I’m still all about the hc for yuuri getting sick on the ice mid-program. He starts to throw up a little during a jump, and he’s all for pushing through until it all starts coming up and Viktor runs out on the ice to rescue him.
WARNING: descriptions of vomit below!
okay, you’ve been warned! please enjoy the fic!
So Yuuri felt a little bit sick to his stomach. So what? It wasn’t like he could just call it quits in the middle of a competition. And anyway, it wasn’t all that unusual for his nerves to go to his stomach in a competition like this. He just needed to push through it and-
Yuuri’s stomach lurched, and hot acid filled his mouth just before he took off for his first jump. He allowed a whimper to escape him, nothing else, and managed to somehow complete the jump, even if he did wobble a bit. It was after he landed that he felt himself really starting to fall apart.
Still, he had to ignore it. And he did, impressively, until the next jump. As he landed, Yuuri dropped to his knees briefly as a small spurt of sick escaped his mouth and splashed against the ice. It was mostly water, and he was able to pick himself up that Yuuri held onto hope that the slip up hadn’t been too obvious. For a few seconds, he felt marginally better, and then he started shaking, and found that he couldn’t stop. In fact, he could hardly stand. That’s when he acknowledged that nerves had nothing to do with the way his stomach was churning. Yuuri only had a moment to accept that it was too much to handle before he was throwing up uncontrollably - not enough time to get off of the ice, not enough time to get out of the spotlight, not even enough time to think to plug his own ears to block out the disgusted sounds coming from the audience as he fell onto his hands and knees. He couldn’t breathe, and it wasn’t just because of the vomit clogging his throat and nose.
“Yuuri. Yuuri!” Viktor’s voice didn’t reach him until the older man’s hand squeezed Yuuri’s shoulder. Yuuri tried to shrug him off, but instead found himself being lifted from the ice by his coach. “I’m sorry,” Viktor said quietly, holding the sick man bridal style. Yuuri was in a panic, and Viktor knew Yuuri didn’t like being touched when he was panicking so why-
Viktor draped his coat over Yuuri, who was still throwing up, and some part of Yuuri’s terrified mind realized that Viktor was protecting him.
“The free skate,” Yuuri choked out, panting through heaves and cramps. “I can’t-“ He started to protest, only to break down sobbing in the middle as Viktor stepped out of the rink. Ever since he’d stopped skating, the pain and nausea had severely worsened as the adrenaline rush disappeared, and Yuuri knew there was nothing to be done. Viktor brought him to the bathroom and set him on the bench inside, then sat beside him, offering the trash can in case Yuuri needed it. He did. He grasped its sides tightly and watched the world swim before his eyes as he retched repeatedly. Sometimes thin bile came up, sometimes nothing, and by the time he was done, Yuuri’s throat was raw.
“Don’t cry, love,” Viktor pleaded as the sobs continued. “You’ll make yourself feel worse.”
“Your health comes first. Even if it costs you the competition, Yuuri, you have to take care of yourself.” There was an anger behind Viktor’s commanding tone, and Yuuri flinched when upon getting a glance of his coach’s burning eyes. Then, all at once, Viktor seemed to deflate. “Why… why didn’t you tell me?”
Yuuri blinked back more tears. He hated that he’d made Viktor worry.
“I didn’t mean to!” Yuuri said, honestly. “I just - didn’t realize it was so bad, and I didn’t-“ he sniffled. “I didn’t want to lose!” He only barely managed to force the words out of his mouth before breaking down into tears again.
“Oh,” Viktor said, voice soft. “Oh, Yuuri, love, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you lost.”
“Again,” Yuuri choked out. “I let you down again.”
“You- no!” Viktor shook his head frantically. “Yuuri, you have never let me down. Anyway, now you’ll just have to continue to skate another season with me so that I can see you win! I’m delighted!”
Yuuri coughed, and resisted the urge to retch as he swallowed his tears. He didn’t speak, just held tightly to Viktor’s hand, and forced a shaky smile.
“Yuuri, you are all I ever could have asked for and more,” Viktor whispered, tracing the outline of Yuuri’s ear and kissing it just as he completed the circle. “You’re perfect and then some.”
Yuuri laughed. “Now you’re being completely over the top, Viktor.”
But Viktor shook his head and held Yuuri close. “I love you so much, Yuuri.”
Yuuri smiled, for real this time, and snuggled into his boyfriend. “I love you, too, Vitya.”