Hello my friend! I'm not sure if you are still active on this account but I wanted to tell you your Through The Eyes of a Cook one-piece fanfiction has stuck with me all these years since first finding it in maybe 2018? Anyway, I'm just appreciative of your storytelling and hope you are doing well. The collection of short stories provided comfort to me many times
Awww thank you!!! Thaose stories mean a lot to me because I feel they helped me develop my writing. And I still find the concepts cute - maybe I’ll write some more now that we know more about our lil cook
i just finished your fanfiction "a drop of truth" i don't know if i'm crying tears of joy or sadness that it's over. i'm not even kidding it felt like my heart was being ripped out every paragraph (that's a compliment :)) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING THE FIC!!
"Merlin's relationship with Arthur changed ever so slightly in the following weeks. It wasn’t any substantial change, and in the grander scheme of things, it was probably even a good thing, but Merlin - having gotten quite used to being Arthur’s most trusted advisor and confidant - found himself a little less useful to Arthur now that Agravaine had arrived."
After Morgana fled the kingdom, Arthur took charge as the prince regent, slowly starting to form the Camelot he always wanted. However, as Merlin watched Arthur blossom, Agravaine suddenly showed up at their front door, and things started to change.
Companion story to "I'm yours", but can be read independently.
Read on AO3 I FF.net or under cut
PART ONE: EMRYS
i.
He met the witch not long after the battle of Camelot. He honestly hadn’t cared for who had been the champion of the skirmish. The king, Uther, he hated with all his heart, so any misfortune that befell the man was a joyous occasion. The crown prince, Arthur, was, if gossip was to be believed, cut from the same cloth as his father with the exception of his unnaturally good looks - those must be from his mother. And, lastly, the Lady Morgana, a product of Uther’s wayward actions, she too had been rumored to be much like her family, even if she despised them so.
A servant knocked on the door to his chambers, and he called for her to enter. Two women have collapsed not far from your residence, she had informed, a slight panic in her voice. He nodded once and bade her take them in, prepare beds for them, offer them housing until they were rested again. He was not a cruel man, women in need of help always had a place with him. He went to bed without giving them another thought.
He was reminded of them again after breakfast. One of them had woken up, his maid had informed. She seemed in bad state, she had said, when he had raised an eyebrow. Time to visit his guests.
He entered the guests chambers. The chambers naturally host two beds, as his residence did not have space for multiple guest chambers - not that many visitors came by, but it was nice to have the option. However, it was clear that one of them had not been slept in at all. A young woman with blonde hair was sleeping - unconscious - in the other bed. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, fair and slender, even though her skin had seen better days, he was almost entranced by the sheer beauty of this woman - completely enchanted.
Beside her was another woman with long, dark hair. Her back was to him, and she was clinging to the hand of the blonde woman as if her life depended on it. He stood there for a while, taking in the sight of the women, wondering what had brought them to his doorstep in the state they had been in. His trance was only broken, when the dark-haired one suddenly spoke to him.
“Thank you for letting us rest here, my lord,” she said sweetly. She sounded young, like she had only just entered adulthood, or maybe even younger. “I’m afraid we don’t have much to give you, and my sister is in so much need of rest. Would it be terribly inconvenient of us to stay just a little longer? I could help about in the household if it can repay just a bit of our debt to you.”
She still wasn’t looking at him, but he felt his voice caught in his throat. The words in his mouth so heavy that it took all the energy in him to muster a reply. “Don’t worry, young lady. I’m sure you’re both in need of rest. Take as much time as you need. I’ll have a maid attend to you, fetch you some clothes and food.”
“Thank you, my lord,” the woman replied. She never once looked at him, and he left the room before his head began to spin more than it already was.
The blonde woman woke up after a week, and he let his servants attend to them, and listened to their reports about her recovery. The dark-haired woman seemed to have taken to strolling the grounds once a day, and reports came in of their crops growing better than anything they’d seen in decades, old horses suddenly acting like stallions in their prime years and their chickens laying eggs once an hour. He always smiled at the reports and sent them on their way, saying how lucky a year they were having. Once he was alone, he would sigh and wonder how he had come to house two witches.
He entered their chambers a month after their first arrival. The blonde woman was sitting in the bed, colour slowly appearing on her once snow white face. Beside her, the dark-haired woman was sitting on a stool, feeding her stew.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” he spoke softly, his mind slowly becoming muddled again. Aware of the magic whirling about, it was a little easier to remain clear-headed.
“It is alright, my lord,” the dark-haired one spoke, and fed her sister another spoonful of stew, “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“I just wanted to thank you,” He spoke slowly, eyes following the movement of her spoon as it scooped more stew from the bowl, “For assisting in the prosperity of my lands. It is turning out to be quite a successful harvest this year.”
“Consider it our thanks for giving us food and a roof over our heads. Most lords would not have been so kind - especially not to our kind.”
“And for no good reason, my lady,” He spoke hastily, as he sensed the sorrow in her voice, “In the time you’ve been here, I’ve seen more good in you than the rest of the kingdom combined. You will always have a place in my residence, I can assure you of that.”
“We thank you, my lord,” she said and put down the bowl. Her sister sank back into her pillows and closed her eyes, sleep claiming her immediately.
The dark-haired one stood up, turned around and faced him. She was beauty incarnate. Her figure was tall, slender and proud, her head held high as she looked at him with those emerald eyes. She moved closer to him, slowly, slowly, her ruby lips parting slightly and stood before him, looking, reading, measuring his very soul. He could not move, could not speak, could not breathe. Her hand was suddenly on his, soft, so soft, she caressed it, their eyes never leaving one another.
“My lord,” she whispered, “I see in you a wish for the current ways of Camelot to fall away, for it to become something new. Yet, the fires of rebellion have died out,” She leaned in closer, “Let us give you hope, let us reignite them. We can change the kingdom for better. Do not waste away here, my lord, stand by us and become something more, something better.”
“How, my lady?”
“Help me take back my throne,” she breathed, “Help me bring magic back to the lands.”
He blinked, “Who are you?”
“My name is Morgana Pendragon, and I am the rightful ruler of Camelot.”
Agravaine let go of a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. After years of watching life go by, he finally had a purpose. Morgana squeezed his hand and told him of his duty.
***
In the year between Morgana being found and her inevitable betrayal, Arthur matured a lot. Merlin noticed that quicker than anyone else, because unlike when his father had fallen victim to the effects of the mandrake, this time, Arthur didn’t protest to taking control of the kingdom and becoming regent, when his father proved unable to rule. And though he suffered, both from the loss of Morgana and his father’s mental state, Arthur led well, and Arthur led kindly, just like Merlin had always known he would.
Arthur didn’t hesitate to confide in Merlin and ask him for advice, when he needed it. Hell, Merlin suspected that Arthur would sometimes just ask even if he already knew that he was doing the right thing (‘Though strengthening our army is important, the recovery of our people comes first, don’t you think?’ Arthur would ask, and Merlin would answer as he always did: ‘yes sire’). And Merlin was always ready to help Arthur when he asked for it, and though their relationship changed slightly - there seemed to be fewer opportunities to poke fun at each other, to share their inside jokes and go on impromptu adventures - Merlin believed that it was for the better. Arthur was maturing and growing into the king who would one day unite Albion, and Merlin was proud to be able to be right by his side through the entire journey. And after all the hardships and trials they had suffered through, Merlin thought that perhaps now it was time for the tides to change.
Camelot was rather peaceful during the rebuilding period. No foreign king declared war, no vengeful sorcerer sought to kill the Pendragons, Morgana and Morgause, though in hiding, never made a move, and the few thieves who tried their hands on the treasures of Camelot never made it past the gate. Of course, there wasn’t much of Camelot that needed fixing and rebuilding, since most of what had been destroyed during Morgana’s invasion had already been fixed by the high priestess themselves, as Morgana had ruled. No, the castles, houses and stables were mostly fine. It was the people that needed rebuilding. Many lives had been lost, knights and civilians both, and a new society had to be built for Camelot to survive. Merlin thought that, most of all, what the people needed was someone to believe in. And Arthur was slowly becoming that.
“It is almost winter,” Arthur said on the fifth day of his regency, a small fire had already been ignited in the fireplace as the weather was about to change.
“Yes, sire,” Merlin responded and dressed Arthur, making him ready for yet another day of ruling.
“How is the food supply?” Arthur asked, having told Merlin to have that knowledge by morning.
“Adequate,” Merlin cited the person who had given him the knowledge, “Unless the population grows rapidly in the coming months, we should have plenty for the winter.”
“We were lucky that the immortal army did not need food to survive,” Arthur said grimly, not at all as teasing as he would have said it just a year earlier.
“Dead men don’t eat,” Merlin replied, also lacking the teasing tone he could have so easily added. At some point, the jokes and the banter would return, but until Arthur was fully settled into his role as leader, Merlin would not push that side of their relationship. Now was the time for him to be the servant to the crown prince as well as a helpful advisor, nothing more, but certainly nothing less.
Arthur didn’t reply, but merely nodded in agreement and understanding. When Merlin had first arrived in Camelot, he would have found the atmosphere that had been created uncomfortable, but with Arthur and the way they had grown together as one, he found the silence and quiet understanding between them comforting.
There was a knock on the door and Leon entered as soon as Arthur had given him permission. The knight bowed before his regent before holding out a letter for Arthur to read. Merlin got only a small glimpse of the letter, wondering why he seemed to recognize the seal, before Arthur opened it and read its contents.
“What is it?” Merlin questioned after a while, when it seemed that Arthur was no longer reading, but merely staring at the piece of parchment in his hands.
“It’s my uncle,” Arthur answered, and Merlin felt confused. The uncle he knew of was dead - two times over - so there was probably something he was missing, “He writes to inform that he is coming to Camelot within the week,” Arthur continued, and Merlin paid attention to him again, “Merlin, please begin preparing a room - one of the better ones of course - in preparation of my uncle’s arrival. It’s been many years since he visited, and I would be a bad host if he wasn’t given the best treatment.”
“Of course, sire,” Merlin answered, absentmindedly, and began to move only to stop, and turn to Arthur again, “What’s your uncle’s name?”
“Agravaine,” Arthur replied, looking out the window, “Agravaine de Bois.”
Merlin left to complete his task.
***
“Why have I never heard of him?” Merlin asked Gaius that night before going to bed.
“Of who?” Gaius asked, absorbed in a book.
“Agravaine,” Merlin clarified, “I thought Arthur didn’t have any family left other than Uther.”
Gaius closed the book and looked at Merlin through his spectacles, “Tristan wasn’t the only one who blamed Uther for Ygraine’s death,” he explained, “Although Agravaine did not challenge Uther like his brother, he swore not to return to Camelot until Uther was no longer king. He may be returning now that it seems Arthur will be in charge.”
As Merlin went to bed, he thought about Agravaine. Who was he? A mysterious uncle never mentioned before, suddenly showing up when everything seemed to go so well. If Merlin was lucky, the tides truly were changing and Agravaine’s presence would be nothing but positive.
***
It was exactly a week later that Agravaine arrived, and Merlin was the first to greet him. He rode up to the courtyard on a black horse, wearing thick blue robes and matching leather gloves. His few possessions consisted of a bag of gold coins (Merlin assumed they were gold because he was a nobleman) and a small sack of various items. His only weapon was a long dagger with a jeweled hilt. Merlin recognized the man from the seal on his broché.
“Lord Agravaine?” Merlin asked the man, and moved down the stairs to greet the nobleman.
“That would be me,” Agravaine greeted with a smile.
“I am Prince Arthur’s servant,” Merlin introduced himself, “The prince is currently in a meeting, but would you like me to show you to your quarters?”
“How very kind of you- oh, you don’t have to!” Agravaine stopped Merlin as he moved to carry Agravaine’s belongings for him, “There’s hardly so much that I can’t handle it myself.”
As Merlin walked Agravaine to his quarters - after making sure his horse was looked after of course, he wasn’t completely incompetent - he found that he quite liked the man. He was nice and friendly, and he didn’t treat Merlin like dirt under his boot. They talked about how Camelot had changed in the last few weeks, and when Agravaine asked about Arthur, Merlin was ecstatic to share how well he had been doing as a ruler.
“This is it,” Merlin said as they arrived at their destination, “The sheets are freshly changed, there’s a key to the door on the desk and a maid will be bringing up some lunch. If you’d like a bath, I will happily draw one for you.”
“Thank you for the offer,” Agravaine smiled, “But don’t worry. I’m sure the servant of the regent is plenty busy already. If you have some time off, you should relax.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Merlin bowed respectfully, trying to hide his smile as he left, but Agravaine held him back.
“Before I forget,” he said and placed a silver coin in Merlin’s hand, “A tip for your excellent service and company, Merlin.”
Yeah, Agravaine was great.
***
The arrival of lord Agravaine had a positive effect on everyone in the castle. Arthur, reunited with a familiar face, grew happier and his happiness spread throughout the castle and the city. As Agravaine was learning how Camelot worked under Arthur’s rule, he insisted on helping the servants with various chores, and was often found tending to the horses or airing out unused rooms in the castle. He happily chatted with the kitchen maids and gave advice to young squires, and, most importantly, he respected Arthur’s knights.
“You know,” Gwen confessed one evening, when the two of them were alone doing laundry side-by-side. It had been two weeks since Agravaine’s arrival, “I was a bit concerned, when Arthur said his uncle would come. I was afraid that he’d bring a lot of unwanted problems.”
Merlin nodded in agreement. That family had issues.
“But he’s so nice!” She exclaimed, “Other noblemen should learn from him. Yesterday, I saw him polishing his own boots!”
“If everyone were like him, we’d be out of a job,” Merlin joked, but Gwen merely laughed.
“Can you imagine Arthur doing any of his own chores? I don’t even think he can tie his own boots.”
They both laughed heartily.
***
Merlin accompanied Arthur to visit his father. They did so together every evening they could find the time for it. Merlin would assist the king with changing and washing up, while Arthur would talk to him until the king fell asleep.
“Arthur,” Uther said with a happy sigh, as he saw his son enter his chambers. He was sitting in a chair, overlooking the courtyard, just like he always was, “What a lovely surprise.”
“Good evening, father,” Arthur replied, sitting down beside him, “How are you feeling today?”
“Much better now that you’re here,” Uther smiled, and Arthur started chatting. He never said anything about political affairs. Mostly he talked about how training with the knights was going, what he had eaten throughout the day or other small topics. Meanwhile, Merlin made the king ready for bed, and they both guided him to lie down, as Arthur kept talking to his father about his day. And as Arthur soothed the king to sleep, Merlin erased yet another bad memory of Morgana from Uther’s troubled mind.
Eventually, the king dozed off.
***
It was one of those days. One of those days where Arthur was so incredibly busy that he would need two of him to get half of his duties done. Merlin had woken him at the crack of dawn, telling him that his presence was needed in the lower town, and with a single apple, only half eaten, as his breakfast, Arthur was quickly gone.
Merlin decided that the best thing for him to do was ignore his chores for the day, and assist Arthur in whatever way he could. Arthur would have to hold a speech in the evening, and Merlin was confident enough in his skills that he could write one that would be good enough. He sat down by Arthur’s desk and got to work.
Half a page into his brilliant speech, Agravaine entered the room.
Merlin quickly stood up, “I’m sorry,” he said instinctively, “But the prince is out.”
“I see,” Agravaine said and looked around the room, probably noting its less than pristine state, “What are you doing?”
Merlin understood that Agravaine was simply making polite conversation, but most other noblemen wouldn’t allow a servant to sit at the prince’s desk, let alone write a speech for him. But Agravaine was different, so Merlin didn’t mind telling him the truth.
“Arthur’s very busy today, so I’m writing his speech for tonight’s feast.”
There was a look of surprise on Agravaine’s face, but it quickly turned into a wide smile, “You really are a clever one. I heard from one of the maids that Arthur had a hard time keeping servants around before you. I’m beginning to see why you stuck around.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Merlin said flattered, “I’m proud to be Arthur’s servant.”
“I can imagine,” Agravaine said, and moved to look out the window. Despite the cold, it was a sunny day, and Agravaine smiled fondly as he watched people move around in the courtyard, “I’m sure people have told you that it’s an honor to serve someone like Arthur, but I assume that’s not entirely where your pride comes from.” Merlin made a mental note. Agravaine was about one hundred times more perceptive than Arthur.
“It’s been a privilege to see him grow into such a kindhearted person,” Merlin replied, “He’ll make an excellent king.”
“Yes,” Agravaine said, but then his smile faltered, and he turned to look at Merlin, “I must confess something,” he continued, “As much as I love Camelot and Arthur, I’m not sure I will stay should Uther recover and resume his role as king.”
Merlin’s eyes widened at this, “My lord!” He exclaimed, but upon hearing his own voice, forced himself to calm down a little, “Arthur appreciates your presence,” Merlin continued, almost pleading, “Even if his father were to make a full recovery, it would sadden him to see you leave.”
“It would bring me no pleasure,” Agravaine confessed, “But Uther, I simply cannot forgive him for what he did to my dear sister.”
Merlin looked at Agravaine for a moment and understood. This man knew the true circumstances of Ygraine’s death. Something in Merlin’s face must have given away that he knew as well, otherwise, Agravaine’s next words would have made no sense.
“Regardless of my thoughts on magic, if one believes it to be the source of evil, it would be nothing but hypocritical to use it for one’s own selfish gains. I simply cannot forgive him.”
“My lord,” Merlin pleaded once more, “I ask of you to not make your decision until Uther recovers. Perhaps your love for Arthur and Camelot will outweigh your feelings for Uther.”
Agravaine looked at Merlin in surprise, but then smiled and nodded to himself. “You have a wise head on your shoulders,” he said, “I understand why Arthur keeps you so close. I’ll remember your advice, Merlin, but I think you should be getting back to the prince’s speech.”
Merlin bowed as Agravaine left. He truly was grateful for the man’s presence.
"Merlin's relationship with Arthur changed ever so slightly in the following weeks. It wasn’t any substantial change, and in the grander scheme of things, it was probably even a good thing, but Merlin - having gotten quite used to being Arthur’s most trusted advisor and confidant - found himself a little less useful to Arthur now that Agravaine had arrived."
After Morgana fled the kingdom, Arthur took charge as the prince regent, slowly starting to form the Camelot he always wanted. However, as Merlin watched Arthur blossom, Agravaine suddenly showed up at their front door, and things started to change.
Companion story to "I'm yours", but can be read independently.
Read on AO3 I FF.net or under cut
prologue.
The clock struck midnight, and the peace Merlin had begun to feel in his soul was torn to shreds. Ice seemed to sprout from inside his very core, seeping into every pore of his body. He glanced from the figure in the middle of the ballroom - one, whom no one else seemed to notice - and took a look at his king, toasting to Camelot and all its citizens. And as the air in his lungs escaped him, his body slowly sinking to the hard floors beneath him, all he heard was a voice coming from deep in the earth, speaking as clear as anything.
Emrys.
As Merlin fell unconscious to the floor, multiple knights were on him immediately and it took all of Arthur’s willpower to not rush to his side as well. He tried to quickly regain the attention of the people, taking everyone’s eyes off of his servant, as he watched Lancelot carry him out, Gaius quickly following him. He held up his goblet again, calling for another toast, and as his eyes scanned the crowd, he felt almost empty, because when all their voices rang out, the one he wanted to hear the most wasn’t there. Yet, he smiled for his people and let them toast to his good name.
if you have to stay home because of the world coronavirus situation, and are looking for fics to read, these are some of my favorite fics.
NEXT LEVEL: Nights After Dreams https://archiveofourown.org/works/10974756/chapters/24436476
The silver medal was hard fought and won, but now the stakes are higher than ever. Five gold medals loom on the horizon, but more importantly, the “life and love” within the gold rings. Yuri and Viktor’s relationship grows as they get back on the competition road, and new complications rise with them. (Proper follow-up to the TV series; not AU, no crack ships, no weird shit.)
The Next Level https://archiveofourown.org/works/10599636/chapters/23434005
The skating season continues (as skating seasons are wont to do), while Victor and Yuuri negotiate the shifts in their relationship, their careers, and their home rink. Sometimes, things even go as planned.
‘Cause I’m a Taker, 'Cause I’m a Giver, It’s Only Nature https://archiveofourown.org/works/9173269/chapters/20825470
This is a story that runs during the main canon of Yuri!!! On Ice, from episode four and beyond until a month after Worlds. Primarily though, this is a story about sex, dating, love, and marriage—yes, in that order.
The Real Podium Family https://archiveofourown.org/works/13589265/chapters/42656192
Follow Yuuri and Viktor as they go through competitions, starting from Viktor’s comeback to the end of the Olympic season.
Gains and Losses https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/31243875?show_comments=true
From the Cup of China to the Worlds the following season and the unexpected departure from Russia; two young men discover their feelings. Eighteen months of love and laughter, fear and worry… gains and losses.
Winter Song https://archiveofourown.org/works/8596987/chapters/19715377
The set of Yuuri’s mouth softened into a private smile as Victor squeezed his knee beneath the table. His hands were bare, free from the gloves he so often wore when they were together on the rink, and the heat of his palm burned straight through the denim of Yuuri’s jeans. He slipped his own hand beneath the table and found Victor’s. Hidden from sight, their fingers began to flirt and play. A secret conversation all their own that needed no words.
Yuuri was aware that at some point—a moment in time he couldn’t quite place—Victor had become his boyfriend.
There wasn’t a single instant when it happened. It was a slow awareness, as if Victor had silently been asking the question for months now, and Yuuri had been giving him the answer a little more with each passing day.
So, roughly a year ago I wrote a crappy draft of a Merlin fic in a library, cleaned it up a little bit and posted it. Since then, a drop of truth has gotten almost a 1000 kudos on AO3, i’ve seen people rec it and it’s even gotten a Russian Translation!! I’d just like to thank everyone who’s read it bc I still get happy when I see a new comment or get another kudos for it :)
Summary: Some bullies from Izuku's old middle school approach him as he's out with the class, and he's reminded of some things in middle school that he had forgotten.
So, roughly a year ago I wrote a crappy draft of a Merlin fic in a library, cleaned it up a little bit and posted it. Since then, a drop of truth has gotten almost a 1000 kudos on AO3, i’ve seen people rec it and it’s even gotten a Russian Translation!! I’d just like to thank everyone who’s read it bc I still get happy when I see a new comment or get another kudos for it :)
win or lose (you make me want to try my best) / HeroAca / T
“Sparring sessions with Kacchan were only really a secret when All Might and the subject of One for All was involved, but Izuku liked that they had their own little thing. It was perhaps a little childish, but even when they were young, the two of them never had a thing that was just theirs, and perhaps these secret sparring session could become that. It was a bit of a silly thought, but Izuku treasured it nonetheless.”
Their second year at UA was draining from the very beginning, and the sports festival was a welcome distraction. It seemed that the only good difference between last year and now, was the slowly building friendship Izuku had always wanted from his childhood friend.
I just got into Merlin and haven't dived into the fanfic world yet! Could you rec fics that are sappy/angst or just Merthur friendship fics?
Oh, welcome to the fandom, lovely!! So glad you could join us! Feel free to slide into my PMs anytime you want to scream about one (1) young warlock!! (Or anything else, really. My inbox is always open!) I hope this community proves to be a wonderful experience for you!
(just gonna split it into three separate lists for ease of access) (most of these will be links to Fanfiction instead of AO3 just because, well, I’m old-fashioned! Grew up with Fanfiction, still not 100% used to AO3.)
Sappy:
Anniversary by Aoitori
Nights Like These by StillWaters1
Mab by Gingeraffalene
Yule Never Walk Alone by Silverstar
As A Friend by Imatableclock
First Snow by MissEm
A Cure for Insomnia by Silverstar
The Endelíf by Gingeraffalene
Merlin’s Boots by Charis77
You Are a Loyal Friend, Merlin by EmJelenKoala
Young Merlin Series by EchoRose480
To Remedy a Broken Heart by pumpkinmoose22
Small Favors by The Forgotten Scribe
Apologies by LilacSky128
Sharing is Caring by Ultra-Geek
Too Much is Enough by Gingeraffalene
Bad Week by AlxM
Angst:
Some Things Are Meant to Be by 1917farmgirl
Ignis Fatuus by Ericka Jane
Beyond Recall by laurajslr
The Lost by Ultra-Geek
Leon and the Servant by Scmstrav
Facing the Truth by Sanguine Ink
At a Loss for Words by staymagical
Worse Things by Kita Hart
Breathe by kriadydragon
Unbreakable by eight0fhearts
Fisticuffs by llLethell
Resistance by NerdBurga
Please Help My People by M1ssUnd3rst4nd1ng
Overlooked by Scmstrav
Everything by CaughtInTheRa1n
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by LFB72
Of Swords and Warlords by Jae’s Stories
The Worst Way by Revhead
My Demons Lay in Wait by EchoRose480
You Were Absolutely Worth It by birdie7272
Burning Amidst an Ocean by LFB72
The Price of Freedom by rogueandkurt
The Shadows I Live With Are Numberless by Ddiwderth
Stolen Inheritance by Rehabilitated Sith
Of Broken Paths by kjayla
So Much More by kriadydragon
How To Save a Life by PadawanGirl
Friendship
Inquire Within by RedBarchetta
The Brothers Pendragon by tea-and-fiction
In a Name by StarlightInHerEyes22
Favorites by Tshirtgun
When I Least Deserve It by Literaria
The Comfort of a Heartbeat by flaming-crystal-star
Of Hunith, Hugs, and Horrendous Hats by Literaria
Finding Destiny by pumpkinmoose22
Just A Servant by Gandalf3213
Admittance by FlyingMachine1
The Best Possession by OneDarkandStormyNight
I’m Yours by WinglessCrows
Savior by AlxM
With Practice Comes Perfection by Bundibird
a drop of truth by WinglessCrows
Of Knights and Neckerchiefs by FlyingMachine1
Of Druids, Sorcerers, and Oblivious Idiots by Haleo6
Hot Mud by DollopheadedMerlin
There, that’s a pretty good selection for ya!! Hope this helped!
Yuri!!! on ICE I T I Yuri P. & Victor & Yuuri I 17k WIP
"Yuri could have cried at the music choice. He could have cried tears of actual joy. Unless Viktor was playing an evil prank on him (which was unlike at best), Yuri would be skating his short program to his favorite rock song by his favorite artist. Viktor’s smug smile at Yuri’s expression (which he himself couldn’t quite tell what was, as he was both surprised, happy, in disbelief and actually floating on a cloud at the same time) told Yuri that this was definitely his music, and when Viktor stopped the song, he honestly had to stop himself from just dropping to his knees and thanking him for the wonderful music choice."
In the summer before the Olympic season, Viktor presents to Yuri a short program which end up being the cause of drama, fights, blood, sweat and tears - and that is all quite literal.
Read on AO3 I FF.net or under cut
3. composition
The first thing Yuri did upon returning to Russia was going to the love couple’s apartment. The likelihood of them being home at this time was small, which was perfect for Yuri. He wasn’t visiting for them, but for Potya who had been with them while he had been in Detroit. Without Yuri, Potya would be bored and lonely, but his feline companion was very fond of Makkachin, so Yuuri and Viktor had agreed to take care of him. They had gotten used to his company anyway, and Yuri knew that they were both great friends to all animals.
With the amount of time Yuri spent at their apartment, he obviously had a key and was quickly inside, dropping suitcases, bags, his jacket and shoes in the hallway to search for Potya. He quickly found him napping on Yuri’s bed with Makkachin, and Yuri sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb them and ran his fingers through Potya’s fur. If Makkachin was home, then it probably wouldn’t be long before someone else got home too, but Yuri wasn’t in a hurry to leave - rather, after his long flight he was getting a little tired. Yuri snuggled into the bed with them for a short nap.
“Yurio. Yurio~”
Yuri slowly opened his eyes to find Yuuri hovering over him.
“Huh?” He answered groggily and slowly oriented himself, finding that although Makkachin had left the room, Potya was still snuggled up to him even if he had woken before Yuri.
“You shouldn’t be sleeping this late,” Katsudon nagged and Yurio fumbled around looking for his phone to check the time. Turned out he had slept for almost four hours. “Help out with dinner,” Katsudon demanded as he left the room, leaving Yuri no time to argue, as he stumbled out of bed, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.
Yuri would easily admit to having missed Yuuri’s cooking while in Detroit. It was warm and familiar, and it made Yuri feel at home in a city he had always viewed as temporary. Yuri wouldn’t say that Yuuri’s cooking was the only thing that made him visit so often, and stay for as long as he usually did, but it certainly was a huge factor in why he loved visiting. And Yuuri knew that too, seeing as he always made Yuri’s favorite meals when he was having a rough day, or, like now, was returning from some place that did not have Yuuri’s cooking readily available.
“Where’s Phichit?” Yuri asked after a while, being more awake now that his hands were moving. He had expected the two of them to be joined by the hip while Phichit was visiting.
“He’s still at the rink training with Yakov. He’ll probably arrive with the others,” Yuuri said nonchalantly, but Yuri pondered that statement for a second.
“Others?” He questioned. Were they inviting more of Team Yakov? It seemed unlikely.
“Viktor and Chris.”
“Chris is here?” Yuri asked perplexed, feeling like he had either missed something, or someone, probably Viktor, had forgotten to inform him.
“We didn’t mention?” Yuuri asked with a small laugh in his voice, “He’ll be leaving soon though, to attend an ice show in Japan.”
“And yet, you’re staying here?” Yuri teased as Yuuri had turned down many offers to attend shows in Japan in favor of training here in St. Petersburg.
“Just for three weeks,” Yuuri shrugged, apparently having made plans to actually go to Japan, while Yuri hadn’t been here.
“Let me invite Otabek,” Yuri said, changing the topic slightly. If they were having lots of people over, there was no harm in inviting one more person, whom Yuri wouldn’t find a chore to talk to.
“Sure,” Yuuri nodded, “Go ahead.”
Yuri was off to practice before even Viktor got the chance to leave, and he arrived at the rink before almost everyone else. Yakov’s training camp was officially beginning in an hour, and Yuri wanted to take advantage of the mostly empty rink before that. He would of course stay when they arrived, wanting to have the chance to practice with Phichit and Yuuri both, as well as Otabek. Celestino’s training methods had taught him the importance of the people around him, and while the rink was brimming with talent of all sorts, it was the perfect chance for Yuri to expand and polish his skills.
“It’s unusual for you to be here so early,” Yakov said from the rinkside. Yuri didn’t answer him as he went through his warm-up, “You’re rushing less.” He commented after a while, “It was the right decision to send you to Celestino.” Yuri still kept his mouth shut, though he obviously agreed. He had never imagined that he could work well with a coach that wasn’t Yakov, someone who wasn’t tough and stern, and while he couldn’t see himself leaving for another coach, he was glad to know that he had options, and people to go to when he needed a change, even if only for a while. Of course, he had been working with Viktor a lot lately, but it was mostly as a choreographer, and Viktor still had a long way to go before he could call himself a proper coach. Yuri could tell that much by himself. Though perhaps, someday, Viktor could become someone Yuri could learn from as more than just a skater. It was a fun thought to entertain.
After half an hour of ice time, Yakov put on Yuri’s short program music, and Yuri barely had time to shake his head before his body moved on instinct, beginning a full run-through of his program. Yakov’s response as Yuri finished up was not exactly a standing ovation, but at least he wasn’t frowning.
“I see,” he said, “Well, we still need to do something about the jumping passes. With those transitions you won’t be getting scores that can compete with Vitya or Katsuki.”
Yuri nodded in agreement, but remembered how Viktor had more or less glossed over the jumps as he had taught him the choreography.
“I think Viktor wants to rearrange the jumps,” he said, “It doesn’t feel like this is the final layout, or at least, Viktor made it sound that way.”
Yakov looked in thought for a moment, “Well, it is peculiar,” he said, “It doesn’t exactly make sense for your combination to be the second jumping pass, when it’s not in the second half, but the axel is. It would make more sense to have the axel first and then put the quad toe in the second half, both for points and to have an insurance for the combination.”
Yuri had had the same thought. It made sense to put the salchow in combination as it was stronger of his two quads, but it was a quad combination nonetheless, and unless Yuri was putting the whole combination in the second half, it wouldn’t make much sense to have it after the toe. It seemed illogical, and Yuri found it hard to see how it would interfere with the composition of the program if they were to change it. Especially since Viktor hadn’t put any effort into really incorporate the jumps into the programs as he was usually very strict about doing. He only had a little over a month left until the Russian test skates and after that the season would really begin. If he were to prepare properly for the Olympics, he needed Viktor to help him finish up the rest of the program.
Slowly, other skaters began filling the rink, and Yuri tuned his own training down a little to observe the others. He was especially focused on Yuuri, whom he had never paid that close attention to in practice (always trying to one up him rather than learn from him) and looked at the way he skated, the way he generated speed and power from simply movements and the ease with which he performed difficult steps and turns. Yuri had always thought that Yuuri had just been talented, but perhaps his skills came from the foundation which Celestino had taught him. Slowly, however, Yuri’s eyes moved to center ice where Chris was going through some spins. Yuri was still unsure of why he was here and whether he was participating in the training camp, but it seemed like he was merely using the rink to practice rather than being here for Yakov’s tutelage.
It didn’t take long for Chris to notice his staring.
“See anything you like?” He asked slyly and Yuri automatically made a face of disgust.
“Fuck off,” he said, but then quickly reconsidered, “Can you teach me that?”
“The spin?”
“I don’t understand how you accelerate that much mid-spin,” Yuri admitted, knowing that if there was anyone who could teach him more about spins, it would be Chris. Yuri was flexible and had an excellent control over his body which helped him in staying centered and never losing speed, but Chris could do things he couldn’t, and Yuri wanted to learn.
“Hm~” Chris pretended to consider the request, but then smiled at him, “As a fellow cat lover, I will help you.”
The whole process was a lot harder than Yuri had first anticipated, and when it came time to end the practice session, he didn’t feel like he had made much progress at all. However, Chris, and Viktor who had quickly made himself involved with the whole thing, had encouraged him to continue practicing it. But Yuri had an agenda before the training session ended, and it turned out that he didn’t even need to ask anyone, because he quickly found Yuuri and Phichit skating in perfect synchronicity, and Yuri didn’t ask them before he quickly joined them in their exercises. The pair never commented on his presence.
“Will you sleep over?” Viktor asked as they all finally began leaving the ice, and Yuri shook his head.
“No,” he said, a little disappointed as he knew there were still plenty of leftovers from yesterday’s dinner, “Lilia wants to go over the free skate, so I’ll have to go home. I’ll come tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” Viktor repeated and Yuri looked at him in question, “Come to the rink two hours early.”
“It’s not even open then,” Yuri deadpanned, but Viktor simply winked at him before he left to catch up with Yuuri.
“Make sure to be on time,” he simply called and Yuri decided not to think about it until tomorrow.
O: He probably wants to go over the sp
Y: He could do that at anytime though? Why do I have to get up at five for that?
O: -_-
Y: Good answer
“Um...” Yuri looked around the rink only to find that they were truly alone. Yuri wasn’t even sure how Viktor had gotten in, but he had decided to not question that part. It did feel a little weird to have the rink to themselves, a silence falling when neither of them spoke, not even the sound of blades on ice filling the empty space.
“You probably wondered why I brought you here,” Viktor began, making it seem like he was quoting some movie.
“For training, I hope,” Yuri answered, not wanting to amuse Viktor in the slightest by playing along.
“Not just training,” Viktor said and glided a little closer, his index finger pointing up as if he was giving a lecture, “Jump training.”
Yuri’s face fell a little. There were other things he’d rather have Viktor teach him. Jumps he could learn from Yakov who had both experience and credentials to his name.
“I’m not interested in a quad flip, old man,” he said bluntly and Viktor smirked before he began wagging his finger back and forth in denial.
“You are still some years away from a quad flip, me dear student,” Viktor said and began skating, “But what I want to teach you is this,” Viktor sped up and then, right in front of Yuri, landed a quad loop.
“Yakov already said no, though,” Yuri reminded him, because he was not as dumb as to think that he could add it without Yakov’s approval and guidance.
“Which is why we will practice it in secret,” Viktor explained casually, “Your quad loop is stable enough for you to do it safely out of harness, so we’ll just be doing the fine-tuning.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Probably.”
Yuri sighed, “Okay, then,” He didn’t necessarily trust Viktor in this, but he did trust in himself to be able to master the jump, and if he could have it very stable by the Olympics, then it was worth the risk, “Do we have a deadline?” It was always important that have a goal, because if it was still very unreliable, perhaps around the time the Finals came about, then that’s when they would need to start thinking about other layouts of the program. Of course, Yuri would need to put the loop into his free skate as well if he really wanted a shot at the higher scores, but that was all in due time. For now, he just needed to get the jump under control.
“By the end of August, your success rate should be at least fifty percent.”
“Fifty?!” Yuri exclaimed. Right now, Yuri could land roughly one in fifty attempts, and in one month he would need that number to jump up to twenty-five. At least. That was ridiculous.
“If you don’t think you can do it, then we won’t try at all.”
“I can do it!” Yuri said without hesitation, although his mind was racing. Viktor had been practicing the quad loop for almost four years, and hadn’t even shown it publically until about two years into training it. Even his stupid quad flip had taken him two years to master - three years if one were to count the ups and downs of Viktor’s first season attempting it. And Yuri didn’t even have a trial season to get this jump under control. He had one year of trying it out a couple of times when he was in good condition, and half a season of trial and error before the Olympics which were less than a year away. This was all levels of crazy, but he had to do it. Yuri knew that if he were to ever catch up to Yuuri, then this was the only way to do it. He knew it would take years and years of training to reach the pure skating skills Yuuri possessed and therefore, the only way for him to improve in a rapid pace would be the technical content. He didn’t have a choice.
“Very well,” Viktor said, completely in coach mode at this point, and he skated to the barrier to grab a notebook which he handed to Yuri, “This will be your short program layout.”
Yuri quickly skimmed through it, looking for the jump order. 4Lo / 4S+3Lo // 3A.
“Quad sal-triple loop?” Yuri questioned. It wasn’t just the solo quad they were changing?
“You’ve done loop combinations before,” Viktor reasoned, but Yuri shook his head.
“Never after a quad.”
“Of course not,” Viktor smiled devilishly, “No one has. That’s why you will be the first.”
“Do you want to lose or something?” Yuri asked perplexed, because this layout would put his base value above Viktor’s, and based on last season, Yuri was beginning to become the more consistent of the two.
“Don’t get arrogant,” Viktor chimed, “If you can’t do at least this much, you won’t be able to beat me.”
“Keep telling yourself that and teach me.”
Over the next week, Yuri kept meeting Viktor for secret practice in the early hours of the morning, and then proceeded to train with whoever was at the rink. He trained spins with Chris until he eventually had to go to Japan. He did jump practice with Otabek, and skating exercises with the Detroit duo. It was all very exhausting and Yuri sometimes envied Viktor who could afford to rest in between practice sessions to coach Yuuri, but it was also extremely rewarding. On the last day of Yakov’s training camp, both Viktor and Yakov allowed Yuri to take the day off to hang out with Otabek before he went home to Kazakhstan.
“It doesn’t seem like a good idea to practice a new quad without Yakov knowing,” Otabek mentioned over lunch and Yuri scowled.
“I know, but Yakov would never agree to it. If I can show him that the loop is a reliable jump before the test skates, then perhaps he’ll let me use it. At least that’s what Viktor is betting on.”
“Well, if anyone can do it, it’s you,” Otabek said with confidence, and Yuri smiled.
It was two weeks before the test skates that when Yuri arrived at the rink for his secret quad loop practice, he was met with Yakov and not Viktor. It wasn’t that Viktor wasn’t there, but he looked like he had just received the lecture of his life, and Yuri didn’t need to think twice before knowing that they had been caught.
“How did you even find out?!” Yuri question bewildered. Even if Yakov knew they had been training, there had been no way of knowing that they were doing loop practice. For all he knew, Viktor could have been polishing the short program with him.
“Katsuki told me.”
“Huh?!” Yuri growled and turned to Viktor in anger, “This is your fault! Katsudon can’t keep secrets!”
“I didn’t tell him,” Viktor protested immediately, but then added in a whisper, “At first.”
“Ugh,” Yuri groaned and left the rink to find that traitorous tattletale.
“I can’t believe you sold us out!” Yuri slammed the apartment door open, making Makkachin jump, while Yuuri continued to calmly drink his tea.
“You would have gotten hurt,” Yuuri replied calmly, eyeing Yuri with a slight look of disapproval, but seeming otherwise removed and indifferent to the situation.
“We had it under control,” Viktor chimed in, coming through the door behind Yuri, but Yuuri just shot him the I-know-better look and shut them both up.
“Listen,” he said, still very calm, which freaked Yuri out slightly, “I support you learning the loop, but Viktor is no jump coach.”
“Hey!”
“It’s true, gorgeous, and you know it. Yakov has agreed to allow you to continue practice under his guidance, and you can put it in your programs, if, and only if, you land it at the test skates. Those are the conditions,” Yuuri said diplomatically, and Yuri considered for a short while, trying to figure out if there was a catch anywhere in those conditions.
“Short and free?” He asked, wanting to make absolutely certain.
“Yes.”
Okay, Yuri thought, it didn’t change too much. Of course, Viktor’s condition had been easier to clear, since he had only asked for a fifty percent success rate which would have meant that he would only have needed to land one of the two jump. Now he needed to land both of them. It put a little more pressure on him, but he had been making a lot of progress. Although Yuri could agree that Viktor was not the best at teaching jumps, he was quite reliable when it came to the finer details, and Yuri had gone from popping basically all of his attempts to actually getting the rotations, but then either falling or otherwise messing up the landing. Currently, his success rate was at roughly ten percent. Fifteen on a good day. It seemed unrealistic to meet Yakov’s conditions, but Yuri had no choice but to go for it.
“How come you don’t have any conditions like that for the lutz?” Yuri asked, still upset with Yuuri, although it seemed to maybe have worked out. Perhaps Yuuri was the one to have persuaded Yakov to let him continue training it.
“Because I’ve been practicing the quad lutz since you began skating in juniors,” Yuuri said calmly, going back to drinking his tea.
“Tch, unfair.”
“Not at all.”
“I hate to admit that you did a good job,” Yakov told Viktor the next day, when Yuri began drilling quad loops so that Yakov could get an idea of his consistency.
“Told you,” Viktor pouted, clearly offended that Yakov didn’t trust in his coaching abilities more, although Yuri was kind of on Yakov’s side in this. If Yuri hadn’t been as good as he was, Viktor wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.
“Let’s do a run-through,” Yakov said, “I assume you’ve been working on the program as well?”
“Of course,” Viktor said, still pouting, and he went to put on the music, while Yuri mentally prepared himself for yet another run-through of his short program. All the run-throughs were starting to wear him down, especially with all the things Viktor had begun to add to the short program. Yuri had thought that all that was left were the jumps and the transitions into and out of those jumps, but of course Viktor Nikiforov didn’t stop there. At this point, his short program was more taxing than his free skate, though it was only a matter of time before Lilia also began adding things to that.
Yuri’s goal for the run-through was to not pop the loop. If he popped it, Yakov would probably give up on him before they had even begun practicing properly. So, when the jump came up, Yuri willed all his power into getting the rotations, but ended up having to step out of the landing. Still. He got round. And with that off his back, he could safely continue on with the program. Though he felt a little tired, he went for the combination with as much power as usual, and landed the quad salchow-triple loop that Viktor had also drilled into him. And just as Yuri was about to enter his first spin, someone cut the music.
“What the hell! Was that?!” Yakov roared from the rinkside, and Yuri looked to him, and then to Viktor, who looked just as taken aback as he felt.
“What?” Viktor said dumbfounded, and Yakov took a step closer to him, while Viktor quickly began backing away.
“That combination!” Yakov hissed, and it suddenly occurred to Yuri that, no, this had never been a point of discussion, and maybe someone should have filled Yakov in.
“Why are you complaining?” Viktor suddenly snapped, and stopped backing away from Yakov, “It’s new, groundbreaking and incredibly consistent! Even if he popped the loop in the beginning, he can always change it to a triple toe instead! I’ve thought this through!”
“Have you? Truly?! Because you of all people should know that edge jumps are more prone to being popped than toe jumps, and in the short program, popping a jump could mean the difference between first and tenth place!”
“But Yurio’s edge jumps are amazing, and by the Olympics he’ll have a great shot at the podium. He needs the extra points from the loop to catch up the more experienced skaters!”
“You’re adding too much at once! You can’t force progress!”
“He’s ready for it!”
“The season starts in less than a month, and his success rate with the loop isn’t anywhere near fifty percent! He should focus on one thing at once!”
Yuri contemplated jumping in, but until it seemed like Viktor would give in, which would probably take a couple of days, he didn’t want to waste his energy. He decided to go to Lilia’s studio to work on his free skate instead.
O: Are they still fighting?
Y: Yup.
O: It’s been three days.
Y: Yeah, well, they’ve been fighting longer before.
O: -_-
“Can’t you do something?”
“Convincing Yakov to let you continue doing the quad loop was hard enough. I don’t really want to get more involved,” Yuuri shrugged and folded another shirt to neatly put in his suitcase, packing for his flight tomorrow, “Have you tried to convince Lilia?”
“Why would I do that?” Yuri scoffed, “She choreographs. She doesn’t exactly coach.”
“True,” Yuuri agreed, “But she’s also happens to be the only one who can make Yakov bend to her will.”
“That’s a good point.”
Turned out that convincing Lilia to let him do crazy jumps was very easy, because difficult things were, as she said, beautiful, and she too would like for him to put a quad loop in the free skate.
“Why are you against it?” Lilia asked Yakov that evening at dinner, and Yuri ate his food slowly to observe the battle that was about to occur.
“Because it will do more bad than good.”
“It sounds to me like you are underestimating your student. He is the Grand Prix Final champion, is he not?”
“Yes, but-”
“And a world record holder?”
“Yes, however-”
“So why are you holding him back?”
“I am not-”
“If you won’t let him challenge himself and evolve, he’ll never get anywhere. Isn’t that why you let Vitya learn the flip? To push the sport even though he could win without it?”
Yuri looked at Yakov, who was struggling to find the words, and slowly giving into Lilia’s argument and her stubborn will. Yuri made a note to go to her more often when he disagreed with Yakov.
“Fine,” Yakov gave up and threw his hands in the air, “But the condition stands. You have to land the jumps at the test skates. The combination included. If you fail anyone of the jump passes, we’ll discuss which to focus on for the Games.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Yuri said confidently, “I’ll land them.”
Yuri!!! on ICE I T I Yuri P. & Victor & Yuuri I 17k WIP
"Yuri could have cried at the music choice. He could have cried tears of actual joy. Unless Viktor was playing an evil prank on him (which was unlike at best), Yuri would be skating his short program to his favorite rock song by his favorite artist. Viktor’s smug smile at Yuri’s expression (which he himself couldn’t quite tell what was, as he was both surprised, happy, in disbelief and actually floating on a cloud at the same time) told Yuri that this was definitely his music, and when Viktor stopped the song, he honestly had to stop himself from just dropping to his knees and thanking him for the wonderful music choice."
In the summer before the Olympic season, Viktor presents to Yuri a short program which end up being the cause of drama, fights, blood, sweat and tears - and that is all quite literal.
Read on AO3 I FF.net or under cut
2. skating skills
Yuri sank into his seat and looked out of the small plane window. Even though Celestino mainly coached in Thailand these days, the training camp took place in Detroit - at Yuuri’s old training facilities. Yuuri had made sure to give Yuri a list of all the best restaurants, while Phichit had provided a list of the best entertainment places - all suited towards minors of course. Yuri hated that he couldn’t fault Phichit for that, as he had (by American law) been a minor all the years he had lived there. A quick scan of the list told Yuri that he wouldn’t be going to any of the places, and if Phichit or anyone else tried to invite him, he would fight his way out of it.
Spending two weeks in America was not the worst thing Yuri could think of - but it wasn’t the best either. Skating aside, he had to endure Phichit for a full week. Yuri could honestly say that he had all the respect in the world for Yuuri, because if Yuri thought a week was hard, then how on earth had Yuuri lived with him for two years? It truly was a mystery to him as to how they got along so well. At least when Yuuri was sober. He imagined that Phichit and drunk Yuuri were quite the duo.
But even Phichit was preferable, hell, even desirable, in contrast to the other evil. JJ. And he would be there throughout the entire camp. Yuri sank a little further down in his seat. Both Leo and Guang-Hong were attending the training camp as well - according to Yuuri they always did - and Yuri quite liked Guang-Hong. They’d met quite often in junior competitions, and had turned senior the same year. They rarely spoke, but they tended to drift towards each other, especially when they had both first turned junior and their English had been rocky at best. It had been comfortable to have someone close who was just as confused as yourself.
Another horrible thing about this training camp was that Yuri would miss the first couple of days of Yakov’s summer camp. The camp itself was irrelevant, but Otabek - the one skater (other than Yuuri) that he actually liked talking to - was attending, and Yuri would be stuck in America with fucking JJ. It truly was unfair. Of course, when Yuri had told Otabek that he’d be in America, Otabek had tried to convince him that JJ wasn't’ that bad. Yuri had promptly blocked him for the remainder of the day for such insolence.
Yuuri put on the music for his short program as the plane took off. If he had to attend this training camp, he might as well make the most of it, and as he listened to his music over and over again, never once tiring of hearing it, he began thinking about the small details he could incorporate into it to make this song his own. It was the challenge Viktor had set him, and Yuri wasn’t done growing.
Yuri had been very careful to not let Phichit figure out when he was landing, because he did not need to be picked up by him. If Phichit was only giving him a ride to the hotel he would be staying at, then it would have been fine as it would have saved him the money of a cab ride, but Yuri knew Phichit. Before going to the hotel, Phichit would drag him somewhere, and then they’d run into some fans - and most of Yuri’s fans were actually crazy - which they wouldn’t be able to get out of ever, and Yuri just wasn’t in the mood for any of that (and honestly he never was). So Yuri carefully navigated the airport by himself, making sure to keep his hood up, whenever it didn’t seem suspicious, and generally avoiding getting recognized.
He managed to make it all the way to the taxi stand having only signed one autograph for a cashier who had recognized him as he was buying a cute cool tiger keychain that had caught his eye, and relaxed as soon as he was on his way to the hotel.
With half an hour to kill, he opened his phone and looked through the barrage of messages, he received as he disabled flight mode. There was one from Yakov, asking if he’d landed in Detroit yet, and Yurio send a cat emoji as a confirmation (Yakov didn’t have emojis on his phone, so the square box that would appear instead was sure to confuse him). There was also a message from Yuuri asking the same question, and for him Yuri send a short video of the fading airport. He also promised to say hi to Phichit for him. From Otabek there was a cat video with the message: for when you land in Detroit, because Otabek knew how little Yurio was looking forward to it. And then there was Mila who had sent him a picture of a special brand of chocolate which she wanted him to buy for her. Yuri put in his notes that he should get her a rip-off brand, because when she had last gone to Canada, she hadn’t bought the candy that Yuri had requested she get for him, and Yuri was nothing if not petty and full of spite.
As it turned out, the only bliss to be found was the taxi ride, because as Yuri set foot in the hotel’s lobby, the first person he saw was JJ’s fiancée, Isabella.
“Yuri!” She greeted, and Yuri didn’t hide his frown, “I didn’t know you would be here as well!” She was always super cheerful and sociable, and with her good looks and sweet personality, Yuri would never understand why she had chosen to marry someone like JJ. She could have chosen probably anyone, and yet here she was, having made the worst mistake of her life.
“Well, I am,” Yuri said and trotted past her to check in. If she was in the lobby by herself, then JJ was soon to come and if he could avoid JJ, then he would. Unfortunately, he wasn’t so lucky.
“If it isn’t Yuri!” JJ’s voice boomed from the other end of the lobby, and Yuri had fight to not yell something at him as he was giving the receptionist his information, “Want to come to lunch with us?”
“No,” Yuri growled, and then quickly thanked the startled receptionist as he got the keys.
“Well, we’re going to spend the whole training camp together, so we should get to know each other better,” JJ reasoned, and Yuri turned around to face him.
“I already know enough about you, thanks,” he said with fake politeness in his voice, and then promptly turned around, got on an elevator, leaving behind the engaged couple.
The skaters attending the training camp were supposed to meet up at the rink at ten in the morning, and Yuri hoped that he could avoid people until then. By now he should have known better.
“Yurio!” Phichit sang as he pulled Yuri into a hug. He had barely stepped foot outside of his hotel room, so Yuri could only assume that Phichit had been waiting to ambush him.
“That’s not my name,” Yuri said in response, already having accepted that Phichit would keep on calling him Yurio, but it was worth a try.
“Eh? But that’s so confusing,” Phichit whined, “And Yurio suits you.”
Yuri rolled his eyes, and wanted to retort, but Phichit took him by the wrist and dragged him along. Yuri hoped they were going to breakfast because if he was busy stuffing his face, then less conversation was required.
Phichit did drag him to breakfast and Yuri was quite happy to see that they would be eating with Leo and Guang-Hong (possibly the only sane people attending this training camp), and while Yuri was somehow forced to sit beside Phichit at their four-man table, he still only made conversation with the Chinese skater, who had always been easy to talk to.
“Do you know what we’re gonna do today?” Yuri asked Guang-Hong half-way through breakfast, seeing as Yuri was the only one around the table who had never once attended Celestino’s training camp.
“Oh, you don’t know?” Phichit joined in and Yuri rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t ask you,” he said not quite as angrily as he would have had Guang-Hong not been there. The Chinese skater had a way of always soothing Yuri’s temper. Perhaps that was why he liked him.
“Anyway,” Guang-Hong said, answering Yuri’s question, “Usually on the first day we’ll do run-throughs of our programs. It doesn’t have to be our new programs, but that is most beneficial if you have gotten your programs for next season. You will then discuss a goal, either with Coach Celestino or Satsuki, which you will try to reach by the end of the camp.”
“He expects results within two weeks?”
“It’s not like the goal will be learning a quint or something,” Leo explained with a carefree laugh, “But it definitely won’t be easy.”
Yuri smiled a little. He liked a good challenge: “Sounds fun.”
As they all gathered in the rink for their run-throughs, and were lacing up their skates, Yuri rummaged through his skatebag only to learn that he had left his gloves back in the hotel room. He turned to Guang-Hong, who was lacing up his skates beside him.
“Hey,” he said softly to grab his attention, but not have too many people overhear of the small mistake he made, “Do you have an extra pair of gloves. I forgot mine at the hotel.”
Guang-Hong looked through his bag, but came up empty handed. “Sorry,” he whispered softly, but Yuri assured him that it was okay. He’d just skate without gloves. It wasn’t a problem.
Celestino grabbed their attention as the skaters were still sat at the benches, the assistant coach, Satsuki, standing by his side with a notepad in hand.
“Good morning,” Celestino greeted them, “As some of you know, we’ll start the camp with a run-through of a program of your choice. After everyone has skated, there’ll be free practice until one o’clock, where Satsuki and I will discuss with you individually what you should focus on during this training camp. After two weeks, we’ll have another set of run-throughs to see if you have improved. Who would like to skate their short program?”
Phichit, Leo and Yuri all raised their hand and Celestino nodded, “Okay, then Phichit you will go first, since you’re not technically taking part in the training camp, Leo will be second and Yuri third. Then for the free skates it will be JJ and then Guang-Hong. We’ll give you a six minute warm-up before we start.”
There was a muffled sound of acknowledgement from the group before they all took to the ice. There were already a couple of people on the ice as the five of them began their warm-up, so of course the pretend competition set-up wasn’t super authentic, but it wasn’t so crowded that they would have to be very cautious of colliding with other skaters. Yuri quickly made note of the people skating and they all seemed to fairly routined, so Yuuri assumed that they were all juniors, or maybe even novice skaters. Perhaps some of Celestino’s? Regardless, Yuri decided to treat this run-through like a competition, wanting to show the best version of his short program so that he had the best chance of improving it by the end of the camp.
The warm-up was quickly over and the four of them left the ice as Phichit got ready for his run-through. Yuri wasn’t entirely sure why Phichit had to go through this with them, since he was leaving in a week, but perhaps he was just here to set the tone, or have something to work on as he went to Russia. It occured to Yuri then that Phichit might be taking part in Yakov’s training camp as he arrived just as it began, which meant that even if he didn’t have to spent two weeks with Phichit here in Detroit, he would still see him when he got back to Russia. Great. At least he would be occupied with spending time with Yuuri, and if Yuri just spend his time with Otabek, well, it might work out after all.
Whatever the reason for Phichit skating, Yuri was secretly grateful for the opportunity to watch him in person. Yuri had only attended two competitions with Phichit, and during none of them had he watched the Thai skater live and in person, having been too focused on himself as his skate had still been coming up. But after hours and hours upon watching and learning from Phichit through videos, Yuri needed to see him skate in person to learn more about what made Phichit the performer he was.
Yuri stood next to Guang-Hong, who was already in awe at the presence Phichit had on the ice (he was a fan after all), and rested his arms on the boards, his head resting on his hands and watched intensely as Phichit began to skate. It came to no one’s surprise that Phichit was re-using his The King & The Skater program for the Olympics. Yuuri had mentioned many times what this program meant to the Thai skater, and since Phichit was already very comfortable with the familiar program, the presentation of it was already guaranteed to be of the highest quality.
Despite the warhorse program, Yuri felt himself drawn in by Phichit from the very first movement. The charisma Phichit usually emitted somehow exploded into a cloud of confidence and showmanship of which Yuri now knew could hardly be rivalled by anyone. Yuri knew without even feeling bitter about it that he himself could never reach that level of atmospheric control that Phichit owned as he skated. Phichit easily made eye-contact with the small audience he had watching him, making sure that they were all part of the experience, almost making Yuri forget that this was a pretend competition where they were using real competitive programs until Phichit flew into the triple axel that opened the program, as if Yuri didn’t feel that Phichit had enchanted him long ago, when really it had only been fifteen seconds.
The flow between the jumps, the spins, the steps and the choreographic highlights was something that Yuri could recognize and immediately remembered the short program Yuuri had skated just before Yuri had left for Detroit. Yuri didn’t know if this was a trait of Celestino’s students or if he had just been lucky to find such natural performers to train under him, but the fluid skating of both Phichit and Yuuri, and the way they delivered a program in such a touching way could hardly be contributed to coincidence alone. Despite Phichit’s loud and sometimes annoying personality, Yuri felt himself slowly becoming a fan in the same way he had quickly fallen for Yuuri’s skating during his disastrous first Grand Prix Final. Perhaps Yuri should make it a tradition to always attend this training camp, because as good of a coach as Yakov was, Celestino clearly had something in his training regime that he didn’t, and Yuri wanted it too.
As enchanted as Yuri felt during Phichit’s performance, he did pick up on the fact that the layout of the program has been altered slightly, making the quad in the second half part of the combination, raising the technical base value of the program to make it more competitive as he only has one quad in his repertoire. Because despite being a natural performer, Phichit was also a competitive person who knew that his chances of medaling at any competition were high, and with a higher technical ceiling, he became a bigger threat than during the previous season. It made Yuri excited to improve himself.
Yuri seemed to go through the same experience he had had with Phichit when Leo took to the ice and began his short program. Though not as skilled technically as Phichit, Leo was a different kind of beast when it came to program component scores. As Leo’s program was also musical based, it would be interesting to see Leo and Phichit’s battles throughout the season as their strengths and styles were both similar and distinctly different. Phichit was the more charismatic of the two, but Leo was good at highlighting the music he skated to, while giving his own unique interpretation of a well-known piece of music. Though the program was very distinctive to Leo, Yuri saw a hint of the influence Viktor had obviously had on the American. Yuri wondered briefly if it was because he had spend so many years watching Viktor skate himself that he could point it out, but though the influence was there, nothing about it looked like a Nikiforov program. Yuri quickly came to understand why both Viktor and Yuuri were such huge fans of Leo’s skating.
As it became Yuri’s turn to skate, he smiled confidently and got ready. He felt fully awake and energized, and since JJ was skating after him, he wanted to skate lights out and blow the audience away so that no matter what JJ did and how he skated, he simply couldn’t compare to Yuri. There were gasps of surprise from the sidelines as the music began, the few spectators clearly not having anticipated this style of music, all of them likely remembering the controversy of his last exhibition piece. The high energy of the program was feeding off of Yuri’s energy, but he didn’t tire and the opening quad toe was almost too easy. He knew the instant he landed the jump that this might become his best showing of this program yet, and the realization only made him more pumped and he felt refreshed anew as he moved further into the program. The energy he was feeling even after the combination and the spins was very refreshing, and even as he went into the second half, he didn’t feel exhausted.
Of course, the added energy made him mess up on his timing and speed for the triple axel, and he hand to put down his hand to keep from falling as he badly overrotatoed the jump. As his bare, ungloved hands touched down, he felt a sting from the cold ice for just a second until he was back on his feet. That’s what he got for forgetting his gloves.
He finished his program, paying no attention to his hand and got a small applause from the skaters at the rinkside. He bowed respectfully out of habit before moving towards them. As he glided towards the barrier, he examined his hand that was now beginning to sting. The cut wasn’t deep, but he had still managed to draw blood, and watched, unbothered, as a drop of blood trailed from the cut and down his palm towards his wrist. There were many specs of blood all over his hand - and even a few on his wrist - from the many times he had closed his fist, but Yuri didn’t think too much of it. He had cut himself on the ice before, but found himself happy to be in Detroit instead of St. Petersburg, because, unlike Yakov or even Lilia, he was certain that Celestino wouldn’t yell at him for getting injured. Even if it was just a small cut.
Yuri was quite right about Celestino as the coach upon meeting him at the barrier immediately took his hand to examine it.
“Not too bad...” he muttered, “We’ll discuss your program after you’ve been cleaned up. Satsuki,” he called for the other coach, “Can you take care of Yuri?”
Satsuki was already ahead of him, ready with a first aid kit, which made the whole thing seem much more serious than Yuri felt it was. She gestured for Yuri to follow her, and they sat down on one of the benches, still close enough to the rink for Yuri to follow the run-throughs. Yuri, of course, didn’t pay much attention to JJ, much preferring to not watch him skate, but he was curious as to what his program was and kept his eyes on the Canadian before giving his attention to Satsuki who was currently cleaning all the blood specks off of his skin.
Yuri felt his soul die a little bit when it turned out that JJ’s new free skate was a Romeo and Juliet program. The familiar music was more than enough for Yuri and he looked at his hand to see that the only blood left was what was coming out of his cut. That also meant that Yuri could now see the full extent of the damage. The cut extended from just below his index finger and diagonally across reaching almost all the way down to the bottom of his palm. It looked worse than it felt.
Satsuki threw the blood stained wipes away and pulled out a small bottle from the first aid kit.
“The disinfection will sting a bit,” she said as if Yuri hadn’t had ice cuts disinfected before, but he simply nodded and let her continue. He hissed a little as the alcohol solution came in contact with his open skin, but she finished quickly, clearly having done this many times before, and was soon bandaging his hand to keep the wound from getting infected. Of course, due to her quick first aid, by the time Yuri was all bandaged up, JJ was still not done skating.
Yuri thanked Satsuki for her help with a light bow like Yuko had taught him a couple of months ago, and returned to his place beside Guang-Hong just as JJ finished.
“How was it?” Yuri asked and Guang-Hong’s face fell a little before answering.
“Unfairly good,” he said and the two sighed together, before Guang-Hong replaced JJ and readied himself to skate his new free skate.
Yuri tried his very best to ignore the fact that JJ came to stand beside him, and he would probably have succeeded had JJ not begun to speak to him halfway through Guang-Hong’s program.
“I have a pair of extra gloves,” he mentioned and Yuri shot him a look as if to say that he wasn’t interested in anything that came from him, but apparently JJ was too much of an idiot to catch up on it and still offered: “You can borrow them if you want. The might be a little big for you, but with the bandage that might be perfect… at least for your right hand.”
“No thanks,” Yuri growled, keeping his eyes fixed on Guang-Hong and clapping lightly when he landed his triple axel.
“Come on,” JJ continued, a hint of teasing in his voice, “We still have a lot of practice left. Might as well make sure you don’t injure yourself more.”
“Huh?” Yuri hissed, growing more irritated and sent JJ another death stare. This time he got it.
“Joking, joking,” JJ said defensively, putting up his hands as if Yuri was going to attack him. It was a tempting action to take. “But seriously, take my gloves. It’s just for today.”
Yuri gritted his teeth, “Fine,” he said at last, mostly hoping it would resolve in JJ shutting the hell up, “lend me your dumb gloves.”
Yuri expected JJ to leave and get them, but instead the asshole pulled them out from his pocket, having known that Yuri would lose the argument, and Yuri pulled them out of his grip with his good hand, not wanting to refuse at this point, because that would be accepting defeat on a whole new level. As it turned out, the gloves fit perfectly over his bandaged right hand, and was a little loose on his left, but not to the point where it was annoying.
It was apparent on JJ’s face that he wasn’t expecting any words of gratitude, which tempted Yuri to just say thank you but before he convinced himself to do so, Guang-Hong finished his program and Celestino concluded the run-throughs, and had everyone get on the ice for practice, calling them one after the other to discuss what to work on during their training camp.
As Yuri waited for his evaluation, he practiced his triple axel, feeling relatively agitated at the fact that it had been the only element of the short program that hadn’t been perfect. He had just completed his tenth axel - to perfection of course - as Celestino called him over.
“How’s your hand?” He asked as Yuri skated up to him by the barrier.
“Fine,” Yuri said, anxious to get something to work on.
“It seems that Viktor made you quite a program,” Celestino mused, going through some notes, which Yuri couldn’t see what were, “I’d say that the most important thing for you to focus on what be your skating skills. Of course, there is only so much you can do in two weeks, so here’s what I’ll suggest. Since your program focuses so much on speed, it is difficult for you to complete all the elements required for your step sequence. In your run-through, you would only have hit level two,” Yuri frowned at this. He usually got a level four - three if he was feeling a little off. “So how about setting your goal for hitting a level three without losing any of the speed?”
“But my content is planned for a level four,” Yuri protested, “Shouldn’t I aim for that instead?”
“I have no doubt that you could easily skate a level four step sequence right now if I asked you to, but your program is not only very complex but is based on the high pace of it. If you focus too much on the technicalities, you will lose sight of the program. Your task is to find a balance.”
Yuri wanted to protest again, but Celestino’s words seemed final, and it wasn’t like the season began when this training camp ended. He would complete Celestino’s task no matter what.
The following hour, Yuri did multiple run-throughs of his step sequence, as well as all those boring skating exercises Yakov loved to make him do, and whenever he got tired of that, he would work on his combination, which was so much more fun.
By the end of the session, Celestino was on the ice, gathering up everyone who was still there, even skaters who weren’t part of the training camp (Yuri assumed that they were juniors skating under Celestino, but he had no way of confirming it, as he wasn’t willing to ask anyone). It seemed that like Yakov, Celestino was fond of skating exercises, and had everyone do them together. The difference between Celestino and Yakov, however, was the level of those exercises. Yuri always felt that he could complete Yakov’s exercises with relative ease, but with Celestino he felt that he could hardly keep up.
Yuri had started in the back of the group, and from his spot, it was clear to see who had been skating with Celestino the longest. Phichit was skating like he could do these exercises in his sleep (and Yuri thought that perhaps he could actually do just that), while Leo and Guang-Hong who had trained with him pretty regularly before were also doing pretty well. While JJ seemed to also have some difficulty with the exercises, it didn’t look like he was struggling like Yuri was, and it made Yuri even more determined to put his all into these, seemingly simply, exercises.
The following three days were pretty much the same. Celestino mostly made Yuri work on his basic skating, and by the end of the practice session they would all go through the same skating exercises. Yuri had kept JJ’s gloves, because his own didn’t really fit on his bandaged hand. It would heal soon enough though. Yuri had had a moment of thinking he should get gloves like these until he had had a minute to further inspect them - why ask JJ where he had bought them when he could just spend even more time trying to figure it out himself right? It turned out, unfortunately, that the gloves were part of JJ’s own clothing brand, and the signature JJ logo on the inside of them had Yuri doing angry quad salchows for a good ten minutes. Fate sure was cruel to him.
Yuri was allowed to take the bandage off after five days, and with it he gave JJ back the gloves.
“Thanks, or whatever,” Yuri said as he threw them onto JJ’s lap, while the Canadian was lacing up his skates.
“You can keep them if you want,” JJ offered with an annoying smile, but Yuri refused. His own gloves were perfectly fine now that his right hand wasn’t bigger than usual.
Yuri sat down next to JJ - of course still with a considerable amount of distance between them - and began lacing up his skates too.
“You know people will say you’re copying Viktor by skating to Romeo and Juliet?” Yuri said as he tightened his right skate.
“Viktor never skated to Romeo and Juliet,” JJ replied casually.
“I meant the style. You said it’s for your fiancée, right? That’s exactly what Viktor did last season,” Yuri knew the internet. The comparisons would begin as soon as JJ showed his new program. Everyone always compared any skaters programs to Viktor just because, and this was simply too easy of a comparison.
“That’s true, but so did Katsuki, who was my inspiration for the program.”
“Yuuri?” Yuri looked up in question, “You got inspired by Yuuri?”
“Well, just like you, I’m a fan of his. More so than of Viktor.”
“Who the hell said I was a fan of Katsudon?”
“Just assumed,” JJ shrugged and gave no further explanation as he left and went on the ice for his warm-up.
The day before Phichit was to leave for Russia, he invited forced them all out to dinner. Yuri could probably have resisted by locking himself up in his room, but Phichit had promised to pay for the entire meal (likely because during his stay in Russia, he wouldn’t have to pay for a thing, save the flight). Therefore, Yuri met up with the rest of the training camp squad in the lobby of the hotel.
“I can’t believe you make us all go to dinner with you, and you’re just on social media,” Yuri said as he walked towards Phichit and Guang-Hong who were currently the only two who had arrived thus far.
“Just passing the time,” Phichit smiled, “By the way, a lot of your fans are dying to know why your hand was bandaged for the past five days.”
“How do they even know? I was wearing JJ’s stupid gloves the entire time,” Yuri said in a low growl. Honestly, did his fans have nothing better to do than stalk him?
“You may or may not have appeared in the background of a couple of my photos with said bandaged hand,” Phichit said nonchalantly, “But that’s a minor detail. I’m doing a Q&A and someone asked, wanna share?” Phichit said and stuck the camera right in Yuri’s face, while putting an arm around him so that they were close enough to both fit into the frame. He hadn’t pressed record yet, because he knew if he recorded Yuri without permission, he might lose a limb.
“Fine,” Yuri said, and Phichit instantly pressed record, the footage going directly to instagram.
“So Yurio,” Phichit said, still using the nickname, “What happened to your hand?” Phichit asked dramatically, as if trying to uncover, or maybe just document, a murder mystery, and Yuri eyed him skeptically before answering.
“Didn’t wear gloves, ice is sharp, be careful when skating,” Yuri said in a monotone voice, but Phichit of course made a face of interest as he continued with his documentary voice.
“Yuri Plisetsky, giving some solid advice to any aspiring skaters out there. Wear gloves!” And with that the recording ended and Phichit finally let go of Yuri, going back to Guang-Hong who was also updating his social media.
“I’m surprised to hear you give advice to your fans,” Yuri heard JJ say and turned around to see him and Leo walking towards them.
“I’m just saying it like it is,” Yuri replied, and greeted Leo. With all of them having arrived, the five of them made their way out of the hotel, following Phichit to whatever place he thought was great. From the list of restaurants Yuuri had given him before leaving, Yuri had a pretty good guess as the where they were headed.
“You could have thanked me for lending you my gloves,” JJ teased and Yuri frowned, wondering how he had ended up walking with JJ at the back of the group.
“And plug your dumb brand? Don’t be an idiot.”
“You must have liked them to check the brand. I don’t recall telling you I made them,” JJ said, and Yuri could not believe his luck. How had JJ figured that out?
“What makes you think I didn’t check because I hated them so much that I needed to know what never to buy myself?” Yuri shot back, but JJ just smiled at him. Yuri knew he had lost the moment he had started lying. He should have kept his mouth shut, but that was hard with JJ around.
“Come on, if you really hated them that much, you wouldn’t have used them for more than a day. Maybe I’ll give you a pair for your birthday.”
“Fuck right off, JJ,” Yuri said as he sped up, linking his arms with Guang-Hong to ensure himself some better company. As he looked back, he saw JJ looking amused as Leo fell back into step with him and struck up a conversation about some new song that had just been released.
As expected, the restaurant they were eating at was the one that, according to Yuuri, had been dubbed the best Thai restaurant in Detroit by Phichit. They easily found a table that fit all of them, and Yuri snuck himself in between Guang-Hong and Phichit, sitting as far away from JJ as possible (not that it was that far since they were sitting by a round table, but whatever). It turned out to be quite the pleasant evening.
“So, Yurio-” JJ addressed Yuri for the first time during their dinner, but Yuri quickly interrupted him.
“You have no right to call me that,” he said and gave him a look that gave JJ no room for even arguing or protesting.
“Right, Yuri,” he said, and Yuri reluctantly listened to him, “Why aren’t you practicing the quad loop?”
“Huh?” Yuri snapped. Was JJ mocking him?
“Ah! Don’t take this the wrong way. I just assumed that it would be right up your ally, and with the Olympics coming up-”
“And with the Olympics coming up, Yakov doesn’t want me to try out new jumps,” Yuri growled, more annoyed with Yakov than JJ at this point, “I’ll probably go for it next season.”
“Have you tried it yet?” JJ asked, sincerely curious, and Yuri found himself quite engaged in this conversation, which would be a first with JJ involved.
“A couple of times, but it’s hard to get the timing right,” Yuri confessed, downplaying slightly how many times he had tried and failed. He had probably tried more than a hundred times, and landed roughly three of them, but JJ still nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. In the beginning you pop most of them.”
“You’re doing it this season?”
“I would be offended that you didn’t watch my free skate during the runthrough if it wasn’t because I knew you hurt yourself, but yes, I can’t very well back down from it now, can I?”
Yuri frowned a little. With the loop, JJ had four different quads, Viktor also had four and was, inexplicably, working on a fifth (also the loop), and Yuuri was planning on putting a quad lutz in his free skate if he could get it consistent enough. And Yuri still only had the toe and the salchow. He was aware from Yakov’s lectures, Viktor’s winning streak and instance, that quads weren’t everything, but Viktor and Yuuri were both strong skaters regardless of how many quads they could land. It had not been due to luck that Viktor had taken silver at Europeans last season with just a single quad in his free skate. But Yuri knew that his natural strength lay in the jumps. If he wanted to contend for that gold medal at PyeongChang, he needed to do something that could boost his score a little more.
“Hey, Yurio!” Phichit said suddenly, pulling Yuri out of his trance, “Who do you like more, Yuuri or Viktor?”
“Come again?”
“Yuuri or Viktor, choose one.”
“Why?”
“For fun! Come on.”
“As a skater or a person?” Yuri questioned, not that his answer was going to be different anyway.
“A skater,” Phichit clarified.
“Then Katsudon.”
“Yes! I vote for Yuuri too, so that’s two votes,” Phichit said enthusiastically, but Leo protested.
“Phichit is biased and his vote shouldn’t count,” he said slyly and Phichit protested until all four of them agreed that if Viktor skated the program of his life and Yuuri took a nap on the ice, then Phichit would still say Yuuri should win and that would be unfair.
“Fine, then,” Phichit said defeated, “What about the rest of you?”
“I’m voting Viktor,” Leo said, and Phichit frowned.
“This is why you didn’t want me to vote, you traitor. I can’t believe you call yourself a friend of Yuuri.”
Leo chuckled, “I’ve always been a fan of Viktor, I mean, who else does their own choreography and makes it look so easy?”
“You say that as if you don’t do the same thing,” Guang-Hong pointed out, “But I’m voting Viktor too.”
“Both of you are traitors,” Phichit hissed, and the duo laughed.
“Well, I’m voting for Yuuri, so that ties it up,” JJ commented, and Yuri smirked. Take that, Viktor!
“So Yuuri wins,” Phichit said, and the Viktor fanclub protested again.
“It’s a tie,” they said in unison, “Besides, does it matter?”
“Not really,” Phichit smiled and instantly forgot about the weird competition the conversation had evolved into, “I was just curious.”
As Yuri had said, it was quite a pleasant evening.
The last week of the training camp went by quickly, but Yuri could feel the improvements as he skated through his step sequence once more the day before they’d do full run-throughs again. Although he knew he still had ways to go before he would have the easy skating Phichit had showcased throughout the first week, he knew he would be repeating Celestino’s exercises when he got back to St. Petersburg, because he had already learned so much. When they all ended the training with the collective skating exercises, Yuri felt more relaxed than he had the first time, and he kept up better than before. It turned out Yakov had been right when he had said that going to Detroit would be beneficial.
“Nervous?” Guang-Hong asked the next day as they got ready for their run-throughs.
“Not really,” Yuri muttered, but he still felt his heart beat a little faster than usual. It was the second time he was doing a run-through of his short program and had something to prove. First it was a fight to keep the program and now it was a fight to show that he had improved in the short span of two weeks. And Yuri knew that he couldn’t just focus on the steps. Everything had to be excellent for him to complete the task set by Celestino.
They skated in the same order as they had at the beginning of the training camp, although in the absence of Phichit, Leo was the first to skate. Yuri had no idea what any of the others had been tasked to do, and wondered how Leo could improve his skating in just two weeks. He had seen Leo attempt a couple of quads over the course of the camp, but nothing that suggested that he would put it into the short program. Yuri was almost certain that Leo’s task had been technical, since he was pretty much perfect in all other areas, so it came to no surprise that the triple axel that had been Leo’s opening element before had been replaced with a triple flip. The triple axel being moved to the second half.
As Leo finished an almost clean short program (there had been a small mistake on the combination), Yuri got ready, wanting to give both a clean performance and show his (hopefully) improved skating skills. There was some cheering at the boards as Yuri took his starting position, and it made him smile as the music began and he got into character.
Yuri knew that the task had been to improve the step sequence, but skating skills were applied all the time, and Yuri was eager to show off everything that he had learned. The deeper edges helped generate speed, and Yuri already felt more comfortable with the fast paced program than he had when he had arrived. The two quads and the spins were as easy as they had been the first time, but Yuri was feeling a little anxious about the triple axel, not wanting to make a mistake like he had last time. He sacrificed a bit of the transitions Viktor had so carefully choreographed for him, making sure that the triple axel would be the best it could and landed it without issue, before moving onto the everso important step sequence.
Yuri knew that he needed to just trust the exercises he had been doing for the last two weeks, because if thought too much about it, then he would inevitable lose some his speed and that would mean failing the task. So Yuri trusted the many hours of pure skating he had done with Celestino, and simply let the flow of the program guide him, as he kept up with the tempo of the music. As the sequence came to an end and he entered his final spin, Yuri honestly had no idea how it had gone, but he sure had felt good while doing it. He finished his program and heard a small round of applause from his fellow skaters, and made a little show out of bowing to them as he left the ice.
Celestino didn’t give them any feedback until the Guang-Hong had finished his run-through, but as it turned out, they had all passed with flying colors. Yuri had still not managed to gain a level four on the step sequence, but he had gotten the level three Celestino had requested without sacrificing the essence of the program, and Yuri called it a victory. He still had until September before his first competition and by that time, he could definitely get to level four without sacrificing any part of his performance.
Although the run-throughs were over, they still had a whole day left of practice and Yuri memorized all the skating exercises they did at the end of the day to take with him back to St. Petersburg. Perhaps he could get Yuuri to skate them with him when they got back.
All in all, Yuri could count the two weeks as successful.
Viktor loves Valentines. This is a fact known both by Yuuri and literally the rest of the world, and through their relationship, Viktor has always done something incredible for the day. Whether it be dates or thoughtful gifts, you name it, and though Yuuri has never ignored the date, he always felt that did it better than him. This time, however, Viktor isn’t even home for most of the day. He’s at a photoshoot (because he is beautiful) and with most of the day to himself, Yuuri can’t help but think about what to do for Viktor. There’ll be a romantic meal with champagne and candles and roses, but that’s hardly going out of the box. There’ll be chocolates, home-made because Viktor usually makes his own and Yuuri can hardly reciprocate with store bought, but once again, that’s nothing surprising. Viktor loves a good surprise almost as much as he loves to surprise people, and Yuuri would to live to expectations - and hopefully exceed them.
As Yuuri looks up recipes for their romantic dinner and begins the first preparations, counting down the time until Viktor is back, he is still racking his brain for things to do, and finds himself a little silly to worry so much about a day that isn’t even theirs. And as Yuuri’s brains searches for the most extravagant thing he could do, he lays eyes upon the small chocolate buttons he will uses to make their dessert. Huh. Maybe something small and cute would be better?
“Yuuri~” Viktor sings as he comes home, “Makkachin~” Usually Yuuri would answer him, but he doesn’t this time. Viktor doesn’t seem to notice as he greets his poodle.
“Hm?” Yuuri hears from the hallway, tipping him off that Viktor has found it, “Yuuri, why is there chocolate in my slippers?”
“I really don’t know, gorgeous,” Yuuri responds, eyes fixed on the food, though his attention is still with Viktor, who finds two more heart-shaped chocolates on his way to the kitchen, and seems to be catching on what is happening. He has an excited smile on his face as he finally greets Yuuri.
“So,” he says and kisses Yuuri on the cheek, “How many of these are there?” He holds up the chocolate heart, and Yuuri just shrugs, though he can’t hide his smile.
“I don’t know, dear, why don’t you find out?”
And so, Viktor begins his search. It’s quite hilarious, seeing Viktor balance himself on chairs and tables to look on the top of the bookshelf where he knows Yuuri isn’t tall enough to reach (though it certainly hadn’t stopped him from throwing some chocolate up there anyway), and all while Makkachin trots around him, making it even more difficult to really look for any hidden chocolate.
Every once in a while, Viktor comes back to Yuuri to ask him if he’s found all of them, of which Yuuri demands a chocolate heart to answer. The answer is always no. Even when Viktor has found a good twenty hearts, he’s still not done, and the fact that Viktor feels that he’s truly fine combed the whole apartment, makes him weirdly excited. He loves games too much.
Yuuri manages to finish up dinner and set the table before Viktor has found the last chocolate heart.
“It will show up eventually,” Yuuri smiles as he lights their candles and turns down the lighting in the room, “Trust me.”
And Viktor smiles and walks into Yuuri’s arms to finally give him a proper kiss, thanking him for all the chocolates. Yuuri wraps his arms around Viktor’s neck, kissing him back while Viktor rests his arms around Yuuri’s waist, his fingers trailing downwards before he breaks the kiss in sudden realization.
“I found it!” He exclaims happily, and reaches down the back pocket of Yuuri’s pants where the last chocolate is hidden.
Yuuri laughs lightly into Viktor’s chest, as Viktor unwraps the chocolate and eats it, holding Yuuri close still with his hand firmly on his butt. The whole thing was worth it just for that moment.
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