude of dogs. His soulmate would make him breakfast as he got ready for work, giving his soulmate a kiss on the cheek before leaving. During the day, he would receive texts from his soulmate, cute little messages reminding him that he was loved. At night, he would come home to a warm bed and would repeat the routine every day of his life.
"I'd do anything for my soulmate,” he defended.
Yakov adverted his eyes to the ground. He had seen this determined look before, back when he was hopeful about his own soulmate. He was young and eager and wished that his soulmate was everything he wanted. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to see Victor get hurt. Victor was like a son to him. He couldn’t imagine him going through the same let down he had.
“You say that now, but what about in five years? This isn’t something you can just stop being interested in. This isn’t like ice skating. You can’t just quit,” he lectured.
He clicked his tongue. “You did.”
“And that’s why I’m telling you to take it slow. Don’t do anything rash. Nowadays, having a soulmate doesn't change anything,” he muttered, his eyes focusing on the audience instead of his student. “You don’t have to leave the ice and give up your life just for someone a clock says you're destined to be with.”
“But what if I want to?”
“You shouldn’t do anything rash. You don't want to scare her by rushing into a relationship, trust me."
"But my soulmate will understand."
Yakov paused. Victor gave his soulmate a lot more credit than deserving. He knew Victor wanted a romantic relationship with this person, but he didn’t know if his soulmate did in return. “Will she?”
Victor affectionately places his wrist to his heart. "I know it."
"You don't even know her," Yakov argued, his eyes narrowed. He couldn’t understand how Victor had made all of these assumptions about his soulmate. He hadn’t even met them yet. His expectations would surely be too high. He silently prayed for his soulmate to live up to them. He didn’t want to imagine if they didn’t.
"Yes, but I will soon,” he stated, his blue eyes glued to the watch.
Yakov rolled his dark eyes. "You don't want to miss her by looking down at your clock,” he pointed out.
"Only five minutes," Victor stated, a dreamy expression on his face.
Yakov furrowed his bushy eyebrows, frustrated with Victor’s obsession with the clock. "Are you even listening to me?"
Victor smirked, flashing Yakov with his signature smile. "Do I ever?"
Yakov groaned. He was always like this, stubborn as anything. He would never give up on this, especially on matters regarding his soulmate. He supposed they were more similar then he would like to admit.
"Look, go warm up,” he commanded, trying to talk some sense into Victor. “You only have a few minutes on the ice left."
Victor waved his hand dismissively. "I'm skipping the practice skate,” he stated nonchalantly.
"What?" Yakov growled, angrily. He knew that Victor was obsessed with this whole soulmate ordeal, but he didn’t think it was this bad. Victor had never skipped a practice skate. He always said something about good luck or karma or some sort of destiny related situation that he had to test out the ice. And now, he would throw away his ritual just for a few extra minutes to stare a red numbers counting down.
"You better not be throwing away your career for your dumb soulmate. She's not going to love a loser."
"I'm not throwing my career away. I'm just trying to relax. If I go on the ice stressed, I'll miss a jump and be even more stressed,” he explained smoothly, even if he really did just want to spend his last few minutes dreaming about his soulmate instead. “No, I'm skipping the practice."
"You're not thinking straight.”
He leaned on the banister, his head cupped in his hands. He looked at his reflection in the clean ice. His blue eyes stared back at him. He wondered if his soulmate was thinking about him right now. He wondered if his soulmate even thought of him at all. "Love does that."
Yakov shook his head, frustrated with Victor’s comments. "You don't know the slightest thing about love."
"Either do you, apparently,” Victor jeered.
Yakov groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'm only trying to do what's best for you. I don't want you to get hurt if it doesn't end up like you thought."
He flashed him a smile. "Thanks, but you're not going to change my mind."
Yakov scowled. He had enough fighting with Victor for the time being. He really didn’t want to ruin the moment for Victor, even if it did end up hurting his career. Victor’s scores from the previous night would probably make up for any small flourishes that weren’t exactly perfect. Plus, his biggest competition was a nineteen year old skater from Canada. He didn’t exactly have to be perfect to win this time.
"Fine, whatever. Just go sit down,” Yakov muttered.
“Very well,” Victor agreed. He gazed at his reflection in the ice once more before returning to his seat in the competitor’s section. He situated himself on one of the fold-able chairs, trying to get a perfect view of the audience. He hunched over, staring at his soulmate clock countdown mere seconds now.
“The practice skate is over. Everyone, please return to your seats.”
Due to his high scores in the short program, Victor knew he would be skating last. He assured himself that he could afford to relax for a bit. He was usually against watching his competition, but maybe he could spare a few minutes and watch. Surely critiquing his fellow skaters could help him relax before meeting his soulmate.
"Our first skater representing Japan: Yuuri Katsuki."
Victor looked up, his eyes locking on the skater on the ice. Victor gasped, his mouth opening slightly. The skater was downright beautiful.
He had dark, jagged hair that was slicked back to show off his round face. His features were soft with deep mahogany brown eyes that Victor could tell had hints of gold and red.
He was wearing a tight fitting blue and black costume with a small skirt at the waist, which, despite all of the crystals and sparkles, didn’t seem gaudy at all under the bright lights. Instead, the costume fit snugly, accentuated his long legs and feminine body. He was a bit curvy, with wide hips which made Victor want him all the more.
Victor wondered why he had never noticed this skater before. He usually scoped out the competition and got friendly - a bit too friendly - with his fellow competitors. But somehow, he of all skaters had eluded his grasp.
He skated onto the ice, his eyes downcast. He was different from the other competitors. He didn’t seem to have any of the poise of confidence of a skater who made it to the Grand Prix Finals. His entrance was shaky at best, probably nervous from his scores from the previous night. His footwork was definitely sloppy and he over-rotated most of his jumps, landing face first on the ice during his routine. And even with all of that, Victor simply couldn’t take his eyes off of him.
Victor could feel his wrist buzzing, but he didn't need to look to confirm his suspicions.
Victor had found his soulmate.
To be continued...?