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Chapter Text

At 17, Viktor Nikiforov was almost on top of the world. He had won so many gold medals throughout his years in Junior that he didn't even count them anymore, not to mention that he had won a bronze medal in his first Olympics.

So needless to say, it was a bucket of cold water for him to have placed fourth at the Grand Prix Final of Beijing, on his first year as Senior.

The Final Grand Prix of 2004 was supposed to be the best day of his life.

But it turned out to be the opposite.

Viktor was so upset with himself, so upset with the press and their ironic comments about how they lamented not seeing the silver-haired boy on the podium, about how Viktor had disappointed Russian by "allowing" a Chinese skater to take the bronze at the same time they filled their mouths with praise for Plushenko for getting the gold once more; and so upset with Yakov for having filled him with criticism at the Kiss & Cry and then end it with a simple 'you did well' and a pat on the back.

The worst part is that it was obvious that Yakov knew he would ruin his chance to reach the podium, and he didn't even tell him!

It was really humiliating for Viktor to have to skip the press conference and faked a smile for the journalists who kept asking him why he had done so badly.

That night Viktor ran into his hotel room and screamed against his pillow, refusing to come out when other skaters knocked on his door. He didn't expect his debut year to be a disaster.

He believed that he was ready for the big leagues, that he was ready to be the best in the world. But no, he was just the Russian rising star that no one took seriously.

Would he ever be better than Plushenko? Would he ever manage to end his winning streak and have more gold than him?

Probably not.

Not if he was going to keep failing triple jumps at the most critical moments of his routines. Not if he couldn't be the first one to nail that elusive Quad flip.

Viktor was so ashamed of his performance that he didn't even dare to call that sexy hockey skater, Alexei (one of his rink mates), who promised him a date at the banquet if he won gold.

Never! Surely the guy would rather date the gold-winning Female Senior skater. He had seen them flirt during practices.

Viktor was so tired that he simply took a shower, called his old lady neighbor to ask about his new puppy, and stretched out on the bed while wondering if it was worth keep skating...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

When Viktor opened his eyes he obviously expected to see the ceiling of his hotel room and wake up on the bed, however, what he saw was the ceiling of a skating rink, more specifically, the ceiling of the Skating Sports Club in San Petersburg.

And the floor was freezing.

Because he was still a bit sleepy, it took to Viktor several seconds to realize someone was desperately calling his name, which echoed on the walls, and when he looked up he could see a black-haired man approaching him… skating.

Oh. He was lying on the ice.

He blinked.

How had had gotten there?

Viktor had no idea why he was sleeping on the ice or who the man was (or why he was looking at him as if he had just seen a ghost), but it was more than obvious that the guy did know him.

Maybe he was a fan?

"Hello, what can I do for you?" He inquired with his best smile, in Russian, after managing to sit on the ice.

The man stopped in front of him and blinked, and for a moment he looked hurt. Viktor then wondered if the man in blue glasses was a sponsor or someone who had already been introduced to him before but who he simply forgot about and then had hurt his ego.

Although he doubted that was the case. The man was clearly a foreigner, perhaps… Asian? He would remember. So he asked him again what he wanted, this time with the best English that his three months of English courses allowed him. Most foreigners spoke English, right?

"N-no, it's okay. I understood you the first time." The Asian answered with a decent Russian, then continued cautiously. "Um, Viktor. Do you know what year is this?"

"Uh?" Viktor touched his head, thinking that perhaps the reason he didn't remember the man (and when he had returned to St. Petersburg) was due to a concussion caused by a fall on the ice. But nothing hurt. Then he proceeded to reply with a snort in hoping that the guy would stop staring at him in terror. "It’s 2004."

"Uh... Viktor... Actually... it's 2020."

"... Oh." The silver-haired boy would have sat up in shock if it weren't for the fact that he was already sitting. His butt was freezing. "And... who are you?" He asked with another smile, ignoring the hand the man tried to offer him. He didn't need help.

Viktor somehow knew that the man wasn't lying, that he had indeed traveled to the future, that he had somehow switched places with his other 'me' of 2020. He had heard of "Time Travel" before.

In fact, one of his rink mates insisted that it had happened to a friend of a friend and that they met their future children, but Viktor never stopped to think about whether it was true or not, because he didn't expect it to happen to him.

At least that explained why he had suddenly appeared at his rink, skates on, and why the interior of the club looked so different, including the hole Georgi had accidentally made a few days ago in one of the fences was already repaired.

The man, who said his name was Yuriy Katzuyi or something like that, asked him some questions about whether he was feeling alright, but Viktor, still disoriented, completely ignored him. He got up from the ice, wiped some frost off his clothes, and took advantage of the empty rink to skate for a while at the same time he began to think.

God...

If he was really in 2020, that meant that his current 'me' must be... 33 or 34 years old?

Ugh, he must be a retired old man.

He at least keep skating?

Was he married?

Does he had children?

Would he had goes bald?

Speaking of bald old men, would Yakov still be alive?

Viktor stopped skating and looked at the ice floor.

Maybe... there would be nothing wrong with asking about his future, see how many medals he has, because time travelers used to say that they didn't remember much of the trip, only small details that would take years to make sense. There was no real danger of changing the future. Besides, it was evident that he was still skating, since this man seemed to have recognized him even with his young appearance.

That man…

"Yuriy, right?" He asked approaching the protection fence. The black-haired man had already taken off his skates and seemed to be typing something very fast on a very strange calculator. Looking at him closer, Viktor could see his shaking hands and the expression of contained panic on his face.

"Oh, yeah! I'm sorry, Vity-Viktor. I was just… searching the internet for information on time travelers and texting… And it's pronounced 'Yuuri', by the way." He said, a little calmer, apparently not being the first time he had corrected his name.

"What?... Texting?" The silver-haired boy, confused, looked around but didn't see any computer, until his gaze fell back on the strange object in the man's hands. "What is that?"

"... Oh." The man, Yuuri, blinked several times before handing him the item. Viktor took it carefully. "It's my smartphone… Uh, my cell phone. I guess in your time they aren't a thing." He said with a chuckle, but Viktor just held the object, not knowing what to do with it.

If it was a cell phone, where was the keypad and the speaker?

And before he could ask that question, the supposed cell phone started ringing. Viktor, scared, throw it but Yuuri caught it in time.

"Coach Yakov?" He asked immediately, relieved. Viktor could only watch in surprise as the foreign man exchanged cordial words with his coach as he explained the situation between stutters. It was definitely Yakov, the screams confirmed it. "Yeah, he's from another time. I think he's 17 or 18 years old. Wait a minute… His hair is still long, he's 17." He said after looking at him for a moment. "Don't worry, I'll take him home right away. I don't want anyone to take pictures or get the press."

Viktor's chin dropped. Short hair? Why on earth would he cut off his hair? Everyone loved his long hair, it was his identity. In 2 weeks he would be 18 years old. Did something happen during that time that made him radically change his mind?

However, another question escaped his mouth.

"Hey... You and I... are we friends?" He inquired cautiously when Yuuri hung up the call. That was the only possible explanation that he could think of since the man seemed to know in which year he was supposed to get his hair cut, also, he acted really concerned about him. If he were a simple fan, Yakov wouldn't have answered him...

And yes, apparently that object was indeed a cell phone. So... he had actually traveled in time. Now that he had a physical confirmation of the timeskip it felt more real. Viktor didn't know how to feel about it.

"Oh, umm... Yeah, something like that ..." Yuuri looked around nervously before looking back at him, but seemed hesitant to answer the question. "I don't know how much you want to know about your future..."

"I just want to know who you are." Viktor said, a little impatient. He seriously doubted that his relationship with that guy was going to surprise him. He sighed loudly when Yuuri still didn't answer. "Say it! Don't worry about me. When I go back to my time I'm sure I won't remember any of this."

Yuuri looked at him with wide eyes for a moment. Viktor feared he had offended him or something. People used to admonish him for being so rude when speaking. But he was surprised to hear the dark-haired man laughing.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you..." He said right away, waving his hands. "It's just... you reminded me of Yurio right now." And before he could ask who the hell Yurio was, Yuuri continued. "I am, uh ... your husband." He raised his right hand and showed his wedding ring, which gleamed when reflected in the artificial light.

Viktor was silent for a moment, trying his best not to yelling 'liar' at the foreign man.

Yuuri didn't seem to be the type of man he liked at all. Big, strong, with a tough face and explosive personality...

In fact, Yuuri seemed to be the opposite. They were both almost the same height, almost the same body type, although Yuuri was rather languid and his back hunched over, as if he were a shy and complacent person; He looked a lot like the stereotype of a Japanese office worker that he always saw on TV shows.

No. No. Nope. It wasn't definitely his type.

Maybe… Viktor just changed tastes when growing up. Maybe he stopped liking handsome and extrovert boys. Maybe now he was a bored, conformist and… a responsible adult.

Eww...

"I see..." It was all he said. An awkward silence surrounded them. Yuuri wasn't ugly... but he wasn't attractive either, rather, he seemed to be an ordinary man. But Viktor wasn't going to say it out loud and cause marital problems for his future self.

If there is one thing Viktor knew very well about himself, it is that he would never commit to something as sacred as marriage without a compelling reason. Surely his 'me' from the future was truly in love with this man, even if he didn't know why.

Viktor was about to turn around and keep skating until he realized one thing.

"Wait, married…? Legally married?" He inquired hopefully. Maybe he didn't know what to make of his choice of partner, but he always thought that he would end up married to some random model and pretend to be heterosexual for the rest of his life.

"Yes." Yuuri said more animatedly, his eyes shining. “Our marriage is legal in many countries. People in the future is more understanding and tolerant, Viktor. And don't worry, Yakov accepts you just the way you are."

"Ah…" Viktor felt a lump in his throat. If he feared something more in the world, is that his coach also turned against him just because he preferred men as bed partners. He actually felt relieved. "What about… my parents?"

"Oh… They…" Yuuri lowered his gaze and played with his hands. "You haven't talked to them in years… Well, last year they asked you for money, but you hung up the phone and blocked them when they… uh." Yuuri fell silent suddenly, as if realizing that it wasn't something appropriate to say, but that only raised Viktor's curiosity.

"What did they say?"

"Umm… They said things about me that I don't want to repeat."

Viktor tensed up. Maybe he didn't know Yuuri and maybe he didn't understand why he married him, but he didn't like at all that his parents insulted him.

"Don't believe anything they say and forget them. That pair only want to make my life bitter from the day I was born." He snapped seriously and more annoyed than he expected. Everything that his parents didn't approve was fuel to him.

"Yeah... that's what you said that time." Yuuri smiled, and Viktor froze at how genuinely happy and relieved he looked, as if he hadn't believed 33-year-old Viktor but 17-year-old Viktor.

It was strange, but at the same time it felt good to be able to see a Yuuri finally relaxed. He looked less taciturn.

"Oh…" Viktor just looked at him, not knowing what else to say.

After a few seconds of looking at each other, Yuuri cleared his throat.

"I think… we should go now. The skaters will start arriving in an hour and it would be the best if they don't see you.. Yakov said we could come back at night when no one is around, in case you want to continue skating."

"Uh? Is it 6 in the morning? What are we doing here so early? I thought it was night." He asked as he left the rink, Yuuri turned away from him to look for something.

"Ah. Well… Sometimes we like to come skating with no one looking at us, just to have fun ourselves." He murmured with his cheeks turning red, and now he looked cuter, even younger... Was his husband a 20-year-old boy? "In that way we don't affect the others skaters training schedule… and… Ah, you're retired from skating, and the Japanese nationals are in two weeks… Uh. You-You're my coach… By the way, here." He casually said as he handed Viktor a pair of sneakers with hideous animal print motifs. "These are Yurio’s, but they will fit you."

"What?" Viktor automatically took the shoes, but continued to stare at Yuuri with his mouth open.

Now he was surprised.

Coach? Had he become a coach? That… didn't sound so bad. It meant he had enough medals to coach other skaters without feeling like a loser. Yakov was also a great skater in his day. But…

Coaching his husband? Was that possible? Wasn't there a conflict of interest since they were both of different nationalities?

"So… you are a skater." He must have guessed when he saw him skating toward him in that graceful way a few moments ago. "How good are you?" Viktor knew he had asked the wrong question when Yuuri looked down at the floor. "Ah, I, I meant… you must be very good if I am your coach… right?" He inquired nervously. He really had no idea. As far as he knew, his only important medals were those he had as a Junior and an Olympian bronze. How could you coach someone without a significant achievement?

"Uh. I… I just know that…" Yuuri began to say before staring hard at him. Viktor was startled. "... you asked me to win a gold medal in a Grand Prix Final to get married, so I won four, and another two gold at World and one gold at the Olympic Winter Games. Today is our fifth anniversary, by the way." He smiled again, though his smile now gave off confidence, even look a bit arrogant, but that was okay.

"Oh… oh! That's fantastic!" Viktor exclaimed cheerfully, and strangely pleased. "So I'm married to an Olympian…" Alexei's hockey team hadn't won anything big lately. One point in favor for Yuuri.

"Oh, uhm. Yes." Yuuri looked puzzled for a moment, but his cheeks were still flushed.

"Something happens?" He asked after taking off his skates and putting on the ugly shoes. Yuuri also gave him temporary guards for his skates.

"We-well. I was just thinking… It's so strange to meet you like this, at this age. I… have admired you since I was 12 years old, when I saw you skate for the first time…"

"Twelve years?!" He exclaimed, stunned. Had he really become a pervert and dating someone much younger than himself? "Yuuri. How old are you?"

"Eh?" Yuuri blinked, confused after hearing the uncertainty in Viktor's voice. "I recently turned 30 years old. You're 4 years older than me… Ah, well, I guess right now I'm the oldest here." He laughed a bit.

"I see…" Viktor said more calmly and with a sigh. Yuuri was obviously an adult, but he looked really young. For a moment he thought very badly of himself. Viktor was about to get up from the bench until he realized something else... If Yuuri had known him since he was a child, which meant... "So... you saw me lose..."

"Lose?" Yuuri asked with widened eyes and sat down next to him. "What do you mean?"

"The Final Grand Prix of 2004. You may not remember it or haven't seen it, but for me it was only a few hours ago. I was in fourth place..." He said with a deep and pitiful sigh. He wasn't proud of his performance.

"For me you were great." Yuuri said without hesitation. Viktor immediately looked at him and was surprised by his sincerity. Yuuri wasn't trying to cheer him up, he just said what he really thought. "My 14-year-old self was in awe of your performance regardless of not seeing you on the podium. You… inspired him to get serious about figure skating." He said, and his face reddened completely. "And... you made him to get a big collection of posters of yours and official dvds of your ice shows over the years..."

Viktor felt his face burn as well. He had dealt with adult fans before and usually found them creepy. But the idea of his future husband, being his fan since childhood, was adorable.

"If you're my fan… it means I'm a good skater, right?" He inquired in a low voice, with some shyness.

He had never cared much about the opinions of others, but after the humiliation of a few hours ago, he realized that he needed someone sincere like Yuuri to talk, and not people, like his fans and fellow skaters, to tell him what they really thought, not what they think he wanted to hear.

"For me you are the best skater in the world!" Yuuri exclaimed aggressively, as if the idea of the contrary was offensive, and his brown gaze flashed with determination. Viktor gasped. Yuuri seemed to realize what he did and nervously returned to his shyness. "Maybe… you would like to know how many gold medals you have." He said with a sideways smile, as if he already knew the answer.

"I… No… I don't want to know." He smiled. He didn't need to know, he liked surprises. Then he cocked his head to look closely at the Japanese man. "By the way, I'm sorry I ruined your anniversary with... my other 'me'."

Yuuri shook his head and showed a genuine smile.

"Believe me, meeting you has been the best gift you have given me."

Viktor always believed that cheesy comments were for losers, but hearing the dark-haired man say that made his heart decide to beat faster and his cheeks to redden more and more.

Maybe that's why he decided to marry Yuuri.

Chapter Text

After a quick shower at the club and taking clothes from Yuuri's locker, the Russian boy and the Japanese went home (well, his home in the future, because in his time he still lived with Yakov and his wife Lilia).

Luckily, at that time of the morning there weren't many pedestrians, so Viktor had no need to hide. He didn't want to spend his day being harassed by the press or fans. Although he did feel a bit bad because Yuuri, in addition to lending him his changes of clothes, also lent him his hat and gloves (luckily his old self had disappeared without his coat, which was too big for him).

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again. "At least you should have kept the gloves..."

"Viktor, I'm fine." The black-haired man replied with a frown for the third time, almost sounding petulant. He was definitely acting like that question genuinely bothered him. "You need them more than I do, you're the one who was skating. You know the cold can hurt your muscles."

"You sound like Yakov." He mumbled inadvertently, and froze upon hearing Yuuri's reply.

"Well, you look more and more like Yakov, with the loss hair thing..."

"Am I losing hair?!" He screamed, putting his hands on his makeshift ponytail, but when he looked at the Japanese man's sly smile Viktor knew that he wasn't being serious. "Hey! You should know by now that I don't like that kind of joke." He said with a frown.

"I know. I'm sorry." Yuuri said, still smiling, and Viktor knew that he wasn't at all sorry, which made him pout and the dark-haired man laughing more.

Upon arriving at the apartment they were both greeted by happy barks and a ball of hair that was happily launched towards Viktor. The boy managed not to fall to the floor after tripping on the step of the lobby.

"Oh, it's good to know that he recognizes you." Yuuri commented as he took off his shoes.

"Owww. But who is this sweetie?" Viktor asked, crouching, as he laughed and was licked in the face by a black poodle.

Yuuri left his sneakers in the hallway and grabbed two pairs of slippers off the floor, pulling one pair over his socks and then handing the other pair to the teenager.

"It's Yuuchan. We adopted him a few months ago. He's still a puppy."

"He's adorable! What does 'Yuuchan' mean? Is it a Japanese name?"

"Eeh… something like that." He answered blushing, but made no effort to explain it.

"Um… Hey, do you happen to know something about my dog… Makkachin?" He asked trying to sound casual as he changed his shoes. Makkachin was only a couple of months old in his time, but now he was in the future, 16 years in the future...

Would Makkachin be…?

After hearing his name, an old Makkachin poked his head out from the sofa. He barked a few times and slowly tried to lower its legs to the floor. However, Viktor ran to his side, knelt, and hugged him before he could get down.

"I didn't think you were going grown up this much." He murmured into his fur, stroking his back affectionately. Makkachin licked his cheeks, and it wasn't until Yuuchan howled beside him that Viktor realized he was crying.

He wasn't sad.

He was relieved to know that in the future his puppy would be fine.

His parents hated him so much that they never allowed him to have a dog, and he had to beg Yakov and Lilia to let him have one, not before they gave him a long speech about how he would be solely responsible for Makkachin and that it would be his fault if he became ill or die.

But Makkachin was fine and relaxed, wagging his tail happily, his fur as soft and shiny as the first day he saw him.

Viktor was grateful that Yuuri didn't comment on it and let him have a moment with his pet until his tears stopped falling.

A few minutes later, after wiping his face with the sleeves of his clothes, Viktor looked at the older man again, however, he was sitting on the opposite sofa, with his gaze fixed on his cell phone, as if waiting for a call.

The Japanese man reacted a few seconds later when he felt the inquisitive look of the youngest man, an uncomfortable smile appearing on his face. Viktor frowned.

"Um. Viktor." He called him, a little unsure of speaking. Viktor rolled his eyes and sighed. Yes, maybe Yuuri was a little cute and his husband in the future (and also clearly liked dogs), but at that moment the silver-haired boy was emotionally drained and he no longer had the patience to deal with him.

"Yes?" He inquired as kindly as he could, with his best smile, the one his representative affirmed that the press loved. However, Yuuri looked down.

"Do you know if… my Viktor is okay?"

The Russian boy at first felt a not very pleasant chill at the thought of Yuuri calling him 'his Viktor', but it made sense, they were married after all. In addition, he could see the sadness in his posture and the concern on his face, so he decided to answer.

"He's okay. Don't ask me how I know, I just know he's okay…"

"Okay." Yuuri smiled weakly, and lingered on the couch for a while before standing up. "I'll make breakfast. You can look at the apartment, if you want."

Viktor nodded and petted the poodles before getting up from the floor and looking around the apartment.

He looked around the furniture, being able to notice the curious mixture between objects that some recognized as surely his while others were clearly Yuuri's. There were also a number of strange home appliances that he had never seen before (What was a PlayStation5 and a Switch?), until his gaze stopped at a particular point.

The photos of his wedding day were hanging on a wall.

Viktor was surprised to see himself. His future 'me' was tall, taller than Yuuri; and his hair… it was indeed short (but stylishly). He looked different. In fact, his entire body was different.

Strong chin, broad shoulders, muscles not exaggerated but marked by the clothes. He was no longer that androgynous boy that he took so long to accept in front of the mirror but an adult with masculine features.

Viktor didn't hate his current body, in fact, last year he had created a routine that exalted that duality; but, honestly, he was glad to know that he would gain mass and height in the future, because now he looked more like his grandfather and not his mother. His grandfather was a great person.

After seeing the photos he realized something else, adult Viktor and Yuuri looked very much happy together. The smile of his future 'me' was genuinely happy, and it showed so much peace that Viktor wasn't sure if he had ever felt that way at all.

"Viktor. Breakfast is ready." Yuuri called from what he assumed was the kitchen.

Eating with his future husband wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. The Japanese man was calm and cautious person, and very considerate, admitting to have making blinis because he thought Viktor wouldn't like a 'Japanese style' breakfast that they both apparently used to have for breakfast.

"So do I like Japanese food?" He inquired curiously as he chewed the blinis. They tasted so good that he couldn't stop eating as he spoke. Yuuri smiled and nodded.

"Yes, yes. You lived with me and my family for a while in Japan."

"Your family…?" He frowned. "Do they know…?"

"They were at our wedding." He responded naturally. "My parents don't know anything about ice skating, but they loved you from the day they met you."

"Oh." Viktor tried not to blush. Having the approval of his in-laws felt good for some reason he didn't understand. "And how did we meet, Yuuri?"

The adult man suddenly started coughing and answered after taking a long sip of his tea.

"Uh… we formally met at the banquet of my first Grand Prix Final, in 2014."

"I see…" In 10 years. "What medal did you get that time?" He asked without malice. If Yuuri and his other 'me' had been married for 5 years but met 6 years ago, it meant that Yuuri must have left a very good impression on him at that banquet.

"… Actually, I missed all my jumps and came in sixth place. You did make the podium."

"What?" He inquired, surprised. "But you said you had several gold medals, how could you fail like that in your first Grand Prix?"

"Viktor, not everyone its good enough to get fourth place in their first try."

Yuuri had replied still smiling, as if his accusation hadn't affected him at all, but Viktor felt like a punch and sank into his seat.

"I'm sorry… I… spoke without thinking."

"I know." Yuuri chuckled. "Don't worry Viktor, I know you. You are impulsive and you speak your mind. But right now you are young and your priorities are different. I… I won't be offended by what you think of me. I only care what my Viktor think about me."

Viktor tensed up for a moment ... It was true that he had doubts about Yuuri, but it was also true that they had met a couple of hours ago, it wasn't his fault to mistrust him. Luckily, Yuuri seemed to understand that.

"Well… So how did we meet? Was it romantic?" He inquired again with a mischievous smile when he noticed how Yuuri evaded the subject while he blushed again. "You're my fan, so it must have been difficult for you to talk to me." He rested his chin on his hands and fluttered his long silver lashes coquettishly.

"… Let's just say that despite finishing last, I caught your attention off rink."

"Oh, so we had sex? It must have been really good if I fell in love with you."

"No!" Yuuri got up from the chair and shook his head furiously. Viktor sighed. He didn't know if he was disappointed or relieved. "You finished eating?" He asked nervously, totally avoiding the subject. "I'll show you how to use your smartphone and then I'll wash the dishes."

"Do you want me to help?" Viktor hated washing dishes, but after a year living with Yakov and Lilia he got used to doing housework.

Yuuri shook his head and quickly showed him how to use his 'me''s cell phone (they found it in the coat), from how to use the web browser to the application to watch Videos.

Viktor then sat on the single sofa, with Yuuchan on his lap and Makkachin's head on his feet, and he had a bit of trouble surfing the Internet, as the screen would sometimes turn around and his index finger began to itch and hurt by touching the glass so much.

Eventually he managed to understand how it worked and decided to seek information about his ex-partners.

There were something called "social networks" that apparently replaced the Forums, and he only had to put the name of the person he was looking for to find his profile, or so Yuuri had told him.

Not everybody was there, but Viktor found out that his first ex-girlfriend had dropped out figure skating early due to her alcoholism, which was'nt a surprise, Viktor dumped her for trying to hit him with a bottle of vodka; his first ex-boyfriend now took semi-nude photos with the excuse of being artistic photos while begging for donations online (was that even legal?); a girl he once had sex with was banned from figure skating for trying to sabotage another female skater, and… Alexei…

"It was discovered in 2005 that he was using illegal metabolizers to improve his performance and he was banned from hockey for a year." He read softly in a virtual newspaper. "He is currently a coach for a children's hockey team."

Uh. He didn't expect that.

On the other hand, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov's wikipedia confirmed all of his achievements. Another point for his future husband.

Nevertheless, Viktor sighed and tilted his head. There was no point in looking at other people's past if he wasn't going to remember anything anyway. So he decided to watch videos to see what the current entertainment was like.

But as soon as he opened the Videos app, he saw images of himself in future competitions. He even found a video of him whose title said 'Old video of Viktor Nikiforov skating' and it was so strange to see himself from just a month ago but in the comments they were people praising how young he looked. There were even comments of fans theorizing that he cut off his long, beautiful silver hair out of depression or because of a heartbreak. Viktor also wanted to know why.

Then another title caught his eye: 'Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov's Best performance - Eros (2015)'.

Weird. The man in the picture didn't look much like the Yuuri in the kitchen, although he wore a suit suspiciously similar to the one Viktor wore the season before, when he was 16.

He clicked on it.

When the video started Yuuri had just glided to the center of the rink, and when he heard the sounf of Spanish guitars he raised his chin and blew a kiss to the audience.

Wow.

Yuuri was not only fully dressed in black, and definitely wearing his old suit that totally extolled his curves, but his black hair was slicked back and he wasn't wearing those ridiculous blue glasses, giving a better view of his bushy eyebrows and his sensually gentle face.

The movement of his arms and his facial expressions gave off a mesmerizing feminine aura, just as Viktor had tried in the past GF; but his legs, the strength in his leaps, the aggressiveness of his turns ... all that exuded masculinity.

Viktor easily imagined what it would be like to have those powerful hips pounding his back.

The sex between them must be really good. The pleased face of his grown-up version on the other side of the rink said it all.

Viktor was about to look into another video, one where Yuuri was wearing a blue suit that made him look like a fairy tale prince, when the actual Yuuri returned to the room.

"Yuuri!" He exclaimed happy to see him, and got up from the couch, scaring both poodles and the man.

"Y-yes?" He inquired before sitting down in the opposite couch, the two-seater. Viktor sat next to him.

"You really are my fan, uh." He commented, beating his lashes playfully. "I saw you wearing one of my outfits. Is it the original one or a replica?"

"O-oh yeah, it's the original." Yuuri's cheeks reddened, and he leaned forward to pet their poodles, avoiding the blue gaze. "I won't bore you with details, but I needed an outfit and you loaned me yours. In the end you let me keep it and I wore it the entire season."

"I see." He laughed and crawled closer to 'his husband'. Even with those ugly clothes and annoying glasses, Viktor could make out the sexy Yuuri from the video below. "It was a good idea. You look really good wearing it…"

"Thank you." Yuuri smiled and this time looked at him. "It's the outfit you were wearing the first time I saw you skate. It was an honor for me to wear it."

Oh… That innocent sincerity again. Viktor felt disarmed and didn't know how to continue flirting. He wasn't used to being the one conquered.

On a second thought. Yuuri had a pretty smile. His voice was soft and he seemed to be a generally kind person, quite the opposite of Alexei, who was arrogant and rude, something Viktor didn't much care about since he was really handsome and just wanted to know if he was as good in bed as he told the rumors; but in a few hours Yuuri was able to captivate him like no one had ever done before (maybe it had helped seeing their wedding's photos).

Still, he was curious to see that wild side he saw on the small screen. And he was about to make another attempt when his cell phone started making strange noises and vibrating.

"I did n't do anything!" He defended himself in case something was broken and tossed it on the couch. Yuuri laughed before taking the smartphone and handing it to him again.

"It's just a text. The sound is to let you know that someone sent you a message."

"Oh, I see… Who is Chris and why is he asking me who is on top tonight, in French?" Viktor only needed to see Yuuri's expression and flushed cheeks to finally understand the question and blushed too.

"Eh… It's Christophe Giacometti, he's one of our friends, and he was also a skater until he retired last year and… and… just ignore that. It's his way of saying hi." He said as he quickly took out his own smartphone. "I'll tell Chris that we won't be answering messages today. Technically it's our anniversary so no one should bother us."

Viktor blinked. Friends? Did he have friends in the future?

The concept of "friends" was foreign to him. He spent so much time training in the rink that he rarely socialized with anyone other than his fellow skaters, which is why most of his partners were other skaters and only during competitions. And Georgi… they didn't get along very well, as he had proclaimed himself his rival.

Viktor's cell phone rang once more and this time it was a message from Georgi himself, who wished him a happy and romantic anniversary. Oh. They were apparently friends now too.

When he looked back at the Japanese man, he realized that he was secretly looking at his long hair.

"Do you want to touch it?" He asked with a half-smile. Viktor knew very well that his silver hair attracted eyes, although he hated when others touched him without his consent. But Yuuri seemed to be the type of person who wouldn't ask due to his shyness, so he decided to offer him the opportunity.

"Oh!" He jumped on his seat in surprise. "Are you sure? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable..."

"I'm sure. I know you won't hurt me." He answered and then removed his garter, dropping his long hair like a waterfall over his shoulders. Then he turned his back to give Yuuri better access.

Viktor had seen the delicate way Yuuri stroked the poodles fur and how they gently rubbed their snouts against his hands. His touch must have felt good, which Viktor was able to confirm when Yuuri's fingers began to carefully through his silver strands until they reached the ends and repeat the process calmly. He felt pleasant chills.

"Wo-wow. It's silkier than I imagined." Yuuri muttered in wonder, and the Russian boy smiled.

"Did my other 'me' ever grow his hair back?" He asked trying to glance at him, and he could see the dark-haired man shake his head.

"No. My Viktor regularly goes to the stylist, he says it is more practical to have it short... Though he said he would let it grow if I asked him. But I won't ask."

"Why not? You like my hair long, don't you?" He said, a little confused. Yuuri clearly enjoyed touching his hair, and if his other 'me' agreed, why not take advantage of it?

"Because I know Viktor prefers it short. And I just want him to be happy being himself."

The silver-haired boy went silent. It was true that lately his hair was becoming more and more difficult to maintain and detangle, and there were times that some fans would pull his hair to get his attention, which was uncomfortable and painfully...

"Did he ever tell you why he cut it off?" He asked in a low voice, perhaps already knowing the answer.

"Yes." He took a large silver lock and used his fingers to comb it through. "Viktor wanted a change, he wanted his fans to stop looking at his hair to look at him."

"And it worked?"

"Yes... No. Well, a little." He laughed. "Some people cried and a few others accepted it from the beginning. It took a long time for everyone to get used to it. But you definitely caught the skating world off guard."

"How about you?"

"Uh, let's say that day I realized that I not only admired you for your skating..."

Viktor didn't need to turn around to know that Yuuri was blushing.

"Aww. Yuuri, I was your gay awakening?"

"No comment." He said and the teenager laughed.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

A few hours later, seeing that young Viktor still didn't return to his time, he and Yuuri decided to talk about different topics, from tv shows to other skaters.

Viktor, of course, continued to trying to provoke the Japanese man. Yuuri had been so cute and so considerate with him that he wished he could thank him for his hospitality in a way that they could both enjoy (besides, Yuuri was his husband in the future, it wouldn't be infidelity, right?).

But Yuuri ... either he needed more graduation in his glasses or he was ignoring him on purpose, because he didn't seem to understand Viktor's subtle flirtations and that was beginning to frustrate him. No one had ever made him try so hard before.

Perhaps he should be more direct.

However, the door of the apartment began to be knocked and a manly voice was heard from the other side.

"Hey, Katsudon! Open up. Yakov told me what happened to the old man. I must see this!"

"Oh, it's Yurio." Yuuri got up from the couch to go into the lobby and the poodles followed him as they barked and wagged their tails.

Ah. 'Yurio' again. Yuuri had already mentioned him several times during the conversation and Viktor didn't know what to think about him... Was his 'me' from the future aware of this Yurio and how his husband spoke so highly of him? Should be he worried? And what the hell was a ‘katsudon’?

He supposed he would know as soon as Yuuri opened the door.

Chapter Text

"It was about time, Katsudon. Where is the young Old man?" Viktor heard Yurio speak, in Russian.

The teenager had no idea what a 'katsudon' was or why the owner of that voice treated Yuuri so friendly, but he was certainly glad to hear someone speaking in his native language, since he was getting a little tired of the strange mix between English and Russian with which he was communicate with the Japanese man.

Umm... Maybe that was the reason why he couldn't charm Yuuri? His flirtations were surely lost somewhere in the translation. Yes, that must be it.

When Yuuri returned followed by a tall man, with long blond hair tied in a bun, and the owner of a pair of sullen green eyes; Viktor crossed his arms and lifted his chin, meeting glances with the intruder.

The blond man was the first one to speak.

"Uh. You're not as tall as I expected." He observed with mock disappointment before snorting.

Viktor blinked. He didn't know what to answer to that because, even if the other Russian emanated an aura of rudeness, just the kind of rudeness that he would normally found hot (but this time he preferred to ignore), not to mention that his jacket had horrible animal prints just like the shoes he borrowed at the skating rink; he said that without poison in his voice. Yurio didn't seem to be looking for a fight despite his angry face.

"Hello. Do I know you?" He inquired with his automatic smile, the one he used to feign joy. He wasn't going to give Yurio the pleasure of letting him know that Yuuri had already mentioned him several times before (too many times for his liking), much less now after realizing how especially attractive Yurio was.

What the hell was his adult counterpart thinking for allowing Yuuri to be surrounded by men like that?

The blond man gaze finally faltered a bit and a grimace appeared on his scowling face.

"Tch. How old is he?" He asked turning to the Japanese man, as if he thought the younger Russian wasn't smart enough to answer for himself.

"Soon I will be 18." Viktor replied quickly, placing his palms on his hips and stepping forward aggressively. He knew that Yurio was also a skater at that time, so he wasn't going to let his competition to intimidate him just for being younger.

"Viktor." Yuuri called out gently, laying a hand on his right arm, which made the teenager jerk. "Okay. Yurio is our friend, you don't have to act defensive."

"What?" He inquired with his blue eyes wide, confused. Why would he be friends with someone like that? That would be bad publicity for his image.

"Hah." Yurio smirked after carefully looking at him for a moment. "Viktor punished me with temples and waterfalls when I was 15 for not knowing what Agape was, but now I see that, at 17, he had no idea either. Anyway, the hypocrisy." He shrugged and shook his head. Viktor had no idea what 'Agape' was. "My name is Yuri Plisetsky. Not 'Yurio'. That's a nickname his sister made up so as not to confuse us." He said pointing a finger at Yuuri, something extremely rude, but right away he turned that finger towards him. "And you, wonder boy who still has hair, you are my coach. Well, you will be my coach when Katsudon retires after the Japan Nationals and finally let my generation to win something decent. Yakov is still my coach for now, so don't treat me as a rival but as your rinkmate. Anyway, I'm better than the two of you together." He said with air of superiority, and before Viktor could reply with sarcasm, he felt a hot breath on his ear.

"That isn't true," the Japanese man whispered with a chuckle. Viktor felt chills run down his spine. "I mean, Yurio is good and has won gold in Russian Nationals and European competitions, and once he beat us in Worlds, but I am still the one to beat in the Grand Prix series."

"Oh. Uh..." The silver-haired boy did n't know what to do with so much information, adding the offensive hints of the other Russian. But at least he knew that Yuuri wasn't impressed at all with Yurio. His future marriage was in no danger. Then he changed the subject. "... Uh. And what is katsudon?"

Both Yuuri and Yurio seemed surprised at the question.

"Didn't you tell him what Katsudon is?" Yurio questioned Yuuri in disbelief. "What have you been doing all morning? Have you been fanboying so hard on him that you only talk about your sick love for Viktor and trying to seduce his younger version? That's adultery, you know?" He said in annoyance, though it was evident that a mocking smile was emerging from his crooked smile.

"What?!" The Japanese man's face flushed completely and he waved his hands erratically as he denied it. Yuuri looked quite embarrassed while Viktor found that adorable. "Yurio!" He exclaimed in dismay. "Viktor is just a kid! Don't say those things in front of him! It's weird and I don't like the sound of it. Besides, the last thing I want is for him to feel uncomfortable around me..."

The blond man rolled his eyes and sighed loudly while Viktor froze.

A kid… That echoed in his head, feeling as if something was digging painfully into the center of his chest.

He was earning his own money. He was beginning to be recognized on the streets of Russia and he would soon be leaving Yakov's house to rent his own apartment. He drank vodka. He went to parties. He knew how to drive even though he didn't have a license yet. He was very independent and now took care of Makkachin. And most importantly, he wasn't a virgin.

He wasn't a child.

Viktor was so annoyed by the comment that he barely paid any attention to them during the rest of the conversation, but at least he could hear that Katsudon, or Pork cutlet bowl, was Yuuri's favorite food.

Uh.

Strange. He never wondered what his ex-partner's favorite food was.

"I was going to explain to him what katsudon is on lunch." Yuuri finished saying and the silver-haired boy snapped out of his thoughts.

"And it's almost lunch time." Yurio replied with a triumphant smile. "Can I stay for lunch, right? The old man is gone, so I'm not interrupting anything important." He walked to what appeared to be a television (even though it had no buttons or antenna) without even waiting for an answer. Viktor frowned and narrowed his eyes.

Oh, yeah, he was interrupting something important, maybe not an anniversary but his chance to have a fun and sexy time with his future husband..., despite the fact he was failing spectacularly. It wasn't his fault that Yuuri was so blind that he couldn't see how much Viktor wanted to spend a fun afternoon with him! Maybe his ridiculous glasses didn't have the correct prescription...

The Japanese man gave a tired sigh and just nodded.

"I'll go make lunch then." He reported with a smile to Viktor, but he scowled at Yurio. "You better behave around Viktor and don't make him wish he didn't meet you, or else I'll send embarrassing pictures of you to your fan club."

"You wouldn't do that." He mockingly replied. "You would never have the courage to do something like that even if he told him about the ban-"

"Not me! But Phichit would!" He yelled from the kitchen and Yurio closed his mouth.

"Damn, I always forget about Phichit…"

"What were you going to say about the banquet?" He inquired, curious, remembering how Yuuri had avoided the topic earlier, but Yurio also ignored him and took something from under the TV.

"Take this." Yurio slammed the object against his chest. "I'm bored and I want to see if you've always been that bad at video games." Yurio turned on the television with the remote control and took another object similar to the one from before, then gestured for the younger Russian to sit next to him on the sofa.

Ah.

So that thing called Switch was a console. Viktor had never played video games before (well, just Tetris), but he knew what a console and a gamepad were (one of his rinkmates had a Gameboy). He was even surprised to learn that Super Mario still existed in the future.

"So… I play video games with you?" He asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere between them after a few minutes of just hearing the buttons being smashed. If the blond man felt as uncomfortable as he was about being only the two of them alone, he hid it very well.

Makkachin had climbed onto the sofa and fell asleep on Viktor's thighs while Yuuchan, being a curious puppy, would sometimes run to the kitchen to see what the Japanese man were doing and then return to the living room to see what the Russians guys were doing.

"Yeah, but like I said, you're really bad at it. You'd starve if you were a streamer." He said and, to confirm it, had his character take Viktor character off the stage. The silver-haired boy had chosen a random swordswoman while the blond man had chosen a random swordsman. "Use Pikachu the next time, maybe he will be easier for you. He's Viktor's favorite."

"Oh, okay…" Viktor still felt strange when someone mentioned his other 'me', so he preferred to keep asking questions. "What is a 'streamer'?"

"Ah. Uh... It's something from the future. It would take a long time to explain, but the other Viktor doesn't understand it either, so you aren't missing anything. "

"I see... And what is Yuuri's favorite character?"

"I think Sephiroth… No wait, Luigi. He always uses him like the loser he is."

"Luigi?"

"The green Mario."

"Ah yes, the brother… What other things does Yuuri like?" He inquired with his best neutral expression, but it didn't seem to work because Yurio was immediately suspicious.

"Wait." The blond Russian paused the game and turned to see him in disgust. "I know you and I know that tone of voice. Are you trying to seduce the other old man?"

"What if I'm doing that? What is the problem?" He questioned with a half-smile and a raised eyebrow.

"That he is 30 years old and you still have acne, besides, he is a married man." He answered with all the obviousness of the world but Viktor sighed loudly.

"So what? Yuuri is my husband. And age doesn't matter. One of my rickmates, who is younger than me, lost his virginity to a woman 10 years older than him."

Viktor waited for Yuri to be surprised, because that boy had been the envy of everyone for being with an experienced woman. However, it was just the opposite, as his expression looked even more disgusted than before.

"First of all, Yuuri is not your husband." Yurio replied, trying not to raise his voice while looking toward the kitchen, as if he feared being overheard. "Second, that woman should be in jail for sleeping with a minor, and third... Ewww ... now I understand why you bothered me so much about not losing my virginity so young."

"What...?" Viktor's eyes widened, puzzled. "Why I would do that? What's wrong with enjoying my sexuality when I want to?" And if he wanted to lose his back virginity to his future husband, that was his decision and no one else's.

"Look, I'm not going to discuss this with you." Yurio said sharply, looking back at the screen. "Anything I tell you now won't change your past, but anything stupid you do now will change Yuuri's future, and I know you don't want to hurt him, you're not that an idiot. So stop trying." Viktor was silent, trying to understand the problem, although the blond man soon shook his head and then added calmly. "Bah, I don't know why I even worry about. Katsudon would never be unfaithful to the old man with you even if you showed to him naked and on your knees."

"Is that a challenge?" He inquired in a low voice.

"No, it is a fact."

They continued playing in silence.

Viktor asked no more questions.

"Guys, the katsudon is ready." Yuuri said a few minutes later with a big smile.

"Great!" Yurio left the gamepad on the sofa and got up to go to the dining room, however, his smartphone began to ring. "Oh, damn. I forgot that I promised my grandfather that I would go shopping with him, he's waiting for me. Sorry, I have to go."

"Oh, I understand. More katsudon for me then." Yuuri joked and the blond man made a dismissive gesture with one hand, now heading for the exit. "Say hello to Nikolai for us."

"Yes, yes. Goodbye." Before leaving he turned to see the teenager for the last time. "Oh. And Viktor… It was good meeting you like this. I was your fan once, but I grew up. You're lucky that your husband still thinks you're worth admiring." Then he closed the door.

"Yurio!" Yuuri exclaimed, horrified by his lack of courtesy. He quickly turned to Viktor to assure him that Yurio was only joking.

On the other hand, Viktor, although feeling a bit offended by such harsh words, smiled.

After Yuuri apologized over and over again on behalf of the blond man and Viktor assuring him that everything was fine and that he would surely forget it anyway, they went to the dining room.

The Katsudon didn't turn out as bad as he expected. It wasn't the best food he had ever had but he could understand why Yuuri liked it so much. In fact, it was fun to watch the mastery in with which the Japanese man ate the pork strips with the wooden chopsticks (Viktor had to use a fork, of course).

"Actually, your favorite Japanese food is Ramen with beef." Yuuri explained when the silver-haired boy couldn't continue eating because he felt satiated, leaving food on the plate. "But we have the habit of eating katsudon when we celebrate something."

"Like an anniversary..."

"Exactly, like my wedding anniversary." Yuuri nodded and smiled. Viktor couldn't help but notice his brown eyes twinkling as he talked about the dish. "But there are also other things to celebrate today, like your fourth place in the Grand Prix Final and that I was finally able to touch your hair. My inner child keeps screaming."

The teenager laughed and felt his heart leap with joy. No one congratulated him on his fourth place, in fact, he only received negative comments about it and pitying looks from his fellow rinkmates.

Yuuri wasn't only cute and sexy, but also friendly. It was true that his first impression of him had been that of a strange and taciturn fellow. However, while trying to understand why his adult self had fallen in love with Yuuri made him realize that he had never tried to analyze his previous partners so carefully, because he didn't even know the favorite color of his last girlfriend, while he could easily tell that Yuuri's was blue.

His future husband intrigued him.

He didn't know if the Japanese man was special or if soulmates existed (if time travel did exist, why not soulmates?), or maybe they just met at the right time. But Viktor, deep down, was a hopeless romantic who prayed that Yuuri would be the man of his life.

Not only because he was a great skater and he also liked dogs, but because, after eating, he found the photo album on his smartphone, and he could see how the photographs in which they posed together, including the most mundane, they were always kept their eyes on each other with the same air of devotion and innocence as the photographs hanging on the wall. It was evident from the looks that Yuuri and his grown-up version loved and admired each other.

But him, the young version of Yuuri's husband, the shadow of a distant past, was looked with admiration and longing.

Viktor felt envious of himself.

Later at night, Viktor wanted to go back to the skating rink. Yuuri try to refuse because a light snow was forecast, but he must have seen some urgency in Viktor because, a few minutes, they were already outside the skating club. The young Russian was going to use the old tactic of picking the lock but the Japanese man stopped him by showing him a bunch of keys. Viktor wasn't surprised to learn that Yakov had given a copy to Yuuri (clearly he was the responsible one).

Upon entering the rink Viktor take a breath that filled his lungs. The familiar cold of ice wrapped him for a moment and then he decided to take the first step and skate to the center.

But he stopped.

"Something wrong?" The Japanese man went next to him and looked at him with concern.

"No. I… I was just thinking…" He muttered, scratching his nose. Viktor had stopped flirting with him after the chat with Yurio. But... Maybe he could try again?... He looked up, extended a hand, and smiled at the older man. "Skate with me, Yuuri."

"Oh! Uh… Of course." Yuuri, surprised and perhaps a bit confused, accepted the invitation smoothly and skate beside him, their hands linked.

The sound of blades sliding across the frozen surface was the only thing that sounded for several minutes before the silver-haired boy finally dared to make one last request.

"Yuuri." The older man stopped skating and looked at the teenager next to him, who had a determined but fearful look.

"Yes, Viktor?" Yuuri inquired in such a carefully and polite way that Viktor finally realized that Yuuri had been treating him with the infinite patience of someone who didn't want to deal with an irritated teenager. That made him sigh and lower his head.

"You... Do you love me?" He could see Yuuri's feet stand in front of him and feel the warmth of his hands on his shoulders. Viktor looked up slightly to see the older man's indulgent expression.

"Of course I love you, Viktor" Yuuri replied with such sincerity that it hurt, because Viktor understood that they weren't talking about the same kind of love.

Yes, Yuuri loved him. But he loved him as a fan, just like everyone else.

"But you love your husband more..." He accused without even thinking about it, and after hearing it from himself he realized the idiocy he had just said. Of course Yuuri would love the grown-up version of him more, that's why they were married!

However, Yuuri, far from laughing or mocking him, removed his hands from his shoulders and instead placed them on his cheeks, which were starting to get wet for some reason, and smiled gently at Viktor.

"You're right. I love you as a Concept, as the boy who made me love the ice and the one who inspired me to focus on my present to forge a future, and thanks to that, I become the man I am today. I am very grateful to you, Viktor." The teenager realized that he had been crying when his eyes burned and his vision blurred. Yuuri continued speaking, not caring tears were wetting his fingers. "Don't worry. In your time there’s a 14-year-old Yuuri who will make many mistakes trying to grow up just because the wants to impress his idol, and he will love you as much as I love my husband when the time comes." Yuuri promised. Viktor believed him. "I... I learned over the years that what really matters is your true 'me', so be yourself and don't do what others expect you to do, and don't let your mistakes overwhelm you... Actually, I learned that from you." He confessed with a chuckle.

Viktor wanted to laugh at the irony, but the only thing that his shaking body managed to do was reach out and hold onto Yuuri tightly, with his stuffy nose against his chest and his blue eyes closing as he tried to stop crying.

Yuuri hugged him back and stroking his silver hair calmly, kissing his forehead as comfort. Viktor hugged him tighter.

"I'll be waiting for you..." He muttered with a broken voice, and he could sense the smile on Yuuri's voice.

"I know."

When the teenager opened his eyes again, he saw the ceiling of his hotel room.

Chapter Text

Viktor stared at the ceiling as he tried to focus his vision.

Strange. He felt rested, as rested as if he had slept for hours, but according to the digital clock into his cell phone, it had only been an hour since he fell asleep on the sheets, without even having put on his pajamas.

He blinked quietly and then, lethargic, he sat on the edge of the bed, repeatedly looking around.

He was still in his hotel room. Where else did he expect to be?

After a few seconds he realized why he had woken up. Heavy knocks sounded against his door.

Without much hurry, Viktor got up and went to open it, meeting quickly with the sullen face of his coach, who entered the room and stood in front of him in an authoritative manner.

"Viktor. I hope you are getting ready for the banquet. Even though you came in fourth place, there are many sponsors who are interested in you and want to talk to you." He said, more like an order than in a scolding tone, already foreseeing that the teenager would look for a thousand excuses to avoid showing his sad face. "You are the rising star of Russia and people expect professionalism from you."

The silver-haired boy, far from denying and complaining, sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I know. I'll be there..."

"Wait, are you serious ...? That easy?" Yakov asked so surprised that Viktor looked back at him in confusion.

"Uh, what do you mean? I always listen to you, coach." He replied with a slightly forced laugh, though the older man's expression was quite funny.

"I don't know." He admitted crossing his arms, watching the boy as if he had suddenly grown a second head. "I was waiting for you to throw a tantrum like on other occasions."

"What?!" Viktor exclaimed, embarrassed and blushing. "Of course I don't do those things! I'm a responsible adult!" He pouted and Yakov laughed derisively, though not really being a mockery.

"Yeah, sure... Whatever." His coach waved a hand to dismiss the matter and turned back to the door. "Be a good loser and go talk to Plushenko, the press wants pictures of you two together."

"Oh yeah. I guess I should congratulate him for his gold medal…" He commented feigning disinterest, looking at his nails, but deep down he knew very well that he was a fan of Plushenko. It was impossible not to be a fan of the best skater in the world.

"And no alcohol."

"Yeah, I know..." He repeated with a snort. Viktor had to admit that an hour ago he would have done anything for a drink. But now… he felt good. Strangely good, despite being sober.

Of course he still felt like a loser and that his future in skating was uncertain. However, he woke up feeling relaxed, even optimistic.

He never thought that taking a nap would help him so much...

Did he have a nice dream? And if so, what did he dream of?

Yakov also seemed to notice his change in mood because he did not make any more impositions and nodded, as if approving Viktor's new attitude.

"You have 10 minutes to change your clothes. And if everything goes well tonight, tomorrow we can discuss the routines you have in mind for the next season." The older Russian man redirected his gaze to the door and headed out. Viktor looked at him in surprise.

"The routines…?" Before even finishing the question, Yakov had already slammed the door. "Oh!" Viktor grinned from ear to ear after realizing that Yakov hadn't come there to scold him or lecture him but to cheer him on (in his own very way, of course).

One of the main reasons it hurt him so much to finish fourth is because his coach had promised to let him create his own routines if he proved his worth in the Grand Prix. And despite not having made the podium, Yakov would still allow it. His coach… trusted him.

That was enough to lift his spirits further that night.

Viktor quickly found his formal clothes in his travel bag and changed, then went to the bathroom in search for a mirror where he could comb his long, tangled hair...

He should cut his hair.

Every day it was harder to take care of it, not to mention that pervert fans used to pull it to get his attention. Nonetheless, the press reaction would be really funny, as they loved to create drama every time a celebrity made a change in their appearance. Possibly they would blame it to the result of the GPF or some imaginary heartbreak...

Viktor saw his own look of disgust in his reflection as he remembered that he would surely see Alexei at the banquet, and surely in the arms of the women's Grand Prix gold medalist...

To hell with Alexei! His attitude was lousy, and he was the typical closet guy who pretended to like girls, besides, his hockey team sucked, and... and... he hated when Alexei tried to touch his hair or his waist, or his butt, even when Viktor pulled away his hand and repeatedly said no.

God. How come he hadn't noticed those details before? Viktor needed to think better what kind of people he related to from now on.

When the silver-haired boy came out of the bathroom and looked for his cell phone to put it inside his suit pocket, he noticed that his parents' number jumped on the screen along with five missed calls... No, six. The phone began to vibrate again in his hand.

He debated with himself whether or not he should answer. And he decided not to answer. Viktor didn't need to hear his parents remind him that they would rather have had a daughter who did ballet and not 'a weird son who dances on ice'.

The teenager closed his eyes and gave a sigh that filled his chest until he calmed down. Then he decided to take his fourth place as the first rung to get to the top.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Before opening his eyes, Viktor was enveloped in a familiar scent of ice and… katsudon. He also heard the familiar sound of a breathing and the pounding of a heartbeat against his ear.

The silver-haired man didn't need to open his eyes to know that he had his cheek pressed against his husband's chest. The pain in his neck confirmed it.

Slowly, he straightened and opened his lids to see the brown eyes that he loved so much in front of him.

"Yuuri." He crooned his name out of habit. And before he could ask why they were in that position, when he was sure the last thing he remembered was trying to nail a quad flip, Yuuri tugged at his shirt and kissed him lips unceremoniously.

Despite his surprise, there were few times that his husband did that in public places, so Viktor didn't complain and placed a hand on Yuuri's nape to deepen the act.

However, he did get worried when the kiss ended and Yuuri hugged him so tightly that it hurt, hiding his wet face between his neck before hearing him sob weakly.

"Yuuri." He repeated, worried and confused, and quickly wrapped his arms around his body. "What is it, solnyshko?"

"No-nothing. It's just... I missed you so much."

"Uh? What do you mean?" He inquired, even more confused. "I've been here the whole time, you were the one who went to the bathroom and… How did I end up with my face against your chest? Did I slip and hit my head?"

Yuuri giggled a little and shook his head, then wiped the tears with the sleeves of his jacket, and faced the grown-up version of the boy who had been in front of him just seconds ago.

"I just met a younger version of you, 17-year-old Viktor." He simply summarized.

Viktor froze for a moment, but he didn't doubt his husband for a single moment. In fact, that explained his change of position and why he suddenly began to remember when Yuuri tried to comfort him as he stroked his long silver hair...

"I traveled in time..." He resolved to say, convinced, and put a hand to his chin as the memories returned little by little. "And you made me cry. Well, not 'me' but 'other Viktor'."

"What?!" Yuuri stared at him, stunned, not expecting such a comment. "Was he crying… because of me?" The dark-haired man looked so distressed that the silver-haired man took his hands carefully and smiled tenderly at him.

"Don't worry, I know you didn't do it on purpose. But yeah, it's your fault."

"P-please don't tell me that! I won't be able to live knowing that I made my idol cry!" He exclaimed feeling suddenly dizzy, and his eyes twisted into spirals as he struggled to stay on his feet. "What did I do wrong?"

Viktor narrowed his eyes and wanted to point out that he had already made him cry in Barcelona. However, he knew that young Viktor, for Yuuri, from whom he borrowed his Juniors outfit; he was the unreachable idol that he saw on television and that he knew he would never meet… Except that they did meet.

"You treated him well." Viktor answered seriously, lowering his gaze to the ice, intertwining their fingers. "You made him feel admired and supported..., you made him feel that skating was worth it if he could inspire other skaters like you to follow in his footsteps, besides, you cooked for him, you gently touched his hair; you made him feel real love… "Viktor was aware that everything he said was what his husband did for him on a daily basis. But, of course, that was something that the 17-year-old Viktor had not experienced and that he will never experience with his future partners, only with Yuuri. "And you didn't even kiss him even though I tried so hard to seduce you!" He suddenly exclaimed with a frown, while the Japanese man dropped his chin, dumbfounded. "You hurt my teenage ego, did you know that?"

"A-ah, what?!" Yuuri shook his head and tried to understand the situation. Though it took him no more than a few seconds to realize that Viktor was only being dramatic about it, so he smiled in relief. "I am a married man, do you remember? With you." He released his right hand to show his wedding ring. "Besides, I don't remember your younger version trying to seduce me." Viktor rolled his eyes, remembering well the frustration he experienced in Hasetsu during his first weeks as a coach. "And if he really had, I mean, tried to seduce me and somehow succeeded, I wouldn't have done anything with him. That would have been weird, I'm twice his age."

"I know, solnyshko." Viktor's gaze softened completely and he laid a hand on Yuuri's left cheek so he could see his own wedding ring. "And I really appreciate your loyalty." He cupped his other cheek and gently planted a kiss on his lips. Yuuri gladly accepted it. "Though it wouldn't have bothered me if you gave him a little kiss like this." He added after pouting. Yuuri screeched in disbelief.

"What? But...that's..."

"Well, He was still Me, so you wouldn't change the future nor would it be infidelity." He explained raising an index finger, as if it were obvious. "So all you did was deprive your poor husband of kissing you for 17 hours, and on his fifth anniversary! What will you do to remedy it, Yuuri?" He crooned, bringing their faces closer. "We still have an hour before midnight and I'm dying for some katsudon..."

Yuuri felt his cheeks burn to the max as he had his husband's flirtatious gaze on him, he batting his long silver lashes and using his experienced hands to indecently pet his back and ass.

And while Viktor was internally pleased to know that he could still seduce his Yuuri (with his 'recent' failures in mind), he noticed that the Japanese's man perpetually shy gaze soon changed to that gaze full of determination and carnal desire that he loved so much, being able to see a glint of his Eros peeking out, something that would evidently culminate in moan on the mattress when they returned home. Viktor could feel his 'me' from the past envying that.

Yuuri, for his part, was happy to finally have his Viktor back, and though knowing another facet of his idol had been a dream come true, having a loving husband was a reality from which he never thought to detach.

There were things that the 33-year-old Viktor missed from the past, like his youth, his long hair, and how it felt to win his first gold medal in Senior.

However, he didn't miss the loneliness, the uncertainty of not knowing if one day he would be accepted by his parents, the fear of not being enough for someone special; believing that his Yuuri was a taciturn and simple man (he would smack his younger version of he could), so Viktor definitely preferred to live in the present alongside his beloved husband as they forged a wonderful future together.

Chapter Text

It had been a while since Yuuri won his last gold medal at Japan Nationals and retired from figure skating for good, at least as a competitor, since he decided that his next step would be to be his husband's right-hand while they planned more carefully their future together.

Viktor, on his part, continued to be a Coach, now taking under his tutelage Yurio, Minami Kenjirou and other promising youngsters. And of course, having his lovely husband as his sexy assistant coach.

And although Yuuri wasn't entirely interested in being a coach, he had matured enough in recent years and felt capable of passing his knowledge on to new generations. So while the Japanese man taught his students how to express themselves better on the rink and some technical issues, Viktor could focus on creating the routines, improving them as the season progressed, and also handling the public relations with the sponsors, the logistics for the competitions and the discussions with the skating federations. They were a perfect duo.

However, despite their many achievements together and separately, and having a job that they both loved and made them felt happy and fulfilled… the couple believed that they still needed something more to make their life more perfect.

They had love, they had money, they had their adorable dog Yuuchan (Makkachin was already resting calmly in the heaven of the good boys), but there was still an unoccupied place that they couldn't find a way to fill it.

And Viktor was the one who found the answer one day on the Ice Castle's skating rink.

The silver-haired man had bent over the bench for a moment to finish tying his skates when he looked up to see that his husband had been replaced for a much younger version of him.

The good news is that they were in Hasetsu for vacations and their students wouldn't miss a day of training.

Viktor would have panicked if it weren't because he had fresh in his mind what happened months ago, so he simply took out his smartphone and started taking pictures of 'Yuuri-chan' (so as not to confuse him with his Yuuri and his dog Yuuchan).

Yuuri, sadly, hadn't taken pictures with his younger version, and the 17-year-old Viktor (Vitya for short) had no idea about social media and wasn't used to taking pictures of himself that often, while the grown-up Viktor loved having his social media full with photos of his husband's adorable face.

However, the Russian man quickly hid the phone when Yuuri-chan noticed his presence.

The Japanese boy, of course, jumped in shock when he saw a stranger behind the protective fence, though he stopped shaking when Viktor addressed him in decent Japanese.

"Hi, Yuuri-chan! Nice to meet you. My name is Viktor." He exclaimed with more enthusiasm than necessary. Because, unlike Vitya, there were almost no records of Yuuri-chan during his Junior years, since his professional career went unnoticed by the media for many years.

Viktor, of course, was always curious to see his husband's old routines and outfits, and more than once he had complained about the lack of videos and images. However, Yuuri used to roll his eyes at him and accuse him of being 'dramatic' as he comfortably watched all Viktor Nikiforov's routines on YouTube.

"Oh, uh. Hello..." Yuuri-chan looked around before answering, perhaps searching for a familiar face, then he realized that his eyes weren't blurry. "Uh? When I put my glasses on? I could swear I left them in my backpack..." He muttered. Yuuri used to skate without his glasses since he accidentally broke them at 10 years old.

"Yuuri-chan, how old are you?" Viktor asked and stepping onto the rink, slowly gliding towards him. The Japanese boy seemed to tense up again, something understandable, so the silver-haired man immediately looked for a photo in his Gallery of his last birthday where he was hugging his in-laws (Yuuri had taken the photo) "Don't worry, I'm, eh... friends with your parents."

The black-haired boy narrowed his eyes, totally mistrusting the adult, but curiosity got the better of him and he leaned closer to see the image. After a few seconds he nodded and murmured approvingly.

"I'm 14." He replied with a small smile, like the polite good boy that he was. "Umm… May I ask what is that?" He inquired, pointing shyly to the smartphone and the silver-haired man smiled.

Viktor was somewhat relieved that Yuuri-chan didn't recognize him and found the object more intriguing, because he really didn't know how to explain that he would end up marrying a man, his idol, and not Yuuko...

"It's my smartphone. Um... It's a cell phone with advanced technology and..." He began to say thoughtfully, placing a finger on his chin, trying to think of a subtle way to explain that he was in another time.

"... You are a time traveler, right?" He suddenly inquired and the adult was startled.

"Uh?" Viktor blinked, then looked up at the Ice Castle's walls, making sure the posters of himself and other skaters were still there, as Yuuri's medal shelf and the doggy calendar. Everything was still there.

Apparently Yuuri-chan followed his gaze because he heard him give a shriek of uncertainty as he noticed the differences in his environment.

"No... I was the one who traveled to the fu-future..." Yuuri-chan put his hands to his head and began to tremble. Viktor immediately got on his knees in front of him, not caring about the frozen floor, and took the dark-haired boy by the shoulders to try to reassure him.

"Yuuri, everything is fine. Look at me. You're in Hasetsu, at the Ice Castle. It's 2021. No one will hurt you, I promise. Take a deep breath and count to ten, okay?" After a few minutes that felt eternal for both of them, Yuuri-chan calmed down enough to stop shaking and Viktor could breathe. Despite their years of marriage, Viktor still felt a bit useless every time Yuuri had a panic attack. "Do you feel better?" Yuuri-chan nodded slowly. "Good. I'm glad. By the way, I must say I'm surprised that you realized so quickly about time travel. How did you do it?"

"The photo..." he explained, looking up as Viktor stood up. "My parents don't have gray hair… yet."

"Wow! Amazing!" He exclaimed impressed, clapping a bit. Yuuri-chan was smarter at 14 than Vitya at 17.

"And you…" The boy continued, staring at the adult before looking away, embarrassed. "You look like an adult version of Vi-Vikutoru Nikiforofu. He just cut his hair off and... and you look just like him. Also, you said your name is Vikutoru..."

Ah!

The Russian man felt a bit foolish in believing that Yuuri-chan wouldn't recognize him. His Yuuri was his biggest fan after all! Also, there really weren't that many celebrities with silver hair...

"Yes, I'm Viktor Nikiforov. But I'm currently married, so my last name has changed." He said proudly, showing off his wedding ring. "And as I said, I'm glad to meet you, Yuuri-chan." This time he held out a hand in greeting, not sure if he should mention that he was his husband, since Yuuri-chan was just a boy compared to Vitya...

"Are you married to me?!" The boy asked suddenly, his brown eyes gleaming, taking the offered hand enthusiastically. Viktor's chin dropped.

"But how did you know?!" He exclaimed without even thinking of denying it, feeling between horrified and proud.

"Oh! Uh. There's… a poster of you and me, uh, I mean, my grown-up version over there." He released his hand and pointed out shyly toward the wall behind the silver-haired man. "They both have gold rings..." He said and his cheeks went red. "Um, I mean, I think it's me; the one in the photo looks like my father when he was young..."

Okay… Yuuri-chan was definitely smarter than Vitya, because on the Saint Petersburg skating rink there was also a posters of them together but the teenager didn't even notice them. Not to mention that he managed to recognize himself.

"Yes, you're correct, you and I are going to get married... when you grow up, of course." He said and winked.

There was no point in denying it, as Yuuri-chan clearly seemed pleased at the idea. Also, Viktor had to remind himself that Yuuri confessed to Vitya that his crush towards him was born thanks to his haircut, which meant that the younger Yuuri already had a crush on him.

"But why?" Yuuri-chan looked down, frowning. "I… I'm not that good of a skater. I've only gotten silver and bronze, never gold. Be-besides, I usually get nervous before competitions and spoil everything, and…" Viktor stopped him from talking, placing a hand on his shoulder, leaning his body so their eyes met.

"Yuuri-chan. I don't care about that kind of things." He replied sincerely. As a coach, he obviously wanted his students to win gold, but as a husband and life partner, he didn't really care about the color of the medals his Yuuri won as long as he was happy. "You are a good skater now, and you will be even better because you always try hard and never give up. That's what I admire the most about you, Yuuri-chan." The Japanese boy looked at him with eyes and mouth wide open. "You know? In the future we will skate together on the same ice, both as partners and rivals. But your medals aren't the reason why I will marry you… though it will cost you a gold medal to get my hand in marriage." Yuuri-chan looked at him with even more surprise.

"Oh." The boy said nothing more, seemingly processing the information, but Viktor could see the determination shining in his gaze for a moment before blushing again. "Uh…, Vikutoru… Can we… skate together now?" He inquired in a low voice, with the same shyness as when he and his Yuuri started getting to know each other.

"Of course, Yuuri-chan." Viktor's smile softened and he offered a hand again. The Japanese boy first touched his palm with trembling fingers, but he took his hand tightly as he felt more secure. The silver-haired man was the first to move a foot forward and the boy followed him to stand beside him.

Yuuri-chan skated slowly and awkwardly, remarkably nervous, and from time to time looking at the older man with stars in his brown eyes, as if his mind finally made him understand that he was next to his idol and crush.

Although Viktor had to admit that he was feeling a bit upset because Yuuri-chan wasn't acting that fanboy or asking him questions about his career.

But that made sense. Vitya was just another skater in his time, a skater without his own identity who did robotic routines imposed by some choreographer resentful with the life. He wasn't a living legend yet.

Surely Yuuri-chan admired him for being the youngest skater on the circuit, or because for his physical beauty. He didn't admire him for the same reasons as his adult counterpart. And if Vitya had just cut his hair in his time, that meant that the new season hadn't started yet and Yuuri-chan hadn't seen the first routines that he created by himself.

… And he didn't know Makkachin either, as Vitya introduced his poodle to society during an interview when it was already an adult dog, which meant that Vicchan didn't exist yet. Viktor was saved from explaining to little Yuuri-chan that both dogs were resting in peace.

"Um… Vikutoru." Yuuri-chan spoke with a trembling voice. "Can you show me… a routine? I-It's okay if you don't want to!" He exclaimed right away, embarrassed.

Viktor stopped, frowned, and looked thoughtfully at the ice.

"I would love to, really. But as you see, I'm not as young as I used to be and my knees hurt a little." He smiled, trying to disguise the fact that it bothered him so much that he couldn't skate. He recently get injured while training his students, so he shouldn't do jumps or anything too tiresome for a while. However, he didn't want to explain it to the boy so as not to scare him. His Yuuri was already scared enough for both of them.

"Oh, I see." Yuuri-chan nodded solemnly, although it was evident that he was disappointed as well.

"But we have technology!" He immediately exclaimed, showing his smartphone again, and pulled the Japanese boy off the rink to sit on one of the benches.

Yuuri-chan looked at him curiously as Viktor used a finger on the screen to scroll up and down the video playlist.

Eros…

No. No. Yuuri-chan wasn't the appropriate age to see himself skating like that.

Stammi Vicino… Perfect!

"Exhibition Grand Prix Final Barcelona - 2015." The boy read the title with confusion, but a surprised gasp escaped from his throat as he recognized himself standing in the middle of the track, wearing a blue suit.

Viktor watched with pleasure as disbelief in the boy face changed to admiration as the routine progressed. Yuuri was normally very critical of himself and tended to demean his own effort, but Yuuri-chan clearly appreciated it.

"I-It's you!" He screamed suddenly, without taking his eyes off the smartphone, and they both saw how a Viktor dressed identically to Yuuri, but in purple, joined the routine and they danced together on the ic. "That was… Wow. Just… wow." He said at the end of the video.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Viktor flashed his heart-shaped smile and patted his head. "We have other duet routines, but this is the first one that you and I choreographed together, so it means a lot to me that you could see it."

"Uh?" He looked up at the older man and blinked. "You and I… do we make choreographies together?"

"Of course! You are not only my husband in the future, but we're also coach and a student and since then I have been doing your choreography." He responded animatedly, although he winced as remember something. "Uh, actually, now you are my assistant coach, since you just retired, so I do the choreography for our students and you help me to correct them and add more elements."

"Oh. That explains it ..." He muttered.

"Explain what?" He asked curiously, putting his smartphone away again.

"Ah. I… I could see a story in this choreography. Your routines don't usually have a story…" He explained shyly, and seemed to hesitate to continue speaking so Viktor nodded to encourage him. "I… I saw a lonely Warrior who needs help but he doesn't want to or doesn't know how to ask for it…" He lowered his head, but continued. "Suddenly, one day a Prince notices him and decides to help him, even though he was neglecting his kingdom, and despite of that, they both seem happy, in love... It's romantic."

"Wow, amazing! You are very insightful, Yuuri-chan. That is just the story we wanted to tell." He playfully pinched one of his cheeks and the Japanese boy laughed, blushing.

Of course Yuuri-chan would use a warrior and a prince to represent them, just like in his medieval video games. And of course he would also think that he caught Viktor's attention for no apparent reason, when in fact he blatantly stole Viktor's attention at the Sochi banquet. But of course, he obviously couldn't say that to a 14 year old boy...

He now understood why Yuuri treated him with such care when he visited him as Vitya.

Viktor was about to change the subject and suggest him to getting back on rink when he heard a growl from next to him.

"Oh-oh. I think someone is hungry." He sing and poked Yuuri-chan's belly playfully with an index finger. The Japanese boy laughed and nodded, embarrassed. "Then let's go home, it's almost time for breakfast."

"Bre-breakfast? I thought it was night." He commented as he looked at the little light coming through the windows.

"Oh, we usually skate early so as not to disturb the customers." He replied simply.

Viktor then looked for his blade guards and put on his shoes, and luckily he was able to find smaller blade guards for Yuuri-chan's skates in the reception. But seeing that the boy would be left barefoot, the Russian man rushed to the lockers and was able to find several pairs of tennis shoes that the triplets used to forget to store in their lockers. They were almost 11 years old now, so they should have similar foots size. He took the blue pair. He was sure that the Nishigori family wouldn't mind if they borrowed the guards and tennis shoes.

"Uh, are these for girls?" Yuuri-chan inquired as he tried to put on the tennis shoes with some resistance. They were a little tight, however the way home wouldn't be that long. Also, they had arrived by bicycle, so they wouldn't have to walk that much.

"Sorry, that's all I could get." He apologized with a smile as he placed his Yuuri's jacket on the boy. It wasn't a cold day, but it was windy, and the sweat could make him shiver and hurt his muscles.

Before closing the Ice Castle (with the keys that Yuuko had entrusted to him) Viktor kept Yuuri's bike at the reception. Yuuri-chan was physically small, smaller than Yurio at that age, so he would hardly reach the pedals. Viktor wasn't sure if Japanese children were this small or Russian children were too tall...

Before getting on his bike, Viktor texted his sister-in-law to let her know about the new 'guest' and Mari promised they would be ready.

The trip to home was uneventful, with Yuuri-chan hugging his waist tightly and Viktor pedaling slowly, avoiding forcing his knees. Although sometimes the Japanese boy would raised his voice to pointing out the most notable differences between the Hasetsu of his time and the current one.

Upon arriving home and opening the sliding door, Yuuri-chan was greeted by the smiling faces of his parents, and was also greeted by a large black ball of fur, who happily jumped on him. Luckily, Viktor already knew of his poodle's enthusiasm, so he placed a hand on the boy's back before the impact so they didn't fall to the floor.

"We have a dog?!" Yuuri-chan exclaimed with a big smile, being licked in the face by said dog.

"Yes, he is ours." He smiled, relieved that he didn't ask about Makkachin. "And even if he look big, he is still a puppy, so treat him well, okay?" He suggested him kindly, although he knew that Yuuri-chan would be careful. "I called him Yuuri, by the way, but we call him Yuuchan."

"Uh?!" He widened his eyes, incredulous. "Did you name him after me?! Why?"

"Because Yuuchan is just as adorable as you." He replied as if it was something very obvious and Yuuchan barked to confirm it.

Yuuri-chan, far from embarrassed, laughed and petted the poodle.

"I didn't know you liked dogs... I like them too. Ah. You should know that by now, we have one."

"Of course." He ruffled his black hair before petting the poodle, and took off his shoes at the same time as the boy took off the tennis and place them in hall before putting on their sandals. "And I also know what your favorite food is."

Before breakfast, Yuuri-chan took a shower, and his mother gave him a blue jinbei of his size (which was probably his), and Viktor showered afterwards, putting on his usual green jinbei after drying off.

The next hours ran fast. Hiroko and Toshiya, and even Mari, were delighted to have a young Yuuri back with them, showing him his medals and trophies from his years in Junior, also photos and more skating videos. And obviously there was katsudon for lunch.

"You really are good with children, Vicchan." Hiroko said and giggled when the Russian man offered to help her wash the dishes. Mari and Yuuri-chan had suddenly disappeared and Viktor suspected that his sister-in-law must have taken him to see his personal collection of 'Viktor Nikiforov' merchandise.

"Ah, not really." Viktor replied with a nervous chuckle. "I can tolerate other people's children, but I prefer not to have them around. Yuuko's daughters are a special case." He cleared up right away.

Viktor wasn't ashamed to admit that children made him anxious and they quickly made him run out of patience, which is why he preferred to work with adults or emotionally mature teenage skaters (... Yurio was also a special case).

"Really? Well, it doesn't seem like it." His mother-in-law looked at him with a half-smile, as if she believed just the opposite. "You have been very good and patient with Yuuri-chan." She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, because is Yuuri." He said without understanding her point.

"I bet you would have the same patience with your children." She said and continued cleaning a pot. "And I'm also sure that you would be the kind of parent who would do anything to pamper them."

"My…? Oh." Viktor blushed but said nothing more.

It was true that he and Yuuri had already talked about having children, adopted or through a surrogate mother, but that conversation had been months ago, before Yuuri retired, and they had not touched the subject again. Although the Japanese man had made it clear that he preferred biological children while Viktor was fine with either option (although meeting Yuuri-chan made him wonder what their children would look like with Yuuri's DNA…).

Still, there was a reason Viktor hadn't spoken of it again... and it was because he was afraid.

He not only didn't like children, but he feared being an abuser like his father or a manipulator like his mother. He would never forgive himself if he put an innocent child through the same things he suffered with his supposed family. It wouldn't be fair.

However, Hiroko was right about one thing ... If it were his children with Yuuri, Viktor would do everything he could to ensure their happiness and support them in everything he could. He wouldn't abandon them or make them feel bad about their decisions or preferences. Viktor would try to be like his grandfather, who was always by his side and listened to him despite being 'a disgrace to the family' until he died when he was 15.

"Vikutoru!" The Russian man's thoughts were interrupted by a lively Yuuri-chan, who ran into the kitchen with the black poodle behind him. "Mari-neesan showed me a new console and told me that you can play, is that true?"

"Oh." Confused by his enthusiasm, Viktor nodded anyway. "Yes. I like puzzle games, and sometimes I play Tetris with you. You have never beaten me." He winked, ignoring the fact that Yuuri beat him in any other video game. Still, the younger Yuuri seemed happy with his response.

"That's so cool! Can we play now?"

"Oh. I'd like that. But I must help Mama Hiroko first. Can you wait a bit, solnyshko?" It wasn't necessary to point out that his hands were covered with soap.

"Go play with him, Vicchan." Hiroko said with a gigle. "I can take care of the rest."

"Are you sure...?"

His mother-in-law only waved her hand. Viktor smiled gratefully, and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before following Yuuri-chan into the living room to play with his Switch connected to the TV.

"What is sorushiniko?" He inquired before sitting on the floor, tilting his head like a confused puppy. Yuuchan did the same.

"It is an affectionate nickname. In Russia, we address the people we love with nicknames." Viktor sat next to him, being careful with his knee, and took one of the gamepads. Yuuri-chan just smiled, then he started a game of Tetris 99.

Hours later, after several sets of games and Viktor spoiling many of his favorite anime, the Japanese boy got up from the floor and looked around the room, nervously.

"Is something wrong, Yuuri-chan?" He stood up as well, being able to recognize signs of anxiety in his demeanor.

"I… I think it's time to go." He lowered his gaze, and before the silver-haired man reacted, he lunged at him to hug him, his head just level with his abdomen. Viktor, despite the surprise, didn't hesitate to hug him back. "B-but I don't want to leave yet! You're cooler than I thought."

"Cool?" He repeated, confused.

"Yes!" He exclaimed and hugged him tighter, his eyes closed. "Not only are you a great skater, you also like dogs and video games and… and… you like katsudon! You aren't a jerk. Nishigori told me that you would be a cocky jerk, that all celebrities are, but you aren't like that." Ah. Somehow, Viktor wasn't surprised to learn that a young Takeshi would insult him (probably because of jealousy) to annoy Yuuko and Yuuri-chan. Although he was a kind of a cocky jerk at 17... "I... I wish I could stay longer."

"Yuuri-chan…" The Russian man stroked his hair, feeling his heart break as he heard his cry muffled against his shirt. Then he cupped Yuuri-chan's cheeks and raised his head to look at each other. "You must go back to your time, you need to train, remember?" The boy nodded but kept sobbing, so Viktor kissed his forehead. "It was really nice meeting you, and I know the Viktor of your time will want to meet you too."

"Will we meet soon?" He inquired while gasping for air, trying to breathe despite the tears.

"Not too soon." He replied with a sad smile. "But I'll be waiting for you."

When Yuuri-chan smiled, the boy vanished into thin air. However, the adult version of him reappeared in his place.

"Yuuri!" Viktor couldn't contain his happiness and jumped on his husband to kiss him after 14 hours apart. Yuuri returned the kisses with the same enthusiasm. "I missed you, solnyshko."

"... What? Uh. I thought were we at the rink." Yuuri at first seemed confused, looking at everything around him, then he noticed a small blue jinbei at his side and everything made sense. "Oh!"

"I met your 14 year old version." Said the silver-haired man with his big heart-shaped smile. "You were so adorable. I wonder if our children will be like you..." He put a hand to his mouth as he realized that he had said it out loud instead of thinking it.

Yuuri's eyes widened, but a second later they softened.

"It doesn't matter what our children will be like, I know we will love them just the same." He patted Yuuchan's ears and then looked at his husband. "I know you will be a good father, Vitya."

"You think so?" He inquired, feeling a bit unsure. He didn't doubt Yuuri, but he knew that taking care of a child would be the most difficult challenge of his life (although possibly the most rewarding).

"I just know." He asserted with his brown eyes shining with determination. "But... I worry that our children will love you more. I know you will pamper them too much while I will have to be the strict dad." He complained with a frown. Viktor looked at him puzzled for a second before laughing.

"Of course not, Yuuri!" He hugged him and brought their cheeks together. "You will teach them your otaku things and your games while I will make them get up early on the weekends. You will be the favorite daddy, believe me."

"And why are you making them get up early on the weekends instead of letting them sleep?" He asked, shocked, wondering how his husband could be so cruel.

"Because you and me would to teach them to skate, of course." He said while batting his long eyelashes, feigning innocence, while Yuuri made a disapproving face.

"You mean you'll make me get up early on Saturday too?" He grunted, not pleased at the news.

"I saved you katsudon." He crooned, offering the food as some kind of an apologize and the Japanese man laughed.

"That's why I love you." He said and gave him a little kiss on the lips, accepting the 'offering'.

"I thought you loved me because I was cool and I like dogs."

"Oh yeah, that helped a lot." Viktor pouted and Yuuri laughed again. "Vitya, we will talk more about this when I finish eating my katsudon, okay?"

The silver-haired man, feeling strangely animated and eager to have that conversation, smiled and nodded.

Whatever the outcome of the discussion, he knew that the Katsuki-Nikiforov family would have new members.