They stood in the silence until Viktor began to hum, then sing, heat rising to his cheeks. He knew this song, it was the song he had heard throughout his childhood. Even after his mother's soft voice faded from memory he could still remember her hand against his skin. This was their song, their tradition.
It didn't feel right to be there in the presence of his mama and papa without it, and so he allowed his shaky, broken voice to carry over them.
And he hoped, wherever they were, they could hear him... that they could see him.
He finished the song on barely a crescendo, letting it trail off into the snow.
"Mama... Papa... This is Yuri. Yuri," he switched to English. "This is my Mama and Papa."
Yuri gripped his hand tighter.
"I... I'll do my best. I promise."
And the wind sang in response.
Dance of the Red Death, by Strange and Intoxicating -rsa- (strangeandintoxicating). 80,182 words (Complete). Rated M.
TW: Homophobia, HIV/AIDS -- This fic is a masterwork. Not only is it derived from the author’s personal experiences with serodiscordant relationships, but it is also meticulously researched and beautifully rendered. And while the first chapters are extremely difficult to read because it deals with Victor at pretty much emotional rock bottom, the story quickly picks up hope as Victor meets Yuuri and the two enter a relationship with the knowledge that Victor is HIV+.
It is important to know that this story, despite its premise, is not a tragedy. It takes place in a setting with homophobia, but it is still not a tragedy. It depicts Victor as bisexual and promiscuous (until he gets HIV) and it is still. Not. A. Tragedy. It is a story about Victor living with HIV and all the complications that that brings, but it does not, at any point, frame him as having deserved this illness, or being left to die -- he’s an unreliable narrator, and the author employs this to beautiful, devastating effect. In fact, the entire point of this story is the opposite of the accusations lobbied against it (as apparently gleaned from the FAQ of the first chapter of the fic, and it is is heartbreaking at all that an author has to do such a thing). This story is necessary. This story is positive. This story is a story about HIV that is positive and uplifting and tells people living with the disease that they are loved, that they are deserving of love. It is poignant, well-researched, beautifully and starkly honest in its depiction of the world surrounding Victor and Yuuri but also optimistic about their life within it. The world around them (especially Russia) may be imperfect, but their love is still the same love that you can see in canon -- in fact, it may even be stronger in this fic because of the struggles they overcome together.
This fic is a blessing to the fandom, and anyone trying to convince you otherwise has clearly never read all the way to the end.