I write sometimes

/ Gabby / ♊ / USA / A writing dump where I will post current fics I'm working on Main: Double00Mogar

[aykimra]

I’ve just finished what’s been released of Color me surprised and I was wondering if you would write anymore?

yes,,,,, at some point I will continue it! I have it all planned out, just haven’t had the motivation to write it at this point.  

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

A/N Chapter 6 of Blood Adrenaline is now available on AO3! It took me a little bit of time to get this posted, but things are starting to get exciting now! 

Summary

In a world where one soulmate's heartbeat affects the other's, Shane has yet to find the person who keeps making his chest pound.

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Blood Adrenaline, Chapter 5 is posted now! 

Some exciting stuff is gonna start happening next chapter, so check it out~

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

In a world where one soulmate’s heartbeat affects the other’s, Shane has yet to find the person who keeps making his chest pound. 

I never posted this on tumblr, but here’s my shyan soulmate AU fic!

It’s still in progress, but check it out <3

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Color Me Surprised

Chapter 4 [3] [2] [1]

Word Count 4.1k

Rating Mature

Summary Jeremy’s hair color changes based on his emotions, and Ryan is more than a little intrigued.

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary  Ryan agrees to be part of a social experiment and kiss a stranger, and he wonders who that stranger might turn out to be.

Rating Teen and Up

Word Count 3k

Warning None

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Color Me Surprised

Chapter 4 [3] [2] [1]

Word Count 4.1k

Rating Mature

Summary Jeremy’s hair color changes based on his emotions, and Ryan is more than a little intrigued.

[kyyhky]

“Who knew that you’d be up in here looking like you do You’re making staying over here impossible Baby I must say your aura is incredible If you don’t have to go, don’t”

I entirely blame Lambiel’s performance for introducing me to this beautiful cover of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music”

-Do not repost anywhere!-

[purefake]

[johannathemad]

And I always

Look up to the sky

Pray before the dawn

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary In a world where people switch consciousnesses with their soulmates, Yuuri doesn't experience his first switch until he is eighteen. He is very surprised to discover who's body he ends up in.

Chapter 4 [3] [2] [1]

Word Count 6.5k

Rating Teen and up

Warning None

[aykimra]

I love you ong, like rooster teeth AND fairy tail!!

Ahaha, thank you! Yes, they’re both great. c:

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

( New posting format, because these chapters are a bit long for tumblr. I hope nobody minds too much~ )

Summary In a world where people switch consciousnesses with their soulmates, Yuuri doesn’t experience his first switch until he is eighteen. He is very surprised to discover who’s body he ends up in.

Chapter 3 [2] [1]

Word Count 4k

Rating Teen and up

Warnings None

[aykimra]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

( New posting format, because these chapters are a bit long for tumblr. I hope nobody minds too much~ )

Summary In a world where people switch consciousnesses with their soulmates, Yuuri doesn’t experience his first switch until he is eighteen. He is very surprised to discover who’s body he ends up in.

Chapter 3 [2] [1]

Word Count 4k

Rating Teen and up

Warnings None

[aykimra]

Color Me Surprised

Chapter 3 [2] [1]

Word Count 2.2k

Rating Mature

AO3 Link [x]

Summary Jeremy’s hair color changes based on his emotions, and Ryan is more than a little intrigued.

Jeremy wasn't usually the type of person who minded silence while at work. They talked almost continuously for multiple hours every day, so any little break in between filming was actually always welcomed with open arms.

Needless to say, he could understand why Ryan might have a headache after a live podcast. However, that didn't stop him from feeling concerned for the man. He much preferred when they could talk and jeer as loud as they pleased, and Ryan wore a wide grin to show how much he truly enjoyed it.

With a huff, he pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt, tightening the strings just enough to where it wouldn't slide off his head with the slightest movement. Jeremy would much rather the others didn't notice the mix of lilac and grey that he caught a glimpse of from his reflection in the monitor.

He was worried, and while there was nothing wrong with that, he didn't want anyone asking any questions.

Well, there actually weren't many people around who paid attention to the little nuances of his hair color. Only Ryan seemed to notice the subtle shifts, and act according to each one. Unfortunately though, he was the one causing the change at the moment, and if he saw, then he would certainly want to do something about it.

To be truthful, Jeremy hadn't really noticed it at first. It was obvious to tell if someone was avoiding a certain subject because it had previously made his hair blaze red. But, it was more difficult when the action was as slight as Ryan continuing to run his mouth about something because a slight orange had overtaken the strands.

But now that he'd seen it, Jeremy couldn't seem to stop. And he was astonished about how much he had apparently been missing, just because he wasn't paying attention enough. And what was even more amazing, was how much he craved seeing those little acts. He couldn't do anything about his emotions, of course, but he'd never been more grateful to be human with a heart at the mercy of his surroundings.

It was just that Ryan was incredibly kind. Even more so off camera than on. That is, when he wasn't playing the part of some madman. The fact that he'd take time out of his day, or switch up his routine just because of a silly emotion seemed crazy, but maybe that was just because nobody had ever done it before.

It had always seemed in the past that people would use Jeremy's hair to their own benefit, rather than his. They'd talk cautiously whenever he was angry, and even more so when he was sad. They'd offer generic, sympathetic words that held no real emotion, and he'd long since learned that they were only spoken as a safeguard; they could say 'hey, I tried,' if his mood didn't improve.

He supposed that he was thankful he didn't shift to blue too often. In fact, he didn't think that color had overtaken his head since before he began working for Achievement Hunter. Jeremy didn't think he could take it if Ryan saw him that way.

What would the man do? Would he be just the same as everyone else, unable to deal with that rare change?

He was a bit frightened to find out. At least he was pleased with his life at the moment. It didn't seem like something he would have to deal with anytime soon.

But, then again, emotions were always unpredictable.

"Jeremy?" came a quieter than usual voice from the other side of the room. Ryan's headache must not have completely left yet. "Is your computer still working? Everything look okay?"

He looked up from the screen to meet the man's eyes, and he didn't miss the strange expression Ryan was wearing, although everyone else probably would have. He knew that wearing his hoodie up was a bit strange, since he usually didn't bother in the office, but he ignored the gaze's meaning in favor of answering the actual question posed to him, rather than the silent one.

"It's great. Thanks for fixing it, Ryan," he said with a genuine grin, and that seemed enough to make the man nod, smiling back slightly before looking down at his own work once again.

He sighed to himself, reaching one hand up to tug at the fabric over his head, making sure it remained in place. Ryan cared too much, the bastard.

A loud clang drew his attention to his right, and he looked to see Gavin fiddling around with the mess on his desk, and a controller now resting on the floor behind him.

"What the hell, man?" Michael spoke first, asking what Jeremy was sure they were all wondering.

"Leaned too far back in the damn chair," the man muttered, spinning around to grab what he'd apparently dropped as he saved himself from falling backwards. Well, it was his own fault for leaning back in a chair with wheels, and Jeremy scoffed a laugh at the thought.

"Are we filming anything today?" Michael asked in an effort to change the subject, after letting out a long suffering sigh that was surely directed towards the man on his right.

"Not much to do in GTA or Minecraft without Geoff or Jack," Ryan hummed.

"We could do VR the Champions or something," Gavin suggested, but Jeremy shook his head.

"We don't have any games right now that we haven't already done a video in," and at Ryan's agreement on that matter, he continued, "We should do something new if we're gonna through with setting that shit up."

While that was a large factor in his not wanting to film a VR game, Jeremy couldn't deny the fact that he was also still concerned about Ryan's headache. Something fun and more laid back would be easier on him, rather than having to stand and move around. Besides, a lot of the fans ate up those types of casual videos. "Let's just do something easy and fun, where we can just fuck around," he finished.

The were thoughtful noises from around the room as the others considered their options, and Michael actually opened up Steam to look through his games list. "Fun and easy, fun and easy," the man muttered to himself as he scrolled. And then, a victorious chuckle. "Ah, what about we golf with our friends? We're friends, right?" he laughed.

"I would assume so," Ryan replied dryly, although if Jeremy looked around his monitor just right, he could see a little smile of amusement tugging at the man's lips that betrayed his tone.

"Well, we could film something in that? I mean, I'm sure we can pull something entertaining out of our asses for a video," Michael hummed with a scoff.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that," Jeremy agreed quickly, and as the other two did the same, they all began setting up to film.

"How's your head, Ryan?" he asked the man after a few minutes, when he stood up to do some adjustments to his mic stand.

Glancing over only once as he fiddled around with his microphone, the man gave a short nod. "It's better. Although, I'm still glad I don't have to stand around in that hot as hell headset." And, when he finally stood up straight again, the smile he gave looked so much like a thank you that Jeremy couldn't help but to offer his own grin in reply.

"Facecams or not?" Gavin questioned the room then, and they all paused for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't think we need to," Michael said, and Ryan agreed with a "Nah," and a shake of his head.

"Alright," the British man said, leaning back in his chair. "Then I'm ready."

"Yup, same here," Jeremy agreed, starting his audio and capture and then syncing before they stated the video as officially started.

"So uh, what kind of video is this? Are we just golfin' like friends, or is there gonna be some sort of competition here?" Ryan questioned as they looked through the game's setting, choosing the course number, and their golf balls.

"Oh, there's always competition in golf, Ryan," Michael said with a little breath of laughter.

"Alright, that's true, I guess. Any particularly special rules, then?"

"Losers each give the winner ten bucks," Gavin suggested instantly.

"You wanna lose ten bucks that bad?" Jeremy teased, which earned him a chuckle from all of them.

"Eh, it's just ten bucks," the man said with a shrug, although that wouldn't be picked up by his audio recording.

"How about last place buys lunch tomorrow?" Michael suggested instead, ignoring Gavin's words as the first hole loaded up and they began aiming their shots. It was a relatively simple one, so it only took one hit to get close to the hole.

"Can they choose where to go?" Jeremy asked, easily following along with what he knew wouldn't come to fruition. It was one thing to accept a bet of two dollars from Gavin, but forking over the cost of lunch for four was going a little far.

"As long as it's somewhere good," Michael laughed.

"Deal," Ryan agreed after only a second's thought, and Jeremy looked at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" He asked, eyebrows raised, ignoring the game for just a moment. "You'll really buy the three of us lunch if you lose?"

"I might not lose."

"Ryan," Michael said with another laugh. "Remember 3D Ultra Mini Golf? You lost pretty fucking badly there."

"Listen, the one round fucked me, alright? I think I did okay in the other parts," he replied in a jesting affronted tone.

"This is only one round. If you lose you lose," Jeremy cut in to remind him.

"Oh, I know. I'm agreeing to the terms. Lunch is on me tomorrow, for those in this room right now, if I lose."

"Well, fine. I guess I'll agree too, if Ryan and Michael do," Jeremy muttered as he finally looked back to his screen. it appeared as though he was the last to take the final shot, and he sunk the ball in with one hit.

"Well, we're all tied at par with that hole. I'll fucking do it," Michael said. "So, Gav, are you in?"

"Yeah, I mean, chances are, I'll get a free lunch."

"Or you'll just fucking lose horribly," Jeremy laughed.

"Or that," the man murmured, sounding mildly worried.

"Well boys," Jeremy declared suddenly, "We've got ourselves a competition." And then, they began seriously, and put in as much effort as possible while still being sure that the video would be entertaining once it came out.

                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan couldn't exactly say that he was surprised to find himself sitting in last after their decided eight holes, with a wonderful score of +19. He'd certainly done worse in less time before, yet he still managed to lose to the others this round.

Though, he also couldn't say that he was upset. After all, he'd been the first to agree to buy lunch, so having to do so wasn't really a problem. In fact, it was almost the opposite.

"So what are we having to eat tomorrow, Ryan?" Gavin asked with a wide grin once the recordings were all stopped and saved, ready to go for editing.

As if in thought, he hummed for a moment, but never really had any plans to chose the place he'd be buying from in the first place. "Jeremy, what do you want for lunch tomorrow?"

"Huh?" the man looked up, confusion clear across his face. Ryan smiled lightly at the sight. That was exactly what he wanted. "You're asking me? You get to choose, y'know."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna. Pick for me, Lil J."

A bright green could just barely be seen as it bloomed underneath the man's hoodie, and Ryan caught sight of a bit peeking out from the front, the color vibrantly noticeable. Jeremy was silent for a while, obviously thinking over the question he'd been posed. Eventually, he looked back towards Ryan. "Torchy's," he said with a sure tone.

"Tacos it is then," he agreed with a nod, and Jeremy looked almost pleased enough to melt, although unfortunately, he didn't stay still quite long enough for Ryan to truly see the emotions cross his face.

He liked doing things that made the man happy, and kept his hair the positive colors that showed he was in a good mood. Little acts like this - asking him what he would like to eat, for one example - were simple and easy, and Ryan had never minded doing them, if only to see Jeremy so pleased.

"Good choice, Jeremy," Michael applauded the man, and he received quiet thanks in reply.

In a good mood, despite his loss in the game and the impending doom that awaited his wallet, Ryan joined the other three in finishing up for the day before they all left the office to head home. Tomorrow he'd keep his promise and buy Torchy's for Michael, Gavin, and Jeremy, but the thought running through his mind was that he was really only doing this for one of those men.

[aykimra]

Switch With Me

Chapter 2 [1]

Word Count 2.6k

Rating Teen and up

AO3 Link [x]

Warnings None

Summary In a world where people switch consciousnesses with their soulmates, Yuuri doesn’t experience his first switch until he is eighteen. He is very surprised to discover who’s body he ends up in.

Yuuri didn't know how long he sat there for, but the sound of buzzing a few feet away from him finally drew his attention. He slowly brought himself to his feet, only just now realizing that his headache from the switch had faded away.

He wasn't exactly sure what Victor had done while in his body, but his skates had their guards in place, and he was wearing the jacket he'd thrown on one of the benches that was sitting against the wall. Obviously the man hadn't taken the time to skate, and had instead wandered around off the rink. The thought that something had happened without his knowledge was a bit unnerving, but Yuuri pushed any ideas of that nature away. Victor probably felt a lot more awkward about the situation, considering that someone had been in his house.

His phone had been the source of the mysterious buzzing, and it was still laying on the bench where the rest of his belongings had been left, so Yuuri walked over and scooped it up.

Unsurprisingly, the younger skater, and his close friend, Phichit, had sent him several messages. Looking at the time on the phone, he realized that it was nearing 10:30. He was at the rink late. Way later than he ever tended to be without writing to anyone so that they knew where he was. Phichit knew of his after hours skating habits, and liked to make sure he got home safe at night.

The messages started off simply enough. 'Yuuri, are you still at the rink?' had been sent a little after nine, and the man suspected that it was the message Victor had gotten his name from. He'd been around to hear the notification, after all.

Around 9:30, they'd gotten a bit more worried in tone, and Yuuri felt a little guilty. If he was skating into the night, he tried to make sure that his friend at least knew he wasn't going to be returning home until later. While it obviously wasn't his fault that he'd switched, he knew Phichit was concerned that he hadn't responded to any messages.

'You normally answer by now, are you alright?'

'Yuuri, its 10, where are you? Are you at the rink?'

'Yuuuuri'

'Yuuri'

That was the most recent message, and he hurried to unlock his phone and send a response. He was quick with his typing, because he didn't want the other to have to send any more concerned messages.

'Ah I'm sorry,' he wrote, sending it immediately so that his friend would know he'd received the texts. 'I was.... unable to write for a while.'

The response he received was instantaneous. 'Call?' And of course, he obliged almost immediately, leaning against the rink barrier as he did so.

It was unsurprising when Phichit picked up on the first ring. "Yuuri! Are you at the rink?" he asked, without even waiting for a hello.

"Ah, yes, I am. I'm sorry, Phichit, I made you worry, right?" he fiddled with the hem of his jacket as he spoke, even though there was nobody there to see him. He still couldn't help but to fall back on little nervous actions, even though he knew that his friend would understand once he heard the reason why Yuuri had left him hanging.

"You did. I just didn't know where you were, and it's getting late. Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," he said, and paused for a moment before continuing. "Actually, maybe more than fine? I, uh, I switched."

"Switched?" was the immediate, almost gleeful response. "With your soulmate?"

"Yes. I was skating and then, well, and then I wasn't." That wasn't exactly true. He neglected to tell how he'd experienced the searing pain beforehand, but Phichit hadn't experienced a switch yet, and he didn't want the first thing he told his friend about it to be the pain. Later, when Yuuri was sure that they'd talk about this in more detail, he'd better explain that particular part of it. For now, he didn't deem it important enough.

The boy on the other end of the line cooed. "Really? So who is it? What did you find out about them?"

The question made Yuuri pause again, and the silence was slowly filled by a nervous chuckle. "I don't think you will believe me if I tell you."

"What? Yuuri, why? Of course I would believe you!" Phichit was insistent, and in fact sounded a little put out at the idea that he would be doubted.

"It's just difficult to believe. I don't think I believe it yet," he continued, still not revealing who his soulmate was, which made his friend whine with impatience.

"Just tell me who it is! I'm too curious!"

Yuuri murmured out the name so quietly that he was asked to repeat himself, and when he finally did, the admission was met with silence. "Phichit?" he asked nervously, unsure of what his friend's reaction would be, and feeling uneasy at the quiet he was facing.

Finally, and rather loudly, his ear was assaulted by a shout of "The Victor Nikiforov?" He was pretty sure that his friend was going to wake the neighbors by being so loud about it, so he made a shushing noise.

"Yes, the real, actual, Victor Nikiforov. I was in his house, Phichit." And maybe as he spoke he was allowing some of the giddiness to seep into his tone, but his friend knew how much of a fan he was. Surely it wasn't too much of a problem now.

"His house? What was it like?"

Yuuri hummed in thought, trying to remember all of the details. If he were to be honest though, his time in Victor's body wasn't something he was likely to forget a second of. "Well, I noticed it when I first got there, but it was a little bit bare. There were books and things, and Makkachin was there, but otherwise it seemed just... really clean." He stopped talking before a sudden thought came to his mind, and he shook his head, even without anyone there to see it. "I didn't go snooping, though!" he insisted. "I didn't want to go looking through his things. That felt wrong. I mean, I was already in his body..."

"What do you think he did while he was here?" Phichit questioned suddenly, and the words made him blanch, despite the fact that he'd come to the conclusion that Victor had it worse in this situation.

"Well, I don't know. He didn't skate. I was against a wall with my guards on when I woke up here again. He said he couldn't get into my phone and that he didn't try either," Yuuri sighed. "Maybe he just looked around?"

"Do you think he was looking for a mirror or something? Nobody else is there, right? He must have been alone," Phichit suggested.

"Yes, I'm alone. There's mirrors in the bathroom, do you think he found those?"

"I'm sure he knows his way around a rink, Yuuri," the boy pointed out with a joyful chuckle. "And besides, I doubt much would stop him from finding out what his soulmate looks like."

Yuuri couldn't deny that what his friend said was true. Victor had never tried to hide the fact that he was eager to meet the one destined to be his. Of course, he had his fans, and he entertained them fabulously. Whether he followed the somewhat old-fashioned notion of 'saving oneself' for their soulmate, nobody really knew. Victor wasn't very forthcoming about what he did or did not do in the bedroom. he came off as a flirtatious playboy, but that could easily be just an act.

Yuuri wasn't sure if he wanted it to be or not.

On one hand, he couldn't necessarily stop the spike of jealousy in the pit of his stomach at the thought of his soulmate sleeping with someone else. He knew that it didn't matter, that he had no right to control someone like that, but that didn't mean the feeling wasn't there.

However, the rest of him wasn't sure what he would do if the Victor Nikiforov he'd grown up idolizing turned out to be so fake. Yuuri was sure that he couldn't be one hundred percent honest around fans, but to learn that everything you thought you knew was a lie seemed like it would still be unsettling.

Instead of voicing his turmoil to Phichit though, he simply sighed in resignation. "Yeah, You're right. I'm sure he could find a mirror if he wanted to. He didn't really say anything about what I looked like in his note, though," he murmured.

"What did the note say?" Phichit asked in a voice that sounded way too curious.

Yuuri's voice was quiet as he spoke. "He said it was a little late to be practicing, but that he wants to see me skate when we meet."

The boy on the other end of the line whistled. "You're on your way to a hot skating date with Victor Nikiforov," he teased.

Yuuri snorted in a quick burst of laughter. "I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon."

"You never know, Yuuri."

"I think Victor's too busy to focus on meeting me right now," he said quietly, once again shaking his head in the negative as he spoke.

"Well, he does have the Grand Prix coming up, but he might try to find you afterwards."

"Or, he might have no idea who I am," Yuuri insisted. "He knows that I skate, and might know what I look like, but he doesn't even know my full name. There's no way he could find me, even if he wanted to."

Unsurprisingly, his friend shushed his deprecating train of thought. "It's not something you need to worry about now. Focus on skating, and meet him on the ice."

That idea made the man grin. "You're right, Phichit," he agreed. He knew he'd become the boy's friend for a reason. He always spoke reasonably when Yuuri got too worried.

"Of course I am," he said with a laugh. "Now, it's getting late. You have class in the morning, so maybe head home? You just switched, so you must be tired." There was a loving, concerned tone to Phichit's voice that always made Yuuri realize just how much his friend cared for his well-being.

"Yeah, I am tired. Okay, I'll pack up and leave in a few minutes."

"Great. Have a good night, Yuuri."

"You too, Phichit. Thank you," he replied before ending the call. He'd been right. Yuuri had already vowed that he'd meet Victor on the ice as equals. That was what he needed to focus on right now, regardless of who his soulmate was.

He would show off his skating, and he'd stand on the Grand Prix podium with a medal in hand when he introduced himself as Victor's soulmate.

That was Yuuri's goal, and he was more determined than ever to reach it.

                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unsurprisingly, Victor dominated every competition he took part in. It was no surprise to see him with gold in hand. In fact, the most disappointed his fans ever seemed to be was when he was holding bronze or silver instead.

Yuuri found himself feeling a bit overwhelmed. And, in fact, he was becoming grateful that Victor hadn't made much of an effort to contact him yet. He could understand it anyway. He was a busy adult, and his soulmate was an even busier one; famous on the international level. The simplest, bluntest was to put it was that they didn't have the time for one another. And while Yuuri might sometimes want to be bothered by that, he tried his best to focus on other things.

Practice was grueling, and while it was everything that he was used to, and nothing that he didn't expect while training for a chance at the Grand Prix, it made him tired. And, unfortunately, he was also a college student in an American school. His English was fine, but it took more of his focus to absorb all the information than it would if things were written in his first language. Everyday he went to sleep late and woke up early. It was nothing short of draining.

But he endured it, if only to see the future he'd planned out for himself, and to ignore that fact that he hasn't met his soulmate in person yet. He worked hard for the chance to stand on that podium, and now he had the extra motivation of knowing exactly who his soulmate was. If he couldn't do this now, he'd never be confident enough to show Victor his skating.

That said man, however, was doing plenty well for himself. He'd won the Grand Prix, and made quite the spectacle of it all; kissing the gold medal, which was a habit he'd seemed to develop. Yuuri didn't think he'd ever be the type of person to do such a thing, but it was so incredibly Victor that he couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips whenever he was reminded of it.

"Yuuri! Back on the ice," Celestino called out, effectively interrupting his train of thought, and he stood from his position on the bench, stretching now that his short break was over.

He had no delusions about where he was with his current skill level. He wasn't good enough yet. So, even though his feet ached and he was in a perpetual state of exhaustion, he gladly and thankfully attended practice. Besides, it was a sport that he thoroughly enjoyed. It would all be well worth it in the end.

"Today I want to work on your jumps. Your free leg is sloppy after your landings," his coach said, and Yuuri nodded along. His jumps were never the best part of his routines, and he normally put extra focus onto his presentation aspects in order to score well, despite the bad technical elements.

However, Celestino was determined to fix that, as any normal coach would be. It seemed that they were always working on jumps. Yuuri didn't mind too much. He always found free time to make sure that his step sequences didn't lax.

So, he jumped and jumped and fell on the ice until it seemed that his hips were a permanent mottled hue of purples and yellows. And then, when everyone else had left, he made lazy circles around the rink until he was exhausted enough to go back home.

Often he would be told that all his extra effort was doing him more harm than good; that he would eventually burn out and damage his body beyond repair. Yuuri didn't pay the concerns too much mind, though. He was in good enough condition, and never jumped when he felt he would be too tired to land it. Besides, he regularly visited a sports therapist, who made sure he remained well enough to skate competitively.

Outside of the competitive field, skating was what kept him calm anyway. When he was stressed, he fell back to the rink, even if it might have been the source of his worries in the first place. It was a habit he doubted he'd ever been able to drop.

He always seemed to be lead to the ice, even when it left him battered and tired.

His pain was well worth it when, at twenty-two years old, he finally got his chance. He qualified into the lineup of Grand Prix hopefuls.

And, unsurprisingly, Victor did too.

His time had come. He was ready for this. He'd been living away from home in Detroit for years, practically spending every minute on the ice. And now, he'd do just as Victor had asked him four years ago. What his soulmate had asked him.

Yuuri would show him his skating.

[aykimra]

Keep Me Balanced

A @50yearsofstartrek secret santa gift for @sixclawsdragon (Posted here, rather than my main blog)

I know it’s a bit late, but I hope you like it anyway. I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I tried to catch them, but I might have missed something.

Word Count 3.1k

Rating Teen

Warning None

AO3 Link [x] (I recommend reading on AO3 because it’s formatted a bit better there, but I’ve posted it here as well c: ) 

“Jim, are you positive that this is a good idea?” Spock had asked when they’d beamed down off of the Enterprise, and their bodies were solid once more. He looked mildly uncomfortable. Or, at least, as uncomfortable as he was willing to show, being a Vulcan and all. There was something to be said though, about how much more open he’d been with his emotions lately, even if only in private.

“You can’t be seriously trying to change his mind, can you? He’s been talking about this for weeks,” Leonard huffed, his arms crossed over his chest against the chilly breeze. He never liked being on Earth when it was cold. He was a southern boy at heart, more suited to the warm sun and heady, heavy layer of hot air. He’d somehow been convinced to come along on what Jim insisted calling a ‘Winter Holiday’. The crew was being given the day off to roam as they wished around the Enterprise, or on Earth, simply enjoying some peace before they were to set off again tomorrow.

“Not weeks, Bones. You’re totally exaggerating,” Jim said with a small frown, although the light in his eyes and the small bounce in his step showed just how pleased he was to be here. He’d obviously been thinking about this for a long time. He carried a rather large bag across his shoulder, and from the way he kept tugging on it, it was obviously very heavy. There was no telling what he was carrying in there, and Leonard was honestly a bit scared to ask.  

“Like hell I am,” the Doctor said instead, with a roll of his eyes and a barely there smile. He’d long since gotten used to Jim’s antics, and while he’d be dead before he admitted it, he’d grown to be a bit fond of them. That is, as long as they weren’t life threatening, as they often tended to be.

And unfortunately, Spock also seemed to have a thing for dramatics and self sacrifice. Honestly, they were both going to give him a heart attack one day just from the stress. Maybe he could benefit from this little break, although he wasn’t sure how relaxing it would turn out to be with those two around.

“At the very least, would you please inform us as to why you have chosen Earth to take a vacation?” Spock questioned, shoving his hands further into the pockets of the jacket he was wearing. It was a thick winter one, insulated for extra warmth. Leonard wasn’t very well going to let the guy freeze, since he wasn’t suited to colder climates. It seemed they both had that in common, but Jim barely even looked bothered compared to them.

“All in good time, Spock,” the Enterprise Captain said with a grin that showed he wasn’t planning on telling anyone anything. Rather, he was going to wait for them to see it on their own.

Leonard’s response was to just huff and raise his shoulders to bury his chin further into the scarf he had wrapped around his neck. “Lead the way then,” he muttered, ushering the man forward with a wave of one hand.

Spock, for his part, simply chose to keep silent, following behind them once they began moving forward. The Doctor, when he turned his head, could see a thoughtful sort of glint in his eyes, which always tended to appear when he was trying to figure Jim out. Unfortunately, it was a common enough look, since the Captain was cryptic as hell and liked to leave them guessing. He thought it was fun. Leonard doubted that Spock found much enjoyment in the mystery, but he tolerated it well enough.

They walked swiftly together through the weather, all the while talking about this or that from back on the ship. Leonard eventually fell back to be next to the Vulcan, looking over him carefully. “Doctor, are you failing to remember that I recognize that expression?” he asked. “You are feeling concerned.”

Knowing that he’d been found out, Leonard didn’t hold back his thoughts. There was no point really, when Spock would continue to question him until he told the truth, anyway. “Are you too cold?”

“The temperature is a bit lower than I am used to, but I am alright,” the Vulcan replied with a short nod of his head. There was a green flush across his cheeks, nose, and ears, but the Doctor suspected it was caused by the weather, and that he was probably looking a little red to match.

“Well, just checking,” he replied, burrowing his hands into the pockets of his coat as Jim finally slowed his pace to fall back in between them.

“What are you two doing back here?” he asked casually, reaching his arms out to wrap one around each of their shoulders. The bag he carried bumped against Spock’s back, but there were no sounds of protest or discomfort. The Captain wore a grin on his face that showed just how much of a good mood he was in today, and Leonard couldn’t deny that he was finding it a bit contagious, despite his irritation at the cold.

“We are discussing my usual disinclination towards colder weather,” Spock said blandly, as if Leonard hadn’t just been worrying over whether he was freezing or not. He wondered if the Vulcan had chosen his words on purpose to preserve some form of secrecy over their conversation, or if he had simply thought nothing of it.

The smile lost a fraction of it’s joy, and Jim looked over in what was rather easily readable as concern. “Are you too cold, Spock?” he questioned, his eyes wide.

The Vulcan shook his head once. “Of course not, Captain, this jacket and my thermal shirt are adequate enough,” he said assuredly. And then, with the childlike happiness returning to his expression, Jim squeezed his shoulder a bit tighter.

“Okay, good,” the man hummed, leading them both forward. They couldn’t very well stray too far from him with the tight grip Jim held, but Leonard didn’t mind too much. He liked the closeness, and the extra warmth someone else’s body provided in the chilly weather. He suspected that Spock felt the same way. The Vulcan was, surprisingly enough, a huge fan of cuddling.

“Are you going to tell us where we’re going yet, Jim?” the Doctor asked with a light roll of his eyes. At this point they’d been walking for about half an hour. They had to be somewhat close, right?

“We’re almost there, Bones. Don’t get your panties in a twist just because you’re impatient, alright?”

“While I understand the meaning behind that phrase, I still do not know how it came to be,” Spock piped in, effectively putting a stopper on their usual childlike bickering.

“Twisted panties are uncomfortable and it makes you irritated,” Jim hummed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. While Leonard could agree that any particular piece of clothing being turned the wrong way didn’t feel good, he didn’t have much experience with the panties. He wouldn’t be surprised if Jim did, though.

An easy peace fell over them after that, and they walked together in the silence, Jim never removing his arms from around the two men next to him. There was a light snow falling around them, and Leonard occasionally looked up at it, the clouds of his breath billowing out across his vision in the cold air.

“Ah, we made it!” Jim practically cheered, finally releasing his hold and brushing past them, dropping the big bag into the snow with a loud thud.

“Made it where, exactly?” the Doctor questioned, walking forward, looking around them. They were, well, they were in the middle of nowhere, really. Tall, bare trees practically loomed around them in a large arc, like they were in a clearing at the beginning of a forest. A small, frozen lake sat at the edge of the trees, and the ground was completely coated in a thick layer of snow. There was nothing particularly special to be seen anywhere nearby.

Spock walked forward to stand next to him, clasping gloved hands behind his back in his usual, stoic stance. “What is it that you wanted us to see, Jim?” he asked in turn, when Leonard’s question wasn’t answered.

“It’s right in front of you!” He called from where he was standing a few feet in front of them, pointing to the lake.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “The lake?”

“Yes, the lake,” Jim said excitedly, nodding to show his enthusiasm.

“What about the lake?”

“We’re gonna use it,” he replied easily, kneeling down in front of the bag he’d dropped, unzipping it to finally reveal the contents it carried. Spock and Leonard both walked forward, watching as he pulled out a pair of shoes.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes when he noticed something particularly unusual about them. “Are those ice skates, Jim?” he questioned, although he already full well knew the answer.

“Yup,” the Captain said, popping the 'P’ as he pulled out two more pairs, making three in total. He was wearing a foolishly pleased grin.

“You must be joking. What makes you think that either I or Spock know how to skate?”

“Oh, I know that you don’t.”

“I am sorry Jim, I believe I am unfamiliar with this activity,” Spock interjected, and Leonard might dare to think he sounded nervous. Oh yes, he enjoyed how much more free the Vulcan had allowed himself to become with his thoughts and emotions lately.

“Well, you put on these shoes,” Jim began, holding up one and gesturing to the blade on the bottom, “Balance on them, and you can glide across the ice. It’s fun.”

“Fun until you fall, you mean,” Leonard corrected with a slight shake of his head.

“Oh, don’t be like that you old Bones,” Jim teased, looking over at the Doctor with a too-wide smile. “I’ll hold your hand so you don’t fall down.”

“The only thing that’s going to accomplish is that you’ll fall down with me,” Leonard pointed out with a small huff of laughter.

Spock stepped closer to the bag, ignoring his companions for the moment and reaching down, picking up one of the skates to inspect. “Jim, where did you acquire these? To my knowledge, you did not have them before.”

“Oh, I borrowed them. They’re due back once we’re done,” the man replied with a small shrug.

“Borrowed them from where?”

“That’s a secret,” he hummed with a wink. “I don’t want Bones going after them and telling them not to let me borrow 'em again.”

“Like that would stop you,” the Doctor murmured, but bent down to pick up a pair. “How’d you even manage to get our sizes, huh?”

“My sources have their ways.”

Leonard rolled his eyes at the answer, but decided against dignifying it with a response. Obviously, Spock felt the same way, because he kept quiet on the matter as well. Instead, they both went to inspecting the skates that they were to wear.

Jim, for his part, was already slipping his on his feet and tightly lacing them up.

“I didn’t even know you knew how to skate,” Leonard said, looking up from the shoes he was holding and observing the man.

“I’m not the best at it, but I have before, yeah.”

“When you were younger?” Spock questioned.

Jim hummed his confirmation. “Yeah, I was just a kid, so I might be a little rusty now,” he laughed.

“Somehow, I think you’ll end up doing just fine,” Leonard huffed, leaning down to unlace the boot in his hand so that he could slip it onto his foot.

“Perhaps that would be the best for us, Leonard. We are, I believe, doomed if Jim cannot skate properly either.”

A laughed bubbled out from deep in the Doctor’s chest, and he glanced at the Vulcan with a grin. “I think we’re doomed either way. We’ll be lucky if the ice doesn’t end up cracking.” He chuckled despite his words, finally slipping his feet into the skates, despite his reservations about engaging in this particular activity. He was positive that at least one of them would fall, if not all three.

Spock didn’t appear too worried, and Leonard found comfort in that, whether the calmness of the man was fabricated or not. Jim as well, seemed to be enjoying himself just as much, and perhaps even more than before. His good mood must have been spurred on because of the fact that his idea received minimal resistance.  

“Alright then, show us how it’s done,” Leonard grumbled to Jim, balancing on wobbly legs, one hand holding onto Spock’s shoulder for assistance. The skates had guards to give him something wider to stand on, and they were on the most firm bit of ground they could find upon walking to the lake, but standing still felt unnatural. He couldn’t imagine actually skating, if he couldn’t even manage to remain upright.

Spock seemed to be struggling as well, and was leaning upon the Doctor just as much. They used each other to find a balance, but didn’t let go of one another’s arms, even as they watched the Captain remove his guards and step onto the ice. He appeared to take a moment to right himself, but then glided away with an ease that Leonard knew he himself wouldn’t have.

“See? It’s not so hard,” he called, gliding around and eventually coming to a stop in front of them again. He held out two hands, a wide grin showing off his teeth, and bright eyes shining. “I’ll help you both, C'mon.”

Leonard sighed, and took a step froward, prompting Spock, who he still hadn’t let go of, to come along with him. He bent down and pulled off the skate guards before reaching out and taking one of Jim’s hands. Spock did the same.

“Okay. Ready?” the Captain asked, and at Leonard’s nod, and Spock’s word of affirmation, pulled them gently forward.

Finding his balance on the thin blades while holding onto both Spock and Jim hadn’t been too difficult, but now that he was moving, his stomach lurched at the unnatural feeling of going forward without moving his feet, and he swung his arm that had previously been on Spock’s shoulder, afraid that he was going to fall.

“You’re alright, Bones,” Jim said with a teasing chuckle, stretching his own arms out to his sides, pulling the Vulcan and the Doctor away from one another so they couldn’t hold on to each other for balance. They only had Jim’s hands to grip onto now. As expected, that didn’t really help them to do any better, and the awkward bend at their knees showed just how much effort they were putting into simply standing upright.

“Come on, push forwards. I’m not going to keep pulling you,” Jim encouraged as their pace began to slow, the momentum being lost without any effort from Leonard or Spock.

The Vulcan was the first one to take a step forward on the skates, and Leonard followed suit as they sped up, moving together as one unit. In a gleeful response, Jim laughed. “Yes, you’ve got it!”

Leonard actually managed a small smile, despite himself, and took another step forward to keep the momentum going. Hey, he was actually doing it. Somehow, they’d all gotten to the middle of the lake without falling.

“Okay, I think you can do it, so go!” And with that sudden declaration, Jim pulled both of his hands free, leaving to let them fend for themselves. Spock somehow kept on his feet by remaining completely still, his arms out at his sides. Leonard, however, overcompensated for the lack of anything to hold onto and took a step back. It wasn’t until he was already falling that he remembered he was balancing on razor thin blades that slid on the surface of the ice, and that moving his feet might not actually be the best idea.

He landed hard on the ice, and the only response he got was loud laughter from the other side of the lake. “You alright there, Bones?” Jim asked as he skated forward again.

He lifted up one hand, waving his middle finger at the stupid boy. “Help me up, you ass,” he grumbled. The cold was beginning to seep into his body from sitting on the ice for even a short amount of time.

Thankfully, the Captain complied. “Are you alright, Leonard?” Spock asked, more kindness in his voice, rather than the teasing tone Jim had employed.

“Fine,” he grumbled, which seemed a satisfactory enough answer, for the Vulcan nodded. He observed as Spock somehow managed to push himself forward on the skates, finding a shaky form of balance which allowed him to stand up a little straighter and move slowly on his own. “How are you doing that?”

“I am balancing myself, rather than putting my focus on waving my arms, unlike you,” Spock hummed in response, and Leonard knew it was a jab at how he hadn’t been able to stand up after Jim had let go, more so than an honest answer.

“Your flailing was your downfall. Literally,” the Captain laughed, and Leonard rolled his eyes at the joke made at his expense.

“Yeah, yeah, hilarious,” he huffed, releasing Jim’s hand of his own accord this time. Miraculously, he didn’t fall this time, and managed to move himself forward in a slow fashion.

“Look at you, Bones,” the man murmured happily, looking him over with a pleased grin. He reached forward, grabbing both of the Doctor’s hands, pulling him violently forward into a tight hug. Leonard wasn’t sure if he was just that pleased he’d moved on his own, having enough fun that there was a need to hug someone, or just wanted to make him fall again. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it was a combination of all three. “Spock, look at him! He’s skating,” Jim continued to cheer.

“You are doing very well, Leonard,” the Vulcan commented, skating over closer to join them.

“No thanks to either of you,” he replied, but was smiling all the same.

“Aren’t you having fun?” the Captain asked, holding onto one of Leonard’s hands again with his own, and gripping as Spock’s shoulder with the other.

“When I’m not falling.”

“I, also, am finding myself having a pleasant time, despite the cold,” Spock hummed.

Jim’s grin could rival the damn sun with it’s light. “I’m glad.”

With that, he began tugging them along again, even though they had both become capable to skating on their own, albeit a big hesitantly. They glided along the ice that way; together, until the sun started going down and Leonard became worried that Spock’s temperature would drop too low if they stayed for any longer.

In the end, Jim still never revealed where he’d gotten the skates, but Leonard found that he didn’t care much, anyway.