Slowing it Down!? Japanese Nationals Free Skate!-

By the end of the afternoon's Short Program, no one else had come close to challenging Yuri's 'high score.' Most were an easy 20 points less at their best, though many, younger or less experienced, scored just over half of that number.

Despite Victor's pep-talk, and doing his best to seem enthusiastic about Minami's performance when the teen came up to him later, Yuri still felt rather disappointed by everything. He couldn't shake the feeling even after they'd left the event, and gone back to the hotel to change and wind down for the night. Even when in bed, with the lights all out, phones set aside on their chargers, and the television off, Yuri couldn't shake his weird melancholy. The trouble with it though, was that he couldn't even pin-down what it was that had triggered it.

I'm happy with the score that I got...so why do I feel like I'm losing...? Was Minami-kun's 'Lohengrin' really that big a deal for me...?

He sighed, and pushed up from his spot in bed. Victor's arm slid down his side as he tilted upward, and he held it softly, hoping the Russian wouldn't wake up from the movement. For the moment, it seemed that Victor was still soundly asleep, and Yuri carefully reached for his phone. It was nearly 2am, according to the absurdly bright light on his phone's screen. Yuri blinked and clicked the device off, straining his eyes against the dark. To his sudden dread though, he felt Victor move behind him; the man had pulled his arm back, and seemed to roll onto his back.

"Mnnhh..." The silver grumbled, "Don't tell me it's time to get up... It still feels like it's so late..."

Yuri could feel his heart race, but he quickly put his phone back on its charger and set it face-down on the nightstand, "N-no... I couldn't sleep. It's hours still before we have to get up."

"Mnnn...that's good then..." Victor mumbled, and pinched the bridge of his nose. As he let his arm fall back to the blankets though, he looked to his partner, "Why can't you sleep?"

Yuri hesitated to answer, squinting slightly as his eyes readjusted. He picked himself up slightly and turned around where he sat, finding one of his partner's hands in the sheets, "...I'm not really sure." He explained, holding to those fingers with both of his hands, "I thought it might be because I didn't want to see 'Lohengrin,' and had to anyway...but Minami-kun did a good job with it, and I don't... I'm sure that I don't feel weird because I'm jealous of him. I'm not. How can I? Not when I..." Yuri stammered, the words caught in his throat.

Victor turned onto his side, and joined his free hand to the stack, giving his fiancé's fingers a gentle pat, "Because you scored much higher with 'Eros'?" He suggested.

"Ehhh...yeah..."

"'Eh yeah?'" Victor echoed, "You sound like you're unhappy about it."

"I like my score. I just...don't like how it's so much higher than everyone else. Nearly twice as high as some..."

"Ah... So that's it."

Yuri sunk a bit where he sat, "What an absurd thing to be upset about... Back in China, being in the lead made me lose sleep, too, but...it wasn't because I devastated the playing field. My lead was so tenuous...and Phichit-kun ended up beating me anyway. There's just...no chance of that here. To lose now, I'd have to skate laps around the rink instead of doing my show."

Victor lifted one hand and curled it around the back of his worried partner's neck, and gently tugged until Yuri willingly leaned forward and laid down. Once curled up, Victor slid his arm over the younger man's smaller frame, pet that dark hair, and leaned to kiss his beloved's brow, "Don't dread winning so much. Everyone signed up for this competition knowing what they were getting into, and what competitors they'd be skating against."

"But it's like I'm picking on little kids." Yuri protested quietly, cringing slightly against the warmth of Victor's chest, "It doesn't feel fair..."

"Mmmhmmm..." Victor hummed, already falling asleep again.

Yuri could only sigh, and looked down in the dark, I never thought winning would feel this bad...

.

Victor had gone half-rabid with excitement when they found their way to the Nagano Jigokudani Monkey Park, and he could see the famous macaques where they bathed in the natural hot-springs.

"YURI LOOK." The Russian pointed at them over-enthusiastically, "COME TAKE A PICTURE." He rifled through his jacket to pull out his phone and grabbed his partner before finding a place to stand. One arm extended forward to hold the phone while the other was out behind Yuri's head with his fingers giving a V-sign. He smiled much more excitedly than Yuri did, but took the picture anyway, "This is so great! Hashtag #MonkeyBusiness!" He laughed as he posted it to Instagram.

The monkeys barely paid the pair of tourists any attention, going about their business in the hot winter water as they did every day.

Victor put his phone away and lifted his arm to slide it across his partner's shoulders, "You're still dwelling in your melancholy from yesterday." He commented as he started walking them to the next path, "Are you going to change your Free Skate?"

"Huh?" Yuri looked up as he snaked his arm around the Russian's lower back, a bit surprised, "Change it...?"

"Yeah."

"What would I even...?"

"The jumps, maybe?" The Russian clarified, "Bring down the difficulty rating so your program is on the same level as everyone else's."

Yuri thought on it, but then shook his head, "They'd think I was making fun of them. Besides, I don't think I've ever heard of you doing that."

"Me? No." Victor shrugged up his shoulders and huffed a laugh at himself, "If I changed up my program so soon after medaling at a Grand Prix Final, I'd be booed out of the competition. People expect me to have a high-difficulty program; they come to watch a good show as much as they do to cheer on the victors. Maybe it'll be different for you."

"Why would it be different?"

"This is Japan." He explained, and waved one arm out to put the countryside on display, "People here are different than they are in Russia; more considerate and less cut-throat. If you lowered the difficulty of your program, you might be seen as a good sport."

"Or I'll be scolded." Yuri offered instead.

"Not by me, at any rate. I've recommended you lower your difficulty a few times...not that you always listen." The silver mused and shrugged.

"I don't know..." Yuri sighed, looking at the snow-covered path, "I'm already in first place by a huge margin. If I did anything to handicap my Free Skate now, they might think I'm being arrogant, especially if I win the competition anyway."

"So then you're going to leave it as it is?"

"...Yeah, I think that would be best."

"Alright."

Cherry-hazel eyes saw the look on Victor's face change, getting less excited as they spoke. So, Yuri did the only thing he could think of that he knew would cheer him up in a hurry; he stepped out in front of him, wrapped his arms around the man's sides, got up onto his toes, and kissed him. When he felt his partners arms come up to rest around his shoulders, Yuri knew he'd succeeded, and hugged a little tighter, holding on a little longer, "Sorry, I'm being a downer." He finally said, looking into those crystal-blue eyes, "...I just...never thought I'd score 20, 30, even 40 points higher than anyone else. The Free Skate gap will probably be even more massive. You'd think it would be exciting, but I just...feel bad now. I'm washing over people who've beaten me before. I used to just be a dime a dozen type of skater, nothing special...but now I'm-"

"I know." Victor answered, and pressed their brows together softly, "It's not so much fun being as good as you are when there's no one and nothing to challenge you." He said solemnly, "I know how you feel."

Arms held a little tighter as Yuri heard those words, even though he was a bit surprised to realize Victor had said them.

"There are times where I don't even want to go to Nationals because I can see the others giving up when they see me go by..." The silver started again, "So that's a big reason why it was so easy to shrug it off this season. At least here, people still get excited about their scores, even if they're far below yours. You haven't been burying them for so long that only the fans are happy to see you. You're an aspiration to people, not a show-stealer, or a hope-killer." He slid his right arm a little lower on his partner's shoulder, and gently set his palm against the man's face, fingers touching lightly to cool, winter-kissed skin, "But that's part of what makes what we have now so special."

"...What do you mean?"

"It's lonely at the top." Victor said quietly, "So I'm glad you're here with me. Even if no one else comes close...at least we challenge each other. I'll make Worlds and next year really interesting."

.

Going first during the Short Program meant Yuri would be going last during the Free Skate. The new perspective he'd gained from his partner made watching the event a bit less intolerable, but it was still difficult. With so many younger skaters, inexperienced at putting on a good show and lacking the capacity for power-house moves like quads and high-level spins, it was almost...boring to watch. 'Minami's Boogie' had gotten the audience riled up again like at Regionals, and a few other up-beat choices in music broke up the monotony of the rest, but easily half of the participants were so green that it seemed like only family or friends were clapping. He and Victor still clapped dutifully, occasionally pulled out of their daydreaming by an interesting show put on by a more seasoned athlete, but by and large, it was nothing to write home about.

And then it was Yuri's turn. Most of the audience had waited the entire afternoon to see him go up, so when he set blades to ice, the chorus of cheers were, by and far, a separate thing from how they had been earlier on.

Victor revisited an old trick, putting balm onto his partner's lips before sending him onto the ice. However, instead of dabbing his finger into the jar, and applying it from there...he put the balm onto his own lips, and kissed it to Yuri's. A tight hug followed, and he sent his fiancé into the rink, clapping happily with the rest of the audience.

'Even if no one else comes close...at least we challenge each other.'

Yuri raised his arms up and presented himself to the crowd, waving appropriately towards the judges, and took his place. He looked down at his hand, seeing the gold shine on his right ring finger. Like he had done since getting it, he curled his fingers, put the ring to his lips, and kissed it for good luck.

Even if Victor's not competing here with me, I have to skate like he's on the ice anyway. He's out here with me in spirit. He's been here all along.

The piano began, and so did the skater, and he raised his hands up in front of himself, lifting his eyes to the ceiling as they went, then let them fall out to the side. His performance was as good as it ever was, pleasing the crowd and impressing the younger athletes. It still held a taint of that melancholy Victor had noticed before...and it was particularly obvious in that final reach, looking limp by comparison to the desperate reach it had become. None but that self-same Russian could tell that Yuri didn't really have his heart in it, and the young skater had to force a smile when he saw his 207.52 score at the end of it. When he stood on the podium to accept his first official Gold under Victor's coaching, it took everything he had to look happy with it. It didn't even matter when he'd been handed the oversized, chrome-plated, wood-mounted chalice that was awarded to each discipline's Champion. He just looked down into his reflection in its curved surface and felt miserable. The photos - both solo and with the other winners - were hollow for him. The victory lap was a chore.

...I have never, in my entire life, felt so bad about winning anything before. It doesn't even feel like I won because I'm any good...it just...feels like I won because everyone else did badly...

Yuri had something of a vacant expression in his eyes when he finally returned to rink-side; even the comical sight of Victor getting grabby-hands with the medal did little to arouse a more normal affect in him.

"But I want to kiss it!" The Russian pleaded, a hand squished to his face as both of his own reached forward at the glint of that golden shine.

"No..."

Victor flailed and fussed, "But it's the first Gold you've won since I got here!" He whined, still reaching, still denied, "I HAVE TO-"

Abruptly, Yuri let him go, and the Russian flew forward to crash into him instead, hands still clambering towards the Gold. Victor moved his arms from going around the skater to trying to go over the shoulder, but every which way he tried to get a better reach, the target was still too far away. Eventually, the silver saw blank brown eyes side-glancing at him, and he paused.

Thinking the man had finally abandoned his quest, Yuri let his arm down...but quickly found the medal swiped from it as Victor launched a quick-attack. The multi-time Champion-turned-coach spun around triumphantly and held the prize up by its colored lanyard, "I got it! And now, I kiss it-" He grabbed the disc with both hands and held it in front of his enthusiastically-puckered lips.

Yuri said nothing, barely turning his head to watch the spectacle, a disappointed look on his face.

You promised...

The Russian was suddenly acutely aware of his fiancé's dead-eyed stare, his one visible eye going wide as the younger man turned away from him. He frowned and let the medal drop away, dangling at the end of the lanyard where it hung from his hand. A few steps forward, and Victor was behind his perturbed skater, putting the prize against Yuri's palm...unkissed.

"Okay. You win." He said, disappointed, "I won't."

Hazel eyes descended as he felt the metal against his skin, and he grasped at the circular disc as the Russian let it go. Slowly turning around, Yuri held it in both hands, and gradually brought his eyes up to meet the man in front of him, "Next time I win Gold...will be at Four Continents." He said quietly, "You can kiss that medal all you want. For now tho-"

Victor cut him off, putting one finger over Yuri's mouth to stop him from speaking. When the skater blinked at him, one blue eye just winked, "Well, if you don't want me to kiss your Gold Medal, I'll just have to kiss something else then."

"...Some...thing else...?" Yuri stammered, "But you kiss me all the time now."

Slate eyes gave a knowing look, but the Russian gave out a quiet laugh and slid his hand from lips to chest, then slipped around his fiancé's lower back, "Something I haven't gotten to kiss yet."

The cogs were turning in Yuri's brain...and suddenly, his face went bright red.

"Oh my, Yuri, what just went through your head?" The silver Russian smirked, reveling in the younger man's reaction.

"You'resoinappropriate!" He said quietly through clenched teeth.

Victor just hummed an amused chuckle, sliding his hand a little lower as he tilted his head to nose his partner's ear. He could feel the younger figure tighten up a little as that hand parked itself on his rump. The Russian just smiled though and closed his eyes, "I'll only let you stay innocent for so much longer. Soon enough, you won't get all embarrassed by me, so I have to enjoy it while it lasts. Right? Yuri."

He could do nothing but make a strange face - something of a confused mess between coy and reluctant - but soon settled into subdued interest, then worry, "It doesn't get dull for you that I don't act like I used to anymore, does it? I mean... I used to run away from you any chance we were together, now we're..." His voice got a bit quieter, "Now we're sleeping together... I get worried sometimes that you'll get bored once the chase is over, and you've gotten everything you've wanted from me."

"The only thing the end of chase means for me is that I can finally settle down and enjoy the spoils of the hunt." The Russian hugged his partner a little tighter and huffed a laugh against his neck, "You don't know how happy it makes me that we've come this far, Yuri. Being your coach has been fun and rewarding...but getting to be your fiancé? I can't even put it into words."

"Victor..."

"And besides...the thing you're forgetting is that, what I want from you is forever. I'll be chasing that until the day the abyss takes me. Anyway though..." He diverted suddenly, kissing the man's nose before turning to stand next to him, facing the curtain to the prep area, "Even if you won't let me kiss your medal, you've still won your first competition since I became your coach. We should do something to celebrate. This will be your last chance for a decent night's sleep before the Exhibition tomorrow, and then the long flight to St. Petersburg."

.

Lacking a variety of formal attire, their celebratory dinner out was more casual than Victor would've normally sought. But, to the Russian's surprise, one of the best places in Nagano City was actually set up like a mom and pop shop, so high-class attire wasn't necessary even if the food was apparently rather classy.

"...This place...?" He said skeptically, looking at the tiny establishment from the sidewalk.

The front of the building made it look especially tiny, built within the ground-floor level of a much larger structure. It had several potted plants lining the main front window, a blue awning overtop, and a single-wide door on the left. On the glass was a flower-like iconograph, and the words 'NOEL Bistronomic Nagano' beneath it in white English letters.

"The reviews say it's one of the 'Top 10' places in the city." Yuri explained, looking at the page on his phone with his free hand, the other held to his fiancé's between them, "The pictures of the food make it look super high-class. They even have a whole plate just for a decorative display of rock salt. At least I think it's rock salt...maybe it's small chunks of ginger root. I can't tell." He said, holding up a picture.

"Hm." The Russian hummed, a finger on his lip as he looked. Smiling then, he started moving towards the door, "Reminds me of Yu-Topia. Humble and rustic, but hiding a gem inside!"

The interior was largely made of wood displays; counters, shelves, flooring, chairs and tables. Above the bar-area was a chalk-board featuring the menu; beneath it, a long hanging-wine-glass rack, and opposite the bar, a few small tables lined up against the wall. It seemed like the entire place could only seat some 20 people at a time.

Waiting just inside the doorway, Yuri glanced around casually, reading over the menu while he waited for someone to notice them. It didn't take long. Patrons and staff alike immediately recognized the tall silver Russian standing next to him, and flocked over to start fawning.

The slender foreign skater waved politely, but it was becoming plainly obvious that no one knew Yuri, who looked quite plain and unassuming. So, Victor did the only thing he could think of, given how he didn't really know any Japanese...and yanked his partner's glasses off, set them on his own head, and reached around the man's face to pull that spiky black hair up and out of the unrecognizable skater's eyes. He smiled and leaned over one shoulder, looking at the folks just behind the counter, "...Kore wa...Katsuki Yuri da yo! Mitte ne?" [This is Yuri Katsuki! Do you see?]

Yuri side-eyed him as best he could, "...V-Victor, what are you...?"

The patrons suddenly realized who he was, and all but a few of them suddenly rose from their seats to start clapping. Those who didn't followed suit soon after.

"Kin-medaru omedetou!" Many of them were saying. [Congratulations on your Gold medal!]

Victor finally let his partner go, giving him his glasses back as soon as he had properly messed his hair back up, "No one recognizes who you are when you're in ultra-normal mode. I'd hate to think they only know who I am when we're both standing here...I'm not the one who just won the All Japan Championship, after all." He explained, seeing staff quickly rummaging around to set up a table for them; one that had already been empty, but hadn't been reset for the next guests yet. He smiled and lead Yuri over once they were done and let him sit before taking his own place, "I may not know much Japanese yet, but even a foreigner like me can see all the adverts around town for the Championship event. Pretty soon, people will be calling you a national hero!"

"...Psht, I'm no hero. I'm just a skater." The anxious athlete smiled nervously.

"Don't sell yourself short." Victor insisted, reaching across the table to lightly caress his partner's cheek before letting that hand slide down to where Yuri's was already clinging to the edge of the wood, taking hold of his fingers and bringing that arm to rest in center near the wall, "Sometimes, being a hero is less about winning a fight, and more about inspiring people to be better than what they are. You'll find yourself coming home to a hero's welcome because you're stirred the hearts of your people."

"...I dunno, 'home' is about to be St. Petersburg. I doubt the RSF media will be breaking any doors down to interview me even if I win a bunch of events."

"Why not?" Victor posed, holding his chin up on the back of his free hand, elbow on the edge of the table, "The JSF did it to me when they found out I was in Hasetsu."

"You're a little different."

"This is only the beginning, Yuri." The Russian insisted fondly, sliding his fingers within Yuri's fist to loosen up his grasp a little, fingering the golden ring with his thumb, "We all start small. I believe in you. But... If you're so convinced that no one will notice you in Russia even when you do start bringing back Gold...you could just join the RSF!"

"What!? No way!" Yuri was practically on his feet then, "Yurio would literally murder me."

Victor laughed at that, "Then think about it like this. I'm already spoken of as a hero at home. You're the first person I've taken on as a student. If I can take a skater who got utterly crushed and came in last place, and turn him into a Gold Medalist over the course of a single season...then you'll be the hero student and I'll be the hero teacher!" He explained, thoroughly proud of himself.

Yuri just gawked at him with an awkwardly critical smile. I feel like I should be offended again. "...Don't pat yourself on the back too hard, Victor, you might hurt yourself."

.

It took a bit of effort to get the sauced Russian back to the hotel room, but Yuri did his best, and was eventually able to drop the man onto his back on their bed. Thankfully, unlike in China, Victor hadn't gotten to the point where he was stripping in public yet, so Yuri didn't have to go around looking for clothes to put back on him.

"Kanpaaiii Yurriiii...!" The awkwardly-buzzed silver legend was saying in a slur, waving an arm into the air above himself before letting it fall like a rock to the sheets just above his head, and looked to doze into sleep rather quickly.

Yuri watched the whole thing unfold curiously, blinking at the man as Victor slipped away into drunken dreams. He shook his head and laughed, moving off to peel out of his things and get in a quick shower before going to bed as well. He rummaged through his carry-bag for his clean clothes and then stepped off towards the bathroom door. With the hot water spraying down on the top of his head, Yuri put his hand on the tile wall and drew in a deep breath. It was really starting to hit him how things were going to be changing.

...This will be the last time I shower and sleep on Japanese soil for who-knows-how-long, unless a competition brings us here...maybe NHK... He thought, looking on as the water cascaded over him. I wonder how different things are in Russia? ...My only experience there was in Sochi...and we all know that any city that wins an Olympic bid is presented as the Jewel of the Nation.

He briefly thought on that weekend; the room he and Celestino had been put into by the ISU, and the view from the hotel window overlooking the coast of the Black Sea. It was a beautiful memory, even if the aftermath of it was still painful to recall.

When he'd dried off and changed, he wandered back into the main room, seeing Victor there on the bed where he'd left the man, though turned onto his side by then. The younger figure stepped over to the foot of the bed and pulled the Russian's shoes off, then moved to the side to peel the comforter from where it had been neatly folded into the thinner blanket and fitted sheet under it, tossing it over his coach's unconscious form as well as he could. A few tugs at the remaining blankets, and Yuri was under the cool fabric. He turned off the lights and then wiggled his way under the sheets to get closer to his partner, and hugged against the man's back.

Victor seemed to stir a little when he felt it, moving his head up a bit as though he could sense the presence behind him, and brought one hand up to where the other had gone around him...but he never opened his eyes or said anything.

Yuri waited a moment, then decided the man hadn't woken up at all, and moved to wedge his right arm under his partner's neck to let it act like a skinny pillow. He kissed the top of the man's full head of silver hair, and closed his eyes.

When he awoke again, he wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but without the glow of dawn behind the curtains, he guessed it was some time in the middle of the night. He blinked a few times and glanced around, seeing little and less through the blackness, but heard everything he needed to know.

"Victor...?" He asked quietly, almost mumbling the words.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" The Russian answered, half-whispering. It sounded like he was changing out of his evening-wear somewhere at the foot of the bed, "I thought I was being quiet."

Yuri rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes on the back of one arm, "You were." He said more normally, "I think I just noticed you'd moved away. I guess I've just..." He started, then paused as he felt the weight of his fiancé getting back onto the bed from the opposite side, this time under all the same sheets he himself was under, and tossed the folded blanket over to its original place. He first felt warm arms coming around him, then the man's chest against his shoulder, chin resting above it as the Russian slid in to put his head on the same pillow.

"You were saying?" Victor purred, nestling in closer, effectively naked for all Yuri could tell.

"Oh..." He stammered, turning onto his side to face the man, feeling as cool hands came around him, "...I just... I'm so used to us sleeping together now that I guess I can sense when you're not there...and I woke up to figure out where you were..."

"Hmm..." The Russian hummed, twisting onto his side to get a little closer, and feeling the smaller body next to him do much the same, "I think I know what you mean." Hands moved a little further down and slipped under the edge of the t-shirt, savoring the feeling of skin against his arms, "I'd almost forgotten what it was like to share a bed with someone that I could touch, and cuddling with Makkachin just isn't the same." Victor went on, nosing his fiancé's lips in the dark, "This is much better."

"Sleeping with our dogs has its own benefits." Yuri pointed out with a bit of a smile, "Though, since you mentioned it...I guess that...does kind of make me wonder..."

"...Wonder what? I think Makkachin spent half his nights in your room." Victor teased, "That traitor...leaving me all cold and by myself."

Yuri shook his head and laughed, wiggled in place to turn around, and then pushed up onto an elbow so he could see his fiancé more easily as their eyes adjusted to the dark, "I actually didn't mean about Makkachin. I was wondering... How is it even possible that someone like you was single for so long? You could've had anyone you wanted, any time you wanted."

"Sure...and I did, a few times. The reason I was single after that was because I was tired of becoming single." Victor answered simply, shrugging his softly-carved shoulders against the pillow under his head, "So instead of letting myself rebound again and again, I broke the cycle, and focused on skating." He paused for a moment, gazing up adoringly at the man leaning over him before he raised his ringed hand to stroke a rosy cheek, "But then you came along."

"Uh oh..." Yuri gave a nervous look, slouching slightly, "I made a mess of things for you."

The Russian legend just smiled fondly, "No no... You put things into perspective." He explained quietly, stroking his thumb back and forth slowly, "I didn't know what I was doing anymore and I had no plan. How can I keep on skating? How do I stay inspired? What should I do with my career? What comes after I retire? What place will I have in the world, as a race-horse being put to pasture? ...In the end, all the questions and doubts I had about myself...were solved by the same thing."

Hazel eyes peered into azure, and the young skater lifted his hand, setting it over the hand that pressed to his cheek.

"You don't know the things you do to me, Yuri." Victor said quietly, his tone tinted with the hint of a lament, "If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. I'll die before I go back to a world that doesn't have you in it."

The words were quite a bit more profound than the young figure was ready to hear, but as soon as the last sound of them echoed around him, he could feel his throat seizing up. By the time he'd moved his hand over to soothe it, he could feel the Russian's own hand pulling back again, and he watched as Victor used it to rub the back of it against his own eyes.

"...Hm...I've probably cried more in the last two weeks than I have in the last ten years." Victor noticed, having a bit of a sad laugh at himself, and looked up in time to watch the spiky mess of black hair descend towards his chest. He brought his arms up over his fiancé's back and held him there for a moment, not quite sure if the warm, wet feeling against his skin there was a kiss, or tears.

"...Victor..." Yuri spoke quietly against pale skin; he'd kissed that spot a few times, trying to hide how he'd started crying so quickly. He snuffled and lifted up, rubbed his face on the back of his arm, and moved to sit over his partner's hips. They could feel each other immediately, and that was nearly all it took to get them both to feel that needy tingle in their cores, "I don't want to wake up without you by my side ever again." He said, and slid down to seal that prayer with a kiss as quickly as he could.

Victor savored every moment, holding gently to his partner and kissed him back adoringly, hands tracing the edge of the fabric, slipping just under the edge of the back of the man's shorts. Fingers slid under the wrinkles of the elastic band, palms curving over his partner's rump - only one layer of material between them - and caressed softly at every inch until he could feel arousal bearing fruit between them. He moved his kisses from lips to neck, slowly pushing himself up onto an elbow until he could tilt his young lover onto his side. His free hand pushed away at the fabric still clinging to his fiancé's waist, wanting it gone so he could have free and easy access to every bit of skin. He could feel where Yuri bent his legs up under the blanket to push the material away; the garment was then lost somewhere in the sheets and forgotten immediately after. Still lying partially on his side, the Russian pushed his partner onto his back and twisted in over him, leaning on one elbow as a leg went between two thighs, his free hand moving back under the t-shirt. He could feel Yuri's hands on his chest, sliding up to his neck to hold him close and kissed him more eagerly than before. It was exciting to feel his young partner wanting him, especially after such a long time being intimidated by simple touch.

I didn't think he'd get comfortable with this so quickly, Victor thought, sliding his free hand down his beloved's thin, lithe frame, maneuvering it under the edge of the t-shirt that still clung to the man's form, Maybe he's wanted this longer than even he realized. I wonder how far he'll let me go now...?

The Russian twisted a little further, getting fully on top of his partner, kissing at that pale neck as he went, and felt eager hands against his upper back. He rubbed and rocked in a steady rhythm, guiding each leg until they parted loosely around his waist. It felt like Heaven, but Victor wanted to hear it, too.

Slowly beginning the descent, the silver legend kissed his partner deeply one last time, then moved down to his neck, nibbled at the man's chest, hands roaming over his sides, but then continued down lower than he'd gone before. He could feel the body under him tensing up again, holding in a gasp as he dipped his tongue into the man's naval.

Yuri could tell where it was going, and brought both hands up over his mouth, his breath caught in his throat.

Is he...really going to do this...? He wondered in a panic, He's been teasing me since before we even got here... Is it weird that I want him to...!?

In the dark, it was difficult to tell what was going on, but the young, frantic athlete could still see his partner's figure, even if only barely; he could feel what he couldn't see. Yuri's heart pounded in his chest, more from the need than the fear he used to have. The feeling he'd been so eager for came sooner than he expected, and he gasped aloud as he felt the warmth and wetness sliding from root to tip, pushing up onto his elbows in surprise. It didn't stop though, and felt his partner kissing the length of him, going back down and then up again, licking once more before using thin fingers to lift him up, taking the tip into his mouth. Yuri's legs were pinned straight under the man, so all he could do was drop down to his back again and clench his hands into the sheets, crying out quietly against each new sensation. Eventually, he managed the presence of mind to bring one hand back up to his mouth, stifling the sounds he would otherwise be uttering loudly into the darkness.

Still, he couldn't help but whimper desperately against his hand...at least until he couldn't anymore. He pulled the hand away as he felt the Russian moving around, arms coming to rest across the sides of his hips, one hand grasped around him as the man's mouth continued to lick, kiss, and suck at the head of his arousal. With every dip and bob, he could feel silver bangs brushing against his skin, dragging slightly and then lifting off again. He felt goosebumps rising up all over his body the longer it went on. One hand slid up the front of his core, settling palm-down just below his chest as the wet warmth left his center.

One hazel eye crept open to figure out why Victor had stopped, but just as his vision came back into focus, is was plain to see and feel that nothing had stopped...it had just changed. Victor had only withdrawn so he could lick and nibble at the sides again, traveling up and down the length of it, trailing his tongue over every part of it until it glistened in the dark between them, then took it wholly into his mouth again.

Yuri dropped his head down against the pillows, his hands clawing at the t-shirt still clinging to his frame, biting at it where he could and whimpered with each twist and suck. He gasped louder as he felt himself inching towards release, but then felt an overwhelming sense of alarm, and he pushed up onto an elbow, "V-Victor, I'm about to...you shouldn't..." He stammered, and reached a shaky, trembling hand down towards the man's head to make him stop before it could happen.

Victor was well aware, however, and had no intention of letting it all end so soon.

Before Yuri could touch a single finger to a single strand of that silver hair, he felt the man get between his knees, and slowly moved back up again, kissing at his stomach and chest as he went. It was almost torture that the warmth of that mouth was gone by then - even if it was a relief that the 'threat' of finishing in his partner's mouth - but just as Yuri glanced down past the edge of his stretched-out shirt, he felt the man's hand take hold of him again, and all thought left him. He dropped his head back down to the pillow and let his fiancé do as he wanted. The kisses returned to his neck, hand pumping quickly, slowed only when the Russian brought himself against him, but then picked up again. Yuri's hands were up around his partner's back like before, almost clawing at his skin, careful to keep his palms flat and fingers straight despite how intense the pressure was getting.

It was almost like Victor could read his mind, holding himself up on one elbow as his other hand continued at its task between them, hips slowly starting to rock. He touched their nose-tips gently, whispering against his lips, "Do whatever you want."

"...H-hah...?"

"Don't hold back." Victor answered, "I can feel how hard you're trying to resist. Scratch me...claw at me... I want to feel you, even when we're apart..." It was hard for him to see, but the silver Russian could tell his partner had an anxious look on his face. It was getting harder and harder to resist though, and he could feel the man's form pressing up into him, his back arching slightly where his hips bucked gently under him. Victor could sense when his fiancé's confidence shifted a little, hooking one arm around the back of his neck and shoulder as the fingers on the other hand raked across his skin, forcing him to gasp out in surprise.

The younger man's legs wrapped around Victor's waist after that, and he pushed up onto the elbow of his free arm, pressing himself harder against his partner's center until he could push himself up onto his hand instead. His grip over the Russian's shoulder softened, hand cupped against the man's cheek, putting their foreheads together as the pumping between them continued uninterrupted. Victor's other hand came around the small of his partner's back and helped to hold him up, and the first soon joined it as Yuri's came down to take its place. Legs held tighter around the Russian's frame, hands pumping harder as the Yuri felt himself close to release again.

Perhaps a bit selfishly, or perhaps because of a lack of experience, Yuri couldn't stop himself from finishing when he felt himself on the edge, even though his partner was far from it still. Thankfully, as the silver genius quickly noticed, once spent, Yuri just let himself go and continued the pulls and squeezes on that remaining adamant flesh.

Victor held his fiancé closer, breathing harder with each tug. Soon, he could barely hold himself up, let alone his partner, and he lowered Yuri down to his back again. He held himself up on his hands for as long as he could, head dipping low between his shoulders, though finding his forehead against the man's chest as his strength waned. He pushed his hands against the fabric and slid them under his partner's back, fingers clambering at the younger man's skin as he felt himself getting closer.

Hips pushed against palms and fingers, slowly at first but then more forcefully, until all Yuri could do was hold his hands still, feeling his partner slide through his grasp. He pressed his cheek against the side of his fiancé's head, knees up on either side of his toned core, feeling as every push brought the man closer to the edge, until finally, the pale figure's body clenched up and he cried out against his shoulder. Hot liquid dripped onto his stomach and over his fingers, and Yuri felt a strange sense of pride that he'd helped bring that famed Russian to such ends.

Victor pushed through his partner's fingers a few more times before he slumped down to his side, breathing heavily against that favorite spot on Yuri's neck. He rolled onto his back after that, heaving breaths raggedly, his whole frame shaking slightly, such that he didn't notice when the blankets were pulled back of them both. He felt wisps of raven hair gently tease across the skin of his chest, the head it belonged to settling against him soon after, and he brought his arm up to curl around his partner's back.

They each caught their breath in their own time, and the sweat that had beaded on their skin dred against the sheets and cool air of the room. Yuri blinked in confusion when he heard his partner huffing a few quiet laughs at seemingly nothing.

"...What's with the chuckles...?"

"I just...remembered...how I once told you that you'd be begging for it one day." Victor answered, smirking in the dark, turning his head to kiss the top of his partner's, "I think we're one step closer to that day, right?"

Again, Yuri's face went a deep crimson, but it was impossible to tell without the lights on.

Victor could feel it though as the younger man settled in a bit closer, bringing his hand up close to his face where it settled against his skin. The Russian cooed at him and brought his own hand up to run his fingers through sweat-matted black hair, "Did you like it?"

"I liked everything."

"I meant, more specifically...when I used my mouth." He explained, "I've never done that before...so...was it okay?"

Yuri stammered a little, trying to force himself to be a bit more coherent than he felt, "..I-If that was the first time you've done it...I couldn't tell..."

The Russian nosed the top of his partner's head then, "Of course, that was the first time you've ever felt it, but...that's not what I asked."

Yuri struggled to find words through his embarrassment, turning his face towards the man's chest to press his mouth to damp skin as he thought. He shook his head after a moment and lifted his face again, "...I-It felt amazing..."

"I'm glad then." Victor answered quietly, turning onto his side so he could hold his partner closer to his chest, and wrapped both arms around that smaller frame, "I'll get better at it, just for you."

.

After the finale for the Pair Skaters and Ice Dancers ended, there was a brief intermission before the Exhibition started. It was fun and light-hearted, despite Yuri's dour affect from the day before; Victor had done a good job cheering him up. He performed 'Firebird' again for the sake of his home-front redemption, and also for lack of a new program, since he hadn't expected to still be skating...and then sat back excitedly to see how people would react when he let slip that Victor had 'accidentally' brought his 'Aria' costume and skates. There was some brief talk by the JSF event coordinators, but in the end, they decided to throw him out there as 'thanks' for bringing their top skater back to the Grand Prix Final...and humbly take credit for being the first event the Russian would perform at after announcing his return to competition.

"Yakov is going to have a heart attack to hear that I skated at a JSF event, considering he just told me not to get ideas about switching teams." Victor pointed out, quietly laughing at the absurdity of it all, and held one finger along his jaw as he came back from the changing room, "I'm never going to hear the end of it when we get to St. Petersburg..."

"It's not like there isn't precedent." Yuri pointed out, his team jacket hanging off his shoulders as he walked alongside the man, skate-guards thunk'ing along the floor with each step. He carried the bag with Victor's skates for him in one hand, "And they already knew you were going to be here because of me, so..."

"I guess it was fortunate then that I had to leave this outfit at the Ice Castle when I carried you back to the resort. It's kind of an honor to get to perform just for your crowd." Victor added agreeably. When he finished warming up, he swapped dress-shoes for skates, and handed off his long-coat to his partner.

Yuri held to it dutifully, but paused when Victor looked down at his own hands, and then up and around himself, "What's the matter?"

"It's just...twice in the span of as many days, I'm wearing this outfit to go out onto the ice. I never actually thought I'd perform 'Aria' again after Worlds, either because of retirement or a number of other reasons. Kind of makes me feel like I'm 26 again." Victor answered, sliding his hands down his front to smooth the sheer jacket against his chest, "...Hard to accept that I just turned 28. I don't really have that much time left anymore."

"It's a shame how short the years are that we skaters are actually competitive." Yuri agreed, putting his hands into his pockets, and lifted his head to hear the end of the music that had been playing before, "We give the sport everything we have and then it just...kind of stops one day."

"For most people, yeah." Victor nodded, reaching to slip his hand into his beloved's pocket, threading their fingers together within it, "I had hopes that I wouldn't be one of them."

They started moving towards the curtain that lead to rink-side, and the Russian felt a nudge against his elbow, "You're not going anywhere anytime soon." Yuri said, smiling, "Not if I owe you five World Championship Gold medals. And even if not for that...you're Victor Nikiforov...I doubt the world would just let you ride off into the sunset without chasing after you for something."

Blue eyes blinked in surprise, stopping the advance of gold-bladed skates along the floor. Yuri stopped and looked back when he felt the tug, seeing where it seemed like Victor was almost dumbstruck by what he'd said.

"...What?"

"Do you really think I'd just disappear...?" The taller man wondered, as though it hadn't occurred to him.

"Well..." Yuri said nervously, "To hear you say it, sometimes it feels like that's what you think would happen... Is that not what you meant?"

Victor shrugged and tried to put on a smile, "I hadn't really let myself think about life after skating. For the last 20 years or so, that's all my life has been about. I...can't even imagine..."

"Then don't." Yuri said suddenly, trying to look cheerful, and cut off that whole line of thought, "You've already agreed to stay with me in this gig for one more year, and to keep being my coach until I retire. Who knows what will happen over the next few years? Approach each season like a new beginning and anything is possible."

The Russian just blinked at him again, a bit surprised. He tilted his head and smiled, reaching up with his free hand to cup the side of the man's face affectionately, "It's like you know how to get into my head. What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Me?" The younger skater echoed, and gently took that ringed hand to kiss the band thereupon, "I ask myself the same question about you."

Victor huffed a laugh at that, but then moved to get through the curtain. The skater who had just finished her Exhibition was coming off the ice, and the spotlights moved around rink-side until they fell upon the rink-wall doorway closest to the Russian coach and his student. Cheers and applause rose up as people started to see that trademark costume come into the light.

Once there, the Russian held his hand to his fiancé's shoulder as he leaned to pull the guards from his blades, and handed them off. He drew in an anxious breath, and looked from the ice to hazel eyes, "I don't think I've been this nervous in years."

"You're nervous?" Yuri echoed, a bit surprised, "I know you like surprising people, but...that one's got me floored."

"Right?" Victor chuffed a laugh, and reached with one hand to boop his partner's nose, "But it's like I said before...I'm skating just for your crowd today. No one else like me has ever gotten to jump into someone else's National Championship and skate, even just for fun. This is kind of a big deal for me."

"...Really?"

"Mh." He nodded, "Wish me luck then; I'm off."

"Have a ball out there, Victor." Yuri answered, threading both hands together as they found a kiss between one another.

There was a jump in crowd response when they saw it, and Victor smiled as he pulled back, kissing the back of each of his beloved's hands before finally letting go to skate. He peeled away from the wall and raised up his arms to greet the audience, and let the cheers wash over him.

[Ladies and gentlemen...] The announcer overhead said in Japanese, [The final performance of today's National Championship Exhibition Gala...special guest, representing the Russian Skating Federation from St. Petersburg as a returning competitor, and representing Japan as coach to our own Katsuki Yuri...performing last season's 'Aria: Stay Close to Me,' please give a warm welcome to Victor Nikiforov!]

The roar from the audience exploded at that point, and Victor couldn't help but clap happily along with them, bowing his head as he made his way around the rink a few times to acquaint himself with the ice.

Yuri could tell the presentation wasn't typical, and he leaned onto the rink wall to watch.

Victor used to greet the audience like a King, taking the cheering on as though it were his birthright. But here...

The Russian finally found center, hands up over his mouth like the cheering had been more emotionally overwhelming than he'd anticipated. He drew in a deep breath, kissed his ring, and then let his hands go down to his sides, bowed his head, and folded one skate behind the other.

Yuri watched closely, pulling the man's coach-jacket over his shoulders, and leaned forward against the rink wall.

...It's completely different from before; he's grateful. This is really important to him...

The quiet hum of 'Aria' began above them, and the Russian lifted his head, bringing his right hand up to his face before he dipped forward to begin the dance.