Chapter Text
Viktor woke up in an unfamiliar place.
He lifted his head and looked around.
Someone else might panic in this situation, but viktor was 17 and a rising star in the international figure skating scene, he was used to waking up in hotel rooms around the globe.
But this was a little different, mostly since he had Maccachin at his feet. But he definitely wasn’t in his own room.
His body felt different. He felt a little bigger, more muscular, and most notably, his hair was short.
Then it occurred to him. He had woken up as his older self.
Finally!
This happens only once. He’s woken up as himself, except after meeting and falling for the person he is going to spend his life with…
Except he’s woken up alone.
Why?
He huffed futilely. He must have been unlucky enough to wake up as himself in a scenario where he had met his soulmate, and loved them, but maybe they weren’t together yet.
If that was the case, how did he know if his soulmate was even here…?
He decided to go look around.
He reached for the handle of the door and then pulled. The door clanked against the frame, and Viktor realized he had almost broken a very nice Japanese-style sliding door. He pulled it to the side, properly, and started walking around.
He had no idea what age his current body was. But based on the tatami floor, he was probably in a traditional Japanese inn. He wondered if he was staying here for a competition.
If that was the case, he should probably find Yakov and tell him the situation…
He wandered around.
In one room, he found a bunch of old men sat around a TV in a public dining room watching a soccer match.
He turned back around and entered a main hall with a door leading outside. A woman called out nearby in English.
“Good morning Vicchan!”
Viktor swung around to look at the source of the voice; A sweet, portly Japanese woman who was beaming up at him with a stack of books in her hands. Wait, was “Vicchan” referring to him?
“G-good morning” he hesitantly replied. Should he ask her about what was going on? It seemed like this woman knew him and he didn’t know if he had much time left. The lady seemed to notice something was off about him. She tilted her head.
“Wait a second, are you young Vicchan?”
Viktor hesitantly nodded. The woman gasped.
“Does that mean our Yuuri is—?” She stopped halfway through. “Oh that’s so sweet! I knew you two were perfect for each other! Come on Vicchan, did you meet Yuuri yet? I’m sure you want to meet him, right?” The woman put down the books she was carrying and started fussing over him.
“Yuuri?” This woman knows his soulmate, then. So his soulmate was a ‘he’, huh? Viktor saw that one coming. But he was very curious. Yuri was a Russian name as well, but it could also be a Japanese name.
“Yes! Don’t worry, I don’t think you had anything too important planned today, so spend as much time as you can getting to know him!”
“Then, yes, please tell me where he is.”
“He’s still asleep in his room. It should be the room down the hall all the way at the end, near where you woke up.”
“Thank you, miss.”
“Don’t worry Viktor! Good luck!”
Viktor went back through the other room and down the hall. Past the room where Maccachin was still asleep soundly on the bed.
He reached for the door handle, but suddenly found himself being very nervous.
It’s not like he had never imagined what his soulmate might be like but… this was very personal. It might be a little awkward. He didn’t know how to act around his future lover. Even though he had anticipated this, actually having to face his fear was a little nerve-wracking. It was almost like when he got a little nervous before a competition, but it felt much, much more intimate. That fear would almost always vanish as soon as he stepped on the ice, so maybe he just had to go for it.
He drew in a breath and opened the door.
Curled up in a blanket on the bed was a Japanese man. Viktor quietly tiptoed into the room.
Viktor examined the sleeping man from afar, not daring to move any closer.
His body reacted, his heart beating loudly and his face heating up. He clutched at his clothes over his chest to try to control his heart. This body knew this man and loved him, even if his mind didn’t know him yet. This must be his soulmate…
The room was so quiet and warm, and it smelled so comforting.
He was everything Viktor could have hoped for… Plus it helped that he had the telling red sores on his feet, characteristic of a skater. So Viktor was already on the right track to meet this man.
Viktor tentatively reached out a hand towards his soulmate’s face, he lightly caressed the young man’s cheek.
His eyes fluttered open. The man looked up at him.
“Viktor?” he questioned in a sleepy voice, tilting his eyes upwards.
“Yuuri,” Viktor whispered.
“Good morning.” Yuuri smiled sleepily.
This was his other half. He had no doubts.
“Good… morning.”
Yuuri quietly sat up and then smiled up at Viktor. Viktor was overcome by an emotion he couldn’t really place.
“Are you feeling ok?” Yuuri asked with a concerned expression. He sensed something was off.
“I don’t know…” Viktor felt a little unprepared and strangely vulnerable.
Yuuri looked up at him for a second, trying to understand. He stood up, giving him only a kind look of sympathy, he walked over and hugged him. Viktor hugged him back, soaking in the man’s warmth.
It felt like… this was exactly what he needed, exactly where Viktor was supposed to be, In Yuuri’s arms. It all felt right.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t really explain why. This person was so much gentler and kinder than Viktor had anticipated. He felt his chest tighten with affection.
A pain had been lifted from him that he hadn’t even realized was there.
In his everyday life he focused only on his work… But one day he would be able to settle down and be with this man who made him feel so comfortable and warm. It seemed so far away from where he was now. Being with Yuuri felt so distant from everything else that had happened to him.
Viktor hadn’t even realized how lonely he was up to right now.
Yuuri realized Viktor was quietly tearing up and pulled away a bit.
“What's wrong?” Yuuri looked into his eyes.
“Do I really deserve someone like you?” Viktor asked.
Yuuri smiled at him.
“Of course you do, shouldn’t I be the one asking that?”
Yuuri gently kissed Viktor’s tear soaked cheek.
Viktor woke up in his 17 year old body alone, feeling empty and horrendously jealous of his older self.
27 year old Viktor woke up with wet eyes and Yuuri holding him, comforting him.
“Viktor, did something happen?”
Viktor smiled.
“You just met my younger self.”
Yuuri blinked in surprise.
“Really?”
“I was 17.”
“Really? Why were you crying?”
“A lot of reasons. Mostly I was just so happy to meet you, and I was sad that I would have to wait so long before I saw you again.”
“…I wish you would have told me, I could have told you something so you could find me.”
“I guess I was too busy feeling overwhelmed to think logically.”
“ Mine was the same way, from what I remember.”
“When was yours?”
“I was pretty young. It will happen in a few years, I think.”
“Well, I’ll have to be prepared for that.” Viktor paused, quietly holding Yuuri close. “Ah, now I know why I didn’t recognize you when we first met…” Viktor stepped back and picked up something from the table. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.” He put the glasses on Yuuri’s face, gently.
“Is that it?” Yuuri sighed, smiling at Viktor.
“Sorry.” Viktor chuckled. ”Thank you for being with me anyway.” He hugged Yuuri again, holding him close.