Victor’s POV
If Yuri hadn’t have done something soon, I would have. It was the best feeling in the world.
Only now people would think I’d only moved to Japan to be with Yuri…eh I didn’t care, let them talk and think whatever they wanted. They were nothing to me and they didn’t matter.
Just then my phone rang with a number I didn’t recognise but I answered it anyways.
‘Hello?’ I said.
‘So that’s why you left me? To get a boyfriend? You lied to me’ said the voice on the other end.
I sighed ‘I didn’t lie, I am genuinely Yuri’s coach’ stuff just sort of…happened. You’re really going to get mad at me for being happy?’ I asked my teammate and I heard him sigh on the other end.
‘I just miss you Victor’ he admitted ‘can you come home?’
‘I’m sorry’ I really was too ‘but I can’t come back, not right now, I hope you can understand’
‘Yeah I do, I guess’ and the phone clicked off.
Yuri came over to me as I put my phone back in my pocket.
‘What was that all about?’ he asked ‘you look worried’
‘It’s nothing’ I smiled ‘just someone I knew back in Russia’
‘I see, do they want you back?’
I nodded and saw the sadness in his eyes as he looked to the floor, I lifted his chin and kissed him on the nose.
I’m not going anywhere’ I said ‘I’m staying right here’ he nuzzled into my chest.
‘Thank you so much Victor’ he said, his voice muffled by my jacket ‘thank you for everything, I wish there was something I could do for you’
I chuckled and wrapped my arms around him.
‘You already do’ I said and kissed the top of his head
…
‘You did good today, and you’ll do even better when we go to China’ I grinned.
‘Are you just saying that because your old teammate will be there too? Yuri asked.
‘No of course not’ I replied. I had genuinely forgotten about that but now I wanted him to win even more. I know that wasn’t the best way to think but I couldn’t help it.

I was worried about Victor, he seemed off about the next round of the competition because it meant seeing his old team again. I wished there was something I could do to help him but somehow, I had a feeling that this time there was nothing I could do.
But at least worrying about Victor put me off my own pains.
All the hours of practice and training were taking their toll on me again. I’d forgotten how hard it could be and I was scared that Victor would notice.
And he did. Dammit.
‘Yuri, are you okay?’ he asked.
‘Of course I am’ I replied, ‘why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Because you’re limping, that’s why. Sit down’ he ordered.
I tried to insist that I was okay but still did as I was told and sat down.
Victor knelt down and took off my shoes, my feet were covered in cuts, blisters and bruises from being in skates for hours every day.
‘Why didn’t you tell me it was too much?’ he said quietly, looking up at me through his eyelashes.
I shrugged and Victor slammed his fist down on the bench beside me.
‘Dammit Yuri, how can you keep something like this from me?’
‘I didn’t want to worry you’ I said ‘I thought that I could handle it. No pain no gain, right? We both know that nothing we want ever comes easy’
‘That isn’t what I meant’ he sighed ‘I don’t want you hurting yourself or over doing it anymore’
I put my hand on his cheek and his smooth skin with my thumb.
‘I can handle it’ I said and he shook his head.
‘No you can’t Yuri and I won’t let you’
I frowned ‘what do you mean?’
I was worried that he was going to give up on me.
‘You’re not leaving me are you?’ I asked with tears in my eyes ‘please Victor you can’t leave me, why are you saying this now just after my first win? I only wanted you to be proud of me’ I was fully in tears by now ‘all I wanted was to make you happy Victor, I’m sorry’
He kissed me to shut me up.
‘Yuri, if you calmed down, I could explain’ he said as he wiped my tears away.
‘O-okay; I sniffed ‘sorry’
‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m just cutting your practice hours down, I don’t want you hurting yourself anymore’
‘But if I don’t practice how can I be prepared for the competition?’
‘You can still be ready without killing yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to’ he said and kissed me again and then picked me up like he was carrying a child.
‘W-what are you doing?
‘Well you can’t walk properly so I’m helping you of course’ he smiled and walked off.