Chapter Text
They say you meet your soulmate at least once in your life.
Whether or not you form that perfect relationship depends on that one-minute meeting.
Being in proximity of your soulmate for the first time unlocks a certain primal urge to get to them. You find yourself pulled along by an imaginary string that is deeply embedded into one's chest. There is an old saying that says its the string that connects the two halves of the soul together. That is when the clock starts ticking. You have the remaining minute to find them before the string snaps. Scientists don't understand how you know who they are, but they say that eye contact is highly important. Locking eyes with that person is the key to fulfilling the soulmate match. It really is a beautiful moment, watching two people standing in front of one another, hands clasped together, their eyes locked in a deep gaze.
Yet, while most people meet their soulmates. Others simply walk by them. It's a sad cruel fate for those who die thinking they've never met their soulmates all due to not recognizing them in that fated minute. It's funny how that moment is romanticized. It is not uncommon to see people running, tripping over things or themselves running to keep up with the string pulling at them. They're running to find their soulmate and lock gazes. Some people for some odd reason never find them. They run and run. They search even after that minute is up. It is so cruel to romanticize the one minute meeting if not everyone finds their other half. It gives too many people hope. They invest themselves into this one moment and then end up alone. They let that moment dictate the rest of their lives.
They say you meet your soulmate at least ONCE in your life.
Now, if you missed the meeting the first time around, there is always another chance to meet your soulmate if fate is kind to you. The string's pull is nowhere as strong, but it is still possible.
~
Katsuki Yuuri had always wondered why his string had pulled at that moment. Right as the music of his Grand Prix Finale routine had started. It was almost painful, the tugging in his chest.
"Why now?" Yuuri thought.
Yuuri awkwardly stood in the center of the rink, Celestino motioning at him in almost violent arm movements to start. A cold chill ran up his spine as the string pulled some more.
"Why now?!" Yuuri wanted to scream.
Maybe it was his dedication to this sport or maybe it was his own selfishness to try to win. Yuuri ignored the pull and rushed to catch up with the music. Yuuri completed his step sequence successfully with no issues. He rushed to do his first jump. The string gave him a hard painful yank. Yuuri cried out and yelled as he hit the ice. The crowd gasped as he stumbled to get back up. Yuuri winced and grabbed at his chest as he continued his routine. It was during the second jump when it happened. Yuuri was in the air when the string snapped. His minute was up. He failed the jump and was sprawled on the floor once again.
Yuuri wasn't sure how he finished the routine, but he stood in the center once again, posing for the last musical note. Celestino stood by the rink entrance waiting for Yuuri. Yuuri skated up while Celestino gave him his blade covers and looked at him with an exasperated expression. They sat through the kiss and cry, waiting to hear the weak score.
"I missed it Celestino," Yuuri muttered.
"You sure did," Celestino sighed.
Yuuri smiled sadly. He really did miss his chance. Yuuri never really thought about his soulmate. Perhaps it was because his parents weren't soulmates. They never talked about their one minute chance. Mari had never had her one-minute chance, so everyone thought that perhaps her soulmate had died before having met her. Yuuri's small family were a bit unlucky. He thought it would be the same for him. Well, it turns out it was, but only due to his own fault.
Celestino had led Yuuri into a passageway and sat him down in a chair while he went to grab a few things. Yuuri was looking through the sports news, looking at articles about himself when Celestino returned.
"Yuuri, I told you to stay off of social media for now," Celestino sighed.
A phone call came in. Yuuri smiled weakly as he saw his mother's warm smile show up on his screen.
"I'll be right back," Yuuri told Celestino.
"Don’t take too long," Celestino replied taking a seat in the seat Yuuri vacated.
Yuuri found the bathroom empty when he answered the call. He entered an empty stall anyways and sat down.
"Hey mom," Yuuri said softly switching back over to Japanese.
"Are you doing ok sweetheart?" His mom immediately asked.
"I'm ok... I think. Mom?" Yuuri said as tears began swelling in his eyes.
"Yes?"
"Am I selfish?"
"What? Yuuri, you are the least selfish person I know!"
"Then why did I ignore the pull? I felt them calling me right before the routine and I ignored the pull."
Yuuri sobbed and his mother had fallen silent.
"Mom, I'm such a selfish person. I... wanted a chance to win and-" Yuuri sobbed some more.
At that same moment, the bathroom stall door was bashed by someone on the other side. Yuuri yelped and immediately hung up. Yuuri wiped his eyes and opened the door.
"Sorry for taking this stall," Yuuri quickly apologized.
A young blonde teen stood before Yuuri, shooting death glares right at him. The teen looked Yuuri up and down and scowled.
"Crying in a bathroom stall? Pathetic. You should retire pig. There's only room in this division for one Yuri," The teen said in accented English.
Yuuri immediately recognized him as Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky. He was about to reply when the Russian Yuri turned and left. Yuuri walked over to the sink and stared at his reflection. His eyes were bright red, puffed and his skin was a clammy and pale. He turned the water on and splashed his face with some warm water.
"Yuuri, are you ok?" Celestino's voice said as he popped his head into the bathroom, "I saw that Russian punk coming out of here."
"I'm fine Celestino," Yuuri replied.
They both went out and finished watching the other performances. Yuuri was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he couldn't even come to watch Viktor Nikiforov's performance. Celestino and Yuuri grabbed their things and were ready to leave when Morooka approached Yuuri. At this point, Yuuri had slipped into auto pilot mode. He simply followed Celestino and stopped when Morooka approached them. He was lost in the blankness of the void in which his mind had fallen when he heard a familiar voice.
"Yuri!"
Yuuri's breath got caught in his throat and his head whipped to the sound of his name. Viktor Nikiforov walked by with Yuri Plisetsky.
"Oh... not me... Why would it ever be me?" Yuuri thought to himself.
His heart was beating faster than usual as he watched Viktor walk by. They both came to a stop in front of their coach who immediately ran into a rant in Russian, probably about their performances. Yuuri was still staring when Viktor turned his pale face towards him, their eyes meeting for just a split second. Somewhere, in the deepest part of his chest, there as a soft tickling feeling. Viktor's face seemed to be confused for the slightest moment before he smiled. The soft tickling turned into an unbearable itch that caught Yuuri's breath once again.
"A commemorative photo?" Viktor said in accented English.
Yuuri let out the breath he was holding and could feel his expression fall.
"Sure!" Viktor smiled.
Yuuri felt a heavy weight in his chest fall down to the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, so he turned and left before Celestino or Morooka could react.
"Yuuri!" Morooka called after him.
"Leave the boy. I'm not sure what's wrong with him at the moment," Celestino told him.
Celestino peered over at Viktor, who still stood facing their direction watching Yuuri leave. Viktor's eyes seemed like they were searching for something. Celestino hummed to himself and turned to Morooka.
"See you at the banquet later. I'll drag Yuuri along," Celestino smiled as he patted Morooka on the back.
"See you later then!" Morooka smiled back as he waved at a departing Celestino.